Dentistry doesn't change because someone writes a better protocol. It changes because one person decides to try the thing everyone told them wouldn't work. This show is for you if you are that person, or you want to be. I'm Shawn Zajas. For three years I've sat across from the founders, clinicians, and quiet disruptors building what dentistry becomes next. Not the polished keynote version. The real one. What it cost them. What they got wrong first. What they saw that nobody else did. You'll hear from people who left the safe practice, shipped the product, started the company, or simply refused to accept that this is how it has always been done. Some of them you already know. Most of them you should. Underneath every episode is the same question. What would you build if you gave yourself permission? Innovation isn't a technology. It's a decision. And you are closer to it than you think. The full index of the people, shows, and companies shaping dentistry lives at innovationindentistry.com. Hosted by Shawn Zajas.
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January 16, 20261 hr 4 min
91 : The Swagger Strategy: Why Playing Small Guarantees Failure with Jeffrey Hayzlett
Jeffrey Hayzlett moved out at 16, worked multiple jobs through college, and made his first million by age 26. Today he stands as a four-time business hall of fame inductee, former CMO of Kodak, and founder of the C-Suite Network. But none of that defines him. In this conversation, Jeffrey shares the foundational belief that shaped his trajectory: the things that define you must be decided by you, not by others. Growing up in a trailer park with a military father and bookkeeper mother, he never knew the unwritten rules about who you can and cannot contact in business. So he picked up the phone and called Trump directly. He walked into Bloomberg and offered to write a check on the spot to buy airtime for his show. Jeffrey challenges the popular "fail fast" philosophy. His counter: win fast. Failure sucks. The goal is to get through the failures quickly so you can reach the wins. For dental professionals and entrepreneurs listening, Jeffrey delivers a direct message: you need to become a content company. Stop relying on rented land like Google ads. Trust is the new currency. The way to build it is through authentic content that shows people who you are, what you stand for, and why they can count on you. The conversation reveals a man who has dined at the Oscars and keynoted Fortune 100 events, yet would rather be on a tractor in South Dakota listening to country music. A man who drives a 20-year-old truck with bullet holes because he has nothing to prove. His advice to his 15-year-old self: do it faster, do it bigger, do it bolder. www.shawnzajas.com https://studio.bynd.media/
August 29, 20252 hr 32 min
90 : Breaking the Silence: The Prostate Cancer Truth Every Man Needs to Know with Joe Dooley
Men Over 40: This Extensive 150-Minute Interview Could Save Your Life - A Patient's Complete Journey Through Prostate Cancer CRITICAL VIEWING: One in Eight Men Will Get This Disease - Learn What Doctors Won't Tell You Black Men & Men With Family History: Your Risk Is Even Higher - Watch This Now In this powerful, comprehensive interview, prostate cancer patient Joe Dooley shares his entire journey from diagnosis through metastatic disease, revealing critical information that could save your life or the life of someone you love. Drawing from his personal experience with advanced prostate cancer treated at Mayo Clinic, Joe breaks his silence about the disease that kills 35,000 men annually while most stay quiet. As a patient advocate on a mission to save lives through early detection awareness, Joe provides the education and insights that men desperately need but rarely receive from their doctors. This isn't just another medical interview - it's a life-saving conversation between a survivor and men who need to hear the truth about prostate cancer before it's too late. From the moment his PSA jumped from 2.75 to 4.2, through surgery, radiation, and the brutal reality of hormone therapy, Joe shares every detail with unprecedented honesty and clarity. What This Interview Covers: Critical Information You'll Learn: ✅ Why your "normal" PSA result could actually mean you have cancer (Joe's 4.43 PSA showed "NORMAL" while he had confirmed cancer) ✅ The complete timeline from first PSA test to metastatic disease diagnosis ✅ How active surveillance became Joe's biggest regret and nearly cost him his life ✅ The brutal truth about hormone therapy (ADT) that doctors don't prepare you for ✅ Why "you'll die WITH it, not FROM it" is a deadly lie (35,000 men die FROM prostate cancer annually) ✅ The PSMA scan breakthrough that found Joe's tumor at Mayo Clinic ✅ Real conversations about erectile dysfunction and incontinence that men need to hear ✅ How Joe diagnosed a