Ep. 26: Building a Business with Your Best Friend with LD Coaching
What happens when two best friends follow a whisper, trust their intuition, and build a business that helps an entire profession shine? This episode is a masterclass in partnership, pivots, and the power of listening to what your life is trying to tell you.
In today’s episode, I sit down with Danielle Avila and Laura Bettencourt—the dynamic duo behind LD Coaching and two women who turned burnout, intuition, and a whole lot of growth into a thriving coaching business for dental professionals and beyond.
Their story began in dental hygiene school, evolved through parallel career paths, and eventually led to a pivotal moment when Danielle heard the quiet whisper of “there has to be more.” What followed was a series of courageous choices, personal development practices, mindset shifts, and a leap into the unknown that changed everything.
Together, we explore what it means to truly listen to yourself, how to create space for intuition when life feels full, and how powerful it can be to build something with someone who believes in your highest potential as much as you do.
From burnout to breakthroughs, from clinical practice to coaching, from individual growth to shared purpose—this conversation is packed with heart, honesty, and actionable wisdom for anyone considering a pivot or partnership.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode:
✔️How burnout and personal growth intersected to spark a business idea
✔️The evolution of LD Coaching: teams, study clubs, CE, 1:1 coaching, and more
✔️The realities of running a business with your best friend
✔️How to know if a partnership is right for you
“Your intuition already knows. You just have to create enough space to hear what it’s been trying to tell you.”
If this episode inspired you to follow a whisper of your own—or made you rethink what’s possible with the right support—share it with someone who needs it today.
You can connect with Danielle and Laura at @diamondgirlscoaching on Instagram or visit www.ldiamondcoaching.com.
To explore career pivots, clarity work, and aligned leadership, visit me at https://www.leadintact.com/freebies/heart-aligned-career or book a free 20-minute clarity call at https://leadintactwithlaura.as.me/free-consultation
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You are listening to the pivot point where we unpack the defining moments that shift careers and lives. I'm your host, Laura Dionicio, a founder of Lead Intacct, and my mission is to spotlight the raw real stories behind career pivots, the fears, the hopes. The messy middles and the bold decisions that follow if you're feeling stuck or quietly wondering what's next?
I hope these stories help you see yourself a little more clearly and inspire you to start moving toward your own dream life. Let's begin.
Laura D: Welcome to the Pivot Point Podcast. Danielle and Laura, thank you so much for being here. I love it. I, we just saw each other like what, three weeks ago at this point,
Danielle Avila: Yeah, yeah. Beginning of October, time flies.
Laura D: Wow. And what
Laura Bettencourt: When you're having fun.
Laura D: when you're having fun and what I love about Danielle and Laura is like, we met. It was like, oh hi, nice to meet you. And I'm like, I love your story. Will you be my podcast? And without even like asking any clarifying questions, both of them were like, yes, of course. I love that. My kind of
Laura Bettencourt: Let's do it.
Laura D: Let's do it.
Laura D: So I'm gonna start off with reading your bio, and by the way, I'm excited too because, well, Laura, this is like my, you're my third or my second Laura at this point. My
Laura Bettencourt: love it.
Laura D: my third Laura at this point. But the two of, you're my first partners on here, so like I'm super excited.
Laura Bettencourt: Oh, that's awesome.
Laura D: Okay, so I'm gonna read your bio so that everybody knows how amazing you are, and I may butcher some things, and that's just, that's just what it's gonna be. What it's gonna be.
Laura Bettencourt: It will be perfect.
Laura D: perfectly imperfect. Okay. Meet Danielle Avila and Laura Bettencourt. The Heart and Sparkle behind L Dimont. Portuguese word for diamond.
Laura D: Did I get it right? Yes. Thank you,
Laura Bettencourt: Yes, you did.
Laura D: Basically, diamond coaching because that's what they are. They're diamonds. Their story began back in 2006 in dental hygiene school. Laura was the front row energy burst can confirm, and Danielle was the quiet force determined to make it happen. A chance Meetup at cap's. Where Laura worked, turned classmates into lifelong friends. Fast forward through late night study sessions, career pivots, and a whole lot of growth. They realize they're. True Calling, helping dental pros beat burnout, find balance, and fall back in love with their careers and themselves. with over 30 years of combined experience, Daniella and Laura coached mentor and inspire others to shine.
Laura D: Right. Live fully and own their next chapter. One, confident, fulfilled, professional at a Time. Thank you.
Danielle Avila: Okay,
Laura Bettencourt: yay. Did I get it right again? Oh my God,
Laura Bettencourt: Did great.
