From Dentistry to Coaching: Dr. Laura Brenner
After a decade of practicing dentistry, Dr. Laura Brenner made a bold decision that surprised everyone: she walked away from clinical practice.
Today, she's a certified professional coach helping dental professionals design careers on their own terms.
The Dream That Didn't Fit
Laura excelled in dental school and approached her career with determination. But when she entered practice, something felt wrong.
"Once I got out into the real world and I didn't have that safety net, it was very stressful," Laura recalls. She told herself it would get easier—giving herself three years, then five.
Her technical skills improved, but her mental health didn't.
"At three years I was better. It did get easier. But I wasn't feeling better. I was feeling really anxious and always stressed out."
The Perfectionist Trap
Like many healthcare professionals, Laura was a people pleaser and a perfectionist.
"You end up putting so much pressure on yourself to make everything perfect for everyone else, that you jump over that line between responsibility and burden, and then you end up carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders," she explains.
As an empath, she carried her patients' emotions without tending to her own needs. The dentist-patient relationship she hoped would be rewarding became her heaviest burden.
A Difficult Pivot
When Laura left dentistry in 2011, no one was talking about alternative careers for healthcare professionals.
"People thought I was crazy," she remembers. She compares leaving to ending a marriage: "Even if you know that you're unhappy in this "career marriage", breaking up is still hard because there's a part of you that does love it."
The Power of Creativity
After she quit dentistry, she told her career coach: "I just feel so bored and I feel boring. And how sad is that – to feel boring?"
Creativity became her lifeline.
"It's the way we connect with ourselves," she reflects. "You start to see that your clinical work isn't everything and you are not 100% defined by your work."
Her blog post "10 Reasons Your Dentist Probably Hates You Too" went viral, connecting her with burned-out dental professionals worldwide. This sparked the idea for Lolabees Career Coaching.
Advice for Those Feeling Stuck
Laura's guidance is practical and grounded:
Don't do it alone. "There is no roadmap out. If you don't get accountability, if you don't have someone who can run through ideas with you, it is very easy to give up."
Do the internal work first. Avoid the "Google spiral" of searching for alternative careers online. "So much of this work is really going inside and figuring out who you are and what you want."
Consider a side project. "Dentistry is amazing in that you can still work three days a week and make a really good income." Use that flexibility to explore other interests without financial pressure.
Take action. "Actions are where we get our answers," Laura emphasizes. You don't need a perfect plan—just the next step.
Find Your Passion
When it comes to finding passion, Laura shared an amazing insight:
"Finding your passion isn't about looking outward at what others have done—it's an inside job. Turn inward, discover who you are, shift your mindset, and give yourself the permission to change. Action is where you find your answers."
When asked what work happiness means to her now, Laura's answer is simple:
"When I can live my purpose of life, which for me is to connect with people—the actual work I do is the vehicle that helps me express my purpose."
Laura has a powerful message to healthcare professionals feeling trapped:
Give yourself the permission to change, and pursue what lights you up.
Author's Note
Recently I featured Dr. Sandra Chiu's story in which she pondered leaving optometry, only to fall in love with the profession again in a different rural setting.
But for some, like Laura, the issue isn’t burnout or balance—the profession itself simply isn’t the right fit, no matter how hard they try. Walking away from a career you’ve poured years of training and sacrifice into must've been extremely difficult.
I deeply admire Laura’s courage to honor her truth and carve her own path. Thank you Laura for letting me share your story and positivity!
Check out the podcast episode:
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Laura's Website:
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