The intersection of psychology, leadership, and no-bullshit truth-telling.
Meet the Chief
I’m Jonathan Bonanno — founder, practitioner, speaker, strategist, and the person leaders call when they’re done pretending everything’s fine. I didn’t set out to become a consultant. At 16, I was scrubbing into surgeries, chasing my dream of becoming a plastic surgeon. I worked as a CNA and rotated through hospitals, long-term care facilities, and trauma units. But the human cost of healthcare — the burnout, the silencing, the systemic gaps — hit me early. And hard. So I pivoted. Not away from healthcare, but deeper into it — through the people who hold it up: the teams. From Hospitals to Boardrooms: I cut my teeth inside some of the largest healthcare corporations in North America — leading people operations, cultural transformations, and major initiatives like REMS programs for post-transplant patients and schizophrenia care. Those years showed me what works, what breaks, and what gets swept under the rug. Then came dentistry. As Chief Operating Officer at Performance Partners, I helped transform a scrappy consulting firm into a full-fledged Dental Service Organization (DSO). I co-founded Dental Virtual Support Solutions (DVSS), led emergency response efforts like US Dental Triage during the pandemic, and facilitated multimillion-dollar practice sales with heart and operational precision. But Titles Don’t Tell the Whole Story: I’ve built a career on one radical belief: Psychological safety isn’t optional — it’s the lever that moves everything. Through ZIA, my people-first integration firm, and Chief Psycho, my consulting and coaching brand, I now help dental and healthcare teams get honest, get healthy, and get aligned. We use tools rooted in psychodynamic psychology, I/O science, and real-world operations — no gimmicks, no guru nonsense. Just the hard, human work of healing systems through the people who power them. Credentials, If You Care About That Kind of Thing: - Ph.D. (cand.) in Industrial/Organizational Psychology - M.S. in Business Management - B.S. in Business Administration - Certified in talent optimization, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and social-behavioral research - Denobi Award winner - Host of The Chief Psycho Podcast - Co-host of The Psycho x Incito Xperience (coaching cohort + retreat for servant leaders) Why I Really Do This: Because too many leaders suffer in silence. Because teams break when trust breaks. Because your story deserves to be heard — without judgment, without shame, and without having to tone it down. If you’ve ever been told you’re too much, too intense, or too emotional — welcome home.
Press & Media
Safe Spaces, Strong Teams: Building a High-Performing Dental Team
The Raving Patients Podcast with Dr. Len Tau
How Talent by ZIA Transforms Dental Practices
Dental Office Managers Community with Kyle Summerford
The Importance of Psychological Safety in the Workplace
InsideDentistry: August 2024 | Volume 20, Issue 8
Top Podcast for Mental Health & Leadership
DentistryIQ: Top podcasts every dental office manager should be listening to
From Hire to Higher Performance: Mastering Talent Acquisition and Optimization
DEO Magazine: July/August 2024 Edition
Aligning Your Talent Strategy To Your Dental Business Strategy
Hosted by Dental Entrepreneur Organization (DEO) in collaboration with ZIA
Thriving Dental Teams: Banish Fear & Build Trust
The Mint Door Podcast with Dr. Karen Tindall & Dr. Laura Schwindt
I Want to Have Fun Without Drinking Too Much
Morning Smiles by Sober Life Rocks with Margy Schaller
Outstanding Leadership
Recognized for Outstanding Organizational Leadership by Health 2.0 - 2022 Winter Edition
Importance of Talent Attraction, Acquisition, & Retention
The Clear Perspective Podcast with Allison Lacoursiere