The obstacle is the road

Last week I faced my worst nightmare – preparing and writing a comprehensive report for an EU project. I could list at least a few of my virtues and good qualities, but administration is definitely not one of them.I know only a few people in my business environment who are spectacularly good at writing and writing reports, but I have personally “run away” from it my entire business career. Since postponing or delegating this task is not an option, I found myself in front of a wall – either finish the report with great difficulty or finish it in a way that I learn something and share it with others. In fact, for this second option I have to thank my business coach – a wise man.What strategies are available to us when we have to complete a task that we definitely know is “not right for us”, but we have no other options? Since the problem is in me, not in the task, the first step is to change our own beliefs about the situation and the obstacle itself.One of the best methods I learned from Tony Robbins is the so-called incantations (note: incantation, invocation, spell). Incantation means repeating the chosen sentence or mantra with maximum conviction, emotion and physiology. Two favorite and very effective incantations for this occasion are: “When I can’t, I must!” and “Everything I need is in me now!”. When pronouncing the chosen sentence, we can play with tempo, energy, pronunciation, intonation, emphasis – everything is allowed. The key is to include our own body, raise our energy to 110% and have a lot of fun doing it. The second strategy that helped me in this situation comes from Stoicism, and it says – an obstacle is a path! When we think about it a little better, life without obstacles and challenges would not make sense. The Stoics considered obstacles to be a key factor in the development of a person, who becomes a better version of himself with each successful overcoming of them. Giving such a meaning to obstacles has a multiple positive effect on the quality of our lives – for me personally, the most important thing is that we can live a life free from fear, because whatever the obstacle is, its role is to build us into better people. Following on from the first two strategies, I decided to set aside at least an hour in my calendar every day to write the report and to make it the first activity of the day. Because once I finish it, everything else seems easier. It is crucial to write and set aside time in your calendar, because if you don’t, you will find a hundred excuses to postpone writing the report. I will also tell you a secret – I did one more thing. I contacted two trainers who do the so-called Strengths Consulting and asked them to create a comprehensive profile of my strengths. Their concept is based on the fact that it is better to invest effort, money and time in further developing our strengths, rather than trying to fix the things we are bad and weak at. So when I finish the report, which must happen by my next weekly article, I will say goodbye to the administration and start working on my good qualities. Siniša Drobnjak

How are we sabotaging our prosperity?

The level of prosperity we enjoy in life is largely determined by our identity and the image we have of ourselves.Our identity is built from a whole series of beliefs that sabotage us on our path to that prosperity. What are the most common beliefs that present obstacles to our path to well-being? Siniša Drobnjak

The law of the “common denominator”

In one of our DBL podcasts where we talk to successful clinic owners, we hosted Dr. An Nguyen, one of the leading speakers and communication experts, and the owner of the successful Ardent dental clinic in the Netherlands. One of the lessons An spoke about was how important it is to choose the people in our environment we spend the most time with, in other words, who will be our companions on our journey through life. Why is this crucial?The people in our immediate environment influence us all the time, even when we are not even aware of it – research shows that we are the “common denominator” of the five people we spend the most time with. This is one of the key insights in life, because when we become aware of this fact, we can consciously influence who and how we spend our time. An gave a great personal example through the story of how he came into personal contact with one of his Mentors, the famous motivational speaker Vinh Giang. After making the decision that he wanted to spend time near him and thereby activate the law of the “common denominator”, An studied everything that was available on social networks and the Internet about Vinh – we can safely say that even in this initial step, there was an influence on An. After that, An went to a course held by Vinh in America, where he used the time to find out in which segment he could offer Vinh added value.After that, he offered him to create professional audio and video content at the next course, which Vinh will be able to use in his own promotion. On that occasion, the first joint interview was recorded, during which both concluded that they have a lot in common – the law of the “common denominator” at work! Today, they have become friends and business associates who create joint plans for the future. At the beginning of this story, Vinh was an unavailable international star lecturer, but thanks to An’s dedication, ingenuity and determination, Vinh is one of the key people in the “inner” circle of influence in An’s life. To create our own circle of influence, we don’t all have to come into physical proximity to our Mentor or the person we want to bring into our lives. The law of the “common denominator” also works if we study books, online trainings, courses, and the like. Where we direct our focus, our life energy will follow. So look around you and become aware of who the people you spend the most time with are. Ask yourself if this is what you really want or if you can bring a new person into your life, who will inspire you to become a better version of yourself, like An. Siniša Drobnjak

