The DPC NP
The DPC NP Podcast is a biweekly audio program that offers valuable insights and firsthand experiences pertaining to the management of a Direct Primary Care clinic owned by nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Esteemed guests will articulate and elucidate their individual journeys in navigating the complexities inherent in establishing and operating a Direct Primary Care practice.
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aprice@faithfamilymedical.com
The DPC NP
Empowering Change: The DPC Launchpad Story
This episode celebrates the successful inaugural DPC Launchpad Conference, highlighting how it fostered a sense of community among nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The reflections from the hosts reveal not only the achievements of the event but also the challenges faced and lessons learned for future conferences.
• Emphasis on the importance of community in direct primary care
• Speakers provided valuable insights across various topics
• Overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees
• Themes of resilience, inspiration, and entrepreneurship emerged
• Plans for future DPC Launchpad events include expanding networking opportunities
• The organizers hope to maintain momentum and support for attendees beyond the conference
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Welcome to Season 2 of the DPCNP Podcast. I'm Amanda Price and I'm thrilled to be back, bringing you even more insights, strategies and success stories from nurse practitioners and physician assistants leading the way in direct primary care. This season we'll dive deeper into real-world experiences, innovative practice models and the latest updates in the DPC movement. Whether you're just exploring DPC or already running your own practice, this podcast is here to support and inspire you. Let's get started. Hey everybody, welcome to season two of the DPC NP. I am so excited to be back.
Speaker 1:I have been out of pocket the last few months of the year doing some other busy things, but now here we are starting season two and I thought it'd be a good idea to get started on this season with how we thought the DPC Launchpad conference went. So I have with me today two very special guests. They have been instrumental in helping to prepare and plan for this conference so that we could have a place where we could all come together and network and learn some new things. So please help me. Welcome Penny Vachon and Monica McKitterick. Thank you, ladies, for joining me today. Thank you for having us. Yes, okay. So the first question that we have today is reflections on the conference. What were your initial thoughts and feelings as the inaugural DPC Launchpad Conference came to a close?
Speaker 3:I was pleasantly surprised. I think it went off really well. I think the speakers did a great job. I think the participants walked away with a ton of either new knowledge or expanded knowledge. I know I learned a lot and I've been in practice for years, so I think it was great for both the newbies and the experienced people.
Speaker 2:I will say my strongest feeling afterward was how proud I was of you two. Like it makes me like tear up just thinking about it. Like I helped, I did, but you ladies were so involved Like I'm not gonna lie, last November, december, I was like there's no way this is gonna happen.
Speaker 1:There's no way we're gonna pull this off.
Speaker 2:There was too many questions. And I mean, penny, you just like took the ball by the grips and you just did it Like you're like all right, we're doing it at this hotel, we're going to do this. And I was like, okay, I think we're going to lose our asses on this, cause I don't know if people are going to show up. And then all of a sudden, you're like and we have this website and we have this thing and all the tickets are sold, and I was like no-transcript.
Speaker 2:I am now because I'm so proud of you, ladies, for not giving up, because I was ready to give up and I was like listen, I'm not, I'm not wasting my time on this, and you did it and this is the first step to literally NPs, like showing up to this space and showing the world that we belong here, because we know that we do. And I'm just I'm so proud of you, ladies, and I'm so honored to like even be in the room with you because you ladies just really did kill it and you ladies just really did kill it, and I'm legit so proud.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Yes, that means so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're all sitting here just smiling away because, I mean, I'm just and of course we did not do it for the accolades, obviously. We did it because we saw that there is this huge emptiness in our ability to come together and support each other. You know, there's all these other conferences out there for DPC and they're all well and good, and I know that there have been plenty of nurse practitioners and physician assistants that have gone to these conferences. Even you ladies have gone to these conferences and, monica, you've even spoken at one of these conferences and they are heavily dominated by the medical community, the MDs and the DOs, and they do they. They give the nurse practitioners the stinky eye like we don't belong there, and so we know that we have a place and so just being able to be a part of something that I'm hoping will be continued on for years and years, even long after I am no longer helping to plan this thing, but it has evolved and moved on. I was just so impressed with how we were able to pull things together despite the fact that we're all working busy women, we have families, you know, we have husbands, we have lives outside of our own practices and then, on top of that we have all of our extracurricular things that we do. Penny's got about three other businesses that she's trying to run, you know, and Monica's all over the country and all over the world really traveling, and plus she has kids in sports. So just trying to navigate life and then plan this conference.
Speaker 1:I think that it did take a lot of sacrifice on our parts to be able to pull this together and I will say that you know, I get a little teary eyed thinking about it too, because when we got closer to the months before this was really going to happen, I was kind of stressing out because at that point we had no sponsors.
