Your stool might be costing you more than you realize. Most dental professionals spend more than 1,500 hours per year sitting, yet very few of us think about whether our stool is helping or hurting us. In this solo episode of Straight Up With Steph®, I share my personal journey with chronic low back pain, the ergonomic mistakes I made early in my career, and the one equipment change that completely transformed the way I practice dentistry. We'll discuss the science behind sitting posture, w...

Dentistry is changing—and whether you love it or hate it, the conversation needs to happen. In this episode of Straight Up With Steph®, I welcome back former ADA President Dr. Brett Kessler for an honest discussion about the future of dental hygiene, practice ownership, and the profession as a whole. From the hygiene shortage and assisted hygiene to insurance reform, burnout, leadership, and medical-dental integration, we tackle some of the most controversial topics in dentistry today with th...

Hair thinning, collagen loss, and aging skin can feel like they happen overnight in midlife—but there’s actually a lot happening behind the scenes. In this episode of Straight Up With Steph®, dermatologist and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner Dr. Corinne Erickson returns for part two of our conversation to answer listener questions about hair loss, collagen decline, red light therapy, skin treatments, and the lifestyle habits that impact how we age. We discuss why so many women notice...

In this episode of Straight Up With Steph®, I’m joined by certified nurse midwife and menopause specialist Sarah Shealy, CNM, MSCP, for a deep dive into one of the most talked-about—and misunderstood—topics in women’s health: hormone replacement therapy (HRT). If you've ever wondered whether your anxiety, poor sleep, body aches, brain fog, gut issues, or lack of confidence could be related to perimenopause, this episode is for you. Sarah explains what’s really happening to our hormones during...

Leaking when you sneeze? Constantly running to the bathroom? Feeling pressure, heaviness, or disconnected from your core? These symptoms may have more to do with your pelvic floor than you realize. In this episode of Straight Up With Steph®, I sit down with pelvic floor specialist Emma Bromley to discuss one of the most overlooked aspects of women's health: pelvic floor dysfunction. Like many women, I never gave much thought to my pelvic floor until I started experiencing issues myself. After...

Is the hygiene department really a loss leader… or have we just been looking at it all wrong? In this episode, I sit down with Shannon Richkowski, RDH, founder of Hygiene Mastery and managing partner of Fortune Management. Shannon is a nationally recognized speaker, consultant, and leader in dental practice growth, known for helping practices transform their hygiene departments into powerful drivers of both patient health and profitability. We break down the misconceptions surrounding hygiene...

If you’ve ever thought, “Why am I still reacting like this even though I know better?” — this episode is going to hit. In this episode of Straight Up With Steph®, I sit down with EMDR therapist Dana Carretta-Stein to break down what trauma actually is, how it shows up in your daily life, and why healing isn’t just about awareness — it’s about rewiring your nervous system. We go way beyond surface-level mental health conversations and talk about why so many people stay stuck, how patterns form...

If you’ve ever felt like your body is changing and no one really explained why… this episode is for you. In this episode of Straight Up With Steph®, I sit down with Dr. Jen Fraboni to break down what’s actually happening in women’s bodies through different life stages—and how to support yourself through it. We talk about everything from menstrual cycles and workouts, to pregnancy myths, postpartum recovery, and the reality of perimenopause. Dr. Jen brings an evidence-based, practical approach...

Ever feel like you’re speaking a completely different language than your patients, coworkers, or even your own team? I had that exact moment with a patient when I realized… I might not be as “cool” or relatable as I thought 😅 And it made me start questioning—are generational differences actually that big of a deal? In this episode of Straight Up With Steph®, I sit down with generational futurist, entrepreneur, and USA TODAY bestselling author Ryan Vet to unpack what’s really going on between ...

What if your brain isn’t declining… it’s just undertrained? What if simple brain games can improve it? In this episode of Straight Up With Steph®, I sit down with Jules from BrainBodyByJules to break down what’s really happening with your focus, memory, and mental clarity—and why so many of us feel like we’re operating on autopilot. We talk about how your brain is actually trainable (just like your body), and why things like processing speed, attention, and even your thought patterns are skil...