Let’s be honest—if you’ve ever built a business, you’ve likely felt the pull of just one more thing. Just one more late night. One more patient. One more office. In this solo episode, I’m laying it all out: what led me to the edge of burnout, what I’ve learned about healthy limits, and why I’m drawing a line in the sand when it comes to how I lead and live from now on.

This episode isn’t about whining. It’s about waking up. I’ve been running at 100 miles an hour, trying to be everything to everyone, and convincing myself I could do it all. But even dentists who “look like they have it together” hit a wall. And when you do, it doesn’t mean you failed—it means it’s time to build differently.

I talk about the cost of ignoring boundaries, what true partnership looks like (in marriage and business), and how to own your “average” seasons without shame. You’ll also hear why I’m not afraid to change direction, even if it means disappointing a few people in the process.

This one’s real. This one’s raw. And if you’ve ever felt the tension between ambition and actual life, I think it’ll hit home.

LINKS:

https://www.thedentistsshow.com

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 00:00 – Why Ryan is doing this solo episode
• 01:40 – When you hit your capacity and keep going anyway
• 04:25 – The personal cost of saying yes too much
• 06:32 – Burnout isn’t about being weak—it’s about not resting
• 08:55 – How Ryan learned to redefine success in this season
• 11:30 – The hardest part about slowing down
• 13:44 – What real growth looks like after the hustle
• 16:05 – Boundaries, bottlenecks, and the blessing of simplicity
• 19:21 – Final thoughts for any dentist trying to do it all

In this episode, Chase puts Ryan in the hot seat to break down the emotional rollercoaster of launching their latest dental startup. From unpredictable days to unexpected wins, this is the raw debrief most practice owners never share out loud.

Starting a new dental office is rarely what you think it’s going to be. Chase takes on the role of interviewer in this week’s episode, asking Ryan to reflect honestly on the chaos, confusion, and surprises of their newest startup.

Ryan opens up about how disjointed the first few weeks felt—even with strong hiring and good systems in place. The hardest part? Leading through the fog. When your team is looking to you for direction and you don’t yet have clarity yourself, it’s a gut-check moment.

They discuss team dynamics, emotional stress, communication breakdowns, and the temptation to avoid hard conversations. Ryan shares how “looking like you have it together” isn’t the same as actually leading, and what it takes to find your rhythm mid-mess. If you're planning a startup or recovering from one, this conversation is both validating and eye-opening.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Chase’s opening question: “What surprised you most about this startup?”
• The emotional tension of unclear direction during the first month
• How a few misaligned hires can create ripple effects across the office
• Ryan’s honest take: “I didn’t show up the way I needed to”
• The danger of avoiding hard conversations when things feel fragile
• Learning how to lead when you don’t have all the answers yet

👉 Want the real story behind the startup glow-up?

Hit play to hear Chase and Ryan pull back the curtain on what those first 90 days really looked like.

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:00 – Intro: This startup hit different
• 2:10 – Chase: “What did we think would happen... and what actually happened?”
• 4:05 – The first two weeks: chaos, burnout, and doubt
• 6:50 – “I wasn’t the leader I wanted to be”
• 9:15 – When your team feels the tension, but no one says anything
• 12:00 – Missed expectations, no-shows, and schedule gaps
• 14:35 – “We built the house while living in it—and lit it on fire”
• 16:45 – Learning to give grace while still setting standards
• 19:30 – What we’re changing for the next startup
• 22:00 – Final thoughts: You’re not alone in the mess

Quarterly numbers are in… but the real question isn’t what the spreadsheets say—it’s whether your practice actually grew. In this raw and real episode, Chase and Ryan unpack the wins, losses, and loops from Q2 and challenge you to stop repeating the same cycle and finally move the needle.

In this no-fluff, behind-the-scenes episode, Chase and Ryan reflect on Q2's performance across their dental practices. Spoiler: it wasn’t all sunshine and profit margins. From an explosive April to a painful May and a “meh” June, they break down the highs, lows, and what they’ve learned (and didn’t fix) this quarter.

The duo gets honest about the reality of dental leadership: identifying problems is easy—but solving them? That’s the hard part most owners avoid. They share why many dentists are stuck in repeat loops, the sneaky comfort of chaos, and how some offices are quietly crushing goals while others struggle to grow.

You'll hear insights on team culture, case acceptance training, margins, and their controversial idea to cut underperforming insurance plans. And yes, they somehow tie it all together with a custom Nike shoe contest, awkward dad jokes, and a team-wide David Goggins-inspired Q3 rally cry.

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Why recognizing problems isn’t the same as resolving them
• Q2 breakdown: strong April, brutal May, flat June—and what caused it
• How case acceptance training is starting to pay off (and where it still needs work)
• The risks (and rewards) of dropping poor-paying insurance plans
• New Q3 theme: Action. No Excuses.
• How to lead your team out of the repeat loop and into performance-driven culture

👉 Ready to dive deeper?

Hit play now and join us for the full conversation. Let’s break the cycle and make Q3 the turning point.

LINKS:

https://www.thedentistsshow.com/

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:00 – Welcome & weather banter from AZ to WA
• 1:30 – Hayden, Idaho isn’t as “free” as they thought
• 2:15 – Q2 recap begins: did we really grow?
• 4:45 – Brutal May: High payroll + low collections
• 6:30 – June: A recovery or just treading water?
• 7:45 – Rising case acceptance—why it matters
• 10:00 – The treatment planning course that's shifting momentum
• 11:45 – What “mid” hygiene numbers reveal about patient retention
• 13:00 – Chandler chaos vs. Cave Creek calm
• 14:45 – Should we drop insurances? (The real math behind it)
• 16:30 – Growth vs. repetition: What kind of leader are you?
• 19:00 – Defining a winning Q3 and the 40% case acceptance goal
• 23:30 – The Nike shoe challenge: competition as culture fuel
• 26:30 – Replacing repeating staff with growing leaders
• 28:00 – Dad jokes, icebreakers & book ideas (yes, seriously)
• 30:00 – Q3 theme: Action. No Excuses.
• 32:00 – Closing thoughts & CTA to reflect on your own Q2