Just Two Minutes: No Exit

Bite-sized dental wisdom in under 2 minutes.

There’s research that says people in arranged marriages report being happier in the long run.

Not because they found the perfect match.
But because they stopped asking if they should leave.

When there’s no easy way out—when divorce isn’t culturally acceptable or legally simple—you don’t waste energy wondering if you made the right choice. You spend it figuring out how to make it work.

And honestly? That’s exactly what practice ownership feels like.

When you buy a practice, it’s not a sexy rom-com love story.
It’s an arranged marriage with a building, a P&L, and a bunch of people you didn’t pick.

It doesn’t feel like power at first. It feels like pressure.
Responsibility. Constraint. A signed loan agreement with your name all over it.

You don’t get to flirt with growth. You commit to it.

When I acquired my first practice, it was a mess.
The equipment was trash. The team was disengaged. The seller had straight-up lied.
And still—I couldn’t just walk away.

Same with the startups I built from scratch.
There wasn’t a safety net or a “maybe later.”
There was just reality.
And the pressure to figure it out.

No one was coming to save me.
So I became the kind of person who could solve problems from the inside.

That’s the thing most people miss.

Practice owners grow faster—not because they’re smarter or braver—but because they’re fully in it.
They have to lead.
They have to build.
They don’t get to blame the boss or switch offices when it gets hard.

The pressure isn’t optional.
And that’s what makes them better.

We love to believe that optionality equals freedom.
But sometimes? The exit is the enemy.

Because when quitting is off the table, the only option left is growth.

You stop entertaining backup plans.
You stop tolerating chaos.
You lead better, not because you’re ready—but because there’s no alternative.

Final Thought:

Ownership isn’t always exciting.
It’s not always Instagram-worthy.
But sometimes, removing the exit is what unlocks your full potential.

-Dr. Alex

P.S. Know a dentist who whispers “I wish I knew how to quit you” to their dental office? Forward this. They need it more than they know.