Kinda Different is BACK. Tell a friend. Season 3 is here. We are so lucky to be joined on this first episode of the new season by Stephanie Moritz, Chief Customer Innovation Officer at the American Dental Association. Matt and Stephanie discuss why being person-centered is innovative, why it's important that we all have unique superpowers, and how curiosity is a need to have skill in our modern world.

You can listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or watch below on Youtube. A lightly edited transcript is also below if you'd prefer to read :)

You can find Stephanie and the ADA at the following places:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-crase-moritz-9567926/
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/smoritz
Website: https://ada.org

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Matt Allen:
What's up everyone? Welcome back to another, actually not even, not just another episode, a very special episode. The first episode of season three of Kinda Different, a podcast where we talk about innovation in dentistry. We talk about how we can make dental care more human and we connect with some of the most amazing guests in the dental and the dental field and beyond. I am Dr. Matt Allen, CEO and co-founder of Different Kind and your hosts for Kinda Different. And today I am- thrilled to have Stephanie Moritz, the Chief Customer Innovation Officer at the ADA with us. I've always loved hearing everything she has to say. And so I'm just at the edge of my seat already today, getting ready to hear Stephanie what you have to say. So thank you so much for taking the time to join us. And I would love if you could start off just by letting us know a little bit more about who you are and we can dive into the conversation from there.

Stephanie Moritz:
Well, thank you so much, Matt, for having me. I'm absolutely thrilled to be talking with you. I'm one of your biggest fans. So in terms of a little bit about me, I am the Chief Customer Innovation Officer with the American Dental Association. And I've been with the ADA for about eight years. I oversee communications, integrated marketing, social media, digital. I also oversee the direct-to-dentist portfolio. products, services, and experiences, and customer innovation. So my background is varied. I have 25 years of experience working with iconic brands such as Disney, Hershey, Jim Beam, ConAgra Foods, but I'm absolutely thrilled to be working in the amazing profession of dentistry with the ADA.

Matt Allen:
That's awesome. And I certainly find that a lot of people who've come from other industries into dentistry bring so much because I think sometimes we can get very siloed of this is what has always been done or this is what has always worked. And so I always love hearing other perspectives. And certainly I think your voice and your perspective and those varied brands that you just mentioned is so valuable to what dentistry hopes to be in the future. So thanks for sharing a little bit more about yourself. Let's dive right in. And get to some really fun questions that I, like I said, I just can't wait to hear your answers to. So we always start with innovation. I think it's a really fun place to start and being the chief customer innovation officer at what I like to call the mothership kind of, the ADA, right, whenever I show up in Chicago at the building, I'm like, this is the mothership. So yeah, excited to hear your perspective on this and wanna start with a agree or disagree question and obviously give us a why here. Tell me if you agree or disagree, being person-centered is innovative.

Stephanie Moritz:
Yes, I absolutely a million percent agree. And I'm going to tell you why. Because when we think about innovation, it is all about the individual, about human. It's human-centered innovation, human-centered insights. So the way I look at technology, technology is an enabler. Technology helps us. But it has to begin. and can completely be centered around that individual. So at the ADA, for example, I oversee customer innovation. So I work with dentists, dentists across their career spans throughout different types of practices. And literally, it's about identifying their biggest problems, the greatest emotions, when you find the greatest emotion, you can have a real rich opportunity to solve, and prototyping throughout the entire process. So yes. Human at the center and it is innovative. So you can't take your eye off that ball.

Matt Allen:
I think it's so important for so many people to realize, for all of us to realize in all of our daily work, right? That technology is an enabler, like you said, not the end goal, but an enabler for, especially in healthcare, right? For better and more human interaction. So really love that. And you're talking about working with dentists here. And obviously your customer as the ADA is dentists, right? You have, hey, we have all these members who are dentists. But then obviously those dentists are working with patients on a- daily basis. And so how do you think about that? From your perspective, what role do you think patients have in innovation and maybe what role should patients have in innovation?