Speaker 1:We had half the people had signed up and I was like telling my husband I'm going to be out a lot of money for this conference, and Penny is too. I don't know what we're going to do, but I need to be prepared to be taking a chunk of change out for this conference because it just didn't look like it. And then all of a sudden, bam, the last two months as Penny was telling me that hey, we got this sponsorship, but we got this and we got that and, like Monica said, we have filled in all of the in-person places, and so now we're opening it up to virtual. I was like Mark. I told my husband I think this is really going to actually happen, like we're not bowing out, we're not canceling it, we're in it now.
Speaker 3:Well, and not even that. If you remember, our original number was 50, right, that was our target 50 people. And we sold those 50 tickets and I said, okay, I'm going to open it up for another 10. And then we sold those 10. And I was like, okay, what's the? I called the little lofty, I'm not going to do that. So so I we set a hard number and when we filled that, like you just said, right, it spilled over into the virtual. So we had about 60 live in the room with us and another almost 30 watching virtually. So it's not bad for the first time.
Speaker 2:No, I was concerned we were going to have 10. Yeah, I remember the early planning stages. It was like why don't we just get like a conference room somewhere and just do like 15 people or something? Right, this conversation happened and you just like took off with it and yeah, I mean, I absolutely remember the first DPC conference. It was my first and my last DPC conference I went to because I had never in my life been so belittled for my credentials in my life. I literally left that conference feeling defeated but also motivated to stick it to every single one of them. It was like you know what? You can sit here and say that I don't belong in this space and that I can't do this. But guess what? I'm gonna go prove you wrong. I'm gonna do it in a state where I can't even do it by myself.
Speaker 3:We're gonna do it and create our own space. I don't need a seat at your table. I'm going to make my own damn table. How about that Right?
Speaker 2:And here we are. Here we are One year down.
Speaker 1:Okay, so that moves us to the next question how do we think that the conference compared to what we envisioned during the planning stages?
Speaker 3:Oh, I think it went better than what I think we all envisioned. I think we can probably all agree that it went so much better than what we thought it was going to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I honestly wasn't sure we were going to get people to pay for it in the beginning. I was like is this going to be good enough? People are going to pay us money. They paid us money. I mean, I don't know, because I'm from the finances.
Speaker 1:That's your job, penny, like every other job, but I'll help you if you need me to, but that you know, when you're planning the first conference, you really don't have in your back pocket all of these people that could give speeches. You don't. We haven't really met enough people to say, oh yes, this person is experienced in giving a talk about this, and this person is experienced in giving a talk about this, and this person is experiencing giving a talk about that. So you guys kind of relied heavily on all the people that I had interviewed on the podcast to really hope that they would have something valuable to say.
Speaker 1:And let me say, in my personal opinion, that more than passed my expectations, the speakers I mean, I'm trying to think how we would even make it better next year, because there wasn't one speaker this year that I would say didn't send so much value to the conference. I feel I was so proud after all of the talks were done, I was like man that we just hit it exactly right for this year and, just like you said, monica, we had all these people that gave us feedback and said, oh, this was great. Well, it wasn't great because of me and Penny and you. It was great because people gleaned from the information that they got from all these other people that also spoke. So that exceeded my expectations big time yeah.
Speaker 3:And let's give a quick shout out to Brian Fretwell who, on the fly, ended up picking up an entire second talk a week before the conference.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, and that's the thing is, you know, we were making the topics for people to speak and there's so many topics in DPC right, Because it's not just DPC but it's running a business and so we've gotten some really great feedback on the survey that we have sent out of the things that people loved and then also like ideas for other things they wanted to hear about, and so this is just the beginning.
Speaker 2:Like next year I don't think it's it's not just going to be a day and a half, it's going to be a full two days, Because, I mean, is going to be a day and a half it's going to be a full two days because I mean first of all, we're going to be on a ship in the middle of the ocean, so we'll be like drinking and eating while we listen to all these contexts, because it's all included. But anyway, that's another story. But you know, I think we we covered a lot, but there's still so much more right that that can also be covered, and so it wouldn't surprise me if, eventually, we have to do some sort of like breakout sessions where it's like this is for the like I haven't done my DPC yet.
Speaker 2:How do I apply for my LLC? How do I get a bank account? How do I do that? And then there's going to be one for the people like, okay, I've been in this for a year Now I need to hire somebody. What do I do? How do I? Good, but that's not pertinent, like we need this. And so if you went there and you're listening to this and you did not fill out your survey, you're in trouble because we need your surveys. But we've gotten almost 30 surveys already. So pretty good response, and we will, of course, use that feedback to only make this conference even better.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I kind of see it evolving into basically a track We'll have, like the main combined meeting room, and then it'll be the newbie track and the I've been at it for, you know, one to three years track, and then there's the I've been at it for greater than three years and you know how do I make this into my legacy type of a mentality.
Speaker 2:I was just saying exit planning.
