Mind Movers is back — and what a return. Rhona is fresh from maternity leave (and a rather eventful ICU stay) and she's brought a guest who needs little introduction: cosmetic dentist Neelima Patel, known to fans of Married at First Sight UK as the woman who handled an absolute car crash of a match with extraordinary grace. 

This episode covers a lot of ground. From Neelima's route into dentistry and Kailash Solanki's famous mentorship programme at Kiss Dental, to the full, unfiltered story of her time on MAFS — the honeymoon that promised everything, the energy shift that followed, the Hinge bombshell, and the trolling she endured throughout. 

But this isn't just a reality TV debrief. It's a genuinely honest conversation about self-worth, the bruising reality of modern dating, what it means to be a high-achieving woman looking for a partner who matches your pace — and how to come out the other side stronger.

In This Episode

00:00:25 – Rhona's return & introducing Neelima

00:02:05 – Choosing dentistry over medicine

00:03:25 – Finding Kiss Dental & Kailash's mentorship programme

00:05:10 – What makes Kiss Dental unique

00:06:10 – Cosmetic dentistry aesthetics: Manchester vs London

00:10:25 – How Neelima ended up on MAFS

00:11:40 – Going against everyone's advice

00:13:50 – Why she wanted to find love on TV

00:16:30 – The wedding day: what you do (and don't) get to choose

00:20:05 – First impressions of Stephen

00:21:35 – The honeymoon — and the moment things shifted

00:25:35 – Internalising doubt: gaslighting in real time

00:27:05 – The trolling, and trusting her own intuition

00:31:25 – The earnings conversation that changed everything

00:38:25 – His true colours: recognising the venom

00:44:30 – The Hinge incident

00:50:20 – Traumatic, enlightening — or both?

00:53:05 – The modern dating landscape & the male loneliness debate

00:58:10 – Balancing dentistry with a media career

01:01:00 – Mental health pressures in the profession

01:04:10 – What she'd do differently

About Neelima Patel

Neelima Patel is a cosmetic dentist at Kiss Dental in Manchester, working alongside Kailash Solanki after completing his two-year mentorship programme in 2020. She qualified from the University of Sheffield in 2017 and has since built a reputation for high-end cosmetic work in one of the north's most sought-after practices. In 2024, she appeared on Channel 4's Married at First Sight UK.

Most dentists are brilliant clinicians and hopeless with numbers — and Bilal Ahmed has built a career filling exactly that gap. 

A chartered accountant and tax adviser who stumbled into the dental world through his wife's professional circle, Bilal brings a corporate finance sharpness to a profession that's long been underserved by the accounting industry. 

In this episode, Payman and Bilal cover the full financial landscape for dentists: from the quirks of associate contracts and HMRC tax investigations to the thorny arithmetic of Invisalign, the hidden traps in popular tax schemes, and the long game of inheritance tax planning. 

Honest, direct, and refreshingly unafraid to say when something just doesn't work — this one's a must-listen for any dentist who's ever wondered if they're paying more tax than they should.

In This Episode

00:00:50 - Introduction

00:01:05 - Finding dentistry

00:03:05 - Nuances of dental accounting

00:08:35 - Tax investigations

00:19:25 - Good accountant vs great accountant

00:21:05 - Practice valuations and the post-Covid hangover

00:59:00 - Pricing strategy

01:07:05 - Making Tax Digital

01:09:30 - Expensing and entertainment

01:23:00 - Tax avoidance schemes

01:28:25 - Inheritance tax planning

01:34:05 - Last days and legacy

01:36:05 - Being an outlier

About Bilal Ahmed

Bilal Ahmed is a chartered accountant, tax adviser, and business consultant working exclusively with dental professionals. He came to dentistry by accident — through his wife's network — and recognised quickly that dentists were operating in a financial vacuum, using accounts only at tax time rather than as a tool for planning and growth. Drawing on a background in corporate finance, Bilal now helps dentists make sense of their numbers, structure their businesses correctly, and plan for long-term wealth — all while keeping things firmly on the right side of the line.

Nasser Syed is a man who doesn't really do stillness. With a background in oral surgery and conscious sedation, he's pivoted from five clinical days a week to running a growing group of practices, training dentists, and launching a brand new facility hire venture aimed at super associates who'd rather focus on their dentistry than deal with the headaches of practice ownership. 

Joining him is Chez Bright, his PA and right-hand collaborator, who offers a candid view of what it's actually like to work alongside someone whose brain, in her words, is "a minefield." 

Payman talks with them both about building teams, backing yourself, and knowing when to say no — plus the early clinical mistake that still sits with Nasser decades later and the personal losses that have shaped his faith and his drive.

