The world of orthodontics is rapidly evolving, with new technologies emerging all the time. While many doctors claim to have "digital practices," simply having the latest equipment doesn't automatically translate to a digital practice. A truly digital orthodontic practice requires a fundamental shift in mindset and approach. It's about embracing a new way of thinking and leveraging technology to improve efficiency, customize treatment, and enhance the patient experience. It's crucial to understa...
Jul 01, 2025•43 min
Struggling to keep up with the latest technology in your ortho practice? I get it—it can feel overwhelming. But today, I want to challenge you to think differently. I recently had an interesting conversation with Philippe Salah, the CEO of Dental Monitoring, and let me tell you, these CEOs see the world in a way that many of us don't. That episode is dropping soon but for now, I want to touch on the concept of scaling your practice with technology. Partial adoption of technology can actually hur...
Jun 27, 2025•11 min
I’ve seen firsthand how AI can improve communication and even enhance patient care in my practice. Although it’s making my life easier, I have come to learn that many orthodontists and their teams are still hesitant to fully adopt it. The potential is huge, from creating content to improving communication with patients and managing your practice more effectively. AI can help you and your team be more productive, make fewer mistakes, and work smarter. It is no longer a buzzword but a tool that ca...
Jun 20, 2025•7 min
What if I told you your front desk is quietly costing your practice $500K or more every year? In this Greatest Hits episode, I sat down with Brian Wright, founder of New Patient Group and WrightChat, who has helped some of the biggest names in orthodontics discover a surprising truth. Your greatest marketing investment isn’t pay-per-click... It’s your team . From missed calls to untrained staff, Brian breaks down exactly how these invisible gaps are silently draining your profits and how you can...
Jun 17, 2025•43 min
When was the last time you did something that scared the living daylights out of you? I’m talking about something that pushed you so far out of your comfort zone that you were not even sure you’d succeed. If you’re only focusing on the easy stuff, you’re missing out on what truly changes you. It's not the things you’re already good at that will take you to the next level. It’s those audacious goals that scare the hell out of you. In today’s episode, I’m encouraging you to take on something that ...
Jun 13, 2025•7 min
Tired of constantly feeling short-staffed in your orthodontic practice? In today’s episode, I'm joined by Dr. Dino Watt, an expert consultant in the orthodontic world and a true advocate for getting your hiring process right. Dino’s approach to hiring is anything but traditional, and as a practice owner, you need to hear this. He’s not just about hiring fast; he’s about hiring smart. He shares the keys to slowing down your hiring process, avoiding bad hires, and ultimately building a team that w...
Jun 10, 2025•42 min
I need to have a little heart-to-heart with you. I know you care about your team. I know you want them to feel appreciated. But that pizza party you threw? That gift card? That holiday spa day? Yeah… it might not be doing what you think it’s doing. In this episode, I’m walking you through the biggest leadership blind spot I see: assuming everyone feels appreciated the same way. They don’t. I’ll show you how love languages can be the secret weapon for truly connecting with your team in a way that...
Jun 06, 2025•7 min
In this Greatest Hits Series episode, I chat with two of the sharpest orthodontic minds I know, Dr. Sean Holliday and Dr. Barry Glaser, to talk about aligners, efficiency, and tech in orthodontics. Sean runs a multi-location juggernaut in Hawaii. Barry’s crushing it with a boutique-style practice in New York. Both have totally different models, but they’ve dialed in workflows that make remote monitoring sing. We dig into what’s working, what’s not, the most common mistakes (yeah, I’ve made some ...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Are you training leaders… or just promoting the least bad option? Let me hit you with something uncomfortable, but real. When someone leaves your practice, do you have the next leader ready? Or do you just look around, panic a little, and say, “Well... Joanne’s not awful. Let’s give her a shot.” In this episode, I’m bringing the heat on a big mistake I see way too often - reactive promotions. We talk a lot about growing our practices, but are we really growing our people? I break down how to kno...
May 30, 2025•8 min
If you’ve been in orthodontics long enough, you’ve heard it all before. Promises of revolutionary gadgets that somehow never quite pan out. Maybe you even tried one or two of those technologies, only to be left disappointed or worse, skeptical of every new "innovation" that follows. So when I tell you I found something different, something so compelling I invested my own money, you know it’s not a claim I make lightly. In this episode, I sit down with Mark Terrill, CEO of OrthodontiCell, to talk...
