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Top 5% globally ranked podcast for healthcare practice owners. Prevent burnout, grow profitably. 215+ episodes, 51 countries.
Welcome to Thriving Practice - the business podcast that proves independent physicians, dentists, therapists, and healthcare practice owners can build profitable, efficient practices while actually enjoying their lives.
By the Numbers:
- 215+ episodes featuring top-tier practice owners and healthcare business experts
- Global Top 5% ranking on Listen Notes among all podcasts
- 51 countries reached globally
- 9 seasons of proven practice management strategies
- Weekly episodes with actionable insights you can implement immediately
Hosted by Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC - executive coach, business consultant, and CME-approved educator with 15+ years specializing in healthcare practice consulting. Tracy brings you successful practice owners, industry experts, and medical association leaders, all united in helping private practices stay private and thrive.
Subscribe now and join our community at ThrivingPracticeCommunity.com for ongoing support from practice leaders who've been where you are.
Top 5% globally ranked podcast for healthcare practice owners. Prevent burnout, grow profitably. 215+ episodes, 51 countries.
Welcome to Thriving Practice - the business podcast that proves independent physicians, dentists, therapists, and healthcare practice owners can build profitable, efficient practices while actually enjoying their lives.
By the Numbers:
- 215+ episodes featuring top-tier practice owners and healthcare business experts
- Global Top 5% ranking on Listen Notes among all podcasts
- 51 countries reached globally
- 9 seasons of proven practice management strategies
- Weekly episodes with actionable insights you can implement immediately
Hosted by Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC - executive coach, business consultant, and CME-approved educator with 15+ years specializing in healthcare practice consulting. Tracy brings you successful practice owners, industry experts, and medical association leaders, all united in helping private practices stay private and thrive.
Subscribe now and join our community at ThrivingPracticeCommunity.com for ongoing support from practice leaders who've been where you are.
Episodes

Wednesday May 14, 2025
The Leadership Advantage: Small Wellness Initiatives With Big Impact, EP 180
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
In this episode, Tracy explores how independent healthcare practice owners can leverage small wellness initiatives as powerful demonstrations of leadership. Against the backdrop of unprecedented challenges in healthcare—from high turnover to political pressures—she reveals how intentional wellness practices create disproportionate returns for small practices. Unlike large healthcare systems, small practices have a "leadership proximity advantage" that makes even modest wellness initiatives more effective. Tracy shares practical, low-cost approaches that strengthen team culture, improve retention, and ultimately create more sustainable practices. The episode highlights how leadership presence, rather than elaborate programs, is the true foundation of practice wellbeing.
Episode Highlights:
- Why small practices have a distinct advantage in implementing effective wellness initiatives
- A simple 20-minute weekly wellness activity that costs nothing but delivers remarkable results
- Five mindset practices that integrate wellness into everyday leadership
- How to measure the ROI of wellness initiatives through reduced absenteeism and improved engagement
- The critical connection between a leader's own sustainable energy and team wellness
Memorable Quotes:
- "Culture isn't a workshop we attend. It's about the example we set."
- "The most successful practice owners know that wellness isn't about implementing a program—it's about investing in your most valuable asset: your people."
- "Small, consistent wellness actions may seem insignificant compared to the daily operations of your practice, but they can completely redirect your practice culture."
- "The practices that consistently outperform, even in challenging times, aren't necessarily the ones with the most resources—they're the ones led by owners who understand that how they show up matters more than what they say."
- "You can't pour from an empty cup. The foundation of any successful team wellness initiative is your own sustainable energy as a leader."
Free Resource Mentioned: Download the Energy Audit workbook at PracticeSuccess.co/resources
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
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Friday May 09, 2025
Friday May 09, 2025
In this candid, unscripted "snack episode," Tracy is interviewed by Miranda, our Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International and the Thriving Practice Community. Tracy shares her practical planning process for helping healthcare practice owners transform their ideas into achievable quarterly goals. She explains how to plan effectively even during uncertainty and maintain enthusiasm while building a practice vision despite challenges.
