The Dental Billing Podcast

Evolving Not Ending: How Listener Voices Changed Everything

• Ericka Aguilar

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What happens when you try to end something, only to discover it's just beginning? After announcing what I thought would be the final episode of the Dental Billing Podcast, something extraordinary happened—hundreds of messages flooded in from listeners who weren't ready to say goodbye. From tearful voicemails to heartfelt emails, the message was clear: this podcast had become more than just a billing resource. It had become a lifeline.

These messages revealed something powerful about our community. Ashley from Dallas shared that after 17 years in dental billing, this was the first time she felt truly seen. Teresa from Arizona mentioned her therapist made an exception to allow her to listen to this work-related podcast because "it supports your mental health." Nina from Chicago explained how the podcast helped her recover from burnout when "billing was breaking me." What started as technical guidance had evolved into something deeply personal and necessary.

Moving forward, the Dental Billing Podcast will continue with an expanded vision. We'll maintain our commitment to sharp, accurate billing information—fighting back unreasonable denials, clarifying coding confusion, and exposing insurance company tactics. But we're also embracing what our community clearly needs: conversations about mental health, burnout prevention, and practical tools for thriving in a chaotic industry. We'll bring in licensed therapists, wellness coaches, and trauma-informed practitioners alongside powerhouse billers and respected consultants to address both the technical and emotional aspects of dental administration.

This evolution reflects a simple truth: you're not just a biller or office manager—you're a human being trying to make a difference in a broken system. Whether you're looking for denial management strategies, nervous system regulation techniques, or simply the comfort of knowing you're not alone, this podcast remains a safe space for your questions, your growth, and your hope. Email me your topics, leave a review to help others find us, and know that we're in this together—not ending, but expanding.

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Speaker 1:

Hi friends, welcome back to an encore episode of the Dental Billing Podcast. When I hit publish on what I thought would be the final episode of the Dental Billing Podcast, I was wrong. I had no idea what was coming, friends, you guys sent me text messages, direct messages, voicemails, you name it, smoke signals. Everything just started pouring in over the next couple of weeks after I released that episode, and I mean flooding in. Honestly, it was humbling. It made me realize that what I started as a niche billing podcast had evolved into something a lot more personal, impactful and a lot more needed than I ever imagined. So before we dive into where this podcast is going next, I want to honor some of the messages I've received, messages from listeners who made it very clear that walking away was not an option. Fair warning, friends you're gonna need a tissue. Well, I did. I don't know if you're gonna need a tissue, but these messages and I received hundreds of them're going to go through about 10 of them, and these were a reminder to me of why I started this show in the first place. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking time out of your day to request that we don't stop so. Our first request is from Ashley out of Dallas, texas, and Ashley said Erica, please don't stop the podcast. I've been in dental billing for 17 years and this is the first time I felt like someone actually speaks my language. It's not about the codes, it's about feeling seen. Your last episode had me crying in my car. Don't go, we need you. I'm glad I could make it through that one without crying, because the first time I read that I was crying with you, ashley.

Speaker 1:

Request number two is from Jason out of Portland, oregon. I just listened to the final episode. I don't accept it. I've learned more from you than I did in a year of working with a consultant. Don't go quiet now. Add whatever you need to stay inspired. Just don't shut us out. To stay inspired, just don't shut us out. Request number three is from Maya out of Charlotte, north Carolina. I've shared your podcast with every front office person I've trained. You've saved me from reinventing the wheel every single time. The way you teach has changed the way I lead. You teach has changed the way I lead. The podcast cannot end. Thank you for that, maya.

Speaker 1:

Request number four is out of Glendale, arizona, and this one is from Teresa. This one's actually funny, you guys. I thought this was very. This made me laugh. My therapist told me to stop listening to work-related podcasts for my own sanity, but yours she made an exception. She said this one also supports your mental health. That says a lot. Request number five is out of Chicago, illinois. This one's from Nina.

Speaker 1:

As someone who's recovering from burnout in this industry, your episodes have helped me find my footing again. Billing was breaking me, but listening to your voice reminded me I wasn't alone. Please keep showing up for us. Request number six is from Stephanie out of Orlando, florida. You gave us permission to do things by the book, to stand up to insurance companies and to ask better questions. That's rare. Please don't take this voice away from the industry. Request number seven comes from Brenda out of San Diego, california.

Speaker 1:

I've never wrote into a podcast before, but this can't be the end. I'm just starting to get my billing team trained using your episodes. How can you end now? Please say that this is just a pause, brenda. What I thought was going to be a shift is still going to be a shift, and I definitely thought I was going to shift harder into culture and other practice management topics, which we will do, but we are going to stay true to our roots and we are not going to change the name of the podcast because I want to make sure that you guys know we will stay true to dental billing.