Stephanie Moritz:
Well, I'll tell you, the way I look at it from customer innovation, customer can be the dentist, the customer can be the patient. So in this case, as the dentist, if I'm looking across my office, guess what? It is all about the patient. And with that, it's just it's critical to be able to be curious, not judgmental, and to work with them. And by putting them at the center through design thinking or human centered insights, It allows you to take the lens from their perspective. So it's really asking thoughtful questions. It's listening and it's engaging, but it's always putting them in the center of all that you're doing. So for us, what's really unique about the ADA is that we have a dual purpose. Our dual purpose is both for the dentist and the profession, as well as creating the optimal health for our patients. So it's really about finding that sweet center. So innovation comes from both of these amazing customer groups.

Matt Allen:
I love that. And I think the idea of being able to put the patient at the center and to understand, you know, their perspective from a human centered design thinking perspective is obviously so crucial. Can you just give us some examples of some of the insights maybe that you've been able to roll out at the ADA or that you've loved seeing in dentistry within your eight years at the ADA? You could say, oh yeah, this is specifically patient voice that then became something that became systematized.

Stephanie Moritz:
So a couple things. One, during COVID, the world changed. I mean, talk about having a universal shared experience. So a key part of that and a role for the ADA in partnership with our dentists was to think about that patient. So we thought about the dentist. We thought about. How can they practice because dentistry is essential? And then what's that experience for that patient? So we put together some amazing guidelines, everything from, all right, how can we protect the patient? But what's their experience? From in this case, you're sitting in the car, waiting there, masking up, being able to have that touch base as well as understanding, well, what's gonna be different in the office? How is it gonna look? What am I going to go through? So all of that was really important for the patient as well as for the dentist in this case. So that's one good example of how we were really able to think through, gosh, the emotions that they're experiencing, the differences, everything going on in their life. And we wanted to help them feel confident and for them to feel safe.

Matt Allen:
That's amazing. That's a great, I think that's a great example. And certainly at one we can all relate to, right? Cause we all, all lived through that. So everyone can imagine, even if you didn't go to the dentist during that time, I probably went to a healthcare provider or saw somebody, you know, and you had to experience what that shift was like. So love it. Well, let's move. I think we'll come back to some innovation later in terms of how it relates to people. But I want to focus on you a little bit. You're a fascinating individual and have had so much life experience, like I said, outside of dentistry. But really just appreciate your perspective in so many ways. I want to just have you share a little bit more about yourself here for a minute. One of the things that I think we miss on a platform like LinkedIn, right, is it's just titles and, hey, here's what I did. So share something with us that we might not find on LinkedIn. That's super important to you, but people may not.

Stephanie Moritz:
All right, well, I will tell you that one of the things I'm most passionate about is certainly my family. So with that, I really learned to become an advocate and I found my voice when my son was diagnosed with autism. So I have two amazing neurodivergent kids who are now teenagers in my house. And with that, I'll tell you, that changed my life. That also was the moment that I really embraced curiosity. because it's not the path that I expected. And immediately, I believe there are people that lean in. I'm one of those people. People that kind of sit and kind of are watching and observe it, and then people who lean back. Well, with this, this was a lean in moment. So it was really important for my husband and I just to learn as much as we possibly could, find our voices and really be the best possible advocates, as well as now we're teaching independence and how. to help the kids empower the kids so that they can advocate for themselves. So I am a big neurodivergent advocate. And around my house, truly, I believe that what makes you different, those are your superpowers. So I tell the kids, all right, just think of for a minute, if we were all the same, how boring would that be? But what makes you unique and really embrace it? And what are your strengths? So it's kind of a common theme in my life, as well as at work. I am all about strengths and identifying, you know, the strengths, what motivates individuals, because I believe if we can lean towards our strengths, all of us, that it's only going to create a better world, going to make a bigger difference, create greater change.

Matt Allen:
Man, so much that we can unpack there. I'm excited to see you at a conference the next time and have a half an hour conversation about that. So thank you for sharing. And yeah, I am excited, like I said, to continue to learn more about your perspective on that. I think your perspective there too on what are your differences and how can you use that as a superpower, right? Like how can you use those as strengths is so critical, especially when... We're dealing with challenges in our lives, right? When everything's going well, we're kind of just like, oh yeah, things are easy. But especially when challenges might arise, oftentimes we really have to say, okay, how do I lean into my superpowers here? Specifically think about it. So what's the biggest challenge that you're facing right now? It could be at work, it could be at home, it could be wherever. And how are you using some of your superpowers to overcome that?

