The FM Shift

There are tons of great marketing strategies on marketing, but today, we're focusing on medicine marketing strategies. Special guest Dr. Greg Mongeon joins us to talk about how functional medicine practitioners can grow an incredibly successful practice. He teaches us how the know-like-and-trust-factor plays a considerable role in our success and how finding the right patients is key. He shares insights into how we can get our voice out there and attract those dream patients. He provides insights to: Medicine marketing strategies Strategies to help patients trust you Niching down How spending 10% of revenue on marketing can change your business Why your practice needs a process for patients How to qualify patients to make sure they're a good fit Using Medicine Marketing Strategies in Your Practice Dr. Greg Mongeon is the founder of five functional medicine practices and is the primary functional medicine doctor for Olympic Gold-medalist Jordan Burroughs and the lead functional medicine practitioner for Eat the Frog Fitness. He believes in disregarding the minute details and focus on what fits your lifestyle. Today, Dr. Greg joins us on the FM Shift to teach functional medicine practitioners to stop listening to every business practice out there and just take what is needed to best help your patients and build the best practice for you. Getting Patients to Trust You How do you get your patients to say yes to their health? If you want to do good work within your community, it takes more than simply presenting the science of medicine. For your patients to follow your advice as a functional medicine practitioner, they have to know, like, and trust you. That know-like-and-trust-factor isn't something that is built overnight. There's no secret formula that will help you cross the finish line sooner. Earning your patient's trust can mean different things in different communities, and it's your job as a business owner and functional medicine practitioner to figure out what your particular community needs to feel that they are getting the best care possible. It's also your job to help your patients feel at ease with you and want not just to keep coming back but to follow your care plan as well. While there's no set formula for earning your patient's trust, one of the best ways to create that know-like-and-trust-factor is by creating a process. Often, when a process is in place, patients will automatically start to trust you because you're coming across as an expert. However, if a step is skipped in the process, that's when patients sometimes begin to think, “Eh, I don't know if this is for me.” Do you have a process? Document your process and check to ensure that it's simple and easy for your patients to understand and follow. The Art of Functional Medicine Often, doctors feel like they have to know everything. But the truth is, doctors need to be resourceful. When a patient comes to you with a problem to which you don't know the answer, it's ok to tell them you don't know. But the key to this is letting them know that you are willing to find out the answer for them. Letting your patient know that there is some information you aren't aware of will help build a better relationship with your patient. While some doctors may feel not knowing the answer to something, when a patient is coming to you as an expert, may reflect poorly on your practice, giving your patient false information or avoiding the question will look worse. Situations like this all come down to the art of functional medicine. Handling a question you don't know the answer to, being honest with your patient, and then being resourceful in discovering the answer are all ways that will help your patients feel more confident in your abilities. Greg Mongeon Dr. Greg Mongeon is a father to five active kids, husband to the love of his life, innovator, functional medicine doctor, speaker, and leader. His philosophy is the doctor of the future, is you! And Dr. Greg is actively empowering his clients through mentoring education, self-care, and optimizing mindset. Dr. Greg has started over five brick-and-mortar practices, currently acts as the primary functional medicine doctor for Olympic gold-medalist Jordan Burroughs, and is the lead functional medicine doctor for Eat The Frog Fitness. Today, Dr. Greg and his family reside in Lakeville, MN, where he operates a successful functional medicine practice. He not only treats people locally but also treats people from all over the world. He devotes his time to treating people. His passion for connecting with people, providing hope and understanding for people with autoimmune diseases, and uncovering the root cause of autoimmune diseases is what separates him from others in his field. Most days. Dr. Greg starts his day very early, looking over patient charts, diving deeper into the current research, spending time on personal self-growth, and mentoring clinicians. At the end of the day, he can be found in a gym or field watching his kids–often motivating and encouraging them to try something new. How to Connect with Greg Mongeon: Website: www.drgreg.health/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-greg-mongeon-ab57a647/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/drgreg.health Instagram: www.instagram.com/drgreghealth/ Emails: doc@drgreg.health If you're looking for more ways to grow your functional medicine practice, be sure also to check out Episode #42 of The FM Shift, The Art of Functional Medicine Marketing, with Dr. Uli Iserloh. In this episode, Uli talks to us about how functional medicine practitioners can scale their business with patients who are great fits for the practice. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Leading a healthy life is a passion that guest Joel Greene has pursued for the last 50 years. Today, he teaches functional medicine practitioners how their patients can lose weight, improve gut health, maintain diets, and feel better with healthier choices. He shares: Steps for leading a healthy life What bacteria does to your health How your gut health impacts your weight loss How food quality impacts your health The connection between soft foods in childhood and obesity How dairy impacts your health Leading a Healthy Life Joel Greene is the creator of the VEEP Nutrition System and author of The Immunity Code. Over the last 50 years, he has dedicated his life to researching and understanding health, nutrition, and anti-aging. He is a proponent of the keto diet and intermittent fasting, but more than that, he understands how our modern dietary habits and genetics may work against us in keeping the weight off and living our healthiest lives. By understanding our genetics and making healthier choices, we can improve our long-term health and lifestyle. In this episode of The FM Shift, Joel teaches us about factors that lead to obesity, how to combat weight gain, and how our sleep patterns, gut health, and diets significantly impact our health. He also shares how functional medicine practitioners help guide their patients to a healthy life and keep the weight off. Factors that Lead to Obesity Many factors can lead to obesity, but one of the least discussed is how underdeveloped facial bones may contribute. One of the leading causes of underdeveloped facial bones is soft chewing. Soft chewing is the absence of hard foods in early childhood and leads to the underdevelopment of the nasal passageways. Due to the facial muscles and bones not being correctly used when eating, certain facial bones aren't contracting properly, making bone growth stimulation slow or non-existent. When these bones don't grow properly, airways can narrow and lead to childhood obesity. But, these problems aren't just seen in childhood–they follow us into adulthood and can worsen with age, leading to further health concerns later in life. And it's not just lifelong obesity that can stem from underdeveloped facial muscles. A narrow passageway can also contribute to underlying health concerns like sleep hypoxia. This condition can last a lifetime and will often create other problems like a weakened immune system. Studies have shown ways to stimulate bone growth even later in life if a patient suffers from underdeveloped air passages or facial bones. One way to achieve this by combining is cold induction and mechanical message. Keeping the Weight Off As functional medicine practitioners, we see many patients who are trying to lose weight and keep that weight off. But sometimes, it's not as simple as losing weight, leading a healthy lifestyle, and maintaining the loss. For some patients, once weight loss is achieved, they have no problem keeping it off. But for others, they struggle. Research shows that there are about 28 different genes that impact how people react to weight loss. With all those different genetic markers, it's almost impossible to tell who will struggle to maintain weight and who won't. However, observation shows that most patients find maintaining weight difficult. While genetics does play a significant role in how weight is maintained, other factors also contribute. For example, gut health is a large factor in how quickly and how long a patient can maintain a healthy weight. Patients with poor gut health or specific types of gut bacteria will likely have more difficulty maintaining weight. Joel Greene Joel Greene is the creator of The VEEP Nutrition System, the world's first commercially available program based on targeting gut communities to affect health and body composition. His system has been used by some of the nation's largest employers, including major cities and hospitals, and featured on Dr. Phil Show storylines. Joel is also a featured author, speaker, and consultant for nutrition companies, top-tier publications, and major podcasts. The first article on the gut biome revolution to the health and fitness community written in 2007 has amassed the largest known body of outcomes targeting the gut biome. He is the author of The Immunity Code: The New Paradigm for Real Health and Radical Anti-Aging. Joel has devoted over 50 years to the pursuit of health, nutrition, and anti-aging. He was training intervals in the 1970s, taking MCTs in the late ‘80s, Keto in the early ‘90s, and targeting AMPK by 2009. At age 55 he is a 100% natural athlete and uses no ergogenic aids while working out on average once per week and eating whatever whenever. Joel has built two previous multi-million dollar companies in the tech space and has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years. His own experiences building a startup with 15 hour days and non-stop pressures led him to see that 99% of the popular advice does not translate into real world circumstances. He has devoted over 15 years to solve the problem of finding how to control the body under real-life pressures. How to Connect with Joel Greene: Website: www.veepnutrition.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joel-greene-a68b764 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-veep-nutrition-system/about Facebook: www.facebook.com/getveep Twitter: https://twitter.com/joelgreene Book: https://amzn.to/3nLBcwp If you're looking for more healthy weight loss alternatives, be sure to also check out Episode #60 of The FM Shift, The Ketobolic Diet Strategy, with Dr. Rob Vasquez and Dr. Randy Johns. In this episode, Rob and Randy talk to us about how functional medicine practitioners can impact their patients' lives with the keto diet. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.  

A trusting relationship is essential in medicine. But knowing how to build rapport with patients can be easier said than done. Today, Nick Cavuoto joins us to talk about how functional medicine practitioners can create relationships with patients, post meaningful content, and use that content to build your authority. He shares: How to build rapport with patients through content creation How creating content can change lives Why building patient relationships is essential today How information spread through technology impacts your practice How to effectively communicate with your patients Why it's important to teach patients their healthcare is their choice How to Build Rapport with Patients Nick Cavuoto is a speaker, entrepreneurial mentor, and personal brand expert specializing in content marketing, sales, and transformational leadership. Nick believes that successful businesses in the future will focus on building relationships and authentic connections. Nick uses his unique philosophies in his own business and teaches all his students to do the same. On the most recent episode of the FM Shift, Nick joins us to discuss using technology to your advantage and how information overload can lead your patients to follow the wrong advice. He also shares how, as functional medicine practitioners, creating online content is essential to building your brand, building patient relationships, and becoming an authority in your field. Building Patient Relationships People intrinsically trust other people over organizations, but it requires a level of trust and a forged relationship for that to be true. As functional medicine practitioners and business owners, forming relationships is going to be one of the most critical elements of your business. Without building these relationships, the road to creating a successful business will be much more difficult. Another reason to build strong relationships with your patients is due to data overload. With all the advancements in technology over the last 20 years, more and more patients have access to the same medical information you do–that means that more patients will go to doctors and functional medicine practitioners believing they know what's wrong with them. Furthermore, because so much information is available, the right treatment path can seem overwhelming to patients. So, now more than ever, a strong, trusting relationship must be created between doctor and patient. But how to build rapport with patients can often seem daunting, which is why taking steps like being empathetic and creating content are great ways to start forming patient relationships. Creating Online Content One of the most significant challenges in building a brand and publishing content is the fear of other people's thoughts, feelings, and judgments. The root of not creating content is the fear of being deemed someone who isn't worth listening to. Often, business owners, particularly doctors and functional medicine practitioners, fear that providing their perspective on care could result in being viciously attacked for taking a stand and sharing their beliefs. But the reality is that these fears of rejection, while valid, hold functional medicine practitioners back. Not posting valuable content for fear of being rejected by some is detrimental to the many whose lives could be changed for the better. The best ideas often aren't immediately accepted–but by holding fast and continuing to spread knowledge, only good can come from that. About Nick Cavuoto Nick Cavuoto is a long-time entrepreneur with experience in speaking, personal branding, and as an entrepreneurial mentor. He specializes in content marketing, sales, and transformation leadership. He has had the pleasure of working with some of the most influential Fortune 500 companies, including Paychex, Pandora, and Microsoft, to name a few. Additionally, he has worked with top business leaders like Todd Herman, Scott Oldford, and Mike Kim. Nick's unique philosophy on building a successful business requires leaders to create authentic connections and relationships. Nick's passion to mentor businesses has taken him to stages all over the country, speaking at conferences and hosting masterminds to teach entrepreneurs everything he knows about personal branding, entrepreneurship, and life. Today, he works with businesses to effortlessly create meaningful content and get their voices heard without worrying about posting to social media or keeping up with their websites themselves. How to Connect with Nick Cavuoto: Website: www.nickcavuoto.co Instagram: @nickcavuot Facebook: facebook.com/nickcavuot Twitter: @nickcavuot LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nickcavuoto If you're looking for more information on how to build rapport with patients, check out Episode #26 of The FM Shift, Speak Your Patients' Language, with Funk Roberts. In this episode, Funk talks to us about how FM practitioners can use language to better connect with patients and how FM practitioners can help patients understand their treatment strategy. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.  

Have you ever wondered how to be a good CEO? Starting your own functional medicine practice seems daunting enough, but now you actually have to run the business? Luckily, Trey Taylor knows what it's like to be thrust into being a CEO. Today, he shares: How to be a good CEO How to hire people who fit well into your company The importance of having a succession plan How to delegate as a leader Why transparency with your team is essential How to Be a Good CEO Trey Taylor is a CEO, mentor and coach to business owners and other CEOs, and has varied experience in tech, venture capital, real estate, and law. He started his career as a law clerk at WebMD, which he left to pursue a career as a venture capitalist and began working for AOL. However, life had other plans for him, and, after his father passed suddenly, he returned home to run the family business–a business in which he had no experience and no desire to run. He didn't know the industry well, nor did he know how to be a good CEO. But it was out of the frying pan and into the fire. Trey knew he couldn't let his family down, so he stepped up and went on a journey to discover just what a CEO does. His journey led to him gaining the knowledge and confidence to run other businesses and eventually write A CEO Only Does Three Things, a book on being a CEO. Today, on The FM Shift, Trey joins us to discuss building a successful business and being the best CEO you can be. He shares insights into the keys of being a great leader, creating a fantastic team, and preparing for succession. What to do as the CEO of a Company You should always have a succession plan. No matter what profession you're in, it's essential to have a plan of what will happen to your company if you're suddenly not there. It's not just good for your business, but as the CEO and/or founder, you owe it to the company and the people who would be left behind. As humans, we don't want to think about what happens if we're not around, but just as you have life insurance plans for your family, it's a moral obligation to have a plan for what happens to your business. Without a succession plan, someone will have to take care of your functional medicine practice–this might be a spouse, child, sibling, or friend–and if stepping into the role of CEO was not part of their plan, it can take a toll. Everything from not knowing how to run the business to being unable to mourn their loss can cause problems for the company you worked so hard to build. So, no matter how unpleasant it is to think about a world where you're unavailable to run a business, it's a duty you have to yourself, those you love, and your patients. One Key Trait of Great CEOs As the owner of a business, it's incredibly easy to get bogged down with tasks. For some, the reason is that there's nobody available to help. For others, doing everything on your own is second nature. But one thing that all highly successful CEOs have in common is delegation. As much as we may think we're good at everything, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. So why not play to your strengths? Right now, if you're running your business alone, start taking note of what parts of the business you love and which parts you dread. For the tasks that you don't enjoy, consider hiring someone to help you complete them. This person doesn't have to be full-time, but by delegating the job, you free up time, energy, and help improve your mood and create the capacity to focus on other things. About Trey Taylor Trey is CEO of Taylor Insurance Services & Managing Director of Trinity | Blue. His experience derives from fields as diverse as technology, venture capital, and commercial real estate. As a keynote speaker, he has addressed attendees at the Human Capital Institute and the Ascend Conference. He holds a bachelors's degree in history from Emory University and a Juris Doctorate in Tax & Corporate Transactions from Tulane University. He recently published his first book: A CEO Only Does 3 Things. Trey & his wife Sheya are the proud parents of Roy Edward Taylor IV (Ret), and Emmaline. How to Connect with Trey Taylor: Websites: https://trinity-blue.com/ http://taylorinsuranceservices.com/ https://trey-taylor.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treytaylor/ Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/company/taylor-insurance-services/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TreyTaylorCEO Link to Book If you're looking for more information on building a successful functional medicine practice, check out Episode #44 of The FM Shift, Medical Entrepreneurs: Mastering the Business of Functional Medicine. In this episode, Dr. James Neilson-Watt talks to us about how FM practitioners can build a long-term, sustainable practice and how to run your practice like a business. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to effortlessly attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Building a functional medicine practice can seem daunting, especially when it seems like nobody is supporting you. But it doesn't have to be like that. Dr. Nisha Chellam joins us to share how functional medicine practitioners can build a thriving business that changes lives. She shares: Her journey to building a functional medicine practice How FM practitioners can work with traditional doctors How to get over fears of charging your patients Why it's important to follow your goals What your patients need to know about functional medicine The Journey to Building a Functional Medicine Practice Dr. Nisha Chellam began her career as an internist and hospitalist, where she was able to help patients walk out of the hospital often within one or two weeks of admission. But what Nisha began to notice was that these patients often returned to the hospital with the same symptoms–she felt like a failure each time a patient returned. Nisha believed she should be curing the patients and treating the root cause of their problems, so they wouldn't need to come back. After becoming semi-retired and working at the VA, Nisha treated a patient suffering from osteoporosis who self-medicated with holistic alternatives and reached osteopenia. It was the first time Nisha saw an alternative to traditional medicine, and she was hooked. This patient sparked her interest in functional medicine, and after years of considering it, Nisha left the world of conventional medicine and founded her functional medicine practice. Today, Nisha joins the FM Shift to discuss falling in love with medicine again, overcoming fears surrounding charging your patients, and how to educate your patients on functional medicine. She shares her perspective on the cost of healthcare and disease management. How to Charge Your Patients When it comes to charging your patients, it can be a challenge to know how to value your services as a functional medicine practitioner. With most insurance companies not covering FM practices, the money you charge can make or break your practice. But what if your fear of charing is simply a limiting belief? If health is a priority for your patients, they will be more likely to pay higher fees for their healthcare. So if your patients see results and their lives are changing for the better because of your treatment plans, what's stopping you from charging a premium price? After all, FM practitioners get to the root cause of the issue, often helping patients need less medical care or even helping them not need care at all. What's better health or being cured worth to your patients? What's not needing traditional medicine worth–or saving themselves from years of conventional, expensive treatments worth? If you believe that your practice is preventing your patients from spending thousands of dollars annually, what's stopping you from charging your worth? Educating Your Patients As a functional medicine practitioner, you're teaching your patients how to manage their health. It's important to make sure your patients know that your job is not like a traditional doctor, whose job is to look for and manage diseases. Your job is to help guide your patients to living their healthiest lives and treat the root causes of symptoms. This means that you may not diagnose a patient's problem because it isn't your job to diagnose and manage diseases. Since your job is so different from that of a traditional doctor, it is essential to inform your patients of the differences and encourage them to have a general practitioner in addition to your services. This way, you can avoid legal issues and ensure your patients receive the best medical care on all fronts. About Nisha Chellam Dr. Chellam is a “recovering physician.” What does that mean? Medical school is about learning about diseases and managing to slow the progress. What do patients want? Patients want to resolve their condition. A recovered physician moves from medications as the only option to treating illness. Instead, is there a way we can rebuild health and resolve the disease? Dr. Chellam struggled for years with Migraines and Hashimotos. She was able to resolve these by learning and applying functional medicine. And that is what she practices now. She is board-certified in Internal Medicine and board-certified in Integrative and Holistic Medicine. When there is so much information, the goal of the practice is to simplify this information. The power of nutrition is best when we personalize it. Lifestyle changes are challenging. How do we systematize it? We do testing that helps identify your individual needs and optimize your health. How to Connect with Nisha Chellam: Website: https://holisticicon.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nisha-chellam-78a60527/ Link to Book If you're looking for more information on creating a successful functional medicine practice, check out Episode #34 of The FM Shift, Empowering Patients Through Functional Medicine, with Alison Gannett. In this episode, Alison talks to us about how FM practitioners can give their patients better care by discovering the root causes of their illnesses. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.  

