It’s not your profession, it’s the pace, pressure, and expectations you’ve built around it. After 32 years in dentistry, Dr. Michael and Jennifer Kelly reached a breaking point: staff turnover, cultural challenges, insurance-driven frustrations, and the suffocating feeling of being stuck on a “hamster wheel.” They weren’t burned out from the work—they were burned out from the way they were being forced to work.
In this deeply personal and faith-centered conversation, the Kellys share how intentional reflection, courageous restructuring, and the Freedom Founders blueprint helped them reclaim all five freedoms: financial, time, relationship, health, and purpose. Their journey reveals how “free for life” isn’t a finish line but a transformation—one built on living below your means, aligning your marriage and mission, and choosing freedom over fear every single day.
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Minute Markers:
- 00:00 – Intro
- 05:25 – Faith, pressure, and the myth of having it all together
- 10:56 – Working together as spouses—strengths, intuition, and guardrails
- 15:40 – Modeling values and creating a healthy practice culture
- 17:36 – Why team members return for the culture, not the paycheck
- 21:15 – The hamster wheel years: turnover, toxicity, and exhaustion
- 23:54 – The Blueprint Weekend walk that changed everything
- 28:17 – Insurance exit, fear vs. freedom, and the “absence of need”
- 31:53 – Why they stopped chasing numbers and started pursuing purpose
- 43:21 – Living below your means and focusing on what truly matters
- 45:44 – Sharing your struggles so others don’t feel alone
If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:
- Ep #562 – Stop Playing A Rigged Financial Game And Take Back Control Of Your Money – Anthony Faso and Cameron Christiansen
- Ep #560 – The End of Cheap Money – 5 Rules To Thrive In The Next Decade – David’s Monopodcast
Links Featured on the Show:
- Michael & Jennifer Kelly: Website | LinkedIn
- Exit Strategy Playbook
- Freedom Founders Discovery Call
#michaelandjenniferkelly #faithandfreedom #dentistmarriagestory #timefreedom #purposeoverprofit
Watch full-length Interviews on video!
Watch full length interviews on David’s YouTube channel by going to www.DentistFreedomBlueprint.com/YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to David’s YouTube Channel for more content on maximizing your business, wealth, and creating a financial blueprint to reach your Freedom faster!
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P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think):
1. Schedule a Call with My Team:
If you’re tired of running on the hamster wheel, and are looking for a proven blueprint to create more freedom and reduce dependency on your practice income, schedule a call with my team to learn more.
2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide:
The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here.
3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:
Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.
Want to know more about David and schedule him as a speaker or podcast guest? Go to doctorphelps.com to book David now.
Power Concepts:
[Tweet “We’re not changing what you invest in—we’re changing how you do it. — Anthony Faso“]
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