friend's cancer at dinner - and saved his life ✅ The shocking connection between breast cancer in female relatives and prostate cancer risk ✅ Why younger men face MORE aggressive cancer, not less Key Topics & Timestamps: Understanding PSA tests and why "normal" means nothing without knowing your number The asymptomatic nature of prostate cancer - why you'll feel nothing until it's too late Family history's critical role (2.5x higher risk with paternal prostate cancer) Black men's devastating 1 in 4 diagnosis rate and higher mortality The active surveillance trap for younger men Complete breakdown of treatment options: surgery vs. radiation The 18-month hormone therapy nightmare: 50-pound weight gain, hot flashes, zero testosterone Breaking the silence: why men don't talk about prostate cancer Early detection strategies that actually work Who MUST Watch This Interview: Every man over 40, especially those who feel healthy Black men who face quadruple the average risk Men with ANY family history of cancer Partners and wives trying to understand what their loved one faces Recently diagnosed men making treatment decisions Men on active surveillance questioning their choice Healthcare providers wanting to understand the patient perspective Anyone who thinks prostate cancer is an "old man's disease" Men whose doctors say their PSA is "normal" Joe's Journey By The Numbers: Age 58: PSA jumps from 2.75 to 4.2 (both considered "normal") October 2019: Diagnosed with Gleason 6 prostate cancer August 2020: Upgraded to Gleason 7 during active surveillance November 2020: Prostatectomy reveals metastatic disease 18 months: Hormone therapy causing 50-pound weight gain, metabolic disorder 0.25 PSA: When Mayo Clinic's PSMA scan found his tiny tumor 35,000: Men who die FROM prostate cancer every year 1 in 8: Lifetime risk for all men 1 in 4: Risk for Black men The Turning Points That Changed Everything: When "Low Risk" Became Life-Threatening: Joe's initial diagnosis was "low risk" Gleason 6 cancer. His doctor recommended active surveillance - watching and waiting. This decision, which Joe now deeply regrets, allowed his cancer to escape the prostate and become metastatic. The friend Joe later saved by insisting on immediate surgery? His tumor was hours from breaking through the prostate wall. The Hormone Therapy Nobody Prepares You For: Eighteen months of chemical castration - that's what hormone therapy really is. Joe gained 50 pounds despite working out constantly. Five to fifteen hot flashes daily. Testosterone at zero - lower than a woman's level. Insulin resistance requiring five times normal insulin doses. This wasn't a side effect - it was torture that Joe describes as worse than the cancer itself. Finding the Tumor Others Missed: When local doctors wanted to blindly radiate Joe's pelvic floor without knowing where the tumor was, he found Dr. Eugene Kwon at Mayo Clinic. Using groundbreaking PSMA scan technology, they found a tumor the size of a pinky fingernail at just 0.25 PSA - earlier than anyone thought possible. Critical Warnings From Joe's Experience: About PSA Testing: "Your doctor says it's normal because it shows up on a range. Mine said normal when I already had cancer. Know your number. If your doctor won't tell you, make them look it up while you're sitting there." About Active Surveillance: "If you're in your 40s or 50s and they're offering active surveillance, the answer is no. I knew I'd eventually have surgery but procrastinated. That procrastination likely caused my metastatic disease." About Family History: "My friend's father died from prostate cancer, yet he'd never been tested. I diagnosed him at dinner. His PSA was 5.6. He had cancer. The surgeon later said he got it out just in time - the tumor was hours from breaking through." About Being "Healthy": "You can be six feet tall, 185 pounds, doing triathlons, thinking you're the healthiest man in the world. Inside your prostate, cancer could be growing. You won't feel a thing." The Message Every Man Needs to Hear: This disease is completely curable when caught early but incurable once it metastasizes. The difference between cure and lifetime treatment often comes down to a simple PSA test and the knowledge to understand what those numbers really mean. Joe's mission is simple: ensure no man suffers from ignorance about a disease that's completely preventable with early detection. Resources Mentioned: Dr. Patrick Walsh's "Surviving Prostate Cancer" (4th Edition) Dr. Eugene Kwon's annual patient lectures at Mayo Clinic Take Action Now: Get your PSA tested - especially if you're over 40, Black, or have family history Know your actual number - never accept "normal" as an answer Track changes over time - PSA velocity matters more than absolute numbers Share this video - Joe gave up his privacy to save lives, help him reach more men Break the silence - talk