Learning how to achieve financial freedom might be easier than you think. To create wealth, you don't have to have the most successful functional medicine practice. You just have to have the right tools. Guest speaker Dr. John Soforic joins us to teach functional medicine practitioners creative strategies to reach their goals and build financial freedom. He shares: Strategies on how to achieve financial freedom How he went from an in-debt chiropractor to retired by 50 Ways to diversify your income stream How you can choose your life Why you might not need a mentor How identifying your fears leads to success How to Achieve Financial Freedom Dr. John Soforic is a chiropractor and worldwide bestselling author of The Wealthy Gardener. John is the first person in his family to graduate college in the family, and he has always aspired to great things. After graduating from chiropractic school and starting his FM practice, he set a goal to be retired by the age of 50 and break the generational cycle of debt to create wealth and financial power. Through his FM practice and diversifying investments, he built wealth and achieved his goals. Still, he wanted his son to understand how he became the first person in his family to escape financial slavery. So he sat down and wrote The Wealthy Gardener as a personal guide from a father to his son on how to build his own wealth. On this episode of The FM Shift, John is joining us to share his insights into building financial freedom and how to wisely spend your time to achieve all your financial goals. He shares insights into how to spend your time and how to address your fears to succeed. Future Building is Key Do you know how to achieve financial freedom as a functional medicine provider? You have to get in touch with your desires but also your fears. If you can sit down and project what financial obstacles you may face, like shrinkage in insurance for the future. Guest speaker Dr. John Soforic feared what the future looked like for his children when they got out of high school and were faced with student loans by the time they were six or seven. Even though he had a successful chiropractic practice, the money he was making went straight to paying off loans. So how did he start to build wealth? He got in touch with all his fears. John's philosophy is that everything starts with your mind. When you prepare for your future, it has to start with your thoughts–it has to start with setting your goals. So start by writing down what you want your future to look like. By envisioning your future, you start to look beyond your FM practice and see what other areas can help you achieve your goals. Maybe that means diversifying your assets before spending money on a vacation or a fancy car. People may judge you for building your wealth outside of your practice, but that's ok. These people may have different goals for themselves. Do You Need a Mentor? Do you need a mentor to build a successful FM practice or build wealth outside of your practice? No, not at all! Every person's journey is different, and while it's great to build relationships with people, one of the best ways to build your business, fortify your soul, and execute your dreams is by reading books. With mentorship, you can do many things. But mentorship may not get you exactly where you want to go. You can learn exactly what the people you admire learned through books while interpreting the knowledge in your own unique way. By doing this, you allow yourself to create the life you want precisely how you envisioned it without relying on anyone else. About John Soforic Dr. John Soforic retired from his chiropractic practice in 2015 after spending 25 years in the field. Early in his career, John set a goal to break the cycle of financial slavery and retire at 50. To do this, he not only built his chiropractor practice, but he also spent his time reading books, where he learned how to invest in the real estate market. Today, he owns multiple real estate properties that allow him to have an extra $20,000 a month in passive income. But creating this wealth for himself wasn't enough. John wanted to share his insights into financial freedom with his son, so he went on to write the international best-seller, The Wealthy Gardener, which has now been translated into eight languages and sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. How to Connect with John Soforic: Website: https://wealthygardener.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/john-soforic-727b94140/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/wealthygardener/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/wealthygardener Link to Book If you're looking for more information on wealth-building strategies, check out Episode #67 of The FM Shift, Wealth-Building Strategies for FM Practitioners, with Sean Adams. In this episode, Sean talks to us about how FM practitioners can use the same strategies the ultra-rich are using to create long-term wealth. The FM Shift shows you how to effortlessly attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.  

Shifting your mindset is easier said than done. Many functional medicine practitioners struggle to see that they may be on the verge of huge success because of limiting beliefs. Guest speaker AJ Mihrzad joins us to teach functional medicine practitioners creative strategies to reach their goals and shift their mindset. He shares: How shifting your mindset can change your health, business, and life Strategies for marketing if online marketing fails Ways to grow your FM business during unprecedented times How you and your patients can lead a healthier life How to present yourself online The future of virtual medicine Why Shifting Your Mindset Matters AJ Mihrzad is the author of the Mind Body Solution, personal trainer, and entrepreneur. He discovered his desire to help people nearly 20 years ago when he realized his obesity was caused by his need to soothe his emotions after experiencing a tumultuous childhood. Soon after discovering his passion, he created a unique strategy to lose weight and keep it off. Today, AJ uses his strategies to help people in his personal training business and his coaching business. AJ is joining us on the latest episode of The FM Shift to share insights into how shifting your mindset can quickly change your business. He also shares strategies to market your business in the new online world so that you can stay ahead of the curve. Your Mind Might Be Holding You Back Your belief system can impact your eating habits and health more than anything else. If your mindset says that healthy food is gross or unnecessary, you're always going to believe that. If you're constantly telling yourself that you're lazy and exercise doesn't matter, it's going to be challenging to lose weight. But by shifting your mindset and believing you can make a difference in your life, that's when the most powerful transformation occurs. When you start believing you're a fit person, that's when you start acting like a fit person. For example, if you think you're fit, getting up and exercising each day won't feel like such a burden. With a shift in mindset, eating healthy will become second nature. All it takes is a slight shift in how you see yourself. Pandemic-Proof Your Business The COVID-19 pandemic has hit most businesses hard. But many in the FM industry are thriving. How did some entrepreneurs thrive while others didn't? Like in Darwinism, it's survival of the fittest. Those who were able to pivot quickly saw the best results. The entrepreneurs who are thriving were able to pivot. They switched to online marketing–they created a funnel. They started using technologies and telehealth to continue seeing patients. They didn't wait for restrictions to live–they didn't wait to see how long the pandemic would last. They took immediate action and started changing their beliefs and strategies. Even though the pandemic appears to be nearly its end, the world is not likely to return to its pre-pandemic normal. There's still time to pivot. And, it's essential to keep in mind that success could be just around the corner with an FM practice, so don't lose hope. About AJ Mihrzad AJ Mihrzad was recently inducted into the Personal Trainer Hall of Fame. His writing has also been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, The Huffington Post, Men's Fitness, Thrive Global, and Bodybuilding.com. AJ is a keynote speaker at high-end entrepreneurial and personal development events. He is also the host of the popular podcast, the Online SuperCoach Podcast, available on iTunes. Along with inspiring the lives of the general public, he is dedicated to helping coaches create an ethical and profitable online income through his business mentorship program available at OnlineSuperCoach.com. How to Connect with AJ Mihrzad: Website: www.onlinesupercoach.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/amihrzad/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/AJsupercoach/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajmihrzad AJ's Books on Amazon If you're looking for more information on shifting your mindset, check out Episode #45 of The FM Shift, Choose Your Attitude Before You Fall Prey to Circumstance, with David Neagle. In this episode, David talks to us about how FM practitioners can prepare themselves for failure and success by changing their beliefs. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Life Insurance as an investment? Financial expert Sean Adams joins us to teach how life insurance can benefit us as employers and beneficiaries. What you will learn: How life insurance as an investment can benefit your business Ways life insurance is more stable than traditional investments Why offering life insurance policies may be a great way to attract good employees How life insurance can be used as a low-risk loan What makes life insurance an excellent warehouse for your money, instead of letting your money sit in a savings account How inflation can affect investments Life Insurance as an Investment for FM Practitioners Sean Adams is a financial expert who teaches people the benefits of using life insurance as an investment opportunity. He uses historical data to help those with discretionary income choose the best path to grow their wealth in a stable environment and create a resource that can act as a loan, a wealth-building tool, or an emergency fund. Through his work as the President of Leveraged Life Management, Sean has helped countless doctors and other professionals develop wealth-building strategies that utilize whole life insurance policies as a powerful financial vehicle. In his own career journey, Sean realized that most financial advisors were repeating the same stale advice about wealth management over and over, so Sean decided to take matters into his own hands. He looked to the ultra-rich to see what they were doing to preserve, protect and grow their wealth, and he recognized the incredible potential of using whole life insurance policies as a savings vehicle. Today on The FM Shift, Sean teaches us the same powerful wealth-building strategies he mastered for himself. He shares insights into why life insurance policies are a great place to grow wealth without worrying about market crashes or inflation. He also highlights the benefits of offering employees life insurance policies as an employee incentive. How You Can Find Better Employees with Life Insurance For employers, offering life insurance policies to their employees could be a great benefit. Employers who provide life insurance policies typically insure their employees for their worth to the company. For example, if an employee's salary is $100,000 a year, the policy would be for the same amount. By offering life insurance, the company does a few important things. The first is that it's an incentive for employees to accept a job with the company. In the current market, finding qualified employees is so difficult, an incentive such as life insurance can be the difference between an empty seat and a filled seat. Additionally, a life insurance policy benefits the company as well. If an employee passes away while employed by the company, the employee's family receives benefits from the policy, and so does the company. H3: Are Life Insurance Policies Immune to Inflation? When inflation increases, are insurance companies safe to invest in? The short answer is yes. Historical records dating back to the 1890s show that these insurance warehouses have held steady, even as the stock market and the real estate industry witnessed dips, even helping investors avoid the effects of inflation. The only exception to the insurance industry noticing dips for their investors was in 1929 at the start of the Great Depression. But even then, the insurance companies were able to provide dividends to their investors. This is because insurance companies have to make the safest investment choices based on the economic environment. To learn more about how whole life insurance can become the ideal wealth-building resource, visit www.leveraged-life.com or check out Sean's Wealth Secrets podcast at https://anchor.fm/wealthsecretspodcast. About Sean Adams, in his own words: “I spent the first 12 years of my career owning multiple small businesses. During that time I felt the overwhelming stress of banks and the government having control over my income. Like most business owners, cash flow was always a challenge. The hard-earned money I did actually receive always seemed to be held captive in savings & retirement accounts that were illiquid and offered next to no growth. Fast forward a few years to me selling my businesses and becoming a full time sales professional. I found myself making great commissions each month but again fell back into the same trap of having no idea where to safely stick my earnings. I consumed hundreds of books, interviews and courses to learn as much as I could about wealth building & finance. What I found was that the ultra-rich had insider knowledge about how to protect and grow wealth and it was not being shared publicly. I made it my mission to distill down these wealth secrets and make sure everyone had access to them. The most influential concept I discovered was the strategy of leveraging cash value life insurance as a savings asset. This approach gives you liquidity, hedges against market volatility and provides a safe, guaranteed return. My life insurance policies became a saving grace for me that changed my financial future. Because of this success, I became obsessed with spreading the message of this strategy. We grew Leveraged Life Management from a strong desire to help professionals escape uncertainty and adopt a strategy that gives them the safety and protection they need.” How to Connect with Sean Adams: Book a meeting with Sean's team: https://keap.app/booking/leveragedlifemanagement/intro-discovery-call Website: www.leveraged-life.com Sean's “Wealth Secrets” Podcast: https://anchor.fm/wealthsecretspodcast LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leveraged-life/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/leveraged-life-management/ About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to effortlessly attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here. If you would like to learn more about investments and how to use whole life insurance policies to grow your wealth, be sure to check out episode 67, Wealth-building Strategies for FM Practitioners, with Sean Adams, where Sean talks about how FM practitioners can grow their wealth and get tax benefits from their investments.

How to run a medical office is just one topic that special guest Tonya Sowles covers when talking about how functional medicine practitioners can create a thriving practice with the right employees and an environment patients love to frequent. She teaches us: How to run a medical office–from creating a company culture to hiring the right people What company culture is How your treatment of employee impacts your patients Why employee benefits are changing How to communicate with your employees Not Your Cookie-Cutter HR Tonya Sowles is an HR expert and business coach who loves helping entrepreneurs create thriving work environments. She uses her many years of experience as an HR expert to customize business strategies for companies just beginning and looking to modernize. Regardless of what company Tonya is working with, she is adamant about listening to her clients and making sure they have a business plan that will work for them. Today, on The FM Shift, Tonya talks about how company culture and communication skills can make or break an FM practice. She teaches us how to find the right employees from the job posting through the interview process, and she guides us to discover how our company culture is dictating more than when people get their coffee breaks. How to Run a Medical Office – The Hiring Process As functional medicine providers, we are always busy. So we often find ourselves reluctant to end working relationships that aren't a good fit. Usually, we're just too busy to find a replacement or pile more work on while we search for a replacement. But when we do find ourselves with a vacancy, mindset contributes to the problem. When there's a vacancy in the office, things aren't running as smoothly as they should. So, as a business owner, it's important that the spot is filled, and that can mean that the first person who looks like they can do a good job is hired. That person may not be the best fit in the long run, but the wrong person is often chosen because you need someone now. But if the hire isn't listening to you or there's no time for training, then your new employee is going to go against the grain and the company culture, leaving you worse off than you were when the spot was vacant. So even if you feel rushed, taking the time to find a great fit for your company is worth it in the long run. How Do You Find the Right Employees? There's no right or wrong answer to the question “How to run a medical practice?” But there are a few strategies that will help you find success. For example, taking the time to find the right person to fit your office can make or break your practice. When searching for an employee, asking the right questions is critical. So how do you weed out the people who won't be a good fit? One way to help ensure you're attracting people who will be a good fit right off the bat is by putting a caveat in the job posting. By placing an extra something in the job description–like emailing the resume or submitting a resume and a cover letter–anything that is extra–is a great way to see if the person applying for the job is paying attention to what you want and need and can follow directions or if they're just applying for as many positions as they can. Additionally, having two interviews, the first with your receptionist where simple questions like, “Tell me about yourself” are asked. By starting the interview process like this, office managers can save time and discover candidates that are good fits for the job. For those who make it to the second interview, they will get to meet the office manager and be asked more challenging questions like, “What would you do if your manager did something you disagreed with?” You will get a variety of answers, but you will be able to choose the person whose answer best suits your office environment. About Tonya Sowles Tonya Sowles is a Human Resources expert whose sole mission is to help people become the CEO of their own businesses by building a dream team that is engaged and loyal. Tonya fully believes that you can achieve bigger and better things when you have the right people around. The hardest part is learning how to keep your employees happy and thriving in a way that feels aligned with your business. With over 20 years of experience in business management for small businesses, Tonya knows a thing or two about running a successful business. She is a Senior Certified Professional through the Society for Human Resource Management, holds a Master's degree in business administration, and is a Speak to Inspire Method™ Certified Speaker & Facilitator, which all help her create excellent business plans that help build thriving company cultures. With Tonya's guidance and planning, the entrepreneurs, small business owners, dream-havers and change-makers can create the lives they want on their own terms without working the 18+ days and the hustle. How to Connect with Tonya Sowles: Website: www.sowlesconsulting.com 12 Ways to Engage Your Employees: https://sowlesconsulting.com/engagement LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tonyasowles LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/sowlesconsulting Facebook: www.facebook.com/sowlesconsulting About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Functional medicine legal issues is a broad topic, but special guest, attorney Scott Rattigan shares insights into how functional medicine practitioners can help protect themselves and their practices, especially as telehealth technology outpaces medical regulations. In this episode, you will learn: What Functional Medicine Legal Issues you should be aware of How to protect yourself and your practice from HIPAA violations How telehealth could cause your practice problems Why protecting your practice is important Why informed consent is one of the most important elements in your business The Functional Medicine Attorney Scott is an attorney, who started practicing law specifically for functional medicine practitioners after his wife, a functional medicine practitioner, opened her practice. Since then, Scott has worked with multiple FM practitioners to help prepare their practices for success as well as help FM practitioners when they have found themselves in trouble. Today, on the FM Shift, Scott talks about the top three areas of vulnerability for FM practitioners and how you can set your practice up for success. Functional Medicine Legal Issues With the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic came the rise of telehealth, which led to an increase in functional medicine legal issues and others in the medical industry. Across the industry, functional medicine practitioners started seeing their patients online, using platforms like Facebook, FaceTime, and Zoom to speak with patients. Many of these online platforms are easily hacked, leaving patients' personal information vulnerable to theft. Unfortunately, because technology is outpacing rules and regulations, there is little precedent for how to solve the potential for the exposure of sensitive information. However, functional medicine practitioners can make sure they're using the safest online platforms available when using telehealth. Telehealth Vulnerabilities It's not just network security that can create problems with telehealth. Functional medicine legal issues can also arise because some patients are out-of-state. Whether you live close to a state line or your patient specifically travels to you when a global pandemic isn't prohibiting travel, it's important to understand medical licensing laws. If you are licensed in the state of North Carolina but have a patient who is quarantined in Texas, to treat your patient, you need to have a license to practice medicine in Texas. Even if this is a patient you have a history with, when your patient is on the ground in another state, you are technically practicing without a license (unless you also hold a license in that state). So be sure to follow licensing guidelines, even in these uncertain times. About Scott Rattigan Scott Rattigan, J.D., is a licensed healthcare attorney and a co-founder of a thriving membership-based functional medicine practice with his wife Linda, a D.O. Scott helps integrative and functional medicine providers establish solid business and legal plans to protect themselves and their businesses from excess risk so that they can practice with the confidence and security to powerfully change the lives of their patients. He is a nationally recognized attorney and business consultant for integrative and functional medicine practices. Together with his wife, he helps run a thriving functional medicine practice so he understands both the legal issues and the practical business issues that practices face today. He consults practices all across the country and is up-to-date on all of the latest laws, regulations, and temporary orders. How to Connect with Scott Rattigan: Website: www.functionallawyer.com/lha LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/scott-rattigan LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/functional-lawyer Facebook: www.facebook.com/functional.lawyer Twitter: @FxMedLawyer About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to effortlessly attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth, without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.  

