The Dental Marketer

Recent Episodes

1. No Pressure, No Surprises: The Dentist’s Guide to Practice Value | Dr. Sachin Soni | 622

   Aug 27, 2026

   Dr. Sachin Soni, practice owner and dentist mentor, discusses what makes a dentist truly valuable beyond clinical skills or production metrics. He shares his journey from a decade as an associate in a high-need area to relocating and purchasing a practice in Nottingham with his wife Sanjeet, and how a personal tragedy shortly after taking ownership shaped his leadership philosophy. The conversation explores communication as a clinical skill, building trust through 'no pressure, no surprises, no rush,' and how dentists can become assets to their practices through empathy and kindness rather than sales tactics.

2. Dental Cash Flow Lesson: Don’t Let One Employee Own Billing | Dr. Rasheeda Johnson | FF

   Aug 24, 2026

   Dr. Rasheeda Johnson, founder and CEO of Dentcare Now in Fairfax, Virginia, shares a critical business lesson from her practice's early failure: never let one employee control the entire revenue cycle. After discovering delayed claims, missed billing, and broken cash flow despite a busy practice, she and her partner Dr. Dominique rebuilt the business around documented workflows, specialized support, and system-based checks and balances, achieving a 98% collection rate and predictable revenue.

3. Dental Startup or Acquisition: How to Choose Your Ownership Path | Michael Dinsio | 621

   Aug 20, 2026

   Mike Dinsio, a former Bank of America dental division banker and founder of Next Level Consultants, discusses the critical decision between starting a dental practice from scratch versus acquiring an existing one. Drawing from over 400 transactions and startups, Mike breaks down what lenders seek, how loan structures have evolved, and the distinct pros and cons of each ownership path—from cash flow and team dynamics to location, payer mix, and patient expectations. He emphasizes that vision alignment, demographic research, and tight operational systems are essential to success, regardless of which route practitioners choose.

4. Why Practices Stall: Systems, Training, or Staff? | Sandy Pardue | FF

   Aug 17, 2026

   Sandy Pardue, founder of Classic Practice Resources, reflects on a pivotal lesson from her early consulting career: identifying the right problem is not the same as creating lasting change. She shares how practices typically stall due to one or more of three root causes—systems, training, or staff—and explains why misdiagnosing the problem leads to repeated failures, turnover, and frustration. Pardue emphasizes that real progress requires assigning responsibility, training thoroughly, measuring results, and building changes into daily operations rather than simply handing practices solutions.

5. How Wellness Branding Helps Dentists Attract Better Patients | Dr. Kevin Faist | 620

   Aug 13, 2026

   Dr. Kevin Faist, a cosmetic and wellness-focused dentist in Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, California, discusses how positioning a dental practice as a wellness brand rather than a traditional dental office attracts higher-value patients. He shares his psychology background, his painful early lesson with discount promotions, and his innovative two-hour new patient experience that includes sleep screening, digital scanning, AI-assisted education, and psychology-based case presentation to help patients self-identify their treatment needs.

6. Why Discounts Can Fully Derail a Dental Practice | Sadie Stewart | FF

   Aug 10, 2026

   Sadie Stewart, a dental practice consultant from Honolulu, shares how a challenging consulting engagement revealed a deeper lesson about practice ownership. After 10 years consulting on dental practice financials, she worked with an owner struggling with cash flow, only to discover the core issue wasn't systems but the dentist's reluctance to stop discounting services. When she respectfully stepped away from the engagement, it led to an unexpected career pivot into practice transitions and mediation.

7. Relationship-Based Dentistry: Treat the Person, Not the Tooth | Dr. Brett Kessler | 619

   Aug 6, 2026

   Dr. Brett Kessler, former president of the American Dental Association and founder of a fee-for-service dental practice in Denver, discusses how his recovery from addiction fundamentally reshaped his identity, leadership philosophy, and approach to dentistry. He details his relationship-based practice model centered on comprehensive patient discovery sessions rooted in Pankey philosophy—treating the person, not just the tooth—which generated $700,000 in first-year revenue with only 7-10 new patients monthly. Kessler explores how preparation, mindfulness, and authentic connection enabled him to overcome fear across multiple domains: starting a de novo practice, completing five Ironman races, and advocating for systemic change in organized dentistry, including developing a Medicaid dental benefit for 300,000 Colorado adults.

8. From NFL Setbacks to Laser Focus: Control What You Can | Aaron Boone | FF

   Aug 3, 2026

   Aaron Boone, CEO and owner of MVP Mailhouse, shares his philosophy of "control the controllables" through both his professional football career and business journey. He recounts being cut from an NFL Europe roster, only to get a second chance that led to him becoming team captain and leading the league in touchdowns. Boone applies these lessons to his direct mail marketing business, explaining how he resisted the temptation to expand into website design despite significant investment, choosing instead to focus deeply on what MVP Mailhouse does best.

9. Case Acceptance: How Dentists Earn Patient Trust Without Pressure | Dr. Sasha Rutnam | 618

   Jul 30, 2026

   Dr. Sasha Rutnam, a dentist with over 30 years of clinical experience and 25 years of practice ownership in Sydney, discusses why case acceptance hinges primarily on patient communication and trust rather than fees or clinical excellence. She shares practical strategies for building genuine patient relationships, managing anxious patients, and structuring consultations to foster confidence across multiple visits. Rutnam emphasizes that patients remember how dentists made them feel, not the technical quality of their work, and provides actionable tactics for separating clinical advice from financial conversations.

10. The Micromanagement Trap Hurting Your Dental Practice | Nishant Pandit | FF

    Jul 27, 2026

    Nishant Pandit, a dentist and practice owner, shares how micromanagement initially seemed productive but ultimately damaged employee morale and operational performance in his dental practice. He describes his shift from monitoring employees' clock-in times to the minute toward a trust-based approach inspired by Reed Hastings' "No Rules Rules," which led to happier staff, improved accountability, and better results. The episode explores how setting non-negotiables while giving employees autonomy creates a healthier, more efficient practice culture.