STELLAR SUCCESS: Leveling Up For Medical Pros with Dr. Tudor Francu

In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Tudor Francu sits down with retired dentist and author Dr. Jan Gilbert to explore the powerful link between oral health, nutrition, and lifelong wellness. With more than four decades in dentistry and a passion for preventative care, Dr. Gilbert shares his unique approach to fighting periodontal disease—starting with your toothbrush.
Key Takeaways:
Why brushing five times a day beats the standard “twice-a-day” rule
The real role of nutrition in dental decay and gum disease
What most dentists miss when diagnosing mouth health
The surprising truth about toothpaste, flossing, and mouthwash
How your tongue can reveal your overall nutritional status
The connection between periodontal disease and systemic health issues like Alzheimer’s and cancer
Dr. Gilbert’s take on America's sugar epidemic and its silent damage
His proposal to revolutionize healthcare through dental practices
 
#investing #finance #motivation #success #podcast #medicalprofessionals #education ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

Dr. Lewis Marshall’s career spans decades of experience from the ER to law school, from mentoring new doctors to setting policy for millions of patients across New York State. He shares how his early days in primary care sparked his passion for healthcare policy—and how that drive led him to hold key roles such as Chief Medical Officer at Lincoln Hospital and Medical Director for the NYC Fire Department EMS.
Listeners will hear how Dr. Marshall:
Transitioned from patient care to systems-level change
Helped create standardized emergency medical protocols across New York
Approaches hospital leadership with a “deference to expertise” philosophy
Handles challenges like limited space and growing patient access needs
Uses mindfulness, meditation, and reflection as part of his leadership style
This conversation is rich with insights for any medical professional curious about policy, hospital leadership, or simply looking to make a broader impact in healthcare.
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

Join Dr. Tudor Francu as he sits down with Barry Howell, the dynamic CEO of Plano Orthopedic, for an insightful conversation on healthcare leadership, practice management, and the real human side of running a successful orthopedic group. Barry walks us through his career—from banking to physician recruiting to private equity deals—and how he leads with collaboration, transparency, and purpose.
You'll hear about his philosophy of “rounding for results,” how he keeps patient care front and center, and how he navigates financial challenges in independent practices. Barry also talks candidly about failures, including a yet-to-launch MRI integration plan, and shares tips on how doctors can avoid burnout and build passive income through smart investments.
Key Takeaways:
The power of visibility and relationship-building in clinical leadership
Why rounding is more than just checking in—it’s strategic
Real-world challenges of integrating imaging services
Advice for physicians on retirement, burnout, and financial independence
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Tudor Francu sits down with Dr. Hamidreza Nassery, a seasoned dentist, entrepreneur, and founder of a high-tech dental practice in Miami, Florida. From fleeing Iran as a teenager to building a respected name in physiologic dentistry, Dr. Nassery shares how discipline, lifelong learning, and a passion for better outcomes shaped his professional journey.
He dives deep into why he rejected “drill and fill” dentistry in favor of a holistic, science-based approach that treats the root cause of patient issues. He also opens up about the mindset and routines that keep him motivated after more than 30 years in the field — and why it’s crucial for medical professionals to constantly evolve and stay curious.
Dr. Nassery also candidly discusses the changing landscape of dental practice ownership, the reality of mentorship, and his views on financial independence and exit strategies. His perspective offers valuable takeaways for every medical professional navigating modern healthcare.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Tudor Francu sits down with Dr. Alaina Rajagopal to discuss her fascinating journey from NASA intern to emergency medicine doctor and founder of Esperto Medical. She opens up about her academic beginnings in biology and space research, how a desire to better understand the human body led her from a PhD to an MD, and why global health and diagnostics became a personal mission.
They dive into the revolutionary technology she and her team developed—resonance sonomonometry—a non-invasive, continuous blood pressure monitoring method that offers real-time data without calibration. Dr. Rajagopal explains how her entrepreneurial path began almost accidentally through clinical need, and how grit, curiosity, and a refusal to settle for “good enough” turned failures into innovation.
If you've ever wondered how medical professionals can use science, tech, and resilience to bring real-world change, this episode is for you.
 
