Investment Grade Practice: A Dentist Podcast

Dr. Justin Villafane returns to share how clearer systems, smarter scheduling, and stronger leadership helped his practice grow from pressure to freedom.

Dr. Katie Lee did not build a dental practice. She built a health model. In this episode, Victoria Peterson talks with Dr. Katie Lee about biological dentistry, oral-systemic health, airway, early intervention, and what happens when a dentist refuses to let insurance, habit, or old clinical thinking define the future of care.  

Insurance should never decide the diagnosis. In part two of this conversation, Dr. Wade Kifer explains why comprehensive diagnosis, clinical conviction, and team alignment are essential when building a practice that is not restricted by insurance, confusion, or inconsistent communication.

Patients do not always doubt the dentistry. They doubt what they cannot feel yet. In this episode, Dr. Wade Kifer explains how confident diagnosis, aligned teams, and calm communication help patients understand risk before pain becomes their only proof.

Gary Takacs joins Victoria Peterson to talk about one of the biggest silent constraints in dentistry: insurance dependence. This episode explores how PPO participation shapes patient expectations, limits clinical conversations, and quietly keeps practices from becoming truly investment grade.

Dr. Victoria Peterson sits down with Dr. Meghna Dassani for a conversation that starts with self-leadership and ends with something every independent practice owner needs to hear: great practices are not built on hustle alone. They are built on energy, repeatable systems, and a team that can carry the mission forward. From burnout and boundaries to sleep apnea workflows and medical collaboration, this episode shows what it really takes to build a practice with lasting value.

A full schedule does not always mean a healthy business. In this episode, Victoria Peterson and Kari Miller break down why many successful dental practices hit a ceiling around the $2 million mark, and how comprehensive care, stronger systems, and better revenue mix can create more profit, more freedom, and more long-term enterprise value.

A strong practice does not start with better tactics. It starts with better thinking. In this episode, Victoria Peterson sits down with Dr. Kevin Kremer to unpack how mindset shapes leadership, growth, self-accountability, and the kind of practice a doctor ultimately builds.

Most dentists chase profit through production. This episode reveals the quieter lever that often determines whether growth holds or leaks away: the partnership between the doctor and the office manager. Victoria Peterson and Joanne Miles unpack how trust, structure, and aligned leadership turn chaos into profitability. 

What happens when a dentist stops chasing more tactics and starts leading with clarity? In this episode, Victoria Peterson sits down with Dr. Justin Villafane to unpack how leadership, systems, and consistent communication helped pull his practice out of burnout and back into growth.

Exit planning is not a retirement topic. It is a control topic. This episode shows how to build options now, so stress does not make the decision later.

If your practice only runs smooth when you are there, you do not own a business. You own a dependency. Victoria breaks down the hidden cost of owner reliance and the simple structure that turns you from the glue into the architect.

Most practice owners chase growth by adding more. More marketing, more hires, more operatories, more pressure. In this solo episode, Victoria Peterson flips the script: real growth starts with stability. This is part two of last week's "You're Not Broken" (E.159), and it's your permission to stop running and start building.

Burnout is not proof you are failing. In this episode, Victoria Peterson exposes the lie dentists internalize: "It must be me." Then she shows the real issue, practice design that forces everything to run through you.

Victoria Peterson sits down with Robyn Damaris, President of Phoenix Dental Agency, to reframe marketing as a leadership system, not an ad budget. If you want more production, better patients, and less chaos, this episode starts where most practices refuse to look: inside the four walls.

This episode is a pause. A moment of reflection. Regan Robertson speaks directly to the Productive Dentist Academy and Everyday Practices community to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Bruce Baird. Listeners hear Bruce's story, his values, and the quiet principles that guided his leadership. The episode also shares how PDA will move forward, rooted in the foundation Bruce helped build, and invites the community to participate in honoring him through shared memories and service. This is not a business episode. It is a gratitude episode. Visit productivedentist.com/bruce to share a memory, message, or story honoring Bruce. Your words will help preserve his impact and continue the work he believed in.

When Dr. Leslie Pinson took over a retiring doctor's practice in 2020, she inherited two decades of entrenched habits, outdated systems, and an unexpected surge of new patients. With support from her IGP advisors, Angela Golden and Rosie Yacone, she rebuilt her practice around purpose, patient experience, and sustainable systems. In this conversation, Victoria and Dr. Pinson unpack how she moved from overload to alignment, from plateau to 22 percent growth, and how staying rooted in her why unlocked performance she once thought was impossible.  

Your financials tell the truth. They reflect how you think, how you lead, and how you grow. In this episode, Victoria Peterson and Chris Sands reveal how money mirrors mindset and how that awareness builds freedom, not fatigue.

Dentists often underestimate the value of their practice or leave money on the table. In this episode, Victoria Peterson and Matt Zolfo of Professional Transition Services reveal how to optimize your practice for maximum value and avoid seller's remorse in today's evolving dental market.

Dr. Braden Baird shares how he transformed his approach from reactive "survivor care" to delivering ideal, comprehensive dentistry, even as a new associate producing $1,000/hour. This episode reveals how aligning your team, installing systems, and committing to ideal care sets the foundation for an investment-grade practice.

