The Dentalpreneur Podcast Archives - Dental Success Institute

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes and the DSI coaching team recap day-one hot seats at the recent Mastermind in October, highlighting difficult conversations, team development, and underused coaching resources. They discuss how recorded training, structured onboarding, and clearer financial reporting can help owners support their teams more effectively. The conversation then turns to two members navigating employee performance and behavior issues that are affecting patient experiences and practice culture.

Through these examples, Mark and the coaches explore how to set specific expectations, document conversations, establish follow-up timelines, and balance empathy with accountability. They also encourage owners to bring possible solutions to coaching calls and recognize how delaying a difficult decision can affect the entire team.

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EPISODE RESOURCES

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes wealth advisor and author Lyndon Davis to discuss why high earners can still struggle to build financial security. Lyndon shares how two major income setbacks and more than $600,000 in personal debt changed his approach to money and shaped his work with medical professionals. Drawing from his book, Air Supply: How to Financially Breathe Easier, he explains how spending habits, delayed gratification, and intentional saving influence long-term wealth.

They also explore his framework for directing money toward everyday expenses, depreciating purchases, appreciating assets, and charitable giving. The conversation closes with a discussion of the tax-planning challenges facing W-2 earners and the importance of planning beyond the next paycheck.

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EPISODE RESOURCES

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes back Dr. Beau Sparkman, a DSI Black Belt coach, to share his journey from a small hometown startup to two thriving dental practices. Beau reflects on a demanding period of relocation, acquisition, and mentoring new associates, including the lessons he learned about expanding too quickly. He explains how team autonomy, clear expectations, and consistent leadership meetings have helped him reduce his clinical schedule while supporting continued growth.

They also discuss coaching associates on patient communication, strengthening culture across locations, and developing leaders within the team. Beau closes by sharing how he’s using AI to build software for dental practices, including tools for social media, reputation management, and insurance verification.

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EPISODE RESOURCES

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes talks with Dr. Addison Killeen about his new book, Simple Rules, Extraordinary Results, and why core values and a clear vision matter to practice success. Addison shares an exercise for creating meaningful values with your team and explains how to turn them into everyday behaviors, from supporting coworkers to delivering a fantastic guest experience.

They also discuss how good intentions can create unhealthy expectations when values aren’t clearly defined. The conversation closes with a vision exercise to help owners decide what they want their business to make possible and build toward their own definition of success.

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EPISODE RESOURCES

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On today’s episode, Gale Northrop, a senior vice president at Fidelity and Dr. Mark Costes’ sister, challenges members at the recent DSI Mastermind in October to rethink what success means as their lives evolve. Drawing from her corporate career and client stories, she explores the gap between achieving financial goals and feeling satisfied with the life those achievements create.

Gale introduces a “success portfolio” spanning personal growth, connection, professional achievement, freedom, purpose, and impact. Through reflection exercises, she encourages members to identify what deserves protection, what they can release, and where they want to invest more time and energy. She also shares how small, intentional shifts can create room for health, relationships, and a meaningful legacy while continuing to build a successful practice.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Kyle Francis of Professional Transition Strategies to discuss how practice owners can evaluate a sale or DSO partnership with their long-term goals in mind. Kyle shares his path into dental transitions and explains why building a larger practice group doesn’t always lead to a better outcome once debt, risk, and management demands are considered.

They explore unsolicited offers, the information gap between buyers and sellers, and how a competitive sale process can strengthen negotiating leverage. Kyle also discusses delayed recapitalizations and what younger dentists should weigh before selling a profitable practice. They close with why EBITDA calculations differ and why the earnings behind an offer matter as much as the headline multiple.

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EPISODE RESOURCES

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes continues his live workshop with a practical look at hiring and onboarding. He explains why asking a new employee to shadow someone for a couple of days rarely prepares them for the job. Mark breaks training into two stages: an introduction to the practice, its people, and its values, followed by training for the specific role.

He shares how clear expectations, capable trainers, and 30, 60, and 90-day benchmarks help new hires see what success looks like and help leaders spot where more support is needed.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Bill Keith draws on a quarter of coaching calls across 23 practices to explore why growing production doesn’t always translate into more cash in the bank. In his presentation from the recent DSI Mastermind in October, he separates compensation for clinical work from the return on practice ownership and examines common leaks in insurance write-offs, collections, and hygiene performance.

Bill explains how reporting methods can distort production numbers and why owners need to review their balance sheet and statement of cash flows alongside the P&L. He also discusses patient financing, cash reserves, debt payments, and the importance of understanding the full cost of collecting revenue. The presentation closes with a look at normalized EBITDA, practice valuation, and planning for a future partnership or exit.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes reconnects with Dr. Taher Dhoon to discuss practice growth, burnout, and finding purpose through teaching. Taher shares how he transformed his practice through systems and overhead control while overlooking signs that his own health needed attention.

They reflect on why taking care of yourself can’t wait until you’ve reached your business goals. Taher also outlines a plan for turning continuing education into action, including preparing the team before a course, assigning responsibilities, and lining up patients so new skills become part of everyday practice.

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On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes reconnects with Dr. Chris Bowman to discuss how better communication helps patients understand and accept recommended care. Chris explains why the conversation should begin with the patient’s goals, followed by a clear explanation of the problems standing in their way.

He shares how photographs, thoughtful questions, and team involvement build trust before the doctor enters the room. They also explore why discussing concerns before the cleaning can keep patients engaged and make treatment recommendations feel like a natural next step.

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EPISODE RESOURCES

2630: The Difficult Conversations Your Team Needs You to Have

2629: Giving Your Money a Purpose Beyond Paying Bills

2628: From Practice Owner to Leader of Leaders

2627: Simple Rules That Shape a Stronger Dental Practice

2626: NEXT – Success Reimagined

2625: What Buyers Know That Practice Owners Often Don’t

2624: Black Belt Level Leadership

2623: 23 Practices. 1 Pattern

2622: The Missing Step Between Learning and Implementing

2621: Why Patients Say No to Treatment They Need