Stephanie Moritz:
So combination, first off, I'm gonna share two things. One from a personal perspective, my son's a junior. So with that, we're trying to figure out what's next. And in this neurodivergent world, there's no roadmap. So you have to be curious, you have to be resourceful, you ask a lot of questions, you seek out a lot of information, and it's a very different journey than when my husband and I were looking at what college or what's next for us. So for us, There's just, there's a lot, it's like that artichoke cart. There are a lot of the leaves that we're pulling back right now just to figure out what's the right fit, what's the best strength, what's the best alignment. So that's big in our world. From a professional side, what's really exciting is the ADA and dentistry is just at a pivotal tipping point of transformation. I truly believe there's never been a better time to be in this profession. Because if we think about it with the world of technology, with the empowered consumer, with the patient centered in their high expectations. And just you think about AI and chat, GBT, everything that's happening right now. It's a matter of how can we put, in this case for us, put the dentist or put the patient in the center and really understand their value and their values because both are equal. It's not one, you gotta do both. So with that, what's the right balance and how can we show up in a way that's going to be meaningful? So for us, it's everything from we're reimagining experiences, we are completely developing a new engagement model as well as a new membership model. We're flipping things inside out. So it's taking the strengths and what's best about the ADA, our amazing dentists, you know, the advocacy we do. But then it's how do we want to show up and how can we listen? How can we listen? How can we ask, engage, and then act? So that within all of that, there are some amazing opportunities as well as challenges because I'll tell you, the face of dentistry is changing. What dentists want is changing. What our patients want is changing. But I'll tell you, that's the stuff that lights me up and I'm thrilled to work with the amazing people that I have an opportunity to work.

Matt Allen:
Totally, I mean, what a, I'm just thrilled to have you speaking as a dentist, right, to have you leading that change from within the ADA, to say what can and should the future world of dentistry look like, not only for dentists, but for patients and the experience of that, right? beyond, right, as we are a leader and that hopefully across the world. So love that. Thank you so much for sharing on both counts. Really appreciate getting to know what's kind of getting you excited right now. So thanks for sharing. Lastly, let's move to making dental care more human. Again, I think it relates to some of what we were talking about earlier as we were already talking about human centered design and person centered care and all of these things. But one of the things that struck me when I very first heard you talk, and certainly one of my mentors who is a speaker coach and has worked with the CEO of Microsoft and lots of, you know, big people. So has lots of experience, you know, kind of helping people shape and craft their ideas was he's, he always said to me, like you have to take people from somewhere and take them to somewhere whenever you're talking to them. And you use that language specifically when I very first heard you talk and was like, oh, this is awesome. And so my question for you here is, Where do you hope to take dentistry to from where it's at right now?

Stephanie Moritz:
It's such a fantastic question. Well, I think there's so many cool things layered within it. But let's look at it for a minute. One of the big things that we're doing at the ADA is instead of creating for, we're creating with. There is power with. So when I think about the from. you know, and where we're going the two, it's really about immersing by looking through the lens of our patient and looking at the prevention, looking at the care, helping everyone be able to access and have a real dental home. It's looking at how can we ensure people who have dental benefits are leveraging them? Because when we think about it, you know, the mouth is, I'll say it's a window to our overall health. So with it, when I think about dentistry, It's also shifting the perception of, all right, that's great. This is my mouth. No, this is about your whole being. This is such an important part. Let's connect the whole body together. Let's look at whole person, whole patient, as well as whole body health. And imagine that. Imagine the connectivity. Imagine the learnings that we can get. Imagine being able to diagnose as we're spotting things early through your mouth and through dentistry, that can completely change people's lives. So it's moving from great, I'm going there as a patient, you know, my two, two times a year to wow, by being here I am healthier, I have a better quality of life, and I see that connection and what I'm able to do to improve my life and for dentists to be able to improve the lives of our patients.

