S1 Episode 3: Burning the Ships Commit to Culture

This episode of Inside Dentistry Support, hosted by Sarah Beth, CEO of Dentistry Support, explores the theme of unwavering commitment inspired by the story of Hernan Cortez burning his ships to conquer the Aztec Empire. Sarah Beth emphasizes the importance of an 'all-in' culture at Dentistry Support, where team members own their roles, take responsibility, and build trust through commitment. She provides practical steps to eliminate backup plans that hinder full engagement and encourages creating a culture that prioritizes emotional investment, presence, and mutual support.

Transcript

   📍 Hey guys. Welcome back. It's Sarah Beth, CEO here at Dentistry Support. Today's episode of Inside Dentistry Support is different. It's inspired by a real conversation had at my dining room table last night with my husband, we were talking about commitment, real unshakeable, no backup plan, kind of commitment.

He told me a story I'd never heard of called Burning the Ships, and it hit me kind of hard. I said this is the foundation of the culture that I am seeking to build at dentistry Support Season one for Inside Dentistry Support is all about company culture. And this story beautifully sums it up.

So today I wanna invite you into a bigger vision of what it means to build something here at Dentistry Support, not just work here, but to own the atmosphere that we create together. Let me take you back to the year of 1519 Spanish Con Sidor. Hernan Cortez landed in Veracruz, Mexico with 600, then 16 horses and 11 ships.

His mission conquered the Aztec Empire, but they were outnumbered on foreign soil and with no backup. So what did Cortez do? Well, according to the legend, he turned to his men and he gave them a shocking command. Burn the ships. There would be no retreat, no escape, no going back. They would move forward together or not at all, and against every odd they won.

Why? Because they were all in burning. The ship means you're not leaving room to quit. You're not sitting back waiting to see if this is really worth it. You are all in at dentistry support. Our culture isn't just a mission statement, it's a commitment. It's how we own our mistakes instead of hiding them.

It's how we show up when we're tired because our team counts on us. It's how we speak up when something feels misaligned, because that's how we stay in alignment. Our culture is built on emotional investment, not perfection, not performance, but presence.

And that is what setting culture has always been about. We're setting the tone, not through policy, but through people. Sometimes we unknowingly carry lifeboats. Like if this job doesn't work out, I can always do blank. If my task is too hard, someone else will just finish it. Or if I mess up, I just won't say anything.

But the burn the ship mindset says, this is my role, my responsibility, and my reputation. And when every team member thinks like that, culture becomes something clients feel, not just something we say. According to a 2023 study from Harvard Business Review, 76% of employees who feel trusted by leadership are more loyal.

But here's the secret. Trust isn't given first. It's modeled. So when you commit to our culture, when you operate as if there's no plan B, you create safety for others to do the same. They stop looking over their shoulder, they start looking toward each other, and that's how alignment is built. So here's your daily culture tip.

Go to your notes app on your phone or grab a notebook and title the page, lifeboats. I'm still holding onto write them out. Be honest. Then choose one and make the decision to let it go. This simple practice will shift how you show up in your role here at Dentistry Support, how you show up for your team and how you show up for our company as a whole.

Culture doesn't live in our handbook. Culture lives in the way we answer a message, the way we respond to a client. It lives in how we hold space for a team member who's having a hard day. It lives in the moment. We choose to care instead of checkout. When you burn the ships, you're not just committed to the job, you're committed to all of us here.

When you stop waiting to feel motivated and start showing up with commitment, that is really good. When the team feels safer because you decided to stay in alignment, that's good. And when our clients can feel the difference because your presence is felt, that is dentistry support.

Good. Burning the ships doesn't mean you don't rest, it means you don't retreat. Our culture is one where it's okay to need a break, to need help, to need a reset, but it's not okay to pretend you care while secretly planning your exit. When you fully show up, you become part of the heartbeat of this company and our heartbeat is so strong.

So here's the question. What ship do you need to burn so you can fully stay present here at dentistry Support? What backup plan is robbing you of real purpose, burn it, be all in and watch how everything changes.  📍 I'll see you guys on the next episode.