Year ONE begins with the individual.
Before we can effectively lead a team, run a business, or guide an organization into the future, we have to understand ourselves—how we are wired, how we show up, what influences our decisions and behavior, and what kind of leader we intentionally want to become.
FRIDAY
The Power of Breath: Unlocking Health, Performance, and Well-Being
Breathing is the most fundamental human function—yet most of us are doing it wrong. In this fascinating keynote, James Nestor, journalist and bestselling author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, reveals how optimizing the way we breathe can profoundly transform health, performance, and overall well-being.
Drawing from cutting-edge research and ancient breathing practices, James uncovers how modern lifestyles have led to dysfunctional breathing patterns linked to chronic illness, anxiety, and poor sleep—and how simple, intentional adjustments can reverse these effects. Through engaging storytelling and practical insight, attendees will explore the critical role of breath in regulating the body and mind, and leave equipped with actionable tools to apply immediately in daily life and clinical care.
Upon completion of this workshop, attendees should be able to:
- Describe how breathing physiology affects the nervous system, brain function, and overall health.
- Apply evidence-based breathing techniques to improve stress management, sleep quality, and physical performance.
An Integrative Approach to Human Microbiome Regulation
The human microbiome has emerged as a central regulator of systemic health, influencing immunity, inflammation, metabolism, and disease expression. As scientific evidence continues to expand, it is increasingly clear that traditional, isolated approaches are insufficient to protect and restore this highly complex and dynamic ecosystem.
This program explores an integrative model for microbiome regulation that combines biologic insight, natural therapies, and advanced diagnostic technologies. Participants will examine how comprehensive analysis of the microbiome can inform targeted strategies to rebalance dysbiosis and support physiologic resilience across multiple organ systems. Emphasis is placed on the interconnected relationship between oral health, gut health, and overall systemic wellness.
By translating emerging microbiome science into structured clinical protocols, this session provides a forward-looking framework for clinicians seeking to address chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and health conditions influenced by microbial imbalance. Attendees will gain practical insight into how integrative microbiome strategies can be incorporated into contemporary, whole-patient care.
Upon completion of this workshop, attendees should be able to:
- Describe the role of the human microbiome in regulating systemic health, inflammation, and immune function.
- Identify the role of the human microbiome in regulating systemic health, inflammation, and immune function.
Who We Are Is How We Lead
Leadership starts before we ever lead another person.
How we communicate, make decisions, respond to pressure, solve problems, approach work, and interact with people all influence the kind of leader others experience.
This foundational session helps participants better understand the individual strengths, tendencies, and blind spots they bring into leadership. Through self-awareness, DiSC behavioral styles, Working Genius, leadership mindset, and the realities of imposter syndrome, participants will begin identifying both the natural gifts they bring to leadership and the patterns that may unintentionally get in their way.
Upon completion of this workshop, attendees should be able to:
- Identify personal behavioral tendencies and strengths that influence leadership effectiveness.
- Recognize how DiSC and Working Genius affect communication, decision-making, energy, and frustration.
- Examine how stress, self-doubt, and overused strengths can create leadership blind spots.
- Increase awareness of the difference between leadership intent and the impact experienced by others.
What I Can Apply Monday
I will be able to identify how my natural leadership tendencies are affecting my team and make at least one intentional adjustment in how I communicate, respond, or lead.
Stepping Into Leadership — When the Relationship Changes
Becoming a leader changes more than a job title.
Sometimes the transition happens from within: yesterday you were part of the team and today you are responsible for leading former peers, friends, and even people who once trained you.
Other times, you enter an established practice as the new leader. The title may be new, but the relationships, history, habits, loyalties, and unwritten rules of the team were there long before you arrived.
In both situations, new leaders face the same important question:
This practical workshop explores how to build credibility, establish healthy boundaries, lead people with more experience, navigate former peer relationships, and move from personally doing the work to becoming responsible for the success of the team.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Recognize the leadership shifts required when moving from contributor to team leader.
- Establish credibility and appropriate boundaries with former peers and established team members.
- Lead experienced employees without relying on control, title, or having all the answers.
- Begin transferring responsibility through delegation rather than continuing to personally carry the work.
What I Can Apply Monday
I will be able to identify one relationship that needs a leadership reset, one boundary that needs greater clarity, and one responsibility I need to begin transferring to someone else.
The Conversation Beneath the Conversation
At the highest levels of leadership, success is not only about knowing what to say—it is about developing the awareness to recognize what is not being said.
This interactive leadership experience helps participants recognize the verbal, nonverbal, and emotional cues that often go unnoticed in everyday conversations. Participants will explore how greater awareness, curiosity, and intentional listening can transform communication from a transaction into conversations that change behavior.
In a dental practice, this awareness helps uncover what may be preventing a patient from scheduling, accepting treatment, or taking the next step. The same skills help leaders more confidently navigate difficult team conversations, strengthen relationships, and improve practice outcomes.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Recognize subtle verbal and nonverbal communication cues that reveal what patients and team members may not be saying.