Danielle Avila: You did great.
Laura D: Thank you. Thank you. So I just, I love your story. You're my first business partners on here, so you've known each other a long time.
Laura D: And what I would love you to start with, and Danielle, maybe you can go first, is like. Walk us through like maybe two to three months before this business partnership came to be. Where were you? What was happening? What was going on in your life?
Danielle Avila: Yes. Great question.
Danielle Avila: So a few months before this partnership was born, I was working at a private practice, so clinical hygienist, working at a private practice for probably about 11 years. At this point, I was working at the same office and there was just something inside of me that was like. There's more.
Danielle Avila: There has to be more. Like that little whisper just kept creeping up in inside of me. And that moment I like I always did, reached out to my bestie Laura, who was growing within her career, I was like, Hey, like, help me out here. What do you think I should do? I know that there's more like there's more than just like being a tooth scraper. I know hygienists can do so more than that 'cause I see you doing it. So gimme some advice here. And so Laura, as she did, was like, absolutely. Like, let's talk. And so we had a really great conversation about where I was feeling, you know, burnt out the hustle, the grind, the fight or flight, and it was like. that moment, so much clarity came to me, was like, I don't need to stay stuck or stagnant in this place any longer. The world is my oyster and I am going to do whatever it takes to get outside of this, four walls of this op. And so I took a leap of faith and not knowing like. Really at all what I was going to do, what my next move was, where I was gonna even work.
Danielle Avila: I had no work lined up, but in that moment, had never felt so free in my life. And I always like, try to em emulate that, that feeling. 'cause it just felt so good and so empowering working, you know, alongside with Laura back and forth, you know, options and, and what she was doing. We decided to come together and work clinically together, which was really. It was the gateway to us starting this business because with her helping me and me really going through the burnout, it was like the growth and the burnout side by side. We were able to really create this beautiful business that we can now help other people that are going through similar feelings. Do just, just what we did.
Laura D: I think a lot of people just in that alone can relate to that. I can, I know I can relate to that. I really wanna like zoom into the moment though. 'cause you, you mentioned that it started off as a whisper. There's more,
Danielle Avila: Mm-hmm.
Laura D: has to be more, and then you reached out to a friend. So for listeners, you know, don't let it be a silo within, you reach out to a trusted friend.
Laura D: You don't have to make decisions yet. Right. You just it out and then. You mentioned, you talked about the burnout and I can't be in this four walls, but what happened inside you at that point? Because I am just imagining, and I, from my own experience talking to clients, it's easy to be like, oh, you heard the whisper and then you did the thing.
Laura D: Even though there's no plan, I know there's a lot of things that happened in between,
Danielle Avila: Yes.
Laura D: talk through what that was like.
Danielle Avila: Yeah, so within all of those feelings, yes, a lot of things were happening. For me personally, I started to Hone in and listen to more motivational podcasts. Kind of like what this one is here. The Mindset mentor, Rob Dial, really was a huge inspiration for me and just listening.
Danielle Avila: I feel like he was talking to me in that moment, like just listening to the things that he was saying. invested in a personal fitness coach and so I was just feeling really good about the inside and knowing that. I don't always have to have the answer, and just again, really beginning to work on my personal mindset, I think was that pivotal moment for me when I was able to make those decisions because the scarcity and lack that I was living in was no longer serving and pivoting and shifting that mindset was really the key to making that decision.
Laura D: Okay. I love it. So it sounds like support investment in self and
Danielle Avila: Mm.
Laura D: doing the work to shift your mindset and then the outer actions
Danielle Avila: Yes,
Laura D: think that's so important
Danielle Avila: absolutely.
Laura D: Now moving over to Laura, what was your perspective in this?
Laura D: So take us through three months or so before this beautiful diamond coaching came to be.
Laura Bettencourt: I've always been one for growth. I always love learning, expanding, challenging myself in new ways. And when Danielle, uh. Called me that day. I specifically remember I was on a walk at my place of work where she ended up coming to work where we worked clinically together and.
Laura Bettencourt: We were having the conversation and I was like, you can't live in that, that scarcity or stuck moment. Like it's just a matter of trusting that voice that's calling for you and saying, let's do that. And truly like leaning into that whisper. And so, um, when she came to work with me and the rest of the team that was there we just got to talking and it was like, why?
Laura Bettencourt: Why doesn't this exist in in our world? And if it did, we didn't know about it at the time. And so we just kept like, I don't know, it was like a download, like this vision just kept coming up like, oh, and we could do this, and we could help this way, and we could create this. And then we just started doing it.