about prostate cancer like women talk about breast cancer This interview could be the most important 150 minutes you spend this year. Don't wait until you have symptoms - by then it's too late. Watch now and share with every man over 40 in your life. Subscribe for more life-saving content about prostate cancer awareness and early detection from a patient who's lived through it all. #ProstateCancer #PSATest #MensHealth #CancerAwareness #EarlyDetection #MetastaticCancer #ProstateCancerAwareness #PatientStory #MayoClinic #CancerJourney #BlackMensHealth #CancerSurvivor #PatientAdvocate #HormoneTherapy #ActiveSurveillance #PSMAScans #CancerTreatment #MensHealthOver40 #FamilyHistory #BreakTheSilence About Joe Dooley: Joe Dooley is a prostate cancer patient and advocate who broke his silence about living with metastatic disease to save other men from the same fate. After keeping his diagnosis private until his cancer metastasized, Joe now shares his complete journey to promote early detection and awareness. His mission is simple: ensure men get tested early when prostate cancer is still curable, not after it becomes a lifelong battle with metastatic disease. Medical Disclaimer: This interview shares one patient's personal experience with prostate cancer. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers for medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment decisions. Every cancer case is unique, and what worked for one patient may not be appropriate for
July 25, 202553 min
89 ::: Ground Marketing: How Michael Arias Pioneered a New Approach to Dental Marketing
Michael Arias shares his journey from being a nutritionist to becoming a pioneering figure in dental marketing. He coined the term "ground marketing" and developed it into a sophisticated approach for dental practices to connect with their communities. The conversation explores his evolution as a podcaster, his philosophy on learning and growth, and how he overcame initial fears in business development. Michael provides deep insights into effective community engagement strategies and the importance of taking action despite uncertainty.
May 28, 202541 min
88 ::: From Dental Assistant to Leadership Coach: How Angela Davis Sullivan Pioneered Authentic Change in Dentistry
Angela Davis Sullivan's transformative journey from dental assistant to sought-after leadership coach reveals the power of authentic brilliance emerging through gradual courage. Over two decades in dentistry, Angela discovered that her introverted nature wasn't a limitation—it was her secret weapon for connecting with quiet team members whose voices often went unheard. Her story illuminates a profound truth: you don't need a title to lead. Through vulnerable conversations about overcoming limiting beliefs, Angela demonstrates how authentic leadership creates sustainable practice transformation. She emphasizes that every practice already has a culture—the question is whether it's the culture you want. Angela's methodical approach to career transition offers hope to dental professionals feeling called to something more. By maintaining her "safety job" while gradually building her coaching skills, she proves that transformation doesn't require reckless leaps—just consistent courage to step outside your comfort zone. Her work focuses on helping dental practices recognize that profitability flows from people, not just systems. When leaders invest in their teams' growth and create cultures of trust and accountability, remarkable transformations occur that extend far beyond the practice walls.
May 26, 202552 min
87 ::: The Power of Connection: How Dawn Scott is Transforming Dental Patient Care
Dawn Scott's journey from a challenging childhood to becoming a master of patient connection reveals how authentic brilliance emerges from embracing our most difficult experiences. Raised in an environment where she learned to "read between the lines" due to her mother's anxiety and depression, Dawn discovered her superpower: the intuitive ability to understand people's unspoken needs. Despite initially pursuing international business, dentistry kept finding her—from working at a front desk at 18 to creating Business Intelligence departments, to ultimately becoming a revolutionary voice in patient communication. Her story illuminates how personal struggles can become professional strengths, transforming not just individual practices but entire approaches to healthcare connection. Through raising a daughter with anxiety and writing her children's book "Go Away Ick," Dawn demonstrates that true innovation in dentistry isn't just about technology—it's about creating spaces where patients feel seen, understood, and genuinely cared for. Her EMOTION framework offers dental professionals a systematic approach to building authentic connections that drive both patient satisfaction and practice success.
