333: Success in Florida with Dany Sakr, Nick Azzara, Ifet Ahmeti, & Whitney Courtney

Voices from The Bench

On September 11th in Fort Worth, Texas, the 10th annual Race For the Future will take place to raise money for the Foundation For Dental Laboratory Technology. Barb is doing her 9th solo race and Elvis is teaming up with Mark Williamson and Bobby Kenney to form The Abutments. Go to dentallabfoundation.org and click on the DONATE TODAY button. There you need to log in or create an account. Then select “Race for the Future” and enter the name of either Barb Warner or the Abutments, then the amount you want to donate.
Join the Race: https://fdlt.memberclicks.net/donor-form

DONATE TODAY: https://fortworth.californiatriathlon.org/Race/Register/?raceId=99407

Before we get into this week's episode, Elvis and Barb want to give a big THANKS to Jensen Dental for hosting us at this year’s Florida Dental Laboratory Association Symposium. A great meeting with a great company. Go show them some love and get some MIYO.

First up we talk to two legends in our industry, Dany Sakr and Nick Azzara. Nick talks about what he is doing with a DSO group and reminisces about his time working with Dany. Dany talks about his journey from Lebanon to the US to learn dental technology in the early 80s, getting into digital early in it's existence, opening Sakr Dental Arts, and how they keep their lab relevant about just making crowns.

Then we meet for the first time Ifet Ahmeti. Ifet learned the craft in Albania in 2009. Since then she has been in Switzerland to learn quality, Indiana to learn removables, and then opened her own in-office lab in Philadelphia. She has since moved to Tampa, Florida and opened another lab, Dentart Dental Studio. Ifet talks about managing clients when you are a solo technician, the importance of using the best materials, and why seeing patients allows you do make the best restoration.

Then we wrap up all of the FDLA with past podcast guest, Whitney Coutney. Whitney has had a great journey from assistant to in-office tech in Kentucky, to full arch designer in Florida. In 2022 she wanted to get into education and partnered with Nowak Dental Supplies to on-board and teach labs the digital workflow. Whitney talks about how she handles labs doing a "software switch", helping technicians learn practical uses of either 3shape or exocad, and how she keeps up on the ever-evolving technology.
*NOTE - Since recording with Whitney, she had taken a position back at Midwest Dental Arts doing what she loves best.
If you are interested in getting into education and doing what Whitney did, reach out to Nowak Dental Supplies as they are looking for someone with the same passion for teaching.

Head to a Nowak Invitational near you!

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Join the GOLDEN BENCH CLUB! All you have to do is leave us a 5-star review and comment on the Apple Podcast app (or any other app and email us a screen shot) and we will read your review on the podcast and welcome you to the Golden Bench Club. This super elite club is only for the best of the best.

Special Guests: Dany Sakr, Ifet Ahmeti, Nick Azzara, and Whitney Courtney.