From Chairside to C-Suite: Coaching the Dental Leader with Thomas Passalacqua

Описание: What you’ll hear:
Why coaching (not consulting) is the quiet superpower for dental leaders. Thomas Passalacqua of Ascend Professional Pathways shares how a teacher’s mindset, sales empathy, and DSO experience shaped his approach to coaching: intense listening, perspective shifts, and future-focused action. We dig into building “reflexes” for better decisions, why data integrity matters only if people can act on it, and how mindful leadership makes tech work for humans instead of the other way around.

Highlights
▸Coaching vs. therapy vs. consulting: what’s different and why it works
▸Building decision “reflexes” in real time (and why debriefs matter)
▸Mindfulness at work: slow down to speed up
▸Data integrity + human skills = actual outcomes
▸Culture lessons from the firehouse “brotherhood”
▸Why in-person connection is a career superpower again

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and why this matters now
02:06 Thomas’ path: teacher → sales → DSO → coaching
04:24 Coaching defined: future-focused, client-centered, action-oriented
07:07 The “reflex” muscle: scan options, choose better, learn faster
11:09 Tech is a tool; the human is the differentiator
12:46 What’s exciting in dental innovation right now
14:55 Data quality and why adoption stalls without it
18:45 Practicing mindfulness at work (not just reading about it)
25:31 High support + high expectations for developing leaders
27:20 Safe reps, real growth: letting people learn through experience
29:39 Culture from the fire service: trust, unity, performance
31:56 How to connect with Thomas

Guest bio
Thomas Passalacqua is the founder of Ascend Professional Pathways. A former NYC educator turned dental sales leader and DSO operator, he now coaches clinical and corporate teams to build clarity, confidence, and measurable momentum.

Links
Learn more: ascendpropathways.com

Action step
Pick one meeting this week to “pause the game” for 90 seconds. Name the problem, list 3 options, and choose the next best move. Then debrief in two lines: “What worked? What will I change?”