Dental Founder Podcast

Hosted by Jessica Emery DMD

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164

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Dental Founder is a space for women in dentistry ready to think bigger about their careers, their identities and the lives they’re creating. Hosted by Dr. Jessica Emery, each episode dives into honest conversations around personal branding, entrepreneurship, mindset and the evolution of dentistry in a new era.

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60 recent

October 23, 202651 min

150. Abby Baker: Dental Brand Design Studio

This week on the Dental Founder Podcast, I sit down with Abby Baker, brand designer, creative director and the creative force behind @ itsthedentalhygenius , the company founded by her mom, Tracy Baker. Abby builds strategic, standout brands for the next generation of dental hygiene founders: hygienists who are leaving clinical work, going independent, launching education platforms or building something entirely their own. Abby shares how she fell into the dental niche while designing for consulting clients during COVID, and why every dental professional already has a brand, whether they built it on purpose or not. We also get honest about what’s holding dentistry back. Connect with Abby: Instagram: itsthedentalhygenius Website: abbybakerstudio.com Come say hi: Find me on Instagram ⁠ drjessicaemery ⁠

October 16, 202634 min

149. Dr. Yashoni Shah, DDS and Founder of Smile Guide AI

Kicking off guest episodes with a conversation I loved. Dr. Yashoni Shah is a practicing dentist in the Midwest, a mom of two and the founder of Smile Guide AI and she’s built all of it at the same time. We start with her founder story, which is a masterclass in saying yes when the door opens. Then we get into Smile Guide AI, an idea she first had back in 2016, long before AI could deliver it, born out of being a new grad with no mentorship and nowhere to turn when a patient was in the chair. Dr. Yashoni also walks through HIPAA compliance and how the knowledge base and codes stay current and she shares the clinical story that made the case for all of it. We also get into where AI belongs and where it absolutely doesn’t. Find Dr. Yashoni Shah: Smile Guide AI on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn hello@smileguideai.com Come say hi: Find me on Instagram @drjessicaemery.

October 9, 202627 min

148. The Trifecta: Rainbow Angels, Releasing Trad, and Why I’m Going All In on TikTok Shop

In this episode, I’m opening up about a season of real transition, three major moves happening at once and what each one is teaching me about releasing, trusting the timing and stepping into the next thing. White Haute is officially open. A space I loved has been released. And a decision we made almost on a whim has our whole house in motion. I share what that’s looked like behind the scenes, the sign I asked for and received on a morning running on almost no sleep and the new creative direction I’m genuinely obsessed with right now, one that could open up an entirely different income stream for women in dentistry. I also reframe a word most dentists flinch at, say one I was told not to use and get honest about the real reason so many of you still haven’t dropped insurance. Come say hi: Headed to the Dental Entrepreneur Summit in November? Drop into my DMs on Instagram @drjessicaemery, I’d love to see you there.

October 2, 202622 min

147. Happy October: Fun, Frosting and Founder Energy

Happy October! This one's a quick pop-in because I'm in a trifecta right now with a lot of moving parts. I'm coming off a trip to Wisconsin to see my daughter and back into 80-degree Charleston, which is heaven. If you're up north you're in the October feels and that means three straight months of built-in opportunities to do something fun and memorable for your guests. But the real shift I want you to try on this quarter is a word. In this episode: The orange-and-black toothbrushes we handed out at the Lakeview Halloween walk and why little things like that are what people actually remember Why I woke up at 2:30am with ideas and finally admitted it: I'm a creator and I stopped playing in that energy for a while People don't remember what you put in their mouth. They remember how they felt. The words I want out of your vocabulary: clinic, waiting room, staff and now, practice "I own a practice" vs. "I own a business". Try the founder/CEO identity on for the next three months and watch what changes Q4 and benefits season: how to call it out whether you're in-network or fee-for-service Your website audit for last quarter: does it speak to you? Do you see yourself in it? Choosing your platform (and why I'm finally stepping onto TikTok, plus why I'll never leave Instagram) AI slop on social: if I can't see your eyeballs, I'm not coming to your business Why paying someone for AI content is spending , not investing and what to do instead (train someone in-house or go boutique agency) $55 new-patient specials, discounting and whether a discount shopper is the patient you actually want Money follows who you become and the subconscious blocks keeping you stuck at the same number year after year The luxury microsuite model I'm bringing forward, plus what's coming for White Hot Frosting vs. the whole cake: what we do out here vs. what we do inside Dental Founder Academy Come say hi: If you're a dental founder with a story that would impact others, I'd love to have you on the pod, DM me on Instagram @‌drjessicaemery. Happy October. 🍂