Dynamics of human needs

Leadership skills are vitally important.When a person can lead themselves, they are ready and able to lead others. If we learn about the psychology of basic human needs, then we can more easily answer the question of why people do the things they do and what actually drives them.But before we “drive” others, we must understand what drives us ourselves. Namely, life will always find a way to fulfill our life needs, even when we are not aware of them. Especially when we are not aware of them.Fulfilling human needs provides the answer to the question of why some people will sacrifice their own lives for others, while others will do the exact opposite. Knowing this “driving” mechanism is essential in all aspects of life – both in private and business.Although as human beings we are all unique and special, we share the desire to fulfill the following 6 basic human needs:1) Security2) Importance3) Diversity4) Relationships/Love5) Growth6) Contribution For each of us, two needs are always more dominant and present than the other four. These two needs are the driving force that pushes us forward in life – it would be good to understand which two needs we are dealing with in our case. Our behavior also arises from the above needs – it is a reflection of our attempts to fulfill these needs. The ways of fulfilling these needs are unique and unlimited. For example, one of the basic needs is Security, which we try to achieve by avoiding pain and creating pleasure. Some individuals will fulfill this need through a desire for constant control over all events in their lives, while others will completely reject control and surrender to faith in something that is more about themselves. The next example is fulfilling the need for Relevance. In the business world, we will compete with competitors, often without choosing the methods to achieve our goals, while others will fulfill this need by connecting with others around us and contributing in a way that fully fulfills them.One of the strongest life forces is the desire for fulfillment. Every human being strives for a fulfilled life, one that is imbued with meaning and purpose.This can ultimately be achieved by fulfilling the two highest human needs:1) The need for continuous growth2) The need for contribution that goes beyond ourselves In the psychology of human needs, these two needs are often called spiritual, and the remaining four are called material needs. Dissatisfaction, emotional emptiness, and instability arise from our inability to consistently fulfill our basic human needs. When attempts to fulfill our needs are unsuccessful, we will generally settle for creating short-term and transient pleasure and comfort. Each person will find a way to fulfill their needs – the only question is whether they will do so in a destructive way or through empowering themselves and others around them. The purpose of knowing the 6 basic human needs is to create new and additional choices – new ways that will fulfill them in the long term and with quality.Finally, what you may notice is that when fulfilling material needs, the focus is alwayson us. Only when we realize the importance of contribution, the focus is no longer on us. The focus is on others.At that moment, we have taken the first step towards a fulfilled life worth living. Siniša Drobnjak

Risks in business

Every business is subject to risks, or in other words, things can always go wrong. We must always address risks in a timely manner – because the things we see can’t hurt us as much. The real damage can be done by the things we don’t see. Some of the risks can be spotted in time by regularly reading financial statements, but there are risks that are built into the structure of the business and are not easy to spot at first. Business Sustainability RiskOne of the questions we need to continually ask ourselves is – “What could interrupt the flow of myrevenues and profits?” Profits are the result of the difference between business revenues and expenses, so we really need toask: “What could drastically reduce revenues or increase expenses beyond all control?” Concentration riskIf in your business you depend on only one segment of the market, on a key supplier, strategic partner, distribution channel, key employee or owner, then you are faced with the risk of concentration. An example of such a risk is the crisis that dental clinics, which exclusively concentrated their business on dental tourism of patients from Italy, went through during the COVID pandemic.At the moment when patients could no longer travel to Croatia, their business became threatened. Many clinic owners do not properly anticipate this risk, because they have years of business behind them that have passed without problems. Tolerating concentration risk is based on untested assumptions and unrealistic wishes – both of which can seriously jeopardize business. The Risk of Unrealistic OptimismWhen we go to the bank and take out a working capital loan, we are generally full of optimism and faith in our business. We believe that we will invest the borrowed money in the business and achieve the planned profit, based on the assumptions that the business plan will be executed within a certain time frame. When these assumptions are not realized, deadlines are extended, and profits are not realized, the burden of our excessive optimism comes to pay off. The most famous investor in the world, Warren Buffett, said it well: “Optimism is the enemy of the rational investor.” To avoid this scenario, it is crucial to ask yourself the following 3 questions:1) What can I gain?2) What can I lose?3) Can I live with the loss? P.S. Only the greatest professionals ask themselves the last question, before making any important decision Siniša Drobnjak

