- Originally sent on October 12, 2026 -

Can you believe it’s October already?

This time of year always seems to speed up, and with spring well and truly here, it feels like a good time to check in, reset a few things, and think about where we’re putting our time, energy and money.

Last month, I spoke a lot about spring cleaning — not just our surgeries, steri rooms and cupboards, but our systems, our habits and our teams too.
And this week, something as simple as putting on an old red leather jacket got me thinking about investment.

What do we invest in?

What do we look after?

And what do we want to last?

Because whether we’re talking about equipment, systems or people, longevity rarely happens by accident.

So this week’s Tip of the Week is a little personal, a little nostalgic, and very much about why investing in the right things — especially our teams — matters.

Investing in our DAs…

I’m also incredibly excited about our upcoming A Day for DAs events.
These days have been created specifically for dental assistants.
A day that is actually for YOU.
We currently have:

6 November — Adelaide
A Day for DAs with ADASA. Click here to register

13 November — Melbourne
A Day for DAs with Henry Schein / Dürr Dental. Click here to register

21 November — Darwin
A Day for DAs with ADANT. Click here to register

And we’ll be taking A Day for DAs to more states next year.

Because dental assistants deserve dedicated education, time away from the surgery to learn, and opportunities to meet other people doing the same job.

Not as an afterthought.

Not squeezed into somebody else’s conference.

A day just for you!

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Tip of the Week

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So this week, whether it’s your instruments, your systems or your team…
Have a look at what you really value.

Then ask yourself:

Are you investing in it like you want it to last?

My little red leather jacket is proof that sometimes the investment really does pay off.

Invest in what you want to last!

Today, I put on a little red leather jacket that I’ve owned since I was 18.

And every time I wear it, I think about the story behind it.