Speaker 1:

Request number eight comes from Danny out of Brooklyn. Your last episode hit hard. It was brave, it was beautiful and it made me realize that this podcast is more than billing. Don't let it go. Request number nine is from Kevin out of Boise, idaho. I found your show at a time when I was ready to walk away from dental altogether. Now I'm teaching others what I've learned from you. You're not done, the work is not done. And the last request we're going to share is out of Baton Rouge, louisiana, from Tasha Erica. You created something sacred. If it needs to shift, let it shift. Just don't stop the billing. The mental health bring it all, just don't leave.

Speaker 1:

Wow, did I expect this type of response to the final episode of the Dental Billing Podcast? Absolutely not. I expected more support with the shift and I do believe that if I wanted to make that shift, I would still be supported. But what I'm hearing from you as the listeners is that you want to stay in the dental billing lane and we're going to sprinkle some other stuff in, but your voice has definitely been heard and we will continue to stay true to our dental billing roots. But we're going to really hit hard on fighting back the unreasonable denials that we receive.

Speaker 1:

And we're also going to talk about mindset. We're going to talk about mental health, because all of this is going on in our industry. We have a very chaotic industry right now and I am not sure that we actually have a shortage of talent. I think what's happening is we are seeing a shift in what employees tolerate with an employer, and we have some old school employers that are not willing to budge and not willing to evolve with the times, so it makes it harder for them to find new talent. And again, this is that's a whole other topic. I don't even want to go there, but we will in the future. I promise we're going to talk about it.

Speaker 1:

So these were just a sample of the hundreds of messages that I received when I pressed record and released the last episode, or what I thought was going to be the last episode, of the Dental Billing Podcast. So all I want to say is that I heard you and I hear your hunger to keep learning. I also hear your desire for something deeper. I think that we have built a community that doesn't want simple billing tactics. You want more than that, and I'm going to give you more than just dental billing. So let's talk about what's next. So let's talk about what's next. We're not going anywhere, not today and not for the foreseeable future, but this next season, friends, it's going to look a little different. We are evolving because this community has grown, and so have I, and it's time the show reflects that. So, from this point forward, you can expect three things. One, billing content that is going to stay sharp, up-to-date and real. We're gonna have honest conversations about mental health, burnout and the invisible weight that a lot of us carry. And we're also going to mix the woo with the work. Whether it's mindset shifts or journaling prompts or simply learning how to pause in a chaotic profession, billing will always be our backbone.

Speaker 1:

This podcast was born out of a desire to clean up the misinformation that is tossed around the industry, in these Facebook groups and gurus that haven't evolved and kept up with the changes and they're still talking about how you have to put everything on a claim form. I hear such misinformation tossed around and we got to learn how to evolve right. Insurance companies change their payment processing policies like every six months. Why are we not learning how to change with them? So I will still be bringing you insurance trends and updates. We're still going to talk about denial management and we're going to involve some case studies. We're going to talk about coding, changes and documentation, office manager hacks and systems, and I'm going to start bringing on powerhouse billers. I am going to start bringing on powerhouse billers, I'm going to bring on powerhouse dentists and I'm going to also bring on these well-known consultants to the show to share industry knowledge to those of you that would not otherwise have access.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes you work with a dentist who's just not willing to invest in a consultant, so you're not going to grow. Stay tuned, friends. I'm going to make sure that you are exposed to the best moving forward Because, remember, we're evolving. We're evolving over here. So if you're here for the billing, I promise you're in good hands. But I also want to let you know that burnout is real, especially in dentistry, and even more so in billing with all the insurance games.

Speaker 1:

I have watched so many talented people walk away from this field because they never felt seen, supported or protected for that matter, and let me be honest, I have been on that edge myself this season. I'm bringing in licensed therapists, wellness coaches and trauma-informed practitioners to talk about what to do when you're emotionally exhausted, but the AR won't stop growing how to recover from gaslighting in the workplace, boundary setting for leaders and teams, and something that nobody really talks about in our industry, which is nervous system regulation and high stress positions. We really need to know how to regulate our nervous system, and I want to talk about this stuff. But again, we are going to stay true to our roots. We're still going to. We're still going to talk about billing.

Speaker 1:

And then there's the woo. Some of you might be thinking, erica, I don't know what you mean by woo, but if it helps me sleep better at night and not punch a fax machine, I'm in. So fair enough. The woo is where we explore what supports your inner world, because your mindset, your nervous system and your energy directly impact how you show up to work, directly impact how you show up to work.

Speaker 1:

As we bring it all together, I want to remind you you're not just a biller, you're not just an office manager and you're not just a dentist. You are a human being trying to make a difference in a broken system, and this show is for you. So here's what I need from you I need you to email me your questions, your stories or any topics you want covered, and friends, when you leave a review, it helps the show stay alive and reach people like you who need to hear this information. We are in this together. So whether you're listening in your car between offices, or you're on lunch or you're cleaning your living room, know that this podcast is a safe space for your evolution, for your questions and your hope. We're not wrapping it up. We're just expanding, and I'm honored to grow with you.

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Ericka Aguilar

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