Matt Allen:
So much there. I wanna highlight that perspective of creating for to creating with. One of the things that I always say when I'm talking about motivational interviewing of folks is we never want to do anything to someone. We certainly don't want to do things on people. But we don't even want to do them for people because it creates burnout. It creates a lot of one-sided power imbalances. It creates a lot of I shoulds. And what we wanna do is we wanna... you know, create with people, right? We wanna do things with people. And I think that perspective, right, if we are successful in helping the profession transform from, hey, like it's more of a transactional, I show up, this thing happens to me, or even for me, right, to, hey, I am a co-author and a co-designer of what oral health and therefore some of my overall health looks like, you know, we can have a really, really big shift in the way people perceive their. you know, semi-annual dental day, right? If it's only that. So to me, that's a huge piece. And one of the questions there that I have for you then is we always try to leave people with some sort of practical tidbit or piece of advice that they can take and say, hey, if I'm working with a patient or if I'm in a DSO and helping create a system, or if I'm in an FQHC and working with our community to implement something. How can dentists, from your perspective, how can dentists co-create with patients in a very tangible way? What's one thing that you would say, like, hey, here's something you could do to.

Stephanie Moritz:
Well, first, the centerpiece is be curious. Be curious, not judgmental. Always ask why, what if, and really put yourself in the patient's shoes. So it's not assuming. And here's the great thing about creating this experience with the patient. It's about everyone in the dental office and even before you get there and after you go. So digital as well as in person has a role to play. Each individual is thinking about the patient and engages them and asks them. So for example, that reminder call, reminder text, don't just tell them, don't just talk at and tell them the appointment. What are you asking them? What is that question? After that follow-up, what are you asking them? When they're there in your office, what are you asking them? So by asking more curious questions, it not only unlocks the potential to learn new things that you never would have been able to learn otherwise from your patient, but also from your team in the office and one another. And I truly believe that, and we've heard this, that curiosity is the number one skill in the 21st century, that if we can apply that, it unlocks so many different possibilities. So for your patients, don't view it as a one-time transaction. View it as a relational, from transaction to relational. And ask those curious questions. And even in a non-appointment time, imagine reaching out to them, asking them, you know what? I want to tell you I value you. And what do you find most beneficial? Or what would you change? By asking them those curious questions at different times, you also transform the relationship you have. That's where I think there's an opportunity.

Matt Allen:
Oof, man, and I love the idea of creating that within the office, right? Because it's not gonna happen in isolation, right? Of one question, it can obviously, but one patient one time, hey, here's a very curious question. But if you're doing that with your staff, if you're doing that consistently, right? And it becomes a culture of curiosity instead of a one-off event, what might that not only change for your patients, but for the culture of your office, for the culture of your organization, for the culture of our profession, if we became the most curious profession. Right? What a place that would be. So I love that perspective. Thank you so much for sharing. Stephanie, we could literally have this conversation all day. I truly believe I found a kindred spirit in terms of somebody who I just wanna listen to and learn from and chat with. So, but in the spirit of time, we always try to keep it to a commute length. So if people want to learn more about you, if they wanna connect with you, find out more about the amazing work that you're doing, where could they go? How would they get in touch with you if they so choose?

Stephanie Moritz:
Absolutely. Well, I am on all the social media channels. So I would say LinkedIn is a great place. I am Stephanie Crais Moritz. You can locate me there. On Twitter, I'm Smoritz, @Smoritz. As well as I am, I'm happy to also take any emails at the ADA as well. I'm moritzs@ada.org. And I love a good curious conversation and making new connections. let's make this profession that's already so phenomenal even more so. And the way we do that is together.

Matt Allen:
Thank you so much for joining us today. What a perfect intro to season three of Kinda Different. You have been a shining light for us and it will be a beacon that guides our conversations throughout the season. So thank you for taking the time. I know you're very busy and have a lot going on. Thank you for taking the time to unpack these, I think critical issues for us as we move forward in the profession of dentistry. So really appreciate you, appreciate your voice, appreciate your leadership and just you as a human. So thank you so much.

Stephanie Moritz:
Thank you so much, Matt. Thank you.

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