Karen Winkle

Transforming Practices Through Clarity, Accountability & Culture

Karen Braswell-Winkle is a nationally respected advisor in dental practice transformation, known for her no-nonsense leadership style and her ability to help dentists reclaim control of their teams, their business, and their lives. As President and Founder of Phoenix Dental Consultants (Dental Manager 911, LLC), she brings over 30 years of experience in chairside care, clinical operations, and executive management to every client engagement.

Her background blends real-world clinical knowledge with deep behavioral insights. Karen began her career as a lead clinical assistant at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry before earning degrees in Theology, Psychology, and Music Education. She later held consulting and analyst roles at both Mercer Global Advisors and the Schuster Center, where she developed her signature approach to full-system practice transformation.

Leadership Systems Rooted in Truth, Not Tactics

Karen’s consulting framework emphasizes direct communication, values-based leadership, and the elimination of hallway management. Her custom-designed solutions address the root causes of dysfunction, focusing on culture, communication, and clearly defined expectations.

She is best known for helping dentists navigate the most difficult challenges in practice ownership: fractured teams, inconsistent leadership, and burnout rooted in poor boundaries. Her approach resets the culture, restores accountability, and realigns the practice around purpose.

Karen’s most effective strategies include conflict resolution protocols, team alignment systems, and leadership communication coaching. She’s guided hundreds of practice owners through emotional and operational transformation with clarity, structure, and compassion.

Strategic Impact on the Foundation Dental Alliance

As a trusted member of the Foundation Dental Alliance Advisory Board, Karen brings decades of clinical-to-consulting wisdom, proven leadership systems, and a national reputation for transforming practice culture. Her contributions to FDA include:

• Supporting dentists through conflict resolution and leadership restructuring
• Designing custom culture reset systems for member practices
• Advising on growth strategies that protect family-first leadership and long-term clarity
• Helping refine training programs and transition strategies within the FDA ecosystem

Karen’s presence amplifies FDA’s mission to help dentists lead with courage, build with clarity, and create practices that reflect their values.

Key Areas of Expertise

• Comprehensive practice transformation and operational redesign
• Team culture development and conflict resolution
• Strategic planning, diagnostics, and growth implementation
• Leadership communication and accountability systems
• Oral-systemic health integration and custom consulting design