Cold Start: 3 Tips to Keep Your Head Above Water - E13
To all my private practice doctors and future private practice doctors, I commend you. You have taken the leap and are chasing the dream of working for yourself and providing a patient experience better than anything this world has ever seen. That is the goal at least, but in those early days, you are just trying to survive and make it to tomorrow. I get it and I have been there. Here are a few things to remember as you embark on this journey.
1. Realize you are in rare air and know who you are.
You get that only a select few actually take the leap. Many talk about it and many actually want to do it, but something holds them back. They want to have your bad days (and all your good days for sure). Just keep in mind that it is not a straightforward path to success, but you will get there. Keep grinding.
2. Comparison is the thief of joy
When you start cold, you are creating something out of nothing. It takes time and there will be days you do not see a single patient or you see one and they were a healthy emmetrope with VSP insurance and no co-pays! This is ok. Your colleagues will be seeing all the crazy glaucoma and red eye patients, but they will not be working for themselves or building equity in a business. Not that one is better than the other, but the patients will come and you are in this for the long game.
3. Do not get caught up in the numbers
It is easy to live and die with the day’s patient count, your gross revenue, the number of good or bad reviews, or Rx checks, but that does not define you. You need to be able to look yourself in the mirror every night and know you are doing everything you can and that is enough. The business is not a representation of you, you understand that right?
I know these may seem simple or kind of “rah-rah” but trust me, in those early days, simple and “rah-rah” is exactly what I would have loved to hear in the moment. Be strong my friends.
Join in the fun and subscribe to the podcast to keep up with all the great content coming down the pipe! For exclusive content, be sure to register your email on our website and I will be sending out newsletters and other great bonuses as we go. I love getting feedback, questions, suggestions, etc. so contact me at www.theultimateod.com, on social media (click here for -> Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) OR, just shoot me an email at drlillie@theultimateod.com and I’d be happy to chat!
