Scaling Smart: Navigating Growth, Profitability, and Dental Exit Strategies – Jake Conway: Ep #538

What do dentists need to increase profitability in their business and create time freedom? Jake Conway, founder of Custom Practice Analytics, is back for an in-depth conversation on future-proofing businesses in an era of uncertainty. We dig into the financial stressors facing dentists and entrepreneurs today—rising overhead, staffing challenges, production declines—and how knee-jerk decisions often compound the problem.

Jake shares his battle-tested approach to financial analytics, beginning with vision clarity and key performance metrics. He also tackles one of the most misunderstood decisions practice owners face: whether to scale or sell. We challenge the assumption that “bigger is better,” and why many multi-practice owners regret expanding, and how to build a high-profit, low-stress model that preserves optionality. We discuss the shifting DSO landscape, dental exit strategies, and the myths of private equity buyouts. Whether you’re nearing an exit or just beginning your journey, this episode will reshape how you think about value, vision, and your most precious wealth metric: time.

Minute Markers:

01:42 – Intro to Jake Conway of Custom Practice Analytics.
04:08 – What dentists are concerned about in today’s world.
06:24 – The importance of being adaptable and not making knee-jerk decisions.
07:14 – Discerning what’s really happening in your office and how it affects profitability.
09:13 – How getting stuck in “producing more” mode can actually create discouragement.
13:25 – Getting off-course and defining what you really want as an entrepreneur.
15:04 – The evolution of a dental practice and defining what “growth” actually means.
18:10 – Regrets of doctors who have done multiple practices.
21:43 – The current atmosphere with DSOs and how/when dentists decide to exit their practice.
25:51 – Why many dentists find that they can’t make as much after the sale.
28:01 – How should a practice owner decide between scaling for their exit vs building for leverage?

If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:

Ep #526 – Brannon Moncrief – Dental Practice Transitions – DSO Trends, Seller Options and Best Practices
Ep #525 – Dr. Victoria Peterson – Investment Grade Practice – The Business Principles Every Dentist Needs to Succeed
Ep #522 – Dr. Mauricio Dardano – An Inside Look At a Dentistry Consolidator – The Success of MB2 Dental

Featured on the Show:

#JakeConway #dentalpractice #sellingyourdentalpractice #dso #practiceexit #growth #entrepreneur #scalingadentalpractice

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!

Join the tribe of dentists ditching Wall Street. Get more insights, resources and inspiration for creating asset based income and Freedom. Follow us on Facebook here.

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’d like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you’ll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest.

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:

“I’ll tell you, dentists are a unique group. They’re academic, they’re focused, they’re disciplined, they can accomplish it. It’s just a matter of at what cost.” – Jake Conway

Click To Tweet