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 againTimestamps00:00 Welcome and why this matters now02:06 Thomas’ path: teacher → sales → DSO → coaching04:24 Coaching defined: future-focused, client-centered, action-oriented07:07 The “reflex” muscle: scan options, choose better, learn faster11:09 Tech is a tool; the human is the differentiator12:46 What’s exciting in dental innovation right now14:55 Data quality and why adoption stalls without it18:45 Practicing mindfulness at work (not just reading about it)25:31 High support + high expectations for developing leaders27:20 Safe reps, real growth: letting people learn through experience29:39 Culture from the fire service: trust, unity, performance31:56 How to connect with ThomasGuest bioThomas 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.LinksLearn more: ascendpropathways.comAction stepPick 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?”

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