Dr. Bao-Tran Nguyen and Dr. Nate Jeal are a multi-location, practice-flipping dentist duo. Together, this power couple has bought, built and sold multiple dental practices. They currently operate multiple locations under the SmileCo banner, and they founded Fast Growth Practice, a coaching and private advising program for dentists.
With more than ten years in practice, Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Jeal have experienced the entire life cycle of a dentist multiple times over. They believe that the first stage occurs right after graduating, and it is the most difficult one.
Both Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Jeal practiced separately for a year before deciding to join forces. “The first stage is the most challenging,” Dr. Nguyen says. “You are ambitious and willing to make your practice successful, but you are also skeptical and worried because no school teaches you how to run a practice.”
As Dr. Jeal points out, when he and Dr. Nguyen were starting out, there was no one to teach them how to manage and grow their practice. They learned initially through trial and error, later travelling the continent to learn in person from renowned mentors, CEOs and advisors. As Dr. Jeal says, “there’s nothing like having no alternative to motivate you into problem-solving action.”
This approach resulted in learning under pressure, but, as this duo claims, “Failure is just a part of the learning process.” To help others avoid making some of the same mistakes as they did, Dr. Bao-Tran Nguyen and Dr. Nate Jeal started the Fast Growth Practice program that helps doctors grow a self-managing practice with authority marketing and improved case acceptance.
Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Jeal believe that the first phase lasts for about three years. Then comes the growth stage. “In the second stage, you already have your regular patients. However, you are also working on attracting new patients,” Dr. Jeal says. “In this stage, you start building a name for yourself as well as your practice, and you aim to attract new patients. Here is where authority marketing can be of great help.”
After the growth stage, which lasts for five to ten years, comes the maturity phase. At this point, the dentist becomes an established senior dental practitioner in their locality. They are trusted by their patients and financially stable by this stage. However, in this stage, the main aim switches from trying to be busy to seeking peace and reducing stress and workload.
When it comes to Dr. Bao-Tran Nguyen and Dr. Nate Jeal, they are currently at the peak of their careers, and they don’t plan on stopping any time soon. “Working at what you enjoy and are good at offers freedom. It’s not something I’d ever want to give up”, says Dr. Nguyen. Dr. Jeal echoes her sentiments. “There’s no reason to stop working if you’re focused on what you’re passionate about.”