Speaker 1:And I feel like that that was the vision all along was to have these breakout sessions, because we recognize that everybody is in a different place in their DPC journey and you know, the first couple of years is going to be just kind of formulating this group and being able to pull it together.
Speaker 1:But once we have gotten it under our belt, to where there's more people that are interested in coming and things, I think that that is going to be the segue to starting out these breakout sessions, because now we've built up enough of these nurse practitioners and PAs that have experience and information to offer that we can put them in these little pockets to help people. Because I think talks like what Shane Grindle talked about with marketing, I think what Brian talked about with becoming an entrepreneur, like these are going to be pivotal for people that are in the beginning phases of their clinic. And then I think once you've gotten started and you're about six months in and you're a little bit unsure of how to keep growing your patient load, then that's where Alicia and what she talked about with having the 100 patient playbook is going to come into perspective there for a whole nother group of nurse practitioners that are already in after a few months.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Yep, I think it's just going to naturally evolve into it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I totally agree, so are. Were there any standout moments for you guys, whether from speakers, attendees or even behind the scenes experiences that just stood out to you individually?
Speaker 3:I think for me it was. I think I had a unique role in that, you know, I was one of the coordinators but I was the IT person and I was the hostess with the mostest and a speaker, and I remember having a moment standing up at the podium introducing somebody and kind of looking out of the room going holy shit, we actually did it.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, we actually did it. Yeah, it was. It was great to see some light bulbs. So I did a lot of the moderating of the online zoom and just like some of the questions that people asked and then giving them answers and seeing like, just seeing that like switch in their head like, oh, now I get it. Okay, yes, I can do this. It was.
Speaker 2:It was really great to see those moments, I think and I mean obviously I couldn't see the room because I was on the computer screen, but I mean you could just hear it in people's voices, just from the what we could overhear. People that were just like excited to be there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I would say the one standout moment for me it was there. There was an immediate sense of camaraderie and just making new friends. Like nothing felt stiff or awkward or anything. From Friday night as we were walking around, mingling and just meeting people. I would just go up to an entire table of people. I didn't know anybody at the table and I would be like what's up Although I probably that first margarita helped me with that, but I'm pretty outgoing anyway but just to be able to walk up to this table and like, just feel no judgment, it was just like we're all there for the same purpose and it's to learn and it's to network and it's to meet people that are in the same industry that we are like I got. I got a little choked up about the fact that after it was all over, I'm like I've made friends here and I'm actually going to miss these people because they're all going back. I mean I think one thing that stood out to me huge too was that people came from all over the country. There were people from California, people from Nevada, people from New York. I mean it wasn't just Maine. Yes, I mean I was just in awe over how far people actually traveled to come to this conference.
Speaker 1:That was the inaugural conference, so we weren't sure if this was going to be an epic fail or if we're going to be able. If penny and if penny and I were looking at each other, we're like are we seriously about to pull this off? And it happened. And I can't say that we did it alone like we had. We had so many meetings. I want to give props to alicia and I want to give props to Charnette and Angie. With Daisy help, John and Shane and Brian in the beginning, time was instrumental in just getting us going in those first couple of meetings, helping us really think about how this was going to move forward.
Speaker 1:And we don't want to forget Alicia. Alicia has been at all the Zoom meetings and has also played a pivotal role in getting us to where we are. So I am so thankful for that networking group and that team and Monica. I just want everybody to know. We asked Monica Friday night or Saturday morning if she would take over the virtual moderator position over the virtual moderator position, and she just I don't know if she reluctantly said yes, but I didn't get that vibe. She was like, absolutely what time does it start, and so she was on it, and she even had to go to a soccer practice or something with her kid. So she was gone for a little time, but as soon as she got back she was right back to it. And so we're just so thankful to you, because I really don't know what that would have looked like had you not been willing to be in that position.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I was. I was happy to do so, but I also had pneumonia at the time and so I was trying to like, not die and you know, talk to people. But it was great, I will tell you. It First of all made me feel like I was actually helpful, because I couldn't be there in person. But yeah, it was really great to uh, to be able to be on that side and then have a connection to you guys. So if something wasn't working and I can be like undo this, I don't think this is working. And so, yeah, it was, it was great and I was happy to help the least I could do.
Speaker 3:And can we add that this conference happened in Eastern time and Monica is on mountain time, so this was 7am for her.
Speaker 1:Yes, monica, oh, we love you, it's all good Anything for you, ladies, thank you. Okay, so let's move on. Let's see what were the biggest challenges that we faced and what key lessons did we learn for future conferences.