Laura Bettencourt: And then we started to research like how to get an LLC or a partnership. And we honestly, it was just like one step in front of the other, like this beautiful download that came to to us and us talking it out and then putting it into fruition. So it was, it was really cool. Uh, and I was, I mean, what exactly was I feeling?
Laura Bettencourt: Excitement. Um. You know, the, the thrill of being able to give back and help to others, um, is always just so rewarding. I think it's taking me a few years to actually confidently say without diminishing like how I truly feel on the inside. Like I truly believe my divine purpose in life is to help others live in their highest self.
Laura Bettencourt: And. Through what we're doing and what we've created I'm able to do that, which is really powerful and amazing.
Laura D: I love that, Laura, and what I love about your kind of like, from your perspective, it sounds like you already, prior to Danielle reaching out. To you, you, you've already been doing the work because it sounded like you mentioned like you can't be in the stuck mindset, you can't be in scarcity.
Laura D: And then you mentioned downloads, right? And so for the listeners who are like, I don't know what these words mean, can you talk about a little bit, how did your personal journey start? So it sounded like you've done it for years now. How did that come to be and who were you at that point and what made you decide, okay, I need to maybe work on my mindset a little bit.
Laura Bettencourt: Yeah. Okay.
Laura Bettencourt: So fun fact, I have been, I've kind of been this way my entire life. So I contribute a lot to my parents. Like, so I. I had, I mean, don't get me wrong, it wasn't perfect, but I am very blessed for the, the childhood that I had. And I was told to believe that I could do anything that I wanted to do.
Laura Bettencourt: And I've always been positive. I think that's just who I am. Like my number one strength is positivity. So even in the dark moments, I still try to find the light. Um, so I think just. Honestly, genuinely, that's just who, who I am to the core. And I always try to. To find the good, to see the good in, in situations in humans.
Laura Bettencourt: And I, I've always loved personal development. I've read a lot of books. I've taken a lot of classes on personal development just because it's a big interest to me. I love emotional intelligence. I love yeah, I love it all. I love neuroscience. So all, all of that kind of goes hand in hand.
Laura D: Okay. I love that. So it's, it sounds like what a beautiful sentiment to like, grow up with, you know, believe in yourself and to be able to carry that belief through.
Laura D: This question is like for the two of you, so I'm really thinking about the listener and, and let's be real like a, a little bit me sometimes, where you mentioned like you just kept having the conversation and you had the download and you know, like, as I'm sure you, you both have coached your own clients. If we have a lot of thoughts in our, like the busy mind, there is no space for download. So can you walk us through like what would you say to a listener or like maybe one of your clients who's just like, I, I don't know. Do I schedule time to get the download? Like, how does that, how does that work?
Laura Bettencourt: That's such a good question. Danielle, what do you, what would you say?
Danielle Avila: I mean, that is a really great question because like you were saying, in life, I mean, we're also busy I hate that word, but full. We're also full we lose track. And I think that's when we lose sight and that's when burnout happens. You know, in those moments that we're just so full that we're not taking the time to spend on ourselves. And so I think when you can begin to change your mindset a little bit. And allow yourself space to just be is when those downloads will come. And I know for me it sounds so crazy. My downloads always come in the car, like when I'm driving,
Laura Bettencourt: Mine are in the shower.
Laura D: Same.
Danielle Avila: crazy. I just have like of the amazing things come to my mind. But it is a practice because there are so many other things that we could be thinking of. We have to allow that whisper to come through. We have to allow whatever's coming to us from divine source, spirit, whatever, like to listen to it and allow ourselves to listen to it and lean into that a little bit more because we could just push it away and stuff it and pretend it's not happening, or those, those visions aren't there.
Danielle Avila: That's never gonna happen for me. But when you allow yourself to actually listen to that voice, amazing things can happen. And they do.
Laura D: I love that. Anything to add
Laura Bettencourt: Yeah. Yeah. I think as far as what we, what I would say to a, a client is just know where you are is okay. Like there's no right or wrong, and it's just a matter of, giving yourself grace and, and really figuring out what it is that you do truly want and when you can really start to, to listen to what it is that you want.
Laura Bettencourt: And you are in tune and so in tune and it, it is a practice, right? It's just like a muscle. That you need to continue to, to work towards or work through. When you do that consistently, it becomes easier and you can really trust your intuition on what it is that it is telling you. Mm-hmm.
