Behind every transition is a story worth telling, and it’s about far more than the deal. What often goes unseen are the years spent building the business, the difficult decisions that come with growth, and the responsibility of leading a team through one of the most significant milestones in the company’s history.
In this episode of The Advisor’s Table, Brian and 7 Pillars Founding Partner, Brett Pierce, sit down with former CEO of Viridian Dental Partners, Alix Laurain to discuss the realities of scaling an organization and preparing for a transition.
Alix shares lessons she learned as she helped build, scale, and eventually transition Viridian Dental Partners. They talk through expectation management, communication, and staying aligned with different stakeholders throughout the process. Alix reveals aspects of the process she would have handled differently and shares her advice to DSO leaders considering a transition.
Key Takeaways for DSO Leaders:
- Alignment starts at the very beginning.
- When you build to sell, you need to understand what buyers are looking to buy.
- Not having someone in the middle to help negotiate might be what breaks the deal.
Why this Matters for Dental Owners:
In this episode, a former emerging DSO CEO shares her firsthand experience navigating growth, stakeholder expectations, and the transition process offering practice insights for leaders building toward their own next chapter.