Speaker 3:I think next time we get something in writing, writing with the sponsors and payment up front before we do things. Yeah, I think everything else went really well, but I yeah, I think, just having a, an actual commitment from them. You know there was a speaker change at the last minute because, again, we didn't have something in writing. So I think you know, going forward, we'll make sure that we've got a commitment in writing so that we're not scrambling at the last minute to fill in gaps.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I definitely think what I learned was that, if you want a sponsorship, send an email is not going to help. Like I just had to talk to people, like I picked up the phone and called Nick with decent and I was like, hey, we're doing this, do you want to sponsor it? Because I have a great relationship with him? Same thing happened with Harry at Thea is. I was on a call with him. I was like, hey, we're doing this, do you want to like come over and be a sponsor? And I think that there's a lot more platforms, right? So Hint was there, but Alation needs to be there, and Spruce needs to be there, and LabCorp needs to be there, and all these labs that we use, like US Biotech, all these places that we use them. They need to be there because that's also helpful for the people there.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you, I think one thing we really need to talk about next year is a technology stack. Like, what technology are people using and it's not that my technology is better than yours Like we need to talk about all of them, right? Like, what technology are you using that I'm not using? That might be really helpful, right, and just, you know, it's just a general overview, but having those tech companies there to do their demos, to explain to people who they are and how they can make this process better I mean even my marketing agency.
Speaker 2:They are specific to DPCs. This is their target market. They need to pay to be there, set up their table, and that's how they're going to get their people and help our people. So I think I personally will be much more pushy and forward-facing when it comes to getting sponsors next year, especially now that we've proven it and now it's going to be on a ship, which means you're going to have way more time to talk to them. Like, not only will we have the conference and the time between it, but we can also get everybody seated in the ballroom together and move around and talk to each other at dinner. And so, yeah, I definitely think focusing more on sponsors to make sure that we can make this the best event possible is going to be great.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:And.
Speaker 1:I'll go ahead, Penny.
Speaker 3:I was just gonna say I think you know, on the sponsor side, I think it speaks volumes that all four sponsors came up to us at the end and said hey, listen, I'm in this with you. Right? Decent came up to me and said hey, listen, doc, we want to be your opening party sponsor for as long as you have this conference. We're in, right, you just tell me when and where to show up. And we're there, and I mean to have that buy-in from your inaugural one. That speaks volumes. That's how we know we did it right. You know they're willing to show up with their wallets, they're willing to fly their people in. Then we know we did it right.
Speaker 1:I think, one thing that I took away.
Speaker 1:That was a challenge, and it was more so, I think, a challenge for you, penny, than me, because I couldn't help you in this thing, but you were solely responsible for the IT stuff. You had to get the Zoom going and then I jacked it all up at one point and accidentally like logged her out of Zoom. I'm sorry about that, I didn't I hit a button. It was just one button on this stupid iPad that I had to carry around, but I kicked everybody off of it and she was in a panic and she was having to make sure everybody's slides were going correctly, and so, like there, I felt like there was just so much put on your shoulders to do all the IT and we're just nurse practitioners.
Speaker 1:I don't feel like that should have been your job. And so the first year I get it like we had to spread each other thin. We had to be the ones to go find sponsorships, we had to be the ones to, you know, organize all the details and to do the IT. And we did have an IT guy at the hotel, but all he did was like plug in your computer. I think is what it looked like.
Speaker 1:But, going forward, I think, bringing someone on our team that is specifically an IT person, so that we can focus more on the networking that we're there to do, because people wanted to talk to you, people wanted your expertise and wanted to come up to you and ask you questions. I mean, you run our Facebook page and so it was evident to me that you know people, you're kind of famous, you know so and but. But you were so preoccupied with having to do all that IT stuff that it took you away from people that traveled so far, maybe even just to say something to you, and they probably got a chance to eventually. But I still feel like going forward, we should think about adding an IT person that would take all of that responsibility off of you, because everybody, all y'all know I don't know how to do it myself, so it's on you.
Speaker 2:We will not be making Amanda the IT person, but I will tell you we're going on a cruise ship, which means I'm going to take my husband, and my husband is a hundred percent an IT guy.
Speaker 1:Okay, there you go, Penny.
Speaker 3:And you know Royal Caribbean they've got their own IT people, so when you do something on their ships, they're they usually do it all for you. So, yeah, we have to pay for a tech person.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay. So next question this one's fun, and I think it'll be more directed towards Monica, since you're the one that is getting the feedback from the surveys but based on the feedback, even on our own observations at the conference, how do you think the conference impacted the attendees and the broader DPC community?
