Kendra Ebert

I attribute my success to never becoming too comfortable. I’m constantly trying to learn, improve, and surround myself with people who challenge me. I’ve also been fortunate to build lasting relationships with colleagues who genuinely want to see each other win. I take the responsibility of building a business seriously, both protecting what we’re building and being a good steward of the people who have helped make it possible. I think success has come from staying curious, taking ownership, and being willing to adjust when I get something wrong.

The best career advice I’ve ever received came from my aunt during a challenging period in my career. She told me, ‘Every opportunity has a lesson.’ At the time, I was focused on whether the situation was working out the way I wanted it to, but that advice changed the way I looked at difficult experiences. Not every opportunity is meant to be permanent, and not every chapter is going to feel successful while you’re in it. Sometimes the value is in what it teaches you about the work, about people, or about yourself. That mindset has helped me take something useful from every role and every difficult season of my career.

My advice to young women entering the industry is to choose yourself, take risks, and never be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Some of the greatest opportunities for growth come from doing things that feel intimidating or uncertain. Continue building your skills, trust in your abilities, and be willing to take chances on yourself and your future.

The biggest challenge in dentistry is balancing the rising cost of operating a practice with the responsibility to keep care accessible. We are also continuing to face workforce pressures, which makes developing and retaining good people critical. But I think those challenges are creating opportunities to rethink traditional models of care. Technology, mobile and on-site dentistry, and more flexible ways of reaching patients allow us to serve people who may otherwise go without care. To me, the future is not just about growing practices; it is about finding better ways to bring care to the people who need it.

The values that matter most to me are accountability, continuous growth, strong relationships, and being a good steward for the people and opportunities I’ve been trusted with. I believe accountability starts with me, and I try to be honest about where I can improve rather than expecting growth only from the people around me. Relationships are also incredibly important to me. I’ve been fortunate to build a network of people who genuinely want to see one another succeed, and I try to give that same support back. Whether it’s in business or in my personal life, I want people to know that I care, that I’ll show up when I’m needed, and that I take seriously the responsibility of leaving a positive impact on the people I interact with.