Just Two Minutes: Before You Even Speak

Bite-sized dental wisdom in under 2 minutes.

I was listening to The Diary of a CEO the other day, and Kevin O’Leary said something that stuck with me.

He said he knows within two seconds if you’re going to get a deal.
Not after your pitch.
Not after you speak.
Before you even open your mouth.

Two seconds.

I had to pause the episode.

Because honestly?
He’s not wrong.

People decide who you are way faster than you think.
Patients. Staff. Investors. Colleagues. Even strangers at the grocery store.
You don’t get five minutes to warm up.
You get five milliseconds.
And in this world, perception often is reality.

Now this isn’t about being fake.
It’s about showing up like someone who takes themselves seriously.

That doesn’t mean a designer outfit or a $200 haircut.
It means walking in like you’ve done the work.
Like you’re ready.
Even if you’re not fully ready yet.

Early in my career, confidence got me through more than any CE course ever did.
Was I terrified some days? Absolutely.
But I walked into that op like I was the best dentist they’d ever seen.
Not because I was trying to fake them out.
But because if I didn’t believe I could do it… why would they?

That lesson hit hardest when I opened my startup.

Not when I got my first job out of school.
Not when I acquired my first office.
But when I started from scratch—and everything was riding on me.

Zero patients.
No momentum.
Nothing to fall back on.

I remember my very first patient.
She was probably the only patient I saw that entire day.
And I could’ve walked into that op scared. Nervous. Thinking about how hard this was going to be.

But instead, I told myself, “It’s go time.”

I walked in like she was patient number 1,000.
I spoke clearly, confidently, and owned the room.
I didn’t fake clinical skills I didn’t have.
But I did show up with confidence.
I spoke clearly. I moved like I belonged there.
And within the first few seconds—I could feel it. She trusted me.

Not because of what I said.
But because of how I entered the room.

Behavioral researcher Vanessa Van Edwards calls it “charisma without words.”
How you stand. How you walk into a room. Where your eyes go.
And more importantly—how people feel when they see you.

Because people don’t remember the words you said.
They remember how you made them feel.

Same goes for your team.
You want your team to trust you? Show up with calm clarity.
Not panic energy. Not chaotic vibes. Not the “I haven’t slept and it shows” shuffle.
(Even if you haven’t slept and it does show.)

You set the tone before you say a word.

And confidence isn’t some magical trait.
It’s just the residue of reps.
But the truth is, sometimes you have to borrow that confidence early on.
You have to carry yourself like someone who’s done the work—long before the results show up.
Because if you don’t believe in what you’re doing, no one else will.

Final Thought:

Your first impression isn’t made when you start speaking.
It’s made the second you walk in.

People decide who you are—before you tell them.
So why not decide first?

-Dr. Alex

P.S. Confidence doesn’t care how you feel. Pull up your big girl panties and do the damn thing.