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

In this episode, Dr. Tudor Francu welcomes Gabriel Griess—a former Air Force pilot turned medical staffing entrepreneur—for an honest and enlightening discussion about building a purpose-driven business in healthcare.
Gabriel shares his journey from leading missions in the military to tackling one of the biggest problems in healthcare today: medical staffing shortages. You'll hear how his faith, leadership philosophy, and commitment to team-building have helped his company triple in size, even after surviving COVID-19's impact on healthcare.
Key topics in this episode:
What “success” really means at different stages of life
The leadership lesson Gabriel learned trying to launch a $400M water pipeline
Why serving your employees first leads to business growth
The root cause of healthcare staffing shortages
Financial wisdom for entrepreneurs in medicine
Daily habits that fuel performance and purpose
How Gabriel plans to double his company again this year
A preview of his upcoming book The Results Tree
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

What happens when a physician with a background in angel investing redefines primary care from the ground up? In this episode, Dr. Joshua Engle shares how he’s bridging operations, mental health, and metabolic wellness in his cutting-edge practice, With You MD.
Summary:Dr. Joshua Engle’s path to launching a digital-first primary care practice is anything but typical—and that’s exactly what makes it powerful. In this candid and thoughtful conversation with Dr. Tudor Francu, he reveals the challenges and wins of transitioning from traditional medicine to building a new kind of healthcare business.
Dr. Engle shares how his entrepreneurial spirit, shaped by early experience in the angel investment world, eventually led him to create With You MD—a practice that prioritizes metabolic and mental health as foundational pillars of long-term patient care. He opens up about administrative setbacks, how he measures success beyond profit, and why staying focused and patient-centered is key to making real impact.
You’ll learn:
Why he believes mental and metabolic health are critical in modern primary care
What it’s like building a practice from scratch, from credentialing delays to staffing
The financial and emotional lessons he’s learned on his entrepreneurial path
Investment strategies for physicians looking to diversify beyond clinical practice
How mentorship and transparency are helping shape a new wave of physician leaders
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

What if the key to healing chronic illness isn’t just in medicine, but in food, lifestyle, and human connection? Dr. Matthew Lederman believes it is—and he's proving it.
Expanded Description:In this transformative episode, Dr. Matthew Lederman, renowned physician and co-creator of Wellness to Wonderful, joins Dr. Tudor Francu to explore how “connection medicine” is redefining what it means to treat chronic disease. From his early days as a traditional MD to his pivotal role in Forks Over Knives and Whole Foods Market’s health clinics, Dr. Lederman shares a deeply personal and professional evolution.
Discover how nonviolent communication, whole-food plant-based nutrition, and authentic human relationships are combining to offer patients a new path to well-being—one rooted in evidence-based compassion. He opens up about the hard lessons learned, the bumps in the road, and the habits that keep him grounded and thriving today.
We also dive into his current work at Connection Docs, where he's leveraging mindfulness tools like the Webe device and even an AI-based communication coach to improve emotional and physical health.
Takeaways from this episode:
The hidden healing power of social connection
Why modern medicine must include nutrition and lifestyle
How nonviolent communication changes patient outcomes
What Forks Over Knives got right—and what’s next
Daily habits that make the biggest difference in long-term health
 
#investing #finance #motivation #success #podcast #medicalprofessionals #education ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

Dr. Jenna Carl shares her unconventional journey from government consulting to becoming a licensed clinical psychologist and health tech executive. She discusses the emotional intensity of one-on-one therapy, the growing issue of burnout among healthcare workers, and the lack of awareness around evidence-based treatment for clinical mental health conditions. Dr. Carl emphasizes the importance of finding the right kind of therapy for the right issue—and how healthcare providers can and should prioritize their own mental health.
From building her own private practice to thriving in a leadership role in a health tech startup, Jenna talks candidly about career pivots, burnout, entrepreneurship, and what success really means in the world of healthcare. She also offers guidance for clinicians who want to diversify their practice and discusses how growth mindset and risk tolerance are key to thriving in both therapy and business.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.

What does it look like when a physician refuses to settle for the broken status quo—and builds something better?
In this inspiring episode, Dr. Tudor Francu sits down with Dr. Joe Pazona, a urologist-turned-entrepreneur who’s blazing a new trail in healthcare. From the moment he stepped into medicine, Dr. Pazona questioned not only his specialty—but the entire system surrounding it. What he discovered was a calling beyond the exam room.
Dr. Pazona shares how defining success beyond financial gain transformed his career and personal health. He dives into the real reasons our healthcare system keeps people sick, and how lifestyle-based solutions and physician-led innovation can rewrite that story.
Listeners will hear how Dr. Pazona left traditional practice, launched his own direct-pay urology clinic, and built a life around impact, autonomy, and healthspan. He doesn’t just talk the talk—his daily routines, priorities, and philosophy show how a mission-driven physician can lead change.
Key Takeaways:
Why success today requires a balance of health, relationships, and professional meaning
How physician entrepreneurs can disrupt a sick-care system
The power of knowing your data and avoiding financial blind spots
Dr. Pazona’s top “small habits” that have made the biggest difference
Why retirement doesn’t have to mean stopping—and why purpose is the real goal
------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Are you a medical professional looking to share your story, insights, and strategies for achieving career, personal, and financial success? We want to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast and join the conversation with other leaders and innovators in the healthcare field https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest.