174 3 Things I Got Wrong Building My Clinic (And What I’d Do Now)

Welcome

If I could have my time again as a clinic owner, what would I do differently from day one?

That is the theme of today’s episode and I am not doing it alone. I invited Fiona onto the podcast. She is a strategic coach within Thrive, a Thrive member of just over three years, and a clinic owner with 25 years in business. Between us, we have 37 years of business experience, plenty of lessons, and yes, plenty of grey hairs on my side.

My job as a coach is to help you lean into what you are great at and stop trying to figure it all out by yourself. If you wanted to learn the piano, you would get a piano teacher. If you wanted to learn tennis or paddle, you would get lessons. Business is no different.

Episode summary

In this conversation, Fiona and I share what we would do differently if we were starting a brand new clinic again. We talk about the real reasons clinic owners hit a ceiling, how mindset and leadership can become the hidden bottleneck, and why getting brilliant at the basics is what creates sustainable growth.

We also get practical about rhythm and systems, hiring the right people, and why retention and lifetime value matter just as much as new patient numbers.

Key takeaways

• Work on your mindset as a leader. I see it again and again. You can become your own biggest bottleneck without realising it.
• Get out of your stress response. When I make decisions from urgency, scarcity, or overwhelm, I cannot access the clarity I need to lead well.
• Introduce rhythm and systems earlier. If something happens more than once, it needs a process behind it so it is repeatable and consistent.
• Lean into your strengths and get support for the rest. You do not have to be brilliant at everything and trying to be will hold the business back.
• Hire A players sooner and tolerate B and C players less. Hiring wrongly is expensive, not just financially but emotionally and operationally.
• Get brilliant at the basics. Before you chase more leads, make sure you are nailing communication, follow up, patient experience, and outcomes.
• Focus on retention and lifetime value. A small improvement in follow up rates can add tens of thousands of pounds over a year.
• Decide what growth means for you. Bigger is not the only goal. It might be more time, more money, fewer clinical hours, or more freedom.

If you are stuck in the cycle of trying lots of things and nothing really changing, pause and ask yourself how long you are prepared to wait.

Hit subscribe so you do not miss future episodes, and share this one with a clinic owner friend who needs a moment of reflection.

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Katie Bell: If I could have my time again as a clinic owner, what would I do differently from day one? This is the theme of today's episode. And rather than just my brain, I thought I would invite Fiona, onto the podcast. Fiona, as you were gonna hear, fabulous Fiona, as we call her, is a strategic coach within Thrive.

[00:00:22] She's been a Thrive member for just over three years. Seen some phenomenal changes in that time. She's [00:00:30] also a clinic owner of many years. And I'm gonna let her share how many when she comes on and introduces herself. But today is for us to have a moment of reflection, and my job as a coach is to allow you to.

[00:00:45] Lean into what you are great at doing and stop trying to figure it all out for yourself. If you wanted to learn the piano, you would go and get a piano teacher. If you wanted to learn how to play tennis or paddle perhaps, which is the latest craze, [00:01:00] many of you would go and get some lessons. Those of you who think that you are just going to get really good at playing the piano just by trying it by yourself and practicing over and over again.

[00:01:11] You, you might get there, but it's gonna take you an enormous amount of time and energy to get to where you wanna be. So we have the beauty of experience the benefit of years, clinically, years running a clinic between me and Fiona, I think there is 30. Seven years of business experience.

[00:01:29] [00:01:30] So I wanted to bring this episode, I wanted to bring Fiona's brain in and give you some really great things to think about that if we were to be advising you of what we would really lean into in your business and what you need to be doing more of. This is what we would do if we were starting out again.

[00:01:47] So enjoy this episode.

[00:01:50] Welcome to the Treat Your Business podcast, the show for clinic owners who want real, honest advice and tried and tested ways of doing things. I'm Katie Bell, [00:02:00] and this is the new era of bigger insights and bolder conversations to help you grow a clinic and a life you love. Let's dive in.

[00:02:08] Welcome to the podcast everybody. I'm excited to be here this week with the fabulous Fiona. Introducing You are to everybody, please. 