May 23, 202550 min
86 ::: Ai in Dentistry: Dr. Shah's Vision to Return Power to Practitioners
Dr. Kianor Shah illuminates the human journey behind his remarkable transformation from immigrant to global healthcare pioneer. Born amidst revolution in Iran and witnessing historic moments across three countries, his authentic brilliance emerged from these unique experiences, fueling his mission to return healthcare control to doctors. Despite fierce resistance when launching World's Top Doctors in 2020, his wholehearted commitment never wavered. As founder of the Dental Artificial Intelligence Association, Dr. Shah envisions AI not as a threat but as a powerful tool to eliminate corporate middlemen and restore the doctor-patient relationship. With organizations spanning six continents, his journey reveals that when you bet on yourself and embrace risk, your authentic brilliance becomes your evolutionary advantage in transforming an entire profession.
May 21, 20251 hr 2 min
85 ::: Permission to Dream: How Cassie Tallon's Fractional Leadership Model Is Transforming Dental Practices
In this compelling conversation, Cassie Tallon shares her journey from hospitality marketing to becoming a fractional CMO/COO in the dental industry. She discusses her unique approach to leadership, combining operational excellence with deep empathy for team members' individual strengths and aspirations. Cassie emphasizes the importance of giving people permission to dream and breaking down limiting beliefs. The conversation explores themes of purpose, authenticity, and the power of servant leadership in transforming dental practices.
May 19, 202554 min
84 ::: Data-Driven Dentistry: How Dr. Matt Allen is Transforming Dentistry With Different Kind
In this illuminating conversation, Dr. Matt Allen shares his authentic journey from dental director to founding Different Kind, a dental technology company transforming how practices collect and utilize patient feedback. The episode explores Matt's sabbatical year that created space for his authentic brilliance to emerge, his experience navigating uncertainty without guarantees, and his vision for revolutionizing dental data collection. Through powerful metaphors about rivers, boats, and placing stones one at a time, Matt reveals how embracing his unique path led to creating technology that helps practices improve both patient outcomes and business performance. His story exemplifies how stepping beyond clinical dentistry can lead to unprecedented impact when we trust our vision even without seeing the full road ahead. Connect with Matt Allen: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/differentkind/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imdifferentkind/ X: https://twitter.com/imdifferentkind
May 16, 202555 min
83 ::: From Dental Chair to Digital Empire: Dr. Paul Goodman's Dental Nachos Story
In this captivating episode, Dr. Paul Goodman, founder of Dental Nachos, shares his remarkable journey from practicing dentist to creating one of dentistry's most influential communities. With infectious energy and authentic transparency, Paul discusses the challenges of dental practice, the importance of communication in healthcare, and how a simple Facebook group evolved into a movement that's changing how dentists learn and connect. From his early days working with his father to building a multi-faceted business empire, Paul offers invaluable insights about entrepreneurship, leadership, and the future of dental education.
February 19, 202548 min
82 ::: From Dental Assistant to Leadership Coach: Brenda McNulty on Faith, Taking Chances, and Creating Opportunities
In this inspiring episode, Brenda McNulty shares her journey from reluctant dental assistant to successful leadership coach and consultant. She discusses how her faith, optimism, and willingness to take chances led her to create DSO Facts, a company providing fractional accountability coaching to dental practices. Brenda's story demonstrates how identifying your strengths and being unafraid to pivot can lead to greater impact and fulfillment. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining high standards while showing grace to others, and how her mission extends beyond business success to creating positive change through charitable giving.
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