Key Takeaways:
- Tracy's planning process starts with clarity - connecting the what, why, and how of your goals
- Emotional connection to goals makes it easier to put in the necessary effort
- Beginning with clarity increases speed rather than haste
- Break down long-term goals by working backward - from 12 months to 9, 6, 3 months, then to weekly and daily tasks
- Breaking goals into smaller chunks prevents feeling overwhelmed
- Celebrate daily accomplishments with a "ta-da list" to maintain positive energy and momentum
- Look for subtle wins: improved feelings, better sleep, increased energy at work
- Lack of patience is a major challenge for healthcare entrepreneurs who want solutions immediately
- The importance of "slowing down to speed up" - surrendering to the process brings clarity
- Finding your practice's unique edge goes beyond clinical expertise to what makes you stand out in a competitive market
Notable Quotes:
- "When we're emotionally connected to a goal, then it's easier for us...to put in the effort and the labor that's required to make something come to fruition."
- "Clarity actually helps us increase speed rather than like haste."
- "Sometimes when we have big goals, it can feel so overwhelming that we don't even start."
- "My coach who trained me taught me about the ta-da list at the end of each day, which is...don't diminish progress."
- "When we use this beautiful tool called surrender and we trust the process, that slowing down brings us that clarity that helps us then move forward with more speed."
- "What makes you stand out so that you don't feel like it's about competition...Seth Godin calls it Purple Cow. Right? Like, what is it about your practice that makes you unique? And it can't just be your clinical expertise. It's not enough."
Miranda’s Bio:
Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
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Wednesday May 07, 2025
Wednesday May 07, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode of Thriving Practice, I speak with Sarah Clark, founder of Sarah Clark Consulting, who helps medical, dental, and chiropractic practices transform operational chaos into sustainable calm. Sarah's approach combines fractional practice administration with process improvement strategies that allow providers to focus on patient care rather than administrative burdens. We explore how small, intentional changes in technology and workflow can dramatically improve both the patient experience and staff satisfaction. Sarah shares concrete examples of how simple solutions like automated appointment reminders have freed up staff time and improved patient punctuality by 30% in one practice. Her compassionate, results-driven methodology emphasizes that providers don't need to make sweeping changes all at once – even incremental improvements can lead to significant positive outcomes for practice efficiency and provider wellbeing.
Featured Quotes
"What I do is I help private medical, dental, chiropractor, anything in that field...turn their chaos into calm. And I sort of make a joke of, well, not all the way calm, more like calm-er. Because if it's really quiet and it's really calm, that's probably also like it's never really gonna happen that way."
"Burnout is not just taking care of the patients and dealing with that burden that gets put onto their shoulders, but having to run an office when a physician did not go to business school becomes really difficult...It's overwhelming. That's a full-time job."
"There are ways that you can do that and take some of the manual part of the stuff that leads up to that diagnosis...once the clients, once the business owners understand that it's okay to elevate something else off of you, to give it to somebody that has the experience and the time and the understanding to do it, it is, I mean, I have two clients that will just send me a text message about whatever it is and they used to say just handle it, now that just handle it is understood."
What You'll Learn
Listen for these key insights:
- How the "Four P's" framework (People, Paperwork, Processes, and Patients) can transform your practice
- Why technology adoption doesn't have to be overwhelming—and how small changes like automated appointment reminders can have outsized impacts
- The surprising connection between provider burnout and patient experience
- How fractional practice administration can provide expert support for practices that can't justify a full-time administrator
- The critical importance of developing a strategic plan for your practice, including your eventual exit strategy
- Why compassion isn't just good medicine—it's good business (with scientific evidence to back it up!)
Resources Mentioned
- Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference - Book recommendation from Sarah about the impact of compassion on patient outcomes and provider burnout
Thriving Practice is hosted and executive produced by Tracy Cherpeski. Our mission is to help healthcare practitioners build sustainable, impactful businesses while maintaining their own wellbeing.
