The Bloom Effect with Cassie Kellner

"We've always done it this way." It sounds harmless. But in 2026, it might be the most expensive phrase in your practice. In this episode, Cassie gets honest about the quiet belief that is holding more practices back than any staffing issue, any technology gap, or any communication breakdown. The idea that the way you've always done something is still the right way to do it. And what it's actually...

Have you ever looked at someone and thought, “They make it look easy?” This episode reminds us that what we see isn’t always the full story. I’m sitting down with Dr. Farah Kar, aka @the.ortho.queen, and we’re getting real about the grit it takes to keep going, the power of being fully yourself, and what it’s like to rebuild after loss. Farah shares everything from starting over in her career to g...

"They become the single point of failure. And that is an enormous amount of invisible pressure to carry." May is wild. Recitals, field trips, sports, class performances, Teacher Appreciation Week. And the women on your team are showing up through all of it, managing your front desk, building patient relationships, holding your team culture together, all while carrying everything that comes with be...

“We built our systems around the things that have to get done every single day.”  In this grounded and energizing conversation, host Cassie Kellner is joined by Dr. Jorden Mortensen, dentist, entrepreneur, and founder of MintChecklist, to talk about what it really takes to build something that works inside a growing practice. Dr. Mortensen shares his journey from sleeping in his car and an em...

If you’ve ever found yourself fixing things for everyone or feeling like the only one who cares, this episode explains why that dynamic shows up and how to change it. Cassie sits down with Certified Life and Relationship Coach Christine Brondyke to explore the Drama Triangle, a powerful lens for understanding conflict and communication breakdowns in orthodontic teams. You’ll learn how the Hero, Vi...

"A bad system will break every great person in your practice. Every single time." In this solo episode, Cassie talks about one of the most frustrating patterns in orthodontic practices: losing great people and not understanding why. After 22 years in the industry, she shares what she sees over and over again. It’s not a people problem. It’s a systems problem. This episode walks through what’s real...

“Indirect bonding is a hurdle you have to clear to get the benefit of custom.” In this candid and thought-provoking conversation, host Cassie Kellner sits down with Dr. Brandon Owen, an orthodontist, innovator, and founder of KLOwen Braces, to talk about why orthodontics is overdue for change. Dr. Owen shares the frustration that led him to build a custom braces system designed to reduce stress, e...

“It's only embarrassing until you're famous.” In this real and energizing conversation, host Cassie Kellner sits down with Dr. Sable Staller, an orthodontist at Eastside Orthodontics in New York City, to talk about what it looks like to build your voice before you feel fully ready. Dr. Staller shares her journey from small-town Indiana to practicing orthodontics in Manhattan, and how posting on Ti...

“Busy teams are often compensating for broken systems.” In this honest and practical conversation, host Cassie Kellner sits down with Mandy Madeline, Champion of Practice Transformation and founder of Bite Sized Solutions, to talk about what is really happening inside busy dental practices and why effort alone is rarely the issue. Mandy shares her journey from chairside dentistry into operations a...

“Pain is your body’s way of telling you something needs to change.” In this candid and eye-opening conversation, host Cassie Kellner sits down with Stephanie Botts, BS, RDH, CEAS, founder of Polished Posture, to talk about a topic that quietly affects nearly every orthodontic and dental team: ergonomics, pain, and the long-term cost of pushing through. Stephanie shares her personal journey as a cl...

"Your word of the year only works if your team actually uses it." In this first solo episode of 2026, Cassie talks about why most words of the year start with excitement and quietly disappear by spring, and what to do differently if you want real change. This episode is about slowing down, reflecting honestly on the year you just lived, and choosing a shared word that helps your team make better d...

"Reactive leadership always, 100% of the time, leads to resentment." In this final solo episode of the year, Cassie gets honest about a pattern she sees again and again in orthodontic practices — leaders who feel exhausted, frustrated, and quietly resentful of the very business they worked so hard to build. This conversation is about what happens when clarity is missing, systems fall behind growth...

“Discomfort is the tuition for growth.” In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, host Cassie Kellner sits down with Dr. Melanie Wang, DDS, MSD, to explore what she calls her “midlife practice season” — the chapter where clarity deepens, courage expands, and life experience becomes your greatest leadership tool. Melanie shares what it has meant to grow a practice while raising three...

