Doug Fettig is a CPA and MBA who travels the country inspiring dentists to lead with an abundance mindset, think like a CEO, and plan for the retirement of their dreams. After dropping out of college and spending seven years traveling Europe doing odd jobs from blackjack dealer to encyclopedia salesman, Doug eventually found his way back to school and into accounting. Ten years ago, he transitioned from traditional CPA work to specializing in the dental industry when a retiring partner asked him to take over their dental niche. Since then, Doug has built a reputation for making financial and leadership education entertaining and actionable, speaking at major dental conferences, study clubs, and associations across the country. His unique approach combines practical financial wisdom with mindset transformation, helping dentists overcome the paradox of becoming CEOs without any business or leadership training while building the foundation for long-term wealth and personal fulfillment.

In this episode...

Feeling trapped on a hamster wheel despite clinical success, or struggling to lead a team without any formal business training? Many dentists face the unique paradox of becoming CEOs at 32 without ever learning leadership skills, creating a cycle of stress and reactive management that limits both personal fulfillment and practice potential. What if the key to breaking free isn't just about business systems, but fundamentally shifting how you view challenges, opportunities, and your role as a leader?

According to Doug Fettig, a CPA and mindset coach who specializes in the dental industry, most dentists operate from a scarcity mindset that treats every situation as a zero-sum game, limiting their ability to grow both personally and professionally. Drawing from his own profound loss of his son Parker, Doug demonstrates how choosing abundance over scarcity—celebrating life and helping others rather than becoming resentful—can transform not just your practice but your entire approach to challenges. His practical approach combines simple tools like gratitude and generosity journals with fundamental financial wisdom, emphasizing that building wealth requires starting early with consistent investing in broad market index funds, letting compound returns work their magic over decades.

In this episode of The Marketing32 Show, host Brett Allen interviews Doug Fettig about the critical mindset shifts that separate thriving dentists from those stuck in survival mode. They explore why dentists need leadership training as much as clinical training, discuss practical tools for developing an abundance mindset, and dive deep into retirement planning strategies that leverage the power of compound returns. The conversation covers everything from the importance of vulnerability in growth to why trying to time the stock market fails, while providing actionable steps for both personal development and long-term financial success.