In This Episode

00:01:00 — Practice ownership

00:05:20 — Developing associates

00:09:00 — Picking a lane

00:16:00 — Meeting Chez Bright

00:17:45 — Running projects

00:24:30 — AI and the future of dentistry

00:31:10 — Manchester Sedation Course

00:37:45 — HireADentalSurgery.com

00:52:20 — Branding and virality

00:57:15 — Blackbox thinking

01:04:15 — Clinical communication

01:13:00 — Lowest point

01:15:20 — Faith and loss

01:22:25 — Memorable lecture

01:25:00 — Fantasy dinner party

About Nasser Syed

Nasser Syed is a Liverpool-born dentist with a background in oral surgery and conscious IV sedation, currently working across a growing group of practices in the North West. He founded the Manchester Sedation Course in 2015 — SDC-accredited and open to both beginners and more experienced clinicians — and now runs it alongside his clinical and business commitments. His latest project is HireADentalSurgery.com, a dedicated facility hire model in Hale, Cheshire, offering super associates the equipment and flexibility to treat their own patients without the overheads of practice ownership.

What happens when you turn the microphone on the man who's spent years behind it? In this episode of the NAIL-IT podcast, Rana and Bav get Payman Langroudi — host of Dental Leaders and Clinical Director at Enlighten — firmly in the hot seat. 

It's a wide-ranging, refreshingly candid conversation that moves from the origins of Enlighten and the relentless pursuit of world-class quality to the very real mental health pressures that underpin life in dentistry. 

Payman reflects on leaning into his strengths, trusting his instincts, and why, after 320 episodes, the Dental Leaders podcast has become the thing he's most proud of. 

Find Rana on Instagram at @drranaalfalaki, and on Facebook and LinkedIn as Dr Rana Al-Falaki. Follow Bav on Instagram at @drbav83. You can also follow the NAIL-IT podcast at @nailit_podcast.

In This Episode

00:01:05 — Introductions and the Dental Leaders origin story

00:02:10 — Why Payman started a podcast — and what it's become

00:05:20 — Leaning into strengths, owning your quirks

00:07:00 — Starting Enlighten at 28 and the philosophy of doing one thing brilliantly

00:10:25 — The sacrifices behind world-class quality

00:14:10 — Being number two — and the decision to become the best

00:16:15 — Favourite quote: Oscar Wilde and the art of being yourself

00:20:25 — Identity, self-awareness and shedding the layers

00:21:50 — Dentistry as a kingdom — and why practices are anything but the same

00:23:10 — Mental health in dentistry: burnout, suicide and the stress bucket

00:27:40 — The emotional drain of being "on show" all day

00:30:20 — Kids, careers and the realities of dentistry as a profession

00:35:40 — Knowing yourself before you can lead others

00:36:10 — Intuition as a leadership skill — and how to train it

About Dr Rana Al-Falaki and Dr Bhavin Patel

Dr Rana Al-Falaki is a periodontist and internationally recognised pioneer in the use of lasers in periodontal treatment, having presented her research to audiences from the British Society of Periodontology to the American Academy and European Federation. 

After pushing herself to the point of chronic illness in pursuit of excellence, she channelled that experience into developing the NAIL-IT programme — a performance and leadership system built around optimising energy and helping dental professionals truly thrive. 

Dr Bhavin Patel is a dentist and educator who ran a practice on Wimpole Street for nearly eight years before stepping back to prioritise family life. Together, they host the NAIL-IT podcast — a show dedicated to helping dental professionals live fully, lead better, and laugh more.

Payman chats with Daniel Jones, the Cambridge-educated entrepreneur who's bringing analytical rigour to dental practice management. 

Daniel shares the dramatic health journey that redirected his path from investment banking into healthcare innovation, revealing how a near-miss diagnosis of a life-threatening heart condition shaped his mission. 

The conversation explores the technical challenges of building software that actually talks to the chaotic ecosystem of dental systems, from practice management platforms to lab invoices trapped in PDFs. 

You'll hear about the realities of fundraising, the loneliness of startup life, and why Daniel thinks the best entrepreneurs operate with surprisingly simple rules—even when solving complex problems.`

In This Episode

00:01:05 - What Medfin does

00:03:05 - Associate performance metrics

00:04:00 - Connecting disparate systems

00:04:50 - Single practice viability

00:05:40 - Why dentistry?

