Episodes

Today's episode is such a befitting episode for the holiday season. It's about philanthropy. I know you could be thinking that philanthropy is only for the super-rich, but hold that thought! Dr. Recha Bergstrom, a radiologist based out of Northern California thinks otherwise. After Dr. Bergstrom's son was born eight weeks early, he needed to stay in NICU for six weeks. Finding a comfortable place to stay across the street meant that she was in a position to frequently visit him in NICU and had ...

Is private practice a dying industry? Dr. Karen Kaufman has an answer for you! Dr. Kaufman is double board-certified in Allergy Immunology and Internal Medicine. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, and has been recognized repeatedly as a Top Doctor in the greater Washington DC area. Dr. Kaufman made a bold step of starting her now thriving solo practice in Virginia during the pandemic. She has since clocked 1000 patients in six months, with the number stea...

Do physicians need a budget? The short answer - yes. The need for a budget doesn’t hinge on your pay stub. Instead, it’s about taking control of your finances and making every dollar work for you. In this episode, I speak to Dr. Amanda Christian, a practicing physician and the co-founder of Money Over Milkshakes. Money Over Milkshakes is on a mission to provide personal finance content that is easy to digest, straightforward, and not influenced by sponsors or affiliates. Dr. Christian help...

Today's episode is one of the most important interviews I have ever done. You are going to listen to Dr. Michelle Chestovich, a mom of 4, Family Physician, and Life Coach for Physician Moms. Michelle recently launched her podcast, Re-Mind Yourself, through which she offers tips and insights on mental health topics. Dr. Chestovich fully understood how important it is to allow yourself to feel ALL of your emotions when her kid sister, Gretchen, committed suicide in early March. This unthinkable t...

In this episode, I speak to Dr. Diana Mercado, a family medicine physician in Texas. Dr. Mercado graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry, earned her medical degree from the University of Texas, and did her residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Diana became a family medicine physician so that minority patients would have a physician who “looks like them.” Today Dr. Diana Mercado is a mentor, Clinic Medical Directo...

In today's episode, I had the privilege of speaking to Dr. Nerissa Kreher, a pediatric endocrinologist, Chief Medical Officer of a biotech company, and Founder of IndustryMDCoach. Dr. Nerissa transitioned into the biotech/pharma industry early in her career and brings 15 years of experience working in the field. She started in Medical Affairs as a Medical Director then strategically moved to another company to gain Clinical Development experience. She has worked in small to large biotech/pharma ...

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Marion Mass, a pediatrician and co-founder of the grassroots Practicing Physicians of America. Dr. Mass and I talk about transparent pricing in the medical field, medical debt, and more. Marion also discusses what it is like to be an outspoken advocate while still working for a major system and gives advice to those who also want to become advocates. Marion is a mother, a pediatrician, a community volunteer, a writer, and an advocate to ensure a high-quality, su...

Dr. Fatu Forna is an Ob/Gyn, Global Maternal Health Consultant, and Speaker who has been featured on CNN International for the kind of work she does. Dr. Forna is on a mission to improve the health of women and children around the world. She has served as the Lead for Reproductive and Maternal Health for the World Health Organization in Sierra Leone, as Director of Perinatal Safety and Quality and Chief of Women’s Services for Kaiser Permanente in Georgia, and as a Medical Epidemiologist at the ...

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Charlotte Akor. She is a pediatric ophthalmologist who has carved out such a cool niche for herself: teaching billing and coding to doctors. Most physicians certainly didn’t have any training during residency or fellowship on how to do it properly, and chances are you didn’t either. If you’re starting to sweat a little right now wondering what you’re not coding for and how much money you’re losing, then this episode is definitely for you. Tune in to learn more a...

Finding that balance between work and life might not be that easy when you work a demanding job, such as a doctor. But what happens when you decide to take back the power of having time off? Dr. Ali Novitsky joins us on this episode to talk about how she quit her thriving career in pediatrics to pursue other medical avenues, eventually leading to her successful coaching career. Dr. Novitsky, MD is a certified life and weight loss coach, a blogger, international speaker, fitness enthusiast, Boar...

In today’s episode, I chat with Dr. Anika Goodwin Hilderbrand, who is a board-certified ophthalmologist, vision advocate, and eye beauty expert. She is also the founder of OpulenceMD Beauty, the first eye-specific beauty brand and the only beauty brand created by an eye surgeon. Listen to Dr. Hilderbrand share her journey into finding her purpose. She also details how she marries her purpose with her passion by using proceeds from the brand to cover screening eye exams for diabetic patients who...

Dr. Stephanie E. Freeman, MD is a board-certified Critical Care physician, a best-selling author, speaker, and consultant. In addition to that, she is keen on helping doctors explore alternative careers in medicine. Dr. Freeman consistently meets with physicians individually and in groups to discuss ways in which they can get “unstuck” in their careers. A compassionate, motivating, energizing, and resourceful physician, Dr. Freeman is known among her colleagues as “The Job Doctor”. In today’s e...

