Orthodontics by Day, Coffee Roaster by Night w/ Dr. Darin Ward Artwork

The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

What does it mean to become an Orthopreneur? Hi there! My name is Dr. Glenn Krieger and I believe that in today’s competitive world, the orthodontic and dental communities should be collaborative. And I've created Orthopreneurs so that we can move towards that goal together. Orthodontists are smart people. You’ve accomplished a lot to get where you are, but chances are you never got a formal education in how to run the most effective and lowest stress practice possible. Don’t sweat it! Because we’ve got your back... Being an Orthopreneur means that you’re a part of a community. A community that brings peers together to become the best clinicians and the best business owners they can be. Becoming an Orthopreneurs means you never ever need to practice alone. Join the FREE Facebook group by simply applying:https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs

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The Orthopreneurs Podcast with Dr. Glenn Krieger

Orthodontics by Day, Coffee Roaster by Night w/ Dr. Darin Ward

September 23, 2025 • Dr. Glenn Krieger

What if I told you your side hustle could teach you more about systems than your main practice ever did?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Darin Ward, an orthodontist with an unconventional journey—from growing a $2.5M practice in Canada, to downsizing into a lifestyle practice in rural Michigan, to roasting thousands of pounds of organic coffee out of his garage. Darin’s story is a masterclass in knowing what you want, building it intentionally, and embracing entrepreneurship in and out of the operatory.

We talk about the real cost of rapid growth (spoiler: it’s not just financial), why he walked away from a thriving practice to prioritize family, and how that shift led him to discover his passion for coffee roasting. If you’ve ever wrestled with burnout, wondered how much growth is enough, or dreamed of turning a hobby into something more—this episode is going to resonate hard.

Oh, and did I mention he owns six vintage wooden rowing shells and was once an Aztec rower at SDSU? Yeah… this one’s got range.

QUOTES

"I was doing dentistry to support my orthodontic habit. That’s when I knew I had to sell my practice and go all in."

— Dr. Darin Ward

"You don't really own a business until you can get yourself out of it. Until then? You own a job."

— Dr. Darin Ward

Key Takeaways

Intro (00:00)
From general dentist to ortho: Darin’s winding path (01:00)
How he built a $2.5M ortho practice in just 3 years (02:56)
The power (and price) of aggressive grassroots marketing (06:31)
Scaling quickly vs. profiting slowly—what’s the tradeoff? (07:27)
Why Darin pivoted to a lifestyle practice in rural Michigan (08:42)
From 25–40 patients a day: how lean can you go? (09:01)
Why all new patients get a custom-roasted pound of coffee (18:16)
Turning a garage into a full-blown roastery (19:39)
The logistics wall: when passion meets scale (21:26)
White-labeling beans for dentists and ortho friends? (23:26)
The E-Myth and owning your systems, not just your hustle (25:45)
Rowing, racing shells, and a rowing club in the Upper Peninsula (28:50)

Additional Resources

Tune in and get inspired to build a practice—and a life—that fits you.

If you've ever dreamed of doing something outside of ortho—whether it's roasting coffee, starting a business, or simply working less and living more—this episode will hit home. Darin's story reminds us that growth doesn't always mean bigger... sometimes it just means better.

☕️ Oh, and grab a bag of his beans at upwardcoffee.net

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

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