Tonya Christal and Danielle Powell of Lee Dental Centers in San Antonio don't have a fancy training platform, a DSO war chest, or a playbook they borrowed from a conference stage. What they do have is something far rarer — a 40-year family practice, a sister who's also their business partner, and the hard-won clarity to know exactly who they are and who they're not.

Key Revelations:

• At four locations, you're constantly asking: Are we good? Do we need to get to ten? Are we just keeping up with the Joneses?

• Sacrificing EBITDA on purpose isn't a failure — sometimes it's the exact right move to protect your team, your time, and your sanity

• The "sell your house" exercise: go under the hood as if you're preparing to sell — you'll either fall back in love or finally get clear on what has to change

Designing Your Practice on Purpose

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"What AR data patterns signal a billing system problem before cash flow is affected?"

Dallin's answer: Two things to watch. First, your total AR balance — some is normal, but if it's climbing month over month, something is broken. Second, your aging buckets — any meaningful amount sitting at 90+ or 120+ days is a warning sign you can't afford to ignore. Catch these patterns early, before the cash flow feels it.

The "Ask Dallin" Question:

Top 3 Episodes Of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now!

(E.22) The DSO Leaders' Imposter Syndrome Epidemic: Thomas Passalacqua, Ascend Professional Pathways, LLC
(E.12) Niche Down or Burn Out: Why Top Dentists Do Less and Earn More: Alex Sharp, Shared Practices Group
(E.2) Why High-Multiple Exits Are Bankrupting Dental Practices: AJ Peak, Health Wealth Capital

The hard truth? Most dentists are building their practice to look like someone else's. They're scaling because the seminar said to scale. They're chasing new locations because four feels small now when it used to feel big. And somewhere in that race, they stop asking the one question that actually matters — is this the life I actually want?

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