The Savvy Dentist

If you're a practice owner who's always wondered, “how do I build a business so that I can create time freedom in my life”? Then this is an episode you're going to really love. In this episode of The Savvy Dentist Podcast, Dr. Jesse Green is speaking to Dr. Michael Filosi from Fullarton Park Dental in Adelaide. 

Michael has been on quite the journey over the last eight years. He bought a two chair practice, scaled that up to be an eight chair practice, and will soon be upgrading it to a 10 chair practice. In so doing, he's reduced his clinical hours down to zero which has given him immense freedom. 

Michael discusses his journey and explains some of the lessons he's learned along the way. Lessons that are going to be applicable to you if that's the journey you want to go on.

In this episode:

• [3:58] - The original purchase back 9 years ago looked completely different to the efficient practice it is today.
• [8:27] - A wholesale practice purchase, verse, a partnership purchase.
• [11:34] - Having a very clear vision has helped Michael create and grow the business. He shares his tips on how to create that vision, and then how to work ‘hard’ towards achieving the outcome.
• [22:16] - Michael describes in detail the process and learnings from starting with 2 chairs nine years ago … to 8 chairs today.
• [31:04] - Increasing the patient flow meant installing better more efficient communication systems. Michael explains how he did it and how his team embraced the growth of the practice.
• [44:30] - Moving to (almost) zero clinical hours afforded Michael freedom to do the things he loves the most.

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Turning the worst day of your life into your best is no easy feat, but sometimes there is simply no other option. In Brett Connellan’s case, this day included the moment every surfer’s worst nightmare became his reality when he was attacked by a Great White Shark.

In this episode of The Savvy Dentist Podcast Dr. Jesse Green introduces you to Brett Connellan.

The events that saved Brett’s life were not lost on him, and that perspective was needed as he faced a long and challenging road to recovery. With a bleak outlook prescribed to him by doctors, it was evident that Brett’s life as he knew it would never be the same.

These moments in time are pivotal in any person’s life as they often lead to a questioning of purpose and identity. The recovery forced Brett to "climb a new mountain" in his words and develop a different mindset towards resilience.

So how does Brett’s experience with a shark relate to you and your business? Well, press play and be ready to be inspired in ways you could never have thought possible.

• [4:46] - Brett explains the shark attack in chilling detail., right down to the ‘feel’ of shark skin.
• [9:22] - The chaos and the calm from when the rescue began.
• [15:33] - What we can all learn from traumatic events and apply in our own lives daily.
• [26:13] - How to recognise the lucky moments in your everyday life.
• [29:32] - Brett explains his road to recovery and the similarities to running business. Physical vs. Mental.
• [36:01] - The wisest most inspiring words Brett was told during his recovery. “People fail not from aiming too high and missing, but from aiming too low and hitting”
• [46:49] - Facing your biggest fear and turning it into a compelling vision for the future.

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In this solo episode of The Savvy Dentist Podcast, Jesse Green dives deep into a topic that’s rarely discussed but absolutely crucial to practice growth - identity. As dentists and practice owners, how we see ourselves directly shapes how we behave, the decisions we make, and the results we create. Jesse explores why shifting your identity is the key to moving from clinician to business owner, and ultimately scaling your practice.

Whether you’re in the startup phase, growth mode or looking to create leverage and time freedom, this episode offers practical tools to help you evolve your identity to match your aspirations.

In this episode:

• [00:25] Why identity is the “hidden lever” behind practice success
• [01:01] The iceberg model - what’s visible vs what’s beneath
• [02:14] Growth stages of a dental business and how identity must shift at each one
• [03:32] Why retirement is a surprising point of identity crisis for many dentists
• [04:16] The clinician vs business owner identity and why you can’t scale stuck in the former
• [06:12] The “messy middle” - why most dentists struggle to let go of first base
• [07:07] The internal shift that must happen before external success shows up
• [07:56] Practical tools to shift identity
• [10:11] Why your identity must match your vision for your practice

Resources and Links:

Robert Owens' podcast episode How to be Unstoppable

Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn

Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In this episode of the Savvy Dentist Podcast, Jesse Green sits down with Shep Hyken, a world-renowned expert on customer experience and service.

Shep is an award-winning keynote speaker, researcher, and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of eight books, including I’ll Be Back: How to Get Customers to Come Back Again and Again. Shep has worked with some of the world’s most iconic brands - from Disney to Lexus to the Four Seasons - helping them create exceptional experiences that build loyalty.

In this conversation, Shep unpacks the difference between customer satisfaction and loyalty, the role of technology in modern experiences, and how dental practices can borrow strategies from other industries to keep patients coming back again and again.

