183 – How to work less and make more money with dentist Paddi Lund. This is the ‘Happy Business’ episode.

183 – How to work less and make more money with dentist Paddi Lund. This is the ‘Happy Business’ episode.

What if locking your door, taking down your business sign, and saying “goodbye” to half of your customers could radically change your business for the better? My guest today, Paddi Lund, did just that. He shares how he used exclusivity, lateral thinking, and the power of what some call “repulsion marketing” to design a lifestyle where he was making more money than most of his colleagues while only working two days per week.

Listen in as dentist Paddi explains how to work less and make more money.

Paddi is now a successful speaker and author. But before he started showing others how to change their own business, he worked it out for himself. In this episode he tells us about how he came back from rock bottom, the discovery that led him to completely change his business (and life philosophy), and specific skills and tactics you can use to do the same things in your business.

Plus,  I share seven marketing jolts to shock your business into action.

In this session of Small Business Big Marketing, you’ll discover:

  • Why Paddi walked away from his business when he could have sold it for a fortune
  • Why you should put aside time for introspection
  • What caused Paddi to hit rock bottom, and how he came back
  • How small things affect our happiness
  • Seven standards for happiness in your business
  • How to make your customers feel special by “allowing” them to do things for you
  • Why his colleagues thought that Paddi’s model was “arrogant” (and why he didn’t care)
  • Why you shouldn’t see your service as a “piece of work” (or price it that way)
  • What Paddi was really selling (hint: it wasn’t a product or service)
  • “Transaction” vs “transformation” in marketing what you do
  • Why you don’t have to run the same type of business as everybody else
  • PLUS, my seven marketing jolts for reviving your flagging marketing.

Episode Timeline

  • 1.00 Tim’s rant – 7 marketing jolts for reviving your business
  • 7.00 Introducing today’s guest Paddi Lund
  • 12.00 Why Paddi reached rock bottom, even considering suicide at one stage
  • 22.00 The importance of looking inwards
  • 30.00 How Paddi identified the “sadness” in his business
  • 34.30 The radical changes Paddi made to his business and the impact they had
  • 42.00 Doing things differently to other businesses in your industry – why not?
  • 53.00 My top 3 take-aways from this episode

Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode

Paddi Lund’s Interview Transcription

Tim:

Alrighty, time to bring Paddi Lund, dentist-extraordinaire, business inspirer extraordinaire into the Small Business Big Marketing studio. You know that quote I shared at the front of this show is a quote that I came across when researching the idea of interviewing Paddi and he really did say that and he really has got some very, very strong views on how to create a business that is full of happiness because Paddi at one point, during his dentistry profession, considered killing himself. That’s when things took a turn for the better. That sounds weird but you will understand what I mean as we get stuck into this interview. We go to some places I certainly didn’t plan for in this interview. I found that it’s very philosophical. It’s full of marketing gold but it certainly ended up much more than just finding out how he created a happy dental practice. I think you’re going to enjoy it. So listen in as I chat with Paddy who actually has no fixed address. He’s in Thailand as we speak and he shares with us how to create a happy business.

Now, I understand you sold your dentist practice in Brisbane about 4 years ago, but a number of years before that…

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Over to you!

Let us know YOUR key takeaways from this episode by leaving a comment below. I personally read and respond to every comment!

18 thoughts on “183 – How to work less and make more money with dentist Paddi Lund. This is the ‘Happy Business’ episode.”

  1. mcutlerwelsh

    Tim, I really liked the acknowledgement in this discussion that introspection, particularly the act of sitting down and figuring out what makes you happy – can be hard work.

    It’s easy for people to suggest that success will come from the overlap or proficiency, profit and passion. But few acknowledge that figuring out the passion part doesn’t always come easily.

    Thanks for this interview. A bit different from the normal, but well appreciated.

  2. Hi Timbo, This podcast has inspired me to comment. Your ability to extract the nuggets of gold was fantastic. I have listened to all your podcasts and this is your best interview yet. Parko would be proud. Thanks for being the you.
    Phill

  3. thefatbadger

    Tim, Timbo, buddy, old mate….please don’t put me through that again. Without any hint of a pun, that interview was like pulling teeth!
    So how much did he charge for a filling? Anyone?.. Bueller? Bueller?
    Paddi appeared both disinterested (particluary at the beginning of the interview..” I really don’t want to go over that again…”), arrogant (constantly asking “do you understand?”, refusing to provide answers to your questions, refusing to advise how much he charged for a filling), controlling (making his staff have a DAILY meeting to cover off if anyone may have been rude during the day) and still somewhat angry at the world.
    His slow…… deliberate…….. style……. of speech was infuriating.
    Your listeners would benefit far more by reading the Zappo’s book ‘Delivering Happiness’.
    Paddi did not sound happy at all…..despite living, sorry residing (no fixed address, please), in the land of Smiles! (Thailand).
    To anyone of your listeners it was very clear that you attempted to exit the interview on numerous occasions but Paddi seemed to have no idea and didn’t pick up on your very obvious cues.
    I applaud your effort on this one and yes I agree that there were some marketing tips in there. e.g. don’t be a business sheep, know the difference between value and price etc etc.
    I would expect that you would have a discard pile of interviews that didnt provide the value you thought they would or didnt go as planned. perhaps instead of airing these in their entirety you could save them up for a podcast, perhaps themed (happiness, productivity, low/no cost marketing etc) and simply take snippets of each in a top 10 format (long live David Letterman).
    Soo.. 1 movie reference, 1 TV reference, 1 book reference, 1 tourism plug…ok, I’m done.
    P.s. I was pleased to see that you are still doing work with young Lukey..any chance of a guest appearance?
    cheers.

