Episodios

  • If You Wouldn’t Start It Today, Why Are You Still Doing It?

    If You Wouldn’t Start It Today, Why Are You Still Doing It?
    Apr 3 2026
    Why This Is the Final Episode
    • The Burleson Box solved the problems it was designed to solve
    • The environment it was built for has changed
    • Waiting until something breaks is a losing strategy
    • Decision framework: zero-based thinking
    • “Knowing what you know now, would you start this again?”
    The Real Risk Most Businesses Miss
    • Companies that wait until revenue stalls have less than a 10% chance of recovery
    • The right time to change is before performance declines
    • “Day One vs Day Two” thinking (Amazon principle)
    • Preserve core principles, replace outdated execution
    AI Is Reshaping the Playing Field
    • ~60% of searches now end without a click
    • Shift from SEO to AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
    • Only ~12% of small businesses have adapted
    • Conversion rates:
      • Traditional SEO: ~1.7%
      • AEO-driven traffic: ~14.6%
    • AI-referred traffic converts ~4.4x higher
    • AI will recommend one provider, not a list
    What This Means for Practices
    • Generic service pages are being ignored
    • AI prioritizes:
      • Specificity
      • Reviews and reputation
      • Local relevance
      • Real-world outcomes
    • Your positioning is now interpreted and delivered by AI
    The New Consumer Standard
    • Show rates from digital leads as low as ~34%
    • 92% of patients rely on online reviews
    • 55% will switch providers for online scheduling
    • Expectation: zero-friction, immediate access
    Operational Implications
    • Revenue per employee becomes a critical metric
      • Google: ~$1.2M per employee
      • Apple: $2M+
    • Local practices must increase efficiency through:
      • AI agents
      • Automation
      • Reduced friction in scheduling and communication
    AI Inside the Business
    • Teams should operate with “their own AI army”
    • Specialized agents outperform general use
    • Common use cases:
      • Review mining for positioning
      • Content creation workflows
      • Patient communication optimization
    • Impact:
      • 20+ hours saved per month per team member
      • 91% report direct revenue increases from AI use
    A Key Strategic Insight
    • AI surfaces the most relevant provider, not the most visible one
    Introducing: Wealthy Momentum
    • A new show built for:
      • Real-time thinking
      • Faster feedback loops
      • Deeper operator-level discussions
    • Format:
      • Monthly episodes (first Friday)
      • One topic, explored in depth
    • Focus:
      • What is changing
      • What should not change
      • How to execute now
    What Comes Next
    • First episode topic:
      “What Changes and What Does Not”
    • Ongoing themes:
      • AI adoption and risk
      • Efficiency and leverage
      • Strategy vs execution
      • Business model evolution
    Final Takeaway

    What comes next requires a different pace, different structure, and a higher standard of thinking.


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    41 m
  • Sean Barnard on Intentional Retention: The Essential Guide to Human Resources for Leaders

    Sean Barnard on Intentional Retention: The Essential Guide to Human Resources for Leaders
    Mar 6 2026

    Building a great practice requires more than strong clinical skills. It requires leadership that people want to follow.

    In this encore episode of The Burleson Box, Dustin Burleson sits down with leadership expert and author Sean Barnard to discuss the principles behind intentional retention. Sean shares lessons learned from decades of experience leading large teams across multiple industries and explains why most organizations lose employees long before anyone submits a resignation.

    The conversation focuses on practical leadership habits that strengthen culture and reduce turnover. Sean explains why retention begins on day one, how early check-ins with new hires build trust, and why core values only matter when they actively guide decisions. Dustin and Sean also discuss empowering frontline team members, improving communication inside growing organizations, and helping leaders stay connected to the people doing the work every day.

    For orthodontists, dentists, and healthcare leaders managing small teams or multi-location practices, this episode offers a thoughtful framework for building a culture where people feel supported, respected, and motivated to stay.

