This is a must-listen episode for anyone involved in taking over a business and trying to move it to profitability as quickly as possible. “In our experience, speed doesn't come from doing everything at once. It comes from understanding what actually matters first, what can wait, and what will quietly break the business if you ignore it,” says Dr. Anushka Gaglani, Co-CEO at Areo Dental Group.

And, as she and her business and life partner Dr. Abhishek Nagaraj share on this on this episode of Filling You In, keeping the long game in mind is also critically important. “We're not just thinking about getting back to profitability. We're thinking about building something that can stay really healthy after that initial push is over,” he says.

Drawing on their experience successfully turning around multiple practices in the Chicago area, Anushka and Abhishek offer tested approaches to handling the many moving parts in these projects, including:

• The three core benchmarking layers;
• Distinguishing symptoms from root causes;
• Change management and team buy-in.

You’ll leave this conversation with a roadmap of practical steps and leadership moves that can shape your own business journey, plus the kind of candid advice that’s hard to come-by as we continue this super informative five-part series.

Mentioned in this episode: Areo Dental Group

“Over time, and honestly through a lot of pressure, we learned that culture isn't something that’s just nice to talk about, it's a system underneath every decision, every handoff, every patient interaction, and every leadership moment.” That’s just one example of the hard-earned, candid wisdom you’ll be hearing from spouses Dr. Anushka Gaglani and Dr. Abhishek Nagaraj on this episode of Filling You In as we continue their super informative five-part series sharing the inside story of how they’ve built their thriving business, Areo Dental Group.

As you’ll discover in these dynamic conversations, they do not hold back on revealing lessons learned -- sometimes the hard way -- on what it really takes to grow, lead, and sustain a high-performing, patient-centered organization.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• Moving from culture by example to culture by design;
• Why psychological safety is essential for surfacing problems early;
• How every hire and promotion reshapes culture;
• Guarding against cultural drift.

Don’t miss this special conversation packed with practical insights that can shape your own business and leadership journey.

Mentioned in this episode: Areo Dental Group

Wisdom Drop Warning! This episode of Filling You In: A Dental Podcast with A-squared kicks off a unique and super informative five-part series in which dentist entrepreneurs Dr. Anushka Gaglani and Dr. Abhishek Nagaraj share the inside story of how they have built Areo Dental Group, a thriving business in the Chicago area, over the last decade. As you’ll discover in these dynamic conversations, they do not hold back on revealing the lessons they’ve learned -- sometimes the hard way -- on what it really takes to grow, lead, and sustain a high-performing, patient-centered organization.

From turning around underperforming practices to managing conflict to building culture to working together as spouses, these episodes are packed with practical, honest insights that can shape your own business journey. Whether you’re a practice owner, emerging leader, or entrepreneur, this series offers a valuable, unfiltered look at what it takes to help employees reach their potential, and build an organization of lasting value.

In this episode on their leadership and management philosophy, you’ll learn about:

• Leadership by design (systems over personality)
• Transparent performance management
• The “leaf-branch-trunk-root” distributed decision making model
• How to manage conflict

Mentioned in this episode: Areo Dental Group