Speaker 2:I think it was huge, I mean so many of these responses from like what's your biggest takeaway? Majority of them are inspired, impactful I can do this motivated, like they're all ready to go. And, let's be honest, that's what that's why you go to a DPC conference is to know that you're not alone. Yes, we have this amazing Facebook page and Penny does a great job, but it's a whole nother world when somebody else is sitting in the room and either has done it, has proven they can do it and has offered to help you do it. That's that's what it's all about. It's that bringing people together and that is probably like the. The most common response on all of these surveys is that people just feel inspired and it's it's pretty great. I mean, I'm going to compile this for you all and I'll send you all these responses and it's gonna completely warm your heart because it's awesome.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm eager to see what the feedback has been. I've been getting a lot of private messages and text messages and stuff. So I'm I to see. I did get somebody that messaged me Sunday afternoon and said this is the best conference I've ever been to and I literally was like, oh my God.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean no joke. That's literally like I can read you Like. The question on the survey is what's your biggest takeaway from the conference? And it's feeling inspired to just start and get it done. You don't have to be perfect. Encouragement, making connections, networking. I learned new ways to market and advertise myself. This one is my favorite. I'm so proud of what was accomplished with this event and excited to see what the future holds. Someone said I'm not sure I can do this. We need to find out who that is and be like you need to come again. But this one says that success is possible, right? That's why these people come here is to know that there is a way to make to go from a provider to an entrepreneur and do what you love, because that's the bottom line. What we do in DPC is we get to do what we love.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So we covered feedback Okay, were there any particular talks? Or we didn't do panels or workshops Okay, were there any particular talks that stood out to either one of you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, there was, I think, Kat at the end I think that was the big one right the legal aspects that you know we're not. We're not attorneys, we're nurse practitioners and PAs. That's, that's not our jam. So I think for me that was critical information and I was super appreciative that we had that opportunity.
Speaker 2:I agree. I think the information that Kat provided was very helpful, but I'm also fearful that it scared people.
Speaker 3:Yes, I did see that both in the room and in the messages that I got, especially her, and I think this is her stance and I don't, for whatever validity she gives it. I don't agree, and I think, monica, you agree, as does Amanda, that if our collaborating doc is still opted in, that we cannot be. I don't agree with that.
Speaker 2:I yeah, it's just my own thing, and I feel like this is this is always my struggle with lawyers. Their job is to keep me from being sued, and so they are going to give me every word, every document, cover every single little loophole. That's their job. And so they're on one extreme. And then there's the other extreme, and then there's the place where everybody lives I mean just talking about contracts, like I've been doing this for six years and I've never had a lawyer. Look at any of my contracts not one, and you know what I'm doing. Okay, right, and let's be honest, the number one way not to get sued is to not be an asshole. If you're just not an asshole, people aren't going to sue you.
Speaker 2:So I do think she had very important information. I do wish, though, that there would have been another session afterwards where someone like us could have stood up and been like guys. That was really great information. Now that she's not in the room, let me. Let me just put your mind at ease. Like she is the extremes. Like, yes, she can help you. Let her help you with your contracts, let her do these things, but her job is to make sure nobody ends up in court. Our job is to make sure that you have a practice right now. You do need contracts, you need a patient agreement, you need these things.
Speaker 2:But I do feel like that may have deflated people a bit, and so I was a little bit at the end, because everybody had their time, but then I also feel like we didn't have a chance to bring them back up, and so I think that's a lesson to be learned of. Let's let the lawyer say what she needs to say, because it's very important. I 100% agree. But then we also need people to be able to talk to the people of the real world to make sure that they understand the rest of the world and how that works.
Speaker 2:Because yeah, I mean there's no way I could find a supervising physician who's willing to opt out of Medicare, unless they're a DPC doc. And yeah, I don't think they're going to come support me when they're my competition.
Speaker 1:And that's unrealistic, just like you said. I mean, my collaborating physician is not seeing patients in my clinic, so it doesn't make any sense to me why he needs to opt out of Medicare because he's not physically seeing my patients, right?
Speaker 2:And he's a 1099. He's a 1099. So he's not my employee and I just don't see how, like she was saying, well, you could trace that money back to people who have members, and it's like that's how we're reaching, now we're fine that you're just like trying to figure out well, and I think you know that.
Speaker 3:That lets us know that for the next one, we put the attorney at the beginning. Give them the blast of that, and then they get to hear all of the positive sides of it. Right. Scare them shitless up front and then bring them back to reality for the rest of it, right were there any other talks that stood out to you guys?
Speaker 1:that were amazing.
Speaker 3:I mean, I think Brian did a great job yeah.
Speaker 2:I have not been able to listen to John's yet because I was coaching my kids basketball game, but you know, I think everybody did great. I think Alicia was a really great encouragement, I think she gave some tangible stuff, which I think needs to be a focus for. The next one is having more tangible things right, there's ideas.
Speaker 2:And then there's have you ever, have you claimed your Google business page? Do you know what that is? Do you know how to put that on your list? You need to do that. Google how to claim my Google business page. Amanda, are you listening?
Speaker 1:I am, and I can't claim it because I'm I actually have it pulled up on my computer right now and it specifically says unable to reset your password for domain. Need add need to add C name record to your DNS.
Speaker 3:I don't know.
Speaker 1:No, that's not easy. I don't know what they're talking about.
Speaker 3:I do.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, whenever I get around to it, maybe you can claim my business for me so that I can respond to my reviews on Google.
