I’ve seen it firsthand: bringing in someone with zero experience—but the right attitude—can transform your culture, your team, and even your future. In this episode, I sit down with someone who proves that point better than anyone I know—Brooke Bruneman—a former team member who started with me as a sterile tech and is now graduating dental school and chasing orthodontics.

We also get into some surprisingly real conversations—about social media in orthodontics, what actually works (and what’s just noise), and even how Gen Z is dating today (spoiler: it’s very different from what most of us grew up with). This episode will challenge how you hire, how you lead, and how you think about the next generation entering our profession.

Quotes

“I came to you with zero experience… I just needed someone willing to train me.”
— Brooke Bruneman

“When you find something good, it’s hard to let go of it.”
— Brooke Bruneman

Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
Why hiring for attitude beats hiring for experience (01:12)
Brooke’s journey from sterile tech to dental school (03:43)
The value of real-world experience before dental school (04:24)
Getting rejected—and coming back stronger (04:24)
Why culture matters more than credentials (17:46)
Keeping great people even after they “leave” your practice (18:45)
How Brooke ran social media remotely through dental school (19:01)
What actually works on social media for orthodontists (21:18)
The power of the “hook” in content creation (33:42)
Why most orthodontists get social media wrong (34:38)
Gen Z, dating apps, and how communication is changing (40:14)
Why safety and trust shape modern interactions (41:37)
What residency programs might be missing in applicants (49:45)

Additional Resources

If you’re still hiring based on experience alone, you’re missing out on your next superstar.

Start looking for attitude, work ethic, and culture fit first—and train the rest. And if you’ve got someone great in your practice right now, don’t wait—invest in them, mentor them, and keep them in your orbit however you can.

👉 Want to connect with Brooke or learn more about her journey?
Instagram: @brookekbruneman
Email: brookebruneman@gmail.com

And if you’re in academia or part of an orthodontic residency program… you might want to reach out. Just saying.

Register for the Make More Money Meeting: https://ortho4m.com/home

- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/

- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs

The Modern Rules of Building a Practice w/Dr. Brooke Bruneman