Multi-Location Growth Stories: Lessons from Practices That Expanded Successfully

Shannon: If you are running multiple dental practices and you may be running into a few growth barriers, you’re in the right place today. Kelsey and I are going to break down a few of these practices, these groups that we helped with some of these barriers—from patient acquisition to being stuck, with one location being the problem child while the other two or three were doing great. Each group has different problems and growth barriers, and we’re going to break it down with a few of our clients who have been super successful in solving those problems.

Kelsey: Let’s start with the Hylan Dental GroupThis link leads to Hylan Dental Group case study. They were at three locations, run by a husband, wife, and daughter. The husband really wanted another location, possibly another one after that. The wife and daughter were fine with the three, because they had a really bad “problem child” location. They couldn’t get this practice fully booked, and it was really costing them. This “problem child” location was losing profitability. They tried everything, multiple marketing groups, but it was just a tough area for them.

Shannon: Even got to the point where they were considering closing it down completely.

Kelsey: Yeah.

Shannon: They were going to close it down, and it did take a while for us to break through. What was interesting about it is we really locked in on the personality of that community. It took a minute to figure it out, and then build content around it to build up that trust for them.

Kelsey: Definitely. And changing his mindset too, right? Changing the focus from being purely traditional SEO—the old way of doing things. Breaking away from that was part of that mindset shift that helped that location grow a little more.

Shannon: So we popped off. We just started hitting crazy numbers with them. I did an onsite visit, and after about nine months, they grew two chairs. They started opening up two more ops in that practice, and they were just fully booked. Then they started doing a lot of All-on-Four implants at that location. That was their problem child. And now, a year and a half later, they just bought their fourth location and are looking at a fifth already. Because the Cleveland office was so busy.

Kelsey: I’d say how we solved that problem with having that one location is dangerous—it wasn’t fully booked. The other two locations were basically paying for it. They were covering the costs.

Shannon: Right. They just stayed. They were covering the cost of that practice.
And you can’t just stay stuck there. You have to get every location to profitability. We helped them with different ways to make each location more profitable. But that problem child was a big one.

Kelsey: It was. And I think some of the ways that helped shift things were looking at it with an omnipresent approach. Going from being more traditional to incorporating video, building their authority, and building their trust and expertise in the industry. That helped attract more patients to that practice. Now, when we look at the numbers year over year, the problem child location is actually up $500,000 over the previous year.

So the amount of growth in just one calendar year is phenomenal.

Shannon: Well, what I loved about that is, because of this omnipresent approach, building up the brand, the other two locations got higher quality patients. They got the All-on-Fours, the cosmetics. That was the power of building up the brand across all locations.

Kelsey: They really couldn’t see the forest for the trees. It was a three-prong approach instead of just focusing on one thing. We focused on their local visibility, their ranking. That took a while, but then we also incorporated video. Now they’re recording videos, massively increasing their social presence.

Shannon: Yeah, and that visibility helped Dr. Hylan and Dr. Escobar say, “People are recognizing me on the street. I’m a local celebrity. People are saying they saw me on TV,” even though they weren’t actually on TV.

Kelsey: Right. They had that amount of visibility because of the omnipresent approach.

Shannon: Exactly. We took care of that problem child location. So, for anyone out there with a similar issue, what are the three things they should focus on?

Kelsey: And by the way, it’s okay to have a problem child, because I’m a problem child too. The three things to focus on: Record more video. Be more visible, more present in the community. Your patients are craving it. Do it in a way that’s natural to you. You don’t have to be a TikTok star, just do what you do and do it well. Second, be more active on social media. Pick a couple of channels you’re comfortable with, like Google Business Profile or Meta. And third, don’t forget the fundamentals. Ensure your local SEO and map ranking are locked in.

Shannon: Yes, and content too—answering questions and building that marketing system. It’s about hitting all the touchpoints. They were just invisible for a while, but once we hit the code, it worked. That’s the key to growth.

Shannon: Alright, Kelsey, let’s talk about brush365This link leads to brush365 case study. We love her. Love her brand, everything about it. This practice started with three locations, and now they have four. But here’s the story. Sara was doing the marketing herself, with some help on Instagram. They were putting content out there, but it was disjointed. There was no clear strategy behind it. They were working hard but weren’t getting the results needed to make that fourth location profitable.

Kelsey: They were moving and shaking, but still stagnant, just treading water.

Shannon: Right. They were posting on Facebook, Instagram, but they didn’t have a clear content strategy that connected with patients’ needs. It was like synchronized swimming—getting rid of barriers, nurturing relationships, and building authority. We had to get Sara to realize, “Who are you? Why are you doing this?” It wasn’t enough to just be there; we needed her to be different. Social media has become so competitive since COVID. You need a strong social media strategy that ties into SEO and helps you stand out.