    Key Topics Discussed:

    • Why retention begins during hiring and onboarding
    • The importance of 7-day, 30-day, and 60-day check-ins with new team members
    • How clear and meaningful core values guide difficult decisions
    • Empowering frontline employees to solve problems for patients
    • The leadership habits that strengthen culture and communication
    • Why individual conversations matter more than group meetings or social events
    • Finding the right balance between internal promotions and outside hiring

    Resources Mentioned:

    • Intentional Retention by Sean Barnard
    • Sean Barnard’s website

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    38 m
  • Rebecca Hinds on Your Best Meeting Ever

    Rebecca Hinds on Your Best Meeting Ever
    Feb 6 2026
    In this episode of The Burleson Box, Dr. Dustin Burleson sits down with Rebecca Hinds, PhD, to explore a topic that affects every practice, every business, and every team: the meeting culture you’ve inherited, and the meeting culture you’re choosing to tolerate.Rebecca opens with one of the most memorable details from her book: dysfunctional meetings were once documented as an intentional sabotage tactic during World War II. The point is not to make you paranoid about your calendar. The point is that the behaviors that waste time in meetings are remarkably consistent, and most people do not need convincing that meetings are broken. They already feel it.From there, Rebecca makes the case for a complete shift in how leaders think about meetings. Her premise is that meetings should be treated like products. They are where decisions get made, priorities get set, and culture gets built or broken, yet they are rarely designed with intention. Organizations often obsess over optimizing everything except the mechanism that dictates how work actually moves. When you treat a meeting like a product, you stop scheduling by habit and start designing for the user, the people in the room who are giving you their time, their focus, and their judgment.One of the most practical concepts we cover is “Meeting Doomsday,” a 48-hour calendar reset where recurring meetings get deleted and employees rebuild their calendars from scratch. The power of this approach is psychological. Traditional meeting audits cause people to defend existing meetings because there’s social pressure, guilt, and fear of offending someone. Doomsday creates a clean slate, and what Rebecca finds is that most of the time savings come from redesigning meetings, not only canceling them. Meetings shrink. Attendee lists tighten. Formats become clearer. Small improvements compound fast, and teams stop carrying old meetings forward simply because they’ve always been there.Rebecca also explains why managers suffer the most from unproductive meeting load. Her research shows unproductive meetings have increased since 2019, and managers have experienced the biggest jump. The reason is structural. Meetings are often a symptom of a broken communication system. When people do not know where work lives, where decisions get documented, or how to move projects forward asynchronously, managers end up funneling information upward and distributing clarity downward. They become the human router for dysfunction, and the calendar becomes the penalty.To help leaders respond, Rebecca introduces the concept of meeting minimalism. Great products are minimalist by design, clear, purposeful, and free of clutter. Meetings should follow the same discipline. She encourages leaders to apply minimalism across four dimensions: meeting length, agenda items, attendees, and frequency. Even a small shift, such as running a 25-minute meeting instead of a 30-minute meeting, can force a team to design with intention instead of letting work expand to fill time. She also shares why standing meetings tend to run shorter and can change behavior in the room by reducing territorial dynamics.We also get into a theme that most leaders underestimate: meetings are deeply human. Rebecca talks about the value of injecting delight, moments of joy and surprise, into meetings, especially in a world where so much of work has become mediated by technology. A small unexpected shout-out, a personal story, or a simple ritual can change how people experience collaboration. These touches do not need to be cheesy. They need to be memorable.A major highlight of the episode is Rebecca’s breakdown of agendas. Many leaders assume agendas automatically improve meetings, but her research points to a more honest truth: agendas only work when they’re designed well. Too often, agenda items are recycled, vague, and structured like a laundry list. Rebecca’s favorite fix is deceptively simple. Convert each agenda item into a verb and a noun. That shift forces clarity. It also makes it obvious when an item is complete, which helps meetings end on time and decisions actually land.Finally, we talk measurement. Rebecca explains why meeting metrics are tricky, because people are conditioned to assume meetings are inherently bad, which makes traditional feedback systems unreliable. Her recommendation is ROTI, Return on Time Investment, a simple 0–5 score that helps leaders understand whether the meeting was worth the time. When paired with one follow-up question about how to improve by one point, ROTI becomes a lightweight system for continuous improvement rather than a complaint box.If you lead a practice, run a department, manage a team, or simply want your calendar to stop owning your week, this episode will change the way you think about meetings. You’ll walk away with principles you can apply immediately, without software, without bureaucracy, and without turning your team into meeting accountants.Resources...
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    38 m
  • Travis and Dr. Logan Frederickson on Peak Performance