[00:02:19] Fiona: Hello everyone. I am Fiona. I'm a business owner, physio business owner, and this year is our 25th year in business. So I run a big clinic, physio, sports [00:02:30] therapy, rehab, and Pilate Studio down in Hampshire on the South coast.

[00:02:34] And we've got a team of about 18 all together, six treatment rooms and a big studio. And I've worked with Thrive as a coachee for about three years now. And for nearly a year now, I've also been on the Thrive Coaching team. So yeah, so I've got a lot of experience and have lived through many challenges and ups and downs as a physio.

[00:02:56] I am a physio by background as well, so as a physio, leader [00:03:00] and clinic owner. 

[00:03:01] Katie Bell: Yeah, and I've asked you here, Fiona, because I decided that the title of this episode. Or the theme of this episode would be if we could have our time again, and we were starting out a brand new practice, physio practice for us, because that's what, what we were trained in, but any health and wellness practice, what would we do differently?

[00:03:21] And having the benefit of making all the mistakes that we've made, all the learnings, all the experience, all the gray hairs that I certainly have. You don't seem to look like you've got [00:03:30] any gray hair, but I definitely do. What would we do differently? So we'd come up with three things each, haven't we that we were going to, we were gonna discuss and some of them overlap.

[00:03:39] So let's dive in. What would be the first thing that you would do differently, Fiona, if you were starting out again from scratch? 

[00:03:47] Fiona: Yeah, when you asked me this question to prep, there was a whole load of things that I but actually the one thing that really stood out for me is as a leader and a business owner is.

[00:03:58] The, or what's made the biggest [00:04:00] change is mindset as a leader. And the realization that actually as a business owner and a leader, you can become your own biggest bottleneck without realizing it. And I think the intentions are always great but actually it's having that realization that has made the biggest difference.

[00:04:18] Katie Bell: And how long do you think it took you to honestly have that realization that you were bottlenecking the growth of the company? 

[00:04:25] Fiona: I think about 22 and a half years.[00:04:30]

[00:04:30] Yeah, 

[00:04:30] Katie Bell: absolutely. 

[00:04:31] Fiona: Yeah. 

[00:04:32] Katie Bell: Isn't that funny? So we see, it's not because you've, for 22 and a half years, you've not done things well. Like you had a fabulous clinic. And it has grown and it has, created an income for you and your husband, Paul. So what was the difference when you started then, actually?

[00:04:50] Like what made you think? Actually, I think there's other things that I need to be working on here, not just strategy and systems and processes. 

[00:04:58] Fiona: Because I think you limit [00:05:00] yourself. Yeah. And so your own self limitations start limit limiting the business. And once you start seeing that, and I wasn't really aware of that I think until I started working on my own mindset, and then you start realizing.

[00:05:15] Actually, I'm holding our whole business back in some of these key areas. 'Cause I think, as clinicians, which most of us are who start and run a business, you are doing everything all the time. We've talked about this before, the multiple hats that you wear, the responsibilities, you're a clinician, [00:05:30] you are doing accounts, you're doing multi, you do everything.

[00:05:32] And you're not always, great at everything, obviously. 

[00:05:35] Katie Bell: Yeah. 

[00:05:37] Fiona: You have to realize where your strengths naturally lie. Work on those and really lean into those strengths. But then also equally learn where they don't lie. And start to learn about how you can stop being your own bottleneck by.

[00:05:52] Either getting support in those areas, getting better people, like a players in those areas to support those gaps [00:06:00] and actually learning to let go a little bit. Yeah. And once you start letting go and let other people lean into where their natural strengths are, that in itself creates a real platform for another level of growth.

[00:06:14] Katie Bell: And that's what you've seen, isn't it? That you've really linked into that element and your leadership skills removing yourself from controlling everything, all the decisions having to come through you, and that's therefore allowed your clinic to move to the next level. [00:06:30]

[00:06:30] Fiona: Yeah, definitely. Yeah. 

[00:06:31] Katie Bell: Yeah. And I think, clinic owners are often in their stress response. So they're in this kind of fight or flight or often freeze mode where they actually just do nothing because they're just running from a place of stress or lack or scarcity or urgency. And that often is, can't be fixed by better, it can be helped by better strategy and processes and rhythms and systems and team, but.

