The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

I’ve seen a lot of innovation in this space over the years—but every once in a while, something comes along that makes you stop and think, “Okay… this actually changes things.” In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Mehdi Peikar —orthodontist, physicist, and one of the most fascinating minds you’ll ever meet—to talk about where orthodontics is heading and what happens when you combine AI, biomechani...

What if I told you your practice could grow to $3M+ without working harder—just by fixing the leaks in your funnel? In this episode of Five Minute Friday , I challenge you to take a hard, honest look at your practice performance. If you’re stuck at $1.6M–$1.9M and grinding four-plus days a week, the problem isn’t effort—it’s efficiency. Somewhere in your marketing, your conversions, your case acce...

🎙️ What if the biggest thing holding you back in your career… is something you’re too afraid to walk away from? I’ve seen it over and over again—orthodontists staying stuck because of time, money, or the fear of starting over. But what if the real key to long-term success isn’t pushing through… it’s knowing when to pivot? In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Dr. John Graham, and we go d...

Unless you've been living under a rock, you must have heard about the recent developments in Artificial Intelligence and its capabilities. But have you tried using it in your orthodontic practice to help with some day-to-day tasks? AI is undoubtedly a huge part of our technological future, and we better learn how to use it. I have used it for writing job posts, responding to patients, creatin...

In this episode, I sit down with Kara Pfister, a speech-language pathologist and certified orofacial myofunctional therapist, to unpack one of the most misunderstood—and underutilized—areas in orthodontics: function. We break down what myofunctional therapy actually is, when you should be referring (and when you shouldn’t), and why working without a team is one of the biggest mistakes you can make...

In this 5 Minute Friday, I’m breaking down the uncomfortable truth: we obsess over the science of brackets and wires, but most orthodontists have no scientific approach to the part of the practice that actually creates growth—how patients move from interest to “yes.” I’ll walk you through the funnel leaks I see everywhere: weak phone conversions, untrained trial closes, TCs who aren’t coached on o...

Most orthodontists think they need a better system, better marketing, or better scripting. What they actually need is clarity. In this episode, I sit down with someone I deeply respect — Dr. Lou Chmura — and we go far beyond brackets, aligners, and production numbers. Lou has decades of clinical experience, but what makes him different is his deliberate, principle-driven thinking about life and pr...

In this Five Minute Friday, I break down one of the most misunderstood conversations in orthodontics: real return on investment and equity value in private equity-backed organizations. After hosting bankers, CPAs, venture capital leaders, real estate experts, and private equity professionals at Vanguard, I walked away with one very clear realization: far too many orthodontists are being modeled at...

Most orthodontists are worried about OSOs, GP competition, or clear aligner companies. But what if the real disruption is AI, automation, staffing shortages, and the fact that our traditional practice model may not survive the next 10–15 years unchanged? In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend and St. Louis orthodontist Dr. Jackie Demko — a third-generation orthodontist, EOS implemente...

In this episode of Five Minute Friday, I’m challenging you to look in the mirror and ask a hard question: Are you truly investing in your professional growth — or are you coasting? After hosting Ortho Vanguard and launching the Make More Money (R4M) meeting, I noticed something powerful: the most successful orthodontists are the ones who keep showing up. They travel. They join groups. They seek me...

Most orthodontists think the only path to freedom is scale. Bigger practice. More chairs. More locations. More production. Dr. Luis Gutierrez proves that’s simply not true. Luis isn’t running a $20M operation. He doesn’t work five days a week. He doesn’t grind 60-hour weeks. Instead, he planted intentional seeds early — paid off nearly $800,000 in student debt aggressively, invested relentlessly i...

In this episode of Five Minute Friday,  I dive deep into one of the most overlooked growth levers in orthodontics: tracking your marketing ROI with precision. After three flat or down years in the industry, many practices are feeling stuck. I challenge you to look inward. Are you truly tracking where patients come from? Are you deploying capital intentionally? Or are you just “doing marketing” wit...

