Just Two Minutes: Clarity

Bite-sized dental wisdom in under 2 minutes.

When I bought my first dental office, I thought I’d feel proud. Like I’d finally “made it.”

Instead, I felt like I inherited a mess I didn’t know how to fix.
The seller lied.
The equipment was outdated.
The culture was apathetic.
And the physical space had more holes than a slice of Swiss.

But the worst part?
I knew some of the team members weren’t right—and I kept them anyway.

Not because I believed in them.
Because I was scared.
Scared to make waves.
Scared to be seen as the bad guy.

So instead of leading, I played nice.
I bent. I tolerated.
And the culture paid the price.

Here's what I eventually learned:

• Ownership doesn’t automatically make you a leader.

• Fixing broken things doesn’t make you strategic.

• Being busy doesn’t mean you’re building something that lasts.

You become a leader when you’re willing to say:
“This isn’t working. I’m not here to protect the problem.”

At first, I thought leadership was about being liked.
Then I realized it’s about being clear.
✅ Clear on expectations
✅ Clear on values
✅ Clear on what I’m building and who’s actually aligned with that

And here’s the tactical side I wish I had known:

1. If your team isn’t on board, no system will save you.
   I wasted months building processes for people who had already checked out. You don’t systemize dysfunction. You replace it.
   

2. You don’t need to “fix” everything yourself.
   I spent way too much time duct-taping problems that just needed a firm decision. Change the vendor. Fire the assistant. Rewrite the policy. Move on.
   

3. The first few months are supposed to feel hard.
   If your practice feels heavy right now, you’re not behind. You’re just getting your reps in.
   

That first office wasn’t a failure.
It was my training ground.
It taught me that systems don’t replace leadership—
They amplify it.

And once I got clear?
Everything started clicking.

-Dr. Alex

P.S. If you like this kind of trauma, you’ll love Episode 1 of Just a Couple of Dentists. It’s basically a step-by-step of how not to buy your first office.