Most owners considering an orthodontic consultant want answers to the same questions before they pick up the phone. This page exists to answer those questions in plain language.
If you don’t see your question here, the application page is the place to ask it. I read every application personally.
About the Engagement
What does an orthodontic consultant cost?
It depends on the size of the practice and the scope of the engagement. The Breakthrough program is structured as a 12-month commitment because real operational change does not happen in 90 days. Investment levels vary based on revenue, number of locations, and the depth of the workstream we’re running together. The application call is the right place to talk specifics. What I’ll say upfront: this is not a cheap binder of scripts. It’s a meaningful investment, and the partners who get the most out of it treat it that way.
How long does a typical engagement run?
12 months as the base. Most partners renew because the work compounds. Some stay for two, three, or more years as the practice grows into new ceilings. We part ways at any renewal point if the work no longer fits.
What results can I expect?
I won’t give you guaranteed numbers because I don’t know your practice yet. What I can tell you is the pattern. Most partners see meaningful operational change inside the first 90 days, financial change inside the first six months, and a fundamental shift in how the practice runs inside the first 12. The biggest single jumps happen in case acceptance, same-day starts, and overhead percentage.
What kind of practices are a good fit?
Practices producing $1.5M to $20M annually, single or multi-location, with owners who are willing to look at the business honestly and willing to act on what we find. Owners who want a quick playbook and no accountability are not a good fit and won’t get value from the program.
Is this only for multi-location practices?
No. Some of my favorite work is with strong single-location practices ready to break $3M, $5M, or $10M without adding offices. Multi-location is just one path.
Will Luke also handle our marketing?
HIP Creative handles marketing for select partners as a separate engagement. Many of my consulting partners run their own marketing in-house and bring me in only for practice management, leadership coaching, or team work. The two engagements are separate decisions.
Do you sign exclusivity agreements?
I work with one or two partners per metro market at most. The application call is when we discuss whether your market is open.
About the Process
How do we get started?
Apply to work with me. The application is short. If we look like a possible fit, we set up a strategy call to dig into your numbers, your goals, and what the next 12 months should look like. If we both agree it’s a fit, we move into a structured onboarding.
What happens on the first call?
I want to understand the practice in real terms. Production, overhead, team structure, marketing, current bottlenecks, owner goals. I’ll also tell you honestly whether I think the program is right for you, even if that means saying no.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes, on request. The discovery conversations are confidential by default.
Do I need to bring my whole leadership team into the engagement?
Not on day one. I usually start with the owner, then bring in the OM, COO, lead TC, or other key roles as the work expands. By month three, most of the leadership team is involved in some capacity.
About Luke and HIP Creative
Are you an orthodontist?
No. I’ve never worked clinically. That’s the point. I bring an entrepreneur’s lens to the business of orthodontics, which is the part that gets ignored by most consultants who came up inside the industry.
What is HIP Creative?
HIP is the marketing and consulting agency I co-founded. It’s where the PARF® framework was developed and where most of the team that supports my consulting work lives. HIP and the consulting business are connected but distinct.
What is PARF®?
The Patient Acquisition and Retention Framework. Four pillars: brand development, patient acquisition, conversion systems, and team training. Almost every issue a practice is having sits inside one of those four pillars, and PARF® is how we diagnose and address it.
Can I read your books first?
Absolutely. I’d encourage it. The four-book Orthodontic Practice Growth Series (Front Desk Secrets, The Ultimate Treatment Coordinator, The Scalable Practice, and Master Your Mindset) covers most of the principles. The program is the work of installing them.
About Results and Risk
Have you worked with practices that didn’t grow?
Yes. Honestly. Not every engagement produces the kind of results Dr. Carter Thomas or Dr. Ben Fishbein experienced. The pattern in cases that underperform is almost always one of three things: the owner couldn’t fully commit to the work, the team had unresolved personnel issues we couldn’t fix in the time available, or external factors (a divorce, a partner conflict, a serious health issue) made focused work impossible. I’ll tell you on the first call if I see signals like that.
What if the engagement isn’t working?
We talk about it directly. The annual renewal point is the cleanest exit. If something’s wrong before then, we name it and decide together whether to adjust the engagement, pause it, or end it.
Do you have references I can talk to?
Yes. Late-stage in the consideration process, I’ll connect serious applicants with one or two current partners for a direct conversation.
About Logistics
Do you travel to the practice?
Yes, on request and as the engagement requires. Most of the work is virtual, but I do on-site visits at key inflection points: the kickoff, major hires, leadership team installations, and quarterly reviews.
How often do we meet?
Weekly during the first 90 days. Biweekly to monthly after that, depending on the engagement scope.
Do you offer one-time strategy sessions?
I don’t offer one-and-done consulting. The work I do is rooted in accountability, and accountability requires time.
Schedule a Free Discovery Call
If you have a question that didn’t make this page, the strategy call is the place to ask it. I read every application personally and I’ll tell you on day one whether the program is right for your practice.