A Full Year of Leadership & Management Development
Practical learning, real application, and ongoing support designed to strengthen leaders inside the practice.
Virtual Learning Series
Live, application-focused sessions that help you put what you learned into practice.
Feb • Mar • May • Jun • Sep • Oct
Explore Virtual Learning
Community Coaching
Real-world coaching, shared challenges, and connections to a network of practice leaders.
Apr • Jul • Nov
Continuing Education
13 hours in person + 7 virtual + 3 coaching.
Leadership Designations
Start the path to earning a Leadership Perch designation as you build your leadership and management capabilities.
Explore the Credential Pathway
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.
Non-Clinical Symposium Attendees
Have access to choose one or more in-person Leadership Perch Courses at no additional charge
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.
About the Speaker
James Nestor is an author and journalist whose work has appeared in Scientific American, Outside, and The New York Times. His bestselling book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art has sold more than 3 million copies, been translated into 44 languages, and has taken him to stages including Stanford, Yale, Harvard, and the United Nations.
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.
About the Speaker
Dr. Haroldo Magarinos is a Chilean dentist and naturopathic doctor specializing in periodontics, oral medicine, and surgical implantology. His work integrates conventional and naturopathic approaches with a focus on the oral-gut axis, microbiome health, environmental toxins, and personalized strategies to support systemic wellness.
Who We Are Is How We Lead
Leadership starts before we ever lead another person. It begins with understanding ourselves.
The way we communicate, make decisions, interact with others, and approach our work all shape how we lead. This foundational session helps participants look more closely at how they show up as leaders, how their natural style influences others, and where greater self-awareness can create stronger leadership.
The goal is not to define one “right” way to lead, but to help participants better understand who they are as leaders and where they have opportunities to grow.
Upon completion of this workshop, attendees should be able to:
- Identify personal behavioral tendencies and strengths that influence leadership effectiveness.
- Recognize how individual behavioral styles can affect communication and interactions with others.
- 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.
About the Speaker
Geri Gottlieb is the founder and CEO of GG Practice Coaching & Development, a dental practice coach, communications expert, and speaker with more than three decades of experience in dental practice management and leadership development. After co-owning two periodontal practices with her husband, Dr. Bob Gottlieb, and serving as a lead coach with ACT Dental, she launched GGPC to help dental leaders strengthen leadership, team performance, patient care, and practice growth.
From Teammate to Leader — When the Relationship Changes
Moving into leadership changes more than your job title. It changes expectations, relationships, boundaries, and the way others experience you. One day you may be part of the team; the next, you are responsible for setting expectations, addressing performance, making decisions, and holding accountable the same people you once worked beside.
For some leaders, that transition happens from within. For others, it means stepping into an established team with its own history, loyalties, habits, and unwritten rules.
This practical workshop helps emerging leaders make the shift from contributor to trusted leader by strengthening the skills that matter most early in leadership: influence without authority, accountability, confidence, professional boundaries, and leadership presence.
Participants will explore how to build credibility without overrelying on title, hold others accountable without becoming controlling, establish healthy boundaries, navigate resistance, and develop the confidence and presence needed to lead people with greater experience, tenure, or technical expertise.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Build influence and credibility without relying solely on authority or title.
- Hold team members accountable while maintaining trust and professionalism.
- Strengthen confidence when making decisions, setting expectations, and addressing difficult situations.
- Establish professional boundaries with former peers, friends, and established team members.
- Develop a stronger leadership presence that communicates clarity, consistency, and confidence.
- Shift from being responsible primarily for their own work to being responsible for the success and accountability of the team.
About the Speakers
Nannette Thorman brings more than 35 years of experience in dental practice management and leadership, helping practices strengthen leadership, improve systems, increase efficiency, and build more successful businesses.
Tiffany Dalton, MAADOM, is a former dental practice administrator, president of the Yellowstone Valley AADOM Chapter, and an Administrative Trainer & Support Specialist at GG Practice Coaching & Development. She is passionate about helping dental professionals find practical tools for personal and professional growth.
Cash Flow Metrics 101: Understanding the Numbers Behind the Practice
You do not have to be a financial expert to be a strong practice leader—but you do need to understand the numbers that help tell the story of the business.
In this session, we will introduce participants to the key cash flow metrics every dental leader should recognize and understand. Participants will explore what common financial reports and measurements mean, why they matter, and what they can reveal about the overall health of the practice.
The focus of this session is not on fixing the numbers or building financial systems. It is about developing financial awareness—giving leaders the language, confidence, and foundational knowledge they need to participate in meaningful conversations about practice performance.
This session builds the foundation. The virtual follow-up will take participants further into how leaders can use these numbers to identify opportunities, address concerns, and influence better outcomes.
Learning Objectives
Participants will learn to:
- Identify the key cash flow metrics used in a dental practice.
- Recognize how the different numbers connect to the financial health of the practice.
- Understand the difference between production, collections, accounts receivable, adjustments, and other common financial measures.
- Understand why financial literacy is an important part of practice leadership.
About the Speaker
TBA
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.
About the Speaker
Dee Dee Reid is a C-suite executive, high-performance business coach, business development strategist, and leadership consultant with more than 30 years of experience in business management, team training, and leadership development. Named one of Dental Products Report’s Top 25 Women in Dentistry, she helps professionals strengthen leadership, executive presence, communication, and business performance.
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?