September 25, 202632 min

146. Stop Discounting Yourself: Mindset, Marketing and the Vision You're Not Sitting With

In this episode I'm talking about why your vision is yours for a reason, why writing it down amplifies it and why you have to shine a light on the shadows - the old programs and limitations you picked up before you were seven and never questioned before any of it can come through. I also get into the two things I think dentists underinvest in most: mindset and marketing. In this episode: Why your vision already exists on another timeline and how to collapse time around bringing it in The Lifebook framework I took my own team through and why I still use it with clients Scarcity loops, borrowed money and the old codes running underneath your practice decisions Why contracting with every insurance company out of fear cuts off the energetic exchange before you even start Discounting your services: $96 for x-rays, cleaning and exam - are you a 7-Eleven? Why AI slop content will never replace the frequency that makes you you Bigger isn't better, my case for the boutique, small-footprint, low-overhead model The ego conversation vs. the heart conversation and why you can't see your own blind spots Non-attachment as a money strategy (and how I hit my goals without ever tracking a cent) The separation I'm seeing in dentistry and why I refuse to play that way Full support for hygienists building independent practices Why your brand comes first always, it's what gives you wings Come say hi: If you're a woman in dentistry with a vision, I want to hear it. DMs or email always open. Find me on Instagram @‌drjessicaemery. hello@dentalsoiree.com And if you want the coaching piece, that's what we're doing inside Dental Founder Academy.

September 18, 202620 min

144. You're Not Just a Dentist, You're a Founder

After a detour over at Happy CEO and 100+ episodes, I'm coming all the way back to dentistry and bringing everything I've learned in the meantime with me. In this short, off-the-cuff episode, I walk you through the evolution from Dental Diaries to Dental Confidential to Happy CEO to Dental Founder and why the founder identity matters so much to me: if you own a practice, you're an entrepreneur, whether anyone told you that or not. I get into what dental school leaves out, not just business and marketing, but self-mastery & why I think the old paradigm in dentistry is overdue for a shake-up and what it actually takes to build a fee-for-service practice on purpose instead of by accident. Also in this episode: why your mentor should already be where you want to be, how to spot the invisible blocks you've built for yourself without realizing it, what's coming for Dental Founder in 2027 and my case for starting messy. I've got an incredible lineup of dental founders and entrepreneurs coming up. Come say hello on Instagram @drjessicaemery, I'd love to know what you're working on.

May 2, 2026Episode 14350 min

143. Bet on Your Dreams: Building SMRKLSS w/ Mallory Stewart

In this debut episode of Dental Founder, Dr. Jessica Emery sits down with Mallory Stewart, a dental hygienist, teeth whitening specialist and founder of SMRKLSS, a growing oral care brand built around confidence, simplicity and loving your real smile. Key Takeaways Why whitening is an untapped opportunity in dental practices How Mallory found a dental formulator and developed her hero product, Smile Sealer The reality of product development - costs, timelines, and iterations How collaboration between dental professionals and independent whitening businesses benefits everyone Why influencer marketing helped put SMRKLSS on the map The mindset shift required to go from employee to founder Why being comfortable with discomfort is the key to growth Connect with Mallory Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smrklss/ __________________________________________________ Follow & Subscribe Never miss an episode! Follow Dental Founder wherever you listen to podcasts and come hang out with us on Instagram: 🎙️ Podcast: Dental Founder 📸 Instagram: @DentalSoiree | @DentalFounderPodcast | @DrJessicaEmery Ready to Go Deeper? If this episode lit a fire in you, Dental Founder Academy is your next step. This is where we help women in dentistry build bold, beautiful brands and businesses on their own terms with the strategy, support and sisterhood to back it up. 👉 Check out Dental Founder Academy at https://dentalsoiree.com/dental-founder-academy