Laura D: Now I just, I'm thinking about the me of like, I don't know, five, seven, maybe even 10 years ago. Who was like, okay, great. do I do that? How do I practice this muscle? Now keep in mind the version of me at that time was somebody who was like productivity's king, constantly doing, I didn't understand what
Laura Bettencourt: Yes.
Laura D: understand what you're saying, but
Laura Bettencourt: Mm-hmm.
Laura D: foreign.
Laura D: Like what is intuition? How do you connect? So what would you say to our listeners, maybe who were thinking the same thing? Like I, okay, I'd like to start working out. do I do? Where do I start?
Laura Bettencourt: So I think it depends on the person, right? But everybody gets stuck on like the how or like the concept of what you're doing. So. Start, say you wanna e example, you said working out. Say you wanna start working out on a weekly basis. Work out for five minutes, start somewhere and start creating a habit off of it.
Laura Bettencourt: And that can, that can help small stacks or habit Stacking is really a great tool to use. Um. And again, while you're doing these things or, or creating, one thing I, I love to tell clients to do is just sit in space. You know how hard it is for people, us, me, to just sit and be. It's like the most challenging thing ever.
Laura Bettencourt: I think because we are so used to that hustle culture, the high performance, the, the productivity, right? And when you can just sit and set a timer for five minutes and just be and do nothing like, that's a huge win. I mean, I would not recommend starting with five minutes. If you're like the go, go go person, you, you would probably feel like you're being tortured.
Laura Bettencourt: But if you could start with a minute or something, that's a, a great place to start. Start small.
Laura D: Okay,
Laura Bettencourt: Absolutely.
Laura D: really, I'm thinking of past me and the listener who's like, okay, I'm gonna put a timer on maybe for, for two minutes do nothing. How is this gonna, again, stuck with the how, right? is
Laura Bettencourt: Yes.
Laura D: understand what it is I actually want or am am meant for? In this world, like I, I can't see a path forward.
Laura D: So like, kind of like, can you explain like what the benefits would be or how it could look like, or maybe even like your own personal experience when you've started doing this? Like what has changed for you? I.
Laura Bettencourt: Yes, absolutely.
Danielle Avila: You want
Laura Bettencourt: Danielle, I feel like I, I feel like you wanna share. I.
Danielle Avila: Oh, I can absolutely share. And so I will say that I was that person that was like, okay, great. Tell me to do all these things. What is that gonna do for me? Like. Like, I don't, I don't know what you're talking about. And so it is a practice. It is something, it's like that. And this was a very new terminology for me too.
Danielle Avila: We can dive into this, like the feminine energy, which is so new for me. The not hustle, the not grind, the not fight or flight. And so when you're asking or you're telling me that I should take five minutes to meditate or to journal or to exercise. Okay. And, and then what, you know, and so, but it's like, it's that constant state of, of allowing yourself the space and the time to do these things.
Danielle Avila: So it's like day after day, day after day. Obviously if you're working out every day, that muscle is gonna go stronger and stronger. I have personally noticed by taking every morning the second that I wake up to meditate, whether that's five minutes or 20 minutes. It starts to make a difference. It starts to change your mindset. It starts to change your beliefs and your thoughts and the way that you talk to yourself. And so I think that it goes back to, I know that it goes back to mindset just allowing yourself to do it and to like believe that it's going to make a difference we can meditate and just listen to it and do nothing with it. But if we believe that it's gonna make a change and we've changed our mindset and we have that shift. It does make a difference. And so I know for me, has been really a huge part of my pivoting in my career is really changing my mindset and not allowing it to continually go to lack and scarcity and the how and the what ifs because that will continue to hold me back.
Laura D: And I love that
Laura Bettencourt: Yeah.
Laura D: up the career pivoting because a lot of the listeners are on here for that. So Danielle, like maybe you can speak a little bit more to, because you have been that person and you can still relate to the person that's like, why would I do this? Like, what do
Danielle Avila: Yeah.
Laura D: nothing?
Laura D: I don't understand what that means, you know, like,
Danielle Avila: Yeah.
Laura D: you maybe share a personal experience or something where you did this, whatever it is, meditation, five minute continuously. And walk us through what was your mind like, if we took a peek into your mind before, and then what was it after and, and how did it lead you to differently or be differently?
Danielle Avila: Yeah, this,
Laura Bettencourt: And Danielle, sorry, I just, Danielle, can I just add, I feel like I would love for you to share your most recent pivot with homeschooling
Danielle Avila: yes, that
Laura Bettencourt: because I feel like that is so powerful.
Danielle Avila: Yeah, I was gonna share that. And so, yeah, that was exactly where I was gonna share is. In the moment that in my mind, before I would listen to a meditation, but my mind would be everywhere else, but the meditation, would be all of the things that I need to get done before the day starts.
