Fred Joyal
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Summary
Hey everyone. Stay tuned to the end of the interview where I’ll give you some actionable insights that I learned from my guest. These insights are also in the show notes. As always, thanks for listening.
Now on to my guest for today, Fred Joyal, cofounder of 1-800-DENTIST and author of the book Superbold: From Under-Confident to Charismatic in 90 Days.
Fred started out wanting to be a screenwriter in Hollywood, but instead moved into advertising. While he liked the industry, he didn't like the future he saw in it. He also wanted to start his own business, and took up an opportunity presented to him by a friend who had bought the 1-800-DENTIST number and offered to license it to him. Fred and a stockbroker friend decided to start the business in 1986 using the number for dental referrals. They successfully built and ran the business together for over 25 years and became the largest dental referral company in the country.
After the company took in private equity and Fred stepped down as CEO, he focused on building his own brand, one that had already started as the spokesperson for the brand, having appeared in their TV commercials. He also built up his authority by writing and publishing two books on dental marketing and became a sought-after speaker. His book Superbold draws from his own journey as an introvert to someone who learned to take risks and try, one who embraces failure for the lessons it teaches.
As the head of a successful business for so many years, Fred has a lot of insight to share, especially about marketing and the importance of being bold.
Now, let’s get better together.
Actionable Insights
- Fred's core advice for advertising anything is that it's all about appealing to people's emotions. Find out why people care and how it makes them feel, and connect with them there.
- To be successful, don't just focus on the money. There were times Fred could have made more money, but he was more interested in having a good life, living with integrity, and serving others. By putting your clients first, you'll be better off in the long run, for both yourself, your employees, and the people you serve.
- Show appreciation for the people who support you and work for you. This was something that Fred made a priority while CEO as well as having fun. He believes 1-800-DENTIST was a great place to work because he and his co-founder believed in these principles.