Next Level Executive

04/10/2026

Dental school prepares you to treat patients, not run a business.

In this conversation with Jared and Bill, we get into the mindset shift that has to happen if you want to build something sustainable: moving from clinician to CEO.

We talk about:
-Why “trial and error” is getting more expensive
-What really causes partnerships to fall apart
-How to align your growth with the life you actually want
-Making smarter calls on hiring, expansion, and leadership

If you're a practice owner trying to figure out your next move, this is the conversation I wish more people had earlier.

🎧 Watchor listen here:

Dental school teaches you how to be a great clinician—but not how to run a business. In this episode, Jared and Bill sit down with Perrin DesPortes (Next Lev...

04/09/2026

Think “hands-off” leadership is the goal? It might be holding your team back.

In this episode, I break down what’s missing and share practical coaching questions you can start using right away to lead more effectively.

https://thenextlevelexecutive.com/podcast/effective-executive-delegation-and-sowing-the-seeds-of-failure/

04/08/2026

Should the seller stay onboard after a deal closes… or step away?

There are real pros and real risks, and no default right answer.

The key is making a decision on purpose and building your strategy around it.

04/02/2026

In part 2 of this series, I break down the personal inflection points healthcare entrepreneurs face and the decisions that shape who you become along the way.

Grab a pen.

https://thenextlevelexecutive.com/podcast/effective-executive-personal-inflection-points-key-decisions-to-make-part-2/

04/01/2026

Cash buys you time and time leads to better decisions.

If you’re thinking about acquiring a practice, don’t wait until you’re “ready” to start preparing. The earlier you plan, the more options you create.

Check out this podcast for more on how to prepare for growth: https://thenextlevelexecutive.com/podcast/key-insights-into-acquiring-your-next-or-first-practice/

03/31/2026

Appreciate Gary Bird having me on Dental Marketing Theory, always a great conversation.

We dug into what’s really driving dental practice growth right now: how to outpace inflation and improve profitability, and the key metrics that actually matter, from revenue per chair hour to case acceptance and new patient flow.

If you’re thinking about scaling beyond a single practice or tightening up performance, this one’s definitely worth a listen.

https://dentalmarketingtheory.com/podcasts/3-revenue-benchmarks-for-your-dental-office/

03/31/2026

I’ve done a bit of a deep dive into the topic of “decision making” lately. As executives, we are forced to live in the world of making decisions without all of the facts.

Call it “gut feeling” or “instinct” or whatever you want, the fact is that most of us make decisions too quickly without taking the time to think through possibilities, let alone probabilities. When the outcome arrives in our favor, we attribute it to skill. And when it doesn’t, we attribute it to bad luck.

Annie Duke is a retired professional poker player turned corporate consultant…and a compelling author. This book is beyond fantastic. I don’t know how to play poker, but I was able to follow her stories and her insights into the game as to how they relate to real world decisions. She’s obviously highly analytical (which I love…) and she digs deep into “separating the decision from the outcome.”

This is something that every executive should learn from. More importantly, we should all embrace the necessity to improve our decision-making abilities if we expect to improve our outcomes.

03/27/2026

I sat down with Dr. Jason Tanoory after our Executive group workshop with Dr. Andrew Matta to unpack what actually stuck. We cover clinical philosophy, building a real recruiting + development engine, and setting standards you actually live by.

It’s the kind of conversation that forces you to ask: Where am I right now? And where am I actually going?

If you’re serious about growing as a clinician and leader, this one’s worth your time.

https://thenextlevelexecutive.com/podcast/chief-clinical-officer-workshop-key-takeaways-with-dr-jason-tanoory/

03/25/2026

Most people buy a practice and hope for the best. The ones who scale? They master these three things from day one:

1. Cash- Whatever you think you need, double it. Seriously.

2. Your Team- You cannot afford to be an absentee owner post-acquisition. You must plan to show up.

3. Your Target- Never buy a practice just to maintain it. If that's the goal, don't buy it.

03/19/2026

Growth isn’t a straight line, it’s full of pivots, pressure points, and defining decisions.

In this episode, I break down the key professional inflection points healthcare entrepreneurs face and how to navigate them with intention.

Grab a pen. You’ll want to take notes.

https://thenextlevelexecutive.com/podcast/effective-executive-professional-inflection-points-key-decisions-to-make-part-1/

03/17/2026

I’ve listed several books (of both poetry and prose) by the Irish poet, David Whyte, in my “Best of…” quarterly selections, and this one is no different.

“Crossing the Unknown Sea” is a challenge to anyone who has lost their sense of self in their work – and, unfortunately, I would have personally identified with that in my earlier years. Knowing what I know now, I wish I had read this book 15 years earlier.

In the western world, far too many of us allow our identity to be defined by our work, and all too often that’s as passive of a process as the sentence states. David Whyte does a masterful job of challenging our inner creativity through the use of poetry, story telling and all but direct confrontation.

And it’s wonderful.

I’ll share one passage that deals with what he calls Working in a Dynamic of Conditionality:

“I’ll get to my happiness when I’m done with this project. I’ll do what I really want when the kids are through school. I’ll make the change when the house is paid off, when I'm in a better relationship, when I've got this amount of money in the bank, when I'm retired…

You are harvesting your identity in whatever it is you’re dedicating yourself to in the hours of the day. It’s not a passive process to work. You’re shaping an identity. It’s like practicing an instrument for 8-10 hours per day.

You’re becoming incredibly good at whoever you’re practicing at being in the hours of the day. [Ask yourself] by the way I am in my every day, who am I practicing at becoming? Do I actually want to become that person?”

As I’ve said before, David Whyte makes me see the world differently. If you give him a chance, he’ll do the same for you as well.

03/12/2026

In this episode, Dr. Mike Carpenter and Dr. Max Meinerz share how they’ve built successful practices while staying true to the lives they want outside of work.

This conversation is full of wisdom for anyone building something meaningful.

https://thenextlevelexecutive.com/podcast/winning-at-life-and-business-with-dr-michael-carpenter-dr-max-meinerz/