Danielle Avila: What I have to cook for dinner tonight, what? Everything but being still and listening and repeating verbiage and the. At the moment, I wouldn't say the moment, but after practicing for probably a month, I would say true practice, I was able to slow my mind, allow myself to actually sit and feel, which we don't always allow ourself to feel, and a download or like a thought or a vision came to me.
Danielle Avila: And so in that moment, in my mind, it was like olive. I can't even, I mean, all of the, it was like a wave, like a wave crashed on me and it was just like a, a knowing. And in that moment I was like, I need to homeschool my daughter. Like it was in the meditating, in the, the inner work, in the mindset work this vision came to me and it like changed my life because it was, that was a massive, pivotal moment me. professional journey. And so that, again, that knowing that that's what I needed to do has allowed me to make massive change changes in, in my personal and my professional life. And so it's a feeling like it's just a true feeling that just like shakes your body. It's, I again, it feels like a wave, almost like an emotional wave. Sometimes it can feel like a burning, like I, like you just know That is exactly what is meant for you. And again, that didn't come from day one meditating, or day two or week two. It is something that I had to continue to work on and I still work on each and every day. But again, when we allow for those quiet times in our mind is when these things will speak to us.
Danielle Avila: So you have to just believe and trust the process.
Laura D: Well said, and I just wanna hone in. So it sounds like it was a really big decision and.
Laura D: And really bold decision to homeschool your, your daughter. And just so that we get additional context, was that something you were playing around with or struggling with before you had the download? Like, talk us through that a little bit.
Danielle Avila: Yeah, so I feel like it was a, a, a mixed of everything. It was a mix of everything. It was again, that little whisper, nudging at me again, like that contrast of where. I was in my, my personal, in my professional career, wasn't, kind of getting back into that burnout state again. And so I recognized that. also recognized that she was feeling really anxious and a lot of anxiety, and so that was. Kind of falling back on me as well throughout the day. yes, homeschool had always been something I had kind of had in the back of my head as maybe, I don't know, kind of crazy, should I, no, let's just, you know, do the normal thing and send her to school. But when I decided that it was kind of a, a, a whirlwind of everything, it was like I'm investing in my business a hundred percent. And then. After I made that decision to invest in my business, everything else kind of just kind of came in streamlined. Like day after day. It was like, okay, since you're gonna do that, this is your next step.
Danielle Avila: Okay. Since you're gonna do that, this is the next step. And I feel like when I allowed myself to listen to myself, which is crazy, my world completely changed. And so I have to, and I still have to go back to that and like. Re remind myself of those days. Like it's okay to listen to yourself. Your intuition knows like yes or no, like a red light or a green light.
Danielle Avila: Laura and I talk about that often. so again, it just goes back to, to the knowing and, and just the journey that I was on that allowed me to have those thoughts.
Laura D: I love that. And you know what I, I love too is like, it's almost like. started this practice thing that Laura probably told you to do and you're like, I don't, I don't believe it, but I'm gonna do it. And then it almost, it like the visual I'm getting is almost like if there's like a, like a cloth and there was like a hole and like a little bit of your intuition came through.
Laura D: And it sounded like the more you listened, the bigger that hole became. And
Danielle Avila: Yes,
Laura D: like aside from just the career part, home life too, and probably. things
Danielle Avila: yes.
Laura D: life changed, so I love that. Let's go back to Laura. You had mentioned that Danielle started to work at the same clinic, then from there talk us through like how did you go from working together in that clinic?
Laura D: Working clinically, right, is what you said to, you know what, let's just do this thing, this. How did, how did El De, did I say it right again?
Danielle Avila: That's enough.
Laura Bettencourt: Close enough.
Laura D: I'm just gonna say,
Laura Bettencourt: enough.
Laura D: did LD coaching, let's not let me, let's not let me struggle anymore. How did LD coaching come to be?
Laura Bettencourt: Yeah, so it was through those conversations, through those downloads of us talking together, and honestly like the last three, four years of our journey has been so incredible. Like not only have we grown so much personally, but we've grown professionally within. The world of dental hygiene. We've advanced our career.
Laura Bettencourt: We became guided biofilm therapy certified, laser certified. We are up to date with all the latest and greatest innovations and technologies. We have formed really incredible partnerships with companies. We offer a diamond study club. So within the dental profession, you have to have continuing education credit.
