In part two of this live Women in DSO® 2025 panel, Dr. Mark Costes turns the conversation toward growth—how to connect the dots between marketing, operations, and leadership in ways that actually move the needle. Sydney joins Ashlee Hirschfeld, Kay Lang, and Mary Lafferty once again to unpack the real mechanics of DSO success: clear data, aligned teams, and authentic leadership.
What You’ll Hear
Marketing isn’t just ads: it’s the entire patient experience. Mary Lafferty, CMOshare’s Chief Strategy Officer, breaks down how to vet a true marketing partner, the five pillars of effective dental marketing, and why performance must come before “pretty.”
Dr. Costes and the group dig into how AI is transforming campaign tracking, how operations can make or break marketing results, and why simple things like online scheduling and phone training often double conversion rates.
Sydney Robinson brings an operator’s perspective on tackling resistance to change, including how to introduce new systems, train teams with confidence, and turn skeptics into champions.
Ashlee Hirschfeld and Kay Lang explore staff retention and culture building: tiered career paths, public praise and private coaching, and hiring for curiosity and abundance mindset.
The panel wraps with a candid look at DSO partnerships, leadership development, and how data-driven transparency can create happier teams and stronger growth.
Key Takeaways
Vet agencies for fit + proof—don’t trade performance for looks.
Use AI to combine marketing and ops data to find true ROI.
Five essentials: a converting website, SEO/local/voice visibility, paid ads, market insight, and online scheduling.
Before blaming marketing, check operations: phone answer rate, scheduling capacity, and team goals.
Clear expectations and tiered growth paths keep people engaged and loyal.
Marketing success = total patient experience, not just campaigns.
Links
Listen to Part 1
Learn more about DSN
Visit CMO Share
Learn more about GSD Queen
Join Smile Outreach International
