I had a heart-to-heart with a smart client this week. After an on-site training, it was painfully clear to everyone but him that two employees were sabotaging his growth. “Let’s cut the nonsense,” I told him. “Your practice isn’t stuck because of marketing. It’s not your technology. It’s not even your location. It’s your people.” He paused for a beat and then smiled. “I know. This was a test. I wanted to see how those two would handle the training. Their severance letters are already typed up.” I can’t tell you how many times this has happened. Doctors send employees…
Posts By:Burleson Seminars
In the 1997 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan delivered one of the most legendary performances in sports history—The Flu Game. Battling illness, dehydration, and sheer exhaustion, he put up 38 points and carried the Chicago Bulls to victory. Fans and commentators marveled at the spectacle, calling it one of the grittiest efforts ever seen. But what’s often missed in these highlight-reel moments is the relentless preparation that made them possible. Jordan wasn’t just “clutch” in that moment—he was the product of thousands of unseen hours of work. The same shot mechanics, footwork, and decision-making that won that game had been drilled…
Years ago, Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks, told a story about how the company sent him to Portland to “fix” a store that was underperforming. He walked in expecting operational chaos. What he found was a team that didn’t know they were allowed to win. No scoreboard. No celebration. No one cheering when the job was done right. So Behar gave them permission. He made the numbers visible, encouraged competition, and celebrated progress in full view of customers. You already know what happened next: the store became one of the best in the region. Not because the coffee got…
There’s a fabulous quote floating around from Scott Kirby, the CEO of United Airlines. When asked about the future of low-cost carriers, he said, “The low-cost model is dead. It was designed to screw the customer.” That’s a pretty bold statement. And it caught my attention—not just because it’s rare for a CEO to speak that candidly—but because it’s true in a much broader sense than airlines. If you’ve ever tried to run a “low-cost” version of your business—cheaper aligners, faster appointments, tighter schedules, less training—you know exactly what he means. JetBlue is a good case study. They started out…
Brad Stulberg said something recently that stuck with me: “The goal is the path; the path is the goal.” Brad says a lot of smart things, actually. He was incredibly generous with his time on The Burleson Box, where we talked about his book Master of Change. What he’s getting at, I think, is the constant temptation to chase some big milestone—and then feel oddly disappointed when we reach it. We hit the goal, look around, and ask, “Is this all there is?” And then, as if we’ve learned nothing, we set off again, chasing the next big thing. In…
Hiring the right people for your orthodontic practice has always been a cornerstone of growth. But as we look toward 2025, the challenges of inflation, rising interest rates, and workforce uncertainty are redefining how practices approach the hiring process. It’s no longer about just finding “good” employees—it’s about hiring for excellence with systems that deliver predictable results. Recent data from the labor market highlights both opportunities and risks. While inflation has moderated slightly, interest rates remain high, creating a cautious economic climate. This puts pressure on wages and forces small businesses, including dental and orthodontic practices, to be laser-focused on…
I’m neck-deep finishing some work for a large international client and their marketing department. What the CMO likes to call “the hero’s journey” I phrase as a question for the entire marketing team: If we don’t know where they are, how can we help them get where they want to be? Most products and services are not marketed and advertised with this question in mind, but they should be if they want to be successful. From Broadway to Hollywood and Washington D.C. the story has been told a thousand times from “small town USA” and “rags to riches” the narrative…
The Monty Hall paradox is a famous probability puzzle that continues to stump many people, highlighting the ways in which our intuitions about chance can lead us astray. The puzzle is based on the classic game show Let’s Make a Deal, where the host, Monty Hall, presents a contestant with three doors. Behind one door is a car (the prize), and behind the other two are goats. The contestant picks a door, after which Monty—who knows what’s behind each door—opens one of the other two doors, intentionally revealing a goat. Monty then offers the contestant the chance to switch to…
Orthodontic treatment is more than just straightening teeth; it’s about transforming lives through the power of a smile. In my recent feature on Orthotown, A Smile Transformed, I discuss the incredible impact a smile can have on an individual’s confidence, health, and overall well-being. At the core of orthodontic care is the ability to provide patients with more than just aesthetic benefits. A person’s smile is often one of the first things others notice. For patients with misaligned teeth, the effect on self-esteem can be profound. Orthodontic treatments, such as braces or aligners, help restore confidence by giving patients a…
Broken Windows, Broken Business by Michael Levine is a book we use frequently in my businesses, on stage at seminars, and in the practices of our members at Burleson Seminars. It’s based on a simple but powerful premise brought forward by criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. This theory posits that visible signs of disorder—like broken windows—can lead to more serious crime and antisocial behavior. Levine adapts this concept to the business world, arguing that seemingly minor issues, when left unaddressed, can spiral into significant problems that damage your company’s reputation, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, your bottom line. Why It…
