New Patients Now

For most of 2025, this North Carolina dentist was telling herself the same stories every practice owner falls back on: it’s the economy, my market is saturated, we’re fee-for-service so growth is hard.  She was averaging 11 new patients a month.  She had taught her team everything she knew, and the numbers had stalled out. Five months later (without spending one extra dollar on marketing) her practice booked 42 new patients in a single month. Dr. Sarah Myers and her office manager Shannon join Flint for one of the most no-fluff growth stories we’ve shared on the show. They walk through how training the team changed the trajectory of the practice in Cary, NC, what almost held them back, and the moment they realized roughly 30 of those 42 new patients came from existing patient referrals — not paid ads. In this episode, you’ll hear: How the practice grew new patients from 11 a month to 42 a month — with the marketing budget actually trending slightly down The mindset shift from “I’m the doctor” to “I’m the bottleneck” — and why owning that unlocked everything else How a 6-person team built accountability around new patient calls without losing a single team member Why the patient experience went up at the same time the volume went up — and how Google reviews tell the story The specific advice Dr. Myers would give a practice owner two years into ownership: “Don’t try to figure it out alone”

Most of us have made a commitment and immediately started looking for the out. The diet that "doesn't count on weekends."  The 90-day challenge with a Mexico wedding exemption built in. If you've ever done that—congratulations, you're human. But it's also exactly the pattern that keeps practices plateaued.  In this episode, Flint Geier shares what happened when he committed to 100 days without alcohol—no caveats, no exceptions—and why the hardest moment was the very first urge to make the exception. What started as a personal reset quickly became one of the clearest illustrations he's found of what separates thriving practice owners from the ones wondering why nothing changes.  The answer isn't in what you add. It's in what you subtract.     In this episode, you'll hear:  Why the urge to give yourself an "out" early in a commitment is the exact moment it matters most to hold the line  How cutting one habit quietly unlocked 100+ more productive hours in a single quarter  The two-doctor comparison that explains why some practice owners always feel behind on time  Why the most successful leaders subtract responsibilities rather than add more to their plate  A simple 30-day challenge you can start this week — and what it might reveal about your own practice 

What happens when someone has listened to more new patient phone calls than almost anyone on the planet — and then retires? You sit her down and ask her to tell you everything she knows.  Ginger Foretich spent 17 years at The Scheduling Institute, starting as an auditor making mystery calls to dental and orthodontic practices across the country. Over time, she evaluated thousands of practices and hundreds of thousands of front desk interactions. On her final day with the company, she shared the patterns, the misconceptions, and the hard truths that separate practices that grow from ones that stay stuck.  What she's seen is clarifying: most practices lose new patients before anyone ever walks through the door — not because of marketing, not because of clinical skill, but because of what happens in the first 60 seconds of a phone call.  The fix isn't complicated.  It's just rarely implemented correctly.    In this episode, you'll hear:  The #1 mistake front desk teams make on new patient calls — and why it costs you appointments  Why individual accountability changes behavior when group training doesn't  What doctors almost always get wrong when trying to improve their front desk teams  How the best practices build a culture where certification becomes a way of life — not a stressor  The one thing Ginger says she’d tell a struggling practice owner on her way out the door 

Running 314 new patient appointments a month would make most practice owners break into a sweat.  Luke, COO of Access Endodontics in Maine, does it while preaching something his team calls the Chill Factor.    Luke joined New Patients Now to share how his high-volume endodontic practice grew from around 260 new patients a month to consistently averaging 314 — without burning out the team or sacrificing the patient experience.  His practice won the Scheduling Institute’s Beat the Baseline competition not by chasing the number, but by focusing on something simpler: removing every possible barrier between a patient and a scheduled appointment.    The conversation covers the operational systems that keep their schedule solid, the cultural framework that bridges the clinical and admin divide, and what Luke actually means when he tells his team to chill.    In this episode, you’ll hear:  How Access Endodontics uses a “bookshelf” scheduling approach to reduce no-treats and keep the day predictable  Why 68% of patients who leave a practice do so because of indifference — not competition, price, or clinical outcomes  The three pillars of their team culture: Communication, Trust, and the Chill Factor  What happened when his team first pushed back on Scheduling Institute training — and why the resistance was actually a good sign  Why giving patients fewer choices leads to more scheduled appointments   

In this solo episode, Flint Geier gets honest about something that rarely gets discussed in the private practice world: the role your energy, attitude, and daily mindset play in how your practice actually performs. Not just in patient care or call conversion — but in the culture of the building, the engagement of your team, and the experience every new patient has when they walk in or call for the first time. Flint shares a candid story from his own morning — a client coaching call that was going well until one offhand comment about pollen derailed the whole conversation.  It’s a small moment, but he unpacks exactly what it reveals about our default tendency to let the world’s noise set our attitude for us, and what happens downstream when we do.   In this episode, you’ll hear: Why your “sphere of influence” is larger than you think — and how it directly shapes your team’s patient interactions The one question to ask yourself before you walk through the office door each morning How Flint caught himself derailing a productive client call with a single offhand comment — and what he did about it The Two Economy System and how to apply it when the outside world feels chaotic and uncertain A one-person challenge you can try today to immediately shift how you show up for your team

