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2435: The Case for Mentors in Modern Dental Startups

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

Release Date: 01/30/2026

2436: How High-Income Doctors & Dentists Can Legally Pay Less in Taxes show art 2436: How High-Income Doctors & Dentists Can Legally Pay Less in Taxes

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Alexis Gallati, founder of Cerebral Tax Advisors and author of Advanced Tax Planning for Medical Professionals. Alexis brings a wealth of knowledge on proactive, high-level tax strategies tailored specifically for medical and dental professionals. The conversation covers everything from tax-saving tactics for W2 earners like short-term rentals and oil & gas investments, to advanced planning opportunities for business owners, including entity structuring, paying your children, and maximizing retirement contributions through backdoor and...

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2435: The Case for Mentors in Modern Dental Startups show art 2435: The Case for Mentors in Modern Dental Startups

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by DSI Black Belt coach and co-founder of The Practice Launchpad, Dr. Chris Green, for an in-depth conversation on startup success in today’s challenging dental landscape. Chris shares his journey of building a ground-up dental practice from a shell, highlighting lessons learned around construction, IT, design, and avoiding costly rookie mistakes.  The duo also explores why the fundamentals of a successful startup haven’t changed, despite the rise in costs and consolidation across the industry. They emphasize the importance of...

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2434: Why Most Dentists Dread Switching CPAs and Why You Shouldn't show art 2434: Why Most Dentists Dread Switching CPAs and Why You Shouldn't

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with longtime friends and financial experts Brent Saunier and Chris Sands of Profi2020 to unpack some of the most overlooked yet critical financial decisions dentists face. From the often misunderstood process of switching CPA firms and the emotional roadblocks that come with onboarding, to the dangers of outgrowing your entity structure without knowing it, this episode is packed with practical advice and real client stories.   The trio dives into why clarity around your finances is essential for long-term success, how to vet a great CPA,...

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2433: Why Paper Referrals Are Holding Dentistry Back show art 2433: Why Paper Referrals Are Holding Dentistry Back

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Mark sits down with Dr. Brian Bhaskar, a newly minted oral and maxillofacial surgeon, third-generation dentist, and founder of Sindi, a digital referral management platform designed to modernize how dentists communicate. Dr. Bhaskar shares his journey from Division I basketball at Gonzaga to completing a six-year oral surgery residency at the University of Washington, and how firsthand frustrations with outdated referral systems inspired him to build a HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based solution for seamless collaboration between general dentists and specialists.  The...

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2432: Why Early Career Dentists Need a New Learning Model show art 2432: Why Early Career Dentists Need a New Learning Model

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Mark sits down with Dr. Vishal Sharma, Director of Clinical Education and Operations at Spear Education, to explore the evolving landscape of dental education. Dr. Sharma shares his journey from building and scaling private practices to leading clinical education initiatives across DSOs, and now helping shape the next generation of learning at Spear.  The conversation dives deep into hybrid education models, the growing role of AI in diagnostics and training, challenges facing early career dentists, and why blending in-person mentorship with virtual and self-paced...

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2431: Navigating Growth Curves Without Burning Out Your Team show art 2431: Navigating Growth Curves Without Burning Out Your Team

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with longtime friend and marketing leader Joshua Scott for a wide-ranging conversation that blends entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Josh shares what it’s really like to scale a company through a “building year,” why infrastructure equity matters more than short-term profit, and how navigating overlapping growth curves can feel both challenging and energizing.  They dive into predictable success, avoiding shiny-object syndrome, balancing ambition with fulfillment, and the importance of surrounding yourself with the...

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2430: The Disney Playbook for Dental Marketing Success show art 2430: The Disney Playbook for Dental Marketing Success

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Ryan Gross, founder of CMO Share, reveals how his background in experiential marketing—from zoos to Disney—perfectly translates into the world of dental marketing. He shares how understanding human behavior, data-driven decisions, and simple brand visibility tactics can significantly grow a practice. Ryan breaks down everything from choosing the right name and logo to leveraging brochures, shirts, and local partnerships for powerful brand repetition.  He explains why operational efficiency drives marketing ROI, how missed phone calls are costing you thousands,...

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2429: What the NFL, Sleep, and Dentistry Have in Common show art 2429: What the NFL, Sleep, and Dentistry Have in Common

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, we bring you Dr. Mark Costes’ second impactful presentation from the Music City SCALE 2025 event. In this talk, Dr. Costes blends tactical strategy with raw vulnerability as he opens up about achieving his lifelong financial goals—only to find himself exhausted, unfulfilled, and deeply unhappy. He shares the pivotal moment that led him to rethink success, prioritize fulfillment, and build a model for personal and professional transformation.  You’ll learn about the six foundational areas that determine practice health, how to avoid burnout with smarter...

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2428: Is Selling to a DSO the Right Move for You? show art 2428: Is Selling to a DSO the Right Move for You?

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Bill Keith and Ben Kacos for an in-depth crash course on DSOs—what they are, how they’ve evolved, and why every dentist should understand their growing impact on the profession. This conversation dives into the history of dental consolidation, the rise of private equity in the industry, and what those infamous EBITDA multiples really mean for your practice valuation.  The trio compares doctor-to-doctor transitions with DSO sales, laying out the pros, cons, and critical factors like tax strategy, risk mitigation, and personal goals....

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2427: The Untold Journey of an Immigrant CEO in Dentistry show art 2427: The Untold Journey of an Immigrant CEO in Dentistry

The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with longtime friend and respected dental entrepreneur Tiger Safarov, founder of Zen One. Tiger shares his incredible immigrant journey—from arriving in the U.S. not knowing English to building a thriving dental construction company, and later pivoting to launch a tech platform revolutionizing dental supply management.  They dive into Tiger’s inspiration for Zen One, the evolution of the platform from a scrappy startup to a streamlined, AI-powered solution, and his deep commitment to supporting private dental practices in an increasingly...

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More Episodes

On today’s episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by DSI Black Belt coach and co-founder of The Practice Launchpad, Dr. Chris Green, for an in-depth conversation on startup success in today’s challenging dental landscape. Chris shares his journey of building a ground-up dental practice from a shell, highlighting lessons learned around construction, IT, design, and avoiding costly rookie mistakes. 

The duo also explores why the fundamentals of a successful startup haven’t changed, despite the rise in costs and consolidation across the industry. They emphasize the importance of mentorship—not as a sales pitch, but as a strategic move to compress time and reduce the “ignorance tax” that comes with going it alone. Whether you’re a new grad or a seasoned doc considering your first (or next) startup, this episode delivers actionable insights to stack the deck in your favor.

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

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