Laura Bettencourt: So our diamond, study club is to host in-person and virtual events. So people in our industry, professionals in our industry can stay up to date with the, latest and greatest, actually, we're hosting a diamonds, study club tonight, all on myofunctional therapy. That's another thing that Danielle and I did on our journey.
Laura Bettencourt: We became myofunctional therapy certified. We just wanted to continue to learn and grow for ourselves professionally, and then be able to give that back to our community. And so that's really what we've done. , And along that journey, it's allowed us to, like Danielle said, create space and. Look inward and see where it is that we truly want to help serve.
Laura Bettencourt: And I mean, we love our dental community and we'll always give back and do our diamond study club. And I think one of the things that both Danielle and I have found throughout the journey, especially like we've hired coaches ourselves, and it's only helped expand our horizon and. Our own expansion is really, we wanna help humans and, and that is our passion.
Laura Bettencourt: And if we can help humans within the dental professional space and outside of that, beyond that, that would be incredible.
Laura D: What I love about
Laura Bettencourt: Did I answer your question?
Laura D: you did. You did. And what's, I didn't even realize this until like just now when you answered it.
Laura D: It sounds like you're doing a lot of different things within LD coaching, like you have the professional development with the Diamond Study Club, you have personal and then the two of you are doing like other things.
Laura D: So I am just thinking like, as a listener, it might be easy to be like, well, of course. You know, they did all these things that make sense that they've been doing it for three, four years. But tell us how that started. Like how did you start thinking about, you know what, we're just gonna do all these different things because it sounds like all different facets and yet you're providing all these services.
Laura D: So like walk us through, like did you end up choosing to do all of
Laura Bettencourt: Yeah.
Laura D: being like, oh, let's just do the Diamond study Club. 'cause that's what we know.
Laura Bettencourt: Mm-hmm. We've had a lot of pivots through, get it pivots. We've had a lot of pivots.
Laura D: Thank you for that.
Laura Bettencourt: throughout everything. You know, we first started specifically only working with hygienists that wanted growth in their career, and we enjoyed that. And we noticed that there was still more to that. So we started to work with teams and we helped the team create that vision and mission and alignment and really implement preventative protocols and help hygienists gain the confidence that they need.
Laura Bettencourt: Because believe it or not. A lot of, I mean, everything in life. It comes down to how confident you are with the services that you're providing. And when you can gain that confidence to have difficult conversations with patients or to prevent certain treatment plan, it can, can make the process a lot easier and fun.
Laura Bettencourt: And after all, life should, should be fun, right? We want it to be enjoyable. So we started that and then we grew to teams and. Actually, one of our friends suggested we did a study club, and so we were like, yeah, let's do a study club. We love offering ce. I mean, we speak ourselves within the industry, so we started the study club.
Laura Bettencourt: I don't know, it just, it's as things have come or opportunities have presented to themselves, we just have been open to accepting them and seeing where the journey takes us. Right.
Laura D: I love that. I'm hearing a theme of following nudges and pivoting as needed. And I think that's something that the listener and me can take away is that like, don't get attached to the plan. That's something that I have to say to myself sometimes. And what Danielle was saying is like providing space so that like these nudges can come through so that you have something to follow basically.
Laura D: So I love that. Now to us about .
Laura D: how did you decide to become business partners? You know, and like what has that experience been like for any listener out there who's like, I really wanna start my own business, but I'm kind of afraid to do it on my own, but also I'm afraid that I might fight with my bestie if we end up working together.
Laura D: So like, talk to us about that.
Danielle Avila: Yeah, that's a really great question. I don't even really know if I, if we have like the, a true answer of like clarity from the very beginning. It was just like, let's do this. Like you're the growth, I'm the burnout. This would be a great little like marriage together. You can help people grow and I can help people through burnout. And so that was, I think like our initial thought. And then literally since day one, we've always been on every single call together with every single client and we just love it. It's been incredible. Don't get me wrong. There's been times like ebbs and flows, you have to lead with love and you have to lead with love for self and love for the other person.
Danielle Avila: So have to have open communication and be vulnerable. And I think Laura and I are just such like a yin and a yang. We just have such masculine, feminine, like we're just very. very similar, but very, very different. And so I think that those attributes just really help the flow of our business, which has been so amazing. And again, I just like with love as Laura. As Laura would say, like is so important.
Laura D: I love it and me because, you know, my brand is lead in tech, and so I am very much the kind of person that's like, I wanna be the leader. So for Alyssa. Who's like that is thinking of having a partnership, but they're a little bit worried about the dynamics of like, who really gets to lead. Talk us through like how that works with the two of you.