    Travis and Dr. Logan Frederickson on Peak Performance
    Jan 2 2026

    Most healthcare professionals are trained to sprint.

    Dental school is a sprint. Medical school is a sprint. Residency is a sprint. Early practice ownership often feels like one long push fueled by adrenaline, discipline, and grit. That approach can work for a while. Eventually, it breaks down.

    In this episode of The Burleson Box, Dustin Burleson sits down with Travis Frederickson and Dr. Logan Frederickson to unpack what peak performance actually means for healthcare providers over the long term.

    Travis draws on decades of experience training elite athletes and coaching high-performing professionals. Dr. Logan brings the medical perspective, explaining what happens physiologically and neurologically when stress, sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, and constant mental load remain unchecked.

    Together, they explore why so many dentists and physicians feel successful yet depleted, how energy becomes the real constraint later in a career, and why healthspan matters as much as lifespan. The conversation moves beyond productivity tips and into the deeper work of alignment across physical, mental, emotional, and personal domains.

    This episode challenges the idea that more effort is always the answer and replaces it with a more durable framework for clarity, sustainability, and long-term excellence. If you care about performing well at work without sacrificing your health, relationships, or sense of purpose, this conversation is worth your time.

    Resources Mentioned:

    • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
    • Peak Performance for Healthcare Providers - Now Streaming

    ***

    Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, exclusive study guides, special edition books each quarter, powerpoint and keynote presentations and two tickets to Dustin Burleson's Annual Leadership Retreat.

    http://www.theburlesonbox.com/sign-up

    Stay Up to Date: Sign up for The Burleson Report, our weekly newsletter that is delivered each Sunday with timeless insight for life and private practice. Sign up here:

    http://www.theburlesonreport.com

    Follow Dustin Burleson, DDS, MBA at:

    http://www.burlesonseminars.com


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    1 h y 5 m
  • Jimmy Nicholas on AI, AEO, and the Future of Dental & Orthodontic Marketing

    Jimmy Nicholas on AI, AEO, and the Future of Dental & Orthodontic Marketing
    Dec 5 2025

    In this season-finale episode of The Burleson Box, Dustin Burleson is joined by longtime collaborator and digital marketing pioneer Jimmy Nicholas for a wide-ranging conversation on how artificial intelligence is actively reshaping dentistry and orthodontics.

    Their story goes back more than a decade to the Dan Kennedy GKIC days, a marketer-of-the-year competition, and the early experiments that turned Google into one of Dustin’s top sources of new patients. Now, after selling his agency and sitting out a non-compete, Jimmy returns with a new focus on AI, compliance, automation, and what he calls “simple alignment” across marketing, operations, and team communication.

    This conversation moves well past surface-level AI hype. Dustin and Jimmy unpack what is actually working right now inside real practices, what most doctors still misunderstand, and where real opportunity exists heading into 2026.

    You will hear why Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, may soon matter more than traditional SEO, how AI is changing follow-up systems, phone automation, and patient communication, and why most medical and dental websites are still invisible to large language models. They also discuss the risks that come with careless AI use, including HIPAA violations, hallucinated data, and unreliable financial calculations.

    This episode is essential listening for any practice owner who wants to stay competitive, protect their team’s time, and apply AI with discipline rather than guesswork.

    Resources Mentioned:

    • AI Beta Group (Free Community)
    • Wealthy Entrepreneur Strategy Consultations

    ***

    The Burleson Box is brought to you by OrthoFi:

    Grow More. Worry Less. Simplify Your Practice with OrthoFi.

