Just a Couple of Dentists

Trump’s new bill is being marketed as “big” and “beautiful,” but buried in the fine print are changes that could hit dental schools, student loans, taxes, Medicaid, and how you structure your business. Josh Cochran joined us again to break it all down...from caps on federal loans (that might break dental school tuition models) to strange new rules on overtime pay, car deductions, interest write-offs, and why rural ski towns could be the biggest opportunity zone play yet. This isn’t policy talk for the sake of it. There’s real strategy in here you can actually use. Alex and I love bringing you tons of valuable information and the only way this podcast grows is by sharing it with others. So if you found something valuable from this episode, please share it with a buddy! It means the world to us!

In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, we’re joined by Dr. Roshan Kalra — a dentist turned real estate investor who figured out how to turn everyday practice spending into a luxury, $25,000 trip to the Maldives… completely on points. Roshan walks us through his exact playbook, including what cards to use, how to stack bonuses, and why the Chase + Amex ecosystems are the best options for practice owners. Whether you’re brand new to points or already sitting on a stash you haven’t touched, this episode is a goldmine. You’ll learn: The “one-two punch” that turns $10K of spend into $225 of travel How to get 5 nights at the Waldorf Astoria for 800,000 Hilton points (instead of 5 million) Why paying taxes with a credit card can actually make you money The real story behind gift cards, IRS rules, and which cards dentists should never use If you're enjoying the podcast, please SUBSCRIBE on your favorite platform. We love putting out content for you...and your support means the world to us! 

You know Mark Costes as the dentist behind the Dental Success Network and one of the most respected voices in the profession. But instead of asking him what makes him successful, we went to the source: his team. We interviewed the people who work with him every day and asked what actually sets Mark apart. Then we took those answers and turned them into five core traits that we shared with Mark live on the podcast.  In this episode, we discussed... How he spots potential in people before they even see it Why connecting others creates exponential results The shift that came after finally hitting his $1M goal—and feeling unfulfilled What drives his international mission work and Smile Outreach How he filters every decision through integrity, not short-term gain If you're getting value from this, do us a favor—subscribe and share it with a couple dentists who need to hear it. That’s how we grow, and how the right people find the right stuff.

We’ve been through enough crappy contracts and smooth-talking “experts” to know better...so we brought on Sean Hamel from Art of Dental Marketing to break down how to spot the difference between someone who actually knows how to grow your practice… and someone who just knows how to sell you a retainer. In this episode: Why most marketers obsess over visibility instead of conversion (aka, why your phone still isn’t ringing) How “pain-free dentistry” and beach-walking stock families are ruining your message The red flags we wish we’d spotted sooner What to actually ask before you sign anything 🎧 Listen now 📬Subscribe to Alex's newsletter at coupleofdentists.com

Kevin Tallman, CEO of Mango Voice, is shaking up the dental industry with innovative AI solutions. He dives into how AI can handle missed calls, automate documentation, and improve patient interactions. Tallman discusses the strengths and limitations of AI, shedding light on what to watch for when selecting AI vendors. He emphasizes the potential for AI to transform appointment scheduling and patient engagement while cautioning against generic solutions that might not fit dental practices. Discover the future of AI in revolutionizing operations and enhancing service efficiency!

Josh Carpenter is a dentist in Washington who decided to shake things up: he built a restaurant and pickleball courts — a passion project that turned into a $5 million community hub. In this episode, we break down: How he juggled a startup dental practice and a surprise military investigation The real challenges of the restaurant biz vs. running a dental office What makes pickleball so addictive (and expensive) Why Josh’s goal wasn’t just profit — and what he’d do differently next time 👉Make sure to subscribe to Just a Couple of Dentists!

In this episode, we sit down with our longtime friend Dr. Trent McCord—who didn’t just build a successful practice near Bentonville, Arkansas… he also started a nonprofit arm that now sees 50+ patients a day, giving away hundreds of thousands in dentistry to those who need it most. We talk about everything from bourbon-fueled CE courses (yes, really) to the time Trent was so nervous he threw up before his very first patient. He shares how he pushed through anxiety, built an insanely giving culture at his office, and what it actually takes to start something like this. If you’ve ever wanted to give back through dentistry—this one’s worth a listen. Subscribe and send it to a friend who’d be into it.

What’s harder—building a practice or building a building? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Josh Cochran, a dentist who built and acquired 6 practices in just 8 years—all while developing a 16,000 sq ft medical plaza to house one of them. Today, Josh is involved in over $170 million in real estate development and shares the exact mindset shifts and financial frameworks that helped him scale. Josh breaks down: Why you should either go big or stay solo (no in-between) How he combined practice growth with real estate development The “dentist game” vs. the “real estate game” How to know when you're in growth mode vs. preservation mode If you’ve ever asked, Should I own my building? or Am I playing the right game? — this one’s for you. 📬 Subscribe to Alex’s newsletter, Just Two Minutes → coupleofdentists.com

We’ve been through almost as many dental marketing agencies as hygienists—and that’s saying something. So this week, we brought on Michael from Wonderist to answer the question every dentist asks: “Is my marketing actually working?” We cover: Why dentists keep switching agencies What ROI actually looks like (and how to measure it) The $88 new patient offer trap Why tracking your leads matters more than the ads themselves How your front desk might be sabotaging your marketing The one mindset shift that will change how you approach marketing forever 📩 Subscribe to Just Two Minutes, Alex’s bite-sized newsletter packed with sarcasm and solid tips: https://j2m.beehiiv.com/subscribe 👂Listen in—and maybe fire your 6th marketing agency after.

Last episode, we sat down with Carrie and Tessa from Dental Insurance Services to talk about how insurance saved us when we got hacked. But what actually causes these attacks? And how do you prevent them in the first place? This week, we’re keeping the “we got hacked” theme alive and bringing on Reuben Kamp, founder of Darkhorse Tech and our go-to IT expert, to walk us through exactly how dental practices get hacked—and what you can do right now to avoid it. We cover: How our practice got hacked (and why it spread to 60 others) What our IT company should have done Cloud-based vs. local server: Which is safer? How remote tools like ScreenConnect can be dangerous Why your Keurig might be your cybersecurity weak point What a proper backup actually looks like The role AI plays in phishing attacks (and defense) How a bad IT setup can wipe out your entire practice If you own, run, or work in a dental office—this is required listening. One click could shut you down for months… unless you know what to look for. 🔗 Subscribe and check out more at coupleofdentists.com