Using social media for medical practices is one of the best ways for patients to build the know, like, and trust-factor and drive patients to your practice. Guest speaker Olesija Saue joins us to teach functional medicine practitioners creative strategies to build a strong brand and use social media to their advantage. She shares: Why social media for medical practices is critical How to build the know, like, and trust-factor The importance of your ‘why' What marketing strategies no longer work What marketing strategies you should be using Why Branding Matters Olesija Saue is a leading expert on branding and social media marketing. With over 20 years of experience in leadership roles, Olesija has had her share of successes and failures. In 2008, Olesija was working in the steel industry in Estonia when the market crashed, leading her to find creative ways to market her business. Everything Olesija teaches are strategies that she has researched and used for her own business as well as for her clients. Now, on the latest episode of the FM Shift, Olesija is joining us to share how functional medicine practitioners can use social media marketing not just to grow their practices but how great marketing can build a strong connection to their patients. Social Media for Medical Practices As functional medicine practitioners, building our medical practices can be a challenge. But one way to help our business get attention is by using social media. But, social media, when not used properly can do more harm than good for any brand. As we create content, it's important to keep in mind that social media is a place where our audience wants to see real people, sharing their values. It's not a place where people want to see a shiny corporate brand. People react to people, so companies that make people feel connected do better in the long-run. On social media today, it's all about getting people to know, like, and trust you. That know, like, and trust-factor comes from building a great brand that connects. Stories People Want to Hear People don't want to hear about how amazing and awesome you are. In life, as well as in marketing, it's easy to want to only talk about your successes. But there is research that proves audiences connect with brands faster when they hear the full story. By sharing stories of struggle or failure, audiences can connect with the human side of your functional medical practice. When audiences feel your brand is human, they feel more connected and are able to trust that your brand has something special to offer. What used to work in business doesn't work anymore. People need a connection, and the more they connect with you the more they're going to know, like, and trust you. Audiences want to know, like, and trust you before buying. With social media, you really have to know yourself. You have to know your strengths, your weaknesses, your values, and most importantly your ‘why.' When you know these four elements, you can build a brand that really speaks to your audience and sells your services almost without any sales tactics. About Olesija Saue Olesija Saue is a branding and marketing expert with over 20 years of experience, including time spent as the CEO of Forbes Estonia. Currently, Olesija runs a branding and marketing firm as well as a coaching business. But she began her career as a sales manager in the steel industry and found great success in the business. While at the steel company, Olesija quickly rose to high ranks, but during the financial crisis of 2008, she found the company in trouble and had to figure out a way to save the company from collapse, which is when she first stepped into branding and marketing. On her journey, Olesija discovered an essential element that helped companies stand out–the ‘why.' The ‘why' is something that isn't easily forgotten and can be integrated into business strategy to make clients more attracted to your business. Today, Olesija uses her knowledge to coach business owners and help them discover their ‘why' and build a strong brand that speaks to their ideal audiences, especially on social media, where businesses are most visible. How to Connect with Olesija: Website: https://olesijasaue.com/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/olesijasaue/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/olesija.saue If you're looking for more ways to use social media for medical practices, be sure to also check out Episode #49 of The FM Shift, Functional Medicine Marketing and Branding. In this episode, David talks to us about how FM practices can use digital marketing to drive growth. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Storytelling for sales? Expert Paul Smith shares how being open and telling stories can make you more trustworthy in the eyes of prospective patients. Hear insights about: Paul outlines the five basic steps of the sales process and shares how storytelling for sales can help at each stage of the process Why sharing your story should take place organically within your conversation, and why vulnerability and humility can strengthen your bond with patients What kinds of stories you can share that show your trustworthiness, and in which scenarios each type of story makes the most impact Why thinking of yourself as the “assistant buyer” focused on helping your patient make good choices can completely reframe your storytelling How the right stories can help you overcome common objections and soothe the concerns of prospective patients Why you shouldn't just focus on sharing personal stories from your own experiences, and why stories from colleagues can be just as impactful Storytelling for Sales As a Functional Medicine practitioner, it can be easy to forget that a big part of your job is sales. You have to sell your prospective patients on why you are the right person to help them with their medical challenges. But you probably weren't taught how to sell effectively in medical school, so it's a skill you have to learn by doing. For this week's episode of the FM Shift, encore guest and bestselling author Paul Smith returns to the show to discuss the incredible power of storytelling for sales. He explains how telling the right stories with authenticity and honesty can help you build trust and foster a healthy relationship with prospective patients. And that trust is crucial, both in converting prospects to patients and in maintaining your position as their trusted health advisor. Paul Smith is an expert at understanding the value storytelling has for any business. He has worked extensively with CEOs, business leaders and corporations in a variety of fields and industries to unlock the power of storytelling for sales, and his insights are certain to prove valuable in helping you build stronger, more trusted relationships with patients and prospects. Vulnerability and Authenticity in Storytelling for Sales Sharing truthful, authentic stories can be a powerful way to show your prospective patients that you're putting their needs first. An example Paul gave would be sharing a story of a time in which you identified that you weren't the right fit for a patient. This goes far beyond telling someone that you will only take them on as a patient if you're able to help them, it shows them that you mean it by giving them past examples where you lived up to that promise. Not only does this help allay their fears that you might only be interested in how much money you can squeeze from them, it also shows that you are putting their needs before other considerations… and that can be a powerful way to build trust. Expressing vulnerability and truthfulness in your stories is important. It isn't about admitting weakness, it's about demonstrating your honesty. Think about it, would you rather work with an auto mechanic who says “oh yeah, I can take care of that no problem, just sign on the line here”? Or would you rather work with the one who tells you “I'm definitely going to do everything I can to take care of this for you, but if the job is beyond me I will let you know and send you to someone else I know who is an expert at this kind of work”? That little bit of honesty really does make a big difference. The first mechanic in the example seems more concerned with telling you what he thinks you want to hear and getting your business than actually taking care of your car troubles. The second mechanic just feels more trustworthy because he isn't pretending to have all the answers. The Five Stages of Selling As Paul explained during his interview, there are five key stages a prospective patient goes through when making their “buying decision”. Storytelling for sales can be useful at every stage of the process, and different stories may be a better fit for each stage. Here are the five stages Paul outlined: Meeting your prospective patient Building a rapport Giving them the sales pitch Resolving their objections Closing the sale Working your storytelling into the conversation organically helps keep it from sounding too “salesy”, and the right story at the right stage can make all the difference. For example, stories can be a great way to resolve concerns and objections. You could say something like “a previous patient was having financial concerns like yours, so we sat down and explored payment options that would fit their finances. We were able to come up with a solution that worked with their budget.” You're demonstrating through your story that not only are you willing to work with your patient, but that you have a proven track record of that level of flexibility with past patients. Storytelling is an underrated art form. It can serve as a powerful trust builder, and it can serve to more effectively help you “get your patient out of their own way” and show that you're ready to be a trusted, collaborative partner for their healthcare needs. If you'd like to learn more about Paul Smith, his bestselling books, and his strategies for storytelling for sales, please visit his website at https://leadwithastory.com/. About Paul Smith Paul Smith is one of the world's leading experts on organizational storytelling. He's one of Inc. Magazine's Top 100 Leadership Speakers of 2018, a storytelling coach, and the author of three Amazon #1 bestsellers: Lead with a Story (now in its 11th printing, and published in 7 languages around the world), Sell with a Story, and The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell; in addition to Parenting with a Story and his newest work, Four Days with Kenny Tedford. He's a former executive at The Procter & Gamble Company and a consultant with Accenture prior to that. As part of his research on the effectiveness of storytelling, Paul has personally interviewed over 300 CEOs and executives in 25 countries, and documented over 3,000 individual business stories. That's allowed him to reverse engineer what works in storytelling and what doesn't. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Inc. Magazine, Time, Forbes, and Success Magazine, among others. Paul has trained executives at international giants like Google, Hewlett Packard, Ford Motor Company, Bayer Medical, Novartis, Abbott, Progressive Insurance, Luxottica, Walmart, Kaiser Permanente, among dozens of others. A 20-year veteran of P&G, Paul worked most recently as director of consumer and communications research for the company's $6 billion global paper business where he led a research team across four continents. He also held leadership positions in corporate finance, manufacturing plants, and sales working closely with major global retailers like Walmart, Costco, Asda, and Sam's Club. Paul holds a bachelor's degree in economics, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives with his wife and two sons in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio. How to Connect with Paul Smith: Website: https://leadwithastory.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadwithastory About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to effortlessly attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth, without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Medical practice marketing is just one of the many subjects special guest Brendan Coates is an expert on. He describes how functional medicine practitioners can better market their practices and build a passive income. How medical practice marketing benefits your business How to create a scalable marketing strategy How to build a course Why passive income is essential to FM practitioners A few reasons why patients may not be responsive to you The Gut Whisperer Brendan Coates, RHN, CGP, is a clinical nutritionist, author, teacher, speaker, and PhD candidate in nutrition. With his experience building thriving online businesses, Brendan is also an expert marketer. He has an overwhelming desire to spread his message throughout the world and teach everyone that they can have a healthy life free from GI problems. Due to his incredible passion for gut health, Brendan is fondly known as The Gut Whisperer, and he hopes that one day his message will be spread throughout the world. Today, on the FM Shift, Brendan teaches us about the importance of medical practice marketing and how functional medicine practitioners can create a marketing strategy that helps them find more patients. Creating Passive Income When it comes to functional medicine, every doctor has a limit to how many patients they can take on. So when you're at capacity, it can be challenging to see how you can make more money. After all, you can't clone yourself (yet)! So how do you scale your business and spread your message to help more people when there's only one of you? The answer may be more straightforward than you think. Take a moment right now to think about all of the questions your patients ask you regularly. What questions do you hate repeating over and over again, seemingly every day without any reprieve? Whatever those questions you notice you're growing tired of answering, those will be the foundation of your first blog, pamphlet, ebook, or course. By creating this reference guide, you can direct patients to your video rather than repeating yourself endlessly and simultaneously build your first tool for medical practice marketing and passive income. Once you have the topics in mind, you can further expand on the subject by creating ebooks, courses, pamphlets, and more. The possibilities are endless! And don't forget that you can repeat this process with any number of subjects. Surround Yourself with Like-minded People As functional medicine practitioners, the world can sometimes feel a little lonely. You have to run your business, create medical practice marketing strategies, hire employees, and see your patients all on your own, and that's just stating the obvious job responsibilities. But even with all these tasks we're responsible for, that doesn't mean we have to suffer alone. There are plenty of functional medicine practitioners who want to connect and feel supported. Having that sense of camaraderie is one of the most important aspects of your business, especially in this new normal when so many are struggling. It's not just about forging friendships, though. When we surround ourselves with like-minded people, we can build a stronger business. Creating connections in the industry can help you build a stronger business and even help you build the confidence you need to make your business thrive. When you have the support, especially from a mentor who has been where you are now, you start to see yourself and the world in an entirely different light, and that world usually looks a whole lot better. About Brendan Coates Brendan Coates, RHN, CGP, is a clinical nutritionist, author, teacher, speaker, and PhD candidate in nutrition. His extensive sports, fitness modeling, and bodybuilding background give him an advantage over most fitness and wellness professionals as he seamlessly integrates his knowledge in nutrition, athletic, and health coaching. Brendan works part-time at an inpatient substance addiction clinic in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and has a thriving clinical practice in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. His objective in his practice is to create tailor-made protocols unique to each patient's needs and individual choices. His overwhelming desire to spread his message has led him to teach nutrition classes and educational workshops across the GTA and internationally via the internet. Brendan's goals include expanding his clinic and eventually teaching and speaking globally! How to Connect with Brendan Coates: Website: www.bodiesbybrendan.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-coates-02976b188 Instagram: www.instagram.com/brendanmacoates Facebook: www.facebook.com/bodsbybrendan Book: https://amzn.to/3sXSzuE If you're looking for more ways to improve your marketing strategies, be sure to also check out Episode #49 of The FM Shift, Functional Medicine Marketing and Branding, with Dr. David Touhill. In this episode, David talks to us about how FM practices can thrive during a pandemic and in a virtual environment. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Treating obesity is one of special guest Joel Greene's areas of expertise. With over 50 years of experience researching nutrition, health, and anti-aging, Joel knows how to help patients lose weight and keep it off. Today, he teaches functional medicine practitioners how their patients can benefit from alternative weight loss methods. How treating obesity changes patient lives The connection between our ancient ancestors and modern weight issues Why obesity is prevalent How you can holistically lose weight How the body's cycles impact weight loss Alternative Methods to a Healthier Life Joel Green is the creator of the VEEP Nutrition System. Over the last 50 years, he has dedicated his life to researching and understanding health, nutrition, and anti-aging. He is a proponent of the keto diet and intermittent fasting, but more than that, he understands the connections between our ancestors and our modern dietary and health habits. By linking our genetics to eating patterns, he helps us see how to live our best lives and create healthy lifestyle choices. In this episode of The FM Shift, Joel teaches us about the importance of properly treating obesity and how functional medicine practitioners can help themselves and their patients by following the ancient eating patterns of our ancient ancestors. Cycles of the Body Did you know that the body has more cycles than just the circadian rhythm? There's a seven-day cycle, seasonal cycle, organ clocks and more. But what makes the biggest impact on our health and wellness? The organ cycle. Due to ancient genetics, our body goes through cycles that impact how our body stores and sheds fat and builds muscle. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors got used to having cycles of feast and famine, making their bodies adjust to both lifestyles. When our ancestors were in a lean season, they were able to be more sedentary and rely on fat reserves to keep them healthy. However, as soon as an abundance of food was available, they were quick to feast, then begin exercising. In our modern bodies, we get used to feasting nearly every while, while busy schedules and other factors make it difficult to make time for exercise. Without this important factor, our bodies hold on to fat more readily and lead to obesity. However, with the right information, treating obesity can be easy and effective. Intermittent Feasting Today, intermittent fasting is a fad that many health-conscious people pursue. But did you know that intermittent feasting was one of the ways our ancestors kept in shape? Because hunter-gatherers often found themselves in starvation mode, they were likely to feast intermittently. When food supplies were full, a feast was in order. Then, when supplies were lean, they would intermittently fast, allowing their bodies to go into starvation mode, which causes their adipocytes to shrink, resulting in weight loss and keeping them lean. With most modern humans having consistent access to food supplies, the theory of intermittent fasting and feasting has lost its place. However, for those who understand the body's cycles and want an alternative method to lose weight and create a lifestyle more similar to our ancient ancestors can be a great way to lose weight. Joel Greene Joel Greene is the creator of The VEEP Nutrition System, the world's first commercially available program based on targeting gut communities to affect health and body composition. His system has been used by some of the nation's largest employers, including major cities and hospitals and featured on Dr. Phil Show storylines. Joel is also a featured author, speaker, and consultant for nutrition companies, top tier publications, and major podcasts. Beginning with the first article on the gut biome revolution to the health and fitness community written in 2007 he has amassed the largest known body of outcomes targeting the gut biome. He is the author of The Immunity Code: The New Paradigm for Real Health and Radical Anti-Aging. Joel has devoted over 50 years to the pursuit of health, nutrition and anti-aging. He was training intervals in the 1970's, taking MCT's in the late 80's, Keto in the early 90's and targeting AMPK by 2009. At age 55 he is a 100 percent natural athlete and uses no ergogenic aids while working out on average once per week and eating whatever whenever. Joel has built two previous multi-million dollar companies in the tech space and been an entrepreneur for over 30 years. His own experiences building a startup with 15 hour days and non stop pressures led him to see that 99% of the popular advice does not translate into real world circumstances. He has devoted over 15 years to solving the problem of finding how to control the body under real life pressures. How to Connect with Joel Greene: Website: www.veepnutrition.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joel-greene-a68b764 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/the-veep-nutrition-system/about Facebook: www.facebook.com/getveep Twitter: https://twitter.com/joelgreene Book: https://amzn.to/3nLBcwp If you're looking for more healthy weight loss alternatives, be sure to also check out Episode #60 of The FM Shift, The Ketobolic Diet Strategy, with Dr. Rob Vasquez and Dr. Randy Johns. In this episode, Rob and Randy talk to us about how functional medicine practitioners can impact their patients' lives with the keto diet. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Wealth-building strategies? Sean Adams is an expert who can help you turn income from your Functional Medicine practice into real, generational wealth. Get insights about: How Sean built up his business owner skills, and how he realized the importance of creating sustainable, long-term wealth-building strategies How the financial advisors Sean worked with were all teaching the same basic wealth building strategies, and how he looked instead to what the ultra-rich are doing Why Sean developed financial strategies utilizing life insurance policies that allowed him to remove banks from the equation and take control of his own wealth Why using life insurance as a savings asset offers many tax benefits and allows you to grow your wealth regardless of what the broader economy is doing How Sean's methods reduce your exposure to the market's whims and provides many layers of protection from risk What methods exist to utilize the money in your life insurance policies, and why your interest continues to grow even when you're using it elsewhere How the costs of whole life insurance policies are “front loaded” to the first few years of owning the policy, and why this makes them ideal for long-term growth Sean discusses the important differences between term life insurance and whole life insurance that you need to be aware of How the whole life insurance wealth-building strategy works similarly to a Health Savings Account, and what tax benefits you'll receive Wealth-Building Strategies for FM Practitioners Sean Adams is an expert at helping high-earning professionals grow their wealth. Through his work as the President of Leveraged Life Management, Sean has helped countless doctors and other professionals develop wealth-building strategies that utilize whole life insurance policies as a powerful financial vehicle. In his own career journey, Sean realized that most financial advisors were repeating the same stale advice about wealth management over and over, so Sean decided to take matters into his own hands. He looked to the ultra-rich to see what they were doing to preserve, protect and grow their wealth, and he recognized the incredible potential of using whole life insurance policies as a savings vehicle. Today, Sean teaches others those same powerful wealth-building strategies he mastered for himself. In this episode of the FM Shift, Sean gives an overview of what makes whole life insurance such an attractive and versatile vehicle for helping Functional Medicine practitioners grow their wealth and he highlights the many benefits this strategy offers, from tax advantages to guaranteed yields at little risk from the “market rollercoaster.” Wealth-Building Strategies Using Whole Life Insurance Did you know that you can borrow against whole life insurance, and that the funds continue to grow interest even while you're putting them to work elsewhere? Did you know that your wealth will continue to build in your policy no matter what the economy is doing? Did you know that using a whole life insurance policy in this way offers significant tax advantages, guaranteed growth with far less risk than investing in the stock market, and can help protect you from claims against your assets? As Sean explained during the episode, the big financial institutions use these types of policies to generate virtually effortless money for themselves, and they share little of their returns with their customers. The funds you have in your checking and savings accounts are probably being used by your bank in just this way. For Sean, realizing that he could “cut out the middleman” and “become the bank” was a revelation that completely transformed his relationship with his money… and he decided to dedicate himself to teaching others these same powerful financial strategies. Working with the Right Professional Sean says that most life insurance professionals won't set up a whole life insurance policy correctly to truly take advantage of his wealth-building strategies, because most professionals are more concerned with their commission. That's why it is critically important to work with a professional that understands your goals and can help you create a policy that will get you there. Finding the right advisor who understands how to structure a whole life insurance policy as a wealth-building vehicle may take some extra work, but the benefits make it more than worthwhile. You can minimize your tax burden, shield your wealth from predatory lawsuits and legal judgments, borrow against it to create easy-to-access cash flow or to fund the further growth of your FM practice, and become virtually immune to the rollercoaster of the stock market. To learn more about how whole life insurance can become the ideal wealth-building resource, visit www.leveraged-life.com or check out Sean's Wealth Secrets podcast at https://anchor.fm/wealthsecretspodcast. About Sean Adams, in his own words: “I spent the first 12 years of my career owning multiple small businesses. During that time I felt the overwhelming stress of banks and the government having control over my income. Like most business owners, cash flow was always a challenge. The hard-earned money I did actually receive always seemed to be held captive in savings & retirement accounts that were illiquid and offered next to no growth. Fast forward a few years to me selling my businesses and becoming a full time sales professional. I found myself making great commissions each month but again fell back into the same trap of having no idea where to safely stick my earnings. I consumed hundreds of books, interviews and courses to learn as much as I could about wealth building & finance. What I found was that the ultra-rich had insider knowledge about how to protect and grow wealth and it was not being shared publicly. I made it my mission to distill down these wealth secrets and make sure everyone had access to them. The most influential concept I discovered was the strategy of leveraging cash value life insurance as a savings asset. This approach gives you liquidity, hedges against market volatility and provides a safe, guaranteed return. My life insurance policies became a saving grace for me that changed my financial future. Because of this success, I became obsessed with spreading the message of this strategy. We grew Leveraged Life Management from a strong desire to help professionals escape uncertainty and adopt a strategy that gives them the safety and protection they need.” How to Connect with Sean Adams: Book a meeting with Sean's team: https://keap.app/booking/leveragedlifemanagement/intro-discovery-call Website: www.leveraged-life.com Sean's “Wealth Secrets” Podcast: https://anchor.fm/wealthsecretspodcast LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/leveraged-life/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/leveraged-life-management/ About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

The risks and benefits of hypnotherapy is just one topic that special guest Wendi Friesen speaks to when she describes how hypnotherapy can benefit functional medicine practitioners in business and help their patients. Insights around the risks and benefits of hypnotherapy as a treatment strategy How hypnosis can help build your FM practice How hypnotherapy can heal your patients The relationship between hypnosis training and building rapport How limiting beliefs may hold you and your patient back Healing All With Hypnosis Wendi is a healer, teacher, and creative marketing expert. In the early ‘90s, when Wendi was a broke single mom of two, she discovered hypnotherapy classes, which led her to create an incredibly successful business helping people. Within a year, Wendi started a million-dollar business that has since grown. Today, she has helped countless people worldwide heal from past traumas that impacted their personal and professional lives, as well as their health. Today, on the FM Shift, Wendi teaches us about the risks and benefits of hypnotherapy for functional medicine practitioners to use in our personal lives and as an alternative treatment for our patients. Positive Intention