Bio:
Sarah Clark is the founder of Sarah Clark Consulting, where she helps medical, dental, and chiropractic practices transform operational chaos into sustainable calm. With a Master's degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University, Sarah built her career spanning both corporate healthcare with the NFL and independent medical practices.
This diverse background gives Sarah a unique perspective from nearly all roles in a medical office, allowing her to identify pain points and implement collaborative solutions. She specializes in helping independent practitioners who often wear multiple hats without adequate training for all their responsibilities.
Through fractional practice administration and process improvement, Sarah guides healthcare providers to become the best versions of themselves while improving operations and increasing profitability.
Sarah lives in Huntersville, North Carolina where she enjoys outdoor activities, RV travel, cooking, and kickboxing when she's not transforming healthcare practices.
Find Sarah:
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Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
From Shoveling Water to Strategic Leadership Featuring TJ Slattery, EP 177
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
In this insightful episode, TJ Slattery of Crow's Nest Mindset Consulting shares strategies for healthcare practice owners who find themselves stuck "below deck" in their businesses. TJ explains how practitioners can transition from frantically managing day-to-day operations to gaining the strategic perspective needed for sustainable growth and leadership. Through practical advice and compelling metaphors, he offers a roadmap for escaping the "entrepreneurial island" that traps many healthcare business owners.
Episode Highlights:
- The crow's nest metaphor: Why healthcare providers often find themselves "shoveling water below deck" instead of navigating strategically
- The challenge of transitioning from clinical excellence (where "never let them see you sweat" is valued) to business leadership (where vulnerability and delegation are crucial)
- Understanding your true hourly value and why tasks like "opening the mail" could be costing you thousands
- Building a holistic performance model that aligns financial goals with marketing, operations, and leadership
- Moving from "magical thinking" about growth to practical planning with measurable steps
- The three mindset blocks that prevent effective delegation: martyrdom, "I alone can fix it," and guilt
- How creating space for your team allows them to develop, flourish, and make your business stronger
Memorable Quotes:
"The death of every entrepreneur is you all become glorified managers. If you're doing this right, in a year from now, you're not the one getting your hands dirty - you're managing people and managing your managers."
"Would you pay a bookkeeper $1,200 an hour to go through your books? That's what you're doing when you handle those tasks yourself instead of delegating."
"Just because we can doesn't mean we should. How is a business owner to fulfill their mission and vision if they're not able to get up to that view and keep checking on it?"
"A lot of people, whatever their background or industry is, never let them see you sweat. That is a teachable mindset that you can maneuver over. That is something you can loosen up and get better at."
Guest Bio:
TJ Slattery is the Founder and Strategic Advisor at Crow's Nest Mindset Consulting, where he helps small business owners scale their enterprises and achieve greater freedom in both professional and personal spheres. With 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and small business operations, TJ brings a unique blend of practical expertise and strategic insight to his clients.
A self-described "business plan tinkerer," TJ's approach stems from genuine curiosity and a collaborative drive to identify core challenges and implement effective solutions. His diverse background includes founding a pedicab service in Vail, running a handyman business in Denver, partnering in a London-based facilities management firm, and co-founding Zuni Street Brewing Company.
TJ holds a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Business Management from Miami University of Ohio and an MBA from the University of Denver. When not helping business owners climb to their own crow's nest for a better strategic view, this Denver resident with Midwestern roots enjoys music, gardening, home projects, traveling, skiing, and spending quality time with his dog, Bella.
Find TJ:
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Friday Apr 25, 2025
Friday Apr 25, 2025
In this special "snack episode" of the Thriving Practice Podcast, Miranda Dorta interviews Tracy Cherpeski about the evolution of the healthcare industry since 2010. Tracy shares insights on current challenges facing independent practices, emerging business models, and essential skills for practice owners to thrive in today's healthcare landscape. From the concerning trend of private equity acquisitions to promising signs of physicians returning to independent practice, Tracy offers her perspective on where healthcare is heading and how practice owners can adapt.
