Next Level Executive

I’m constantly asked the question, “How do I build a group dental practice that runs without me?” It’s easier said than done, but a major component of it is to ensure that your team executes on the strategies that you put before them. While there are hundreds of mistakes you can make along the way, there are 4 I see people making most often – and repeatedly. I can all but promise you that you’ll s...

Everyone I’ve worked with has the desire to transition from a Clinician to a CEO for one common reason: they’re burned out on clinical services and they want to focus on strategy. But what exactly is ”strategy?” If you can’t draw the distinction between vision, goals, strategy, tactics and execution, then chances are they all means the same thing in your organization – and they’re surely not. Part...

“Dental Practice Executive Leadership” probably wasn’t one of the courses offered in dental school, but it has become of paramount importance in building and leading a multi-location group practice. I recently hosted my Next Level Executive group in Austin for two very intense days that were 100% devoted to each of them improving their leadership skills and effectiveness as an executive. In short,...

In December of 2025, Park Dental Partners, a doctor-owned and debt funded group of close to 100 practices in Minneapolis, went public. They’re not going to be the last. If you’re leading an emerging group practice, competing with publicly traded DSOs will dramatically change the landscape in every aspect: M&A, recruiting, technology, etc. It is inevitable that several more PE-backed DSOs will...

A few months ago, I dropped an episode on “The Era of the Zombie DSO” where I shared my view on the 50 to 70 PE-backed DSOs that couldn’t get a recap done. Their incompetence is your opportunity, but it’s up to you to get a return on that. If you’re looking to become a better leader of your own practice or group, a lot of that will begin and end with the people you bring into the organization. Tun...

In a world still focused on “10X’ing your business” and “Scale for Sale,” there’s only one problem with all of that: this growth strategy is completely wrong. The reason that it’s only creating chaos for so many of your colleagues is very simple. It’s backwards. If you want to learn the right way to build a group practice…then “push play.” … CHAPTERS: My frustration with our industry A group pract...

I created a component of my Next Level Executive program called “Entrepreneurial Leadership” for a reason: because I truly believe that you and I can create a successful business that is congruent with the lifestyle we want to lead. In short, I believe our business can be a complement to our life – not compete with it. Business ownership is a full-contact sport – even in a healthcare services envi...

Everyone in this audience is a successful clinician and business owner, but each of us has experienced a point of burnout from owning a dental practice. So, if you didn’t already own your business, would you buy it? And if you had it to do all over again, would you become a dentist? Think very hard about your answer… Then “push play” … CHAPTERS: Moore’s Law and the most successful “pivot” in Corpo...

If you’re going to build a group dental practice that isn’t dependent upon you or your clinical skills, then it had better be one that that executes at a high level. If execution equals performance, then why do so many dentists incorrectly think they need to be great at strategy? It may be time we all had “a reality check” about what drives our business and where our focus needs to truly be. Trust...

Everyone loves to talk about “scaling your group dental practice” and “growth strategy” for your practice. Sometimes the most obvious answer is right in front of your face, but most of us fail to question things that are obvious. I have the same 12 months and 365 days in my year that you do in yours, but from a leadership standpoint, my year looks nothing like yours. I simply chose a different sta...

Why do so many successful dentists struggle to become even marginally effective CEOs? To be effective in a leadership role means you have to be able to create greater results through the work of your team, so is it “the team” that’s limiting your progress? Or are you just not being clear in communicating your expectations? If you’re frustrated by a series of underwhelming results, then “push play....

Many early-stage executives wonder whether they’re truly ready to be a leader. We talk about this “transition from Clinician to CEO” as if it were easy. It isn’t. And your mastery of clinical services no longer applies to the other 80% of the business. So how do you actually lead a group practice when you don’t know how to perform the work all of those other roles require? I had to overcome that s...