Laura D: Is it like a true co-leading, like how do decisions get made and Yeah, give it to us.
Laura Bettencourt: Oh, I think, I think this is such a good question. I think naturally we each have our strong suits and so within the business, like we've kind of just taken on the. Those roles. Um, we do always make decisions together and believe it or not, I think throughout our partnership we have been on the same page pretty much every step of the way except maybe like once or twice.
Laura Bettencourt: And we just worked through it, we talked things out and we led with love and understanding of each other. And we were able to make it work. Um, we always have each other at you know, the best interest , no matter what and, and know we have written ground rules for certain things regarding the business and it is what it is.
Laura D: Okay,
Laura Bettencourt: I miss anything Danielle?
Danielle Avila: No, I think that's perfect. I think you said it all.
Laura D: I love it.
Laura D: If you were to give advice to somebody who's thinking about entering into a partnership, you've already said lead with love, you have written ground rules, like what are some other things that you can, like, if you had like top three advice maybe, and each of you maybe can give the top three, like, things to consider maybe, or like,
Danielle Avila: make sure that you really like that person because you're gonna talk to them every single day of the
Laura Bettencourt: All the time.
Danielle Avila: Like multiple times a day. I, I mean, it was funny the first year I was like, wow, I don't think I've talked to anybody but my husband every single day for the whole entire year. Like, and we still like each other But if it, you're like on that same trajectory, like when you have the same passions and you have this like very similar vision and you both want the same things, just is easy. Like it just aligns and it just makes sense.
Laura Bettencourt: Yeah. And I, I think one key point is really make sure that you both do want the same things, and make sure that you both understand if at some point along the journey. Your, your same wants or vision starts to become different. That's okay. Just have a plan in place to see what would happen or how you would navigate that.
Laura Bettencourt: And I think when you, again, can lead with love in that regard and know that it's okay that things may shift or change or pivot. It might not be this end result that you originally thought it would be. That's okay.
Laura D: And I kind of wish that maybe I need to find a Danielle in my life so I can also be a Laura and Danielle partnership. So listener, if your name's Danielle and you have the same vision as me. Shoot me. Shoot me a idea.
Laura Bettencourt: How amazing would that be?
Laura D: That would be hilarious.
Laura Bettencourt: it could happen. You never know.
Laura D: You
Laura Bettencourt: You just put it into the universe. So.
Laura D: Talk us through like the, the benefits of being in partner. I'm already like intrigued and I'm kind of like, maybe I need to form my own LD coaching. But yeah, talk us through about like what do you think it would be like if you had gone on your own versus like, how much better is it now because you're in partnership?
Danielle Avila: So, I don't know how
Laura Bettencourt: I am.
Danielle Avila: Laura and I have said to each other like, I wouldn't do this if it wasn't for you. Like I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. Because there are those dark moments in the beginning of being an entrepreneur, like where you're, you're learning, you're growing, you're stretching, and it feels really uncomfortable and you're, the easiest thing to do is to stop. Or to go back to what you were doing before. And in those moments is when we both were like, okay, nope. We're gonna keep going until the end of the year. And then from there we're gonna make a decision. then things would change. And then it'd be like, all right, we're gonna go till the next few months and then we're gonna make a decision. But in those end of few months or years is when all of those pivots would happen, where we would change directions or do things differently or hire a different coach. And so it always just kept the momentum going.
Laura D: I need to
Laura Bettencourt: Per
Laura D: it,
Laura Bettencourt: perseverance. Yeah, perseverance, I think, and honestly like having that accountability partner, I am so grateful that I get to be on this journey with Danielle for so many different reasons. One, it's been so beautiful to witness her own personal growth journey, like if you knew the Danielle that I knew when I first met her.
Laura D: I'm sure she was me,
Laura Bettencourt: To the Danielle,
Laura D: I probably did.
Laura Bettencourt: to the Danielle that she is today, like it is the most beautiful and rewarding thing to witness and, we get to have so much fun together. Like when we travel, when we speak, I mean, we're like an old married couple. We finish each other's sentences. Like it's just,
Danielle Avila: True.
Laura Bettencourt: just, it's, I am very grateful for, for the good times and, and the bad.
Danielle Avila: Absolutely.
Laura D: Oh, I'm getting fomo. That's okay. I've put it out in the universe to find my own. Danielle, she's coming. Or maybe it's Daniel. He's coming. I don't know, but
Danielle Avila: You are open to receive. I love it.
Laura D: I'm
Laura Bettencourt: Yes,
Laura D: to receive. I love it.