Doctor patient communication is one of the keys to a successful business, but with so many different people in the world, how does a functional medicine practitioner connect to each unique personality? This week, on the FM Shift, special guest Merrick Rosenberg explains: Doctor Patient Communication How to step into your personality How to quickly identify different personalities Why it's important to interact differently with people Why changing your behavior for each patient leads to success Why Personalities Matter Merrick Rosenberg is a leader on thought personalities, the co-founder of Team Builders Plus, and Take Flight Learning, and the author of The Chameleon and co-author of Taking Flight. With Merrick's personality expertise, he has helped companies like AstraZeneca, the American Heart Association, Aetna, and more build stronger, more understanding teams. Everything Merrick teaches is based on years of observation, research, and implementation. After graduating with an MBA and stepping into the corporate world, he realized that the most successful and well-liked leaders had one thing in common. They adapted their communication style for whomever they were speaking. Once Merrick realized that these communication styles were evolving based on personality types, he knew how powerful teaching others how to communicate effectively would be. He made it his goal to help businesses everywhere better communicate with their teams and their clients. The Four Personalities Doctor patient communication is always essential, but as functional medicine practitioners, we run across all kinds of people every day. Sometimes, it's hard to know how to interact with patients. It's easy to believe that everyone thinks like we do and interact with them as such. But, when we interact with people in our personal style, we can end up alienating some patients, making them feel unheard and even unwelcome, even though it's not our intention. This mistake often happens because of how we communicate. While your communication and personality style may be direct and to the point, your patient may need to feel a deep connection before diving into treatment plans. Or perhaps they need to have their long list of questions answered. That's where understanding the four personalities comes in. What are the four personalities? The Eagle. The Dove. The Parrot. The Owl. Each of the four is unique, easy to remember, and easy to identify once you understand each personality characteristic. Then, once you've mastered understanding each personality type, the way you interact with each will be so much easier! Becoming the Chameleon How to interact with patients is a tricky subject. When there are so many factors to consider, it's difficult to understand why your interaction matters at all, especially if you can help them regardless of your doctor-patient relationship. You may not know that patients typically respond better to doctors they have a good relationship with. Patients who like their doctor are more likely to keep returning and even refer friends or family members. As functional medicine practitioners, this is incredibly important because with most insurance companies not covering our services, we rely on good relationships with our patients to keep us in business. But how do we build the know, like, and trust factor with our patients? We have to become a chameleon. Because each patient is different, we have to meet them where they are. That might mean taking a moment to connect emotionally, or it might mean jumping right into the treatment plan. Regardless of what each patient likes, you're sure to create a lasting relationship by going the extra mile. About Merrick Rosenberg Merrick Rosenberg is an international thought leader on personality styles and team building, author, and keynote speaker. With 30 years of experience helping companies better communicate with their clients and staff, he knows a thing or two about building healthy and lasting relationships. After realizing that successful leaders in the companies he worked with all had one thing in common: excellent interpersonal and communication skills, Merrick set out to help businesses everywhere excel by formulating his easy-to-remember Four Personalities DiSC assessment and team building program. How to Connect with Merrick Rosenberg: Website: https://takeflightlearning.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merrickrosenberg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PersonalityWins Twitter: https://twitter.com/merrickr If you're looking for more ways to improve doctor patient communication, be sure to check out Episode #14 of The FM Shift, Creative Ways to Increase Patient Volume in a Pandemic, with Dr. Brad Watts. In this episode, Brad talks to us about how FM practitioners can increase their patient pool through effective communication. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Special guest Tommy Breedlove joins us to talk about how functional medicine practitioners can provide telehealth services for patients while creating a welcoming virtual environment and how to pivot in the field during and after COVID-19. He shares: Insights into telehealth services for patients How to adapt your practice for COVID Why telehealth is here to stay How FM practitioners can better connect with patients Why self-care and self-love are important for FM practitioners How to evolve your practice to stay relevant Leading by Example Tommy Breedlove is a best-selling author of Legendary and business, relationship, and mindset coach, as well as an international keynote speaker. His business is guiding people to live their dreams. Everything Tommy teaches, he practices in his everyday life. From meditation to affirmations, Tommy is happy to be on the right side of karma and help people find their true calling. Today, on the FM Shift, Tommy joins us to share with functional medicine practitioners how their own self-care is essential for their patients. He also gives us insights into staying relevant in a world that's constantly changing, even walking us through the details of the future of telehealth and how it can allow us to serve more people and make more money. Don't Become a Dinosaur During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world changed. Suddenly business trips, school, offices, and many other in-person functions were canceled. Luckily, thanks to technology, many businesses didn't miss a beat. But that doesn't mean businesses didn't struggle. As functional medicine practitioners, we had to get creative with how we served our patients. That meant entering new territory for many of us and creating telehealth services for patients. While many doctors nationwide offered telehealth services before COVID, suddenly all patients were seen virtually. As we inch nearer to the pandemic's end, it's easy to think that the market will return to the old way, and many of us are looking forward to getting back into the office. But before we make that jump, take a moment to think about the benefits of telehealth for your patients. Virtual visits mean they can attend their appointments without the hassle of driving across town and taking time off work. And, as you know, time is money. Speaking of which, when patients are able to spend 15-30 minutes on a virtual call with you, instead of an hour or two to see you in person, you will be able to serve more patients every day. Additionally, you will be able to serve a wider range of clientele. After all, when your practice is virtual, you can help patients from all over your state, not just your local area. When the pandemic is over, don't think that just because you can have in-person appointments means face-to-face is best. Don't lose patients to a competitor simply because they continue their telehealth and you don't. Make Space for Your Patients Did you know that functional medicine is more than serving your patients? When you're a healer, it is your job to make sure your patient has what he or she needs to heal. However, you cannot heal someone when you still have wounds. That's why it's so important for you to practice self-care, self-love, self-respect, and more. Healing is more than understanding the root cause of an illness and healing it. It's also about making sure the mind is healthy. For doctors, it can be difficult to make space for your patient to recover if you're still feeling the pain of your own traumas, especially when providing telehealth services for patients, it can be challenging to create a warm and empathetic environment. But, if your mindset is clear and healthy, you can make yourself more available to your patients. This means that you will be able to serve your patients better and reach a wider population. As your mindset heals from your past traumas, you will notice that you start to let go of negativity, fear, and pain, opening yourself up to take on more than you ever thought possible. About Tommy Breedlove Tommy Breedlove is the author of the best-selling book Legendary. But before he was featured in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, Tommy spent 20 years at one of the largest financial consulting firms in the world, where he eventually became a shareholder, the International Practice Leader, and a board of directors member for one of the largest accounting firms in the Southeast. But, at the height of his career, Tommy walked away from the corporate life to help people follow their dreams. He shows his clients how to live with meaning and balance while obtaining financial freedom and working in their zone of genius. How to Connect with Tommy Breedlove: Website: www.tommybreedlove.com/gifts Book: https://tommybreedlove.com/get-inspired/book-legendary LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/legendarybook/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/tommy-breedlove/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/tommybreedlovelegendary Twitter: @TommyBreedlove If you're looking for better ways to provide telehealth services for patients, be sure to also check out Episode #8 of The FM Shift, Move Your FM Practice into the Online Space, with Sandra Haseley. In this episode, Sandra talks to us about how FM practices can create a thriving virtual practice that meets all your patient needs. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.  

Diabetes and intermittent fasting is just one strategy that special guest Geoffery Woo explains how functional medicine practitioners can help their patients optimize human performance and physiology with alternative medical treatments. Insights around diabetes and intermittent fasting as a treatment strategy The difference between exogenous ketones and endogenous ketones What may count as breaking an intermittent fast The relationship between ketosis and diabetes How functional medicine practitioners can give patients tools for success Optimizing Patient Health through Science Geoffrey is a serial entrepreneur with a passion for technology, which he combines with his love for being healthy. When he realized that science and technology could help optimize human health, he knew he had to bring his knowledge to the field. That's when he founded his current company, HVMN. Today, on the FM Shift, Geoffery talks about how science and technology go hand-in-hand with medicine and how functional medicine practitioners can help their patients optimize their health and everyday performance with individualized nutritional plans. Achieving Optimal Health As functional medicine providers, we are thought leaders who our patients look to for the most current medical treatments when looking for strategies to optimize their health. You're responsible for providing your patients with cutting edge treatment plans — and as technology continues to accelerate — and your patients gain access to the same information we do — it's even more critical for your relationships with patients that you generously share your insights, teach, and help them make better choices. Now, more than ever, patients have access to the same journals and studies we do — and for patients fully invested in their health — it's important to position ourselves as experts regarding which treatment is right for them based on their goals and expectations. Popular Dietary Trends as Medical Treatment You've likely heard about diabetes and intermittent fasting as a treatment strategy for diabetic patients. But — we took the opportunity to have a discussion with Geoffrey about the long-term effects of ketosis and whether intermittent fasting is safe to consider for diabetes. While current research doesn't show any adverse effects from extended ketosis — it may not be for everyone. However, patients such as those with Type II Diabetes may see great results from prolonged ketosis, making the keto diet, and/or fasting, potentially great treatment plans. On the other hand, high-performing athletes looking for ways to make gains may not see their desired results while in ketosis. As always, each patient situation is different, but with all the benefits ketosis and intermittent fasting can create, it may be an excellent treatment plan for some of your patients. About Geoffrey Woo Geoffrey Woo is a graduate of Stanford University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in computer science with a specialty in Distributed Systems and Information Technology. After graduating with honors, Geoffrey co-founded Glassmap Inc., where he worked as the CEO until Groupon acquired it. After his time in Silicon Valley with his startup, Geoff noticed a trend in the tech world. Everyone was focusing on optimizing technology and not the humans behind the technology. That's when he decided to help optimize human physiology using his in-depth knowledge of technology. Soon after he decided this, Geoffery co-founded HVMN, where he is currently the Executive Chairman. How to Connect with Geoffrey Woo: Website: www.hvmn.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreywoo/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/geoffreywoo Twitter: @geoffreywoo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geoffreywoo About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Medical practice branding strategies are just one way Nick Cavuoto provides medical entrepreneurs with hope and actionable tips to get their businesses back to pre-COVID numbers and expanding. He shares insights about: Keys to medical practice branding How to grow your business quickly How you can sell more Reasons entrepreneurs struggle How you can go from rock bottom to the top From Top to Bottom and Back Again Nick Cavuoto is a speaker, entrepreneurial mentor, and personal brand expert specializing in content marketing, sales, and transformational leadership. Nick believes that successful businesses in the future will focus on building relationships and authentic connections. Nick uses his unique philosophies in his own business and teaches all his students to do the same. On the most recent episode of the FM Shift, Nick joins us to discuss his entrepreneurial journey from making $150,000 a month to not being able to pay a $30 restaurant bill and how he went from this rock bottom back to the top in just a few short months, and how you can use medical practice branding strategies to build an incredible and long-lasting business. The Secret to Success In medicine, it's easy to get so into serving your community that you forget to have a cushioned bottom line. It's understandable. After all, most doctors got into medicine for one of two reasons: money or helping people. Chances are, if you're a functional medicine practitioner, you fall into the second category, but that doesn't mean you can't earn a good living! What it comes down to, though, is making sure that you have a business strategy and medical practice branding strategy rather than simply providing a service. One secret to success is ensuring you're both confident and competent. If you're competent, there's no good reason not to be charging your worth. Yes, you want to serve your community, but you also have to put food on the table. You're worth it. Daily Themes Every day, people surround themselves with four core themes. These themes are what you are spending the majority of your time on throughout the day. Take a moment to think about what most of your time is spent on. Are you being productive the whole day or spending half the day getting distracted by the television? Are you focusing on what you love or spending time on tasks you hate? Most people spend a small portion of their day in their zone of genius, focusing instead on tasks they dislike and could easily delegate to people who may like the project a whole lot more. If you find yourself spending too much time on the tasks you don't like, you're never going to reach your full potential. Burnout will happen faster, and you will want to give up. But, if you spend time doing the thing you love and delegate those mundane tasks to someone else, you will find yourself enjoying the journey to the top so much more. About Nick Cavuoto Nick Cavuoto is a long-time entrepreneur with experience speaking, personal branding, and as an entrepreneurial mentor. He specializes in content marketing, sales, and transformation leadership. He has had the pleasure of working with some of the most influential Fortune 500 companies, including Paychex, Pandora, and Microsoft, to name a few. Additionally, he has worked with top business leaders like Todd Herman, Scott Oldford, and Mike Kim. Nick's unique philosophy on building a successful business requires leaders to create authentic connections and relationships. Nick's passion to mentor businesses has taken him to stages all over the country, speaking at conferences and hosting masterminds to teach entrepreneurs everything he knows about personal branding, entrepreneurship, and life. Website: www.nickcavuoto.co Instagram: @nickcavuot Facebook: facebook.com/nickcavuot Twitter: @nickcavuot LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nickcavuoto If you're looking for more ways to market your practice better, be sure to also check out Episode #49 of The FM Shift, Functional Medicine Marketing and Branding, with Dr. David Touhill. In this episode, David talks to us about how FM practices can use medical marketing strategies to help their businesses thrive in 2021. About The FM Shift What if functional medicine became as profitable, rewarding, and stress-free as you expected it to be? The business side of functional medicine doesn't have to be a GRIND. We can help you discover functional medicine sales mastery and make maximum money without patient resistance. The FM Shift shows you how to easily attract patients who want what you offer and are willing to pay you what you're worth without waiting for your practice to magically mature. Get more details here.

Ways to increase patient volume is one struggle functional medicine practitioners struggle with. Guest speaker Paul Smith joins us to teach functional medicine practitioners creative strategies to do just that using storytelling. He shares: Ways to increase patient volume How to engage your audience What questions your story should answer What stories leaders need to know What doctors can do to tell stories Why stories matter to functional medical practitioners Why Storytelling Matters Paul Smith is a leading expert on organizational storytelling, author of three Amazon Books #1 Bestsellers, and storytelling coach. With Paul's storytelling skills, he helps organizations reach new heights of success. Everything he teaches is based on his years of research and interviewing successful people from all walks of life to discover they all shared the same secret: Knowledge of the Art of Storytelling. Now, on the latest episode of the FM Shift, Paul is joining us to share how functional medicine practitioners can use storytelling not just to grow their practices but how storytelling can best help their patients. Storytelling and the Human Brain As functional medicine practitioners, helping people is your job. When patients find it difficult to pay for medical services due to insurance not covering your practice, getting patients to come to you can be challenging, and discovering new ways to increase patient volume can sometimes seem impossible. That's why you turn to sales and marketing experts to help you get patients through the door. But what if storytelling was all you needed? When you go to marketing and sales experts for help scaling your business, you're trying to get people to think, feel, and do something they're not currently doing. Humans make many of their decisions in their subconscious–the feeling part of the brain–then the conscious, logical, brain rationalizes the decisions. Good storytelling appeals to both sides. In medicine, everything is logical. As doctors, every decision you make is based on studies and research, but the analytical approach may not always work for your patient. That's why medical practitioners must be able to reach both the logical and emotional sides of the brain. Your patients will, more often than not, make decisions based on their emotions. How Can Doctors Tell Stories? While storytelling may make sense in many professions, it may be difficult to see how storytelling can work in your medical practice. After all, you don't have 20 minutes to spare, telling each patient a story. The good news is, only 10-15% of your words should be a story, leaving 85-90% of your words for regular usage. So, if you see a patient for six minutes, only one minute should be spent on telling your story. With such a small amount of time allotted for reaching your patient's emotions with a story, it's good to keep in mind stories that may relate to the patient. For example, if you have a patient struggling to accept a care plan, tell them a brief story of a few patients with a similar demographic–one who didn't choose the care plan and saw poor results and others who adhered to the care plan and saw better results. Beginning your suggested treatment plan like this can help your patients respond better to care plans. About Paul Smith Paul Smith is a world-renowned storyteller, Amazon book #1 bestseller, and storytelling coach, having worked with industry giants like Google, Hewlett Packard, Kaiser Permanente, and more. With over 20 years working with Procter & Gamble, Paul knows a thing or two about helping businesses thrive. After leaving corporate, Paul set out to discover what made successful people successful, and after ten years and hundreds of interviews, Paul found an amazing thing. Every successful leader he spoke with all could do one thing: Tell a Compelling Story. Once he realized this, Paul reverse-engineered his research and discovered the secrets to telling stories worth remembering. How to Connect with Paul Smith: Website: https://leadwithastory.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smithpa9/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadWithAStory Twitter: https://twitter.com/leadwithastory

Dr. Rob Vasquez and Dr. Randy Johns join us to share their amazing diet strategy, the ketobolic method. Hear insights about: Dr. Vasquez and Dr. Johns' diet strategy, the ketobolic method Why Dr. Vaszquez and Dr. Johns created the ketobolic method The top mistakes practitioners make in prescribing a ketogenic diet and how to avoid them the difference between SCT oil and ghee in a ketogenic diet How to create a ketogenic regiment for yourself FM Diet Strategy: The Ketobolic Method Dr. Rob Vasquez and Dr. Randy Johns are The Happy Healthy Guys, founders of the ketobolic method. The ketobolic method is the world's most innovative diet strategy for burning fat, balancing hormones, and increasing energy. In addition to that, they are the creators of a one-of-a-kind product, SCT oil. Dr. Vasquez and Dr. Johns are on a mission to inspire others to live a Happy Healthy life! In this episode of The FM Shift podcast, they join us to share their stories and explain what inspired them to help other people who were also struggling with their own health challenges. The Digitized Diet Program Almost every functional medicine practitioner out there is constantly searching for a very sensible diet strategy for their chronically ill patients. In addition to that, many FM providers attempt to adopt the ketogenic diet, but they get it wrong in many ways. As the experts on metabolism, Dr. Vasquez and Dr. Johns received tons of questions regarding the diet program they offered in their clinic, but they could not possibly respond to the demand. In response, they created a virtual version of their diet program so that both doctors and patients could get access to it at any time. Start Burning Fat Dr. Vasquez and Dr. Johns were able to develop the ketobolic method because they had already done everything wrong before. One example of this is protein consumption. If we consume too much protein, we will eliminate any potential for fat burning. The fastest way to move somebody out of inflammation is to move their metabolic needs from burning protein and carbohydrates to burning fat. Even if someone is consuming high protein and low carbs, too much protein will cause the body to continue burning sugar. This is the most common mistake that practitioners make in prescribing ketogenic diets, and the ketobolic diet is changing the game. How to Connect with Dr. Rob Vasquez & Dr. Randy Johns – The Happy Healthy Guys Website: https://www.happyhealthycentral.com/ Dr. Rob's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-vasquez-a1838354/ Dr. Randy's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-randall-johns-02b28555/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappyhealthyguys About Dr. Rob Vasquez & Dr. Randy Johns – The Happy Healthy Guys Rob and Randy are the Happy Healthy Guys. After overcoming their own personal health crisis holistically, they were inspired to help other people who were also struggling with their own health challenges and started their company Happy Healthy. Their mission is to inspire others to live a Happy Healthy life!

David Neagle joins The FM Shift again to share more principles for reaching success in the functional medicine field. Hear insights about: David's upcoming live event, “The Art of Success” Key principles for reaching success in the functional medicine field The pillars we can use to create a life in alignment with our financial and spiritual goals What role psychology plays in the success journey How to discover your purpose in life and act upon it How to overcome resistance to change so you can grow as a functional medicine provider Different techniques and tools we can use to deprogram ourselves and get in the success mindset Reaching Success as an FM Practitioner David Neagle is the founder of the multimillion-dollar global coaching company Life Is Now, Inc, and he is back for another episode of The FM Shift. If you didn't get a chance to listen to his last episode, you can find it here. David has helped thousands of entrepreneurs build the confidence and mindset they need to drive revenue and achieve success. He is back again to talk about the key principles for reaching success as a functional medicine practitioner. He also discusses his upcoming live event, “The Art of Success,” and some of the key takeaways we can use to build a success blueprint. Psychology and Success “The Art of Success” is Life Is Now's premier seminar. It is an integral part of David's growth philosophy, and it is a tool entrepreneurs can use to build the life they've always wanted. The success journey is as much a psychological journey as it is anything else, and in order to change our psyche, we have to first understand it. What role does psychology play in reaching success, and how can we get more out of it? Every person has a purpose embedded in their psychological construct. It is our job to identify it, grow into it, and use it as a platform to achieve something great. Resistance to Change Navigating the obstacles of your psyche is hard work. You dissect the self and begin to understand how it shows up in the world, then you weigh those realizations against the lackluster results you've produced. Most people would rather avoid that type of confrontation and carry on as though everything is fine, but without it, you will spin your wheels and dig your own rut. If a person does not have a desire to change, they are not open to new ideas. In your journey to reaching success, you have to keep an open mind, questioning your established belief system and analyzing the results as you make changes. Success is a growth process, and growth requires walls to be broken down. How to Connect with David Neagle Website: https://davidneagle.com/ Podcast: https://successfulmindpodcast.com/ LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedavidneagle/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/david-neagle's-life-is-now-inc./ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNeagleCommunity/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidneagle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_p_neagle/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DavidNeagle About David Neagle David Neagle is the founder of the multimillion-dollar global coaching company Life Is Now, Inc, helping thousands of entrepreneurs, experts and self-employed professionals gain the confidence and find the right mindset to increase their revenue, turning their endeavors into seven- and eight-figure ventures. Being in the coaching and mentorship industry for more than 20 years, David has worked alongside other well-known mentors like Bob Proctor and Tony Robbins, and his clients include many well-known people, including New York Times #1 best-selling author Jen Sincero. Because of the results his clients have achieved, along with his dedication, David's coaching has expanded to more than 30 countries, and he has been featured on Forbes, CBS, NBC, Wall Street Journal, Inc, Entrepreneur and Fox. He is also the bestselling author of The Millions Within, a book focusing on intention, focus and awareness to build your dream business and life.

Dr. Jamie Corroon is a leading expert in medical cannabis research. In this episode, he discusses the use of cannabis in functional medicine. Hear insights about: How and why Dr. Corroon carved out his niche in medical cannabis research Why Dr. Corroon is focused on bringing elements of patient management and monitored treatment into the medical cannabis community What Dr. Corroon is doing to address the many public health questions surrounding the use of medical cannabis Why medical cannabis has been so effective as an alternative/supplemental treatment for pain management Using THC vs. CBD for different types of treatment, and how to find the best quality products A New Wave of Medical Cannabis Research Dr. Jamie Corroon is a naturopathic doctor, peer-reviewed clinical researcher, and one of the world's foremost authorities in medical cannabis research. He is also the founder and Medical Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Education, where he advises dietary supplement and cannabis companies regarding science, regulation, and product development. In this episode of the FM Shift, Dr. Corroon joins us to share his expertise and talk about the progressive use of medical cannabis in functional medicine treatment plans. Patient Management Before carving out his niche in medical cannabis research, Dr. Corroon practiced as a generalist. He went back to school and got his master's in public health so he could specialize in clinical research, eventually focusing on the explosive use of medical cannabis. Although it has been available in California since 1996, there remains a major disconnect between the programs that enable medical cannabis use and the patients who use it. In Dr. Corroon's niche, he continues to find new ways to bridge that gap, bringing elements of patient management and monitored treatment into the equation. Treating Pain with Medical Cannabis Much of Dr. Corroons recent work in medical cannabis research has been focused on addressing the public health concerns of medical cannabis use. At the height of the opioid crisis, pain treatment continues to be one of the focal points in this discussion. Many patients are using medical cannabis as an adjunct or substitute for pharmacotherapy, and states like Colorado are even offering patients the option to trade pharmaceutical prescriptions for medical marijuana. Because of the opioid crisis, many physicians are looking for alternative means for pain management, and medical cannabis has been extremely effective in this area. How to Connect with Dr. Jamie Corroon Website: https://www.centerformedicalcannabis.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-corroon-nd-mph-0917b0111/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjamiecorroon Twitter: @jcorroon About Dr. Jamie Corroon Dr. Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH is the founder and Medical Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Education. Dr. Corroon is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and clinical researcher. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Corroon advises dietary supplement and cannabis companies regarding science, regulation, and product development. Dr. Corroon is well-published in the peer-review literature, with recent publications that investigate the clinical and public health implications of the broadening acceptance of Cannabis in society.  