    Did you know that practices using OrthoFi start more patients and reduce financial barriers without adding complexity to their operations? With OrthoFi, you can simplify the insurance and patient financial process, streamline collections, and free up your team to focus on patient care. OrthoFi combines smart technology with patient-friendly payment solutions to help you start more treatment, improve cash flow, and deliver a better overall experience. Patients love the flexibility. Practices love the results.

    Take advantage of a platform built specifically for orthodontists and dental specialists—helping you manage everything from eligibility verification to automated payment processing in one easy-to-use system. Grow your starts. Increase your efficiency. And reduce the headaches of insurance and collections with OrthoFi.

    Want to learn more? Schedule a demo today and see how OrthoFi can help your practice thrive.

    Click below to learn more:

    OrthoFi.com

    ***

    Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, exclusive study guides, special edition books each quarter, powerpoint and keynote presentations and two tickets to Dustin Burleson's Annual Leadership Retreat.

    http://www.theburlesonbox.com/sign-up

    Stay Up to Date: Sign up for The Burleson Report, our weekly newsletter that is delivered each Sunday with timeless insight for life and private practice. Sign up here:

    http://www.theburlesonreport.com

    Follow Dustin Burleson, DDS, MBA at:

    http://www.burlesonseminars.com


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    1 h y 5 m
  • Jeremiah Sturgill on Boutique SEO, Phone Skills, and Turning Clicks into Starts

    Jeremiah Sturgill on Boutique SEO, Phone Skills, and Turning Clicks into Starts
    Nov 7 2025
    Show NotesGuest: Dr. Jeremiah Sturgill — Founder, Sturgill Orthodontics; Co-founder, Go Unicorn Strategy (concierge SEO/SEM for orthodontists).Learn more: https://gounicornstrategy.comWhy another company? A veteran ads/SEO partner (ex-HGTV/Discovery; managed ~$50k/day in Google Ads for a private client) audited ortho sites and found pretty but underperforming builds. Early tests drove measurable gains in qualified Google referrals; the two formalized a boutique service.Boutique by design: Targeting ~20–30 practices so one point of contact knows your brand, market dynamics, and projects end-to-end.Inside-out marketing: Don’t pour money into ads until the phones, web forms, and team follow-up are dialed in. Track missed calls (goal: zero), record and review, and role-play quarterly.Feedback loop that works: Ads go live → the team tags outcomes (show/start/no-show) → campaigns are adjusted to favor demographics, keywords, and offers that convert in your market.Budget truth: Tiny spends create noise, not signal. Commit to a test period and a budget that can generate statistically useful data; adjust by market competition (it’s a real auction).Brand over commodity: Build a site that sells your culture and trust, not “$500 off aligners.” If your web vibe doesn’t match the in-office experience, trust evaporates.Pricing with confidence: If you deliver Four Seasons-level service, don’t set Motel 6-level fees. You’re not everyone’s cup of tea—and that’s healthy positioning.Language matters: For out-of-network calls, lead with help (“We can file Delta for you… let’s get you scheduled…”) rather than a hard “We’re out of network.”AI on the horizon: Jeremiah is building a practice “master prompt” to capture decisions, SOPs, and red-flag handoffs so teams ask the system before they page the doctor.Practical TakeawaysFix the fundamentals first: Fast phones, fast follow-up, and a brand-true website before buying more traffic.Measure what matters daily: Missed calls, call length outliers, and lead outcomes by source—then tune campaigns accordingly.Fund real tests: Set a market-appropriate budget and time horizon; dabbling hides the truth.Sell the who, not the what: Lead with trust, culture, and clarity; avoid commodity framing.Close the loop with training: Quarterly role-play on the hardest questions your team actually hears.MentionedGo Unicorn Strategy: https://gounicornstrategy.comAcquired podcast (Google series)Scheduling Institute (Jay Geier) — phone excellenceDan Kennedy — back-end sales before better adsCliftonStrengths “WOO” — why trying to win everyone over can hurt decisionsFour Seasons/Ritz-Carlton service standards as a pricing/positioning lensPast related episodes: Dr. Jamie Reynolds; Dr. Ben Fishbein.Subscribe to The Burleson Box wherever you listen. ***The Burleson Box is brought to you by OrthoFi:Grow More. Worry Less. Simplify Your Practice with OrthoFi.Did you know that practices using OrthoFi start more patients and reduce financial barriers without adding complexity to their operations? With OrthoFi, you can simplify the insurance and patient financial process, streamline collections, and free up your team to focus on patient care. OrthoFi combines smart technology with patient-friendly payment solutions to help you start more treatment, improve cash flow, and deliver a better overall experience. Patients love the flexibility. Practices love the results.Take advantage of a platform built specifically for orthodontists and dental specialists—helping you manage everything from eligibility verification to automated payment processing in one easy-to-use system. Grow your starts. Increase your efficiency. And reduce the headaches of insurance and collections with OrthoFi.Want to learn more? Schedule a demo today and see how OrthoFi can help your practice thrive.Click below to learn more:OrthoFi.com*** Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, exclusive study guides, special edition books each quarter, powerpoint and keynote presentations and two tickets to Dustin Burleson's Annual Leadership Retreat.http://www.theburlesonbox.com/sign-up Stay Up to Date: Sign up for The Burleson Report, our weekly newsletter that is delivered each Sunday with timeless insight for life and private practice. Sign up here:http://www.theburlesonreport.com Follow Dustin Burleson, DDS, MBA at:http://www.burlesonseminars.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 h y 4 m
  • Jamie Reynolds on Level the Curve: Data-Driven Practice Management Principles

