I initially shared this post on the Facebook Group “Trapped in an Op”, but wanted to share it here too.

On May 15th, 2020, I finally quit my full time clinical job.  I worked there for 12 years.  The pay was excellent ($48.20 per hour).  The benefits were excellent (health insurance, 4 weeks paid time off, etc.).  The work environment was a little difficult, but that wasn’t my reason for quitting.  None of that mattered.  

I quit my job for two primary reasons.  One, I could now afford to leave (that’s important).  And two, I was mentally, physically and spiritually done with clinical hygiene.  I was, as the saying goes, “Trapped in an Op” and I wanted to get the hell out.  Here’s my story.

Quick background       

From 1992-2003 I served in the United States Air Force.  I did nothing dental (or medical) related in the air force.  For the first 6.5 years I was an air cargo specialist (pretty good job) and for the last 3.5 years I was a manpower analyst (not so good job).

In 2007, I graduated from dental hygiene school.  My first job out of school was at a small, one doctor practice.  That was only a part time gig, so I had to do temp work simultaneously to bring in a “full time” pay check.  I did that for about six months.  Then in March 2008, I landed a full time job (hours varied from 32-45 per week).  And that would be my clinical job for the next 12 years.

In 2010, I designed and created a dental product, the Kona Adapter, which has been selling relatively well ever since.  From the beginning, I set up that business to be as passive as possible.  Fortunately, I could make that happen because my brother was able, and willing, to essentially run the business.  I just received a check (20% of gross sales) every month and he kept the rest.  

My only involvement in the business was creating blog posts, videos, and social media posts to promote the product.  The product sold well, but not well enough for me to leave my full time clinical job.    

What happened to me in 2020 besides COVID-19?

In January of 2020, I received a unexpected email from my brother.  He quit.  After 10 years, he no longer wanted to run the business.   

For me, that was both good news and bad news.  Bad news—I had to scramble to start doing EVERYTHING myself.  Good news—I would make more money from the business (My cut + my brother’s cut).  With more money coming my way, thoughts of quitting my clinical job, or at least cutting back to part time, creeped back into my head, but then…

The pandemic hit.  By mid March I found myself furloughed from my clinical job.  Unemployment benefits would not match what I was making (FYI, I never received unemployment).  I had no idea how the pandemic would affect the sales of the Kona Adapter (I assumed a decline).  With all this stuff happening, all thoughts of quitting my job went back into hibernation.

But to my happy surprise, sales of the Kona Adapter did not go down.  They spiked.  Sales were crazy for about four months (it’s now back to normal).  

And in the middle of that spike, I was scheduled to return to my clinical job.    

But by early May, I was having a strong recurring thought, “If you’re going to quit bro, now is the time to do it”.  Well, this time, I listened.  I texted my office manager and told her I wasn’t coming back.  And let me tell you my friend…it was a great feeling. 

But what is my real passion?

As much as I appreciate my time in the air force, my thirteen year clinical career, and the Kona Adapter business, none of them was THE THING that really got me up in the morning.  

The THING that really gets me up in the morning is writing!

Over the last 20+ years, I’ve done my share of writing—mostly short stuff like letters to the editor (I’ve done many of those), articles, blog posts, etc.  But the thought of getting paid for those things never really crossed my mind until…     

A few years ago, RDH Magazine approached me to write an article.  They came across one of my more popular blog posts that I shared on Facebook.  The blog post was about a dental hygienist who wrote to me from federal prison.  I happily agreed to write that article.  

As part of the process, they asked me to fill out a few forms.  When I received the forms, I quickly realized something.  They were going to pay me!  I had no idea.  In my mind, I was doing it for free (like usual).  They paid me $150—not much, but the payment triggered something in me.  I should be charging for my writing (at least some of it).

And I had another “trigger” moment around that same time.  I discovered something called copywriting.  What does a copywriter do?  

“A copywriter creates clear, compelling copy to sell products and/or educate and engage consumers, flexing persuasive writing muscle on websites, blog posts, product descriptions, email blasts, banner advertising, newsletters, white papers, PSAs, social media platforms, including Twitter and Instagram, and other marketing communication vehicles.”

Short, punchy persuasive writing is what I enjoy the most, so copywriting seemed like the perfect fit for me.

So what’s my plan now?

Start a copywriting business in the dental niche.  These are the initial steps I have taken or will be taking soon.

• Initially focus on providing blog posts for dental practice websites (99% of dental blogs suck).  Other kinds of writing will come later.
• Complete an online copywriting course
• Contact all my dental connections and offer my services.  I have one client so far : ).
• Blog about it at my MarkRDH.com website

I have some long term goals too, but I’ll save that for a future post. 

I could have waited to share this when I was five years in, but I wanted to start sharing from the beginning.  You know…when the future is unknown and a little scary.  I’ll keep posting updates if you guys find this interesting.

Thank you for reading : ).

Mark Frias, RDH