Learn about the treatment benefits of clinical hypnotherapy in this episode with Norman Plotkin. Hear insights about: How to address the psychological barriers to treatment in functional medicine The treatment benefits of clinical hypnotherapy Different scenarios where hypnotherapy is most effective How hypnotherapy affects the subconscious mind, and the resulting impact on treatment How life events manifest themselves in the disease process, and how we should address them What we can do to transform fear into something positive Norm's perspective on the COVID-hypnosis of the masses The Benefits of Clinical Hypnotherapy in Functional Medicine Norman Plotkin is the author of two books, as well as a coach, mentor, public speaker, and health and wellness hypnotherapist. After a 25 year career as a public policy consultant and lobbyist, Plotkin battled cancer and emerged with a new perspective. He went back to school and became a certified clinical hypnotherapist with a mission to teach his clients how to take charge of their health challenges. In this episode of the FM Shift, Norm joins us to share his journey and talk about the benefits of clinical hypnotherapy in functional medicine. Overcoming Psychological Barriers to Treatment In the world of functional medicine, we are often dealing with chronically ill patients who have been sick for a long time. It is our job to communicate with them, figure out what is wrong with them, and design a treatment plan that inspires them to take action. The problem is that many patients have a difficult time articulating what is wrong with them, which creates a rift that makes it difficult to treat them. Clinical hypnotherapy can significantly aid our efforts in helping patients overcome the psychological barriers to treatment so they can get healthy. Synchronizing the Subconscious Norman uses clinical psychotherapy to help patients explore the underlying sources of their conditions so they can move forward to live happier, healthier lives. Oftentimes, we do not experience the residual impacts of life events the way we think we are experiencing them. This phenomenon is immensely detrimental to our state of health. By disarming patients and helping them understand what actually happened as a result of those life events, we can break them out of the cycle and eliminate the predictable future. When the subconscious mind is able to let go of the contrived story and address what caused a particular health issue in the present, we can consciously take the steps to resolve the issue. How to Connect with Norman Plotkin Websites: https://normanplotkin.com/schedule-online/ https://linktr.ee/normanplotkininc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/normanplotkin/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/normanplotkininc Twitter: @NormPlotkin About Norman Plotkin After a 25 year career as a public policy consultant and lobbyist, Plotkin battled cancer and emerged with a new perspective. He went back to school and became a certified clinical hypnotherapist, wrote a book on taking charge of your health challenges, and began to advocate for people instead of companies. Currently tending to his private hypnotherapy practice and leading virtual group meditation sessions, Plotkin just released his second book, Master mind Master Life.  

If you're looking to grow your business and increase your ability to move humanity forward, you need to adopt a cash practice model. In this conversation, you'll hear insights about: Why you should adopt a cash practice model to have a greater impact on your business and your community How Dr. Serio built the largest practice in Latin America in just a few years How Dr. Serio established an authority position within his unique niche What enabled Dr. Serio to scale his business and build a franchise model with 27 practices How to structure the foundation of your practice so you can operate more efficiently The systems, communications strategies, and money mindset that will enable us to successfully adopt a cash practice model The Cash Practice Model in Functional Medicine Dr. David Serio is a Doctor of Chiropractic, an international speaker, and the best-selling author of “33.” He is also a mentor, coach, and NLP master. In addition, Dr. Serio is the founder of Vida Chiropractic Worldwide, where he currently oversees 20 centers of chiropractic in Argentina, Brasil, Chile, and Spain. With a team of 49 people including assistants represented from 18 different cultures, Dr. Serio's professional mission is to connect chiropractors and the public with the essence of chiropractic. In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Serio joins us to share his functional medicine journey and explain why you should adopt a cash practice model to have a greater impact on your business and your community. No Credit Cards, No Bank Transfers One of the main reasons Dr. Serio moved to Argentina was because he wanted to build a cash practice. Within a few years, he built the largest chiropractic practice in Latin America, which received nearly four hundred patients per week. Every transaction was all-cash—no credit cards and no bank transfers to this day. In 2013, people began asking Dr. Serio to teach them his model, and it gave him the opportunity to create Vida Chiropractic Worldwide. Dr. Serio works with other chiros as a decade-long partner and helps them achieve success as a cash franchise just as he did. A Greater Impact on Your Practice and Your Community In order to build the largest cash practice in Latin America, Dr. Serio had to figure out reasonable rates that locals were willing to pay based on the specific goals they had for treatment. The marketplace in Buenos Aires needed something different than it was used to. Locals had traditional medical care, PT, and elastography, but no chiropractic or functional medicine. Dr. Serio capitalized on this need and positioned his practice as something that added unique value they couldn't get anywhere else. It was not a substitute for other forms of treatment, it was a new form of supplemental care that was distinct from everything else. This is how Dr. Serio was able to add value to his community and grow his practice at the same time. How to Connect with Dr. David Serio Website: www.davidseriodc.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-serio-b5788515b

With the potentiality of more social restrictions in the fall, it is important to prepare our patients and our practices by any means necessary. Hear insights about: Dr. Patel's perspective on COVID and where it is heading next How we can prepare our patients and our practices for the potentiality of more lockdowns What FM practitioners can do to stop surviving and start thriving by pivoting their business model Why this pandemic has revealed itself to be one of the greatest psy-ops of all time The most important business lessons Dr. Patel has taken out of the pandemic Dr. Patel's experience with psilocybin and psychedelics in the treatment of mental/cognitive health Preparing for More Social Restrictions Dr. Sachin Patel is an advocate of transforming the healthcare paradigm, and he has devoted his life to the betterment of healthcare for both patients and practitioners. He is also the founder of The Living Proof Institute, through which he pioneered a revolutionary approach to patient-centered healthcare. Dr. Patel now coaches hundreds of practitioners around the world so that they are empowered to deliver affordable and inspired care to their communities, and in this episode of The FM Shift, he joins us to share his journey. Dr. Patel talks about what we can do to prepare our patients and our practices for the possibility of more social restrictions in the fall. The Greatest Psy-Op of All Time We are at a point now where people are sick of talking about COVID. Since rolling back some of the authoritarian social restrictions, many of us have spent months dining out, traveling through airports, and enjoying the slow trickle of freedoms we once took for granted. And yet here we are, perfectly healthy, with nothing to show for it but division, animosity, and horror caused by half the population's willingness to blindly obey power. Luckily, here in Denver, we have had a relatively robust amount of freedom compared to many places like San Francisco, New York, and Ontario where Dr. Patel is from. The threat of the virus is real, and there are vulnerable populations we need to approach with caution. But that does not discredit the fact that we have witnessed the most profound deception, hypocrisy, and abuse of power the world has ever seen. Ready for Anything The reality is that many global powers are at a standstill. Nobody sees eye-to-eye on the COVID solution, and everyone has different incentives for how that solution is carried out. This is still a prevalent issue across the globe, and it is likely going to pull us back into a series of lockdowns and social restrictions that many business owners will not be prepared for. This is as clear as day, and as functional medicine practitioners, we need to be ready to handle the ebb and flow from an entrepreneurial perspective and a medical provider perspective. In our conversation, Dr. Patel shares so many brilliant insights about how to approach these challenges, and he is a valuable resource to all. How to Connect with Dr. Sachin Patel Affiliate Program Link: http://affiliate.perfectpracticelive.com/ Event: https://www.perfectpracticelive.com/online-experience Breathe work: https://youtu.be/8zcinS1-Hsg Website: www.getperfectpractice.com https://perfectpracticementorship.com/home Book: https://thesachinpatel.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsachinpatel/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesachinpatel Twitter: @becomeproof About Dr. Sachin Patel Sachin Patel is a father, husband, philanthropist, functional medicine practice success coach, speaker, author, breathwork facilitator, Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist, nature-lover, and plant medicine advocate. Sachin is convinced that the doctor of the future is the patient and he has committed himself to helping others raise their consciousness, activate their inner doctor, and initiate their deepest healing through the use of lifestyle, breathwork, and respectful utilization of psilocybin. Sachin founded The Living Proof Institute through which he pioneered a revolutionary approach to patient-centered healthcare. Sachin coaches hundreds of practitioners around the world so that they are empowered to deliver affordable and inspired care to their communities. He is also the CEO and co-founder of Aja Ventures, an investment fund for the use of psychedelics for mental health and cognitive optimization. He is an advocate of transforming the healthcare paradigm and he has devoted his life to the betterment of health care for both patients and practitioners.

Damon Burton joins us to talk about practical medical SEO strategies that you can use to grow your functional medicine practice. Hear insights about: How to build a content strategy that drives traffic to your practice How to create email blasts that resonate with your target audience The top medical SEO strategies for increasing your practice's visibility online Understanding the internal/external factors that affect your website's ranking Why your content is the most important component of your SEO strategy How to pick a good vendor that will help you achieve your SEO objectives Tips for lead generation Medical SEO Strategies Since founding SEO National in 2007, Damon Burton has become one of our industry's leading medical SEO experts. He is a Forbes contributor with additional features in publications such as Entrepreneur Magazine, BuzzFeed, and USA Weekly. Damon has helped numerous high-profile clients make more in a month than they used to in a year, and in this episode of The FM Shift, he joins us to share his expertise. Damon discusses many practical SEO strategies that you can use to grow your functional medicine practice. Build a Content Strategy Now more than ever, functional medicine providers need to be savvy marketers. The marketplace is more competitive than ever, and it is critical that we achieve maximum visibility within our target audience. The problem, however, is that many FM providers struggle with building their content, and technical, medical SEO is not even an afterthought. You need a structured content strategy that includes everything from email blasts and scheduled social media posts to educational videos and blog posts. Once you have a content strategy in place, you can begin to optimize your content so that it outranks your competitors' pages and drives traffic to your practice. Capitalize on Your Content In order to increase your practice's visibility online, you need to implement cutting-edge medical SEO strategies that will rank you higher than your competitors. Your content is the first place you want to start. There are a lot of technical aspects to SEO, but as a practitioner, learning them can be more trouble than it's worth. When it comes to content, you are already an expert in your field who knows everything about your business; content will come naturally to you. When you create content that adds value and provides a solution to people's search inquiries, Google will reward you for making them look good. In addition, this can be bolstered by building the external credibility of your website based on what pages are talking about/linking to your content. It may sound simple, but content is king. This is a simple change that many of us can make with ease. About Damon Burton This search engine marketing expert has beat billion-dollar companies at their own game and has proven strategies to grow your business. Over a decade ago he beat a billion-dollar company by outranking their website on Google. Since then, he knew he was onto something and has gone on to build an international search engine marketing company that's worked with NBA teams, and Inc 5000 & Shark Tank featured businesses. In the decade+ of running a global team, surprisingly, he's never met ANY of his team in person. Burton can speak on how to manage a remote team, as well as how he approaches dedicating time to family and balancing it all. Having started his business right before the 2008 recession, Damon is familiar with navigating and growing a business through times like today. Never before has there been so many people needing something to focus their attention on…AND the time to do it. Since founding his company SEO National in 2007, he writes for Forbes, has been featured in publications including Entrepreneur Magazine, BuzzFeed and USA Weekly, and has helped high-profile clients make more in a month than they used to in a year. Not only does Burton bring an easy-to-follow approach to increasing your revenue and online visibility, but he's also a trusted educator on the subject and has literally written the book on how to “Outrank” your competition. His new book Outrank serves as a guide to those who want to dominate Google's search results without paying for ads. Writing Outrank, Damon hopes to motivate business owners and educate them on search engine marketing while weaving real-life inspiring stories from his two decades of experience online. “Whether you are a beginner or an expert, when you read through the whole book, I am confident that you will walk away with new perspectives on how to increase your website's traffic through search engine optimization,” he said. As the economy shifts to digital, his expertise is more important than ever in helping businesses thrive. Plus, he has a beard!   How to Connect with Damon Burton Book: www.freeseobook.com Website: https://www.damonburton.com/damon-burton/ Blog: https://www.damonburton.com/blog/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damonburton/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/seo-national/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/damon.burton/videos_by Twitter: @entrepreneurdb  

Dr. Ben Galyardt discusses his perspective on glucose management in all types of functional medicine treatment plans. Hear insights about: The fundamental framework of Dr. Ben's new book, “Blood Sugar Doesn't Lie” Why glucose management is such an important factor in functional medicine treatment Why Dr. Ben gives every patient a copy of his book and a glucometer, regardless of their condition How blood sugar spikes and crashes impact patient health in the big picture How Dr. Ben communicates the importance of glucose management to his patients Why Dr. Ben evaluates urine color as a part of his treatment plans Dr. Ben's perspective on the questionably oppressive nature of the projected COVID vaccine release Glucose Management in Functional Medicine Dr. Ben Galyardt is a functional medicine doctor, chiropractor, and the founder/owner of two clinics, Functional Medicine Centers of Fort Collins, CO and Phoenix, AZ. His passion for functional medicine started after he witnessed the incredible role it played in reversing his mother's MS and giving her a fulfilling life again. Since then, Dr. Ben has expanded upon his passion with multiple book releases, the latest being, “Blood Sugar Doesn't Lie.” In this episode of The FM Shift, he shares a unique perspective on glucose management and how blood sugar ties into every health-related issue his patients aim to resolve. Monitoring Blood Sugar One unique practice that sets Dr. Ben apart is that he gives every patient a copy of his book and a glucometer, regardless of the condition. This all started when he began to explore the metabolic factors behind cancer as opposed to genetics. The reality is that whenever your blood sugar spikes or crashes throughout the day, you're going to rev up the immuno-response and destroy more tissue. Glucose management can help patients monitor what their blood sugar is doing, and by giving every patient an affordable glucometer, the information Dr. Ben has been able to collect is astonishing. Stabilization of Glucose Levels As we've seen using biomarkers like the GlycoMark, it is not so much the fluctuations as the spikes in blood sugar levels that put patients at significant risk. In glucose management, sharp ups, and sharp downs are the main culprit behind the inflammatory process. Because of the impact blood sugar swings can have on hormone and adrenaline levels, it is critical to get the glucose under control no matter what condition the patient is being treated for. That is why during the first couple of weeks, Dr. Ben's number one priority is to stabilize the blood sugar levels of all his patients. About Dr. Ben Galyardt Dr. Ben realized the healing power of FM when his mom was diagnosed with MS and went down the traditional neurology route until she was in a wheelchair and on every drug available. when she found a doctor that was able to uncover the underlying imbalances, she reversed her MS, has no more plaquing, does granny book camp, and most importantly her grandkids get to know her and love her.   How to Connect with Dr. Ben Galyardt Website: https://fmcenters.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-ben-galyardt-98bb97b/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/functionalmedicinefc/ Twitter: @drgalyardt

Dr. Tara Scott discusses the natural anxiety treatment options she uses in her functional medicine practice. Hear insights about: The most effective natural anxiety treatment options in functional medicine What anxiety means and how it is diagnosed in the functional medicine field Anxiety as a symptom vs. anxiety as a condition The organs, tests, and biomarkers we can check to identify the root cause of anxiety How SSRIs function pharmacologically How inflammation and chronic illness can help us identify the cause of anxiety How we can better communicate clinical situations to our patients General treatment approaches, guidelines, and diet supplements for anxiety How we can become more solutions-oriented on the front end Natural Anxiety Treatment Options Dr. Tara Scott is back again for another episode of the FM Shift. If you didn't get a chance to listen to our previous conversation with Dr. Scott, you can find it here. For those of you who didn't get to know her the first time, Dr. Scott is the founder and clinic director of Revitalize Medical Group. She has over 20 years of experience practicing OB/GYN, and additional training in Integrative and functional medicine. Dr. Scott shares a wealth of information by lecturing around the community to raise awareness about wellness and preventative health for patients. In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Scott discusses the natural anxiety treatment options she uses in her functional medicine practice. A Condition and a Symptom Dr. Scott has placed a significant emphasis on natural anxiety treatment options in Revitalize Medical Group. Many of us have an idea of what anxiety is and have likely experienced it ourselves, but anxiety can be both a condition AND a symptom. Anxiety is often attributed to adverse childhood events, but in the functional medicine field, we are seeing a large number of patients with adult-onset anxiety rooted in hormonal changes. In addition, anxiety has emerged as a byproduct of other dietary and physiological diseases as well, so to treat it effectively, it is important to develop a better understanding of what anxiety is. Diagnosing Anxiety In order to come up with an effective natural anxiety treatment plan, you have to make an accurate diagnosis. But diagnosing anxiety can be quite difficult because there is no blood test, x-ray, or objective measurements to make a determination. It is a subjective diagnosis based on what the patient tells the clinician, but there are specific organs, tests, and biomarkers we can check to increase our understanding of the root cause. At the same time, however, the best approach is to use a diagnosis of exclusion because underlying psychological disorders may not have obvious physical indicators. About Dr. Tara Scott Dr. Scott has been in front of an audience since she was the president of speech team in high school. This evolved in educating the community on hormone therapy, having taught doctors in five continents about an integrative approach. With over 20 years experience practicing OB/GYN, and additional training in Integrative and Functional medicine, Dr. Scott shares a wealth of information by lecturing around the community to raise awareness about wellness and preventative health for patients. Having watched people suffer for years with little to no relief after countless visits to multiple healthcare providers, Dr. Scott knows how exhausting this can be. She has lived it as a patient and seen the benefit of finding answers to the core issues. Speaking helps her reach more people in less time, helping them conquer chronic health issues. Dr. Scott's humor and analogies make complex health concepts easy for the audience to understand and put into action in order to enjoy optimal health. In addition to being the Medical Director of Integrative Medicine at Summa Health in Akron, OH, she is also the Chief Medical Officer and founder of Revitalize Medical Group, a wellness practice. She is triple board certified in OB/GYN, Functional Medicine and Integrative Medicine. She is a mother of 3 college age children, enjoys running a half marathon in every state, traveling and being active outside. How to Connect with Dr. Tara Scott Online Course: https://academy.revitalizemed.com/ Free Download: https://revitalizemed.com/hormoneimbalances/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarascotthormoneguru/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revitalizemed/ Twitter: @tdscottmd