I know this episode may ruffle feathers. That’s okay. If you’ve ever felt skeptical about sleep and airway, overwhelmed by the noise online, or frustrated by sensational claims from bad actors — this conversation is for you. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Anil Rama — neurologist and Stanford-trained sleep medicine physician — to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Not from an orthodonti...

Have you ever really looked at where the money is leaking from your practice? In this 5-Minute Friday, I take a deep dive into one of the biggest problems plaguing orthodontic practices—and it’s happening right inside your TC room. The issue? Case acceptance. You might think you're doing well, but just a 5% improvement in conversion could mean hundreds of thousands in added revenue. Yes, hund...

I’ve seen firsthand how practices double production, retain team members long-term, and charge more than their competitors—not because they bought more ads, but because they built a culture that people want to be part of. In this episode, I sit down with Brian Wright, founder of New Patient Group, serial entrepreneur, and one of the sharpest business minds working in orthodontics today. We go deep...

I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the world’s greatest marketing minds—Gary Vaynerchuk, Todd Brown, Russell Brunson—and let me tell you, the deeper I go, the more I realize how most orthodontists, myself included, haven’t been taught how to market effectively. In this episode of 5 Minute Friday, I walk you through a powerful framework I’ve learned: marketing as a pyramid. At the botto...

🎙️ What if I told you the biggest shift in your practice might start with asking one simple question… “Does your child snore?” In this powerful and deeply personal episode, I’m joined once again by Dr. Shira Tor—an exceptional clinician, practice owner, mom of three, and returning guest with an incredible voice in our community. We talk about the realities of modern orthodontics: the burnout, the...

What if I told you that a $3–4M practice, 3 days a week, with 45 weeks a year off, is not only doable—but might be easier than the "lean and mean" model everyone’s pushing? There’s a growing chorus in orthodontics preaching that the only way to be happy is to stay small, keep overhead low, and see fewer patients. But I’m here to tell you—that’s just one lens, and frankly, it might be bli...

In this episode of The Orthopreneurs Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Ben Samuelson—an orthodontist and co-founder of PDOA (Pediatric Dental & Orthodontic Associates)—who’s quietly built a multi-practice model across Alabama that’s giving OSOs a serious run for their money. We get real about the challenges of growth, retaining top-tier team members, and how building your own collaborative group of...

Running a successful orthodontic practice doesn’t mean you need to control everything. In fact, the more you try to do that, the more you risk losing team members, burning out, and stunting your growth. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how I’ve transformed my management style over the years—and how letting go has made me a better leader, clinician, and business owner. I’ll walk you...

In this episode, I sit down with David King —coach, author of Freedom Mapping, and a guy who’s worked with orthodontists across the country to help them reclaim their clarity, purpose, and peace. And this isn’t some vague “work-life balance” chat. We talk about the actual tools and frameworks that have helped high-performing orthodontists climb out of burnout, reconnect with their families, and re...

Most orthodontists think their biggest money leaks are in fees or overhead. But what if the real problem is sitting right at the top of your funnel—unchecked and unoptimized? In this episode, I walk you through how to dissect your practice’s entire patient funnel heading into 2026. From lead generation to consult conversion to case acceptance, this is your chance to clean house, plug profit holes,...

Meet Dr. Seth Lucas, a successful orthodontist who—after seven years of practice—hit the same wall so many of us do: “Is this all there is?” Rather than open a second practice or partner with pedo, Seth took a wildly different path: he bought into a cookie franchise. Not just any cookie—Crumbl. And now? He co-owns 9 locations in multiple states and has built a second business that brings in seriou...

As I get a bit older, I have taken the role of an "older doc" in the workplace, using my morning meetings to provide words of wisdom, encouragement, and inspiration to the team. This is because, for many of our team members, our workplaces may be the best part of their day or week. They may not be getting support from anyone else. During meetings, take a few minutes to offer advice that...

This week’s episode dives into a topic most of us avoid—but absolutely can’t afford to ignore: wills, trusts, asset protection, and what happens to your family if you don’t plan ahead. My guest is Trevor Kuresa, attorney and founder of Hibiscus Legal, who also happens to be the one I personally trust with all my estate planning. Trevor breaks down the uncomfortable (and sometimes heartbreaking) re...