In this episode:

• [01:13] Why great customer experiences are still so rare and what businesses get wrong
• [05:08] A dental example of how digitisation can improve patient experience
• [06:57] Why so many people avoid calling customer support - and what that means for your practice
• [10:45] Retention vs loyalty: what really makes patients come back
• [13:27] Why satisfaction isn’t enough and how to create an emotional connection with patients
• [15:37] The power of small human touches that create lasting loyalty
• [19:12] Why every team member is an ambassador for the customer experience
• [24:03] The role of technology, AI, and chatbots in creating seamless patient experiences
• [34:28] Shep’s favourite customer experiences and what every dental practice can learn from them.

Links and Resources:

• Shep Hyken Website
• Shep Hyken on LinkedIn
• Shep TV on YouTube
• Shep Hyken on Facebook

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In this solo episode of the Savvy Dentist Podcast, Dr Jesse Green unpacks a crucial but often overlooked topic for practice owners - how to create, grow, and maximise business value in your dental business.

Whether you plan to sell your practice one day or simply want to secure long-term wealth and resilience, building business value goes beyond day-to-day revenue. Jesse explores how to strengthen repeatable, sustainable earnings, manage risk, and ultimately build a dental practice that thrives well into the future.

You’ll discover practical strategies to plug profit leaks, de-risk your income streams, and grow with confidence so you can enjoy greater peace of mind and maximise the return on all the time, energy, and capital you’ve invested.

• [02:00] The two ways practice owners are financially rewarded — income vs asset value
• [03:07] Why repeatable, sustainable earnings are the bedrock of enterprise value
• [05:16] Three revenue levers that compound growth in your practice
• [07:01] The trap of being the primary revenue generator (and how to shift gears)
• [09:42] Why key-person dependent services (like “All-on-4”) can reduce valuation
• [10:52] The importance of managing costs, cash flow, and waste to protect earnings
• [12:28] How predictable growth builds buyer confidence
• [14:44] Managing external vs controllable risks (and the biggest one you must address)
• [16:14] De-risking your practice from single point sensitivities
• [20:41] Why diversifying patient flow is critical for sovereignty in your business.

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In this episode of The Savvy Dentist Podcast, Dr Jesse Green sits down with Andrea Waltz, co-founder of Courage Crafters Inc. and co-author of the best-selling book Go for No! Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There.

For two decades, Andrea has been teaching people in virtually every business and industry how to think and feel differently about failure, rejection, and the word, “no” to achieve their goals and dreams. The “Go for No” strategy has been featured in online and offline magazines and journals including Success Magazine, Inc., Forbes, and many others. Today, "go for no" is a well-known methodology in the world of sales and widely recognised as the singular best program that deals with rejection in business.

Whether you're a practice owner, a clinician, or a team leader this conversation is essential listening. You’ll discover how changing your relationship with “no” can be the key to unlocking business growth and personal freedom.

In this episode:

• [1:00] Why our brains are hardwired to fear rejection
• [3:14] How Andrea and her husband Richard created the “Go for No” philosophy from a pivotal sales moment
• [7:31] The counterintuitive truth - the more “no’s” you hear, the more “yeses” you’ll get
• [8:18] Differentiating personal rejection from professional objections
• [10:57] The hidden danger of pre-judging patients and unintentionally limiting their choices
• [13:41] “Yes is the destination. No is how you get there.”
• [16:50] How to build the confidence to offer comprehensive treatment
• [20:36] Why your tone and delivery matter more than the words you use
• [24:14] Strategies for developing a “go for no” culture across your whole dental team
• [28:37] What to do after the “no”: how to respond and keep the relationship intact
• [32:04] The long game - planting seeds today that lead to “yes” tomorrow.

Links and Resources:

• Go For No website
• NQ Quiz
• Go For No on Twitter 
• Go For No on Facebook 
• Go For No on Instagram
• Go For No on LinkedIn
• Go For No on YouTube
• • Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
  • Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
  • Visit Savvy Dentist website
  
  

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Is your practice always hunting for that next ‘perfect hire’? If so, you might be stuck in the Talent Trap and over-relying on unicorn employees instead of building systems that create consistent, scalable success.

In this solo episode, Dr Jesse Green unpacks why capability, not talent, is the real key to sustainable growth. He explores the hidden costs of talent dependency, the symptoms of an unsystemised practice, and the exact structures you need to elevate average performers into high-performing team members.

Whether you’re constantly retraining staff, micromanaging, or just feeling like your team isn’t quite “getting it,” this episode gives you the tools to shift from stress to structure. You’ll learn how to build a practice that runs smoothly, regardless of who’s on your team.