Friday helped participants better understand who they are as leaders—their strengths, tendencies, communication styles, and blind spots.
Saturday asks the next 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.
Participants will also examine how those choices shape the culture around them. If dentistry is a team sport, leaders play a powerful role in determining how that team works together. Vision, Values, and the Ideal Team Player become more than concepts when leaders use them to guide what they model, celebrate, reinforce, correct, and tolerate every day.
The goal is to move beyond personality and self-awareness and begin intentionally building both a leadership reputation and the kind of team culture that reputation creates.
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.
- Examine how leadership behaviors shape team expectations, trust, accountability, and culture.
- Connect Vision, Values, and Ideal Team Player concepts to the way they lead their team.
- Identify the behaviors they want to model, celebrate, reinforce, correct, and no longer tolerate.
About Geri Gottlieb
Geri Gottlieb is founder and CEO of GG Practice Coaching & Development, a seasoned coach, communications expert, and speaker. With over three decades of experience in dental practice management and leadership development, she brings a unique blend of expertise to drive sustainable growth.
From owning two successful periodontal practices with her husband, Dr. Bob Gottlieb, to serving as a lead coach with ACT Dental Practice Management and motivational speaker Kirk Behrendt, to launching her own venture in 2019, Geri understands what it takes to build a thriving business from the ground up.
With certifications in Adult Learning, Behavioral Therapy, The Five Behaviors of a Team®, DiSC® Behavioral Assessments, and The Working Genius, Geri helps dental professionals bridge the gaps between clinical expertise, leadership, management, and ownership.
Shaida Haberlach
Kim BatesKnow Where They Stand. Show Them Where They Can Go.
Too often, team members are hired, trained, and then expected to simply know how they are doing. Regular check-ins become inconsistent, expectations may shift without being clearly communicated, and formal evaluations happen without a clear structure for measuring progress.
In this interactive session, participants will learn how to create a more intentional approach to employee development by clarifying expectations, measuring progress, identifying strengths and growth opportunities, and creating clear next steps.
Participants will explore how to use practical scoring and development structures to better understand where a team member is today, where they need additional support, and what progress should look like over time. They will also begin applying the process to a current team member so they can take what they learn back to the practice and put it into action.
This session will lay the foundation for a future Leadership Perch virtual session, where participants will learn how clear expectations, performance measures, progress checkpoints, and ongoing development conversations are built into an effective onboarding process from day one.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Establish clear performance and development expectations for team members.
- Use a practical scoring structure to measure competency and track progress over time.
- Identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for continued growth.
- Create meaningful development priorities and follow-up checkpoints.
- Understand how expectations, measurement, and ongoing development are built into the onboarding process from day one.
About the Speakers
Shaida Haberlach is Director of Operations for GG Practice Coaching & Development, where she turns vision into execution by bringing people, priorities, strategies and complex projects together. With more than 20 years of experience in operations, leadership, project management, event production, and organizational development, she has led large-scale initiatives, coordinated cross-functional teams, and built the systems and structure needed to move ideas from concept to completion. Shaida brings a practical approach to creating structure, stengthening accountability, and keepign people and projects moving towards a shared goal.
Kim Bates is Lead Coach with GG Practice Coaching & Development, where she has coached dental practices for seven years. With over 21 years in dentistry, her background includes 11 years as Practice Administrator for Implant & Periodontal Associates Northwest, leading both the Tri-Cities and Seattle locations. She is also a Human Resources Specialist and HR Consultant with Bent Ericksen & Associates. Kim combines her experience in practice leadership, HR, coaching, and systems to help teams strengthen accountability, develop their people, and build sustainable systems for success.
“YOUR MOVE”: A Leadership Panel
In this interactive session, panelists and attendees will work through real-life situations that office managers commonly face. The panel will share different approaches, perspectives, and practical ways to handle each challenge, , with plenty of personality along the way. Attendees will have the opportunity to think through what they would do, compare their approach with experienced leaders, and gain new ideas they can use when navigating leadership challenges in their own practice.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify practical ways to respond to common leadership challenges.
- Compare different leadership approaches and apply new ideas to situations in their own practice.
Meet the Panel
Gary Dickenson
CEO of Seattle Study Club and experienced dental-industry executive with expertise in organizational leadership, people development, culture, strategic growth, and leading teams and organizations at scale.
Geri Gottlieb
Founder and Owner of GG Practice Coaching & Development, dental practice coach, speaker, leadership strategist, and former co-owner of two dental practices, with expertise in leadership, culture, communication, team development, and organizational growth.
Dee Dee Reid
C-suite executive, business coach, leadership consultant, and business development strategist with expertise in communication, team development, decision-making, business growth, and high-performance leadership. Named one of DPR’s Top 25 Women in Dentistry.
Beverly Wilburn
Speaker, author, business advisor, and COO of a multi-million-dollar periodontal practice. Founder of Dental Spouses in Business®, past AADOM Practice Administrator of the Year, and an experienced leader in practice operations, accountability, revenue growth, and team performance.
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.
About the Speaker
Beverly Wilburn is a speaker, author, business advisor, and COO of a multi-million-dollar periodontal practice near Washington, D.C. Founder of Dental Spouses in Business® and a past AADOM Practice Administrator of the Year, she brings deep experience in practice operations, accountability, revenue growth, leadership, and team performance.
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 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
$2095
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, worksheets, templates, resources, and guidance you can apply in your practice immediately