Dr. Daniel Funk grew up watching his father practice dentistry in Delta, Utah — and spent most of his early career trying to do something different.  After dental school, he headed to Texas and spent years working for a DSO, mastering his craft without worrying much about the business side of things.  Then he came home.  Eighteen months into co-owning a private practice with his partner Dr. Bloomfield, Dr. Funk has a clear-eyed view of what nobody warned him about: being a great clinician doesn’t automatically make you a great leader.  And in private practice, leadership is the job.  In this episode, host Flint Geier sits down with Dr. Funk to talk about the real transition from associate to owner — the freedom that comes with it, the weight of decision-making, and the systems gap that most new practice owners don’t see coming.  They also dig into what happened when Dr. Funk’s team went through front desk phone training with the New Patient Institute: a 23% increase in new patients within 90 days, new bottlenecks to solve, and a deeper understanding of why the phone call is the most underrated moment in a patient’s journey.  If you’re in a DSO or associateship and wondering what ownership actually looks like — or if you’re already in it and feeling the growing pains — this one is for you.     What you’ll hear in this episode:  Why the DSO model feels comfortable — and what that comfort costs you long-term The clinical and leadership challenges of transitioning to private practice. How phone training produced a 23% increase in new patients within 90 days The “dual alternative” technique and why shorter calls can deliver better patient service What to do when growth creates new operational bottlenecks Why Dr. Funk is now investing in coaching for himself — not just his team 

What if the biggest growth lever in your practice isn’t marketing… but how your patients feel?  In this episode of the New Patients Now Podcast, Flint sits down with Brad Kirch, managing partner of Sequel Coffee and Roam coworking spaces, to unpack the real meaning of hospitality—and why it’s the missing link in most practices today.  From Chick-fil-A’s $10M-per-location model to Disney’s “peak-end” psychology, this conversation breaks down how small, intentional moments create massive business impact.  You’ll learn:  The critical difference between customer service and hospitality  Why automation can hurt your patient experience (and where it shouldn’t)  How to create “remarkable moments” patients actually remember  Simple, no-cost ways to immediately improve your practice experience  Why the best businesses treat every interaction as a relationship—not a transaction  If you want more new patients and better retention without increasing your marketing spend… this episode is a must-listen.  And if you really want to know how your practice measures up to hospitality, Take the 5-Star Challenge!

***SPECIAL EDITION PODCAST***    Brought to you by the Dentistry Uncensored podcast, hosted by the knowledgeable and always humorous Howard Farran, CEO of Dentaltown. If you’re not already listening, you should be.    In this special episode, Howard sits down with our Founder, Jay Geier, and President, Flint Geier, for a powerful conversation on what separates stagnant practices from scalable ones.   If you think your practice is stuck because of insurance, the economy, or even your team, this episode is going to challenge you.   They unpack why growth doesn’t create chaos, lack of systems does… why AI won’t fix your front desk… and why staying “just a clinician” is quietly capping your potential.   If you’re serious about building a practice that grows without burning you out, this is a must-listen.

You think you provide a great patient experience. But have you actually walked through it yourself?  In this episode of New Patients Now, Flint Geier shares a real-life experiment: calling three dental offices to schedule a simple cleaning. All three had strong reputations. All three had nice offices. All three likely believe they provide an exceptional patient experience.  And yet… two of them lost the opportunity before the appointment was even booked.  From unanswered calls to capacity bottlenecks to unnecessary friction during scheduling, this episode is a powerful reminder that your patient experience begins long before the clinical care.  If you’ve ever assumed your systems are “probably fine,” this is your wake-up call.  Because 68% of patients leave due to perceived indifference — not bad dentistry.  It’s time for a gut check. 

Most practice owners want more new patients — but very few have a realistic, repeatable system for achieving consistent new patient growth. In this episode of New Patients Now, Flint Geier breaks down a proven framework for setting a new patient baseline your team will understand, believe in, and execute against. You’ll learn how to calculate a realistic starting point, account for seasonality, and turn new patient numbers into a daily focus that drives behavior. Schedule your free consultation to increase your new patients with Flint and his team.

