About this episode

Dr. Steve Van De Graaff discusses the journey of a new dentist who quickly matched his associate salary after buying a practice.

What does it actually take to go from dental associate to successful practice owner — fast? In this episode of The Lifestyle Practice Podcast, Dr. Steve Van De Graaff shares the real story of a new dental practice owner who bought his practice, rebuilt the team culture from scratch, and matched his entire previous year's associate income in just 2 months of ownership. If you're a dental associate wondering whether buying a dental practice is worth it — or a new dental practice owner struggling to grow — this episode is exactly what you need to hear. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:→ How this dentist evaluated dental practices during due diligence and found the right one after 1.5 years of searching→ The specific leadership moves he made in his first weeks as a new practice owner that transformed team culture→ Why he went from working 5 days a week with an empty schedule to owning a thriving, fully booked dental practice→ The mindset shift that separates dentists who take ownership of their career from those who stay stuck→ Dr. Steve's personal story of dropping a bad dental insurance plan — and how working fewer days actually increased his income→ The single most important…

People in this episode

Hosts: Justin Short, Derek Williams, Steve Van De Graaff, Matt Vogt

Guest: Dr. Steve Van De Graaff

Topics covered

• dental practice ownership
• associate salary
• team culture
• leadership
• mindset shift

Keywords

• dental associate
• practice ownership
• team culture
• income growth
• leadership moves

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Lifestyle Practice Podcast

More episodes of The Lifestyle Practice Podcast For Dentists

• 310. The Fastest Way to Grow a Dental Practice in 2026 · June 1, 2026 · 9 min
• 309. The #1 Rule That Separates Successful Dentists From Everyone Else · May 25, 2026 · 9 min
• 308. Is Owning a Dental Practice Actually Worth It in 2026? · May 18, 2026 · 13 min
• 307. The Dental Hygiene Crisis is Real (And How to Survive) · May 11, 2026 · 16 min
• 305. How To Win Your Day — The 4-Part Framework Top Performers Use · April 27, 2026 · 13 min
• 304. The Truth About Practice Ownership: What No One Tells You · April 20, 2026 · 17 min

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