The Top Tax Mistakes Dentists Make That Are Costing Them Millions
The Raving Patients Podcast
Most dentists assume that paying massive tax bills is just part of success — but that belief could be costing you millions. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with tax strategist Rachel Michaelov, Founder and CEO of Practice Wealth Partners, to uncover the most common (and costly) tax mistakes dentists make — and how proactive planning can legally reduce tax liability, sometimes all the way to zero. If you’ve ever written a painful check to the IRS and wondered if there’s a better way, this episode is a must-listen. What You’ll Learn Why most dental CPAs are reactive —...
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Scaling Smart: From Startup to Sustainable Growth
The Raving Patients Podcast
What if attracting better patients, reducing no-shows, and cutting insurance headaches could all happen before someone ever walks into your practice? In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Tobi Bosede, Founder and CEO of Dental Find, to explore how smart marketplaces, prepaid care, and membership-style models are reshaping dental growth. Tobi shares her journey from building AI systems for Fortune 500 companies to solving one of dentistry’s biggest pain points: patient acquisition without no-shows, awkward financial conversations, or insurance dependency. This conversation dives into...
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Dentists Who Ignore AI Search Will Fall Behind
The Raving Patients Podcast
Most dentists are still focused on Google rankings — but patients are quietly changing how they search. Instead of typing “best dentist near me,” they’re asking AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and other intelligent assistants to recommend a dentist for them. And here’s the hard truth: If your practice isn’t visible to AI, you don’t exist in those conversations. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau welcomes Eri Georgiev, founder of SoRN AI, a tech-driven growth agency helping businesses — including dental practices — get recommended by large language models like ChatGPT,...
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Marketing Lessons from Casper, Harley, Disney, and... Your Dental Practice
The Raving Patients Podcast
Getting traffic to your website is not the win. Getting patients into chairs is. Today’s conversation dives into why conversion matters more than clicks and how dental practices can stop wasting their most valuable marketing asset. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with marketing veteran Chris Knudsen to uncover what dental practices can learn from iconic brands like Casper, Harley-Davidson, Purple Mattress, and Disney. Drawing from decades of experience scaling consumer brands to billion-dollar valuations, Chris explains why most dental websites fail to convert, how AI is reshaping...
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The Dental Fitness Method: Redefining Oral Wellness to Boost Patient Buy-In
The Raving Patients Podcast
What if case acceptance didn’t feel like “selling” at all? In this first episode of 2026, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Dr. Camesia Matthews to explore a powerful new way to help patients truly understand—and say yes to—their treatment plans. Dr. Matthews introduces her Dental Fitness Method, a five-pillar framework that connects oral health to whole-body wellness. By reframing dentistry through prevention, posture, protection, presentation, and psychology, she shows how dentists can increase patient buy-in, reduce resistance, and empower patients to take ownership of their...
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PPO Power Plays
The Raving Patients Podcast
What if your practice is profitable on paper—but bleeding money behind the scenes? In this final episode of 2025, Dr. Len Tau welcomes Dana Moss, founder of PPO Dental Consulting, for a deep dive into the realities of dental insurance and PPO strategy. Dana breaks down how dental practices can increase profitability without sacrificing patient-centered care by negotiating smarter, streamlining fee schedules, and knowing when—and how—to strategically exit low-paying plans. Drawing from years of hands-on experience as a front office coordinator, insurance specialist, and practice...
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The One Move That Changes Everything: How Leaders Break Free from Stuck Thinking
The Raving Patients Podcast
Most dentists don’t fail because of a lack of clinical skill — they struggle because their mindset keeps them stuck. In this episode, we uncover the one move that unlocks better leadership, stronger team culture, and the confidence to take real action inside your practice. This week, Dr. Len sits down with leadership expert and former Spear Education faculty member Dr. Martin Mendelson — a coach who helps dentists get out of their own way. After hand issues pushed him out of clinical dentistry, Martin discovered the transformational power of mindset. Today, he empowers dentists...
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Is HR sexy? Depends. Do You Want to Suceed?
