Most associates think about ownership at some point. Fewer actually take the leap.
Starting a dental practice from scratch comes with real risk. There is the financial pressure, the uncertainty of opening in a new market, the challenge of building a team, and the reality that even a well-planned launch can go sideways fast. For Dr. Ryan Driesse, those challenges were part of the process.
Dr. Ryan Driesse is a dentist in Jasper, GA and owner of Mountain City Dentistry. He opened his practice from the ground up in Jasper, Georgia, then grew it to roughly $1.95 million in production and $1.8 million collected in the first year. The numbers are impressive, but the bigger story is how that growth happened. His first year was shaped by early community trust, steady pre-opening marketing, careful hiring, and a willingness to adapt when the launch got messy.
He started with the kind of community he wanted
Ryan did not choose a location at random.
He began with the lifestyle he wanted and the type of community where he felt he could build something long term. From there, he narrowed his search to places that fit both personally and professionally. Jasper stood out as the right mix of opportunity, demographics, and community feel.
That approach matters because many dentists look at location as a numbers-only decision. Of course the data matters, but so does fit. Ryan was not just looking for a market with potential. He was looking for a town where relationships would matter and where he could become part of the community, not just open an office in it.
That decision helped shape everything that followed.
He built familiarity before the office opened
One of the smartest parts of Ryan’s launch happened before the practice even saw its first patient.
He spent time in the community early. Rotary meetings, local businesses, events, casual introductions, all of it helped people get to know him before the office opened. By the time the practice launched, he had already built a sense of familiarity that most startups spend months trying to create.
That effort led to a VIP list of nearly 300 people before opening day.
Once the doors opened, that early momentum turned into real patient flow, with more than 180 patients scheduled in the first two weeks. For any startup, that kind of head start can make a major difference. It reduces some of the uncertainty that defines the early months and gives the practice a much stronger foundation from day one.
For owners planning a startup, this is a good reminder that pre-opening marketing is not just about visibility. It is also about trust.
Ground marketing played a major role
Ryan also highlighted something that gets overlooked too often: ground marketing.
Many startup owners think of marketing almost entirely in digital terms. Ads, landing pages, campaigns, and lead flow all matter. But in the early stage of a startup, especially in a smaller or relationship-driven community, personal outreach still carries real weight.
Ryan spent time meeting people, introducing himself, and letting the community know a new practice was coming. That kind of effort does not always look sophisticated on paper, but it creates something more valuable early on, recognition.
For a startup, recognition matters. People are more likely to respond when the name of the doctor or practice already feels somewhat familiar. Digital marketing can help create reach, but personal visibility often helps create trust.
The strongest startup strategies usually make room for both.
The launch came with setbacks
Ryan’s first year was successful, but the road to opening was not smooth.
He dealt with an eight-month electrical delay tied to landlord issues and state approval for wiring. Then, just ten days before opening, his office manager quit unexpectedly. On the first day, his scanner failed.
Those are the kinds of problems that can throw a startup off course in a hurry.
What stands out is not that the problems happened, but that he kept moving through them. That is one of the more practical lessons in the episode. Startups rarely unfold exactly as planned. Construction gets delayed, people leave, equipment acts up, timelines change. Owners who do well in that environment usually build some flexibility into the process and respond quickly when plans shift.
That mindset can save a launch.
He hired for culture and commitment
Ryan also took a practical approach to hiring.
He was not trying to build a startup team based on resumes alone. He wanted people who believed in the vision for the practice, were willing to grow with it, and could contribute to the kind of environment he wanted to create. Many of those hires came through referrals, which often makes sense in a startup where trust and fit matter so much.
What made his view of culture stand out was how concrete it felt.
He wanted team members who would take ownership of the office.
Who would step up for patients.
Who would help one another without hesitation.
Who would care about the details, even during busy days.
That kind of culture helps a startup settle in faster because the team is not just filling positions. They are helping build the practice.
He also made a compensation decision that likely helped with retention. Ryan pays his team fully when the office is closed for holidays or when he takes time away. That kind of stability can mean a lot in a young practice and can create loyalty early.
He gave the team time to get comfortable
Another strong decision was how much emphasis he placed on training.