Kelsey: And you need to stay top of mind because with so much noise in social media, you can easily be forgotten. That’s why Sara took her marketing and systematized it.

Shannon: Exactly. She’s been amazing. The system she now has in place is scalable. As she opens new locations, she can just roll out the same process. It’s almost like rinse and repeat, but with that local community flavor.

Kelsey: Yeah, Sara made it work. And when we helped her build that system, she was so engaged. She was like, “What else can we shoot? I’m willing to try anything!” It was great working with her, and it really helped her grow. Now she has a system that she can apply to all her locations.

Shannon: One of our favorite moments was getting an email from Sara saying a new patient came in, all excited, saying, “I feel like I’m talking to the Elvis Presley of Dentistry. You’re everywhere!” That’s what happens when your content resonates. It’s fun, and it works.

Kelsey: It’s pretty cool.

Shannon: It really is. Congratulations to Sara Mahmood! She’s a star, and her practice is growing. We’re so proud of her.

Shannon: Now, for our audience, if they’re struggling to get their strategy together, or if they feel disjointed, what should they do?

Kelsey: The biggest thing Sara did was systematize her marketing. And that’s what every group—whether a DSO or a multi-location practice—needs to do. You have to have something scalable in place. Sara had a system for new patient acquisition that she can now roll out across her locations. It’s like rinse and repeat, but tailored with that local community flavor to attract the patients in that specific area.

Shannon: Exactly. And Sara was great to work with—always willing to do what it took. She was really open to making the system work. We helped her quickly put it into practice, and she got that win.

Kelsey: Next up, let’s talk about Gallery B SmilesThis link leads to Gallery B Smiles case study. This one’s a bit unique because they’re in a super saturated, busy area. Despite being surrounded by over 100 other practices, they were overlooked. They wanted to transform into a practice that wasn’t just surviving but was actually overbooked.

Shannon: What I loved about this doctor is that he was in a highly competitive market, but he was willing to be innovative. A lot of the local doctors were a bit old-school, but he wanted to be different. He embraced video production, social media, and standing out. With just one small practice, we got it humming.

Kelsey: At the time, it was in survival mode.

Shannon: It took about six months of ramping up, but a year and a half later, he had two locations and hired three associates. The patients loved him, kept referring others, and his videos and social media content really helped attract new patients. He even started looking for another location because his patient base was growing so fast.

Kelsey: He was a great operator. His growth was driven by patient acquisition, especially through his video content. His patients really connected with him, and because of that connection, they were eager to refer others.

Shannon: And that connection was key. They could sense his authenticity. It wasn’t just about him doing his job; it was about him truly enjoying his work and showing it in his content.

Shannon: For those of you struggling in a competitive market, Kelsey, what should they do if they’re feeling stuck?

Kelsey: The biggest thing is to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. It’s okay to be uncomfortable. You need to show prospective patients why you’re different and why it’s okay to be different. In a market with 100 other practices, you have to stand out. They all offer the same services, so why should people choose you?

Shannon: It’s about stepping outside the box. This doctor was okay with showing his uniqueness, and that’s how he stood out. The key principles are simple: record video, be active, and be omnipresent. Be everywhere your patients are spending their time.

Kelsey: Exactly. If you’re not where your patients are, you won’t attract them. You have to meet them where they are, and that means stepping out of your comfort zone and connecting with them on the platforms they’re using.

Shannon: Honestly, he didn’t want to do videos at first. When we brought it up, he was hesitant, saying, “I became a dentist to wear my mask and do my thing.” But eventually, he warmed up. The patients fell in love with him, and his practice is now incredibly successful.

Kelsey: He really connected with his patients. It was about showing who he was and why he was different.

Shannon: Now, for our audience, if you’re in a competitive area and you’re not sure how to differentiate, here’s the takeaway: it’s not easy to get in front of a camera. But it’s worth it. If you do it right, the new patients will come in saying they already know you. Video makes that connection happen faster.

Kelsey: Exactly. It’s not about having the most content, the most pages, or the most videos. It’s about solving the problems your patients are having right now and positioning yourself as the solution.

Shannon: SEO, AI, videos—these are all tools to answer your patients’ questions. If you can do that, you’ll be different from the rest.
So, if you’re ready to take your multi-location practice to the next level, whether you have a “problem child” location or a disjointed strategy, we’d love to help.

You can schedule a free strategy call with us.This link leads to Contact page

We really make it a strategy call. We’ll look at what’s working, what’s not, and what assets you already have in place. We’ll help you scale and solve your specific challenges.

Kelsey: Don’t forget to subscribeThis link opens a new tab to our YouTube channel if you want more actionable tips. We’re helping local practices, just like yours, become celebrities and crush their marketing goals.