How the Sunrise community and mentorship helped them build the practice
Fourteen years ago, Ryan and Sonya described their practice as “a lot smaller and not as organized” consisting of one hygienist, two dentists, a couple of assistants. Processes were loose, systems were thin, and the vision for growth felt distant.
At a doctor’s education course on oral sedation, Ryan heard Dr. AnthonyTony Feck speak. During a break, a simple message on the screen stuck with him:
“Control your future. Make the best of your life. You decide how you want to work and live.”
He didn’t join Sunrise then. But years later, when he pursued IV sedation training with Dr. Feck the timing was just right. They joined Sunrise literally days before the world changed.
In March 2020, after finishing sedation training, Ryan flew home as COVID shutdowns began. The next week, schools closed and the practice doors followed. Fear and uncertainty were everywhere.
Instead, the Sunrise community mobilized. Playbooks, staff guidance, legal/operational updates, and PPE flowed freely among members. Packages of masks arrived at the office. Strategy calls increased, not decreased.
“It’s not that you have a crisis—it’s what you do in the time of crisis that impacts you most.”
—was the guidance they received
With that mindset, Ryan and Sonya stood up an emergency team, kept urgent care available, worked their P&Ls, navigated PPP programs, and served patients safely while many offices were closed. They gained new patients (and later, new team members) who remembered how the practice showed up.
Sunrise didn’t just provide tactics; it accelerated leadership growth.
Ryan and Sonya built out a clear organizational structure with team leads, codified core values, and led by example. They visited peer offices (like Dr. John Phillips’ team) to see high-functioning leadership in action.
“Without team leadership in place, it’d be chaos. We now have 42 team members—the organization makes it work.” —Ryan
The Power of Mentorship
Perhaps the biggest unlock: coaching!
Ryan expanded beyond a single mentor to a bench of clinical and life coaches within Sunrise and beyond. That support shifted their ceiling.
Over the years, the practice has grown from one hygienist to nearly eight, from two dentists to five, and from a single location to two thriving offices. Yet Ryan and Sonya emphasize that this growth has always had purpose behind it.
They don’t just measure success in revenue they celebrate when team members achieve personal milestones, like buying a new house or car. Through profit sharing and a culture of giving back, they’ve built a model where growth is truly shared across the entire team.
Today, Ryan focuses on what he enjoys most: surgery, sedation, and implants, while his strong team continues to lead the practice’s growth.
Why Sunrise
“Sunrise has been one of the best ROIs for our time and money. It gave us productivity, control of our future, and the support we needed to reach our goals.”— Ryan
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