In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher welcomes back Dr. Martin Mendelson for a powerful second conversation—one that dives deep into mindset, leadership, and the thoughts that quietly shape our lives and practices.

Dr. Mendelson, a dentist-turned-coach and author of One Move Makes All the Difference, breaks down why happiness leads to success (not the other way around), how the space between stimulus and response determines our outcomes, and why teams thrive when psychological safety and accountability coexist.

This episode blends neuroscience, emotional intelligence, real-world leadership tools, and humor—offering practical frameworks clinicians and teams can apply immediately.

If you've ever felt stuck reacting instead of responding, or sensed your team could be healthier, calmer, and more aligned—this conversation is for you.

• Why happiness is the driver of success—not the reward

• The TEAM framework: Thoughts → Emotions → Actions → Results

• Responding vs. reacting under stress

• The power of the pause between stimulus and response

• Creating psychological safety and accountability within teams

• Preventing "jumping to catastrophe" in leadership and communication

• Why mindset work is essential for sustainable growth in dentistry

• Insights from Martin's new book One Move Makes All the Difference

✔ Mindset always precedes outcomes ✔ Small pauses can create massive change ✔ Strong cultures are built intentionally, not accidentally ✔ Leadership begins between your ears

Dr. Martin Mendelson is a speaker, certified coach, and author of One Move Makes All the Difference: How to Find Your Power and Transform Your Life. With experience spanning clinical dentistry, education, emotional intelligence, and happiness studies, Martin helps individuals and teams get out of their own way and lead with clarity, intention, and purpose.

🔗 Website: martinmendelson.com 📘 Book: One Move Makes All the Difference (available wherever books are sold)

Greg Essenmacher is the founder of GnA Consult and host of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, where he explores the business, leadership, and human side of dentistry—helping teams improve patient experience, case acceptance, and long-term sustainability.

In this powerful episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher sits down with cosmetic dentist and educator Dr. Farokh Jiveh for a deeply honest conversation about personal transformation, leadership, and what truly drives patient connection and case acceptance.

Dr. J shares his journey from outward success and inner burnout to alignment, clarity, and purpose—and how that shift changed everything from how he leads his team to how patients experience care.

This episode goes far beyond techniques and procedures. It's about presence, energy, listening, and why dentistry is ultimately a human experience before it's ever a clinical one.

If you've ever felt successful on paper but disconnected in practice—or wondered why some teams and doctors thrive while others struggle—this conversation will resonate.

• The hidden cost of comfort and "success on paper"

• Why leadership always starts with self-leadership

• How inner chaos shows up in your practice and your team

• The difference between fixing patients and truly listening to them

• Why patients will tell you their treatment plan—if you're present

• Alignment, energy, and their impact on case acceptance

• Letting go of ego, control, and attachment to outcomes

• Dentistry as a feeling-based, human-centered experience

✔ You can't lead others until you learn to lead yourself ✔ Case acceptance improves when patients feel heard, not sold ✔ Alignment creates trust—for teams and patients alike ✔ Dentistry isn't just about what you do; it's about how you show up

Dr. Farokh Jiveh is a cosmetic dentist, educator, and founder of Palm Beach Dental Academy. Known for his immersive, one-on-one mentoring approach, Dr. J teaches dentists how to master cosmetic dentistry while emphasizing presence, leadership, and authentic patient connection.

His teaching philosophy focuses on helping clinicians shorten their learning curve—not just clinically, but personally—so they can practice with confidence, clarity, and alignment.

🔗 Learn more: PalmBeachDentalAcademy.com

In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher sits down with Gabriel Hofmann, CEO of ConsultHaus and longtime leader in the dental and health services industries, for a deep conversation on human capital, culture, and the mindset required to build organizations that truly last.

Gabriel brings more than 20 years of experience leading high-performance teams, and in this episode, he breaks down why people—not products, not processes—are the true engine of growth. From hiring and retention to leadership habits and organizational alignment, Gabriel shares the real frameworks he uses to help companies scale with intention.

Inside this episode:

• Why human capital is the most overlooked competitive advantage • The habits strong leaders build—and the ones struggling leaders avoid • How clarity, communication, and culture anchor organizational growth • Hiring philosophies that actually create long-term retention • Why accountability and empathy must coexist inside every team • The shifts companies must make to stay competitive in a changing workforce • How Gabriel helps organizations operationalize strategy through people, systems, and leadership development

Gabriel also opens up about the lessons he's learned coaching executives, the impact of trust on team performance, and why investing in people is the smartest strategy any business can make.

