One of the hardest things for me when going from an employed doctor to a DPC owner was changing my mindset. As an employed physician, you're kind of spoiled! Yes, the system sucks, but you also don't have to deal with all of the back end stuff like marketing, hiring, firing, billing, phones, making big decisions. At least now, I realize I was "spoiled". Sometimes it's amazing how many things you have to do as a DPC owner! Not only do you learn all of the business parts of HOW to run a practice, but you have to THINK like an owner. You have to value your time. You need to learn how to price your services appropriately so that it's fair to your patients and also sustainable for you. You need to set and keep your boundaries to protect your time, both at work and at home. These are the intangibles, things that you can't learn in a book. You can open a DPC using a checklist, no problem. But learning how to think as an Entrepreneur is a whole process. I talk about these shifts on my podcast, DPC Life. In my interviews with new DPC doctors, we talk about things that are hardest for them--marketing, nailing down their ideal client, fine tuning their elevator pitch. Many of these issues seem very personal, which makes them truly universal. Just about all new DPC doctors have these mindset blocks. Take a listen to the coaching calls on the podcast, they may be helpful for you if you're just starting out. I'm also hosting an in-person event in February called DPC Women Connect, at my office in Hickory NC. It's a 1/2 day event for women starting their DPC or just opened in the past 6 months, where we work on that mindset shift from employed physician to entrepreneur. 4 other established DPC founders will join me in sharing experiences and tips on how to make that adjustment and how to avoid the mistakes that we made. We'll also have a DPC focused accountant to walk us through best practices on setting your membership prices. It's a short event, just enough to get you started thinking differently and also to connect you with other DPC doctors in your same stage of growth. The event is filling up quickly, we only have room for 12-15 docs. I would love to see you there!

What first made you consider DPC—and what is your biggest concern right now? If you’re early: - What’s pulling you toward DPC? - What’s holding you back? If you’re already practicing: - What did you not expect to be as hard as it is? - What do you wish someone had told you sooner? There’s no “right” stage to be in here.Just real people, real decisions, and real conversations. Jump in wherever you are.