Dr. Jared Stubblefield discusses the unique approach to pain management in his functional medicine practice. Hear insights about: Dr. Jared's journey as a functional medicine provider What inspired Dr. Jared to pursue a functional medicine approach to dealing with pain and inflammation How Dr. Jared adopted an integrated clinic model Dr. Jared's experience with regenerative medicine and stem cells How Dr. Jared communicates the functional medicine approach to pain and inflammation to his patients How Dr. Jared eliminated financial barriers to treatment in his practice The impact COVID had on Dr. Jared's practice with the in-person component How Dr. Jared is maintaining his patient flow and marketing his practice Treating Pain And Inflammation in Your Functional Medicine Practice Dr. Jared Stubblefield is the Owner and Clinic Director of Keystone Functional Medicine, a unique multidisciplinary functional medicine practice. He has found that post-injury treatment is most effective when patients have access to and care from a team of healthcare professionals from different backgrounds and specializations. Dr. Jared has made it his mission to bring them all together under one roof to complement his training in functional neurology, functional medicine, pediatrics, and his extensive background in clinical nutrition. In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Jared joins us to share his story and talk about his unique approach to pain management in functional medicine. A Time of Crisis Dr. Jared followed in his father's footsteps and became a chiropractor, spending the early years of his career working directly with him. In that time, he gained more exposure to work comp and personal injury, where he began to see many flaws in the treatment options that were available. This experience pushed Dr. Jared to transition to a functional medicine practice model with a more progressive approach to dealing with pain and inflammation. With the opioid crisis raging and limited alternatives for pain management, he stepped up to the plate determined to do anything he could to make a difference. Adopting the Integrated Clinic Model In the past, injury patients would go to Dr. Jared's functional medicine practice for therapy, then head off for the appropriate treatment by medical doctors. These doctors would prescribe an absurd amount of narcotics which merely masked the problem and created other health risks simultaneously. When the feds shut that down, medical doctors turned to steroids which bring an entirely new set of problems to the table. In response to such inadequate treatment options, Dr. Jared adopted an integrated clinic model so that he could offer patients access to a medical doctor in-house. This changed the course of his practice's approach to treatment and it has been exemplary ever since. About Dr. Jared Stubblefield Dr. Jared followed in his father's footsteps in becoming a Chiropractor and spent his first year of practice in his hometown learning from his father's many years of experience helping individuals live healthy, pain-free lives. During that time he found that he has a special interest in caring for patients who have experienced injuries and in helping his patients navigate the medical-legal issues that can arise with an injury. He received extensive training from The Spine Research Institute of San Diego and Smart Injury Doctors. This specialized training taught him specific diagnostic procedures for spinal ligament injuries that are often missed entirely, misdiagnosed or treated without success. He uses specific protocols to help injured individuals return to normal function and live pain-free lives and is trained to work with injury attorneys. He has also received post-doctoral training in neonatal and pediatric chiropractic care, functional neurology and functional medicine, including extensive training in nutritional healing, with a specific focus on chronic pain and the inflammatory responses of the body. His passion is identifying the source of the symptoms his patients are experiencing and finding treatments and solutions that restore them to whole health and function. He has found that this is achieved best when patients have access to and care from a team of healthcare professionals from different backgrounds and training. He has made it his mission to bring them all together under one roof at Keystone Functional Medicine, to offer his patients an unparalleled opportunity for whole health. He loves spending time with his family, playing baseball, watching baseball (when it is the San Francisco Giants, sorry Philly fans), hiking, fishing, gardening, or just about anything outdoors. How to Connect with Dr. Jared Stubblefield Website: https://www.keystonefunctionalmedicine.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/keystone-functional-medicine-pc/people/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kfm717/ Twitter: @KeystnFunctMedi

Dr. Will Cole discusses his telehealth practice model and explains how it has lead to stable, predictable growth in his business. Hear insights about: Dr. Cole's journey to becoming one of the top 50 functional medicine and integrative doctors in the nation How the pandemic has impacted Dr. Cole's practice, and what he has done to adapt Why Dr. Cole chose to follow a telehealth practice model instead of brick and mortar How Dr. Cole has had success with telehealth from both systems and sales/marketing perspective What to expect from Dr. Cole's upcoming book, “Intuitive Fasting” The concepts of metabolic and fasting flexibility The underlying mechanisms Dr. Cole works on with most patients in his practice How Dr. Cole moves his patients into a position where they can sustain treatment and manage their own condition Incorporating Telemedicine into Your FM Practice Named one of the top 50 functional-medicine and integrative doctors in the nation, Dr. Cole specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing a functional medicine approach for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, and brain problems. He is also the bestselling author of “Ketotarian,” “The Inflammation Spectrum,” and the upcoming book “Intuitive Fasting.” In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Cole joins us to share his story and talk about his telehealth practice model, and how it has enabled him to thrive during the pandemic. He also explains what you can do to successfully integrate telemedicine into your own practice. Operating a Telehealth Practice During the Pandemic By the time COVID reached its peak, Dr. Cole's practice was already conducting 90-95% of its consultations virtually. Some patients would fly or drive in for their first visit but after that, everything was carried out online. Since he chose to follow a telehealth practice model instead of building an operation that was predominantly reliant on brick and mortar services, the pandemic had a minimal effect on his business. Telehealth is how he is serving people now, and it's how he has always served people. This model offers tons of versatility and flexibility and it is something that we all need to adopt moving forward. A Pathway to Stability and Growth Dr. Cole did not anticipate a pandemic by any means, but the model he set up was able to bend and meld itself to withstand the extreme economic and regulatory conditions that are still in effect to this day. His telehealth practice has maintained healthy business growth, revenue streams, and patient enrollment in spite of everything that has taken place. If anything, the pandemic has provided an opportunity for potential functional medicine patients to take care of treatment-related tasks they have been putting off. Whether you implement a hybrid model or go all in, telehealth offers a pathway to stability and growth that many practices so desperately need right now. About Dr. Will Cole Dr. Will Cole is a leading functional-medicine expert who consults people around the world via webcam and locally in Pittsburgh. Named one of the top 50 functional-medicine and integrative doctors in the nation, Dr.Cole specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing a functional medicine approach for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, and brain problems. He is the bestselling author of Ketotarian and The Inflammation Spectrum and the upcoming book Intuitive Fasting in which he shows how to use the powerful benefits of flexible intermittent fasting to gain metabolic flexibility and find food peace. Dr. Cole has also cohosted the popular podcasts goopfellas podcast and Keto Talk and is the host of the new podcast, The Art of Being Well. How to Connect with Dr. Will Cole Website: https://drwillcole.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwillcole Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorwillcole/ Twitter: @drwillcole

Dr. David Touhill shares advice for building a functional medicine marketing strategy that drives results in 2021. He shares insights about: How he strategically moves marketing dollars to maximize his clients' returns Why digital marketing is so important for brick and mortar businesses today Why you should be focused on selling results, not fee-for-service Why now is the best time to pursue warm leads, and how to approach them How to diversify your functional medicine marketing spend to drive growth and maximize your results Why you should hire a professional to manage your digital marketing efforts How to build a funnel, track your results, and follow up on the qualified leads Where he sees opportunities for functional medicine doctors in 2021 Functional Medicine Marketing in the Digital Space Dr. David Touhill is an innovative functional medicine marketing strategist. He bridges the gap between the vision and the strategic plan, designing specific products and processes that are scalable to provide long term revenue and growth. Dr. David is passionate about working with brands that have a powerful purpose to help others, and he creates strategies that help them go from good to great. Dr. David joins us on this week's episode of The FM Shift to share his expertise on digital marketing in the functional medicine arena. Digital Marketing in a Pandemic To put this conversation in perspective, Dr. David played a major role in the incredible growth of Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin's company, Ancient Nutrition. In medicine marketing and other niches, Dr. David oversees more than a million dollars per month in advertising and marketing spend. Out of necessity, this scope has forced Dr. David to stay on top of industry trends and keep his finger on the pulse of the marketplace. Now more than ever, digital marketing is a critical lifeline of brick and mortar businesses like FM practices. David's expertise provides a better understanding of what we can do to start working toward mastery. Now is the Time to Pursue Warm Leads As we get our engines up to speed in 2021, we need to make sure our functional medicine marketing strategy is focused on warm leads. Whether it is our email lists, previous patients, or prospects that never started treatment, we need to leverage all of our resources to add value to the people who already know about us. This means diversifying our marketing spend so that we are not relying on one platform or one stream of content to drive traffic and win patients. 2020 has shown us the sheer power of digital media, and the very real impact it can have on people's decisions and worldview. You want to make sure your efforts are in the right place so you can drive growth and maximize your results. About Dr. David Touhill Dr. David started out as a young marketing director in the greater New York City area, successfully acquiring wealth management clients with an average net worth of ten million dollars. His position there taught him the importance of having sound judgment and a robust business and marketing strategy when running a successful multi-million-dollar business. While acquiring his doctorate degree, he built a private marketing firm that worked directly with CEO's of multi-million-dollar natural health and wellness centers to scale office systems, establish branding, and building effective Facebook and SEO marketing programs. During this time, Dr. David managed over $500,000 in marketing ad spend for over 40 separate businesses. He took this experience into the influencer marketing space in 2014, building health-based online educational programs, memberships, and launch strategies specifically through website development, sales funnels, social media, and digital marketing processes. He is an innovative product and marketing strategist, bridging the gap between the vision and the strategic plan, designing specific products and processes that are scalable, providing long term revenue and growth. Specialties: Digital Marketing(Facebook Ads, SEO, Email, Product Launches) Executive Leadership Strategic Planning and Decision Making Operations Development Branding and Visual Designs Dr. David has worked with influencers including: Dr. Josh Axe, Jordan Rubin of Ancient Nutrition, Mckel Hill of Nutrition Stripped, Patrick Gentempo, Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson, Mr. Universe – Dr. Chris Zaino, Boston Celtics Surgeon Dr. Ethan Kellum, and many others. He is passionate about working with brands that have a powerful purpose to help others, and creates strategies that help them go from good to great. How to Connect with Dr. David Touhill Websites: https://www.influencerstudiosnashville.com/ https://www.axemastermind.com/member https://www.meetwithdrdave.com/ Twitter: @davidmtouhill  

Functional medicine marketing in a global pandemic is new territory for most of us. Learn how to approach it with key insights from Dr. Mark T. Wade such as: How to approach functional medicine marketing in a global pandemic How to think outside the box with your marketing strategy How to position your practice to be as relevant as possible under new circumstances What steps you can take to have more success with a virtual practice model Why you need to focus on building a hyper-specific niche audience How Dr. Wade's approach to marketing has changed since he first responded to the pandemic How to Approach Functional Medicine Marketing in 2020 Dr. Mark T. Wade is the founder of the Virtual Summits Software, creator of the One-Day Summit, and the host of the top-rated Virtual Summit Podcast/Summit Fest Live Conference. He has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs go from unknown to influencer-status with a progressive functional medicine marketing strategy that has earned its weight in gold. In this episode of The FM Shift podcast, Dr. Mark T. Wade joins us to share his story and talk about effective marketing strategies functional medicine providers can use to generate cash flow in a global pandemic. Unconventional Functional Medicine Marketing Strategy After more than six months of quarantine, lockdowns, and arbitrary measures taken to continue operating our functional medicine practices, the COVID-19 global pandemic has opened our eyes to what a worst-case scenario looks like. Understanding how to approach functional medicine marketing is critical in a time like this, and it is not intuitive by any means. FM providers have to think outside the box. The difference between good businesses and great businesses is that—at some point or another—great businesses had to completely reinvent who they were. Think Outside of the Box It is a daunting task to pivot your practice or rebuild your entire business model, but those who can adapt are the ones who will prevail. Functional medicine marketing plays a huge role in that. Thinking outside of the box starts with exploring new ways to serve others outside of your practice. Then, you have to figure out how you're going to position your practice to be as helpful as you possibly can to anyone who comes through the door. You have to take everything you already have in place and position it so your practice is relevant under new circumstances. You achieved the level of success you were at before the pandemic for a reason. There is no need to reinvent the wheel; you just have to approach your functional medicine marketing strategy with a new perspective. About Dr. Mark T. Wade Dr. Mark T Wade founder of the Virtual Summits Software, Creator of the One-Day Summit, Host of the TOP rated Virtual Summit Podcast & Summit Fest Live Conference, has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs go from unknown to influencers with a Collaborative Marketing strategy. Dr. Mark went from brick & mortar to multi-million dollar online business using the strategy called the One-Day Summit Formula. Having created 6, 7 & Multi 7-figure businesses all from using summits, he now helps some of the top influencers in the world set up their Virtual Summits using these strategies. How to Connect with Dr. Mark T. Wade Website: https://www.summitfestlive.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmarkwade Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirtualSummitsSoftware/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hustleandscale/ Twitter: @hustleandscale

Justin Prince explains what medical entrepreneurs can do to conquer the climb to financial freedom. He shares insights about: How his diverse work experiences gave him the tools to become a successful entrepreneur Why you should be acting as a guide, not a hero His philosophy of climbing the entrepreneurial ladder When you should delegate tasks to free up time for revenue-generating activities Steps medical entrepreneurs can take to thrive in a commission model How to add more value to the marketplace to increase your earning potential How to get out of your own way so you can move forward with your success journey The Entrepreneurial Ladder in Functional Medicine Justin Prince is an incredible entrepreneur on a mission to share strategies, motivation, and skills functional medicine entrepreneurs need to take their businesses to the next level. He is a catalyst for success with tons of valuable insights gleaned from his experiences as a business owner. Everything that Justin teaches is based on what he is doing in his own businesses today, and in this episode of The FM Shift, Justin joins us to share his entrepreneurial journey. He talks about his philosophy of achieving mastery so you can achieve financial freedom and make a greater impact on the world. Building Your Legacy We are all familiar with the notion of climbing the corporate ladder. The goal is to graduate to an executive position until we are replaced by someone younger and cheaper so we can live out our bitter days on the golf course. As medical entrepreneurs, we have the option to forge our own paths. The entrepreneurial ladder leads to freedom if you can pull it off. From hourly, to salaried, to straight-commission, to asset-building, and finally, legacy, the entrepreneurial ladder gives us an opportunity to build wealth in alignment with our vision for the future. This is not about what you accomplish, it is about what you accomplished with the gifts and talents you were given, as well as how you did it. Achieving Mastery as Medical Entrepreneurs In the career arc of medical entrepreneurs, many of you are stuck on the commission rung of the entrepreneurial ladder. The harsh reality is that, even though that rung is beyond salary, the struggle to thrive in a commission model leaves many of you making less than you would on salary anyway. From that position, you can't even begin to think about asset-building or legacy. We need to work more ON the business, and less IN the business if we are to achieve mastery. Once you achieve mastery in the commission level, you will be prepared to work toward growth, scalability, and eventually, the sale of your practice. That is the path to financial freedom, and that is how you will make the greatest impact on your community. About Justin Prince Justin Prince is a family man, entrepreneur, and health and fitness enthusiast who has displayed an insatiable drive to succeed throughout every chapter of his life. He went from selling out of a mall kiosk with no college education to building 4 different multi-million dollar businesses that have generated over $1 Billion dollars in total revenue. He has shared his passion and success story in over 20 countries around the world and inspires over 1 million people a day from his social media platforms. Justin's passion is to provide people the strategies, motivation, and skills they need to intentionally ignite the greatness that lies within them and go from the person they are to the person they are born to become. How to Connect with Justin Prince Website: www.iamjustinprince.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinkprince/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjustinprince/ Twitter: @justinkprince

Learn how to achieve positive success in life and in practice with success coach Adam Banning. He shares insights about: Why it is important to look inward in our journey to positive success How the subconscious mind affects our connection with our beliefs and our environment Adam's philosophy of “mission before money,” and how we can figure out what our mission is The most common reasons why people lose sight of their soul's purpose How functional medicine providers can be more effective at building and managing relationships How to develop the delivery and presentation of your ideas so you can better communicate with your audience How to set actionable goals that align with your vision for the future How to develop a system and a structure for communicating with your prospective patients Reach a State of Positive Success Adam Banning is a positive success coach who has worked with functional medicine practitioners to achieve fulfillment on many different fronts. He's hosted and co-hosted numerous radio programs in major markets focusing on holistic health & conscious living, including The Adam Harman Show on KABC in Los Angeles. And he has also authored two critically acclaimed self-help books. In this episode of The FM Shift, Adam joins us to share insights into the development of a positive mindset so we can get the most out of our personal and professional lives. Looking Inward Most of the work Adam does is in the subconscious mind. As he works with functional medicine providers to help them achieve positive success, he uses different techniques such as NLP and hypnotherapy to figure out what is happening within. The subconscious mind affects the connection we have with our beliefs and our environments. It shapes our world view, the decisions we make, and how we show up in our personal and professional interactions. By familiarizing ourselves with the subconscious, we can begin to shape our perception and, in turn, our actions. Adam helps people assume the billionaire mind point of view where opportunity is rampant and accessible. Mission Before Money Everything that is happening outside of you is a reflection of what is happening inside of you. In the midst of this residual political and societal turmoil, it is important to remember that. We don't have the power to change the events unfolding around us, but we do have control over our mindset. In our journey to positive success, we need to focus on just that—the journey. The results are just a byproduct of the trajectory of your soul's journey. Adam calls this component of his philosophy “mission before money,” and it is just one of the many brilliant concepts he presents during our conversation. When you finally acknowledge the gifts and opportunities that are brought to your doorstep, you need to stay inside of that moment for as long as you can. That is how you will achieve positive success. About Adam Banning Adam has 25 years of award-winning sales, marketing, and lecturing experience in the field of Functional Medicine with Metagenics, one of the leaders in the professional niche of supplement manufacturers. He's hosted and co-hosted numerous radio programs in major markets focusing on holistic health & conscious living, including The Adam Harman Show on KABC in Los Angeles. Adams authored two critically acclaimed self-help books entitled, Seeing the Angel in the Mirror and The Official Wizards Training Manual, Vol 1; both available on Amazon. These days, Adam is a highly sought-after consultant in the field of personal branding and marketing helping aspiring influencers in health and fitness to significantly expand their reach through the use of Ultimate 30 Second Speeches, proven relationship-building strategies, and intuitive business coaching. How to Connect with Adam Banning Website: https://www.metagenics.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-banning-7b649111b/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/metagenics/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetagenicsInc/ Twitter: @metagenics

You have the power to choose your attitude. David Neagle's compelling story shows the impact it can have on your practice's success with insights about: How David's near-death experience helped him take on a new perspective in life and his career How to choose your attitude instead of becoming a victim of circumstance What inspired David to pursue a career in development coaching and mentorship How to overcome the feeling that the world is crashing down on you with nowhere else to turn What you can do to change your attitude and prepare yourself for success as we come out of the global pandemic How to identify a solution within the problem Finding Your Stride as an Entrepreneur David Neagle is a renowned business coach, mentor, and host of “The Successful Mind” podcast. He is also the founder of the multimillion-dollar global coaching company Life Is Now, Inc. David helps thousands of entrepreneurs, experts, and self-employed professionals gain confidence and develop the right mindset to turn their endeavors into seven and eight-figure ventures. In this episode of The FM Shift, David joins us to share his journey of personal development. You have the power to choose your attitude, and David's compelling story shows the impact it can have on the success of your business. Don't Become a Victim of Circumstance The circumstances of David's life tested him on so many levels. They pushed him to the limit, putting a strain on himself, his family, and his career. Even after his near-death experience where he was sucked through a dam and thrown down a 100ft drop, David struggled to find his purpose in life. But when he finally reached a breaking point, he realized that it is possible to choose your attitude instead of becoming a victim of circumstance. He pursued his passion for coaching, mentorship, and public speaking, and he is paying it forward by helping other business owners find their stride. You Have the Power to Choose Your Attitude The more you think about it, the more you will realize that many of us are in the same state David was in when he got sucked into the dam. With everything that has affected us personally and professionally in 2020, it is easy to feel like the world is crashing down on us with nowhere else to turn. So it's up to you to choose your attitude. Your decision counts now more than ever, as the trying times are where a success mindset and positive attitude are needed most. COVID, the down economy, political and racial unrest, and no clear end in sight are challenges indeed, but they are challenges we can overcome. The power is yours to decide how you will navigate what's left. About David Neagle David Neagle is the founder of the multimillion-dollar global coaching company Life Is Now, Inc, helping thousands of entrepreneurs, experts, and self-employed professionals gain the confidence and find the right mindset to increase their revenue, turning their endeavors into seven- and eight-figure ventures. Being in the coaching and mentorship industry for more than 20 years, David has worked alongside other well-known mentors like Bob Proctor and Tony Robbins, and his clients include many well-known people, including New York Times #1 best-selling author Jen Sincero. Because of the results his clients have achieved, along with his dedication, David's coaching has expanded to more than 30 countries, and he has been featured on Forbes, CBS, NBC, Wall Street Journal, Inc, Entrepreneur, and Fox. He is also the bestselling author of The Millions Within, a book focusing on intention, focus, and awareness to build your dream business and life. How to Connect with David Neagle Website: https://davidneagle.com/ Podcast: https://successfulmindpodcast.com/ LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedavidneagle/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/david-neagle's-life-is-now-inc./ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidNeagleCommunity/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidneagle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david_p_neagle/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DavidNeagle