🎧 TTS-144 Human Capital – w/ Gabriel Hofmann Listen to learn how human-centered leadership, intentional hiring, and clear communication can transform the future of your organization.

Connect with Gabriel: consult.haus | LinkedIn: Gabriel Hofmann

#ToothSleuth #DentalLeadership #HumanCapital #OrganizationalDevelopment #PeopleFirstLeadership #PracticeGrowth #TeamCulture #GnAConsult

In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher sits down with Leah Roling, culture strategist, leadership coach, and founder of The Habit Hackers, for a conversation that goes deep into the mindset, clarity, and intentional habits that shape high-performing teams.

They unpack the real drivers of culture—beyond slogans, beyond surface-level motivation—and explore how self-leadership, emotional awareness, and aligned decision-making create workplaces where people can thrive. Leah brings a grounded, practical perspective on what it takes to lead well in a fast-paced, ever-shifting dental landscape.

Inside this episode: • Why culture is not what you say—it's what you consistently do • How habits, patterns, and emotional triggers shape team performance • The difference between managing chaos and leading with clarity • Strategies for building trust, accountability, and alignment across the practice • Why leaders must learn to "audit themselves" before auditing their teams • How simple frameworks can replace overwhelm with intentional action

Leah also shares how she helps teams break unproductive cycles, create environments of psychological safety, and build cultures rooted in ownership, clarity, and purpose.

🎧 Listen to TTS-143 — Culture Strategist Leah Roling to discover how intentional leadership and habit-driven culture can transform not just your team, but the way you show up every day.

Connect with Leah: leahroling.com | LinkedIn: Leah Roling

#ToothSleuth #DentalLeadership #PracticeCulture #HabitHacking #LeadershipDevelopment #GrowthMindset #GnAConsult

In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg sits down with Ian Miller—entrepreneur, apparel expert, and GTM operator—to explore the unexpected overlap between men's fashion and building a market strategy that actually works. What starts as a conversation about fit, fabric, and confidence quickly shifts into a masterclass on positioning, clarity, and the discipline behind a clean go-to-market motion.

They open with a story about Ian's early days in apparel—learning the difference between style and identity—and move into a candid discussion on momentum, leadership, and why most GTM problems are really communication problems.

Together, Greg and Ian unpack:

From Apparel to GTM: How understanding fit, form, and function in clothing gave Ian the foundation to build customer-centric strategies that scale.

Building a Repeatable Motion: Ian's framework for removing noise, simplifying decisions, and creating a go-to-market engine teams can actually execute on.

Confidence as a Business Tool: The psychology of dressing well and how presence, clarity, and intention translate directly into sales, leadership, and patient experience.

When to Pivot (and When to Double Down): Lessons from apparel manufacturing that taught Ian how to manage risk, read early signals, and course-correct before it's expensive.

Ian's story blends creativity with operational insight, showing how the same principles that define a great wardrobe—fit, coherence, and consistency—are the ones behind every successful GTM strategy. Through his journey across fashion, entrepreneurship, and systems thinking, he demonstrates that style isn't superficial; it's a strategic lens that shapes how teams move, sell, and lead.

👉 Tune in now to learn how to sharpen your GTM motion, build trust through clarity, and use presence as a competitive advantage.

#ToothSleuth #GTMStrategy #PatientExperience #GnAConsult #Leadership #BrandAlignment #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher sits down with Addison Freeman, founder of Incisive. We explore how Inicisive helps dental practices modernize in a way that truly improves workflows, team efficiency, and patient outcomes.

🎧 Listen to TTS-141 Dentistry from Diapers – Addison Freeman to hear how purpose, mentorship, and early engagement can shape a stronger future for the dental profession.

Connect with Addison: | Website: Incisive.com | LinkedIn: Addison Freeman

#ToothSleuth #FutureOfDentistry #DentalMentorship #CareerPathways #DentalCommunity #LeadershipInDentistry #GnAConsult

In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher sits down with Janet Hagerman—hygienist, speaker, consultant, and author—to explore the philosophy, communication frameworks, and leadership mindset that elevate the hygiene experience for both patients and dental teams.