The late Peter Drucker has a timeless quote that you and I have probably referenced 1,000 times: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” I’ve had enough unique experiences over 25 years to validate the truth in that statement. It does, however, beg the question: “Is it possible to build a business with a strong culture that also produces successful financial results?” You’re about to hear the answe...

Everyone talks about evolving from a clinician to a CEO. And nobody starts a business expecting to fail. However, every single one of us hits a point when our vision collides with reality then we discover the road to success has no pavement and no directional signs. I’ve suffered the same crisis of confidence that many of you have and all of the rest will at some point. This episode is a soul-sear...

To create a successful partnership means you must have the right Associate, but to have the right Associate means you have to recruit the right candidate. So…do you? I learned the hard way what failure looks like in terms of recruiting, and I fear you’re all making the same mistakes I did. If you’ve got doubts about your current Associate or you’re about to start a recruiting process for a new one...

As business owners, we owe it to ourselves to pick our trusted advisory team carefully. One of the areas of greatest opportunity is typically your dental supply company. There’s a chasm between good and great, and it’s measured in much more than just the cost of cotton rolls. For those of you looking to get a better handle on your cost structure or establish a formulary of your own, this is the ep...

Have you ever wondered why it is that after 15 years of ownership only around 2% of dental practices fail, yet industry experts indicate that between 50% to 80% of dental partnerships fail?  The dental practice model is incredibly sound, but the associate partnership model surely isn’t.  I think there are 3 dominant reasons that account for most of those failures.  If you’re looking to avoid the c...

I get more questions about Associate Dentists wanting to become Partners than any other topic.  It doesn’t matter if it’s the structure or a buy-in versus an earn-in or even how to actually bring them into ownership.  These are all mechanical questions that totally fail to address the underlying dilemma: whether or not your Associate is truly prepared to become a good partner.  For that matter, yo...

Practically every Associate at some point wants to become a Partner, and most Founders want their Associate to become a Partner.  But “time served” is for prison sentences – not ownership in a business. The reason most partnerships fail is because the Founder never takes the time to develop their young Associate into the partner they want them to be – let alone the partner they need them to be.  I...

One major difference that separates a great Clinician from a successful CEO is the ability to understand changing market dynamics while living through them.  Timing can, in fact, be the make-or-break factor in your success. In last week’s episode, I said that the “Gold Rush” of those selling their practices ended in 2019 and that we were now a new era of “Fool’s Gold.”  If this is the era of Fool’...

Many Founder dentists have based their growth strategy on “scale for a sale.” If you’re one of them, you’re not going to like this episode. Today’s world of Private Equity-backed DSOs has become a house of cards when it comes to recaps and “second bites of the apple.” For far too many, there is no hope of recap and there is no windfall return to shareholders. Welcome to the world of “the Zombie DS...

S3 E2: Your Biggest Career Risk – I'll Go First Everyone likes to talk about transitioning from Clinician to CEO, but nobody talks about what you actually have to do to make that a reality – let alone be effective in the new role. To become an effective executive of the group or practice you lead means getting comfortable as an agent for change. And the first change that has to happen is in reinve...

Next Level Executive is back — sharper, more focused, and built around the one conversation that almost no one in this space is willing to have with a practice owner who has already made it. If you have built a practice that clears seven figures, runs well as long as you are in it, and leaves you wondering what comes next — this show was made for you. Leadership, ownership, and growth strategy for...

All of us should aspire to own businesses that allow for entrepreneurial freedom when it comes to time, money, relationships and purpose. Ever wonder what that really looks like? I'm joined by two friends from the Executive program who have done just that: Dr. Ben Tolley and Dr. Geoff McIntosh. You're going to love listening to this episode almost as much as I did recording it. Enjoy!

As I'm about to relaunch the podcast, I figured I'd share the episode you've downloaded the most, which is...My Own Personal Journey?! Well, judging by the number of downloads, it actually is. I went back and re-listened to it, and there's actually a lot of good "teaching points" in it, so it's actually worth another listen - or a first listen, if you've never heard it! Here it is...again! Quite a...