February 13, 202639 min

142. Fashion Shows, Scrubs & Saving Lives w/Debora Carrier, RDH CEO

In this episode of Dental Confidential, Dr. Jessica Emery sits down with dental industry trailblazer Deborah Carrier, a clinical hygienist of 40+ years who proves what’s possible when you stop waiting for the “right time” and start moving on the idea that won’t let go. Deborah shares her path from being told she’d “never get into hygiene school” to building multiple mission-driven businesses, including CPR Sisters (and how their training model helped someone respond confidently during a real cardiac arrest) and Twice As Nice Uniforms, a dentistry-specific uniform brand designed for infection control, comfort and real operatory life. If you’ve been sitting on an idea, craving something bigger or wondering what else is possible in dentistry… this episode is your sign. @twiceasniceuniforms __________________________________________________________ Follow us on IG @drjessicaemery

December 12, 202532 min

141. How Women in Dentistry Can Create Their Next Level with The League

In this episode, Dr. Jessica drops in with a full-body download about what’s been unfolding behind the scenes, the powerful energetic shifts happening in her world and the birth of The League™, a high-frequency membership. Jessica shares how years of personal development, quantum work, intuition and embodied manifestation have shaped her life, her businesses and every major leap she’s made. She opens up about the importance of listening to your inner GPS, raising your frequency and creating intentional space for vision casting - the practice that has allowed her to continually reinvent, expand and collapse timelines. You’ll hear how Content Club is evolving, why brand identity is deeply tied to your inner work and why 2026 will require you to show up online in a whole new way. If you’ve been feeling the nudge for more - more clarity, more alignment, more expansion, more you, this episode is your sign. The doors to The League are officially open and you’re invited into a whole new era. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LEAGUE Join the FREE Calibrate masterclass (Dec 17th 2025) Join the FREE Soulsocial Masterclass (Dec 19th 2025) Follow us on IG @drjessicaemery @dentalsoiree

December 5, 202551 min

140. From HIPAA Chick to Intuitive Money Coach: Danielle McKinley on Wealth & Alignment

In this episode of Dental Confidential , I’m joined by intuitive money coach and former “HIPAA Chick” Danielle McKinley for a real, no-filter conversation about contentment, money and what true freedom actually looks like beyond the operatory. We talk about how social media has stretched our radius of comparison, why so many high-achieving women in dentistry feel “I have a great life… but I’m still not happy,” and how to start defining your own version of enough. Danielle shares her story of building and exiting a successful company, only to realize that the big “win” felt empty and how that moment became her wake-up call to do the inner work, heal her money story and completely realign her life. We get into money as energy, the subconscious programming you picked up around money as a child, how that shows up in your practice and your team and why outsourcing everything to your CPA is quietly costing you. We also talk nervous system regulation, the difference between consuming and embodying personal development, decision-making, human design and giving yourself permission to pivot if the role you’re in no longer fits the woman you’re becoming. If you’ve ever looked around at your “successful” life and thought, Why don’t I feel content? - this conversation will land. Follow Danielle on Instagram: 👉 @_lifebydanielle Check out Dr. Jessica Emery’s books for women in dentistry For mindset, frequency and creating a life beyond burnout https://drjessicaemery.com/the-books ✨ Come hang out with us on Instagram: 👉 @drjessicaemery

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