    Jamie Reynolds on Level the Curve: Data-Driven Practice Management Principles
    Oct 3 2025
    In this episode of The Burleson Box, Dr. Dustin Burleson sits down with Dr. Jamie Reynolds—orthodontist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of OrthoFi and Orthodontic Partners—to explore how data-driven decisions and innovative financial systems are reshaping orthodontics.Jamie shares his expertise on:How OrthoFi was born out of necessity during tough economic times in DetroitWhat $5 billion in real-world orthodontic data reveals about patient behavior, financing, and conversion ratesWhy “same-day convenience” (formerly known as same-day starts) drives patient satisfaction and practice growthHow intelligently flexible financing helps more patients say “yes” without hurting your cashflowThe shift from gut feelings and anecdotal rules of thumb to transparent, data-backed decisions that scaleLessons from building Orthodontic Partners and watching the private equity landscape evolveWhether you’re a solo practitioner trying to increase starts or part of a larger group navigating growth, Jamie’s perspective will challenge the way you think about patient access, affordability, and the systems that run your practice.Resources Mentioned in This Episode:Level the Curve by Oliver Gelles & Jamie Reynolds – A data-driven guide to practice management.OrthoFi – A financial and practice management platform that’s reshaped how orthodontists structure payments and collect revenue.Orthodontic Partners – A doctor-led group committed to preserving clinical excellence while enabling scale.Reynolds Orthodontics – Jamie’s multi-location practice in Michigan, recognized for clinical innovation and patient-centered care.Smiles Change Lives – Nonprofit Jamie supports to expand access to orthodontic care for children from low-income families. Subscribe & Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and subscribe to The Burleson Box on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Your support helps us bring powerful conversations like this to more listeners in healthcare leadership. ***The Burleson Box is brought to you by OrthoFi:Grow More. Worry Less. Simplify Your Practice with OrthoFi.Did you know that practices using OrthoFi start more patients and reduce financial barriers without adding complexity to their operations? With OrthoFi, you can simplify the insurance and patient financial process, streamline collections, and free up your team to focus on patient care. OrthoFi combines smart technology with patient-friendly payment solutions to help you start more treatment, improve cash flow, and deliver a better overall experience. Patients love the flexibility. Practices love the results.Take advantage of a platform built specifically for orthodontists and dental specialists—helping you manage everything from eligibility verification to automated payment processing in one easy-to-use system. Grow your starts. Increase your efficiency. And reduce the headaches of insurance and collections with OrthoFi.Want to learn more? Schedule a demo today and see how OrthoFi can help your practice thrive.Click below to learn more:OrthoFi.com*** Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, exclusive study guides, special edition books each quarter, powerpoint and keynote presentations and two tickets to Dustin Burleson's Annual Leadership Retreat.http://www.theburlesonbox.com/sign-up Stay Up to Date: Sign up for The Burleson Report, our weekly newsletter that is delivered each Sunday with timeless insight for life and private practice. Sign up here:http://www.theburlesonreport.com Follow Dustin Burleson, DDS, MBA at:http://www.burlesonseminars.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 h y 16 m
  • Adam Witty on The Authority Advantage: Building Thought Leadership Focused on Impact Not Ego