Main Points:
- Private equity acquisition of practices and expansion of larger institutions are concerning trends affecting independent healthcare practices
- Early signs suggest some physicians are returning to private practice after experiencing larger institutional settings
- Independent single-provider practices face significant financial challenges with high operating costs
- Collaborative group practices with multiple providers offer a sustainable model for the future
- Practice owners need to embrace their CEO role and focus on strategic leadership, delegation, and resource allocation
- Smart investment in marketing and operations is essential for practice growth, despite some resistance
- A shift back toward more relational, neighborhood-based practices may be emerging
Notable Quotes:
- "I see independent provider practices struggling a lot with an individual, just one provider. So I am seeing a little bit more of a leaning towards a group focus or multiple providers."
- "I see practices that maybe are successful but they're not as profitable as they could be."
- "Most of our clients do not think of themselves as a CEO first. But if you're a business owner, you are the CEO."
- "It's not how you spend your time. If you're spending your time, you're probably wasting it... It's how you invest the resource, the finite resource of your time and energy."
Miranda’s Bio:
Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
Connect With Us:

Wednesday Apr 23, 2025
Wednesday Apr 23, 2025
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Amir Baluch, a semi-retired anesthesiologist and founder of Blue Capital Partners, about alternative investment strategies for healthcare providers. Dr. Baluch shares insights on creating passive income streams, the importance of diversification beyond traditional stocks and bonds, and how strategic investments can "buy back time" for busy practitioners. While much of his financial advice offers valuable perspective for healthcare providers looking to reduce clinical hours and focus more on business development, we also provide important context regarding his comments on real estate investment and political policies that may contradict current research on housing affordability and economic impacts.
Episode Highlights:
- The Power of Passive Income: How investing in alternative assets can create freedom in your schedule and reduce dependence on clinical hours
- Diversification Strategy: Why relying solely on traditional investments like stocks may not provide adequate returns in the coming decade
- Risk-Adjusted Returns: Understanding how to evaluate investments beyond just the stated return percentage
- Time vs. Money: Creating a strategic plan to gradually reduce clinical hours through passive income
- Marketing vs. Sales: The critical differences between creating awareness and converting leads
- Building a Sellable Practice: The importance of treating your practice like a business that could someday be sold
Producer's Notes:
Two topics discussed in this episode warrant additional context:
- Single-Family Home Investments: Institutional investor ownership of single-family homes has grown significantly, with just 32 institutional investors collectively owning 450,000 single-family homes by 2022. Research indicates non-individual investor ownership of single-family rentals increased from 17% in 2001 to 25% in 2021, with projections suggesting institutional investors could control 40% of U.S. single-family rental homes by 2030. This trend is contributing to the housing affordability crisis in many markets.
- Policy Impacts: Despite Dr. Baluch's enthusiasm about certain administration policies, current evidence suggests recent tariffs, immigration policies, and cuts to housing programs are adversely affecting housing affordability. Housing experts note that deportation plans could severely impact the construction industry, as immigrants make up approximately 30% of the construction labor force at a time when the National Association of Home Builders projects a need for 2.2 million new skilled construction workers.
Sources:
- Government Accountability Office (GAO). "Rental Housing: Information on Institutional Investment in Single-Family Homes." May 2024.
- Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. "8 Facts About Investor Activity in the Single-Family Rental Market." 2024.
- MetLife Investment Management. "Housing Market Projections Report." 2023.
- The Washington Post. "Investors bought up a record share of homes last year." February 2022.
- Center for American Progress. "Americans Recognize Housing Affordability Crisis." October 2024.
- National Association of Home Builders. "Understanding Housing Affordability in Today's Market." July 2024.
- Bankrate. "How Will Tariffs And Deportations Affect Housing?" April 2025.
- Newsweek. "Trump Tariffs Could Slow US Housing Market in 2025." March 2025.
- ProPublica. "Trump Says He'll Fight for Working-Class Americans. His First Presidency Suggests He Won't." November 2024.
- National Low Income Housing Coalition. "Impacts of Trump Administration Executive Orders." April 2025.
