The West of Perfection Podcast

This week, Erin and Mary Katherine share what makes West of Perfection’s Leadership Summit special! Elevate the Conversation will be held in Lexington, Kentucky, on October 20th, and you can’t afford to miss it.   Instead of sitting in a crowded arena to hear a keynote and get your book signed, this event is an intimate experience of transformation for your leadership. Fireside chats, table discus...

In this episode, MK and Erin examine the two main ways leaders abdicate their responsibility: avoidance and self-centeredness. Both are incredibly easy to spot in others, but very difficult to articulate for yourself! Neither avoidance nor self-centeredness leads to authentic success, yet both are common in most leaders.   Today’s episode is a clinic in building awareness so that you can take your...

In this episode, hosts Mary Katherine Wathen and Erin Van de Voorde sit down with Shannon Patterson, partner at Benson Koppelman Patterson & Associates, to tackle one of the most overlooked challenges in orthodontics today: the leadership gap.  Chapters:  0:00 — Intro & Guest Welcome  1:15 — About the Elevate the Conversation Summit  5:09 — The Leadership Gap in Orthodontics  9:42 — The As...

Erin and MK may not be experts in technology or AI, but they are experts in the human person at work. In this episode, they examine AI from a leadership lens: how will this technology showcase opportunities to develop skills and attitudes that only belong to humans? Using this tool and being a highly relational, present, and thoughtful leader are not mutually exclusive, but like all things, this b...

Orthodontists (and leaders in every industry) listen up! Are you hoping your people’s drama and frustration works itself out over the weekend? Is the stress of your people challenges keeping you up at night?   If so, you are not alone. In this episode, Erin and MK address what’s at the heart of the most common issues they encounter while working in the orthodontic industry, most of which are probl...

Have you ever wondered what’s the difference between coaching, consulting, and therapy? In this episode, Erin and Mary Katherine explore the distinct roles of each of these professionals and when you might need to work with each of them.  Here at West, we practice leadership coaching that is oriented to the whole human person. How we do anything is how we do everything, so the lines between person...

What does it look like to lead yourself? You can always come up with a thousand and one excuses to try and change your boss or your spouse, but in this episode, MK and Erin jump into the very first step for true growth: starting with you.   There’s plenty of self-development hacks out there, and even more gurus who can over-explain them to you. That’s why Erin and MK dive deep into the difference...

Before benefiting your colleagues, the company, or a cause, understand that you are the primary beneficiary of your work. How do you view yourself as benefiting from your work? How could that small change make a big impact? --  Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at ‪(615) 864-0359‬ to share YOUR West Moment!  --  Episode 3  --  Socials:  West’s website:  https://www. Westofperfection.com   Ins...

Doing versus being – what's the difference and why does it matter, at work and in parenting? How do we step above the transactional nature of things? Listen as MK and Erin share their West Moments and challenge you to the 3-5 Exercise.  --  Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at ‪(615) 864-0359‬ to share YOUR West Moment!  --  Episode 2  --  Socials:  West’s website: https://www. Westofperf...

Where does the typical leadership development approach go wrong? And where do we go from here? Join Erin and MK as they share a different approach to this vital issue and the story of West of Perfection.  --  Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at ‪(615) 864-0359‬ to share YOUR West Moment!  --  Episode 1  --  Connect With West:  West’s website:  https://www. Westofperfection.com   Instagram: ...