Speaker 2:Yes, because those things are very important, right.
Speaker 1:So, but no.
Speaker 2:I think all the talks had their relevance to them and I think they were all helpful. I think we need to piece some of them together and move some things around and leave some things out. You think there was a little bit of overlap, but that's going to naturally happen, just because when you're talking about employers or you're talking about integrative medicine, like you're, we're always talking about value add, and so that's hard to not overlap. But yeah, I think you know, next year we'll have more time to maybe have more very specific talks. A tech stack talk, a marketing talk Like this is Facebook ads Do this, Don't do that, Do this, Don't do that. Google ads probably a waste of your time, but that's another story. We'll talk about that later and making sure that we have all of our topics covered. But I think everybody did a great job.
Speaker 1:And I was going to ask you on the survey that you got back did anybody mention other topics that they wish we had discussed? Oh many.
Speaker 2:Yes, let's see. Let me get to the right place here. So the question here on the survey is are there any topics you felt were not relevant or could have been left out? This says maybe tips and tricks for those starting out. Oh, were there any topics you wish had been covered that weren't? This says, as a startup, I feel it was exactly what I needed. Dealing with difficult or high need patients, setting boundaries, use of virtual assistants, how do DPC clinics fail and what are the most common themes? Maybe how people are using complementary therapies like Botox, glp-1s, pediatrics, more information on providing holistic or integrative care. So more on. More from Penny a class on specific licenses and steps required to create a DPC. So that establish your LLC. You need an org chart, all these things. Virtual assistance, fundings or grants to help with startups, work-life balance, how to hire additional providers, pay scales, structure, pto benefits, bonuses, that sort of thing.
Speaker 2:So I think that's where we're going to fall into that. I'm a newbie and I'm a not so newbie and we're going to split the track. So lots of really great feedback. That's good, and maybe that's just so. One thing we've gotten a lot of feedback on is they wanted the conference to be longer and have more time for networking.
Speaker 3:So yeah, that's what we're gonna get them. We crammed it in. We sure did. I kept a pretty tight schedule yeah.
Speaker 1:And that's a good segue into the next question what were some of the most meaningful connections that were made at the event that you can think of?
Speaker 2:Go ahead most meaningful connections that were made at the event that you can think of. Go ahead, monica, if you have anything. I mean, I was virtual but I have two zoom meetings set up with people who were online virtual and just had a bunch of questions and I was like I think this conversation, we need to have a conversation. They have a ton of questions that I really think I can help them. I was like why don't you schedule?
Speaker 2:a time on my calendar. Let's have a conversation, which typically I charge for. But I didn't for that, because they came to our conference and that's awesome. But yeah, I mean, it's definitely people who want to learn more and I thought that was great. Even like not being in person it was, it was still great that I was able to make those connections.
Speaker 1:I can really speak on the networking as well, because I had people come up to me and tell me that they learned so much from the interviews that I had given on the podcast and that they were interested in also being interviewed.
Speaker 1:So I had about 15 people that came up to me and they were like hey, I heard what you said when you said I have a story, and I never felt like I really had anything valuable to offer, because my clinic has only been open a few months or whatever.
Speaker 1:I'm still in the process of getting it going. But when I told these people that there are people that are behind you that are not even where you are, that means you do have a story, you have information to share and don't be ashamed that you haven't been open for 10 years and so you have all this experience. If you've been open three months, you have more experience than somebody who has been open two months or zero months, and so I use this as an opportunity to really try to encourage people that are in the beginning phases that you know. Please be a voice for somebody, because people are listening to this podcast and they are seriously like listening to the advice that all of you are giving on. You know through the questions that I'm asking, and it's so helpful to everybody, and so I think that's my biggest takeaway with networking is just being able to build that tribe of people that are willing to put themselves out there and be transparent about the highs and the lows of owning their DPC practice.
Speaker 3:I think it was an interesting thing for me in that it was in my backyard and I made an announcement during lunch on Saturday and I said, hey, one of my FNPs is a professional singer and she's singing tonight and the last time she sang nobody showed up for her. I wasn't in town so I couldn't go. But I said I'm going tonight and if anybody wants to go, we're going to go watch Stella perform tonight and we had a group of 16 people that showed up out of our room of 60. And so I think that's pretty freaking, phenomenal. And I mean, some people took cars with us and my husband and I took our own cars. Amanda and her husband drove and some people Ubered all the way over there and just to come and support another NP that they've never met. And that's what we do. You know, I said this during my talk. Right, if we each one reach one, imagine how we change the world. Like that's how we do it.
Speaker 2:And that's so what DPC is about. Right, our biggest struggle with DPC is people don't know what it is, and we need every single person in the world to know what DPC is, just like they know what Walgreens is. Right, we need those letters, those words, direct permit care to be known. And it's interesting. It's easy to be like oh that's my competition though, right, but I'm here to tell you.