[00:06:58] You, we very [00:07:00] often run our business through this kind of lens. Now we are both wearing glasses today. Fiona, if you imagine our lens that we run our businesses through is developed and created through our limiting beliefs and our, and the beliefs that we hold. So if we don't work on ourselves, the lens that we then run the business through and we make decisions through isn't gonna support the growth of the business or take it to where you want it to be.

[00:07:23] And I think that's so important that clinic owners recognize that. 

[00:07:28] Fiona: Absolutely. Yeah. [00:07:30]

[00:07:30] Katie Bell: And get themselves out of their stress response because if they make decisions from that place, they can't tap into that executive functioning part of their brain, which allows 'em to make the right decisions. 

[00:07:43] Fiona: Yeah, definitely.

[00:07:44] Yeah. And I think you just end up doing more and more as well when you're in that stress response. I think you've spoken about it on a previous podcast, but you just literally just are busy doing like random things Yeah. Without that focus and you're not asking people because you haven't got [00:08:00] that head space or that clarity to ask other people to support you.

[00:08:04] Yeah. So you're just constantly doing, you get busier and busier. And then you, it is almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy because then you've got less time to work on yourself or recognize where your own limitations are. 

[00:08:14] Katie Bell: Yeah. So 

[00:08:15] Fiona: I think you've just gotta be so conscious about working on yourself as a leader.

[00:08:20] Katie Bell: Yeah. And I think that's the power of I guess what we do is that we combine both the mindset and the strategy because we truly believe. [00:08:30] Through experience and the fact that we all really invest in our own development. You can have the best strategy in the world, but if you do not work on yourself, your growth will be stunted.

[00:08:42] You will stagnate, you will hit a ceiling. You will, you will not. Live the life that you deserve to live and you want to live. 

[00:08:50] Fiona: Yeah, definitely. And I think that's been my biggest sort of the positive of working with Thrive when I started it was seeing that real shift. I'd done business coaching before, I'd done [00:09:00] mindset work before, but it's actually those two things together, in an industry specific, way that made such a huge difference.

[00:09:07] Katie Bell: Yeah. Amazing. The second thing that you. You said that you would do differently? Were was introducing rhythm and systems earlier. Can you explain that, Fiona? 

[00:09:19] Fiona: Yeah, I think anything with a business, there's so many things that are done repeatedly all the time. You know that. That you are asking other people to do or you're doing yourself.

[00:09:29] Yeah. [00:09:30] The more I think you can systemize those things and make them something that someone else could pick up and take over, or that doesn't take up your brain space because every time you do it, you have to think about how you're going to do it and it feels like a new task or a new activity. The more you can do that and document it in some way, that gives you that real good basis for growth.

[00:09:52] Because I found the more growth that you get, so the bigger you get, you've got so many more moving parts with your pet number of patients, your team, it gets [00:10:00] really complex. So the more you can think ahead and systemize them as you go and make these things repeatable, it helps you as you scale.

[00:10:10] Because once you've scaled, trying to do all that then is a really mammoth task. 

[00:10:14] Katie Bell: Yeah. 

[00:10:15] Fiona: So I think if you start with that intention. And start getting those things in place. Whether that's with like standard operating procedures, a big ops manual, just add to it gradually have some consistency and standards and that helps you then to [00:10:30] manage the chaos that sometimes comes as you get bigger and more complex.

[00:10:34] Katie Bell: Yeah. And then you've, when you've got more people that might be having to follow this process, if it's only in your head, and it could be. Like, let's keep this really simple. The whole when a patient books process and the medical form that gets to them, and then what happens to that medical information.

[00:10:52] And then when they come in, what happens? And then you bring them into your room and they do the assessment. And we don't really know what happens when anybody [00:11:00] else does it, because you know what you do, but you've not actually put it down in the process. And then we get annoyed because the team members are doing what you want.

[00:11:11] What I'm hearing there for Fiona is if anything happens more than once, it needs a process behind it. It's a system to support it. Yeah. But if you start super simple, and I think that you need to be able to basically have a piece of paper or a video or whatever that could be picked up by a 10-year-old [00:11:30] and really they could follow that process quite simply.