May 27, 2025•37 min
In this 5-Minute Friday, I’m giving you a simple, no-BS way to boost your case acceptance immediately. And no, it’s not a new script, software, or gadget; it’s doing less. That’s right. Less talking, less explaining, less time in the room. The longer you’re in that room, the lower your numbers go. Why? Because you’re making it harder than it needs to be. Your job is to diagnose, not convince. That’s what your TC is for, so trust them, get out of their way, and stop micromanaging. I’ll walk you t...
May 23, 2025•6 min
In this Greatest Hits Series episode, I sit down with Dr. Scott Law, co-founder of Smile Doctors and a respected thought leader in orthodontics, to talk about the human side of running a billion-dollar OSO. Scott is someone whose leadership and life philosophy have deeply shaped my own approach to business and team culture. He shares the real story behind Smile Doctors, born from humble conversations among peers trying to build something better. Scott opens up about risking his savings, building...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Are you still stuck in the old ways of running your orthodontic practice? Let me tell you, you’re losing money, and you don’t even realize it. In today’s episode, I tackle something that always blows my mind. Why are so many orthodontists still resisting the biggest opportunities to reduce stress, overhead, and make life easier? It’s all about outsourcing and embracing technology. But somehow, so many of you still hold on to outdated practices and team drama. Change can be scary. But we’ve heard...
May 16, 2025•8 min
When you meet Dr. Alyssa Carter, you can’t help but love her enthusiasm for life and her overwhelming positivity. Most of you have met her in CE courses, summits, and other orthodontic meets all over the country. How she manages to do all those CEs is just impressive. She is the most well-traveled orthodontist in North America. But it's not just the travel that sets Alyssa apart. Her commitment to constant learning, improving efficiency, and ensuring the best possible experience for her staff an...
May 13, 2025•53 min
I’m done chasing after orthodontists. That might sound a bit harsh, but if you’ve ever tried organizing a big event, you’ll get it. In this 5-Minute Friday, I’m pulling back the curtain on why the OP Summit is officially done. I will explain how attendance trends are shifting across the board, and why now is the perfect time to step away while we’re still at the top. I get real about the frustrating reality of planning for a crowd that signs up but often doesn’t follow through. But this episode ...
May 09, 2025•9 min
In this episode, I sit down with Dan Davis, Managing Partner at the Thurston Group—a boutique private equity firm specializing in healthcare. Dan shares his interesting journey from Marine Corps infantry officer to finance leader and reveals how private equity can work for healthcare providers like us. We get into the nuts and bolts of private equity - how it works, why it often beats traditional investing, and what makes healthcare such a resilient and lucrative sector. Dan also addresses commo...
May 06, 2025•38 min
I’ve got some big news. After eight amazing years of creating an event that, without a doubt, changed the orthodontic meeting space, I’ve made the decision to call it a wrap. The 2025 Orthopreneurs Summit will be the final one. When I started the OP Summit, I wanted to create an experience that was different from all the other meetings. A place where innovation thrived, and a place where people connected and left with an edge. A place where no one felt all alone. And now, as we approach the last...
May 02, 2025•7 min
Scaling your orthodontic practice doesn't have to mean scaling your stress. Discover how a Stanley Cup champion turned business strategist helps orthodontists grow their practices in a sustainable, low-stress way. In this episode, Joe DiPenta, former NHL champion and EOS implementer, joins me to explain the power of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). Joe shares his journey from aspiring orthodontist to Stanley Cup champion and now business coach, helping organizations scale with simplic...
Apr 29, 2025•52 min
Fresh off the Smile Doctors Annual Doctor Meeting, I had to share what I’ve been hearing and what the facts actually say. There’s a lot of noise out there about OSOs being unsustainable. You've probably heard it too: “It’s all going to collapse once the equity turns happen and the doctors retire.” Well, that’s just not true, and in this 5-minute Friday, I’m telling you why. 7 out of the 10 top-performing practices in the Smile Doctors network are associate-run. Not only are these organizations m...
Apr 25, 2025•10 min
What do luxury hotels and orthodontic practices have in common? Turns out that we share a lot. I’m joined by Zachary Lapidus, Vice President of Luxury Hotel Operations at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. This is the venue of the last ever OP Summit later this year. Zach and his team know a thing or two about delivering unforgettable experiences, and he’s here to share some incredible lessons from the hospitality world that we can all apply to our orthodontic practice. We chat about the staffing chal...
