What Actually Drives Growth in a Dental Practice: A Conversation with Rachel Marks

What actually drives sustainable growth in a dental practice?Not hacks. Not trends. And not more chaos.In this episode of CEO Chairside, Dr. Greg Grillo sits down with Rachel Marks to unpack what real growth looks like from the inside out—through leadership, systems, and execution that actually work in the day-to-day reality of dentistry.Rachel brings a rare depth of hands-on experience. She began her career in dentistry at age 16, went on to help lead a 19-office group practice, trained more than 500 dental teams, and served as a founding team member and Chief Growth Officer at Swiss Monkey. Her perspective is grounded, practical, and shaped by years spent in real dental offices—not theory.Together, Dr. Grillo and Rachel explore what separates thriving practices from those that feel perpetually busy but stuck. They discuss why marketing alone doesn’t create growth, where most practices unknowingly leak profit, how leadership and operations must align, and what high-performing teams consistently do differently.This conversation marks Rachel’s introduction as a new member of the Method Pro team and highlights why her operations-first lens pairs naturally with Dr. Grillo’s dentist-coach approach. It’s an honest, insightful discussion for practice owners, office managers, and leaders who want clarity instead of complexity.If you’re navigating growth, team dynamics, or the pressure of scaling a dental practice, this episode will resonate.Subscribe to CEO Chairside for real conversations about leadership, profitability, and what it actually takes to build a practice that works—for patients, teams, and doctors alike.