Medical Entrepreneurs should be running their functional medicine practices like a business. Dr. James Neilson-Watt explains common mistakes and how to overcome them with insights about: What the pandemic looks like for functional medicine practitioners in New Zealand How to run your functional medicine practice as a business The common mistakes medical entrepreneurs make and how to overcome them The key to freedom and long-term sustainability as a practice owner Foundations, structures, and systems that Dr. Neilson-Watt put in place so he could extract himself from the day-to-day of his practice How to delegate and automate parts of your practice so you can free up time for revenue-generating activities What to look for in candidates for a patient acquisition/onboarding role How to identify and remedy faults in your sales process Run Your Practice Like a Business Dr. James Neilson-Watt is the author of “The Million Dollar Practice” and host of the “Healthcare Business Secrets” podcast. He originally sat down with us for Episode #39 where we talked about the art of client attraction, conversion, and retention for medical entrepreneurs. If you did not get a chance to listen to our discussion, you can find it here. This week, Dr. Neilson-Watt joins us for another episode of The FM Shift to share tips for mastering the business of functional medicine. Freedom and Long-term Sustainability for Medical Entrepreneurs As health professionals, most of us initially thought to ourselves, “I'm going to get out of school, I'm going to help some people, then I'm going to start my own practice.” But there is a huge gap of knowledge between medical entrepreneurs and functional medicine providers that just so happen to have a practice. They don't teach business in med school, and this leads to a lot of trial by error that detracts from the benefits that drew us to entrepreneurship in the first place. If you run your practice like a practice, it will eventually turn into a job. If you want long-term sustainability and freedom that enables you to live your life, You have to run your practice like a business. Delegate, Automate, and Focus There is a major difference between owning a business and running a business, which is why Dr. James Neilson-Watt put systems in place to extract himself from the day-to-day. If medical entrepreneurs are answering their own phones and doing bookings, there's a problem. Delegation is key to freeing up a practitioner's time for revenue-generating activities. Dr. Neilson-Watt also automated a lot of his marketing and lead gen processes, and he switched to a pre-recorded training regimen for appropriate positions. If you can take yourself out of activities that other team members can do, you will free up your time to focus solely on the growth of your practice. About Dr. James Neilson-Watt James started his career like most new grads…stuck in a dead-end clinic and hustling to pay the bills… But with a relentless drive to succeed, he purchased a run-down clinic and tripled it in 3 months, and within 2 years had generated over a million dollars in revenue. Fast forward to today, he now runs Practice Mastery a premium done-with-you training program for practice owners who are serious about creating long-term success. He helps them build hyper-successful healthcare practices & generate the revenue, impact & lifestyle they deserve.   How to Connect with Dr. James Neilson-Watt: Website: https://www.practicemasterymethod.com/buy Website: https://www.jamesneilsonwatt.com/about LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesneilsonwatt/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesneilsonwatt Twitter: @drjamesnw

If you are looking for creative ways to increase patient volume in your functional medicine practice, Dr. Brad Watts's shares invaluable insights about: How FM practices have been able to thrive in a global pandemic Creative ways to increase patient volume and scale your clinical visits in a functional medicine practice Why we need to stop bending the knee to disease and become leaders in our communities Understanding what it means to lead with clarity vs. commitment What functional medicine practitioners should be committed to right now How to position your practice to take advantage of the booming functional medicine marketplace Focus on Health and Wellness This week, we are excited to have our good friend Dr. Brad Watts on the podcast to talk about creative ways to increase patient volume in functional medicine and clinical nutrition. He is the host of “The Nutrition Hero” podcast and a consultant who helps doctors looking to scale clinical visits and treatments in their offices. In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Watts joins us to talk about what successful functional medicine practices have done to survive and thrive the economic wrath of COVID-19. Stop Bending the Knee to Disease The functional medicine market was never eviscerated. It was just compressed, and we are finally starting to see an expansion that is bringing FM practitioners record numbers amidst a global pandemic. You need to look for creative ways to increase patient volume as the marketplace starts to buzz again, and your mindset is the first thing you need to address. When this whole thing started, none of us could predict what it would look like. But with a 99.5% or higher survival rate for people under 70, it is starting to look more like a psycho-social experiment designed to see how many Americans are willing to blindly obey power. We are leaders in our communities and we have to start acting like it. It is time to come out of hiding and stop bending the knee to disease. We must get back to what we do best, providing health and wellness to patients suffering from health issues that didn't hit “pause” when the pandemic struck. Creative Ways to Increase Patient Volume: Clarity vs. Commitment Clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson says that the opposite of clarity is chaos, but leaders don't need clarity, they need commitment. The problem is that our world leaders have been searching for the former, and chaos ensues as they chase their tail. The same can be said for practitioners searching for creative ways to increase patient volume. Leading with clarity instead of leading with commitment creates frustration in patients who are receiving your advice. This will stifle the growth of your practice. Getting patients through your door will only get you so far. They are looking for multi-dimensional healthcare providers that can take care of them in the long run. Clarity is a short-game that benefits the practitioner. It takes commitment to help patients out of the weeds, even if you don't know what that looks like. About Dr. Brad Watts Dr. Brad Watts is a doctor and educator focusing on ridding the world of chronic disease by planting seeds of health and healing. He is the author of the acclaimed “Killing Chronic Dis-ease.” His passion is in applying real-world experience to help liberate those who are oppressed by ill-health. In addition to teaching and inspired speaking, part of his mission is supporting children's health and education in the third-world. Dr. Watts is a Doctor of Chiropractic and widely recognized as an expert in Functional Medicine and Clinical Nutrition. How to Connect with Dr. Brad Watts Website: drbradwatts.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brad.watts.94009 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfnEZNUT7bsG_qcofzSZh8g

Functional medicine marketing is different. Dr. Uli Iserloh explains how to market your practice to achieve growth and scale with right-fit clients. He provides valuable insights such as: What makes functional medicine marketing different, and how we should approach it to have the greatest impact Why referrals alone will not lead to the growth and scale you desire Why functional medicine providers should be taking an educative, awareness-based approach to marketing instead of mirroring what works in traditional medicine How to niche down with your marketing strategy so you are communicating with the right prospects for your practice How to nurture quality leads in a marketing funnel so they convert and produce ROI What you can gain by branding your expertise and separating your practice from the pack Functional Medicine Marketing is Different Dr. Uli Iserloh is the founder and Chief Marketing Technologist of Big Boost Marketing, one of the foremost leaders in integrative and functional medicine marketing. He is also the COO of Evolution of Medicine and a highly sought after speaker in the functional medicine community. In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Iserloh joins us to share his functional medicine marketing expertise. He walks us through the fundamentals of functional medicine marketing so we can have a greater impact both as medical providers and business owners. Referrals Alone Won't Cut It One thing many FM practitioners fail to realize is that functional medicine marketing is different. It is not the same as marketing a traditional medicine, chiropractic, or dental practice, and once you recognize this, you can start building an actionable marketing strategy that will attract the right-fit clients you seek. Referrals are great, but if you want to achieve growth and scale, you need a proactive approach to marketing. Clinicians need to be healers, but they also need to be educators, and marketing is the most effective line of communication with your target audience. Educate, Don't Sell In traditional medicine marketing, less depth works fine because prospective patients already know everything about what they're getting into. If someone has the flu, they go to google and search for a GP in their area. On the flip side, how can somebody search for a functional medicine provider if they don't know what functional medicine is? Traditional medicine marketing tactics including SEO and SEM don't translate very well. Instead of a laser-targeted, hard-selling approach to marketing, you should be taking an educative, awareness-based approach that helps prospects understand where functional medicine is better suited, and why it is a good fit for them. About Dr. Uli Iserloh Dr. Uli Iserloh, Founder of Big Boost Marketing, is one of the leading marketing minds in the integrative and functional medicine space – advising many of today's leaders on strategy and tech implementation. Uli's patient attraction strategies are responsible for millions of dollars in revenue and have generated tens of thousands of patient leads, including multi-million dollar online summits. He's a frequent guest on podcasts, online summits, and a sought-after speaker on the topic of functional medicine marketing. After 10 years in the pharmaceutical industry, he founded Big Boost Marketing, an award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in automated marketing systems and Facebook advertising for health and wellness professionals. Since 2014, he is also serving as the COO for the Evolution of Medicine, guiding the company's marketing strategy and operations.   How to Connect with Dr. Uli Iserloh Video Series: http://bigboost.marketing/videoseries Website: https://bigboost.marketing/freeguides/ https://bigboost.marketing/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uliiserloh/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/big-boost-marketing-group/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/uliiserloh Twitter: @uliiserloh  

Healthcare regulations are just one of the fears physicians have as they transition into functional medicine. Dr. Peter Osborne shares insights about building a brand in this space such as: Why so many physicians struggle with overcoming the fear of healthcare regulations as they transition into functional medicine The benefits of distancing yourself from traditional medicine as you build your brand Understanding functional medicine as the art and science of lifestyle and diet How to leverage the separation from traditional medicine to grow your practice What we can do to better convey our message and the services we have to offer How to establish transparent client relationships with clear expectations from the start What you can do to develop certainty in your services and brand The Separation from Traditional Medicine Many physicians struggle with overcoming the fear of healthcare regulations as they transition into functional medicine. Dr. Peter Osborne is back to explain why it's easier than you might think. Dr. Osborne is the founder of the Dream Practice FM Success Summit and The Gluten Free Society. He is also the director of Origins Health Care, a Doctor of Pastoral Science, and a board-certified clinical nutritionist. Dr. Peter Osborne initially joined us on The FM Shift to talk about the importance of charging what you're worth. If you didn't get a chance to listen to his interview on Episode #20, I encourage you to check it out for more context on our conversation today. The Art and Science of Lifestyle and Diet Functional medicine is not medicine; it is the art and science of lifestyle and diet. As functional medicine providers, our mission is to change the face of the healthcare industry. However, the louder and more vocal we get, the more attention we draw from the healthcare machine. Functional medicine is punk rock, and it is vulnerable to healthcare regulations, harassment, and scrutiny from the system. Dr. Peter Osborne is adamant about the separation of medicine and functional medicine because the patients that come through his doors maintain a mutual understanding of what his services or treatments entail. By deviating from society's construct of medical expertise, you can better target clients that are the right fit for your practice. Healthcare Regulations and Scrutiny When you establish your brand as a medical professional by practice, not by title, you don't have to worry about stringent healthcare regulations and scrutiny from the medical community. Why? Because you are building completely transparent relationships with every single client that comes through your practice. This is something you should take pride in because you are able to help people that the medical system has failed. You eliminate false expectations from the get-go and eliminate the victim mentality in your patients with proactive lifestyle solutions that have long-term effects. This is an area where traditional medicine has failed miserably, and we have the power to make a difference. Traditional medicine is not the space we want to be, and we need to distance ourselves from it for the sake of our patients and our practices. About Dr. Peter Osborne Dr. Peter Osborne is the director of Origins Health Care in Sugar Land, Texas. He is a Doctor of pastoral science, and a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist. Often times referred to as “The Gluten Free Warrior”, he is one of the most sought after alternative and nutritional experts in the world. His practice is centered on helping nutritionally support those with painful chronic degenerative and autoimmune problems using natural methods. He is one of the world's leading authorities on gluten sensitivity, and lectures nationally to both the public as well as doctors on this and many other nutritionally related topics. He is the founder of Gluten Free Society, the author of The Gluten Free Health Solution and The Glutenology Health Matrix, a series of digital videos and ebooks designed to help educate the world about gluten. In addition, he is the author of the best selling book, No Grain No Pain, published by Touchstone (Simon & Schuster) Dr. Osborne has served as the executive director and the vice president for the American Clinical Board of Nutrition. He is on the advisory board for Functional Medicine University. He has been featured in or on Fox News, CBS, PBS, Celiac.com, The Gluten Summit, Radio MD, The People's Pharmacy Radio, Underground Wellness, Muscle & Fitness Hers, The Journal of Gluten Sensitivity, and many other nationally recognized publications. How to Connect with Dr. Peter Osborne Website: https://drpeterosborne.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-osborne-63aaa911/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoctorPeterOsborne/ Twitter: @Glutenology  

Functional Medicine Providers: What You Will Learn: Why Dr. Scott made the transition from traditional medicine to functional medicine What functional medicine providers can do to help fix the broken medical system Dr. Scott's approach to preventative healthcare in functional medicine Why traditional medicine tends to disregard the dysfunction of human beings “Sickcare” vs. healthcare in the United States Why it is difficult to run a successful FM practice if you are just in it for the money How non-medical practitioners should interact with difficult medical providers The importance of self-care and mental health as a functional medicine practitioner Preventative Healthcare in Functional Medicine Dr. Tara Scott is the Medical Director of Integrative Medicine at Summa Health in Akron, OH, and the Chief Medical Officer and founder of Revitalize Medical Group, a wellness practice. She has lived as a patient and seen the benefit of functional medicine providers finding answers to the core issues. Dr. Scott has over 20 years of experience practicing OB/GYN, and additional training in Integrative and Functional Medicine as well. She is triple board certified in OB/GYN, Functional Medicine, and Integrative Medicine. And in this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Scott joins us to share a wealth of information about wellness and preventative health for patients. From Clinical Physicians to Functional Medicine Providers When interviewing functional medicine providers who made the transition from allopathic medicine to functional medicine, there is usually a profound arc in their journeys. Dr. Scott believes one of the reasons for this is because when clinically trained physicians learn how the system works, they begin to understand what is broken and why. Her brother passed away at the young age of thirty-eight after a heart attack associated with smoking, diabetes, stress, and a handful of other risk factors that were generally disregarded by traditional physicians. This inspired Dr. Scott to make a difference, and she shifted her focus to preventative health because she felt that her brother's death was preventable and many other patients are in the same situation. Getting to the Root Cause Traditional medicine does not fully acknowledge the dysfunction of human beings, and as functional medicine providers, that has to be the root source of our treatment plans. What separates us from clinical physicians is that instead of treating a health issue based on the knowledge of body systems, logistics, and the absence of certain diseases, we treat health issues with the big picture in mind. Instead of being trained in algorithms and prescriptions, we are trained to identify imbalances in different body systems and design a long-term, sustainable treatment plan. We have the opportunity to make a significant impact on our patients' lives, and it is important to understand how that level of trust affects the growth of our practices.   About Dr. Tara Scott Dr. Scott has been in front of an audience since she was the president of the speech team in high school. This evolved in educating the community on hormone therapy, having taught doctors in five continents about an integrative approach. With over 20 years of experience practicing OB/GYN, and additional training in Integrative and Functional Medicine, Dr. Scott shares a wealth of information by lecturing around the community to raise awareness about wellness and preventative health for patients. Having watched people suffer for years with little to no relief after countless visits to multiple healthcare providers, Dr. Scott knows how exhausting this can be. She has lived it as a patient and seen the benefit of finding answers to the core issues. Speaking helps her reach more people in less time, helping them conquer chronic health issues. Dr. Scott's humor and analogies make complex health concepts easy for the audience to understand and put into action in order to enjoy optimal health. In addition to being the Medical Director of Integrative Medicine at Summa Health in Akron, OH, she is also the Chief Medical Officer and founder of Revitalize Medical Group, a wellness practice. She is triple board certified in OB/GYN, Functional Medicine, and Integrative Medicine. She is a mother of 3 college-age children, enjoys running a half marathon in every state, traveling, and being active outside.   How to Connect with Dr. Tara Scott: Online Course: https://academy.revitalizemed.com/ Free Download: https://revitalizemed.com/hormoneimbalances/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarascotthormoneguru/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revitalizemed/ Twitter: @tdscottmd

Functional Medicine Practitioners: What You Will Learn: The best way for functional medicine practitioners to approach new patient attraction Whether or not doctors should be focused on new patients or convert-and-retain How COVID has impacted sales and marketing strategy in functional medicine Why your client attraction strategy should be focused on engagement and community building What your patient population needs to know and believe about you in order to do business with you What Dr. Neilson-Watt learned through his interactions with prospective patients How Dr. Neilson-Watt overcame the frustration of client attraction and found a strategy that worked for him Why you should focus on qualifying the right patients instead of selling your system to anyone that comes through the door Client Attraction in Functional Medicine Dr. James Neilson-Watt is a coach, mentor, and the author of “The Million Dollar Practice.” He is also the host of the podcast, “Healthcare Business Secrets.” His mission is to help functional medicine practitioners scale and create more money, meaning, and freedom in their lives. In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Neilson-Watt joins us to explain how he is living out that vision through his company, Practice Mastery, a premium done-with-you training program for practice owners who are serious about creating long-term success. He talks about how he helps functional medicine practitioners build hyper-successful healthcare practices and generate the revenue, impact, and lifestyle they deserve.   New Patients + Convert-and-retain Dr. Neilson-Watt has coached over 10,000 clients in 25 industries, in more than 14 countries. With all of this exposure, he has become an expert in new patient attraction. Any time I talk to functional medicine practitioners, that is one of the main areas they struggle with. Do you focus on getting new patients? Or should your efforts be placed on convert-and-retain? Dr. Neilson-Watt says it needs to be a little bit of both, but because practices often don't have a good back-end, they mistakenly put the bulk of their energy into getting new patients through the door.   COVID's Impact on Practice Growth for Functional Medicine Practitioners Unfortunately, COVID has significantly reduced the effectiveness of sales and marketing strategies functional medicine practitioners have relied upon for so long. The wells are starting to dry up because doctors have been dependent on factors beyond their control. If you want to grow your business, you need to be in control of a few key things like client attraction. Dr. Neilson-Watt approaches this by focusing on engagement and community building as fundamental pillars of new business development. If we can control the conversation around our products, services, and our brands, we can cut through the noise with a message that resonates with our audiences. Photo by National Cancer Institute   About Dr. James Neilson-Watt James started his career like most new grads…stuck in a dead-end clinic and hustling to pay the bills… But with a relentless drive to succeed, he purchased a run-down clinic and tripled it in 3 months, and within 2 years had generated over a million dollars in revenue. Fast forward to today, he now runs Practice Mastery a premium done-with-you training program for practice owners who are serious about creating long-term success. He helps them build hyper-successful healthcare practices & generate the revenue, impact & lifestyle they deserve.   How to Connect with Dr. James Neilson-Watt: Website: https://www.practicemasterymethod.com/buy Website: https://www.jamesneilsonwatt.com/about LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesneilsonwatt/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesneilsonwatt Twitter: @drjamesnw

Functional Medicine Providers: What You Will Learn: Why it is critical to take a proactive approach to tax planning in functional medicine How functional medicine providers can keep more of what they make Craig's approach to tax strategy in the FM niche What to look for in a tax planning strategist Common tax mistakes that functional medicine providers make and how to avoid them How Craig helps his clients reduce their tax liability by legal, moral, and ethical means How the suspension of the payroll tax affects our taxes Craig's top tax planning strategies for 2020 Tax Strategy for Functional Medicine Providers Craig Cody is the founder and owner of Craig Cody & Company and host of The Progressive Dentist podcast. His tax planning and CPA firm helps all kinds of healthcare professionals and small business owners keep more of what they make. From functional medicine providers to dental practitioners, Craig helps his clients take a proactive approach to tax planning strategy so they can reduce their tax bill by legal, moral, and ethical means. In this episode of The FM Shift, Craig joins us to provide a better understanding of what we can do to prepare for tax season. Tax Planning Makes All the Difference When Dr. Heather Stone and I became both functional medicine providers AND entrepreneurs, our attitudes toward taxes were much different than they are today. When we were coming up and learning how to scale our functional medicine practice, taxes were not a priority because they had such a small impact on our business. However, as we started to experience more growth later down the road, the significant amount of revenue we were able to pull in led to significant tax bills. This is a difficult road to navigate and I wouldn't recommend going at it on your own. Reaching out to your CPA to see what you can tweak to lower your tax liability will literally save you thousands of dollars each year. That is more money in your pocket to invest in your business and generate more growth. Start a Conversation With Your CPA As functional medicine providers, we will come across a lot of CPAs who chalk up their responsibility to putting the right numbers in the right boxes and making sure the filing deadline is met. We should be looking for a CPA that takes a strategic lens to our books and makes changes that will help us keep more of what we make. Some of the talking points we can bring up are whether or not we have maxed out our 401k. And if our spouse is associated with the business, we need to look at theirs as well. We need to have conversations about our entity structure, PPP loans, home-office deductions, life insurance plans, and a number of other areas that could save you tons of money next tax season. About Craig Cody Craig Cody is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Tax Coach™, business owner, and the host of The Progressive Dentist Podcast. Prior to his current work, Craig spent seventeen years with the NYPD, where he retired as a Lieutenant in September 2000. Craig is an expert in helping his clients legally reduce their tax liabilities and keep more of their money. Through his podcast, Craig helps dentists grow their practices through smart financial decisions and through financial education of the kind that isn't offered in dental school. How to Connect with Craig Cody: Website: www.theprogressivedentist.com Twitter: @CraigC2742 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigcodycpa Course: https://craig-s-school-e90e.thinkific.com/courses/5-tax-strategies

