Is This Normal? A Private Practice Meltdown Story

I want to tell you a story about burnout, bravery, and the magic of finally getting the right people on your team.

The first time I met Dr. Dave Datwyler, we were sitting next to each other at dinner during the Pitts Progressive Study Club in Austin. You know the kind of dinner where everyone’s talking shop, and you can tell someone’s carrying a heavy load just by how they talk about their day?

That was Dave.

He was exhausted. Not just “I need a nap” tired. I’m talking “I fall asleep on the couch before dinner and my pediatric dentist wife has to wake me up” tired. (And trust me, if anyone gets how stressful dental life is, it’s another dentist.)

His team wasn’t performing. His business felt heavy. And the passion that once fueled his practice? Running on fumes.

When he invited me to his office for a two-day on-site, I walked in and was greeted—if you can call it that—by someone who barely looked up. I honestly thought she was a temp filling in last-minute. Turns out… she’d been there 11 years.

Yep.

The whole vibe was off. His treatment coordinator would take off Thursdays and Tuesdays just to catch a standby flight for a long weekend. I mean, what?!

Dave knew something had to change, but like most doctors, he didn’t quite know how to change it. That’s where I came in.

We started with the basics: core values, vision, identifying what kind of team members actually belonged in his practice. I remember sitting at his kitchen table, talking about how he wanted every patient to feel like a rock star when they walked through the door. That one conversation became a cornerstone for everything we built.

But here’s the part that usually freaks people out:

Within 8 months, 90% of his team was gone.

Not because I came in swinging a pink slip around like a game show host—firing people isn’t my style. But I do ask hard questions like, “Why are you okay with that behavior?” And when doctors start seeing their team through the lens of their values, things shift—fast.

Dave panicked. Rightfully so. He even called another client of mine, Dr. Jason West (see my last email), mid-breakdown and asked, “Is this normal?”

Now here’s my favorite part of that story: Jason was actually in his truck with his wife when Dave called. And after hearing the panic in Dave’s voice, Jason’s wife grabbed the phone.

She said, “Listen, I know it’s scary. I know it feels like everything is falling apart right now. But I’ve seen what Dino’s work has done for our practice. I’ve watched it transform not just the business—but Jason as a leader, too. So just keep doing what Dino tells you to do. You’re on the right path. It’s going to work.”

And that, my friend, was one of the greatest endorsements I’ve ever received—because it didn’t come from a client. It came from a client’s wife, who had lived through the transformation and could see it from the outside.

And it worked.

Dave rebuilt from the ground up with a team that aligned with who he was and what he stood for. Not only did his practice become more profitable and productive, but—get this—he started enjoying going to work again.

Here’s Dave sharing what it was really like to work together, what changed in his practice, and why he says it was one of the best decisions he ever made:

Two years later, I got a random video message from him while he was prepping for a company retreat. No script. No big moment. Just a guy reflecting on how far he’d come and saying thank you. That one meant more to me than any testimonial.

Because when you build your practice around you—your energy, your values, your vision—the right people find you. That’s what I call the Magnetic Culture Equation.

But first, you’ve got to be willing to let go of what (or who) isn’t working.

It’s not easy. It is worth it.

If Dave’s story feels a little too familiar, maybe it’s time we talk.

Click here to grab a spot on my calendar, and let’s see what’s possible for your practice: Schedule a call with me

Proactive, Productive and Profitable,

Dino