The Raving Patients Podcast
Technology can be copied. Marketing can be copied. Even your chairs and handpieces can be copied. The only thing that truly separates you from the office down the street? Your people. This episode will show you how HR becomes your most powerful growth strategy. This week, Dr. Len is joined by HR expert Alan Twigg, president of Bent Erickson & Associates — one of dentistry’s most trusted partners in HR systems, compliance, and team development. HR may not seem like the “sexiest” part of dentistry… but it’s one of the most important. Every patient experience, every production...
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Raving About AI : Redefining the Dental Front Office
The Raving Patients Podcast
What if your front desk never missed another call again? What if AI could handle the busywork so your team could actually focus on patients? Today’s episode dives into the technology reshaping dentistry faster than anything we’ve seen in the last decade. In this episode, Len dives deep into one of the fastest-growing trends transforming dentistry: conversational AI. He sits down with Dr. Miles Beckett — former medical doctor, serial tech entrepreneur, and CEO/co-founder of Flossy, the AI platform behind one of dentistry’s most advanced AI receptionists, Fiona. Together, they unpack how...
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Consumer Demand + Tech + Affordability = Massive Opportunity
The Raving Patients Podcast
Cosmetic dentistry is changing faster than ever — and if you’re not paying attention, you’re about to miss the biggest opportunity the profession has seen in decades. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with one of the leading voices in modern cosmetics, Dr. Brian Harris, to reveal how technology, consumer demand, and affordability are coming together to reshape the future of smile design. Dr. Len welcomes cosmetic dentistry expert Dr. Brian Harris, a Phoenix-based cosmetic dentist known for pioneering patient communication, virtual consults, and modern smile design workflows. Dr....
info_outlineAre you hitting the snooze button on Monday mornings, dreading another week of endless tasks and mounting stress? You’re not alone. Burnout is one of the most common—and costly—challenges dentists face today. But what if you could simplify your systems, empower your team, and rediscover the joy in dentistry?
In this episode, I sit down with Melinda Heryford, “The Practice Implementer,” to unpack practical strategies for transforming your practice from chaos to clarity. With over 30 years in the dental industry, Melinda has helped countless dentists trade burnout for brilliance—and she’s back on the Raving Patients Podcast to share exactly how.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
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The truth about burnout in dentistry: Why it’s not a sign of failure but a natural byproduct of doing too much without systems.
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Signs and symptoms to watch for: How to recognize when you (or your team) are edging toward burnout before it costs you your health and your practice.
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The 5 Prime Pillars of Practice Success: Plan, People, Process, Patients, and Profit—and why focusing on the vital 20% delivers 80% of the results.
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Simplifying your systems: Why trimming the fluff and doubling down on the essentials is the fastest way to restore energy, focus, and patient satisfaction.
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The power of accountability: How layering leadership and team responsibility keeps growth sustainable and prevents you from carrying the entire weight of the practice on your shoulders.
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Real success stories: From solo practitioners to multi-doctor practices, hear how dentists have reclaimed control, built stronger teams, and reignited their passion for dentistry.
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Takeaways
00:45 Introduction and Event Announcement
02:22 Meet Melinda Heryford: From Burnout to Brilliance
03:40 Understanding Practice Challenges and Coaching Methods
07:31 Identifying Burnout: Signs and Symptoms
11:40 The CEO Role in Dentistry and Its Challenges
17:06 Financial Stress and Its Impact on Burnout
19:08 Success Stories: Transforming Practices
26:20 Revenue Reveal: Assessing Practice Metrics
29:39 Commitment to the Process: Key to Progress
32:00 Lightning Round Q&A
37:59 Conclusion and Contact Information
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Connect with Melinda
Want to see where your practice is leaving money and energy on the table? Melinda offers a Revenue Reveal Check, using Dental Intel to analyze 37 practice metrics and highlight hidden opportunities for growth.
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Email: melinda@melindaheryford.com
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Website: melindaheryford.com
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Offer: Request your free Revenue Reveal Check to uncover your golden opportunities.
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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.
This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.
This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.
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