[00:11:32] It allows you to hold other people accountable. It allows you to, create better standards, in the business and you not to be constantly repeating yourself over and over again as to why people are not doing what you want them to do. 

[00:11:45] Fiona: Yeah, definitely. And that gives confidence as well, I think because, and you can trust people because if you've got those standards that are really clear, they're, again, I go back to the word consistent, but they're there and people know what they are.

[00:11:58] They know what you expect of [00:12:00] them. And also the patients know what to expect as well. 'cause again, if you're trying to scale, you need patients are coming to your clinic. You don't want them to be just coming to you as a individual therapist if you want to scale and get bigger. So having those repeatable processes in place because as you say, you've often got it in your head and you do things a certain way.

[00:12:19] And you might have established, over the years that is. Actually that way really works. Yeah. And you don't want, it's not that you want to make everyone robots and do everything exactly the same way. The great thing about what we [00:12:30] do is that people bring their own elements into it and their own personality and ways of doing things.

[00:12:35] But there are elements of it that you can really standardize that you know works. And I say it builds that confidence for the patients and also for your team. 

[00:12:44] Katie Bell: Yeah, absolutely. And I think this feels like a nice segue actually into one of the things that I would do differently, which is I would hire A players sooner and I would tolerate B players and C players a lot less.

[00:12:57] And so I think what, [00:13:00] by having systems, by having processes in place, we can then quickly understand that this is probably not a process problem. Yeah. This is more likely to be a people problem and. I think when you, when we grow a clinic, and I know a lot of our listeners here are at that level where they're looking to bring more team or they've got team and some of them aren't working well for them, it's because they're often hired too quickly.

[00:13:28] And they've [00:13:30] hired, they've not followed a process. They've not followed a clear way of hiring for the values and the culture within their company. Yeah, they've basically just gone off skill or probably lack of, and therefore they've started and it, they're just not fit at all. Now, if we've not got any processes in place that the.

[00:13:49] That team member's got to follow. We don't now know if it's a people problem or a process problem. So that's really difficult. But if we've got systems and we've got processes, it allows us then to see actually [00:14:00] are these the right fit? Is this person the right fit for my business? 

[00:14:03] Fiona: Yeah. 

[00:14:04] Katie Bell: Ideally we wanna.

[00:14:05] If I was doing what, if I knew what I, I knew now I would know what to look for and how to recruit. And we've got a great 12 step recruitment process that works incredibly well when it's followed. And it just means that you will get a much better quality of person that are gonna stay with you longer.

[00:14:23] Because we've had a conversation, Fiona, about the cost of hiring and the cost of hiring wrongly. And it's [00:14:30] tens of thousands. 

[00:14:31] Fiona: Yeah. Yeah. The impact's massive. I think was absolutely 

[00:14:33] Katie Bell: huge. 

[00:14:33] Fiona: Six months to a year we thought of lost, almost lost revenue with the down and then the up again. Yeah. 

[00:14:39] Katie Bell: Yeah.

[00:14:39] And that is whatever size of business that's significant and you can't, nobody can afford that. So I would definitely. I would hire a, and I think I would back myself in that. I remember when I first started my clinic, Fiona, I was the circus performer that was doing absolutely everything and I, in my [00:15:00] head, thought I can't afford.

[00:15:03] To get, an A player. So I took on an apprentice on an apprenticeship scheme that was something like two pound, 50 an hour or something white up like that. And the government top them up and there was whatever it was. And she was called Lauren and she was a really sweet girl. And this is would I do things differently?

[00:15:22] Yes, I would because I've got that experience. But did it teach me a lot? Yeah. It did and she used to come on the bus for fucking the north end [00:15:30] of nowhere. She used to get up super early and, she'd eat like McCoy's crisps all day for a lunch and a tea and a breakfast. And she was just a really sweet girl.

[00:15:39] And, I owe her a lot really. 'cause she just basically answered the phone and just did some basic stuff. But what it did at that time when I was clinically maxed out, working six days a week, seeing 60, 70 patients a week, teaching 10 hours of Pilates classes, trying to manage everything didn't actually offload me.

