What sets John apart is his ability to cut through complexity. In this conversation, we break down the biggest mistakes sellers make before a transition, why leadership—not clinical skill—is the true multiplier in today’s market, and how younger doctors can thrive despite heavy debt and limited reps coming out of school. If you’re a dentist who wants clarity about the future, and a blueprint for building freedom on your terms, this episode is a must-listen.

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #549 – Lessons on Ownership, Mindset & Money For Practice Owners and New Dental Grads – Mike Abernathy
2. Ep #548 - The Evolving Dental Industry: The Future of Private Practice – Steve Parker

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

You’ll hear why profits follow ownership, not employment, how to balance competence with confidence, and why common sense—not the status quo—should drive your business decisions. Whether you’re fresh out of school or approaching the finish line, this episode is your blueprint for building a practice and life that serves you, not the other way around.

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #548 – The Evolving Dental Industry: The Future of Private Practice – Steve Parker
2. Ep #466 - Pursuing Freedom in a Dynamic & Fast-Changing World (Part 1) – Dr. Mike Abernathy

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

Whether you're a fresh dental grad wondering if ownership is worth it, or a seasoned doc questioning your next move, Steve's insights will help you reframe your mindset around profitability, leadership, and long-term sustainability. This isn’t about “grinding harder”—it’s about building smarter, staying profitable, and maintaining clarity on what success truly means. Private practice isn't just surviving—it’s adapting. And it may be stronger than ever.

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #547 – The Lost Art of Restoring Trust, Resolving Conflict, and Emotional Intelligence - Greg Stephens
2. Ep #283 - Coming Back Stronger - Steve Parker

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

If you’ve ever avoided conflict or struggled to express yourself in high-stakes conversations, this episode is your wake-up call. Greg Stephens, executive coach, author, and founder of Alignment Resources, joins David to discuss why so many leaders unknowingly limit their influence, connection, and freedom—because they’ve never been taught how to have the right conversations. Greg believes that conflict isn’t a threat—it’s the doorway to transformation.

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #544 – Tony Rubleski - Leadership Reimagined: Why Human Connection Still Wins
2. Ep #540 - Dr. Jerry Gray - Break Free From the Hamster Wheel By Redefining Leadership, Coaching and Legacy

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

Many dentists are great producers—but still struggle to understand why their bank accounts don’t reflect that success. This week, David welcomes back Barb Stackhouse, a former dental hygienist turned Profit First coach, who helps practice owners finally bridge the gap between production and real profit. In this episode, Barb reveals how one report, 10 minutes a week, and a mindset shift can give dentists total financial control—without needing to become accountants.

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #545 - Mike Michalowicz – Profitable Systems, Money Habits & Entrepreneurial Freedom
2. Ep #352 - Barbara Stackhouse – Eliminate Stress and Increase Time with a Profit First System for Freedom

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

Joining us today is bestselling author, Mike Michalowicz, to tell us about his upcoming, and most personal book yet, The Money Habit. Mike shares how past failures led him to rethink profitability,  and expounds on the “four-week vacation test” from Clockwork, and how most entrepreneurs mistakenly equate growth with success, and how to break through the marketing noise by doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing!

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #535 - Mark Drager – Reinventing Business and Brand Strategy From Collapse to Clarity
2. Ep #519 - JM Ryerson – Leadership that Creates Growth, Profit and Results

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

What does it truly mean to lead in an era of rapid change and uncertainty? Today we're joined by Tony Rubleski, leadership strategist and author of Trailblazers, to explore real leadership and inspiring others to take action, especially when the world is filled with confusion and distractions. Tony shares that successful leaders must be willing to be misunderstood, even by those closest to them, and talks about what it means to be a true entrepreneurial trailblazer.

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #540 - Dr. Jerry Gray: – Break Free From the Hamster Wheel By Redefining Leadership, Coaching and Legacy
2. Ep #535 - Mark Drager – Reinventing Business and Brand Strategy From Collapse to Clarity
3. Ep #519 - JM Ryerson – Leadership that Creates Growth, Profit and Results

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

Does your dental practice or business bring you joy? Dr. Robert "Cree" Hamilton is an orthodontist whose journey spans a small-town upbringing, a career in the Air Force, and a dental practice in Las Vegas. His story embodies the principles of intentional design and purpose-driven leadership. Cree shares his insights on bringing an associate into the dental practice, and the need for transparency and alignment of vision— including two powerful daily questions to clear the air and avoid hidden resentment. Give it a listen!

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #539 - Dr. Matt VanderMolen: – Building People First: Creating a High-Performance Dental Practice and Business
2. Ep #538 - Jake Conway – Scaling Smart: Navigating Growth, Profitability, and Dental Exit Strategies

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

After 30 years running a solo dental practice with no breaks, no vacations, and no exit in sight, Dr. John and Joy Russo decided to do things differently. In this episode, they share how they transitioned from burnout and uncertainty to true time and financial freedom—without giving up clinical autonomy. Discover what they did differently that opened the door to passive income, alternative investing, and a lifestyle they once thought was out of reach. Their only regret? Not starting sooner.

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #539 - Dr. Matt VanderMolen: – Building People First: Creating a High-Performance Dental Practice and Business
2. Ep #538 - Jake Conway – Scaling Smart: Navigating Growth, Profitability, and Dental Exit Strategies

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

Joining us today is Dr. Chris Phelps, dentist, entrepreneur, and CEO of the Cialdini Institute. We explore the evolution from clinical practice to scalable, self-managing businesses. Chris shares how his first entrepreneurial breakthrough came from simplifying dense dental school material into condensed study guides—eventually monetizing his problem-solving ability. Listen in to gain powerful takeaways on using behavioral psychology to drive team performance and patient commitment, the transformative power of Kolbe assessments for building high-functioning teams, and how marketing strategy must begin with clarity around the ideal avatar.

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

1. Ep #539 - Dr. Matt VanderMolen: – Building People First: Creating a High-Performance Dental Practice and Business
2. Ep #538 - Jake Conway – Scaling Smart: Navigating Growth, Profitability, and Dental Exit Strategies

Check out the show notes for more information!

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):

1. Schedule a Call with My Team:

If you’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:

The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.

3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:

Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.