Speaker 2:I live in a town of 90,000 people. I need like 1800 to fill my clinic that has four providers in it. That's like what? 1% of the population. And so I don't ever see other DPCs as competition and I'm here to help them, and every successful DPC makes mine that much better. I don't want people to fail. I don't want the wrong people in the DPC space, because that's what makes us look bad. We need the right people, and this was my talk at the Hint Summit when it was like the divide between NPs and MDs. It's like I don't care what the credentials are behind your name, you just have to be a badass provider If you're not a badass provider.
Speaker 2:don't join DPC. You're in the wrong place. You have to be really good and really driven and really want to help people. That's what makes a good DPC provider, not MD, pa, np. It's about being a badass, and so I want this conference filled with badasses every year, because those badasses make us look even more badass.
Speaker 3:I love it Absolutely. I agree a hundred percent.
Speaker 1:And that's a direct reflection of what kind of provider starts a DPC clinic. It's the compassionate kind, it's the motivated kind, it's the kind that wants to learn more so that they can be a better provider to their patients. And they're the ones that also turn around and support others, like when we went and listened to Stella sing. You know, we don't have to always be supporting each other in our professional ways. Let's support each other in our outside lives as well. You know, let's cheer Stella on when she has her baby and let's make sure that anytime we're in Charleston like we're looking up Penny going to her clinic and supporting her and what she's doing let's all go get hypnosis if we need it.
Speaker 2:If you're going to go on vacation to any city in the US, google and see if there is an NP run DPC clinic there, because all you have to do is go, set up lunch with them and now it's a business expense.
Speaker 1:I'm just saying I love that, all right. So let's look ahead. What are our hopes and our goals for the next DPC Launchpad Conference, which we already kind of hit on the fact we want it to be on a cruise ship. So that's no secret. That is our goal, that is our plan. You guys need to go on the Facebook page and vote for which cruise you want to go on, so that we know which one, because we're booking it. That's where it's going to be. So I hope you like water. I hope you don't get seasick. If you do get your freaking patches, I get your scopolamine. Take your ginger.
Speaker 2:Like I can't even get on a lake typically. I mean, you put me on a boogie board like a flotation device in a lake and I'm going to get sick and I love cruise ships. Scopolamine patch for the win here. To tell you, the hope is that we're doing a five day cruise because then we'll have two days on the ship that we can do conference all day for those days of cruising and then two days of port Plus. It will take you out of your clinic for a little while, but not too long. So that's the hope five days. But I'm gonna tell you I think we need 100 people on that ship.
Speaker 3:Oh, I think we're gonna have more than 100 people on the ship.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what is the goal? Let's talk about that. What is our? What is our goal for how many people? Actually, let me rephrase that, because, really, what I wanted to say, what I need to say, is how many people are we going to let come next year? Because I have a feeling that if we opened it up to 200, that we would get 200. But are we going to do that?
Speaker 2:well, we're going to have to tell the ship how many we're expecting, because it will give us conference space for that amount of people. So I have my number in my head, okay, what's your?
Speaker 3:number. So my number is 150. Oh, that's my number. Well, I guess that's it then we're doing what was your number Monica.
Speaker 2:I mean, I was, I was going for 100, but I'll go for 150 you know, we got 100 this year.
Speaker 3:We're going bigger next year yeah, okay, I'm here for it 150, so 150 in person on the ship, with us all right and how, how many?
Speaker 1:speakers, how many speakers. We're gonna have two days, you said, of conference, and I'm sure that doesn't mean that we're gonna leave people in a conference room for eight hours both days. Right, we're not doing that.
Speaker 3:No right, exactly, yeah, I think. You know we had seven speakers and eight topics this time and I think we need to at least do that, if not more, the next time. So I think it's just going to depend. And I think what it's going to depend on is do we end up doing a little bit of a breakout and we split the room and say, all right, you know, at two o'clock we're going in the newbie room or you're going in the established room, and then we target specifically towards those tracks? So a lot for us to decide between now and then. But you know, I think a minimum of eight at an extreme, bare minimum, yeah, and I think.
Speaker 2:I think we can find the experts in the room, including the three on this call that can do more than one talk. We've all hired people, so one of us can talk about hiring right. I've done a crap ton of tech, but I've also done the startup right, and so I think I don't know that we need to expand the number of speakers as much as the number of talks and what that looks like and how we do that. So these are conversations the three of us are going to have over the next few months while we prep for 2026.
Speaker 1:Yes, I'm so excited. This is going to be great. I definitely like to speak on the emotional side of DPC, so that's probably where I will request that I talk. I don't know if you know it, monica, but I got all teary eyed, choked up over talking about a patient.
Speaker 2:Shocking really.
Speaker 3:And got the room teary-eyed and choked up, including the men who came up after. Like way to go, Amanda, Thanks for that. I love it.