Notable Quotes:
- "If you diversify across enough asset classes, you could reduce your risk by 80% and still get the same returns." - Dr. Amir Baluch
- "When people don't write it down on a piece of paper, it never happens. They throw money here and there and a couple of investments. But at the end of the year, okay, how much time did that buy you back?" - Dr. Amir Baluch
- "Just imagine every dollar bill you have is a little soldier. You just want to put it to work out there." - Dr. Amir Baluch
- "If you're not measuring it, it doesn't get managed." - Dr. Amir Baluch
- "I think that's the key. Take your time and energy so that you can work on the business instead of being in it all the time." - Host
Bio:
Dr. Amir Baluch is a Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author who retired from anesthesiology in his early 40s to focus on transforming wealth management for healthcare professionals. After experiencing his father's bankruptcy and personal setbacks in 2001, he developed alternative investment strategies that have since helped numerous medical professionals achieve financial independence.
As founder of Blue Capital Partners, Dr. Baluch manages over $700M in projects, specializing in creating passive income through real estate, private equity, and private credit investments. His expertise has been featured on ABC News, Business Insider, and Forbes. He's dedicated to empowering 10,000 healthcare professionals to secure financial freedom through recession-proof investment opportunities that provide not just wealth accumulation but also tax reduction and lifestyle flexibility.
Dr. Baluch brings a unique physician-focused perspective to financial planning, having personally implemented the strategies he teaches to achieve early retirement and build lasting wealth.
Find Dr. Baluch:
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Friday Apr 18, 2025
Friday Apr 18, 2025
In this special "snack episode" of the Thriving Practice Podcast, our Manager of Operations and PR, Miranda Dorta, turns the mic around to interview Tracy Cherpeski, examining the reality of healthcare practice leadership. This candid, unscripted conversation explores how practice owners can achieve sustainable growth without sacrificing personal well-being. Tracy shares her evidence-based approaches to sustainability, effective boundary setting, and the systems that support healthcare practice owners, offering valuable insights on achieving harmony between professional demands and personal needs.
Main Points:
- Well-being vs. Work-Life Balance: Tracy defines well-being as the complete picture encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual health along with business health. She challenges the concept of "balance," suggesting that harmony with one's life goals is more realistic for business owners.
- The Importance of Slowing Down: Tracy emphasizes that the first step to protecting time and energy is slowing down to gain "crystal clarity" about personal and professional goals, which allows practice owners to prioritize effectively.
- Recognizing When Growth Threatens Well-being: Through reflective questioning and coaching, Tracy helps healthcare professionals recognize patterns that compromise their well-being and guides them to meaningful "aha moments" about self-care.
- Addressing Perfectionism and Control: Tracy normalizes the control tendencies common in healthcare entrepreneurs while helping them learn true surrender—not abdication but rather building trust in themselves and their teams.
Notable Quotes:
"Well-being is really the entire picture of the human being's health—physical, spiritual, and mental—as well as the business."
"I just don't believe in balance... Most of us spend more of our waking hours working than we do being home. So right away we're out of balance. So are we in harmony with what we want out of life and the business that we want?"
"The most important piece of the puzzle is to slow down... It's really important to slow down so that we can get really clear. And this is the key to everything—crystal clarity."
"Physicians in particular are trained like never to let anybody see them sweat... It takes a while to sort of crack that facade and allow their real deep humanity to come out."
"When we put it back on them to look at themselves and to trust themselves, it changes the responsibility... They double down then on the responsibility to ensure that their team has what they need so that they can take their hands off of it."
"Most of the time, the desire to control ends up being the Achilles heel... when they recognize that it's probably the cause of a lot of their challenges and energy drains, it becomes a little bit easier to let go."
Miranda’s Bio:
Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
Connect With Us:

Wednesday Apr 16, 2025
Creating Programs That Transform Patient Results with Joanna Sapir, EP 173
Wednesday Apr 16, 2025
Wednesday Apr 16, 2025
In this episode of the Thriving Practice Podcast, host Tracy Cherpeski interviews Joanna Sapir, a business strategist who specializes in helping wellness practitioners build thriving practices without burning out. Airing during Stress Awareness Month, this conversation explores Joanna's revolutionary approach of "stop selling sessions, start creating programs" that helps practitioners create more predictable business models while delivering better outcomes for clients. Drawing from her own burnout experience as a practice owner, Joanna shares practical strategies for designing effective programs and treatment plans that benefit both practitioners and their clients.
