Last week was a doozy.
I came this close to believing the universe was trying to tell me to quit.
A small tech glitch turned into a 3 a.m. wrestling match with my covers while my mind whispered, “Maybe this is a sign.”
It was a sign.
A sign that I’m human.
That stepping into something bold and untested can rattle even the steadiest founder.
It’s how a lot of great ideas die.
Somebody stops believing.
But not this time.
Not with so many of you—dentists, veterinarians, ops leaders, techs, consultants, software partners, relief companies—saying:
“This matters. Keep going.”
Those words were a balm to a frazzled spirit.
And with that in mind, it’s my turn to offer you that same steady encouragement.
Enrollment for the Talkola Trailblazer Beta is now OPEN
The Trailblazers Beta is a 60-day early access program for dental and veterinary teams who want calmer days, clearer communication, and fewer people problems.
And it starts today.
Access opens January 6.
The beta runs through March 7.
The Problem (Straight talk)
You know it’s true: your hygienists, assistants, vet techs,CSRs and front-desk team are walking a tighter rope every day.
Staff leave fast. In dental practices, ~20.5% of hygienists changed employers in 2024
- In vet-med, technician and support-staff turnover hovers around 25%
- Doctors and practice managers avoid the hard conversations until things explode—costly disruption, broken team trust, productivity drops.
- Emotional labor falls on the office manager/practice manager–you’re doing the heavy lifting of calming conflict so the doctor doesn’t have to.
- The result: burnout, recruiting headaches, lost production and a growing gap between your ideal culture and your actual day.
Shadow friction seems unimportant & forgettable, but left unaddressed it leads to burnout, high turnover and patient dissatisfaction: costing you thousands of dollars over time.
Your EBITDA isn’t immune. Every turnover, every mis-handled conflict, every unresolved tension eats at your bottom line. Reducing just one key departure can protect tens of thousands of dollars in production and onboarding cost.
Why what you're doing to fix it isn't working
Familiar approaches: pep talk in the huddle; a leadership coach; video training for everyone to watch; praying things will blow over- these options work short-term but don’t address the root issues.
They build awareness but not the muscle and practice needed to make long lasting change.
Your people, like great athletes, need to build muscle and practice skills until it becomes second nature. (Michael Jordan practiced 1000 free throws a day)
Why is that important to you?
The labor shortage isn’t going away any time soon. 87% of dentists report recruiting is extremely difficult.
That means retention is a competitive advantage. Creating a healthy environment that’s psychologically safe means your costs go down and you become attractive to new talent who value a caring workplace. Talkola helps you build Retention Assurance™
This is Your Moment
You’ve been cautious—and I respect that. But risk avoidance shouldn’t become risk tolerance.
Because while the status-quo seems safe, it’s not. When one hygienist walks or one vet tech gives up on the culture, the cost is immediate.
A study in vet-med found that stronger relational coordination (better team interplay) is linked to lower intention to leave
In dentistry, 31% of hygienists plan to retire within six years; only 12% plan to apply for new jobs in the short term—but morale and environment drive those moves.
And when staffing is stable, ROI improves. For example: if the cost to employ a hygienist is $65K, smart staffing turns that into ~80% return. onDiem
So yes—you might be the first adopter. But you’re also ahead. The practices that solve this now will win the recruiting, retention and culture wars. The rest will chase shadows.
Why Seats Are Limited
This isn’t fake scarcity.
Seats are capped because I want to show up for every Trailblazer personally.
If something goes sideways, you won’t be abandoned.
If your team brings real tension or confusion, you won’t be left alone.
Talkola is the practice gym.
My advisory arm, HPC, is the safety net—right behind you when things get messy, ready to help you find the most workable solution.
That’s my promise.
Why join?
- Use immersive micro-scenario training (voice-based) that builds real-world conversation fluency
- Innovative use cases: vetting new hires, up-skilling tenured teams, supporting post-merger integration, and building promotion-ready leaders
- Get data-driven insights: see conflict style, confidence score, trending gaps
- Receive early access + 10% off year 1 subscription + 30% off renewal for those who convert from the pilot
- Confidently start & finish a hard conversation!
- Provide feedback and influence the platform—so you’re not just a user, you’re a co-designer of your future tool.
Preferred Beta 60 Day Pricing
Trailblazers receive 10% off year 1 for converting from pilot to subscriber. **Renewal for converted subscribers: 30% off standard tier pricing. Click the text
Step-by-Step: How It Works
You enroll by Dec 15, 2025 → secure one of the
10050 seatsJan 6, 2026: Pilot begins – onboarding call, scenario access, data-dashboard goes live
Pilot runs through March 7, 2026 – you use the tool in real-practice context, provide feedback, watch your confidence scores rise
By March 7: You decide if you convert to full subscription with your 10% discount and 30% off first renewal
- Provide written feedback within 14 days of beta close
Go forward with the advantage: stronger communication, fewer turnovers, smoother culture, better EBITDA.
In Just 60 Days
When users practice at least twice a week, you can enjoy…
- Less daily shadow friction
- More effort to resolve issues without escalating
- Less tension, more collaboration
- Early positive language/behavioral shifts
Is this for you? Yes, if one of these feels right
- You’re tired of drama draining your energy
- You have people who shut down, react fast, or avoid hard conversations
- You want to stop losing good people to preventable tension
- You're a consultant who wants to expand your client resources
- You're a company that serves vetmed/dental & you want to differentiate yourself for clients
- You're a DSO/VSO that has a growth acquisition strategy and want smoother, more successful transitions
Clients I've worked with
Featured in..
Founders Note
Every team member you keep, every conflict you defuse before it blows, every conversation you equip your team to have—translates into real dollars, not just “soft” culture talk.
When you build psychological safety, you reduce hidden attrition risk, avoid the production losses of open-ended vacancies, protect your investment in onboarding, and strengthen your practice’s future.
The practices that win this decade are not the ones being reactive—they’re the ones being proactive. They build teams that talk, not fight. They train for the hard stuff so it doesn’t surprise them. And they use tools that scale with their growth.
I started this because I saw great practices lose important employees over avoidable conflicts. I saw doctors defer the tough conversations, hoping they’d go away—and watched them blow up instead. I saw office managers carry the emotional burden, unseen and unrewarded.
I believe we can change how practices handle their people challenges. This beta is our chance to partner together: you bring the real world, we bring the tool—and we evolve it side-by-side.
Let’s build something we’ll both be proud of.
Thanks for being bold.
— Dina Lynch Eisenberg JD, Founder, Talkola
FAQ
How long are sessions?
Most sessions are under 10 minutes.
Is it confidential
Yes. No one sees your recordings or scores.
Do team members practice together?
No. Practice is private and self-paced.
What kind of feedback do you need?
Clear, honest written reactions about what helped, what didn’t, what needs to be easier and what you’d like to see in the next release.
Will pricing increase?
Yes, but as a Trailblazer your preferred pricing is locked in for 2 years.
is the platform safe?
We built Talkola with guardrails in place. We don’t collect any personal health information. The agent is instructed not to give medical/legal advice, gossip or judge the user.