About Front Office Rocks
An online training resource, developed by Laura Hatch, a Dental Office Manager, offers first-hand knowledge and expertise designed to help improve all the day-to-day operations and create the ultimate customer service culture within your practice.
WHY WE STARTED
Laura witnessed first-hand what was missing from the front office of dental practices – training. After twelve years as an office manager and two fee-for-service scratch dental practices, Laura sought to bring resources to dental practices like hers.
Front Office Rocks Was Born
Laura Nelson (formerly Hatch), BS, MS, FAADOM
Founder, Speaker, Training Developer
With her interactive and innovative approach, Laura has mentored thousands of dentists and dental team members to achieve unprecedented results in growth, empowered dentists and office managers to excel at performance-based hiring and loves to share her best-known methods for achieving the ultimate level of customer service in your practice. Laura lives in Coronado, CA with her husband, Chris and enjoys traveling & exploring new destinations, biking and other fitness activities including Spartan races.
“It’s not just about your dentist’s capability and skill, it’s about people; relating to our patients as people first, great service, and promoting their health.” – Laura Nelson (formerly Hatch)
Our Team
Jennifer White - Systems Coordinator and Member Support Specialist
Hi! I am Jennifer White. I have been working with business owners for the past 10 years managing everything from marketing, practice management, operations, sales, and customer service. I have learned that you can use the latest technology and market your business in all the right places, but if your team does not understand the value of your client you put yourselves at a disadvantage to your competition. I believe that the most valuable resource to a company is their people. And there is nothing that I am more passionate about than helping business owners provide exceptional client care…well, unless you count my two sweet (yet also very spicy) children. I am pretty passionate about them, too!
Lyndsey Wills - Member Support Specialist and Training Coach
I’m Lyndsey and I began my journey with Front Office Rocks in December 2018 as a Member Support Specialist. I recently relocated from sunny Florida, where I was born and raised, to New London, New Hampshire. I am a HUGE sports fan but my heart belongs to gymnastics and Gator football. I may live in New Hampshire now, but I will always be a Gator! I’m new to the team, but have already found a love for supporting our members and helping them reach their greatest potential in their office.
Nicole McKamie - Chief Development Officer
Hi. I’m Nicole. I joined Front Office Rocks in mid-2016 and haven’t looked back since! I have seen this team and company grow exponentially over the last few years and it has been fun to watch. I take so much enjoyment in my role in development at Front Office Rocks – development of programs, processes, content, departments, teams, people and even our members! It is my job to seek out ways to support every member of our team. I live in Austin, Texas and can’t think of anywhere in the world I would rather be!
Priscilla Derr - Digital Brand Director
Hello! I’m Priscilla, and I joined the team at Front Office Rocks in 2015. I lead the Web & Tech team and handle all things website, tech, and marketing related. I am a total people person and love using technology to connect with people and solve problems. I am an information junkie and constantly experimenting and learning from it. I like to travel to our seminars and workshops, but love getting back to my hometown in Maryland (#GoNavy) where my three kids keep me grounded. When I am not creating strategies with Front Office Rocks, you can find me on the field working pockets and wrangling coaches with my local nonprofit boys lacrosse program (or bringing home every stray and trying to start a farm in suburbia). My favorite quote is “When you change your expectations for appreciation, the world changes instantly”. #ProblemSolver
Our History
We opened our first practice in January 2003 outside of Baltimore, MD. With some more advanced training from a great dental training company, we took our practice from $0 with 0 patients in 2003 to about $120K a month in collections in 2007.
In January 2007, we took our entire staff to Carlsbad, CA (north of San Diego) for hygiene training and fell in love with Southern California. We sold our house and our practice and moved across country with our two young kids. For about a year, I worked in another dental office and quickly realized that without good management, working in an office is not fun. My husband and I opened our second scratch practice in June 2008, in San Diego.
My point in sharing all of this is that I have had experience as an observer of dental offices, an employee in other offices, and finally as a manager for my husband’s practices. (I use the phrase “my husband’s practices” because I believe these are (or were) his practices, 100%. He’s the one that went to dental school for four years and he is the owner of our current practice. I am his Office Manager and as such, view my role as helping him reach his goals as the owner. It is not my practice! I do, however, understand the importance of the Office Manager’s role in kicking her doctor in the butt every so often! And you’ll see that theme time and again in my training and website.)
The first time we opened a scratch practice was in 2003, in Maryland, when the economy was stronger and selling patients on treatments was much easier. We opened our second scratch practice in 2008—right after the recession. And we are only 20 minutes from Mexico, where patients can go to get much cheaper treatment. So we have had our share of challenges getting a new practice to succeed, just like many of you.
Several years on, I’m happy to report that we are generating over $200K a month in collections as a fee-for-service office, with an average of 60–100 new patients a month. I run a staff of over 15, which includes three doctors, four RDHs, three dental assistants, and four employees at the front desk. I am in the office 3–4 days a week as the Office Manager.
I have heard so many times, “Yeah that all sounds good. If only I had an office manager like you.” With the resources I have created at Front Office Rocks, you can have an office manager like that train your team in your office virtually, on your time, anytime.
Our mission, vision and values
As the leading authority on virtual dental front office training, Laura helps dental professionals who want to be better at what they do gain the training they need through online video courses, live seminars, and coaching.