Apr 22, 2025•15 min
In this 5-Minute Friday episode, I’m going to challenge the way you think about retirement. I’ve read hundreds of books, spoken with countless professionals, and I’ve come to one clear conclusion: too many of us are aiming way too low when it comes to building wealth for the future. I’ll walk you through how I’ve structured my own financial world, not just with stocks and bonds but with commercial real estate, private equity, and one of my favorite vehicles: equity inside private equity-backed O...
Apr 18, 2025•13 min
This rerun episode from our Greatest Hits series is all about the exciting field of longevity and biohacking. These areas are often beyond the scope of standard modern medicine for the general population but hold immense potential for those who can access them. Dr. Jeffrey Galvin from the Vitality Medical Wellness Institute joined us to share some health information you’ve probably never heard of before. With board certifications in Emergency Medicine and Obesity Medicine, and experience as a fo...
Apr 15, 2025•1 hr 21 min
You think your practice is crushing it? Cool. But you might be slowly coasting into extinction without even realizing it. I've seen too many orthodontists who built successful practices only to let them slide into irrelevance because they stopped pushing. They stopped learning. They got comfortable. And now they’re watching what they worked so hard for slowly lose value. If you're riding high on a killer practice but haven't attended a meeting, read a book, or implemented a new idea in months - ...
Apr 11, 2025•8 min
When starting a private orthodontic practice during a global pandemic, most people would play it safe. But not Dr. Ashley Kisling. In this Greatest Hits Series episode, she shares how she launched her San Clemente-based startup during COVID-19 without a clear marketing strategy. The thought of spending hours on social media to grow her patient base felt overwhelming. She nonetheless opened social media accounts, as businesses usually do. It didn’t take long for her to start seeing the power of T...
Apr 08, 2025•50 min
Today’s 5-Minute Friday is all about a topic that’s bound to get people talking: private equity. I know it stirs up strong opinions, but stick with me. I am giving the reasons why now could be a really interesting time to at least take a look at what private equity-backed OSOs have to offer. I’ve seen a lot of deals, had boots-on-the-ground experience with Smile Doctors, and watched the five-year investment clock tick away. We’re getting close to another cycle, and if you're paying attention, yo...
Apr 04, 2025•9 min
In this episode of the Greatest Hits Series, I welcomed back the legendary Dr. Ron Roncone to discuss the art and science of creating an ultra-efficient orthodontic practice. Dr. Roncone walks through the origin and evolution of his JSOP (Just Short Of Perfect) system, detailing how he dramatically cut down on appointments, increased production per team member, and maintained clinical excellence. He combined a powerful blend of strategic scheduling, consistent clinical protocols, and staff accou...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr
This episode might ruffle some feathers, and I’m totally okay with that because sometimes you need a little disruption to shake things loose. I’m diving into something I taught before - how to actually live your best life. It's a simple but powerful four-quadrant framework that’ll help you figure out where your time and energy should go. You should be living in the box where you’re doing stuff you love, and you’re great at. But most of you are stuck in boxes full of things you can do but don’t e...
Mar 28, 2025•12 min
What does it take to build and run a billion-dollar orthodontic empire? Jay Hedrick - CEO of Smile Doctors, knows the answer firsthand. I had the honor of having a conversation with Jay, an experienced executive with a wealth of experience in private equity-backed companies. He sheds light on what it's like running a multi-billion-dollar orthodontic organization and the day in the life of a CEO. Among many other interesting insights, Jay dispels the myth that corporate orthodontics is focused so...
Mar 25, 2025•43 min
Are you thinking about hiring an associate? You might want to rethink that decision. Last week, I talked about opening a satellite and why it might be your biggest mistake and in this episode, I’m breaking down why bringing an associate into your orthodontic practice might be another big mistake you can make. I've received countless messages from people who think hiring an associate will automatically reduce their working hours or increase their revenue. The reality is that bringing on an associ...
Mar 21, 2025•9 min
You might be losing as much as half a million dollars on unanswered calls. That’s right. In this Greatest Hits Series episode, I sat down with Scott Hansen - cofounder of OrthoChats and now LeadSigma, who shared ways why your practice may be bleeding revenue without even realizing it. Scott has built and sold tech that revolutionized patient communication. Now, he’s tackling the next big bottleneck: converting leads. His new company, LeadSigma, focuses on automating and improving how orthodontic...
Mar 18, 2025•41 min
