Pick Two

On January 13, 2015, in startup, strategy and philosophy, your inner practitioner, by Dan

Time, money, and courage. Those are the three things you can invest to grow your practice. The trick is that you have to invest in at least two of them to make decent progress. Choosing only one fails almost every time. Just time and you spend hours in your office. Alone. Just money and you […]

How To Make Great Practice Decisions When the Stakes are High

On June 25, 2014, in strategy and philosophy, by Dan

We’ve talked about making great decisions before, but over the years we’ve discovered that the best and worst decisions we’ve made aren’t just about the decision itself. They’re about the context of the decision–where we are, how we feel, and what we’re doing while making it. This is particularly true of decisions with high stakes–things […]

The Case for Buying A Practice

On September 5, 2012, in case studies, startup, strategy and philosophy, by Dan

In the spring of 2003, we purchased all the patients files from an existing practice in our area. At the time, it seemed like a huge investment for what essentially amounted to a few filing boxes of paper. During the discussions to buy the practice, and in the time leading up to the closing date, […]

Patients for Things or Things for Patients?

On July 25, 2012, in strategy and philosophy, by Dan

When you start your practice your biggest job is pretty clear–not easy, perhaps, but it’s clear: you need to find clients for the things you offer. You’re trained, tested, licensed, insured, stocked, prepped and ready to go–you just need someone for your stuff. In The Practitioner’s Journey, we call this The River. It’s one of […]

Ten Practice Commandments

Thou Shalt Not Manage Other People’s Money Your clients decide what they can afford. If they can’t afford your treatment plan, then there may be other options, but stop deciding on their behalf what’s affordable. Thou Shalt Not Trash Talk Thyself Yes you can be realistic about where you need to learn and grow. No […]

Are You Choosing The River or The Bank?

On March 23, 2012, in strategy and philosophy, by Dan

“Civilization is a stream with banks. The stream is sometimes filled with blood from people killing, stealing, shouting and doing the things historians usually record, while on the banks, unnoticed, people build homes, make love, raise children, sing songs, write poetry and even whittle statues. The story of civilization is the story of what happened […]

The New Found: Who Gets the Oh-So-Close Clients?

On February 9, 2012, in strategy and philosophy, by Dan

One way to look at the big pile of people out there who might become your clients is to divide them into two groups. The first is the kind that already knows what you do, and is looking for it. This group is small. But they’re sooo close to being your client. They’re already searching–you […]

What Got You Here…

On January 18, 2012, in inspiration, strategy and philosophy, by Dan

The greatest misconception among health care professionals is that your training is enough to make you successful. It isn’t. It’s not anyone’s fault, but the challenge, whether you’re in your first year or tenth, remains the same: The skills that got you to graduation aren’t the same ones you need to successfully grow your practice. […]

4 Ways to Start Next Year Right

On December 29, 2011, in inspiration, marketing, strategy and philosophy, by Dan

Hi All, Next year is almost here! Thanks to the many (wow!) of you who took advantage of the pre-order special on The Practitioner’s Journey workbook. The offer ends on December 31. Before then, you can get the digital workbook for just $9.95, or the original eBook and the workbook together for just $14.95. Click […]

When Pennies Mean Dollars

On November 9, 2011, in strategy and philosophy, by Dan

Tara emailed me the other day: “Just pulled in to the grocery store and then pulled right back out because I remembered you needed a quarter to get a cart, which of course I did not have. The moral? Don’t make it tough for your customers to spend money at your store – the quarter […]

How To Turn Your CE Into Practice Revenue

On October 5, 2011, in strategy and philosophy, by Dan

Tara just returned from a great seminar in Arizona. Awesome trip, great lectures, helpful stuff. And, Arizona versus a cold, rainy October weekend in Ontario? No contest. 🙂 Part of a great CE experience, though, is not feeling guilty the whole time for investing in yourself. If you’re like many practitioners, you may stress over […]

Create Your Own Yardstick

On July 20, 2011, in inspiration, strategy and philosophy, by Dan

A practitioner once told me, “I’ve cried a lot of tears from comparing myself to others.” What she meant was that constantly comparing yourself to other practitioners is exhausting and destructive. She meant that feeling like everyone around you is more successful than you are is a tough way to go through life, and ultimately, […]

The Habits That Make & Break Practices

When it comes to practice success, there are just two kinds of habits that matter: the ones you need to create, and the ones you need to undo. What to start doing, and what to stop doing, in other words. There are things that don’t serve us. Like habits of self-criticism. Or working too long […]

Failing Faster: How To Avoid the Trap of Practice Perfection

On April 13, 2011, in practice marketing, strategy and philosophy, by Dan

One of the barriers to practice marketing is getting caught up in trying to make things perfect. You put things off because you need to figure out X, or get just the right Y, or get some advice from Z. And the time ticks by. And, of course, you really can’t get things perfect. Trying […]

5 Steps to Dealing With Practice Panic

On February 8, 2011, in strategy and philosophy, by Dan

Any of these sound familiar? You just set a new personal record for the least number of new clients in a week. Your line of credit is maxed out. Credit card? Same. You’re being sued by a former patient. Your key – and only – staff member just quit. Effective now. You’ve been told you […]

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