What Dental Leaders Can Learn from a Paralympian’s Comeback Story – podcast episode by Dr. Scott Leune
In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Dr. Scott Leune sits down with Josh Sundquist—Paralympian, cancer survivor, best-selling author, and Emmy Award-winning storyteller—for an unforgettable conversation that bridges personal adversity with professional growth. Through humor, hard-won wisdom, and raw honesty, Josh shares life lessons that apply directly to the daily realities of owning and operating a dental practice.
As Dr. Leune emphasizes throughout the episode, success in dentistry often hinges on how you respond to setbacks, how quickly you recover, and how willing you are to evolve. Together, they explore how mindset, resilience, and the courage to change are essential not only to personal transformation but also to long-term success in dental leadership and practice ownership.
From overcoming fear and failure to building a support system and stepping into a bigger vision for the future, this episode delivers powerful parallels between elite athletics and effective practice management.
About the Podcast
The Dental CEO Podcast is built for the entrepreneur dentist who wants to lead smarter, scale confidently, and create lasting impact. Hosted by Dr. Scott Leune, each episode delivers focused, real-world advice to help dentists implement effective dental practice growth strategies—without burning out or losing control. Whether you’re refining your systems, expanding your team, or facing industry changes, this podcast provides the mindset and tools to grow a practice that works for you.
About the Host: Dr. Scott Leune
Dr. Scott Leune is a nationally recognized expert in dental leadership and founder of The Dental CEO Podcast. He has helped thousands of dentists rethink how they grow—from marketing and operations to team development and ownership structure. Scott’s approach is direct, strategic, and grounded in results. He speaks to dentists who want to be intentional about growth, make smarter business decisions, and build practices that align with their long-term vision.
Check out all of Dr. Leune’s webinars
About the Guest: Josh Sundquist
Josh Sundquist is more than a motivational speaker—he’s a storyteller with a remarkable journey. Diagnosed with bone cancer at age nine, Josh had his left leg amputated and faced a 50% chance of survival. Through relentless determination, he became a Paralympic ski racer, a bestselling author, and the creator of Best Foot Forward on Apple TV+, which is based on his life.
With over a billion views across social media, Josh uses humor and vulnerability to inspire audiences worldwide. His message—“One more thing, one more time”—is about pushing past the moment you want to quit, a mindset Dr. Leune believes is critical for dental practice growth. In this episode, Josh shares how to navigate fear, face change head-on, and recover faster—skills every dentist needs in today’s evolving landscape.
Whether you’re starting your first practice, expanding to multiple locations, or simply trying to regain momentum, Josh’s story offers motivation and clarity through the lens of real adversity—and real growth.
Key Highlights from the Episode
Growth Through Adversity
According to Dr. Scott Leune, Josh Sundquist’s story is a masterclass in turning hardship into momentum. Scott points out that real dental leadership isn’t about avoiding failure—it’s about how you handle it when it hits. For dentists, this could mean a failed marketing push, an underperforming associate, or a difficult financial season. What matters most, Scott emphasizes, is whether you recover with clarity, create a plan, and keep moving forward. That’s what sets apart a leader from a technician.
One More Thing, One More Time (1MT1MT)
Scott highlights Josh’s personal motto—1MT1MT—as a perfect reflection of what fuels dental practice growth. Whether you’re building a new patient flow, optimizing front-desk systems, or refining treatment presentation skills, success often lies in doing just one more rep, one more call, one more conversation. As Scott notes, “It’s the final step most people skip that moves you from average to exceptional.” He urges dentists to adopt this mentality when facing plateaus or resistance in growth efforts.
Reframing Change as Opportunity
Dr. Leune underscores the importance of embracing change—especially when it feels uncomfortable. He uses Josh’s metaphor of “growing into oversized clothes” to explain how practice systems, leadership roles, and business goals should feel a bit too big at first. “If your new schedule, tech platform, or marketing system feels like a stretch—that’s probably a good sign,” Scott explains. Real dental practice growth strategies require you to grow into the systems and roles that match the practice you want, not just the one you have today.
Going Far with the Right Team
Scott draws a sharp distinction between speed and sustainability. He reminds entrepreneur dentists that trying to do everything yourself may get you started—but it will keep you small. Reflecting on Josh’s shift from solo creator to executive producer of a major TV show, Scott stresses that building the right team is how you scale with confidence. “Whether it’s a partner, a coach, or a well-trained operations manager—don’t white-knuckle growth. Collaboration expands your ceiling.”
Leadership Is How Fast You Get Back Up
Scott uses Josh’s first ski race—where he fell five times but still finished—as a powerful metaphor for dental practice ownership. It’s not about a perfect run. It’s about how quickly you get up after a fall. Whether you’re dealing with a negative patient review, a hiring misstep, or a broken system, recovery time directly impacts your outcomes. “Fall. Get back up. Point your skis forward again,” Scott says. The faster you move from reaction to action, the stronger your leadership becomes.
Conclusion
This episode of The Dental CEO Podcast goes far beyond storytelling—it delivers a practical, mindset-driven framework for dentists navigating the highs and lows of practice ownership. Through Josh Sundquist’s powerful journey, Dr. Scott Leune brings forward the kind of lessons that every entrepreneur dentist needs to hear: resilience is a skill, not a trait; failure is part of the climb; and growth happens when you push just a little further than you think you can.
Whether you’re facing staffing challenges, scaling decisions, or feeling the pressure of change, Scott reminds us that leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about how fast you get back up, who you bring with you, and whether you’re willing to do one more thing, one more time.
If you’re serious about dental leadership and committed to long-term dental practice growth, this episode is a must-listen—and a mindset you’ll want to carry with you.