On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined live from Thrive Live in Las Vegas by Eric Pook, president of Cirrus Consulting Group, North America's leading dental office lease negotiation firm. Eric shares eye-opening insights into how dentists—despite being the most reliable tenants—are frequently overpaying for their leases due to lack of awareness, leverage, and negotiation expertise.

They explore the most common pitfalls dentists face in lease agreements, including missed renewal deadlines, dangerous personal guarantees, inflated tenant improvement allowances, and how landlords quietly strip away leverage from unsuspecting practice owners. Eric offers a crash course in lease strategy for both startups and acquisitions, explaining why the best time to engage a lease expert is far earlier than most assume. Whether you’re starting, growing, or exiting your practice, this conversation could save you hundreds of thousands.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://www.cirrusconsultinggroup.com
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today’s Part 2 episode, Gary Bird joins Mark in an in-depth conversation on how dental practices can unlock serious growth through smarter systems, strategic pricing, and AI integration. Gary shares powerful insights into the rise of AI receptionists, how they’re changing the way practices manage phone calls, scheduling, and follow-ups—and why they’re not quite ready to fully replace humans. He breaks down the real reasons practices miss out on ROI, including poor call handling, lack of follow-up, and scheduling gaps.

You’ll also learn why distinguishing between leads and qualified leads matters more than you think, and how block scheduling can make or break your growth. Plus, Gary dives into one of the most controversial topics in dental marketing: pricing. He explains why discounting can attract the wrong crowd and how strategic, data-driven pricing wins in competitive markets. If you're serious about scaling without sacrificing your margins, this episode is a must-listen.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://smcnational.com
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today’s episode, Gary Bird, founder of SMC, joins Dr. Mark Costes to unpack the real reasons most dental marketing fails—and why operations are often the true growth limiter. They discuss the dangers of focusing on “activities” like websites or SEO instead of real outcomes, and how busyness is often mistaken for productivity. Gary shares why 35% of calls in dental practices go unanswered during business hours and how that one stat alone crushes marketing ROI.

The conversation dives deep into the link between lead gen and operational execution, including conversion rates, appointment availability, and the need for follow-up systems. Gary also explains why his agency focuses more on operational performance than flashy marketing tactics—and why that gives their clients a competitive advantage. If you’re looking to double your new patient flow but your schedule is already full, this episode is a wake-up call you don’t want to miss.

Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• https://smcnational.com
• https://www.truedentalsuccess.com
• Dental Success Network
• Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast