Podcast Episode #570: Don’t Quit. Lessons in Resilience, Reinvention, and Relentless Action – Tony Rubleski
Episode #570: Dentist Freedom Blueprint Podcast
Don’t Quit. Lessons in Resilience, Reinvention, and Relentless Action – Tony Rubleski
The entrepreneurial journey can be one of the most rewarding paths—or the loneliest—depending on how you walk it. In this episode, David Phelps sits down with longtime friend, keynote speaker, and author Tony Rubleski to explore what it really takes to keep going when motivation fades and progress feels slow. Centered around Tony’s new book, Don’t Quit: 50 Lessons From the Pages and Stages of Life, this conversation unpacks why discipline, not inspiration, is what carries people through the hardest seasons.
Together, David and Tony talk candidly about reinvention, forgiveness, gratitude, and the unseen struggles behind long-term success. From entrepreneurship myths and burnout to asking for more, following up, and managing regret, this episode is a powerful reminder that freedom is forged by showing up—especially on the days you don’t feel like it.
Minute Markers:
00:00 – Intro
01:19 – Why Don’t Quit matters now and the morale challenge facing entrepreneurs
04:59 – Entrepreneurship as a lonely path and the role of mindset
07:39 – Reinvention, unlearning, and giving yourself permission to change
10:30 – Misconceptions about entrepreneurship and the myth of certainty
14:34 – Discipline, habits, and pushing through when motivation disappears
19:15 – Why discipline beats motivation over the long run
21:54 – Pattern interrupts, doubt, and managing distraction
24:30 – Asking for more, follow-up, and creating opportunity
28:01 – Regret management, gratitude, and forgiveness
30:54 – Daily gratitude, forgiveness, and choosing to keep going
Featured on the Show:
Tony Rubleski: Website | LinkedIn
Private Facebook Group: The Exit-Ready Dentist
Download the Exit Strategy Playbook
Schedule your Freedom Founders discovery call
P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you’re closer than you think) :
In this episode, we finish up the second part of my interview with Rob Swanson and his eight rules of investing. (If you haven’t listened to part 1, be sure to go back and give that a listen before jumping into this one.) Today, we pick up where we left off, covering rules four through eight and talking about everything from decision-making to cash flow and risk reduction.
Listen in as Rob shares his incredible insight and experience in real estate and investing to give us a few rules that help make our decisions and investments more solid. You will hear about the importance of looking at margins before buying and what boxes need to be checked when it comes to predicting a solid income stream. Rob also discusses how to define and mitigate the different risks involved so that you can come out on top.
Alastair MacDonald is a private advisor to established entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners, as well as a TEDx speaker who lectures on economic, social, and financial forecasts. Join me today to hear part two of our conversation at the Freedom Founders Mastermind, where we dive into the concept of certainty, how to hedge against a volatile economy, and why the abdication model is no longer one that works.
Listen in to learn the reasons why Alastair is not worried about consumer price inflation (and what he’s really worried about instead) and why the 401(k) is not always the investment that it is made out to be. You’ll learn why he is most concerned about the issue of division and polarity in the Western world, why your business is your best asset in a volatile economy, and how you can maintain its viability to weather the most intense economic storm.
1. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard:
Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Go to www.FreedomFounders.com/Scorecard to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.
2. Attend A Workshop:
If you’re committed to Freedom, but still building a practice, paying down school debt, or growing investment capital, our hands-on Freedom Blueprint Workshops are your entrance ramp onto the fast track! Visit www.freedomfounders.com/workshop to claim your seat!
3. Apply To Visit The Mastermind:
If you’d like to join dozens of dentists, docs, and practice professionals on the fast track to Freedom (5-7 years max), visit www.freedomfounders.com/step-1 to apply for a seat.
4. Want to Work Directly with Me?
If you’d like to work directly with me and a small group of my closest investment colleagues, with direct access to the dealmakers and asset classes that I invest in, just send a message to my Executive Assistant (Lindsey@FreedomFounders.com), and put “Fast Access” in the subject line. Or, call (972) 203-6960 Ext 144 and leave a brief voicemail for Lindsey. Let her know you’re interested in the Fast Access program – we’ll set up a time with you to talk, find out about your goals, and see if there is a fit.