[00:15:56] Yeah. All it really did was she just answered the phone a bit and [00:16:00] took some payments on the desk because I had to think for her. I had to plan for her. I had to train her, teach her. She'd got no experience in working in industry. Gorgeous girl and I'm sure she's gone on to do great things, but if I had my time again and I just put somebody in, great, because that would've freed me up to actually focus on what I needed to focus on rather than just I was close to burn out.

[00:16:28] I was just absolutely [00:16:30] maxed out, and I know a lot of clinic owners still feel like it's at this level where they're scaling, they're trying to grow, they're trying to bring team in. But they're not backing themselves and they're not getting great people. They're accepting Okay.

[00:16:44] People. Have you had that experience, Fiona? 

[00:16:47] Fiona: Oh yeah, definitely. I think especially with the cycle of recruitment availability and scarcity, and then the abundance of them, and you just. Oh, I need to get someone now. And actually you just, again, you're making those [00:17:00] decisions out of fear and out of lack and out of that lack of confidence in yourself and your business as well.

[00:17:07] And 

[00:17:07] Katie Bell: yeah, 

[00:17:08] Fiona: the impact of it is, honestly it's. It's really devastating on a business actually you hiring those B players. Yeah. And then when you get a team of a players, the difference it makes overall, again, I think we had this conversation last year, the cumulative impact of having a really solid team, of brilliant people, both clinical and nonclinical.

[00:17:29] Katie Bell: [00:17:30] Yeah. 

[00:17:30] Fiona: Is huge. 

[00:17:30] Katie Bell: Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And for anybody listening, who's at that point now where you've got people on the team that. That you basically having to drag to get them to perform and get them to, follow. Systems, processes, maybe you need to work on those, but you also need to really think, are they a culture fit?

[00:17:49] Do they fit our values? Have we clearly defined what, what's important to us as a clinic? 'cause so many clinics haven't done that. And therefore, how can you then work out whether [00:18:00]somebody fits or doesn't fit? 

[00:18:01] Fiona: Yeah, definitely. 

[00:18:03] Katie Bell: Okay. Your third, work on the basics and get brilliant at the basics.

[00:18:09] Yeah. Can you expand on that, Fiona? 

[00:18:11] Fiona: Yeah. We see, or I see, or we see a lot of people wanting more all the time, whether it's more clinics, more team, more, investing in Google ads or it is just always looking for more things. And they haven't really nailed the basics and done those really [00:18:30] well.

[00:18:30] Say Google Ads, for example. People become really new, patient focused, right? We need more new patients. More new patients without actually realizing. What are they really doing with the patients? They are getting through the doors? Yeah. Are they retaining them? Are they offering the full service?

[00:18:45] Are they doing everything they can possibly do with them? Absolutely brilliantly. And it is sometimes just the basics. It's the communication, it's the follow up phone calls, it's the email touch, points. It's all those really simple things. And if [00:19:00] you. If you're focusing on all the other things and more and more, that distracts you from all of those really important basics.

[00:19:08] Katie Bell: Shall we call it the foundations? Fiona? 

[00:19:11] Fiona: We could call it the foundation. Yes. Getting those foundations absolutely perfect. 

[00:19:15] Katie Bell: Yeah. And this is. Nothing to be like, nothing to feel bad about because we have conversations with many clinic owners. And I would say that of all of the calls I've done and people that I've [00:19:30] spoke to.

[00:19:32] I'm gonna say possibly one, maybe two clinic owners that I've ever spoke to. I've thought they're nailing those foundations and they need to come into our top level program straight away, like almost none. And it, there's no judgment there. It just, it's just what is A, you've never been taught it. B, You're too busy to think about it.

[00:19:53] C, if you thought about it, you still dunno what the foundation should be. D Revisionary. So you're completely distracted all the time by shiny [00:20:00] stuff. And and foundation sounds boring. It sounds oh, I just, I wanna go for the big stuff, but this is when we get. Those clinic owners who are at a level where they are eking up their revenue, they might not be making that much more money, but they feel a lot busier.

[00:20:18] They have got team, although they're desperately wanting team 'cause they just can't physically go anymore or they've got some team with them and you can't get to the next level.[00:20:30] If you think just by seeing more clients and just getting busier is gonna outgrow. Those foundational problems it isn't gonna work.