Janet shares her decades of experience helping practices strengthen their hygiene departments, enhance case acceptance through trust-driven communication, and build a patient experience grounded in clarity, empathy, and education.

• The core principles behind a strong hygiene philosophy

• Why communication—not scripting—is the foundation of patient trust

• How hygienists can elevate their influence within the practice

• The connection between confidence, clarity, and case acceptance

• Practical strategies to help teams present treatment with purpose and integrity

• Why patient education is more than instruction—it's partnership

Janet also breaks down how leaders can empower hygienists, improve intra-office collaboration, and create a culture where the patient experience consistently reflects the practice's values.

🎧 Listen to TTS-140 Hygiene Philosophy – Janet Hagerman to learn how intentional communication, empowered teams, and a clear hygiene vision can drive meaningful, sustainable growth in your practice.

Connect with Janet: janethagerman.com | LinkedIn: Janet Hagerman

#ToothSleuth #DentalLeadership #HygieneExcellence #CaseAcceptance #PatientExperience #PracticeGrowth #GnAConsult

In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher sits down with Thomas Passalacqua—speaker, consultant, and dental operations expert—to talk about what it truly takes to level up in leadership, systems, and patient experience inside the modern dental practice.

Thomas shares the lessons he's learned working with dental teams across the country, breaking down why clarity, alignment, and accountability are non-negotiables for practices that want to grow with intention. His insights are grounded, practical, and built for teams ready to elevate how they serve.

Inside this episode:

• The mindset shift every leader needs to scale sustainably

• Why operational clarity drives both patient trust and team performance

• How to simplify systems so teams can execute with confidence

• The role of teaching, coaching, and real-time feedback in creating lasting change

• Why leveling up starts with owning your gaps—and building the habits to close them

Thomas also shares powerful takeaways on culture, communication, and the difference between managing tasks and leading people. If you're looking to upgrade your processes and your leadership, this is the episode to queue up.

🎧 Listen to TTS-139 Level Up w/ Thomas Passalacqua and learn how intentional structure, clear standards, and meaningful connection can transform your practice.

Connect with Thomas: Website: [add link] | Instagram: [add link] | LinkedIn: Thomas Passalacqua

#ToothSleuth #DentalLeadership #PracticeGrowth #LevelUp #OperationalExcellence #PatientExperience #AuthenticLeadership #GnAConsult

In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher sits down with DeVon Banks, CEO of DTEK Billing and Claims, to talk about the systems, culture, and collaboration that drive success in dentistry.

They dive into how DeVon built her company from a one-person operation to a trusted partner for dental teams across the country—and why trust, transparency, and people-first leadership matter more than ever.

Inside this episode:

• The mindset behind scaling a business with purpose

• Why authentic leadership starts with listening

• The role of systems in creating trust and consistency

• How DTEK helps dental offices protect revenue and simplify operations

• What it means to lead with empathy in a technology-driven world

DeVon also shares her insights on working alongside dental professionals, empowering teams through education, and the importance of mentorship for women in business.

🎧 TTS- 138 Service Every Day- DeVon Banks to learn how processes, purpose, and people can build a thriving foundation for growth.

Connect with DeVon: dtekbilling.com | LinkedIn: DeVon Banks

#ToothSleuth #DentalLeadership #PracticeGrowth #RevenueCycleManagement #WomenInDentistry #AuthenticLeadership #GnAConsult

In this episode of The Tooth Sleuth Podcast, Greg Essenmacher sits down with Al Kushner—award-winning author and LinkedIn growth strategist—to talk about the biggest mistake professionals make on LinkedIn: pitch-slapping.

They explore how to replace salesy outreach with authentic connection and how AI can support your personal brand without losing your human touch.

Inside this episode:

• The #1 LinkedIn mistake and how to avoid it

• How AI can enhance your voice (instead of replacing it)

• Optimizing your profile for credibility and trust

• Why quality content beats quantity every time

Al also shares insight from his book, The AI LinkedIn Advantage, and how professionals can leverage AI to grow authentically—one connection at a time.

🎧 Tune in to TTS-137 Don't Pitch Slap – Al Kushner to learn how to turn LinkedIn into a place for education, trust, and genuine growth.

Connect with Al: linkvantage.com | The AI LinkedIn Advantage available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible & Spotify

#ToothSleuth #LinkedInStrategy #PersonalBrand #AIinDentistry #AuthenticGrowth #GnAConsult