00:06:10 - The blood pressure discovery

00:08:20 - Coarctation diagnosis

00:09:05 - Healthcare system chaos

00:10:40 - Economics at Cambridge

00:12:25 - Investment banking to startups

00:15:50 - First startup lessons

00:18:55 - Finding the dental opportunity

00:22:40 - Building the founding team

00:25:15 - Technical architecture challenges

00:29:30 - Onboarding process evolution

00:33:10 - Product development philosophy

00:36:45 - Pricing strategy and models

00:40:20 - Fundraising journey

00:44:35 - Investor relationships

00:48:50 - Multi-practice versus single site

00:52:15 - NHS versus private analytics

00:56:30 - Clinical efficiency debates

01:00:45 - Competition and market positioning

01:04:20 - AI integration plans

01:08:35 - Team building challenges

01:12:50 - Work-life balance realities

01:16:15 - Fantasy dinner party

01:18:40 - Last days and legacy

About Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones is the founder and CEO of Medfin, an analytics platform that helps dental practices and groups optimise their operational and financial performance. A Cambridge economics graduate who moved from investment banking into the startup world, Daniel has built software that connects the fragmented ecosystem of dental practice systems—from practice management platforms to accounting software—giving practice owners the insights they need to improve profitability.

Payman chats with Amber Aplin, who's carved out something genuinely different in the Scottish Borders. From military dentist to biomimetic practice owner, Amber's journey takes in Germany, Iraq, private equity, and ultimately building a practice that puts prevention and patient education at its core.

 She talks candidly about the realities of military life, the loneliness of early practice ownership, and why she now trains therapists and other dentists in minimally invasive techniques. 

There's also a refreshing honesty about perfectionism, work-life balance, and what happens when you stop chasing the next big thing and start appreciating what's already there.

In This Episode

00:00:40 - Military beginnings

00:02:05 - Sandhurst training

00:03:55 - Germany posting

00:06:50 - Iraq deployment

00:09:25 - Leaving the forces

00:10:45 - Moving to Scotland

00:12:30 - Early practice ownership struggles

00:15:20 - Private equity involvement

00:19:10 - Buying the practice back

00:22:15 - Building a biomimetic practice

00:26:40 - Therapist-led model

00:31:20 - Teaching and courses

00:36:45 - Microscope dentistry

00:42:10 - Direct bonding techniques

00:48:25 - Patient communication

00:53:30 - Practice culture

00:58:15 - Work-life balance challenges

01:04:20 - Pascal Magne influence

01:09:40 - Preventive dentistry philosophy

01:15:50 - Social media approach

01:21:35 - Business versus clinical focus

01:26:45 - Blackbox thinking

01:28:50 - Fantasy dinner party

01:30:15 - Last days and legacy

About Amber Aplin

Amber Aplin is a biomimetic dentist and practice owner in the Scottish Borders who served six years as a military dentist, including deployments to Germany and Iraq. She now runs a prevention-focused practice where therapists deliver the majority of patient care, and teaches minimally invasive dentistry techniques to other practitioners.

This week Payman chats with Payvand Menhadji, a newly qualified specialist periodontist who's navigating the delicate balance between clinical excellence and impending motherhood. 

At 30 weeks pregnant, Payvand reflects on her journey from general dentist to specialist—driven by a competitive streak and a love for surgical challenge that emerged during her VT year. 

The conversation weaves through everything from the realities of private practice economics to why she'd rather perfect her surgical skills than chase Instagram fame, touching on mentorship, imposter syndrome, and the art of staying humble when success comes knocking.

In This Episode

00:01:00 - Finishing specialist training whilst pregnant

00:04:20 - Why four days feels necessary

00:05:10 - The moment surgery clicked

00:07:10 - Competitive from birth

00:08:20 - Hospital jobs and surgical confidence

00:11:45 - Decision to specialise

00:14:50 - Choosing between ortho and perio

00:18:30 - Training structure and challenges

00:22:15 - Learning from the best

00:26:40 - Private practice reality

00:30:20 - What patients actually pay

00:34:45 - Imposter syndrome

00:38:20 - Building a reputation

00:42:15 - Surgical complications

00:46:30 - Blackbox thinking

00:51:45 - Treatment planning philosophy

00:56:20 - Working with implantologists

01:00:15 - Referral relationships

01:04:30 - Social media approach

01:08:45 - Learning from Instagram

01:13:35 - Fantasy dinner party

01:15:20 - Last days and legacy

About Payvand Menhadji

Payvand Menhadji is a specialist periodontist who completed her training in September 2024. She works across multiple specialist practices focusing on periodontal surgery and implantology, having developed her surgical interest during VT under the mentorship of implantologist Victor Keyhani.

In this solo episode, Prav Solanki shares a no-nonsense reflection on business, health, family and personal discipline as he looks ahead to 2026.

After a turbulent end to the year involving a family health scare, he talks through the non-negotiables shaping his daily life, from strength and cardio to carving out space for strategy.

But the real centrepiece is business — specifically his Start, Scale, Exit model, which underpins everything he’s building this year. Whether you’re a founder in the trenches or a parent trying to balance your time, there’s something here that hits home.

