“When You Lose the Job, You Find the Calling” — Allison Norris on Turning Setback into Startup

Cut The Tie | Success on Your Terms

Cut The Tie Podcast with Thomas Helfrich
Episode 277

When Allison Norris had her paycheck pulled without warning and was tossed aside by a startup she helped build, she hit a wall—hard. Depression, doubt, and disillusionment followed. But in the rubble of burnout and betrayal, she made a decision: I’m going to build something of my own. In this episode of Cut The Tie, Thomas Helfrich sits down with the founder of The Dentele Group to talk about what it means to bet on yourself when nobody else will.

Allison’s story is a real and raw account of navigating failure, reclaiming confidence, and breaking away from traditional career expectations. From dental hygienist to founder of a growing recruiting agency and AI-powered hiring platform, Allison shows that the worst moments in your career can spark the best chapters of your life.

About Allison Norris:

Allison is the founder of The Dentele Group, a non-clinical recruiting agency transforming how dental professionals connect with opportunities. A former hygienist who left clinical care behind, Allison has since built a business—and a soon-to-launch hiring app—that prioritizes values alignment, authenticity, and smarter tech. With a no-BS approach, she’s helping reshape how hiring works in the dental world and beyond.

In this episode, Thomas and Allison discuss:

• From fired to founder: Allison’s turning point
  After being blindsided by a startup, Allison faced depression and doubt before deciding to build her own company.
• Cutting the tie to old beliefs
  Allison shares how she had to let go of the idea that failure equals worthlessness—and instead learned to fail forward.
• Family pressure vs. personal purpose
  The tension of choosing entrepreneurship over tradition, especially when your parents don’t get it.
• Launching a values-first recruiting agency
  Why Allison prioritizes authenticity, alignment, and integrity in all her client and candidate relationships.
• The hiring app that could change the dental industry
  From Calendly to background checks, Allison’s AI-driven app simplifies and centralizes everything hiring managers need.

Key Takeaways:

• Betting on yourself changes everything
  Your future shouldn’t be dictated by someone else’s rulebook.
• Failure doesn’t mean you’re not enough
  It’s redirection, not disqualification.
• You don’t need permission to be a founder
  If you’re not meant to build someone else’s dream, build your own.
• Charge for your value, not your time
  Your brain is worth more than a free “pick your brain” call.
• The dream you’re chasing might be the one you never saw coming
  Let go of what you “should” do—and find what you’re meant to build.
  

Connect with Allison Norris:

💼 LinkedIn: Allison Norris
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: thedentelegroup.com

Connect with Thomas Helfrich:

🐦 Twitter: @thelfrich
📘 Facebook: Cut The Tie Group
💼 LinkedIn: Thomas Helfrich
🌐 Website: cutthetie.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
🚀 instantlyrelevant.com

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Chapters

1. Meet Allison Norris (00:00:00)

2. From Hygienist to Entrepreneur (00:02:14)

3. Cutting the Tie of Self-Doubt (00:05:26)

4. Finding Your Own Path (00:08:49)

5. The Value of Resilience (00:12:34)

6. Future Vision with AI Solutions (00:16:01)