[00:20:39] And I like, I've tried it, it doesn't work. You've tried it, it doesn't work. We have to come back to really getting those foundations in place. And that sets you up for growth, doesn't it? That sets you up for, yeah. And if you're saying I don't really wanna grow Katie, but I do want more time and I want more money.

[00:20:56] Then you've still got to get the foundations in place. 

[00:20:58] Fiona: Yeah, definitely. [00:21:00]

[00:21:00] Katie Bell: One of the things that I've put on here is that, actually my fourth thing, but I think it's relevant, is that I would dive into a deep dive and get really good at retention and lifetime value a lot earlier. And I think you, you said that Fiona, it's like that is a key thing about what's happening to that new patient as they come through.

[00:21:19] Are you. Are you giving them the best possible service? Are you taking them through to the outcome that they want, they deserve? Not just allowing 'em to be [00:21:30] pain free, but actually working with them to deliver those outcomes? Or are we churning patients through a lot quicker? And that's something you've really worked on in your clinic as well, isn't it?

[00:21:40] Fiona: Yeah, definitely. We have a whole ecosystem of services and we were intentional about that from quite early on. Particularly with the Pilates, but also now with rehab and classes that we do. And it keeps people in that ecosystem because you've got them from that injury point to the recovery point.

[00:21:57] And once they know you and they like you [00:22:00] and they trust you, you can then, keep them in that recovered stage. And then we do find, obviously then if they're still in that journey with you as an uninjured person. If they do pick something up or if their husband gets an injury, then they come straight back in.

[00:22:15] And it's really yeah, it's a really strong place to be in if you've got people in your ecosystem, not just seeking all those new people to. To come in. It's, as you say, it's that lifetime value. 

[00:22:26] Katie Bell: Yeah. Because they cost money. Patients want, they cost you [00:22:30] money to acquire those patients. And it can cost you time or it can cost you physical money or it can cost you both.

[00:22:36] So it's really important to leverage that professionally and with integrity and do it the right way. Yeah, 

[00:22:41] Fiona: yeah, definitely. 

[00:22:42] Katie Bell: But the strategy day that we ran for our members a few weeks ago, Fiona was all about this, wasn't it? It was actually called Act Activate more clients. So it was all about getting more clients, but it wasn't just about piling new leads through the front of the door.

[00:22:56] And actually not optimizing what's going on within the clinic. So we [00:23:00] spent some really good time implementing retention strategies and re-engagement and reactivation strategies because just a small change, taking somebody's follow up rate from one to two. Cumulatively over a year with the number of patients is tens of thousands of pounds worth of income.

[00:23:18] Fiona: Yeah. And you get better outcomes as well, generally. Yeah. You know, so then you've got that the patients you know are getting better outcomes from coming to see you. What. [00:23:30] If you were to choose between the three things that you've said. Yeah. So focused on working on your mindset, which has been take, took you 22 and a half years to realize that you needed to do it.

[00:23:41] Katie Bell: Rhythm and systems. 'cause you are a systems person. Fiona, you love a system. And getting those foundations in place. 

[00:23:50] Fiona: Yeah. 

[00:23:50] Katie Bell: What would be like your number one? 

[00:23:54] Fiona: Ooh. I think for me personally, it would probably be [00:24:00] mindset. Because I know I got in my own way, but I think you almost have to get the foundations write first because you.

[00:24:10] Although, obviously I'm at a stage now where I can focus on my mindset more as a leader, but I think in the earlier days, just before you're looking to scale, or if you're ready to scale or if you really want to scale, and as you say, that doesn't have to necessarily mean bigger, but it might mean you dropping more out of your business for yourself or your family.

[00:24:28] Yeah. And it doesn't even mean being [00:24:30] out of clinical. 'cause not everyone wants to do that. So whatever's right for you 

[00:24:33] Katie Bell: Yeah. 

[00:24:34] Fiona: In those foundations Absolutely nailed gives you that platform. Yeah. And I think once you've got to a certain level with that foundations, then you are ready then to work on your mindset so you can then go to the next level.