    Adam Witty on The Authority Advantage: Building Thought Leadership Focused on Impact Not Ego
    Sep 5 2025
    In this episode of The Burleson Box, Dr. Dustin Burleson sits down with Adam Witty, entrepreneur, publisher, and founder of Advantage Media and Forbes Books, to unpack how authority marketing can transform your practice and your career. Adam shares his expertise on:Why authority—not just advertising—is the ultimate differentiator in crowded marketsHow publishing a book or creating thought leadership content positions you as the go-to expert in your communityThe step-by-step process of building credibility and influence that attracts patients, opportunities, and partnershipsLessons from working with thousands of entrepreneurs, doctors, and business leaders worldwideThe mindset shift required to move from being “just another provider” to a recognized authority in your fieldWhether you’re looking to elevate your brand, attract higher-quality patients, or future-proof your career with lasting credibility, this episode is full of practical strategies you can put into action.Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeBooks & Concepts:The Authority Advantage by Adam Witty and Rusty Shelton – A primer for how to earn trust and become a thought leader.Authority Marketing by Adam Witty and Rusty Shelton – A framework for positioning yourself as a recognized expert.Lead the Field by Earl Nightingale – A classic on personal development and leadership.Influence by Robert Cialdini – Insights into persuasion and the psychology of trust.The Business of Expertise by David C. Baker – How to leverage specialized knowledge to build authority and attract clients.The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – A guide to building systems and escaping the trap of working only in your business.Organizations & Projects:Advantage Media – The publishing company Adam founded to help experts become authors.Forbes Books – A publishing partnership platform for business leaders seeking visibility and credibility.Subscribe & Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and subscribe to The Burleson Box on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Your support helps us bring powerful conversations like this to more listeners in healthcare leadership. ***The Burleson Box is brought to you by OrthoFi:Grow More. Worry Less. Simplify Your Practice with OrthoFi.Did you know that practices using OrthoFi start more patients and reduce financial barriers without adding complexity to their operations? With OrthoFi, you can simplify the insurance and patient financial process, streamline collections, and free up your team to focus on patient care. OrthoFi combines smart technology with patient-friendly payment solutions to help you start more treatment, improve cash flow, and deliver a better overall experience. Patients love the flexibility. Practices love the results.Take advantage of a platform built specifically for orthodontists and dental specialists—helping you manage everything from eligibility verification to automated payment processing in one easy-to-use system. Grow your starts. Increase your efficiency. And reduce the headaches of insurance and collections with OrthoFi.Want to learn more? Schedule a demo today and see how OrthoFi can help your practice thrive.Click below to learn more:OrthoFi.com*** Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, exclusive study guides, special edition books each quarter, powerpoint and keynote presentations and two tickets to Dustin Burleson's Annual Leadership Retreat.http://www.theburlesonbox.com/sign-up Stay Up to Date: Sign up for The Burleson Report, our weekly newsletter that is delivered each Sunday with timeless insight for life and private practice. Sign up here:http://www.theburlesonreport.com Follow Dustin Burleson, DDS, MBA at:http://www.burlesonseminars.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    44 m