Podcast Description  Most practices believe they’re patient-centric. But when you look closely at how patients actually experience the practice — from the first phone call to ongoing care — the truth is often very different.  In this episode of New Patients Now, Flint Geier breaks down the real difference between patient-centric and practice-centric models. He explains why convenience, simplicity, and anticipation now matter more than ever — and how small, often unintentional decisions can quietly push patients away.  You’ll learn:  Why most patients leave due to indifference, not bad clinical care  How administrative systems (not dentistry) drive patient loyalty  The five questions every practice should ask to assess their patient experience  Why improving experience reduces no-shows, increases referrals, and fuels long-term growth  If you want more patients to show up, stay, and refer — this episode gives you a clear framework to start making that shift. 

New Year’s resolutions are broken by Valentine’s Day — and deep down, you already know why. In this episode, we dismantle the myth that real change comes from making a list on January 1st. Instead, we walk through a practical, no-nonsense framework for attracting better results in your practice and your life — without relying on motivation, wishful thinking, or “throwing it out to the universe.” You’ll learn why your current outcomes are not random, how standards you tolerate become results you repeat, and how inconsistent reinforcement quietly sabotages growth. More importantly, you’ll hear exactly how to replace vague goals with clear expectations, aligned behaviors, and simple systems that hold you accountable. This episode breaks down: Why your brain is wired to deceive you without structure How standards shape team performance and patient behavior The difference between attracting growth and accidentally repelling it Why tracking one measurable improvement for 90 days beats a dozen resolutions How to stop repeating last year’s results with a new calendar If you want more of the right patients, stronger team performance, and real momentum in 2026 — this episode gives you the framework to build it on purpose.

In this episode of the New Patients Now Podcast, Flint Geier shares a powerful lesson on how the way you handle crises in your practice can define your reputation with patients. Drawing from a surprising personal experience in Italy, Flint walks through the importance of maintaining high standards of service, even when things go wrong. The episode explores strategies for over-communicating with patients during moments of uncertainty, staying level-headed, and demonstrating the value of preparing your team for the unexpected. Learn how to transform potential service failures into opportunities to strengthen patient trust and loyalty. 

Most practices say they want more new patients… but almost none are willing to do the one thing that guarantees change: train their team. After completing almost 36,000 in-office trainings, patterns become impossible to ignore — not just in the teams themselves, but in the beliefs doctors carry into the process. This episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at what really happens when a practice commits to team development. It breaks down the three misconceptions that keep doctors from ever pulling the trigger on training: "What if they won’t do it?" There’s a huge difference between won’t and can’t. Most of the time, the issue isn’t a team member’s ability — it’s the assumptions placed on them before they were ever trained. "What if I train them and they leave?" The bigger risk isn’t training someone who might eventually move on. It’s never training them and keeping them exactly where they are for the next ten years. "They should already know how to do this." No one arrives fully formed. Whether it’s the first time you played a game, tried a skill, or stepped into a new role — you needed someone to teach you. Your team is no different. The episode also explores how accountability works, why leadership is often the real barrier, and the surprising reality that many team members — once trained — become the highest performers in the entire practice. If you’ve ever hesitated to bring in outside training, feared the investment, or assumed your team "just won’t do it," this episode uncovers the truth behind team training and why it’s the fastest path to better patient experiences and more new patients.

In Episode 14 of the New Patients Now Podcast, Flint Geier breaks down the often-overlooked leadership skill that determines whether your practice grows or stalls: accountability. In this powerful episode, Flint explains why most people naturally resist being held accountable, the difference between micromanaging and true leadership, and the four essential pillars every practice owner must master—clarity, cadence, coaching, and celebration. Whether you want to finish the year strong or develop a culture of high performance, this episode gives you a simple, actionable framework to elevate your team and your results. 

In this episode of New Patients Now, host Flint Geier sits down with Dr. Larry Black, a South Georgia dentist whose practice has undergone a massive transformation since joining the Scheduling Institute in 2021.    Dr. Black shares how his team grew from seeing 18 new patients per month to over 70, all without adding staff or operatory space. He credits the breakthrough to on-site team training, consistent coaching, and embracing accountability systems like the 5-Star Phone Certification training.    What began as skepticism (“That won’t work in my small town”) turned into full belief as he saw smoother systems, better communication, and higher-quality patient experiences despite increased volume. The conversation explores how leadership development, repetition, and “rowing in the same direction” changed not just the numbers, but the culture.    Dr. Black also reflects on mentorship, personal growth, and how his mindset shifted from planning retirement to doubling his facility and hiring his first associate. His story shows that coaching isn’t about working harder, it’s about working smarter, smoother, and with purpose. 

