In this episode of Dental Business Made Simple, I sit down with Dr. Chris Phelps to explore what it takes to scale a dental practice while managing increasing complexity. This conversation takes a walk through Dr. Phelps’ journey from operating multiple practices to building systems that support growth, with a focus on leadership, self-awareness, and making strategic decisions that create long-term capacity.

Together, we dig into how coaching, mentorship, and behavioral science helped reshape his approach to leadership and decision-making. We also discuss how stepping out of the chair, hiring the right operators, and aligning roles with individual strengths allowed him to simplify operations, improve performance, and create more time to lead proactively.

Finally, we explore how influence and communication drive patient behavior, team accountability, and overall practice performance. Join us as we break down practical applications of behavioral science, including how trust, connection, and commitment increase case acceptance, strengthen team dynamics, and create a more predictable and scalable business model.

Key Takeaways:

• Coaching and peer advisory groups provide outside perspective that help identify blind spots and accelerate problem-solving.
• Aligning team members to roles based on their natural strengths improves performance, satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
• Transitioning from a reactive to a proactive leadership mindset creates space for strategic thinking and long-term growth.
• Behavioral science principles such as reciprocity, social proof, and commitment influence patient decisions and improve case acceptance.
• Strong leadership, clear communication, and team alignment directly impact patient retention, production, and overall practice success.

Connect with Coach Matt Doherty at dohertycoaching.com

In this episode of Dental Business Made Simple, I focus on systems as the foundation for scaling your dental practice and explain why knowing your numbers determines whether you are running a business…or operating a job. I also introduce the monthly scorecard as a simple, one-page system that gives you clarity on performance without overwhelming you with excessive reporting.

As you dig into this episode, you’ll find my breakdown of EBITDA as the key financial metric that reflects the health of your practice and explain why private equity and high-performing operators prioritize margin over production or collections. I walk through the five core drivers of EBITDA, including patient retention, treatment completion, hygiene reappointment rates, case acceptance, and accounts receivable, and show how each one directly impacts profitability.

Finally, I explain how to use a simple traffic light system to quickly assess performance across key metrics and identify where your practice is leaking profit or tolerating underperformance.

I challenge you to evaluate your numbers monthly, focus on one red metric at a time, and take disciplined action that improves EBITDA within a defined 90-day window.

Key Takeaways:

• Systems are defined by measurable data, and a monthly scorecard provides the clarity needed to manage a dental practice like a CEO.
• EBITDA is the primary indicator of practice health, with strong practices typically targeting 20 to 25 percent of revenue.
• Patient retention, treatment completion, hygiene reappointment, case acceptance, and accounts receivable are the five core drivers of profitability.
• A traffic light system helps leaders quickly identify performance gaps and prioritize the most urgent area of improvement.
• Sustainable growth comes from focusing on one key metric at a time rather than attempting to fix multiple issues simultaneously.

Connect with Coach Matt Doherty at dohertycoaching.com

In this episode of Dental Business Made Simple, I take a deep dive into the talent pillar of The Organizational Triangle and explain why getting talent right drives everything else in your practice. I walk you through how the wrong people in the wrong seats create operational drag that shows up in production swings, case acceptance issues, turnover, and daily stress.

In this episode, I challenge the common approach of hiring for skill and shift your focus toward hiring for alignment, role clarity, and long-term scalability. I also break down the real cost of poor talent decisions with examples tied to hygiene reappointment rates and case acceptance, showing how small performance gaps compound into significant revenue loss over time.

In addition, I’ve got a practical framework to evaluate and improve your team using four key questions around people, roles, expectations, and leadership courage. This framework outlines a clear talent audit process, hiring strategies based on behavioral patterns, and development systems that help you build a team capable of supporting growth without creating dependency on you as the owner.

Key Takeaways:

• Talent is defined by alignment, role fit, and contribution to the practice, not just clinical skill or experience.
• Poor talent decisions create measurable losses in production, case acceptance, patient retention, and leadership effectiveness.
• The four talent questions focus on right people, right seats, clear expectations, and the courage to make necessary changes.
• A structured talent audit helps identify underperformance, misalignment, and opportunities to upgrade or develop team members.
• Hiring for values, using behavioral interview questions, and creating clear performance scorecards supports long-term scalability and team growth.

Connect with Coach Matt Doherty at dohertycoaching.com