Mar 29, 2026
In this episode of the Grow A Small Business Podcast, host Troy Trewin interviews Dr. Michael Filosi, founder of Fullarton Park Dental, shares how he transformed a small two-chair clinic into the largest dental practice in Adelaide through consistent growth and disciplined leadership. He explains the importance of building strong habits, developing a clear business identity, and gradually stepping away from daily clinical work to focus on leadership. Michael discusses the challenges of managing teams, maintaining culture, and handling stressful staffing situations while scaling operations. He also highlights the power of customer reviews, mentorship, and continuous learning in driving long-term success. The episode concludes with insights on preparing a business for sale and successfully exiting after years of strategic growth and dedication.
Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let’s get into it by clicking here.
Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their
perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal
stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of
small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies
for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable
advice.
And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business
Questions:
What do you think is the
hardest thing in growing a small business?
Dr. Michael Filosi believes the hardest thing in growing a small
business is managing people and relationships.He explains that as a
team grows, the number of relationships increases rapidly, making
communication, alignment, and culture more complex. Staff
management, maintaining motivation, and handling conflicts can
become overwhelming, especially when team members are not aligned
with the business vision. He also notes that unlike other
investments, a business requires constant effort just to maintain
performance because staff, customers, systems, and equipment
naturally decline over time if ignored. Overall, he emphasizes that
people are both the greatest asset and the greatest challenge in
building a successful business.
What's your favorite
business book that has helped you the most?
Dr. Michael Filosi mentioned that several business books helped
him, but the ones that stood out the most were The Checklist
Manifesto, The E-Myth Revisited, and Built to Sell đź“š
Are there any great
podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow
a small business?
Dr. Michael Filosi recommended listening to the podcast How I Built
This as one of the best resources to help grow a small business. He
shared that this podcast was especially valuable because it
features founders of well-known companies explaining how difficult
it was to build their businesses from scratch. Hearing real
stories—from brands like Airbnb and founders such as Sara Blakely
of Spanx—helped him stay motivated and realize that business growth
is always challenging, even for highly successful companies.
What tool or resource
would you recommend to grow a small business?
Dr. Michael Filosi recommends investing in business books as the
most powerful tool for growing a small business. He explains that
instead of chasing expensive courses or trendy tools, consistently
reading high-quality business books provides massive knowledge at a
low cost. He believes that simply sitting down and reading valuable
content can take a business much further than any “hot new
gadget.”
What advice would you give
yourself on day one of starting out in business?
Dr. Michael Filosi says that if he could go back to day one, his
advice would be to hang on and enjoy the ride, because business
growth is full of ups and downs. He emphasizes that there is no
single shortcut or magic tip—success comes from persistence and
learning through the journey. His message is to stay strong during
tough times and be ready for challenges, because the ride can be
bumpy but rewarding.
Book a 20-minute Growth
Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming
course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small
business to new heights!
Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on
iTunes or your preferred platform. Your
feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and
embark on their business growth journey.
Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest:
Success in business comes from staying consistent even when
progress feels slow – Dr Michael Filosi
Persistence and patience are often more powerful than talent
alone in building success – Dr Michael Filosi
Growing a small business is a journey with ups and downs so
enjoy the ride – Dr Michael Filosi