  4. I generally enjoyed the interview but it was a little strained at times and I had to look past my personal feelings for how he came across to listen for the interesting parts. At least he was honest about his lack of empathy. Definitely a difficult interview for you Timbo but you did well to keep it moving and extract some good info.

    I found it interesting that he discovered some very basic human things so late in life. The things about happiness and how to interact with others to make them feel good and pass on the happiness. However I think it’s probably a good reminder that it’s easy to overlook and forget the obvious things when doing business, and focusing on some basics can make a huge difference in your business (and life).

    The lengths he went to to try and make his clients feel at ease, and completely change the normal experience was good food for thought. Seemed at odds with how he came across in the interview.

    Agree with the fat badger, but the fact that it was so different and you had to work at him and the way he responded made it an interesting interview none the less.

  5. I LOVE all of your interviews Timbo. I cant wait for my walk on Wed mornings listening to you with my headphones in. Usually laughing and nodding and basically looking like a crazy person to anyone passing by. LOL.
    I don’t like to think on negative terms, so I tried really hard to come up with something nice to say about this interview,,,
    BUT I just cant.
    Grumpiest “happy” guy I have ever heard.
    You couldn’t pay me enough money to let him anywhere near my teeth.
    Still love ya though
    🙂

  6. I was quite intrigued with this interview. I like the model of looking at happiness first and how you have to start with yourself. This can’t happen on the outside when you haven’t got them in place on the inside. You can only help other people be happy by being first happy yourself.

    I also liked the welcoming and how he makes his ‘guests’ feel at ease. I am already offering a cup of tea when they walk in the door. I does make a difference and yes, it is important the way I introduce it. I learnt to have the kettle boiled already …

    I find it a pity though that in the end it wasn’t clear about how the financial transfer happens. I would love to know more about this, as I have difficulty my price and tend to give different prices to different people.

    Back to Paddi Lund. How do people pay him?

  7. I kept waiting for Paddi to get into the details. I’ve heard parts of his story before but didn’t know about the air venting system, the inhouse baking or that there was a right way to offer tea/coffee. The ‘how’ of the client referral method and the process to architect that experience would have been really interesting.

  8. Just listening to the Paddi Lund episode. Blumin heck, best interview of any kind that I’ve listened to. Complete genius but not sure why.
    Would love to know where else I can listen to him or read things he can share to enlighten us.

    Getting ready to listen to the episode again… Love it, well done Timbo

  9. Thanks Jamie. If you can identify what you loved about this interview, do let me know. Some have loved it. others, not so much!

  10. Good call, Mick. I found myself having to think on my feet more than usual during this fireside chat, so those questions eluded me. Maybe I’ll get him back some time – now that’d be interesting!

  11. LOL, Chriss! Firstly, thanks for allowing me to accompany you on yo0ur walk each day. And for making you look like a crazy person! Now, on the matter of the interview, whilst Paddi was hard work at times, could you really find no marketing gold in there?! What about his integration of smell in to the business? Or his putting patients (guests) at ease? Anything?

  12. Love your work, Fat Badger. You’ve put a smile on my dial. Why don’t you leave more comments in my show notes! Now I gotta say, I’m no Letterman fan, so the top 10 things feels a bit yuck. And surprisingly, there aren’t that many interviews I’ve chosen not to go with – three that I can think of. Whilst Paddi was a tad lethargic (he was in Thailand having just finished a kick boxing class), I do think he shred some gems. Surely Confucius at some point said something to the tune of “We must learn from all sorts, my young student. Even Liquorice All Sorts.” Don’t be a stranger, Fat Badger.

  13. Thanks Matt. Introspection was a big take out for me in this interview. Something I certainly don’t do enough of … and I”m guessing many others don’t as well. “What makes us happy? What a massive question.

  14. Jason Nicholson

    G’Day Timbo

    I just went back and listened to this old podcast I have read Paddi’s book it is a great read.I found this a great podcast he is a very interesting man.

    I still can’t work out how he charges? do they just pay what they think the work he has done is worth? which to some people could be thousands and then he gets them special clients to refer more like them?

    What ever he does it is thinking out of the box.

    Keep up the great work love the show!

    All the best
    Jason

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