After struggling with burnout, Dr. Sogol Pahlavan embarked on a journey of mindful living and became certified as a mindfulness coach. She utilizes mindfulness tools along with meditation, and yoga to connect to the present moment to find self-fulfillment and JOY. She also teaches physicians to fully take back responsibility for their life by reclaiming their power and committing to reconnecting to their most authentic selves. She is on a mission to heal the healers. In today's episode, Dr. Pah...

In today's episode, I speak to Dr. Manasa Mantravadi, the founder of Ahimsa, the world's first colorful stainless steel dinnerware for kids. She shares her mission to create a safer, kinder, and healthier future for all kids while educating parents along the way and her journey to becoming a pediatrician. Reverting to her roots, Dr. Mantravadi explains how the solution to combat household plastics came from her own home growing up. You'll hear how the biggest key to her success was networking wi...

Achieving financial freedom as a physician is simple, but not necessarily easy. Whether you achieve financial freedom through the stock market, real estate, or both, it’s all the same. You’re trying to create an evergreen revenue source that provides you with enough income to fund your ideal lifestyle without having to put time into your day job. In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Param Bala, a radiologist, full-time mom, Real estate investor, and Mentor to professionals seeking Financial and...

Have you considered hiring a physician coach? Or have you thought about becoming one yourself? In this episode, Dr. Sunny Smith shares how she made the life-changing decision to coach her colleagues after being coached herself. Dr. Smith is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and the Founder of Empowering Women Physicians podcast coaching and retreats. She has spent her academic career in medical student education and underserved medi...

Dr. Marjorie Steigler is a physician executive and veteran entrepreneur with over ten years of online business experience. From founding a retail start-up, to keynote speaking, consulting, virtual courses, and live retreats, she’s been there and done that. Now, she’s helping other doctors turn the work they love most into more rapid career advancement and profitable businesses that pay the bills. Digital strategy is the best way to grow a medical practice, land a nonclinical job, get booked a...

Dr. Jennifer McKenney is a family physician in her hometown of Fredonia Kansas, a town of approximately 2500 people in southeast Kansas. She has owned and managed an independent practice for the last eleven years. Nine years ago, Dr. McKenney's workload almost spiraled out of control when she found out that another physician at her Fredonia, Kansas-based family practice had passed away unexpectedly. However, with the help of a virtual scribe, she was able to focus on providing patient care and ...

In today's episode, I chat with fellow physician, podcaster, and financial enthusiast Dr. Bonnie Koo, the founder of Wealthy Mom MD. Bonnie is a board-certified dermatologist who’s passionate about teaching personal finance strategies designed specifically for women physicians. We discuss financial advice for early-career physicians, what it means to “have it all,” and much more. If you aspire to be a physician coach or consultant, you will want to learn the steps she took — this is a must-list...

Twenty years ago, Dr. Catherine Toomer, a Family Medicine physician had a 50% chance of living for five more years due to obesity complicated by heart failure. With young babies that she desperately wanted to see grow, she knew she had to do something, quickly. She turned to her medical education for information that turned everything around. She lost 60 pounds in under six months while still eating food she enjoyed and without exercise or weight loss medication. This was two decades ago and she...

How good of a job do you think you are doing as a physician? A positive perception of your self-worth can greatly improve your quality of life, as well as help you succeed in your position and advance on your career path. As a result, it is highly valuable to understand your self-worth at work regardless of your level in your organization. In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Nwando Anyaoku, a Pediatrician with over 31 years of a valuable combination of clinical experience, operational lea...

Even though we as physicians have a substantial earning capacity, generating a 6-figure income does not always translate into the creation of substantial wealth. Nor does it give us the freedom to reduce our workload or focus on retirement. Given that our time is quite limited, it would make sense then, to want to make the most of what little free time we do have by investing in real estate. In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Chiagozie Fawole, a pediatric anesthesiologist and real estate...

In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Ronak Mehta, a physician and the CEO of Nerdbugs. Dr. Mehta's story starts about a decade ago, while she was still in medical school, and decided to write a children's book teaching young kids about the human body. Her ultimate goal (which took her ten years to realize) was to someday create the organs from the book into plush organ toys. Dr. Mehta's passion for medicine and love for plush toys gave birth to Nerdburgs. A combination of the “Why not?” me...

​​A new study from Jackson Physician Search reveals that 69% of employed physicians are disengaged from their employers or thinking of seeking employment elsewhere. This number is quite alarming! No wonder many hospitals have a problem with retention and teamwork. For many physicians, being at the top has left them feeling so isolated, siloed, and alone. ​​ ​​In today's episode, I speak with Dr. Nora Vasquez, a compassionate physician coach who uses high-performance coaching to elevate your pe...