Key Highlights
- The Burnout Reality: How Joanna's emergency room visit within her first year of business became a wake-up call to reimagine how wellness practices can operate
- Paradigm Shift: The fundamental difference between selling individual sessions versus creating comprehensive healing journeys
- Business Benefits: How programs eliminate the financial impact of no-shows and create predictable, sustainable revenue
- Client Outcomes: Why structured programs lead to better compliance, deeper healing, and more satisfied clients
- Implementation Framework: Practical steps for designing programs that align with your modality and client needs
- Transition Strategies: How to introduce programs to existing clients without disrupting relationships
- Sales Process: Creating authentic enrollment conversations that align with healing values
Topics Covered
- The profound difference between "packages" (discounted sessions) and true treatment programs
- Front-end and back-end program structures for different practitioner types
- How programs provide essential "guardrails" that keep clients on track with their health goals
- Why selling sessions creates unpredictable income and client progress
- The iterative approach to refining your programs over time
- Creating systems that allow practitioners to "just show up and do their best work"
- How program-based practices can scale more effectively
Featured Examples
Joanna shares two detailed program models:
- Physical Practitioner Model: A body worker's 6/9/12-week assessment-based treatment plans for pain relief and injury recovery
- Therapeutic Practitioner Model: A nervous system specialist's six-month cohort-based program for disordered eating with group and individual components
Resources Mentioned
- Free Systems Guide: Three essential business systems for wellness practitioners:
- Lead generation system
- Lead capture system
- Sales process system
- Last week's solo episode on physician wellness and burnout prevention
- Joanna's comprehensive business development programs for wellness practitioners
Episode Quotes
"Stop selling sessions and start creating programs and treatment plans." - Joanna Sapir
"When you have the systems and structures in place, you get to just show up and do your best work with the client." - Joanna Sapir
"If you don't have a business that's making money that's sustaining you sufficiently, you have an incredibly expensive hobby." - Tracy Cherpeski
"It's not necessarily about there being some people who are committed and some who aren't. It's actually about the boundaries you put in place, the guardrails that keep people in the lane." - Joanna Sapir
"You can have a beautifully authentic, meaningful, connected sales process that enrolls your patients or your clients in these programs... it's a win-win-win all around." - Joanna Sapir
Bio:
Joanna Sapir is a business strategist who helps wellness practitioners build thriving practices without burning out. Joanna specializes in helping practitioners move from the unpredictable cycle of selling individual sessions to creating comprehensive programs and treatment plans that provide better client outcomes while creating sustainable, predictable income. Her clients include acupuncturists, bodyworkers, movement specialists, and practitioners who combine multiple healing modalities.
Through her work, Joanna helps wellness professionals properly price and package their services, develop steady predictable income, clarify their unique vision and voice, and create systems that allow their businesses to run smoothly without constant hands-on management. Her ultimate goal is to help practitioners create the freedom and fulfillment that attracted them to healing work in the first place, while building businesses that truly support their desired lifestyle.
Based in Central Mexico (as of this recording), Joanna continues to expand her impact by helping practitioners worldwide transform their approach to business and client care.
Find Joanna:
Link to free resource https://joannasapir.com/lp/systems/
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Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
The Silent Epidemic: How Stress Impacts Healthcare Practice Owners, EP 172
Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
Wednesday Apr 09, 2025
Episode Overview
In this special solo episode for Stress Awareness Month, host Tracy Cherpeski shares insights from the Sonoma-Mendocino Lake County Healthcare Expo and Conference on physician wellness and burnout. Drawing from her 15+ years of consulting experience with healthcare practices, Tracy discusses how the unique challenges faced by independent practitioners affect both personal wellbeing and business success.