Dr. Jon Ehlers reveals how implant robotics reduces risk, drives revenue, and creates scalable workflows that prepare multi-doctor practices for long-term growth and owner transition.

Victoria Peterson and Dr. Bruce Baird reveal how diagnostic drift quietly erodes patient trust, team confidence, and long-term practice value. Learn how Clinical Calibration protects your philosophy of care and scales it across your team.

Victoria Peterson and Dr. Bruce Baird reveal how reactive scheduling erodes production and practice value. Learn how aligning your schedule with your philosophy of care can increase revenue, reduce stress, and create a practice that sells for what it's worth.

Victoria Peterson interviews Dr. Wade Kifer about how he scaled case acceptance by building a philosophy-first team culture. He raised production from $300 to over $1,200 per hour without pressure or persuasion.

Don't let your big goals and dreams undermine your confidence. Where you set your mind and focus is where you will end up. Today, I am sharing the mindset, thought process, and goal-setting behaviors that are key to building an Investment Grade Practice. 

Are you living the lifestyle you want? Having an Investment Grade Practice means you have choices. Join Dr. Victoria Peterson and Dr. Clint Euse as they discuss the keys to dental partnerships, schedules, and finances that let you make the choices you want to live the life you deserve.

Optimization means getting off the plateau in your dental practice, and to the next level of value and ease. But optimization means different things for different doctors. Tune in today as Dr. Victoria Peterson dives into strategies and thought processes you can use to optimize your Investment Grade Practice.

Having an Investment Grade Practice means you have difficult choices to make. Join your host Dr. Victoria Peterson with special guest, Dr. Nikki Green as they dive deep into how Dr. Nikki Green used savvy business practices to build her Investment Grade Practices and what tools she used to help with the tough choices involved in selling her practice at the highest profit to help highlight the best solutions for YOUR future Investment Grade Practice. 

In this special crossover episode of the award-winning Investment Grade Practices Podcast, your host Dr. Victoria Peterson, and Everyday Practices Dental Podcast co-host Regan Robertson discuss how this above and below-the-line framework applies to metrics while offering insights into how you can elevate your practice's performance. Jump into this conversation to learn how understanding these metrics can transform the day-to-day management and the long-term strategy of your practice.

Welcome to a special crossover of the award-winning Everyday Practices Dental Podcast and highly acclaimed Investment Grade Practices Podcast, featuring a conversation between Regan Robertson and Dr. Victoria Peterson. In this episode, we dive into the dynamics of leadership and practice management, as Regan and Dr. Victoria explore the critical balance between above-the-line strategic planning and below-the-line daily operations. Dr. Victoria breaks down the four categories doctors and their teams need to focus on to develop an Investment Grade Practice. The discussion also covers the importance of building a strong foundation in your practice to avoid burnout and create sustainable success.

As the landscape of the dental profession evolves and responds to volatile economic conditions and shifting dynamics, it's more crucial than ever for dentists to be prepared for the financial challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. In this timely and insightful episode of Investment Grade Practices Podcast, your host Dr. Victoria Peterson and Dr. Bruce B. Baird (co-founder of PDA, and host of The Productive Dentist Podcast) discuss the implications of factors like inflation, rising interest rates, and corporate consolidation on dental practices. Then they introduce a new program designed to help dentists navigate the complexities of seller readiness and enhance the value of their practices. 

In this episode of the Investment Grade Practice Podcast, Dr. Maggie Augustyn shares her journey from burnout to building a thriving, patient-centered practice. She reveals how defining her philosophy of care, mastering business metrics like hourly production, and fostering a strong team culture transformed her approach to dentistry. Tune in for inspiring insights and actionable strategies to reignite your passion for both patient care and practice leadership.

Do you know where you're going in your business? Without an end goal in mind, dentists often flounder. Should you sell? Should you buy? Can you retire? The questions are endless and the answers elusive. I'm taking the guesswork out of your business today by sharing what you need to know to craft your dental practice into the valuable asset it should be to support your long-term goals.

Marketing is key to building an Investment Grade Practice.  It's so important that it's one of the 4 quadrants of an IGP practice. And not just any marketing: authentic marketing. Entrepreneurial dentists like you know that you need the right patients to build a practice you love walking into daily. Join me today to learn how you can craft an authentic marketing strategy that supports your Investment Grade Practice.

In this powerful episode, we're diving into the concept of freedom - what it really means and how we can achieve it, both in business and life. Dr. Bruce B. Baird, Victoria Peterson S.s.D., and Regan Robertson share their personal and professional experiences to living freely and discuss how freedom extends beyond financial success, exploring inner peace, clarity, and the strength to make courageous decisions. Discover how you, too, can tap into freedom and take charge of your path to a fulfilling and purpose-driven life.

In this episode of Investment Grade Practice podcast, we delve even deeper into the critical metric of whether your patients say "yes" to treatment (and how often) and explore innovative ways to streamline financing presentations. Since one-third of your patients will wait to make their treatment decision, this episode is fully dedicated to patient reactivation. By staying in relationship with your patients and effectively re-engaging those who were previously recommended treatment, you could potentially add $30,000 in monthly revenue to your bottom line.