Functional Medicine Providers: What You Will Learn: How Dry Farm Wines is changing the game with keto-friendly products What “natural wines” means to consumers, and why most wines are actually unnatural The dark secrets of the wine industry that most consumers don't know about Why functional medicine providers should educate their patients about natural wines How Dry Farm is addressing the biotoxin component of wine How Todd's ketogenic lifestyle has impacted him The key business lessons and rules that have brought Todd success throughout his career The Natural Wine Movement Todd White is the founder of Dry Farm Wines, a producer of wines that are friendly to low carb, Paleo, ketogenic, and low sugar diets. He is also a writer, speaker, and leader in the organic/Natural Wine movement. Like functional medicine providers, Todd is dedicated to educating and helping people make better choices about food, nutrition, and how they think about consuming alcohol. In this episode of The FM Shift, Todd exposes the alcohol business and draws parallels to the farming practices behind so many chronic illnesses today. He also shares some of the key business lessons and rules that functional medicine providers can use to achieve greater success with their practices. Challenging the Industry Dry Farm Wines considers itself a health food company that just happens to sell wine. They are the largest importer, buyer, and reseller of natural/organic wines in the world. But natural wines is a term that often confuses consumers. In fact, most wines are actually unnatural because the same thing that happened to our food supply happened in the wine industry. There was a massive corporate consolidation, culminating in the top 3 winemakers producing more than 52% of all the wines consumed in the U.S. This transformation did not lead to the manufacturing of better, healthier wine, but rather faster and cheaper wine achieved through additives. There are seventy-six additives approved for winemaking by the FDA and most consumers don't know that. The natural wine movement and companies like Dry Farm Wines are combatting this by certifying and distributing wines that are additive-free. We Deserve Full Transparency As functional medicine providers, we have seen how the hyperproduction of insulin has led to many of the chronic illnesses we see in practice. Todd even believes that sugar is one of the most widely abused and highly addictive drugs on the face of the planet, and there is a lot of truth in that. However, while natural wines are not sugar-free across the board, they are completely transparent about what is contained in each bottle. And that is a step in the right direction. Currently, wine is one of the only major food product that doesn't have an ingredient/nutrition label. Lobbyists spend millions of dollars each year to prevent people from knowing what they contain. As consumers and human beings, we have the right to know what we're putting into our bodies before we make that decision. The natural wine movement is making that push for us, and Todd is on the front lines. Photo by Kelsey Knight About Todd White Todd has been a serial entrepreneur and creator since he was 17. Today, after 15 years in the wine business, his life is dedicated to educating and helping people make better choices about food, nutrition, and how they think about consuming alcohol. As the founder of Dry Farm Wines, a writer, speaker, and a leader in the organic/Natural Wine movement, he has widely educated communities on conscious consumption. Todd is deeply passionate about bringing people together to share love and laughter through Natural Wine. Todd is a self-described biohacker who practices daily meditation, Wim Hof breathing, cold thermogenesis, a ketogenic diet, and daily 22-hour intermittent fasting. He is also a frequent speaker on topics including ketogenic lifestyle, meditation, and the Dry Farm Wines unique company culture. His entire team gathers each morning for a meditation and gratitude practice. Built on a foundation of honesty and peace, Dry Farm Wines has seen 780% growth in revenue in the last three years, making it one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., without any debt or investors. Dry Farm Wines is endorsed by many leading U.S. performance leaders including Mark Sisson, Dave Asprey, Ben Greenfield, Robb Wolf, Wellness Mama, Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, and Chalene Johnson, to name a few. Todd has also been the featured guest on many of these influencers' podcasts. Dry Farm Wines is the official wine sponsor for many of the leading performance conferences worldwide, sharing over 12,000 bottles each year. Such events include Paleof(x), Joe Polish's Genius Network Conference, LowCarbUSA, Health Optimization Summit, Metabolic Health Summit, and JJ Virgin's Mindshare Summits. Dry Farm Wines sources pure Natural Wines and lab tests to ensure each bottle is sugar-free, lower in sulfites, and lower in alcohol. The wines are friendly to low carb, Paleo, ketogenic, and low sugar diets. Dry Farm Wines is dedicated to supporting small natural growers, currently sourcing from 600 family farmers who preserve 87,000 acres of organic vineyards and save 1.4 billion gallons of water annually by not irrigating their vines. They vet each grower's practice and support those who focus on regenerative farming, biodiversity, hand harvesting, and the absence of industrial additives. Dry Farm Wines is proud to be the largest Natural Wine merchant in the world, bringing awareness to Natural Wine consumption and supporting farmers who honor the soil.   How to Connect with Todd White: Website: https://www.dryfarmwines.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dryfarmwines/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dryfarmwines Twitter: @dryfarmwines Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dryfarmwines/

Functional Medicine Providers: What You Will Learn: Why focusing your niche is the best way to achieve growth and scale in your practice How Dr. Wolfson's functional medicine clinic approaches the treatment of cardiovascular diseases How functional medicine providers are creating long term change by focusing on the root causes of cardiovascular disease instead of relying on pharmaceuticals The most common mechanisms for people dealing with hypertension, and how Dr. Wolfson evaluates them A breakdown of endothelial dysfunction The common causes of decreased or impaired nitric oxide production How Dr. Wolfson diagnoses and treats patients dealing with mold issues The New Age of Medicine Dr. Jack Wolfson a.k.a “The Paleo Cardiologist” is a board-certified cardiologist who uses nutrition, lifestyle changes, and supplements to prevent and treat disease. Recently, he launched a new training academy for functional medicine providers and other healthcare professionals from all walks of life. In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Wolfson joins us to share his journey and talk about the fundamental framework of his curriculum. He shares insights to help us make a difference in the world by taking it back from the pharmaceutical companies and taking control of our health. Niche Down Many of the functional medicine providers I know have designed their practices around treating very specific ailments and diseases. If you are familiar with the podcast, you know that I am a niche builder as well. I built my practice to treat diseases like diabetes, thyroid, cognitive decline, etc., because it is the best way to scale my business and communicate a clear message to my audience. But some areas are more oversaturated with providers than others. I've always thought that cardiovascular health has been a largely untapped niche in the functional medicine field. With the proper training behind you, there is a lot of opportunity for growth. Treat the Root Cause Even at the top of our field, there are not many functional medicine providers looking at cardiovascular disease in general. For example, hypertension affects more than 75% of Americans. Blood pressure medications are some of the most widely prescribed in the world. And just like any disease that we put a label to, hypertension has a cause. Within the root cause lies the solution, and pharmaceuticals are not the answer. Dr. Wolfson's clinic is focused on finding the root cause of these diseases so his students can create long term change. Photo by Jennifer Burk About Dr. Jack Wolfson Jack Wolfson D.O., F.A.C.C., is a board-certified cardiologist who uses nutrition, lifestyle changes, and supplements to prevent and treat disease. After ten years of performing angiograms, pacemakers, and other cardiac procedures, Dr. Wolfson started Wolfson Integrative Cardiology in 2012 to offer patients the ultimate in holistic heart care. Raised in Chicago, he attended Midwestern University for his D.O. degree and completed a 3-year Internal Medicine residency and 3-year Cardiology fellowship. He was selected as the chief fellow of his class. Together with his wife, Dr. Heather Wolfson DC, they are The Drs. Wolfson. Their website TheDrsWolfson.com is an excellent resource for holistic health and lifestyle information. The Drs. Wolfson have three children who were born at home, nursed for over 3 years, and they are still co-sleeping. Amazon Best Seller, The Paleo Cardiologist, The Natural Way to Heart Health is the first book by Dr. Wolfson. How to Connect with Dr. Jack Wolfson: Website: https://supplements.thedrswolfson.com/order-form-paleo-cardiologist https://thedrswolfson.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjackwolfson/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-drs-wolfson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDrsWolfson Twitter: @thedrswolfson

Functional Medicine Practitioner: What You Will Learn: Dr. Dyer's transition from internal medicine doctor to functional medicine practitioner Why conventional medicine tends to beat doctors into conformity and submission What makes functional medicine so much more effective than traditional medicine Why FM providers should be focused on building a new system that makes conventional medicine obsolete instead of trying to fundamentally change conventional medicine How practitioners can break out of the confines of conventional medicine and transition into functional medicine How to craft the patient-facing communication strategy of your functional medicine practice How Dr. Dyer structured his practice model up to facilitate group medical visits The New Age of Medicine Dr. Bradley Dyer is a D.O. and a functional medicine practitioner, but he is also classically trained as an internal medicine physician. He is the founder of Premier Integrative Health, a Kansas City-based practice focused on helping patients achieve optimal health and vitality by getting to the root cause of their health concerns. Dr. Dyer believes the body has an amazing ability to heal itself, and that treatments should focus on creating health rather than treating disease. In this episode of The FM Shift, he joins us to share his journey in functional medicine and talk about his holistic approach to treatment. Break Out of Conformity Even before Dr. Dyer became a functional medicine practitioner, he always had an interest in fitness and nutrition. His transition from traditional internal medicine to functional medicine was largely driven by his passion for understanding what the human body is capable of when it performs in the right environment. Conventional medicine tends to beat doctors into submission and conformity, so Dr. Dyer saw integrative and functional medicine as a means to break the mold and make a difference in his patients' lives. Reinventing Our Healthcare System Functional medicine practitioners are operating well outside of the old, antiquated medical system that no longer meets patients' needs. Our traditional healthcare system is not “broken” as many people claim. It does exactly what it is supposed to do, and at the end of the day, it is a for-profit industry. Many doctors are just pawns in the system, but functional medicine is the answer. It is our duty to serve our patients as best we possibly can. There is no point in trying to change an inadequate system when we can contribute to building a new system that makes conventional medicine obsolete. Photo by Dose Juice About Dr. Bradley Dyer Dr. Dyer is on a mission to make a positive impact in the world by helping people regain health and vitality by getting to the root cause of their health concerns. He believes the body has an amazing ability to heal itself and that treatments should focus on creating health rather than treating disease. Dr. Dyer is board-certified in Internal Medicine and also completed a residency in Psychiatry. While working as a Hospitalist physician Dr. Dyer completed a fellowship in Integrative Medicine with Dr. Andrew Weil and the University of Arizona. He then went on to become a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner through the Institute for Functional Medicine. Dr. Dyer still works one week a month as a Hospitalist and spends the other three weeks per month serving his patients at Premier Integrative Health which is his true passion. When he is not working, Dr. Dyer loves spending time with his wife and two boys. He is a big believer in the healing power of nature and loves to be outdoors as much as possible especially when it involves cycling, hiking, and camping.   How to Connect with Dr. Bradley Dyer: Website: https://www.premierintegrativehealthkc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-dyer-do-b8549845/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/premierintegrativehealth Twitter: @IntegrativeDO

Pursuing Natural Treatment Alison's bout with cancer and how it led to her career in oncology nutrition How Alison discovered that she was not a good candidate for chemo, radiation, and pharmaceuticals Why Alison decided to identify and address the root causes of her tumor instead of pursuing traditional treatments Why our patients always have the power and sovereignty to advocate for themselves How we can empower our patients by helping them overcome fear The core clinical approaches that Alison's clients use to treat themselves at home Pursuing Natural Treatment Our guest in this week's podcast is Alison Gannett. She is a cancer survivor with an amazing story that led to an entire career in customized oncology nutrition. As a virtual coach, Alison uses her clients' extensive blood chemistry lab testing, Nutrition Genome DNA profile, and detailed health history to create personalized nutrition and lifestyle plans that meet their goals. In this episode of the FM Shift, Alison joins us to share her story and talk about how functional medicine has empowered patients to pursue the best treatment options for them. Oncology Nutrition In 2013, Alison started experiencing strange episodes of memory loss and other symptoms that eventually led her to the E.R. She was diagnosed with an aggressive malignant brain tumor, which gives the average person about six months. She tried to make changes in her life to see what differences it would make, and that is what sparked her interest in oncology nutrition. Alison forewent chemo, radiation, and any other type of pharmaceutical treatment because there was no known cure and everything the doctors had recommended was just intended to extend her life a bit. Instead, she decided to address the root cause of her cancer and reverse what was causing it. We Are the CEO of Our Health If you looked at the big picture of Alison's tumor molecular report combined with her personal DNA and lab work, it showed that she was not a good candidate for chemo, radiation, and pharmaceuticals. But at the same time, when Alison wanted to look into oncology nutrition and pursue natural treatment options instead, many of her doctors wanted to drop her as a patient. It is important to remember that we are the CEOs of our health. As functional medicine providers, this means that despite the immense pressure in pharmaceutical medicine, our patients always have the sovereignty and the power to advocate for themselves. Photo by Nadine Primeau on Unsplash About Alison Gannett Alison Gannett specializes in customized oncology nutrition, with support to prevent and conquer cancer. Her virtual one-on-one coaching personalizes each client's nutrition and lifestyle plan using their extensive blood chemistry lab testing, their Nutrition Genome DNA profile, and their detailed health history. Her latest project encompasses her heart and soul: Conquer Cancer with Keto – Alison's 28 Day DIY Program, which is an easy to follow, step-by-step video series for those wishing a nutritional and lifestyle reset program to prevent or conquer cancer. She is a former World Champion extreme skier and award-winning climate change consultant. She and her husband grow and raise almost all their own keto food, veggies, and animals, at their remote FARM-acy in Paonia, Colorado. https://alisongannett.com   How to Connect with Alison Gannett: Book: https://www.amazon.com/Metabolic-Approach-Cancer-Integrating-Bio-Individualized/dp/1603586865 Website: https://alisongannett.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-gannett-394a2287/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CustomizedOncologyNutrition Twitter: @alisongannett

Functional Medicine Providers: What You Will Learn: How we as functional medicine providers can handle the negativity, challenges, and change resulting from COVID What it takes to lead with positivity and optimism, and how it will help us during these difficult times Why leadership is a transferred belief, and how we can share it with our team members The importance of believing in a better, brighter future for our practices The key questions we should be asking ourselves right now How to understand our past experiences so we can become better, more positive leaders How to cope with financial stressors when it seems like there is nowhere else to go Positive Leadership for Functional Medicine Providers Even the most skilled functional medicine providers struggle with business and leadership challenges because medical school doesn't cover that side of the industry. This week's podcast guest is none other than the legendary Jon Gordon. Jon is a leadership consultant who is passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations, and teams. He is a nine-time best-selling author, a keynote speaker, host of the Positive University podcast, and an expert in all things leadership. In this episode of the FM Shift, Jon joins us to explain what FM practitioners can do to lead their practices to growth and scale. Leadership is a Transferred Belief With stress, negativity, and change mounting from COVID and political unrest in the United States, it is important to arm yourself with the skills to maintain your composure. Your team needs a strong leader to pull them through the storm and give them confidence, optimism, and security. Optimism is a competitive advantage during this—it is a game-changer. And with optimism and positivity, leadership becomes a transferred belief. You need to feed yourself before you feed others. Because as a leader, if you don't have it, you can't share it. Pessimists Do Not Change the World Pessimists do not change the world. It is the dreamers and doers who have made the greatest impact throughout history. As functional medicine providers, it doesn't matter if we are treating patients or working with other team members, that notion should dictate how we approach every interaction and task. Jon explains that in order to be the best leaders we can be, we must believe in a better, brighter future and take the necessary steps to get there. Positive leadership will change our functional medicine practices at their cores and enable us to achieve the level of success we deserve. Photo by Viktor Forgacs on Unsplash About Jon Gordon Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous Fortune 500 companies, professional and college sports teams, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of 20 books including 8 best-sellers: The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, Training Camp, You Win in the Locker Room First, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Power of a Positive Team, The Coffee Bean, and his latest Stay Positive. Jon and his tips have been featured on The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, The Golf Channel, Fox and Friends, and in numerous magazines and newspapers. His clients include The Los Angeles Dodgers, The Atlanta Falcons, Campbell Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, LA Clippers, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Pirates, BB&T Bank, Clemson Football, Northwestern Mutual, Bayer, West Point Academy, and more. Jon is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a Masters in Teaching from Emory University. He and his training/consulting company are passionate about developing positive leaders, organizations, and teams.   How to Connect with Jon Gordon: Website: www.jongordon.com www.positiveuniversity.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jongordonenergy/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jongordonpage Twitter: @jongordon11

Functional Medicine Providers: What You Will Learn: Why so many functional medicine providers struggle to achieve growth and prosperity in their practices Why ‘certainty' is such a critical ingredient to the sales and communication process How to develop certainty that leads to boldness and confidence as a practitioner How to use your sense of certainty to connect with patients on a deeper level What FM providers can do to connect their foundational knowledge with biological knowledge under one umbrella of certainty Why connecting with your patients has a more profound effect than presenting them with research The neurophysiology that influences sales and conversions Functional Medicine Providers Need Certainty Dr. Dan Sullivan is a keynote speaker, coach, and entrepreneur with three successful natural health clinics. He also runs a high-level mastermind for functional medicine providers and natural health practitioners that want to take their practices to the next level. Dr. Sullivan's focus is on helping mission-based entrepreneurs create greater influence and conversion in the new economy using results-driven neuroscience strategies. In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Sullivan explains how he helps entrepreneurs influence with certainty for greater income and impact. The Key Ingredient I think we can all agree that as natural health care practitioners and functional medicine providers of all disciplines, we are primarily operating our practices on a cash basis. One of the limiting factors in growing our practice and achieving financial freedom is our ability to communicate with our audience and sell. ‘Certainty' is a very critical ingredient in the sales and communication game, and it seeds the ground that we will be able to walk on. Certainty comes from our ability to ask ourselves the difficult questions so we don't ever get stumped. It gives us the confidence and boldness we need to grow as functional medicine providers and build our practices Certainty Sells What do I believe? What do I stand for? What is the philosophy and vision my practice is built on? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves to develop certainty and move the people we encounter. Certainty creates a sense of inspiration, and when you are centered, calm, and confident in your expertise, nothing can shake you. That aura is what draws people to you. It is a powerful source of connection, and ultimately, certainty is what sells. Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash About Dr. Dan Sullivan Dr. Dan Sullivan has started 3 successful natural health clinics, a speaking business, a coaching business, and a high-level mastermind for functional medicine providers and natural health practitioners. His focus is on helping mission-based entrepreneurs create greater influence and conversion in the new economy using results-driven neuroscience strategies that do not fail. The buyer's behavior has changed, but their spine has not. Dr. Sullivan helps entrepreneurs influence with integrity for greater income and impact.   How to Connect with Dr. Dan Sullivan: Website: www.TheRealDanSullivan.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therealdansullivan/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRealDanSullivan Twitter: @drdansullivandc

Functional Medicine Providers: What You Will Learn: Lisa's journey into the functional medicine niche How functional medicine providers can identify opportunities for growth as they come out of the crisis Challenges that FM practitioners should be prepared for as they start to explore the new talent pool and begin the hiring process How to position your practice to stand out and attract higher caliber employees Hiring practices that will put an end to the revolving door of employees at your practice Hiring During a Crisis Lisa McDonald is the founder and owner of Integrated Connections, a consultative search and placement firm serving integrative and functional medicine providers. After experiencing the transformative powers of this medicine firsthand, Lisa set out with a vision to change healthcare through her work. She joins us on this episode of The FM Shift to share her journey and talk about the work her firm is doing to support the functional medicine movement. Prepare for Growth When COVID first started, there was a drop in jobs for functional medicine providers. But those jobs are coming back, and in August we were back at equilibrium with August 2019. In October 2020, there is nothing but opportunity in the functional medicine field, and patient demand is going to be driving business now more than ever. There is also a group of doctors that has seen traditional medicine completely fail them during this crisis, so they are migrating toward our movement after witnessing the effectiveness of functional medicine. The industry is booming right now, so functional medicine providers should do everything in their power to prepare for growth. Build a Team That Aligns With Your Vision One of the ways functional medicine providers can prepare their practices for growth is by learning how to navigate the new hiring field in the post-COVID climate. Go digital with your hiring process. Position your practice to stand out and attract a deeper talent pool. Learn how to properly vet prospective employees so you can put an end to the revolving door of staff members at your practice. All of these things will help set you up for success by making sure you're ready to take on every new opportunity with a reliable team behind you. Photo by XPS on Unsplash About Lisa McDonald Lisa McDonald founded Integrated Connections in 2009 with a vision to change healthcare. Integrated Connections is a consultative search and placement firm for Integrative and Functional Medicine. Lisa experienced the transformative powers of this medicine firsthand and remains committed to supporting the Functional Medicine movement. With over 20 years of Human Resources Management experience, and a passion and in-depth understanding of the field, Lisas offers rare expertise that also comes from 10 years of working closely with a variety of organizations to include health systems and small private practices. Her work has given her a unique aerial view of the field as she has witnessed its growing emergence into mainstream medicine. Over the years, Integrated Connections has adapted to the changing climate of healthcare and continued to support the growth of Integrative and Functional Medicine. Their services expanded from recruitment to a career platform in collaboration with The Institute for Functional Medicine, and they recently launched The Integrated Connections Academy, which offers courses for clinicians and employers in the field that support their growth.   How to Connect with Lisa McDonald: Website: https://integratedconnects.com https://icacademy.teachable.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapmcdonald/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/integrated-connections-llc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisapmcdonald/ Twitter: @IntegratedCO