Laura D: Now for the listener who's like, I love them so much, I also wanna shine like a diamond. You know, like how would people. with you and talk to us a little bit about like, 'cause again, it sounds like you do a lot of different things. Like talk to us again about like what type of services you provide your clients.
Danielle Avila: Yes. So
Laura Bettencourt: there's so many.
Danielle Avila: mentioned, I mean there's, there are multiple different ways that we work with our clients. We work one on two. Which is really fun. So like I said, if you hire us for private coaching, it's the two of us, majority of all of the time, which is really fun and exciting. And so we do six month packages with our clients one on two. also have the Becoming Blueprint, which is our group coaching, which is a really amazing community of women is growing. And we hold masterclasses for that. That's twice a month. You know, two hours twice a month. And then some added bonuses on there as well. then we also work with teams too, so. We work with hygiene teams, and that is just a, a, a passion for the dental community that we have to really give back and support. And again, going back to like the mindset and the vision and the mission, which is so, so important for us, with all of our clients. It's that foundational work. We know that you cannot build a house without a strong foundation. And so that's really where we begin. Is like going back to the really the basics of your why. That has always been the, the starting point for all of our coaching is for our clients to know their why and to know what their life looks like and to have that vision because it's not always easy and we don't take the time to do that for ourselves. So that's really the, the foundational piece and from there it just beautifully grows into to way more, you know, removing those limiting beliefs and getting over that scarcity and that lack in so many different avenues of our life and, and gaining confidence, like Laura had said. It's so important and it shows up for us, not only personally but professionally as well, once we have confidence in who we are.
Danielle Avila: It's just so fun to work with , our clients, to see them have these aha moments and these pivotal moments in their life that truly change the trajectory of where they're going.
Laura D: I love it so much. And how can people get ahold of you? Like what's your social media? Your social media is so much fun. So she, I'll put it in the show notes, but like, just so you know, you can verbally say it for those who are listening.
Laura Bettencourt: Yeah, so on Instagram, we're at Diamond Girls Coaching, and then our website is www dot l Dante. coaching.com, and you could find us on LinkedIn or Facebook at LD Coaching.
Laura D: Okay. I love it.
Laura D: And then one final question for each of you that I ask all my guests on this podcast, and that is, if you were an item in a coffee shop, what would you be and why?
Laura Bettencourt: Ooh, I would
Danielle Avila: so crazy. I would be a sticker.
Laura D: A sticker
Danielle Avila: Because people always want the little cute sticker that they can like grab as like a souvenir, wherever they've been. 'cause I love getting stickers at coffee shops. It's like the weirdest thing. But like I put 'em on my laptop, on my water bottles.
Danielle Avila: Like how fun.
Laura Bettencourt: And you get to travel.
Laura D: love that. Yeah. Yeah. You get to be wherever they are.
Danielle Avila: Yeah.
Laura Bettencourt: That is so fun. I'm totally going to be a a, a warm latte. That's what I would be with cinnamon on top because that's delicious. Because that would like, that makes my heart happy and I wanna make people's heart happy.
Danielle Avila: Hmm.
Laura D: I
Danielle Avila: love it.
Laura D: I kind of wanna go to a coffee shop and get a sticker and a latte with cinnamon on top. That's how I'm gonna call in my Danielle.
Danielle Avila: Yeah,
Laura D: how
Laura Bettencourt: Yes.
Danielle Avila: a
Laura Bettencourt: At the coffee shop you actually might meet them there.
Danielle Avila: so good.
Laura D: I honestly, like, thank you so much, both of you for being here. Like I never considered being in partnership in my business and now I'm like, that sounds like a good time. So I,
Laura Bettencourt: We have a lot of fun
Laura D: I know, I see it. I feel it. I want it so. Thank you
Laura Bettencourt: and you are incredible, and you're rocking it
Laura D: Thank you.
Laura Bettencourt: all, all, all, all by Laura d so you're, you're doing awesome too.
Laura D: That's true. I am the LD Coaching 'cause those are my initials. Thank you
Laura Bettencourt: So good.
Laura D: much. Thank you. I appreciate you both. And for the listeners, follow them. They're amazing. They're Instagram's hilarious. Follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram, all the things. And with that, I will see you next time.
Big thanks again to Laura Bettencourt and Danielle Avila from LD Coaching for sharing their story so openly. These conversations are such a reminder that no pivot is too messy, too late, or too unconventional. If something said resonated, don't keep it to yourself. Share this episode with someone you know who needs it.
And when you are ready to start your own pivot, head to www.leadintact.com for free resources or book a free 20 minute call with me. I'm here for you.