“There’s a moment when everything shifts — when you realize you’re allowed to choose what serves you and let go of what doesn’t.” In this honest and grounded conversation, host Cassie Kellner reconnects with longtime friend and former lead assistant Janna Nelson, now an integration specialist with Ulab. Janna shares her two-decade journey in dentistry — from becoming a young mom and finding her wa...

“You can create your own reality if you want it… you just have to reset your priorities to understand what’s authentic to you.” In this moving and deeply real episode, host Cassie Kellner reconnects with longtime friend and former colleague R. Baker Rawlins II, DMD, MS, for a conversation that spans more than a decade of growth, trust, and transformation. From their early days working side by side...

“You don’t have to cancel friendships. You can work it out if both people want to solve it.” In this heartfelt and unfiltered episode, host Cassie Kellner sits down with lifelong friend Devin Lombardi for a conversation 40 years in the making. From kindergarten to motherhood, trauma to therapy, and everything in between, Cassie and Devin open up about what it really takes to sustain a friendship t...

“You’re not aging, you’re maturing. And that means becoming more of something, not less.” In this inspiring reunion episode, host Cassie Kellner welcomes back her longtime friend and collaborator, Lindsay Quinn, founder of Heartwise Collective. From their early days side by side in a high-standard San Diego ortho practice to building their own thriving companies, Cassie and Lindsay share the lesso...

“You’re never going to know unless you just do it.” In this lively and heartwarming episode, host Cassie Kellner sits down with her niece, Jillian Locvich, to talk about growth, grit, and what it really means to show up. From starting her career in the middle of the pandemic to leading a thriving ortho team by 25, Jillian shares how curiosity, consistency, and coachability helped her break the mol...

“Gratitude changes everything. It turns what we have into enough.” In this heartfelt solo episode, host Cassie Kellner takes a pause from the usual leadership conversations to reflect on gratitude — the unseen force that fuels connection, culture, and growth. With November marking her birthday month and a season of thankfulness, Cassie shares personal stories, lessons, and gentle reminders about t...

“It's a miracle we're here.” For Dr. Emily Taing Watson, orthodontics is more than a career — it’s a reflection of resilience, gratitude, and legacy. The proud daughter of Cambodian refugees who survived the Khmer Rouge regime, Dr. Watson’s journey is rooted in the lessons of strength, sacrifice, and faith passed down from her parents. In this heartfelt episode, Dr. Watson opens up about her new b...

“If you’re doing your best to your ability, then you’ve done enough.” For Julie Varney, dental assisting is more than a career — it’s a calling. With over 30 years of experience, she’s worn nearly every hat in the profession, from chairside assistant to educator and mentor. Today, she continues to inspire the next generation through teaching and advocacy, and her platform, Dental Assistants Rock,...

“Growth breaks things, and that’s how we learn to rebuild better.” For Dr. Jeff Kwong, leadership didn’t start with a title. From his early days in Toronto to running a thriving practice in Sacramento, Dr. Kwong has always been guided by curiosity, structure, and heart. As he steps into his new role as President of the California Association of Orthodontists, he’s reflecting on what it really mean...

“Orthodontics isn’t an individual sport, it’s a team sport. You can’t build lasting growth without trust.” For Dr. Sean Holliday and Brianna Fuentes, what started in a makeshift laundry-room office turned into four thriving practices, a leadership partnership built on trust, and eventually OrthoMasterClass, an education platform shaping orthodontic teams worldwide. In this episode, Dr. Sean Hollid...

“Your brand is how people feel when they interact with you, inside and outside the practice.” For Brenda Ashwell, what started with grassroots contests and referral slips has grown into three decades of shaping culture-driven experiences in orthodontics. From co-founding Patient Rewards Hub to leading growth and success at Culturello, Brenda has seen how brand, culture, and consistency fuel long-t...

“You have to show up as yourself in leadership. Support carries more weight than power.” What looks like a straight path often starts with an unexpected turn. For Kristin Lennarson, seven years behind the chair as a hairstylist led her into orthodontics — a field she’s been part of for nearly a decade. In this episode, Kristin shares her journey from chairside assistant to head lab tech to clinica...