In This Episode:

• [01:00] What talent dependency looks like in real-world practices
• [02:15] Why you fall to the level of your systems, not rise to your team’s talent
• [02:40] Culture by design: setting standards and values that stick
• [04:30] Accountability systems that keep everyone aligned and focused
• [05:10] Strong systems make average people perform like pros
• [06:45] The hidden danger of micromanagement and how to fix it
• [08:50] Why depth beats dependence—and how to build it.

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

If you’ve ever felt like there’s simply not enough time in the day, this episode is going to change your thinking. Productivity expert, business coach, and author Ari Meisel joins Dr. Jesse Green to explore how entrepreneurs and executives can optimise, automate, and outsource their way to greater efficiency and impact.

Ari is the founder of Less Doing and the author of books like The Replaceable Founder. His work has transformed how leaders manage time, delegate effectively, and scale without burning out. In this conversation, Ari shares the systems, strategies, and mindset shifts that allow high performers to achieve more by doing less, without sacrificing quality or control.

You’ll walk away with practical tools to streamline your workload, create more freedom, and focus only on the things that truly move the needle.

In this episode, Ari and Jesse discuss:

• [03:45] Why “doing less” doesn’t mean underachieving
• [07:12] The decision-making framework to work out the right thing to do
• [11:05] How to identify and eliminate unnecessary tasks
• [14:28] The role of delegation in scaling your business
• [17:52] Common myths about productivity that hold leaders back
• [21:16] The mindset shift from being “irreplaceable” to “replaceable” as a founder
• [30:10] How to start doing less—today—without guilt or fear.

Links and Resources:

• Ari Meisel website
• Less Doing website
• Connect with Ari on LinkedIn

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In this solo episode, Jesse Green unpacks what truly separates the top 1% of dental practice owners from the rest. Drawing on decades of coaching, conversations, and lived experience, he reveals the six internal traits that drive external results.

If you’ve been chasing better KPIs, more profit, or faster growth, this is your reminder that the real breakthroughs start within.

In this episode:

• [03:09] The one inner quality that keeps top owners in the game
• [07:19] A trait more important than talent or intelligence and why it's a non-negotiable for long-term success
• [10:15] The mindset shift that turns stuckness into momentum (and how most owners get it wrong)
• [13:36] Why your success may have more to do with who you're around than what you're doing
• [15:42] The hidden growth habit elite owners practice daily and why surface-level skimming won’t cut it
• [18:14] How the clearest thinkers create unstoppable teams, motivation, and focus.

Resources and Links:

The Man in the Arena by Theodore Roosevelt

Grit by Angela Duckworth

Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn

Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In this episode of The Savvy Dentist Podcast, we’re diving into an incredibly inspiring and practical conversation about how to build the practice of your dreams. Whether you’re just starting or you're looking to take your practice to the next level, today's episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Joining Dr Jesse is returning special guest, Keith Abraham. Keith is a globally recognised thought leader on goal achievement, business growth, and personal leadership. Over the past 25 years, he has worked with more than 1.7 million people across 39 countries, helping them clarify what matters most and craft the strategies to achieve it. Keith is the bestselling author of five books, and his work with major corporations has earned him numerous awards, including the Nevin Award, the highest honour for professional speaking excellence in Australia.

In our conversation, Keith shares his unique framework for unlocking clarity, creating a deep connection with your purpose, and building unstoppable momentum toward your biggest goals. He breaks down the practical steps dentists and practice owners can take to move beyond overwhelm, focus on what truly matters, and create a business and a life they genuinely love. Keith’s approach is not just theory; it’s built on decades of helping business owners turn their visions into reality.

If you’re ready to reignite your passion, get crystal clear on your goals, and take tangible steps toward building the practice, and future you’ve always wanted, this episode is for you. So grab a pen and notebook, because you’ll want to capture every piece of wisdom Keith shares. Let’s dive into this inspiring conversation with Keith Abraham.

In this episode:

• [04:01] The danger of getting caught up in external noise and how to "starve your distractions and feed your focus
• [06:17] Gold Drivers – the 8 core emotions that drive goal achievement
• [08:29] The power of aligning your goals with how you want to feel
• [11:21] Leveraging experts and teams to create business velocity
• [13:46] The four universal desires of business owners and how to achieve them through intentional design
• [15:26] Keith's pivotal story about the origins of his "business of your dreams" framework and the 12 defining questions
• [24:29] The value of coaching, mentorship, and surrounding yourself with the right support structures
• [27:15] The evolution from technician to true business owner
• [30:26] Balancing systemisation with humanised experiences
• [34:00] Creating remarkable patient experiences.

Links & Resources:

• Download Keith's Questions to Build the Business of Your Dreams
• Visit Keith Abraham's website
• Connect with Keith Abraham on LinkedIn
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025