Key Highlights
- The Burnout Crisis: 63% of physicians report at least one symptom of burnout according to Mayo Clinic research
- Double Impact: Practice owners face both clinical stress and business ownership pressures
- Strengths Becoming Weaknesses: How the qualities that make great healthcare providers (service orientation, high standards, problem-solving abilities) can undermine personal wellbeing
- Business Consequences: How unmanaged stress directly impacts practice revenue, staff retention, patient experience, and clinical decision-making
- Practical Solutions: Stress management strategies specifically designed for independent practitioners and small practice owners
Topics Covered
- The unique stress patterns observed in healthcare practitioners vs. other professionals
- How to recognize early warning signs of burnout in yourself and colleagues
- The measurable business costs of practitioner stress
- Practical interventions that serve both wellbeing and business optimization
- Why institutional wellness approaches often fail independent practitioners
Featured Framework
Tracy's coaching approach for practice owners includes:
- Eight-area life assessment to identify imbalances
- "Threshold interventions" - small changes at critical junctures of the day
- Environmental modifications to reduce stress triggers
- Intentional calendaring and boundary-setting
- Integration of wellbeing strategies with business optimization
Resources Mentioned
- Free Burnout Prevention Guide: Available at PracticeSuccess.co/resources (scroll to bottom of page), WHO's official burnout definition and 12-stage progression model
Episode Quotes
"In healthcare, your most important business asset isn't your equipment, your location, or even your patient list—it's you. And when you're operating from a place of chronic stress, every business metric eventually suffers."
"Addressing practitioner stress isn't just a wellness nicety—it's a business imperative with measurable ROI. When practice owners invest in their wellbeing, they're making one of the most significant business investments possible."
"We take the approach of building one's business around the life they want to live, not the other way around."
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Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
In this essential episode, we dive deep into the Profit First methodology and its game-changing impact on medical practices. Susanne Mariga, fractional CFO and co-author of "Profit First for Minority Business Enterprises," shares how implementing a simple five-bank-account system can create intentional profitability while improving patient care. This conversation addresses the critical gap in business education for medical professionals and offers practical solutions for building sustainable, profitable practices.
Key Points:
- The traditional accounting equation (revenue - expenses = profit) often leads to practice owners working for free
- How the Profit First system creates intentional profitability through designated bank accounts
- Why profitable practices deliver better patient care and attract top talent
- The importance of building business value for eventual sale or retirement
- Practical steps for implementing Profit First, starting with small, manageable changes
- How automated banking systems can help enforce profitability
- The connection between practice profitability and work-life balance
Resource Highlight: "Profit First for Minority Business Enterprises" by Susanne Mariga and Mike Michalowicz
- Each book purchase supports girls' education in Zimbabwe through Hope Worldwide
- Includes specific strategies for implementing Profit First
- Features tax strategy and pricing guidance for business owners
Susanne’s Bio:
Susanne Mariga is a CPA and Fractional CFO specializing in high net worth tax strategies for 7 and 8 figure entrepreneurs using the Profit First System.
Susanne is the CEO of The Mariga Group which is a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business, the 2021 Profit First Professional Firm Of The Year, and a recipient of the 2011 Houston Minority Supplier Development E-10 Award. Susanne has been featured in the Houston Business Journal, MBE Magazine, and in a variety of other media outlets. She is the author of Kirkus reviewed and Publisher’s Weekly’s Editor’s Pick, Profit First For Minority Business Enterprises which was written in collaboration with Mike Michalowicz, under the Profit First brand. She is the host of the Profit Talk Podcast.
Before founding her own firm, Susanne worked at Arthur Andersen LLP, as well as one of the Big 4 firms, KPMG. Combining her industry knowledge with her own experience of growing a small business has allowed Susanne to help her clients design unique, profit-first based business plans that ensure success and long-term financial stability.
As a Certified Profit First Professional (PFP) at the Mastery Level, she is passionate about helping entrepreneurs maximize their revenue, grow their business, and save dollars through sound tax strategies.
Find Susanne:
Profit First for Minority Business Enterprises
Connect With Us:
Schedule Strategy Session with Tracy
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