What scaling actually requires
Scaling is not growth. It is consistency. The challenge isn't opening the next location, it's making the experience repeatable across every one of them.
CEO & Founder
Building and scaling multi-site healthcare businesses.
CEO & Founder of Dr. Dental. Built and scaled to 40+ locations. Focused on systems, execution, and building durable multi-site businesses.
Operating Principles
Lessons from twenty years.
Lessons from building and scaling a multi-site healthcare company.
Unit Economics
“Focus on unit economics. That's what everything comes back to.”
Discipline
“One losing location can wipe out the profits of two winning ones.”
Decision Making
“At some point, you have to take the rocks out of your backpack.”
Leadership
“At the end of the day, it's not the space or the equipment. It's the team.”
[01] Founded
2004
Co-founded Dr. Dental with Dr. Julia Faigel.
[02] Scale
40+
Locations across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
[03] Operating
20+ Yrs
Leading multi-site healthcare through sustained growth.
Background
“Clear systems and strong teams set the foundation. Execution drives results.”
In 2004, Alex co-founded Dr. Dental with his sister, Dr. Julia Faigel. The model paired clinical care with an operating system built for convenience, consistency, and neighborhood access.
Over two decades it grew into a 40+ location multi-state platform. Growth required building teams, systems, training, central support, and a culture that held up at scale.
Today, he leads Dr. Dental as CEO & Founder, focused on operations, leadership, and building durable companies. He lives in the Greater Boston area with his wife and three children.
Timeline
Twenty years building and scaling.
- 2004
Founded Dr. Dental
Co-founded Dr. Dental with Dr. Julia Faigel. One office, one operating model built around access and consistency.
- 2004 — 2019
Scaled to a multi-state platform
Grew Dr. Dental to 40+ locations across Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.
- 2019
Partnered with ABRY Partners
Recapitalized with ABRY Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm. Continued leading the business through its next chapter.
- Today
Operating and building
CEO & Founder of Dr. Dental. Focused on operations, leadership, and building a durable company. Based in Boston, Massachusetts.
How I Think
What twenty years taught me.
01
Scaling breaks without clear ownership.
02
Systems outperform heroics.
03
Clarity and cadence drive performance.
04
Middle management drives execution.
05
Culture is what happens when no one is watching.
06
Consistency compounds; inconsistency compounds faster.
Insights
Teams execute, not strategy
Strategy matters, but outcomes come from people. Strong leaders, clear expectations, and accountability move the business. Without that, the best plan falls short.
Featured Conversation
Perspectives on scaling and leadership.
A conversation on scaling multi-site businesses, leadership, and execution at scale.
Watch full conversationStars of Franchising · Babson College
“There’s no such thing as failure. You just didn’t get there yet.”
Beyond the business
Family, community, and the next generation.
I care deeply about building strong teams, being present for my family, and contributing to the community.
I'm actively involved in supporting youth entrepreneurship and helping young people build confidence through real-world experience. Through initiatives like the Children's Business Fair, I enjoy creating opportunities for kids to learn, build, and take ownership of their ideas.
This work is a meaningful extension of how I think about leadership: developing people, creating opportunities, and building environments where others can grow.