The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

Most orthodontists think the only path to freedom is scale. Bigger practice. More chairs. More locations. More production.

Dr. Luis Gutierrez proves that’s simply not true.

Luis isn’t running a $20M operation. He doesn’t work five days a week. He doesn’t grind 60-hour weeks. Instead, he planted intentional seeds early — paid off nearly $800,000 in student debt aggressively, invested relentlessly in CE, chose a smaller community, kept overhead disciplined, and built systems that support the life he wanted.

And now? He’s harvesting.

In this episode, Luis shares how he went from dental school in Peru to rebuilding his career in the U.S., opening a startup in a small New Mexico town, and creating a lifestyle most orthodontists only talk about. This isn’t about hype. It’s about planning. It’s about discipline. And it’s about designing your practice around your life — not the other way around.

If you’re early in your career… overwhelmed by debt… or wondering whether private practice is still worth it — this episode will reset your mindset.

Quotes

“Failure to plan is planning to fail.”
 — Dr. Luis Gutierrez

“It’s so much fun to harvest what you planted years ago.”
 — Dr. Luis Gutierrez

Key Takeaways
Why lifestyle design — not production numbers — is the real goal.
Moving to a small town and “owning it” (13:04)
Paying off $800,000 in student loans aggressively (10:43)
Why living like a resident for a few years changes everything (10:43)
Working only three clinical days per week (18:20)
Taking 14 vacations in one year — with intention (18:29)
Investing in 10 CE courses per year for 10 straight years (25:10)
Building systems to eliminate blind spots (26:54)
Why private practice is still absolutely viable (24:17)
The planting vs. harvesting mindset (30:10)

Additional Resources

If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to build the life you actually want — start by asking yourself:

What seeds am I planting right now?
Am I investing in myself?
Am I designing my practice… or just reacting to it?

If this episode resonated with you, share it with another orthodontist who needs to hear it.

And if you want help building your plan — reach out. You don’t have to figure it out alone.

Register for the Make More Money Meeting: https://ortho4m.com/home

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

In this episode of Five Minute Friday,  I dive deep into one of the most overlooked growth levers in orthodontics: tracking your marketing ROI with precision. After three flat or down years in the industry, many practices are feeling stuck. I challenge you to look inward. Are you truly tracking where patients come from? Are you deploying capital intentionally? Or are you just “doing marketing” without a measurable strategy?

Quotes

“Again, you need to track everything… The key will be deploying your capital in an effective way to get a consistent return on investment.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

“Hi, I’m Glenn Krieger. Nice to meet you. By the way — how did you find us?”
 — Dr. Glenn Krieger

Key Takeaways
Intro (00:00)
Why Flat Growth Is Happening (01:30)
The Marketing Deployment Problem (02:05)
The One Question Every Doctor Should Ask (03:00)
Tracking ROI Like a Real Business (04:30)
Stop Wasting Capital (05:30)
Leadership Alignment Matters (06:15)

Additional Resources

I’ve seen firsthand how intentional tracking and disciplined marketing deployment can transform a stagnant practice into a growth machine.
If you’re serious about increasing revenue while maintaining peace of mind, you need systems — not guesses.

That’s exactly why the Make More Money Meeting in Nashville this October exists. This isn’t fluff. It’s marketing, sales, and ROI strategy you’ve never seen before — and it’s limited to 250 doctors and key team members.

If registration is open, grab your seat. If you’re unsure how to find it, DM me directly.

Stop hoping marketing works. Start knowing it works.

Register for the Make More Money Meeting: https://ortho4m.com/home 

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

I know this episode may ruffle feathers. That’s okay. If you’ve ever felt skeptical about sleep and airway, overwhelmed by the noise online, or frustrated by sensational claims from bad actors — this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Anil Rama — neurologist and Stanford-trained sleep medicine physician — to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. Not from an orthodontic silo. Not from a social media debate. But from a multidisciplinary, science-based lens.

Quotes

“Sleep apnea isn’t the disease — it’s often the symptom of something bigger.”
— Dr. Anil Rama

“If orthodontists don’t step into this space responsibly, someone else will — and they may not understand craniofacial growth the way we do.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

Key Takeaways

Why this conversation requires an open mind
Sleep apnea as a symptom — not just a diagnosis (07:01)
The orthodontist’s role: quarterback or team member? (09:26)
Why expansion alone is never the whole answer (14:19)
The danger of practicing in silos (24:35)
How a WatchPAT test can transform your diagnostic awareness (41:19)
Why many ENTs still miss airway-driven sleep issues (44:51)
The brain impact of sleep-disordered breathing (34:03)
Why humility — not ego — moves this field forward (59:14)

Additional Resources

🛌 WatchPAT Home Sleep Apnea Test

WatchPAT — Home Sleep Study Device (ZOLL Itamar)
👉 https://www.itamar-medical.com/patients/watchpat-home-sleep-testing/

📌 Dr. Anil Rama & Sleep Medicine

Sleep and Brain — Anil Rama, MD bio
👉 https://www.sleepandbrain.com/anil-rama-md

Register for the Make More Money Meeting: https://ortho4m.com/home 

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

Have you ever really looked at where the money is leaking from your practice?

In this 5-Minute Friday, I take a deep dive into one of the biggest problems plaguing orthodontic practices—and it’s happening right inside your TC room. The issue? Case acceptance. You might think you're doing well, but just a 5% improvement in conversion could mean hundreds of thousands in added revenue. Yes, hundreds of thousands.

And the kicker? Most orthodontists—and their treatment coordinators—aren’t trained on how to actually close. Not just talk. Close. Get the “yes.” As Alec Baldwin said in Glengarry Glen Ross, “Get them to sign on the line which is dotted.”

Quotes

“There’s nothing dirty about talking about money in the practice. If you believe your patients are best served by you treating them—get them closed.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

“One more start per week at $5,000 is $240,000 a year—and there's almost no extra cost. That’s free money you're leaking if you're not closing.”
— Dr. Glenn Krieger

Key Takeaways
Intro – Why case acceptance is broken (00:00)
How ‘leaky’ front desks and TC rooms cost you starts (00:45)
The real math behind one extra start per week (01:50)
Why doctors staying too long in the exam hurts case acceptance (03:35)
The importance of training your TC to handle objections (04:55)
Why sales skills protect your income, your team, and your sanity (06:00)
Overview of the “Make More Money” meeting (06:45)

Additional Resources

If you believe your patients are best served by being treated in your practice, then learning how to close cases ethically and confidently is not optional—it’s essential. Start by tightening every step of your sales funnel, training your TC properly, and getting out of your own way in the consult room.

If you want to go deeper, keep an eye out for my Make More Money Meeting, where we’ll break down the entire process—from marketing to objections to secondary income streams—in a way you’ve never seen before. DM me if you want details or availability.

Register for the Make More Money Meeting: https://ortho4m.com/home

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

I’ve seen firsthand how practices double production, retain team members long-term, and charge more than their competitors—not because they bought more ads, but because they built a culture that people want to be part of.

In this episode, I sit down with Brian Wright, founder of New Patient Group, serial entrepreneur, and one of the sharpest business minds working in orthodontics today. We go deep into what truly separates average practices from elite ones. And spoiler alert—it’s not brackets, aligners, or even clinical skill alone.

If you’ve ever struggled with team turnover, price shoppers, inconsistent case acceptance, or feeling stuck at the same production number year after year… this episode will challenge your thinking in the best possible way.

Quotes

“If you’re struggling with team issues, it’s not an HR problem. It’s a leadership problem.”
— Brian Wright

“There’s a difference between being a business owner and being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs implement ideas even when everyone else says no.”
— Brian Wright

Key Takeaways

How elite practices “destroy competition” without talking about competition (01:00)
Entrepreneur vs. business owner mindset shift (13:00)
Why orthodontists misuse the word “scale” (16:00)
The real reason price shoppers exist (24:00)
Why culture—not advertising—is the true growth engine (29:00)
Expense vs. investment: The accounting mistake killing growth (20:00)
How leadership determines team retention (33:00)
Why good orthodontics alone won’t justify premium fees (39:00)
What iconic practices do differently than everyone else (44:00)

Additional Resources

Growth doesn’t start with ads. It starts with leadership. Are you running a practice… or are you building a business?
And if you’re serious about becoming the latter, start investing in yourself the way elite entrepreneurs do.

NPG Iconic: https://iconic.newpatientgroup.com 

Brian Wright: https://newpatientgroup.com/book-brian-wright/ 

Register for the Make More Money Meeting: https://ortho4m.com/home 

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/