Meet Todd Snyder

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Todd Snyder. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Todd below.

Hi Todd, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

**Where I Get My Resilience and Work Ethic**

My resilience and work ethic were forged from two things: adversity and obsession. From a young age, I learned that nothing worth having comes easy. I had a paper route from 5th grade through 9th grade, where every morning i would get up and deliver papers and collect the monthy payments. I worked hard and I made good money for that age, I appreciated the work that went into making money. I’ve pushed myself in sports, in education, in racing, and in dentistry—and every time, the lesson was the same: when you get knocked down, you get back up stronger.

Competing at high levels in athletics and later as a professional race car driver taught me discipline and grit. You don’t finish an Ironman, survive a SEALFit Kokoro event, or race a car at 180 mph by chance—you do it through relentless preparation, the willingness to suffer, and the refusal to quit when your mind screams “enough.” That mindset carried directly into my dental career.

Dentistry is demanding. Building businesses is demanding. But when you’ve trained yourself to lean into discomfort, you realize the struggle is where the growth happens. My resilience comes from putting myself in environments where failure is possible and success must be earned.

And my work ethic? It’s simple: I don’t want to live a life of regret. I’ve seen too many people settle. I’d rather do the hard work today to create the life and freedom I want tomorrow. That’s what fuels me, and that’s the same fire I try to ignite in the dentists who join LEGION.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’ve been fortunate to live a career that blends artistry, science, performance, and disruption. I am a cosmetic and restorative dentist with practices in Laguna Niguel, California, and Las Vegas, Nevada, and my work has taken me far beyond the operatory. Dentistry has always been more than teeth for me—it’s about creating life-changing transformations, elevating standards, and pushing what’s possible for doctors and patients alike.

After graduating from UCLA School of Dentistry, I went on to co-develop and co-direct the first-ever two-year postgraduate program in Aesthetic & Cosmetic Dentistry while at UCLA, training the next generation of cosmetic dentists at a level that had never existed before. Over the past three decades, I’ve authored over 100 articles and book chapters, lectured internationally, and served as a consultant and key opinion leader for major dental companies. I’ve also developed and patented products for the dental industry, including innovative burs and cheek retractors, always with the goal of raising precision and efficiency.

Academically, I am proud to be one of only a handful of dentists in the world to achieve Accreditation and Fellowship with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, as well as Diplomate status with the American Board of Aesthetic Dentistry, and Fellowships in both the American Society for Dental Aesthetics and the International Academy of Dental Facial Esthetics. These milestones reflect not only technical excellence, but a lifelong pursuit of mastery.

Yet my career has never been limited to dentistry alone. I’m also a professional race car driver, entrepreneur, and author of *The Weekly War*. I’ve founded multiple companies—including a surf apparel line, a marketing firm, and most recently, LEGION, an education platform designed to completely disrupt how dentists approach business and life.

**LEGION** was born out of my desire to transform an industry as well as frustration with the broken system of traditional dentistry. Too many dentists struggle in silence—burned out, underpaid, and reactive. LEGION exists to change that. It’s not just education; it’s a movement. Through live events, online courses, and immersive programs, we train dentists in the skills no one else is teaching: business systems, communication mastery, marketing, profitability, and personal discipline, in addition to cosmetic and restorative dentistry. LEGION is about building elite dentists who take control of their careers and their lives, rather than being controlled by insurance companies or outdated models.

What excites me most today is transformation—whether it’s transforming a patient’s smile, a dentist’s business, or an industry that desperately needs new leadership. At Dr. Snyder Cosmetic Dentistry in Las Vegas, I’ve created a boutique, concierge-style practice where luxury and precision merge. At LEGION, we’re scaling globally, bringing dentists together in a community of accountability and growth. And beyond that, I’m developing AI-driven software solutions for dentistry that will further disrupt how care and business are delivered.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and my brand, it’s this: I believe in pushing boundaries. Whether in the mouth, the marketplace, or on the racetrack, I refuse to settle for average. My mission is to help others see that they don’t have to either.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

**Three Most Important Qualities, Skills, or Areas of Knowledge**

Looking back, there are three qualities that have consistently driven my career forward and allowed me to create results beyond the average:

1. **Relentless Discipline and Mental Toughness**
Dentistry, entrepreneurship, and racing all demand one thing: the ability to keep moving forward when it’s uncomfortable. Discipline is the separator. It’s easy to show up when you feel like it—it’s showing up when you *don’t* that defines your future. Early in my career, I realized that the dentists who achieved mastery weren’t necessarily the most talented, but they were the ones who trained daily, practiced deliberately, and refused to quit. Mental toughness is built by doing hard things, on purpose, consistently. If you’re just starting out, develop routines that challenge you, both inside and outside your profession. That resilience will carry you through every obstacle.

2. **Communication and Influence**
Clinical skills are vital, but if you can’t communicate, you can’t lead. In dentistry, the ability to explain, connect, and influence is what turns treatment plans into life-changing cases and patients into raving fans. Too many professionals hide behind their technical skills, but the truth is people don’t buy procedures—they buy certainty, clarity, and confidence. My advice: invest as much time in learning how to communicate and sell as you do in learning the technical craft. Read, role-play, take courses, study body language, and practice until influence becomes second nature.

3. **Systems Thinking and Strategic Execution**
Success doesn’t come from working harder—it comes from building better systems. Whether in a practice, a business, or life, the right systems free up your time, energy, and creativity for the things that matter most. I’ve built companies, patents, and training platforms not because I had more hours in the day, but because I built systems that made me scalable. If you’re early in your career, start documenting how you do things, refine it, and create repeatable processes. Systems are what separate those who burn out from those who build legacies.

**Advice for Those Starting Out**
If I could distill it down: Train your mind to be unbreakable, your words to be powerful, and your work to be scalable. Focus on discipline, communication, and systems—not just technical skills. Do this, and you won’t just succeed—you’ll stand out in a sea of mediocrity.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

The Ideal LEGION Dentist
The dentist who thrives in LEGION is not the one looking for a quick fix or another cookie-cutter CE course. They are the dentist who:

Refuses to settle for mediocrity. They’re tired of the insurance treadmill, tired of being undervalued, tired of doing great dentistry but struggling to build real wealth or freedom. They’re ready to play at an elite level.

Wants more than clinical skills. They understand that dentistry is more than just teeth—it’s business, leadership, communication, marketing, and mindset. They want to master the game beyond the operatory.

Is hungry, coachable, and driven. They don’t make excuses. They’re willing to be challenged, to be pushed out of their comfort zone, and to be held accountable.

Seeks freedom and impact. They want to build a practice and life that allows them to work less, earn more, and make a bigger difference—for their patients, their families, and themselves.

Who It’s NOT For
LEGION is not for the dentist who wants to “just get their CE hours” or check a box. It’s not for someone who’s comfortable being average, waiting for insurance reimbursements, or hiding behind excuses.

In Short
The ideal LEGION client is the dentist who knows they were meant for more—and is ready to go to war to get it.

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