In This Episode
00:01:00 – Health before everything
00:10:45 – Family illness and perspective
00:20:30 – Training with discipline
00:30:50 – Vegetarianism and protein
00:41:10 – Bloodwork and optimisation
00:51:40 – Start, Scale, Exit explained
01:01:30 – Scaling with team structure
01:12:00 – Coaching, clarity and freedom
01:22:15 – Tactical planning for 2026
01:32:00 – Work-life integration mindset

About Prav Solanki
Prav Solanki is a health-obsessed entrepreneur, performance coach and co-host of Dental Leaders. With multiple successful businesses under his belt, he’s now focused on helping others implement his Start, Scale, Exit model — a framework built on clarity, simplicity, and ruthless prioritisation.

The tables turn this week as Payman hangs out with Laura and Leanna on The Horton Hangout. 

What starts as a chat about the challenges of being interviewed rather than interviewing quickly evolves into something deeper—an honest exploration of ambition, sacrifice, and what it means to build something meaningful whilst trying to hold onto the people you love. 

From managing business partnerships and navigating the tension between legacy and presence, to the surprisingly simple power of just showing up, this conversation touches on the parts of success no one really talks about until they're living through it.

In This Episode

00:01:25 - Hosting versus guesting

00:02:55 - How Laura and Leanna met

00:06:40 - Having it all as ambitious women

00:10:50 - Balancing work travel with family life

00:14:30 - Partnership dynamics and business relationships

00:19:45 - The Enlighten story and business evolution

00:28:15 - Marketing philosophy and brand building

00:35:20 - Working with your best mate

00:41:10 - The reality of business partnerships

00:47:25 - Managing conflict and difficult conversations

00:52:40 - Learning to say no and setting boundaries

00:58:15 - Legacy versus being present

01:03:30 - Parenting and guilt

01:09:45 - The immigrant work ethic

01:16:20 - Competition in dentistry

01:21:35 - Advice for younger dentists

01:25:00 - Meeting strangers from the internet

01:28:20 - Remote teams and South African operations

About Laura Horton & Leanna Best

Laura Horton is a dental hygienist, educator, and founder of multiple dental businesses including Brush, whilst Leanna Best is a treatment coordinator and educator who worked alongside Neil and Fiona Gerrard before launching her own training ventures. 

Together they co-host The Horton Hangout—a podcast that strips away the polish and gets into the real conversations about life, work, and everything in between within the dental world.

This week, Payman chats with Niki Keyhani, a newly qualified specialist prosthodontist who's already built something remarkable. Seven years out from qualification, she's opened a squat practice, completed her specialist training at King's, and somehow managed to do both simultaneously during a pandemic.

 What really stands out isn't just the clinical achievement—it's the way she talks about passion versus ambition, about choosing to do everything at once rather than waiting for the "right time." There's a refreshing honesty here about being underestimated as a young woman in dentistry, about that first complaint that knocked her sideways, and about why true kindness matters more than just going through the motions. 

Whether she's discussing optimal achievement over high achievement or explaining why she'd rather wait for the right person than rush into marriage, Niki brings a perspective that feels both grounded and aspirational.

In This Episode

00:01:15 - Introduction and background

00:01:55 - Passionate versus ambitious

00:03:00 - Sibling dynamics and guidance

00:04:40 - The "wanting it all" approach

00:05:50 - Sacrifice and balance in career building

00:10:00 - Growing up as a dentist's daughter

00:15:00 - Starting a squat practice during COVID

00:21:15 - Opening during the pandemic

00:22:20 - Decision to pursue specialist training

00:24:00 - Neil Nathwani's encouragement to specialise

00:25:30 - Getting into specialist training first try

00:27:45 - Clinical capabilities and full mouth rehabs

00:36:00 - Patient selection red flags

00:37:40 - Blackbox thinking

00:56:15 - Challenges as a woman in dentistry

01:06:15 - Business development mindset

01:07:10 - High achievers versus optimal achievers

01:09:15 - Child of a dentist privilege

01:10:10 - Building the perfect patient journey

01:13:50 - Spanish lessons and tennis

01:15:30 - Best lectures and courses

01:16:50 - Creating a thousand-page prosthodontic textbook

01:21:25 - Fantasy dinner party

01:24:00 - Last days and legacy

About Niki Keyhani

Niki Keyhani is a newly qualified specialist prosthodontist who graduated from King's College London in 2017. She completed her postgraduate diploma at the Eastman and her specialist training at King's whilst simultaneously opening and running her own squat practice from 2020. The daughter of a dentist, she's passionate about prosthodontics, teaching, and breaking down perceptions of what young women in dentistry can achieve.