External influencing factors

The only reality in any “business” is constant change. If we want to play the game, we mustaccept this fact and constantly adapt our business to changes.But our companies and private clinics are not only exposed to internal changes such as frequentstaff turnover, lack of structure, leadership and motivation – there are also external “forces” that canhave a decisive impact on the success of the business. Today, we need to provide customers and patients with much more than just top-notch service – we need to successfully manage our business, expectations, and the user experience we will provide them.Every business and clinic owner faces major challenges – in order to successfully reach their desired destination, they need to know what obstacles they are encountering along the way.The average company in my industry invests around 1-2% of revenue in marketing. For larger competitors, this investment rises to 3-5% of revenue. In other words, larger players on the market often invest tens of thousands of euros in advertising and promotion per month. It’s great if you get a return on your investment for that amount of money, through new customers,patients, and increased revenue, but the problem is that social media has become oversaturated with the number and intensity of promotions. The average person can no longer keep up with that amount of information –you’re forced to pay more for marketing, for less results. You have to be smarter and more efficient than the competition – measurability of results and initiated activities is a key lever in overcoming this roadblock.When choosing an agency to do your advertising, keep the following in mind: Due to the economic instability that deepens with each subsequent recession, a large part ofcompanies and clinics have less money for advertising.What does this mean for the owner? The owner must know who his target group is and what the needs of his ideal customer are. If you analyze your previous business, you will noticepatterns related to customers and the most profitable actions that you have already taken in the past. This will make it easierfor you to narrow your focus and better target new customers. Don’t forget – competition is not just a company in the same industry. Real competition is a customer’s or patient’s trip on a luxury vacation, buying a new car, skiing or new jewelry. The key is to establish the value of your service with your customer, so that they decide to spend money with you instead of on other things. Siniša Drobnjak

Will we survive?

I recently spoke to a dear friend who complained to me that he had been waiting for three weeks for his new company registration to be completed so that he could start his business. Starting a new business starts with taking on a personal risk. Most people at this stage have an existing job that meets their needs to some extent – they have a job, not a business. In order for the friend in my story to succeed, he had to distinguish from the very beginning between the needs of his business and his personal needs. After being founded, his company enters a race to survive in the market. He is an “army” with only one soldier, and the goal of this stage is to survive and grow. He must grow as quickly as possible, because he will have a whole range of expenses that his newly launched business will have to cover. If he survives this stage, his business will be like a “child who has just started walking” – all of us who have children know what that was like. We are still struggling to survive, but now we have enough income to be able to hire others to do the things that we used to do alone. All key decisions are still made by my friend (the owner), who, in addition to managing the company’s operations, also has to manage people – where crises often occur because we are in a situation to build a team. Remember that every “drama” means an unplanned cost to the business. The only reward my friend has at this stage is the pride and satisfaction that he has started to create a pledge for his better future. What follows in the next stage is a business that is like a “teenager”. The flow of money is generally no longer critical, employees are increasingly professional, but the work is organized around people, not tasks.Sales are continuously growing, but we often do not pay enough attention to the profitability of the business – I still suffer from this syndrome myself. We lack the leverage to build a structure, process and system. Possible problems appear on the horizon. Although he has managers in the company, my friend still has the main say when it comes to decisions. If he survives this stage, he enters a period of business “adolescence”, where many key things in the business are redefined in a way. My friend has the opportunity to focus, get serious and create a mature identity for his company. He focuses more on the things he should not be doing, he starts to measure, control and systematically develop his business. The goal of this stage is to eliminate excess. The managers he hired are experienced and this is not their first job. They are responsible enough and capable of making independent decisions, so my friend is no longer the only key decision-maker. Although revenues may be falling, profitability is rising and cash flow is no longer a problem. The next phase is the one that all companies in the market strive for – the phase of maximizing results and maturity. But in order to get to that phase with your business, you must survive all the previous phases described here. Remember, 20% of new businesses fail in the first year, 30% fail in the second, and 50% fail in the first 5 years. Siniša Drobnjak

Coachman

Designing Smiles with Coachman 06.-07.11.2026. Kaptol Boutique Cinema Zagreb This upcoming November, “DBL Group” and “MedLink” are bringing to Zagreb one of the world’s biggest names in dental medicine – Dr. Christian Coachman, founder of the globally popular concept “Digital Smile Design” (DSD).   Save the dates November 6th and 7th, 2026, in your clinical education calendar, because that’s when we will spend two days with Dr. Coachman at the Kaptol Boutique Cinema in Zagreb.   “Designing Smiles with Coachman” is a working course intended for anyone who wants to advance in dentistry and has the following challenges: You know something is wrong with the smile of the patient whose dental work has just been delivered, but the exact reasons are not always clear to you. You don’t get exactly the smile design you wanted from the dental lab. You’re not sure if the problem was your instructions or a lack of communication. You would like to design smiles yourself, when necessary, but you do not have the right skills. You do not have a high-quality system developed for analyzing dental work received from the dental laboratory and generating clear instructions on possible changes. You lack the skills to correct temporary and final restorations. The dental work delivered is not always ideal, so you often have to rely on others to improve or correct it. It’s hard for you to convince patients that you are not only an excellent clinician but also an excellent smile designer – patients take the aesthetics of your restorations for granted.   Why is smile design skill important? Smile design determines the aesthetic outcome and the quality of the treatment. For the patient, the aesthetic outcome represents the quality of the entire treatment – this is what patients pay the most attention to. This outcome is closely related to the “DSD Guided dentistry” guidelines. The smile design determines the treatment plan and is its starting point. The appropriate smile design is the reference point for decision-making in treatment planning. This outcome is closely linked to the “DSD Comprehensive Dentistry” guidelines. Smile design influences acceptance of the treatment plan because it creates an emotional connection between the patient and the treatment plan. This outcome is associated with the “DSD Emotional Dentistry” guidelines.   We will soon be publishing a detailed program and opening early registrations.   All additional information about the course can be obtained at [email protected]   About the speaker Dr. Christian Coachman is a 6th generation dentist in Brazil. He graduated in dentistry from the most prestigious South American university in São Paulo in 2002, where he also earned his degree as a detail technician in 1995.

