The entrepreneurial journey can be one of the most rewarding paths—or the loneliest—depending on how you walk it. In this episode, David Phelps sits down with longtime friend, keynote speaker, and author Tony Rubleski to explore what it really takes to keep going when motivation fades and progress feels slow. Centered around Tony's new book, Don't Quit: 50 Lessons From the Pages and Stages of Life, this conversation unpacks why discipline, not inspiration, is what carries people through the hardest seasons.

Together, David and Tony talk candidly about reinvention, forgiveness, gratitude, and the unseen struggles behind long-term success. From entrepreneurship myths and burnout to asking for more, following up, and managing regret, this episode is a powerful reminder that freedom is forged by showing up—especially on the days you don't feel like it.

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

1. Ep #569 - Reinventing Dental College Education: The High Point University Model – Dr Kevin Cain & Dr Muhammad Ali Shazib
2. Ep #544 - Leadership Reimagined: Why Human Connection Still Wins – Tony Rubleski

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're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.

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.

Dental education is overdue for disruption, and this episode shows how that disruption is happening and can benefit you.

Dr. Kevin Cain and Dr. Muhammad Ali Shazib reveal how the Workman School of Dental Medicine is training dentists inside real practices, integrating business and clinical judgment from day one, and preparing graduates for ownership and leadership in a rapidly changing profession.

This is a candid look at why the old model is failing and what the future of dentistry demands now.

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

1. Ep #566 - Partnerships, Practice Deals, and Pursuing Adventure – Freedom Through Relationships – Dr. Jose Vicens
2. Ep #564 - The DSO Reckoning – What Every Doctor Needs to Know Before Selling Their Practice – Brannon Moncrief

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're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.

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.

They didn't chase an exit. They designed alignment.

Drs. Ed and Lisa Wentz built successful practices: Ed a 10-practice orthodontic group, and Lisa a highly intentional solo practice. But their transition out of practice required something different. A shared filter grounded in faith, family, and stewardship.

What they reveal isn't a strategy. It's a mindset that protects marriages, teams, and purpose long after the deal closes. This conversation walks through how they navigated selling, honored their teams, and resisted the pressure to follow someone else's timeline.

If you're wondering how to transition without drifting, burning out, or losing alignment, this episode is a guide.

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

1. Ep #566 - Partnerships, Practice Deals, and Pursuing Adventure – Freedom Through Relationships – Dr. Jose Vicens
2. Ep #564 - The DSO Reckoning – What Every Doctor Needs to Know Before Selling Their Practice – Brannon Moncrief

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're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.

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.

Economic Cycles Don't Decide Your Future. Your Strategy Does.

This episode was an internal update to my Freedom Founders community that may be helpful for you. I share how economic, cultural, and generational pressures are reshaping the marketplace, how inflation and debt dynamics are influencing opportunity, and the actions to consider to build a life that isn't just bigger—but better designed.

If you're worried about the economy or unsure what step to take next, this episode will help you see more clearly and act with confidence, not anxiety.

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

1. Ep #566 - Partnerships, Practice Deals, and Pursuing Adventure – Freedom Through Relationships – Dr. Jose Vicens
2. Ep #560 - The End of Cheap Money – 5 Rules To Thrive In The Next Decade – David's Monopodcast

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're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.

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 if the life you want isn't something you retire into—but something you build now? In this conversation with orthodontist and adventurer Dr. Jose Vicens, we explore how he grew multiple thriving practices in Puerto Rico while intentionally carving out space for bold experiences, including a 54-day expedition to the most remote island on earth. Jose reveals how strategic partnerships, disciplined systems, and a commitment to living fully—not someday, but today—allowed him to design a business that supports a meaningful, adventurous, and deeply free life.

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

1. Ep #565 - You Need Discipline and Accountability – The Key To Lasting Freedom – Steven J. Anderson
2. Ep #479 - Achieving Financial Freedom in Dentistry – Dr. David Phelps

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're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.

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.

Most think freedom means doing whatever you want—but real freedom is built on discipline, responsibility, and timeless principles. In this Freedom Week episode, Dr. David Phelps and mentor Steven J. Anderson reveal the foundational habits that shape personal, financial, and generational freedom.

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

1. Ep #564 - The DSO Reckoning – What Every Doctor Needs to Know Before Selling Their Practice – Brannon Moncrief
2. Ep #366 - Lessons From a Boy, His Father, and a Paper Route - Steven Anderson

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're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.

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 think selling to a DSO is still a "no-brainer," this episode will snap you awake. Brannon Moncrief unloads the truth about inflated valuations, duct-tape aggregators masquerading as platforms, and term-sheet fine print sharp enough to slice your future in half. This is a brutally clear roadmap for doctors who want freedom without walking into a trap—and the exact intel you need before signing anything with a dollar sign on it.

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

1. Ep #538 - Scaling Smart: Navigating Growth, Profitability, and Dental Exit Strategies with Jake Conway
2. Ep #499 - You Are More Than a Number – Selling Your Practice and Leaving Dentistry with David Porritt

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're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.

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.

In this deeply personal and faith-centered conversation, the Kellys share how intentional reflection, courageous restructuring, and the Freedom Founders blueprint helped them reclaim all five freedoms: financial, time, relationship, health, and purpose. Their journey reveals how "free for life" isn't a finish line but a transformation—one built on living below your means, aligning your marriage and mission, and choosing freedom over fear every single day.

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

1. Ep #562 - Stop Playing A Rigged Financial Game And Take Back Control Of Your Money – Anthony Faso and Cameron Christiansen
2. Ep #560 – The End of Cheap Money – 5 Rules To Thrive In The Next Decade – David's Monopodcast

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're tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.

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.