- Use curiosity and intentional listening to uncover the real reasons behind hesitation, uncertainty, or resistance.
- Respond more confidently to conversations that might otherwise stall or remain unresolved.
- Connect stronger communication to improved scheduling, treatment acceptance, patient retention, team communication, and practice growth.
What I Can Apply Monday
I will be able to slow down important conversations, recognize cues I may previously have missed, and ask better questions before assuming I understand what the other person needs.
SATURDAY
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
Based on the groundbreaking work presented in Why We Sleep, the New York Times bestseller by neuroscientist Matthew Walker, this keynote experience explores one of the most powerful yet least understood pillars of human health: sleep.
Through a dynamic keynote presentation followed by a moderated conversation, this session offers a compelling, science-based examination of how sleep impacts brain function, physical health, emotional regulation, learning, performance, and long-term longevity. Drawing on decades of research, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of why sleep is essential and how chronic sleep deprivation undermines both personal wellness and professional effectiveness.
Upon completion of this workshop, attendees should be able to:
- Describe the physiologic and neurologic functions of sleep and their impact on overall health, cognitive performance, and longevity.
- Recognize the consequences of chronic sleep deprivation on physical health, mental well-being, and professional performance, and identify evidence-based strategies to support healthier sleep behaviors.
Who Am I When I Lead?
Self-awareness helps us understand who we naturally are. Leadership identity asks a different question:
This reflective workshop helps participants define what they stand for, how they want others to experience them, the values that should guide their decisions, and the behaviors they want to be known for as leaders.
The goal is to move beyond personality and begin intentionally building a leadership reputation.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Define the personal values and principles that guide their leadership.
- Identify how they want others to experience them as a leader.
- Translate personal leadership values into observable everyday behaviors.
- Develop a clearer picture of the leadership reputation they want to intentionally build.
What I Can Apply Monday
I will return to my practice with a clearer personal leadership promise and at least one specific behavior I can begin modeling more consistently.
Culture By Design
Strong culture does not happen because a practice has a vision statement or core values displayed on a wall. Culture is created through the behaviors leaders model, reinforce, recognize, correct, and allow.
This practical workshop connects leadership identity to the culture leaders help create around them. Participants will explore how Vision, Values, and the Ideal Team Player framework can help turn big ideas into clear expectations for how people work together every day.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Explain the leader's role in translating organizational vision into everyday team behavior.
- Turn abstract core values into observable and actionable expectations.
- Apply the Ideal Team Player concepts of Humble, Hungry, and Smart to team culture and development.
- Recognize how the behaviors leaders model, reinforce, and tolerate shape workplace culture.
What I Can Apply Monday
I will be able to take one practice value and clearly define what living that value should—and should not—look like in everyday team behavior.
It Is Your Circus, They Are Your Monkeys, Don't Go Bananas
Managing a dental office can sometimes feel like running a three-ring circus—and yes, those monkeys belong to you.
Tired of endless team tension or recurring operational headaches? This humorous yet hard-hitting session helps managers and leaders take control of the chaos using practical leadership tools, clearer boundaries, stronger expectations, and systems that reduce burnout and build buy-in from the team.
Participants will work through the realities of leading a team when personalities collide, expectations are unclear, accountability breaks down, or the same operational problems continue to surface.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Identify common sources of workplace drama, tension, and operational stress.
- Establish clearer expectations and strengthen team accountability.
- Implement practical systems that simplify management and reduce recurring problems.
- Strengthen ownership and leadership throughout the team so responsibility does not rest on one person.
What I Can Apply Monday
I will be able to identify one recurring source of chaos in my practice and address it with a clearer expectation, stronger system, or better ownership structure.
From Insight to Action
Leadership development only matters when insight becomes action.
The in-person Leadership Perch experience concludes by helping participants identify the leadership behaviors, relationships, conversations, and commitments they want to carry back into their practices.
The work does not end at the symposium. The seven-session virtual learning series continues the Year 1 journey by providing opportunities to apply, practice, refine, and strengthen these leadership skills throughout the year.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Identify the most important leadership insight gained during the two-day experience.
- Select specific leadership behaviors to begin, stop, or strengthen.
- Translate learning into practical next steps within their own practice.
- Establish a personal commitment for continued development throughout Year 1.
What I Can Apply Monday
I will leave knowing the first specific leadership action I am committed to taking when I return to my practice.
Perch @ Symposium Venue
JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
Marco Island, Florida • January 15–16, 2027
$1899
Your tuition covers far more than just the in-person Perch @ Symposium experience. It includes your two-day in-person program plus continued learning, connection, and support throughout the year.
What’s Included
Leadership Perch Year 1 Experience
- Perch @ Symposium — a 2-day in-person experience in Marco Island, Florida
- 6+ instructor-led virtual sessions with live discussion
- Community coaching and continued support throughout the year
- Access to the Leadership Perch credential pathway
- Practical tools, resources, and guidance you can apply in your practice
Initiate a Productive Dialogue
Complete the form with contextual information regarding your challenges, timelines, and desired outcomes, and our team will respond promptly with an evidence-based recommendation framework.