Build your own machine

If you invest enough time in systematically thinking about your business, the problems you need to overcome will become clear to you. Over time, you will begin to distinguish symptoms from causes and start addressing root causes instead of merely treating symptoms.One of the key roles an owner must never delegate is ensuring that the final outcome and destination of the business are crystal clear — as well as the starting point from which the business currently operates. In addition to having a “map” with clearly defined steps and instructions on how to reach the final destination, you also need a clear vision of all the obstacles that lie between point “A” and point “B.”Based on this information, the owner must build a “machine” that will take them as safely as possible to the final destination, using the map and overcoming all obstacles along the way. But be careful — a great idea that cannot be implemented is simply a bad idea. To simplify: the “machine” the owner must build has to be good enough to change the current situation and improve it. It must overcome obstacles along the way and bring us closer to the goal. This “machine” may require a new strategy to be implemented, a change in the existing business model, a change in distribution, marketing message, or the media used. It may also require expanding the business from a local to a regional market. Regardless of the change, company leadership led by the owner must change priorities if the new “machine” is to be effective. A change in priorities always leads to a change in resource allocation — the most common cause of failure is management’s indecisiveness in shifting focus, human resources, and financial resources. In other words, the owner’s unwillingness to allocate and assign the necessary resources that are essential for change. “Machines” require people to operate and manage them. If you place average people in charge of a world-class machine, it is only a matter of time before the first problems arise. It is a major mistake to “dream” about a machine while neglecting the people, execution, and key resources needed to build and maintain it. Even the most optimistic plans fail without quality execution. Consistency in execution requires standards, measurability, performance indicators, key activities that drive the “machine,” progress tracking, rewards, and continuous training of the people who operate the “machine.” What we measure, we can manage. What we manage can grow exponentially. Siniša Drobnjak

6 lessons I have learned from Tony Robbins

I began my training with one of the world’s most well-known motivational speakers and personal coaches, Tony Robbins, in 2017 in London. My close friend Dr. Daniel Žgombić and I attended the “Unleash the Power Within” seminar together, after which my three-year journey of personal development within the Tony Robbins organization began — a journey that changed my life forever. I would like to share with you six of the most important lessons I learned from Tony Robbins, which I am confident will be helpful to you as well. 1. Raise your standards and expectationsIf we analyze why some people are more successful than others, one of the key factors is that they have raised their standards and expectations. Our results ultimately depend less on talent and more on the experience and skills we have learned and apply. Or, as the well-known business coach Ana Stevanović writes in her book: “We are all self-made.” If you want to raise your standards, you must change your words and your thoughts — instead of saying “I would like,” start saying “I will” and “I must.” Do not leave room for your mind to decide instead of you, because your mind will always fight to maintain the current “status quo.” 2. Live a life worth livingMost people are focused on what they do not yet have in their lives. If you focus on what you lack, you are setting yourself up for a life of suffering. Start focusing on what you already have and strengthen your sense of gratitude — this is the formula for success that Tony Robbins lives by and promotes. 3. Change your beliefsIf you put jewelry in a box, it becomes a jewelry box. If you put trash in a box, it becomes a trash can. Be mindful of what you feed your mind and which beliefs are running your life. That inner voice that constantly sabotages you has nothing to do with who you truly are. It is simply your mind trying to preserve a distorted view of the world that you have created based on your past experiences. Source: Randy Stewart – https://www.flickr.com/photos/stewtopia/3948482669/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16169479 4. Make reading a habitReading makes us more knowledgeable in every sense and is a habit that systematically builds self-confidence and leadership skills. It is estimated that more than 70% of what we see on social media today is distorted or untrue. Reading books has therefore become a key source of verified and reliable information. 5. Manage your moneyThe desire for money is, in fact, an emotional desire for everything that money allows us to buy. Financial independence should ultimately be about your freedom — the freedom to say “no” to any person or situation in which you no longer feel good or free. One aspect of this kind of freedom is also our ability to help others more and more easily. 6. And how can it be even better?This is a question you should ask yourself every day — not in a material sense, but in terms of self-awareness, because that is where all real change in life begins. Cultivate a hunger for goals that both attract and frighten you with their size and significance. Ask yourself: “Who must I become to achieve this goal?” and “Is this goal worthy of me?” Siniša Drobnjak