If you're going to grow your business, you need to grow your people. So many dentists struggle to find and retain a passionate team. What's the secret? Today, Dr. Adrienne Reynolds and I dive into the character traits, driving passions, and work needs of dedicated dental teams. 

Communication is the cornerstone of building an Investment Grade Practice. In this episode of Investment Grade Practices Podcast, your host Dr. Victoria Peterson is joined by Dr. Christopher Bowman of Advanced Dentistry of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC). They discuss the intricacies of effective communication, and insights into how communication intertwines with marketing strategies, leading to predictable and durable dental practice growth. From defining the elusive "yes" from patients, to navigating obstacles within dental practices, you will learn practical strategies for developing strong relationships with your patients and fostering trust through effective communication.

Recapping her conversation with Dr. Jonathan Ehlers (see Episode 132) in this episode of the Investment Grade Practices podcast, your host Dr. Victoria Peterson talks about setting the standard for excellence in your practice. She explores how to bring your vision down to your team's level to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working toward the same goals, as well as the three stages in the life of a business: viability, predictability, and durability.

Investment Grade Practices Podcast host Dr. Victoria Peterson is joined by the highly esteemed Dr. Sam Shamardi, a renowned periodontist and leader in dental education. Together, they tackle a subject that often goes overlooked when building successful dental practices: practitioner wellness. Dr. Shamardi shares his expertise on mental health, burnout, and a critical issue facing dental professionals: noise-induced hearing loss.  

In this episode of the Investment Grade Practices podcast, your host Dr. Victoria Peterson is joined by the remarkable Dr. Jonathan Ehlers, the visionary dentist behind Tiger Family Dental in Sedalia, Missouri. Dr. Ehlers shares insights into empowering associates and building a thriving practice in his blue-collar community. Learn how he paved the way for his new associate to be successful by discovering the type of dentistry she enjoys doing, and then what he did to market to her strengths.

We're all interested in knowing how we perform, and there are many metrics we can use to measure this. But what if it all came back to one thing: your philosophy of care. That is, after all, what drives your patients' care. How they view their own health is derived from how you view their health. So how comfortable are you in explaining that to all of your patients? And what can you do to improve? Find out in this episode of the Investment Grade Practices Podcast.

In this episode of the Investment Grade Practices podcast, your host Dr. Victoria Peterson welcomes dental luminary and beacon of ethical leadership Dr. Maggie Augustyn. They delve into the complex and critical realm of ethical decision-making in the dental profession, each sharing their experiences, unraveling the intricacies of maintaining ethical standards while navigating the challenges of hiring, retaining, and expanding in dentistry. 

Why do promising new hires sometimes fail to meet expectations shortly after joining the team? Investment Grade Practices Podcast host Dr. Victoria Peterson explores the stages of team development - Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing - and reveals how to navigate the "storming" phase to ensure new team members thrive.  

The way you brand yourself can make or break your team In today's competitive landscape, the way you brand yourself as an employer can make your break your practice. Join Dr. Victoria Peterson in this episode of the Investment Grade Practices Podcast as she dives into the essential strategies of employer branding that every dental practice needs to know so you can proactively establish and enhance your reputation as an employer.  

Mastering the art of strategic recruitment to build a winning team Are you stuck reacting to hiring challenges or are you taking proactive steps to build your ideal team? This episode of the Investment Grade Practice Podcast, host Dr. Victoria Peterson tackles navigating the complexities of hiring in today's competitive environment.  

Discover how putting your team first can lead to unprecedented success and satisfaction As Productive Dentist Academy gears up to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Investment Grade Practices Podcast host Dr. Victoria Peterson and special guest Dr. Maggie Augustyn reflect on the profound impact of leadership styles and team dynamics. They discuss how putting your team first can elevate not just the workplace environment but also drive exceptional results.   

"We've got to stop thinking about 'patients' and 'case acceptance,' and start thinking about 'human beings.'" ~Dr. Victoria Peterson Join Investment Grade Practices Podcast host Dr. Victoria Peterson as she sits down with Marla Merritt from AcceptCare, a leader in patient finance solutions. Together, they explore innovative strategies that can help your patients say "yes" to care, even in challenging economic times. 

In this episode of Investment Grade Practices Podcast, your host Dr. Victoria Peterson tackles one of the hottest topics in the dental profession: employee retention. It's no secret that the pandemic upended the traditional workplace, with nearly 40 percent of employees leaving their positions and many shifting to virtual work. This episode takes a good look at comprehensive research conducted by Productive Dentist Academy and unveils an innovative program, Dental TQ, designed to revolutionize talent development within dental teams. Discover how your IQ, EQ, and TQ play crucial roles in creating a cohesive, motivated, and highly skilled workforce.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Investment Grade Practices Podcast with your host, Dr. Victoria Peterson. In this insightful episode, Dr. Peterson sits down with Stephenie Goddard, the dynamic CEO of Glidewell, a leading force in the dental lab industry. With nearly two decades at Glidewell, Stephenie offers a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing dental practices today.