Just a Couple of Dentists

Paul Goodman didn’t set out to build the most well-known group in dentistry. He just liked nachos and connecting with fellow dentists. Fast forward 8 years....with 67,000+ members, Dental Nachos is part Facebook group, part movement, and part community dentists didn’t know they needed. In this episode, we get into: Who actually came up with the name "Dental Nachos" The origin story behind BAD, MAD, and SAD What it’s like running a Facebook group with more people than most towns Why acronyms like SBITDA and terms like “dentisting” actually stick Crying Inside: the KPI no one tracks but everyone feels The difference between owning a dental practice vs. a dental community (and which one’s more stressful) We also talk about what happens when dentists post photos of ACTUAL nachos, argue in the comments, and lose their minds over free CE.

We brought on our dental school friend Dr. Mike Dyriw, who somehow went from living in a van during orientation week to becoming a board-certified endodontist in Nashville. In this episode, we cover: Mike’s “Wax Rim Scandal” that almost got him in trouble in dental school 🦷 Why endodontists roll their eyes at “Please remove decay and assess restorability” referrals Whether they actually want you to prep the tooth first or not The truth about build-ups, temporaries, and CBCT add-ons How boring endo is (for assistants) and how Mike hires for that The weird billing codes specialists use (and how insurance ruins them all) Netflix’s “Root Cause” documentary and if patients actually believed it And if most endodontists are actually board certified 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full video on YouTube.

How does a dentist running a $20M business plan his year for success? We brought back Josh Cochran to walk us through the annual planning system he calls the #1 most impactful habit of his entire career—the same process he uses every year to lead a $20M dental business and real estate company with clarity and intention. Inspired by Bill Gates' “Think Week,” this 8-week framework helps him reflect, get focused, and set up the year to win. 👇 In this episode: 00:00 Intro – why yearly planning fails 02:38 The inspiration: Bill Gates' Think Week 05:35 Josh’s background: 7 practices, 160 employees 07:10 Why this takes 8 weeks (not 1 lunch meeting) 08:02 The power of “Why” and accountability partners 16:13 How to journal your time and rate every task 19:29 The passion/strength matrix 21:09 Eliminate, Automate, Delegate: what stays, what goes 21:42 Why visual maps help you say no with confidence 31:21 The 12 Freedoms model 34:28 Building your “Ideal Week” 36:07 Josh’s 8-week cohort info Josh's 8 week EPIC course starts on October 15th. Click here to sign up! https://drjoshcochran.com/mastermind/

Most of us show up to a dental CE, grab our badge, sit in a ballroom, and don’t think twice about what it actually takes to pull the thing off. But what’s it really like to run one of these events? How much do room blocks actually cost? What happens if people don’t show up? Are sponsors footing the bill… or is the organizer rolling the dice? And is it really worse than planning a wedding? In this episode, we sit down with Minal Sampat, who has been running dental CE events for years (and sells them out). She takes us behind the curtain into the numbers, the chaos, and the last-minute fires you never hear about. PS – Alex and I love making Just a Couple of Dentists for you. If you’re enjoying the podcast, share it with a friend. It’d mean the world to us.

Chris Green went from $0 to $4.6M in four years. In this episode we cover what he systemized so you can copy it, and what he tried that wasn’t worth it. You’ll learn how he… 📁 set up his Google Drive so systems are easy to find and use ✅ built one-page checklists the team actually follows ⏱️ trained assistants to be “functional in 30 days” 🛡️ tightened insurance verification to cut surprises at checkout and improve collections 🤝 ran route slips and transfer-of-trust handoffs that create confidence and higher case acceptance PS – Alex and I love making Just a Couple of Dentists for you. If you’re enjoying the podcast, share it with a friend. It’d mean the world to us.

Every dentist dreads that first one-star review. The truth? It’s not the review that hurts you — it’s how (or if) you respond. In this episode with Dr. Len Tau, we break down: The do’s and don’ts of replying to reviews The difference between a HIPAA-safe response and the snarky reply you wish you could post Why taking things offline first is usually the smartest play How reviews act as signals for your future patients, not verdicts on your past ones Why bad reviews don’t break your practice — silence does PS – Alex and I love making Just a Couple of Dentists for you. If you’re enjoying the podcast, share it with a friend. It’d mean the world to us.  

Building a dental office isn’t cheap. And if you’re not careful, you’ll blow tens of thousands of dollars on stuff you don’t need. We sat down with our longtime friend and contractor Tommy Morales to talk about the real mistakes dentists make during a buildout and how to avoid them.  In this episode we get into: Why storage space always gets overlooked Pocket doors, barn doors, and flooring that actually works Where dentists waste the most money (hint: cabinetry) Architect vs. design-build and how one option can save you months What’s actually changed in reception design since COVID Planning a buildout or renovation? Listen to this first — it’ll save you money and a lot of headaches.

Last month, Spencer Greer called me out for producing like a sissy. I was averaging 3 crowns a month, underdiagnosing like crazy, and letting my cheap-ass brain run my treatment planning. So we did a live coaching session. Now, a month later, I’m back with the results: My crowns jumped from 3 to 11 in the same number of days. My monthly production went up 75%. We added about $20K more than the same month last year. All from shifting mindset, diagnosing with confidence, and saying “crown or nothing.” In this follow-up, Spencer and I break down what worked, what didn’t, and the next steps (including ortho and same-day treatment). 👉 Check out Spencer’s upcoming course at highleveldentists.com (use code ERIC or ALEX for 10% off — we’ll see who’s more popular). Here's the link as well to the first episode we did with Spencer! Apple Podcasts  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-a-couple-of-dentists/id1782713047?i=1000719624804 PS – Alex and I love making Just a Couple of Dentists for you. If you’re enjoying the podcast, share it with a friend. It’d mean the world to us.

Compliance is nobody’s favorite topic. But if you ignore it, it can get real expensive, real fast. We brought on Dr. Lisa Kane (dentist + founder of Dental Office Compliance of New England) to walk us through the stuff that actually matters and the traps that cost dentists money. We get into: Why every office misses things (and which ones you can’t afford to miss) Waterlines, sterilization, and the shortcuts that backfire Training your team without feeling like OSHA’s hall monitor The scammy compliance “posters” you should never pay for And yes… Eric shares the story of his “reverse needle stick” in dental school.

AI is shaking up every industry...including dentistry. But is it really the end of SEO, Google Ads, and traditional marketing? Or just another shiny object? In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, Eric and Alex talk with Brandon Platt, founder of 4D Digital Media, to set the record straight. Together, they cover: The truth about AI search vs. Google search Why local SEO still drives new patients Where AI can save dentists time (and where it can’t) HIPAA concerns every office needs to know How AI will really impact the business side of dentistry Thanks for writing these shownotes for us Chat GPT! PS - Alex and I love doing Just a Couple of Dentists and our only ask is that if you are at least somewhat enjoying it, please share it with a friend. It helps the podcast grow and we can share more stories with you all!