Speaker 2:I will just cry because I'm so proud of the people in the room. I am a happy crier, so whenever I'm like overtaken by other people's excitement or success or emotion or, if you want, to talk about sick kids, I, or emotion, or if you want to talk about sick kids, I will cry in an instant.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I'm sure I will cry too, but it's gonna be amazing, it's gonna be great, all right. Well, y'all give me your final thoughts, anything that we have not talked about. Just give me a minute of how this impacted you and your own DPC clinic, or how it impacted you as a person overall, and then we'll use that as our closing.
Speaker 3:I think my kind of key takeaway was the overwhelming support we had for this new adventure, that there were so many people willing to come out of their pockets to make it all the way to Charleston, south Carolina, to learn about this movement that we're doing, that we're the change agents. We created this momentum and we're going to, through this reach, change so many patients' lives. And I think for me, that's what overwhelms me is the potential reach of all the practitioners who walked away with pearls and nuggets of wisdom that are going to take that back and grow their practice because they came and sat in the room that we set up for them.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Mine is is pretty similar in that I have three clinics and I don't wanna open a fourth. Like it's a lot of work. We all know this. And so how do I continue my footprint in the DPC world, how do I continue to expand my impact in this nation? Because there are millions of patients that need our help and this is how we do. It is because I can't open 40 clinics. I don't have the bandwidth for that.
Speaker 2:But teaching other people how to do it that's my dream is to use the mistakes and the mishaps and the successes that I've had in the last six years and tell everybody else about them so they don't have to do that.
Speaker 2:There's no reason to make them make the same screw ups I did, and so just helping people along the way, because somebody helped me I had a mentor who started six months before I did and I'm forever indebted to her, and I want it to be like these ladies and gentlemen that come to this event a year later that are now like killing it and show up the next year and tell us all about it. To be like you guys are why I'm here. That's my definition of success with the DPC. Launchpad is not only affecting the patients, but also the livelihood of these NPs, because we know what it's like to be an insurance based provider and the shit that goes down with it, and how much better life is as your own boss, yes, and for me, I think I don't so much want to add clinics, build upon the clinic that I have.
Speaker 1:I want my nurse practitioner that I've hired to have her panel and then I have mine. But I really have this vision, just like you, monica, and you too, penny. My vision is to help other nurse practitioners and to be more involved in getting the information out there about DPC and that nurse practitioners and PAs have a place in this section of the world where we can help so many people. But I want to be a mentor to help other nurse practitioners as they get their clinic going, not just be a provider for a set amount of patients, which I love being that. But I feel like I'm called to do a little bit more, and that is come alongside my peers and really make them as good as they can. And that's that was kind of my inspiration for starting the podcast in the first place, but it's also my inspiration for the conference as well is like the more that this gets out there and people hear about it, because you know, the only people that heard about this conference were the people that were on your Facebook page, penny. I don't know who else to reach out to, so we just segregated it to the people that are on your Facebook page. But there's probably so many other ones out there that don't even utilize social media, so they don't even know about you and your Facebook page. So how do we get in touch with those people? And that is eventually.
Speaker 1:Word is going to spread. This is going to be like a spider web, and it started at the center and then this is just going to grow. And just like everybody knows what the Hint Conference is, everybody knows, you know what all these other conferences I can't even think of the names of them, but you know what I mean. Like the people in the DPC world know the main conferences, I want DPC Launchpad to be at the top of that list. I want doctors to wish they could come to our conference and they can't. You know, I'm just saying like. I don't have anything against somebody that decides they want to have a medical degree. Good for them. But you can't come into our space because this is going to be solely utilized as a safe place for advanced practice providers to come together and network and make friendships that are long lasting with people that are in their realm, and that's my goal.
Speaker 3:And the support system that comes with it. Right, that's what's lacking in the bigger DPC community. They don't have the support system that we do and you know nursing is built on that support system, so I think it's just ingrained in all of us. You know where we dig each other out of the weeds. It's just what we do, and I don't think that exists in the bigger medical community that we at least we have here in America. It doesn't.
Speaker 1:That's true. Well, ladies, it has been such a pleasure talking to both of you, exciting things for DPC Launchpad 2025. And so looking forward to DPC Launch Pad 2026. And the planning will be underway next month. So you guys, have a great weekend and I will be talking to you soon. Thanks, amanda, thank you, bye, bye. Thank you so much for joining us today on the DPCNP. We hope you found our conversation insightful and informational. If you enjoyed today's episode, please consider subscribing to our podcast so that you do not miss an update, and don't forget to leave us a review. Your feedback means the world to us and it helps others discover our show. We love hearing from our listeners. Feel free to connect on our social media, share your thoughts, your suggestions and even topic ideas for future episodes. As we wrap up today, we are so grateful that you chose to spend a part of your life with us. Until next time, take care. This is Amanda Price signing off. See you on the next episode. Thank you.