[00:24:47] Katie Bell: Yeah, absolutely. I love that. And I would agree. And the other thing that I'd put down as to what I would do differently, and I guess this comes with what comes first, is that I would. I would actually reduce my clinical time a lot [00:25:00] quicker. Yeah. I was absolutely bottlenecking growth massively for years on this because I had the feeling that everybody needed to see me and if they didn't see me, they wouldn't be very happy.

[00:25:10] And I was clinically fully booked really quickly. So I hit a ceiling. And then the, my CEO time, my visionary time, my time to like actually. Think about what I needed to do in the business, what was like happening at, 10:00 PM at night or trying to squeeze it in early in the morning or between client appointments.

[00:25:29] And [00:25:30] it I grew really quickly, but I think it at a big cost, to, to my health and, just generally to I don't think I could do, I've done it for a lot longer in the way that I was doing it, and we see this. Repeated pattern in so many clinic owners that we work with. Yeah. So I think it would be, for me, I knew I wanted to not do as much clinical, 'cause I was doing like 60, 70 patients a week.

[00:25:55] Fiona: Yeah. 

[00:25:55] Katie Bell: So I would get better people in, I would offload that earlier to [00:26:00] allow me to spend more, specific time on the business rather than trying to shove it into different slots. But that's because I knew I wanted to give up clinical. If I was still in that place, and maybe you're listening to this and you are like, no, I really love my clients and I don't wanna do that.

[00:26:19] Then you have to have a really honest conversation with yourself and you need to put somebody in a seat that is going to start working on your business because otherwise nothing's gonna change. Yeah, definitely. [00:26:30] Fiona, this has been a lovely conversation. And I think really important for clinic owners to, we've been there, we've done it.

[00:26:38] We've got the t-shirt, we've earned the stripes, we've walked the walk, we've taught the talk, and I think that's really important that we can now coach from that perspective. And sometimes we have to get, we have to allow them to learn lessons, but our job is about helping you grow and scale so that the business serves you.

[00:26:56] Money, time, confidence, fulfillment, holidays, more [00:27:00] time with your family, school pickups, whatever that needs to look like for you. But when you have the benefit of learning from people who have already been there, it, I think it accelerates your growth. You don't have to make all of those costly mistakes.

[00:27:15] You can. You can get it figured out a lot sooner. Would you agree? 

[00:27:20] Fiona: I would absolutely, totally agree with that. Yeah. I don't think when people come, either to our qras or our pod calls or see them on the live days, and you probably [00:27:30] agree they generally haven't had this many years.

[00:27:32] Experience in the sector isn't something you haven't come across. So in some way or another it might be slightly different, but you have at some point come across that challenge and you know you've learned from it or you and I have learned from it as we've gone along, often the hard way. Yeah.

[00:27:50] Still learning now, still come across things that haven't. Come up against before, but you can definitely bring that experience and that's relevant [00:28:00] experience, in every single issue and challenge that people come to us with. 

[00:28:05] Katie Bell: Yeah, absolutely. And I would encourage our listeners to.

[00:28:11] Stop and take a check on what they're trying to figure out for themselves, because the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting something different to happen. And so a lot of them will feel in that cycle that they're trying lots of stuff, but nothing really is changing.

[00:28:27] And how long are [00:28:30] you prepared to wait? How long are you prepared to not? Live the life that you want to live and how long are you prepared for this business to basically suck the life out of you rather than serve you. So yeah, I would encourage them to really think about that. 

[00:28:45] Fiona: Yeah, definitely.

[00:28:46] Katie Bell: Fiona, thank you very much for your time. Fabulously. Yeah, 

[00:28:49] Fiona: no, lovely to chat. 

[00:28:50] Katie Bell: I would love you to come on again. And I think it's really great to talk from experience. I think it really helps our listeners well, we've, they know people have been there. They've done it. 

[00:28:58] Fiona: Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:28:59] Katie Bell: Sacrifice. [00:29:00] Thank you.

[00:29:01] Thanks for listening to the Treat Your Business podcast. Hit subscribe now and keep joining me for bigger insights, older conversations to help you build a clinic and a life you [00:29:30] love.