Dear Reader,

You’ve probably heard this one before:

“The house is too dated.”
“Buyers want move-in ready.”
“This one’s going to be a tough sell.”

That’s what most agents say when they walk into a house with green shag carpet, gold fixtures, and cabinets that haven’t seen daylight since the Reagan administration.

But here’s what the top agents know:

The truth hurts… but not as much as running out of money.

Dear Reader,

Let’s have a real conversation.

Not the polite, sugar-coated version you hear at real estate conferences. Not the Instagram-filtered version that shows off big closings and fancy lockbox selfies. I mean the kind of talk nobody’s having—but everyone needs.

You don’t love the hustle.
You’ve just convinced yourself you do… because the alternative scares the hell out of you.

Most agents keep taking bad deals because
they’re broke… not because they’re busy

Dear Reader,

Let’s be honest.

You’ve had clients you wish you could have walked away from.

The ones who drain your energy, fight you on every detail, ignore your advice, call at all hours, and then want to lowball your commission when it’s all over.

But you didn’t say no.

Dear Reader,

Most dentists don’t think about their exit strategy until it’s too late. They assume when the time comes, they’ll just sell their practice, cash a fat check, and ride off into retirement. But reality doesn’t work that way.

The truth is, most dentists leave money on the table because they don’t have a real plan. They wait too long, don’t prepare their practice properly, and end up with a lowball offer that barely reflects what they built. Or worse, they burn out and walk away with nothing.

Dear Reader,

You’ve spent years building your practice, perfecting your craft, and taking care of your patients. You’ve sacrificed weekends, missed family events, and worked through vacations because that’s what it takes to succeed in dentistry.

And now, you’re at a crossroads.

Maybe you’re burned out by the endless business headaches—payroll, insurance battles, hiring, firing, and the constant fight to stay profitable. Maybe you love what you do, but you hate running a business. Or maybe you’re thinking about an exit strategy, but you don’t want to walk away with pennies on the dollar.

Dear Reader,

Five years out of dental school, he was supposed to be thriving. He had the skills, the passion, and the drive to build something of his own. So he took the leap—he opened his own practice.

And then the reality hit.

The student loan payments didn’t go away. The business loans he had taken out for equipment, office space, and marketing had him drowning in monthly payments. Payroll, insurance claims, lease agreements, staffing issues, patient acquisition—all of it was suddenly his responsibility.

Dear Reader,

I have a story for you today about two dentists. Dr. Mark and Dr. Vanessa had built something special. Their practice wasn’t just another dental office—it was a pillar in the community, a place where families had been coming for generations. Parents brought their children in for their first checkups, and those same children grew up to bring in their own kids. Their practice wasn’t just about fixing teeth—it was about relationships, trust, and a commitment to personalized care.

For years, the two had been perfectly in sync. Mark handled much of the business side—payroll, insurance negotiations, hiring, and overhead management—while Vanessa thrived in the clinical setting, focusing on patient care and staying ahead of advancements in dentistry. Together, they had created a flourishing, respected practice. But after years in business together, they found themselves facing a major fork in the road.

Dear Reader,

He had spent twenty years building his practice from the ground up. At first, he loved it—the excitement of growing something of his own, the joy of seeing patients smile with newfound confidence, and the satisfaction of knowing he was making a real difference. But somewhere along the way, the dream became a never-ending grind.

The 16-hour days were relentless. The work never seemed to end. Payroll, insurance headaches, marketing decisions, staff turnover, tax filings, equipment maintenance, and—why on earth was he personally picking out new bathroom fixtures for the office? This wasn’t what he signed up for.

Dear Reader,

There’s a massive shift happening in dentistry, and if you’re not paying attention, you’re already behind.

DSOs are not a trend—they’re a takeover. Private practices used to be the backbone of dentistry, but the rise of corporate-owned dental chains is changing everything. And whether that’s a golden opportunity or a death sentence for your practice depends on what you do next.

Dear Reader,

Right now, 18-20% of dental practices are affiliated with a Dental Service Organization (DSO).

By 2025, projections suggest that number could explode to 50-65%. That’s not a minor shift—it’s a full-blown industry takeover.

So what does this mean for you? That depends. If you’re a private practice owner, this trend could spell big trouble—or a massive opportunity. The question is: Are you prepared?

If You Want to Compete With a DSO, Here’s What You Must Do

Let’s be honest—competing with DSOs isn’t about offering the lowest price or matching their corporate discounts. If you try, you’ll lose. They have deeper pockets, economies of scale, and a relentless ability to outspend independent practices.