Ryan opened with a lean team that included himself, a hygienist, a lead assistant, and a patient coordinator. In the early weeks, they spent serious time training on systems, equipment, and software. He also left extra room in the schedule at the beginning so the team could work through issues without making the patient experience feel rushed or chaotic.
That was a smart move.
Many owners want the schedule full immediately, which is understandable. But early speed can create avoidable problems if the team is still learning how to work together in a brand-new environment. Ryan gave the practice room to ramp up, then tightened things over time as the team became more confident.
That slower start likely helped create a smoother patient experience and a stronger operational rhythm.
The practice outperformed the original goals
One detail that makes Ryan’s story even more interesting is that his original first-year goals were relatively modest compared to the final outcome.
He was aiming for around $600,000 in collections and 1,000 patients in year one. Those are solid goals for a startup. Instead, the practice far exceeded them.
That kind of growth suggests the early foundation was stronger than expected. The community response was there, the patient experience appears to have landed well, and demand kept building after opening. Before long, the practice had added operatories and expanded the team to keep up.
That is a very different position than many startups find themselves in during the first year.
Reputation was part of the growth strategy
Ryan clearly paid attention to the numbers, but he also seemed to understand that reputation would shape long-term growth.
That matters because a startup does not build momentum on patient count alone. It grows through patient experience, community perception, and trust. When people have a good experience, they come back. They leave reviews. They refer friends and family. They accept treatment with more confidence.
That kind of momentum builds over time, and it tends to be more durable than growth driven by marketing alone.
For startup owners, that is an important distinction. Marketing can get someone through the door. Reputation is often what keeps the practice growing.
Ownership changed more than his income
Ryan’s story also made it clear that ownership affected more than the business itself.
Ryan was able to pay off around $400,000 in student loans within a year. He also shared how ownership gave him the ability to do meaningful dental work for his father and create memorable experiences for his family and team along the way.
That adds another layer to the story.
Practice ownership is often framed as a financial move, and of course the financial upside matters. But for many dentists, it is also about having more control over their time, their environment, and the life they want to build. Ryan’s experience reflected that broader payoff.
The pressure of ownership showed up in daily decisions
One of the more honest parts of the conversation was Ryan’s point about decision fatigue.
Owning a practice means making decisions constantly. Some are clinical. Some are operational. Some are about staffing, scheduling, technology, growth, or simply handling the issue that landed on your desk that morning. Even in a growing practice, that pace can wear on an owner over time.
That is why systems matter so much.
So does delegation. As the practice grows, the owner has to trust other people with important responsibilities. That does not happen overnight, especially in a startup. But it becomes necessary if the business is going to scale in a healthy way.
Who should think seriously about this path?
Startup ownership is not for everyone.
Still, this episode offers a strong case for dentists who have the entrepreneurial instinct and want to build something of their own. If you care about creating a team, shaping the patient experience, choosing your market carefully, and building a practice around your own values, Ryan’s story gives a clear picture of what is possible.
It also suggests that many associates may underestimate how quickly momentum can build when the foundation is strong.
Lessons worth taking from Ryan’s first year
A few takeaways stand out.
Start building relationships before the office opens. Familiarity and trust take time.
Use more than one kind of marketing. Digital outreach matters, but so does being visible in the community.
Expect setbacks. Delays, staffing issues, and equipment problems are part of the process.
Hire for fit and commitment, not just credentials.
Give the team time to learn the systems before pushing for maximum speed.
And pay attention to reputation from the beginning. It has a direct effect on referrals, retention, and long-term growth.
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Final thoughts
Ryan’s first year is impressive because of the numbers, but the bigger value in his story is the pattern behind them.
He chose the right community for the life he wanted. He built trust before opening. He stayed flexible when problems came up. He hired people who fit the kind of practice he wanted to build. He gave the team time to learn, then expanded as demand grew.
For dentists considering ownership, that is probably the most useful part of this episode. Growth did not come from one big move. It came from a series of good decisions made early and followed through consistently.
That is what gave the practice real momentum, and it is what made the first year stand out.
You can watch or listen to the full conversation between Shane Simmons and Dr. Ryan Driesse in The Dental Practice Launch Podcast episode 82, How This Dentist Went From Startup to $1.9M in 12 Months.