Let’s be honest—training your team to answer the phones, present treatment, or greet new patients shouldn’t be optional. It’s the foundation of your practice... and one of the biggest make-or-break points for growth.

In this episode, Chase and Ryan dive into how great leadership starts with great onboarding—not just for your team, but for your systems, your culture, and your patients. They talk about how empowering your staff to think like owners instead of order-takers transforms your practice from the inside out.

We cover:

⚓ Why onboarding is the “captain’s wheel” of your dental office
⚓ How front desk phone calls shape patient trust in seconds
⚓ The real reason cruise ships and dental offices have more in common than you think
⚓ Why you need to sell your care—because if you believe in it, you should be able to communicate it
⚓ How to shift your team from “I’m just here for a paycheck” to ownership and buy-in
⚓ And the one small tweak that can instantly boost case acceptance

This episode is for every dentist who’s tired of feeling like they’re the only one rowing the boat—and ready to build a crew that’s aligned, trained, and steering toward the same mission.

🎧 Hit play to listen now. Then forward it to your team lead, your ops manager, that front desk MVP who’s ready to level up—or another dentist you know who needs to hear this.

LINKS:

https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Welcome back + Chase’s airline upgrade hack 😂
• 02:15 – How onboarding is like steering a cruise ship
• 04:30 – Why your front desk experience is your real first impression
• 06:45 – What cruise ships taught us about leadership and delegation
• 09:00 – Empowering team leads to make decisions and own outcomes
• 10:30 – Phone calls that cost you new patients before they even arrive
• 13:00 – Training your team: scripts vs. stewardship
• 15:45 – Sales in dentistry: why it’s not a dirty word
• 17:30 – Case acceptance and the heart of ethical persuasion
• 20:00 – If you believe in your treatment, you should want to close it
• 21:45 – Why your systems reflect what you tolerate
• 23:30 – Teaching your team to anticipate problems and solve them
• 25:00 – Getting buy-in without micromanaging
• 27:00 – Final thoughts: You don’t have to row alone
• 00:00 – Welcome back + Chase’s airline upgrade hack 😂
• 02:15 – How onboarding is like steering a cruise ship
• 04:30 – Why your front desk experience is your real first impression
• 06:45 – What cruise ships taught us about leadership and delegation
• 09:00 – Empowering team leads to make decisions and own outcomes
• 10:30 – Phone calls that cost you new patients before they even arrive
• 13:00 – Training your team: scripts vs. stewardship
• 15:45 – Sales in dentistry: why it’s not a dirty word
• 17:30 – Case acceptance and the heart of ethical persuasion
• 20:00 – If you believe in your treatment, you should want to close it
• 21:45 – Why your systems reflect what you tolerate
• 23:30 – Teaching your team to anticipate problems and solve them
• 25:00 – Getting buy-in without micromanaging
• 27:00 – Final thoughts: You don’t have to row alone

In this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on something real—those moments when life feels heavy, and you feel totally “off.” Even if everything is actually going well on paper.

Ryan opens up about hitting one of the lowest mental points he’s faced in a long time—while still running a thriving dental practice and showing up for his family. Chase shares how easy it is to fall into habits that numb us instead of helping us grow (cereal, anyone?), and how the smallest mindset shifts can bring you back to life.

This isn’t a “tough it out” episode. This is about recognizing when you’re stuck, admitting you need a reset, and actually doing something about it.

We cover:

• What it feels like to be “on” all day and still feel empty
• Why burnout shows up quietly—and how it messes with your habits
• How Ryan reconnected with his purpose through a dusty old manifesto
• The power of one positive interaction (even a single LinkedIn like!)
• Why personal development beats business goals every time
• And the truth: no amount of money or success can fix misalignment
  
  

This episode is for any dentist (or human) who feels like they’re giving their best to everyone else—but forgetting how to take care of themselves.

🎧 Tune in now and hear the exact steps Ryan took to start climbing out—and how you can too.

LINKS:

Connect with us: https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Kicking off with cereal, kids, and motivational podcast dad jokes
• 01:00 – Why our teams often get the best of us—and our families get what’s left
• 02:30 – Coming home exhausted after a long day of dentistry
• 03:30 – The cereal spiral: how snacking became a metaphor for burnout 😂
• 05:00 – Ryan opens up about hitting a mental low point this year
• 06:15 – Realizing how mindset and routine affect your mental health
• 07:30 – Rediscovering a forgotten manifesto and reconnecting with purpose
• 08:45 – The turning point: deleting social apps, reconnecting with a coach
• 10:00 – How one LinkedIn like changed the entire week
• 11:00 – Finding hope again through coaching and new habits
• 12:30 – Why dentistry can leave you feeling like a “loser” if you let it
• 13:30 – “Make the choice”—simple steps to reset when you're in a funk
• 14:30 – Personal development > practice growth
• 16:00 – The truth about money, success, and why hitting goals won’t heal you
• 18:00 – Living in alignment: Ryan’s take on happiness and fulfillment
• 20:30 – Why we compare ourselves and how that breeds guilt/shame
• 22:00 – The money trap: making more but still feeling empty
• 24:00 – What to do when you’re out of integrity with who you want to be

Let’s get real—buying your first dental office (or your next one) is nothing like they teach you in school. There’s no class on how to win over a team who just found out that the doctor they love sold the practice... and you’re now the new boss.

In this episode, we talk about the real, raw, and sometimes hilarious moments that come with buying a practice. From awkward first meetings and team resistance to why chocolates and Hydro Flasks are our secret weapon, we’re breaking down the emotional rollercoaster of acquisitions.

We even go off on a few bunny trails that could help you nail your first or next acquisition—yes, we compare buying a practice to Trump’s election, Elon Musk cleaning house and what we can all learn, and the weird politics of scrubs and phone scripts. 😂

You’ll hear:

• What it’s actually like walking into a brand-new team that didn’t choose to work for you
• How to handle the “he didn’t tell us he was selling” energy from long-time employees
  Funny IV sedation stories that remind us all we’re human (and that YouTube really is a tool)
• Why the phrase “I deserve this” is a major red flag when building team culture
• And how to lead with humility when stepping into someone else’s legacy
  
  

👉 If you’re thinking about buying a practice—or already in the middle of an acquisition—this episode is a must-listen. Learn what works, what doesn’t, and why leading with gratitude always wins.

LINKS: https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Snow in Spokane vs. Arizona heat
• 02:30 – Patient says: “No one learns on my mouth” 😂
• 04:00 – Ryan’s wild IV story + Googling procedures mid-case
• 07:30 – IV tips, tricks, and why Chase struggles with hands
• 10:30 – Sedation cases: wins, fails, and rodeo days
• 13:00 – Trump, Musk, and buying your first practice??
• 14:15 – Walking into a team that didn’t choose you
• 15:40 – Why gifts (and lunch) go a long way with new teams
• 17:00 – “Can we paint the walls?” + unexpected first-day requests
• 18:15 – Phone call battles: marketing problems or mindset problems?
• 20:00 – Team change resistance: “I’ll take the swag, but not the script”
• 22:00 – Cutting costs ≠ being the villain
• 24:00 – Don’t forget: your team didn’t choose you
• 25:00 – What to do when they’d rather quit than adapt
• 27:00 – The real reason patients ask questions (hint: it’s about trust)
• 28:10 – You get what you create—period
• 30:00 – The gratitude test: who says thank you and who bounces
• 31:00 – Serve your team first. Lead by example.

🎧 PS! Don’t forget to share this with a dentist friend who’s about to buy their first practice!