Description:

Leadership isn’t just about strategy. It’s about clarity, confidence, and the ability to navigate uncertainty. In this episode, Dr. Aditi Agarwal sits down with Executive Coach Thomas Passalacqua, Ascend Professional Pathways, LLC to discuss what it really takes to grow as a leader in today’s fast-evolving dental landscape.

Thomas shares how executive coaching helps dentists and business leaders move beyond surface-level tactics and address the internal challenges that often hold them back. From overcoming doubt and decision paralysis to building stronger self-awareness, this conversation dives into the personal side of leadership that directly impacts business growth.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, uncertain about your next move, or ready to step into a bigger leadership role, this episode will give you a fresh perspective on how to move forward with clarity and confidence.

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

01:10 – Thomas Passalacqua’s journey from being a teacher to executive coach

04:50 – What executive coaching really is (and how it’s different from consulting)

06:05 – Common challenges leaders face when stepping into bigger roles

08:10 – The emotional side of leadership and why it matters

11:57 – The cost of doing nothing: how to know if coaching is right for you

13:47 – Real breakthroughs: what happens when clients discover their own solutions

15:07 – Strategies leaders can use to move through fear and make confident decisions

18:07 – What the coaching actually looks like and how fast you can see results

21:14 – Overcoming resistance and breaking through self-inflicted barriers

24:48 – How to connect with Thomas and access the exclusive listener offer

About the Speaker

Thomas Passalacqua is a certified Executive Coach who specializes in customized professional & leadership development. With a master’s in education, Thomas started his career as a founding teacher in New York City. He then transitioned into dental manufacturing sales, where he was an award-winning consultant who trained and mentored other sales professionals. Transitioning again, Thomas was the director of business development for a growing dental group practice in the Northeast where he led sales and marketing for mergers & acquisitions. In his executive coaching and professional training platform, Ascend Professional Pathways LLC, he enables various industry leaders to gain clarity and improve their business leadership skills. His clients are empowered to reach the next level in their businesses and careers by overcoming doubts, fears, and uncertainty and making strategic decisions to better align with their goals.

Exclusive Listener Offer

Podcast listeners receive 5% off on any Executive Coaching program with Thomas Passalacqua. If you’re looking to gain clarity, strengthen your leadership, and make more confident decisions in your business or career, this is a great opportunity to take the next step.

Don’t miss it, this is a limited offer!

Running a successful dental practice requires more than great clinical skills. Leadership, systems, and strategy are what ultimately determine whether a practice grows or becomes overwhelming. In this episode, Dr. Aditi Agarwal sits down with Dr. Rehan Shahid, a practicing dentist, entrepreneur, and co-CEO of a multi-practice dental group, to discuss how dentists can transition from day-to-day operators into confident CEOs. Dr. Rehan shares the mindset shifts, systems, and leadership strategies that helped him scale multiple practices while avoiding the burnout that many practice owners experience. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the daily grind of dentistry, this conversation will challenge how you think about growth, delegation, and building a practice that runs beyond you.

About the Speaker

Dr. Rehan Shahid is a practicing dentist, entrepreneur, and co-CEO of a multi-practice dental group. He is the founder of Practice Success Academy, where he helps dentists buy back their time and scale their practice through transitioning from being day-to-day operators into confident CEOs by building strong leadership, scalable systems, and data-driven accountability. Drawing from real-world experience leading multiple offices, Dr. Rehan is passionate about helping dentists create profitable, predictable practices that thrive without owner burnout.

Exclusive Listener Offer

Podcast listeners are invited to a complimentary 30-minute CEO Strategy Call where we’ll review leadership structure, key performance metrics, and the primary bottleneck preventing their practice from scaling. The goal is to provide clarity and actionable next steps, whether or not we work together.

Don’t miss it, this is a limited offer! If you found this podcast helpful,

👍 Like the video

💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway or 2026 goal

🔔 Subscribe to the Practice Pulse Podcast for more real, practical conversations on modern dentistry

In this episode, we sit down with Dina Lynch Eisenberg, JD, EMBA, CEO and Founder of Talkola, to unpack a problem many dental practices feel but rarely name: shadow friction.

Dina brings over 30 years of experience as a mediator, organizational ombuds, and former healthcare attorney, having resolved more than 6,000 workplace conflicts for organizations like Bank of America, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Coca-Cola, and Twitter. Now, through Talkola, she’s helping leaders use science-backed AI to practice difficult conversations before tension quietly erodes culture, performance, and profitability.

Together, we explore:

→ What “shadow friction” looks like inside dental practices, even when things seem “mostly fine”

→ Why dentists struggle with hard conversations and what really happens when issues are avoided

→ How unspoken tension impacts patient experience, front-desk flow, hygiene schedules, and team morale

→ The real financial cost of unresolved conflict, from turnover to lost production → Dina’s FACTS framework for navigating tough conversations without HR training or a psychology degree

→ Why practicing difficult conversations builds confidence and transforms leadership effectiveness

🎁 Bonus for listeners: Dina is offering her Preamble Guide, a practical resource to help dentists start difficult conversations clearly and confidently.

Reach out to Dina directly to receive it. Contact Dina on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dina.eisenberg

This episode is a must-listen for dentists who want stronger teams, better communication, and a healthier practice culture without burnout or drama.