My old dentist was very clear on her bottom line. She didn’t hide it well. Each time she saw me she focused on what she could get from me not on what I needed. Mouth guards, teeth whitening and gum graphs were the name of her game. It was always what was wrong with my teeth, not what was right.
I decided to switch dentists.
Being treated like a walking dollar sign got old. Being treated without her full attention got old. Being kept in the dark on my health got old. She kept her knowledge tight to her chest, never daring to share what she knew with her patients. She did not believe in empowering her patients by fostering their learning about their own dental health. She wanted to maintain the chasm of expert and ignorant client for she saw it as a means to influence opinion and encourage uneducated decisions, often based upon fear.
But where am I to find one?
This year I registered Elastic Mind with a Toronto-based business directory called TorontoTheBetter.net. It is Toronto’s first directory of businesses dedicated to maintaining and building a progressive Toronto that is an inclusive, just and creative community. I figured it was the best place I could look for my kind of dentist.
I could have listened to referrals from friends and family but most in my circle do not share my values nor could they actually recommend a dentist they trusted. So a directory of Cultural Creative businesses in Toronto seemed like the best bet.
An ideal fit.
I knew he was the dentist for me 5 min after we met. It was an immediate connection fostered by shared values and a similar mindset. He was here to help me make informed decisions about my dental health.
A simple realization.
I need to work with CC’s not just professionally. In all facets of my life, from groceries to dentistry, I want to support individuals and organizations who are passionate about empowering their clients.
Let’s keep connecting the dots.
Us CC’s, we’re still hard to find right now. We’re just beginning to shoot our flares, sending our sparks up into the business atmosphere, helping our community to find us. We still have a ways to go until we are connecting and collaborating with ease.
Any ideas how we can foster this process? Are there local tools you use to find Cultural Creatives in your city?
photo credit: El Incomprendido