Have you tried multiple marketing companies and still aren’t seeing results? Flint Geier and Luke Infinger break down why most growth struggles aren’t about the marketing, they’re about mindset, systems, and ownership. Learn how taking responsibility, building the right systems, and being ready to adapt can create massive results in your practice. “Find someone to emulate, reverse-engineer it, and build success from back to front.”   Take the 5-Star Challenge to Reveal Potential Blindspots Visit our Website

Most practices think their biggest opportunities lie in case acceptance or treatment planning. But here’s the truth: you’ve probably already lost over $1 million before a patient ever walks in your door. In this episode, Flint breaks down the shocking statistics that reveal why practices struggle with growth, payroll, and patient satisfaction: • Only 68% of calls are answered. • Only 42% of answered calls convert to appointments. • Nearly 30% of new patients no-show. Flint walks through the math, the ripple effect on profitability, team opportunities, and patient care, and shows you how to benchmark your numbers so you can finally close the gaps. If you think you know every opportunity in your practice, think again.   Take the 5-Star Challenge to Discover Blind Spots in Your Practice Visit our Website

In this powerful episode, we bring together a panel of experts to discuss the connection between personal development, team training and well executed marketing. Join Flint Geier from The Scheduling Institute and Luke Infinger from Hip Creative, along with two successful orthodontists, Dr. Brian Rochford and Dr. Jeff Goldberg. They share their candid journey of building a high-performing team and a patient acquisition engine, revealing how the synergy between operational excellence and data-driven marketing is the key to breaking through a growth plateau.   Take the 5-STAR Challenge! Visit our Website

Flint tackles the single most powerful lever for practice performance, backed by compelling data. Discover how increasing engagement can boost productivity by up to 23%, reduce absenteeism by 78%, and cut turnover in half. This episode introduces the "Engagement Scale," a practical tool to assess your team and a proven plan to build a culture where everyone is invested in success.     Take the 5-Star Challenge! Visit our Website

Are you paying for technology that isn't delivering? This episode cuts straight to how to make your practice's tech work for you and your patients. Flint exposes common missteps and arms you with the insights to transform your digital tools from mere expenses into powerful assets that genuinely improve patient satisfaction and streamline your operations.   Take the 5-Star Challenge! Visit our Website

Are you struggling with case acceptance? It's time to rethink your treatment presentation. This episode, Flint uncovers why traditional methods fall short and how addressing the patient's willingness to accept help can transform your practice. He breaks down the "ABCs" of patient commitment, and shows you how to apply these principles for real results.   Visit our Website Take the 5-Star Challenge

Are you processing patients or truly welcoming them? Uncover the often-overlooked elements that build unwavering patient trust and engagement. This episode dives into the 7-step checklist designed to elevate your practice from reactive to proactive, ensuring happier patients and a more productive team.  Visit our Website Take the 5-Star Challenge

Feeling stuck? This 4th of July week, Flint talks about independence for you and your practice! He exposes the "false narratives" that prevent doctors and teams from reaching their full potential. Discover how to challenge assumptions, empower your staff, and cultivate an office where growth and opportunity isn’t just something for “those practices” in “those places” with “those team members”.      Visit our Website   Take the 5-Star Challenge  

Most practices obsess over the greeting and forget the goodbye. In this episode, Flint breaks down the full patient journey — from welcome to farewell — and shows you how to create moments that stick, systems that scale, and experiences that keep patients coming back. Podcast Website   Take the 5-Star Challenge

Ready to convert more calls into patients? This episode is a deep dive into the 7 biggest mistakes practices make on new patient phone calls. We cover everything from proper greeting and handling questions to crucial follow-up. Stop the leaks in your patient acquisition – tune in now and get immediate results!   TAKE THE 5-STAR CHALLENGE   VISIT OUR WEBSITE

You answered the phone – now what? In Part 2 of this series, host Flint Geier dives into the critical next step in new patient acquisition: mastering the initial phone call. Building on the foundation of availability from Part 1, learn how to shift your team's mindset and create a welcoming, efficient experience that converts more callers into scheduled patients.   Take the 5-Star Challenge today for FREE to see where your practice is missing new patient opportunities!   Visit our Website

Is your practice unintentionally turning away new patients? In Part 1 of this series, Flint Geier dives into the often-overlooked power of availability. Discover how to calculate the real cost of missed calls and understand why being reachable is the essential first step in mastering the first impression.   Take the 5-Star Challenge today for FREE to see where your practice is missing new patient opportunities!   Visit our Website to learn more.

Flint Geier has spent over a decade helping doctors scale their practices. As a keynote speaker, trainer, and practice growth expert at the Scheduling Institute, he knows what works — and more importantly, what doesn’t. Now, he’s pulling back the curtain and sharing what he’s seen behind the scenes in the most successful offices in the country. If you’re a private practice owner, doctor, or team leader looking to grow your practice and attract more new patients — this podcast is for you. We’re thrilled to announce the launch of New Patients Now, a brand-new podcast packed with real strategies, proven systems, and zero fluff. Take the 5 Star Challenge! Visit our Website