BootstrapMD - Physician Entrepreneurs Podcast with Dr. Mike Woo-Ming

This episode is sponsored by NURP NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors to learn more. Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice. __________________________________ Is your medical practice a true business, or just a high-paying job that depends entirely on you? In this episode of BootstrapMD, Dr. Mike Woo-Ming sits with Dr. Jean -Raphael Schneider as he explains how his entrepreneurial journey began in 2006 and how his mother, who had an MBA and a background in supply chain and logistics at Hewlett Packard, introduced him to lean methodology. By applying principles such as standardized processes, eliminating waste, and defining value from the patient's perspective, Dr. Schneider built systems that improved both efficiency and patient care. The conversation explores how physicians can move from being self-employed to actually owning a business. It also highlights the risks of operational inefficiencies and inadequate financial safeguards. Dr. Raphael recounts experiencing cyber fraud involving a major financial transaction and explains how the experience led him to develop formal procedures for large payments. He emphasizes that physicians should proactively create systems rather than waiting for problems to occur. Today, Dr. Schneider is focused on helping other physicians build scalable and sellable practices through his program, Transform Your Medical Practice into a Scalable and Sellable Asset, and his book, The Physician's Freedom Formula. Three Actionable Takeaways: Build Systems Before You Need Them: Don't wait for problems to appear before creating processes. Document your clinical and administrative workflows from the beginning and continuously improve them. Systems can standardize care, make onboarding easier, reduce errors, and allow the practice to operate more effectively without everything depending on the owner. Turn Physician Time Into High-Value Work: One of the biggest sources of waste in a medical practice is having highly trained physicians spend their time on tasks that could be delegated, automated, or prepared by staff. Look for opportunities to have team members handle administrative work, prepare patient information, and organize records so physicians can focus on clinical decisions and patient care. Build Your Practice as an Asset: If your practice depends entirely on you, you may own a job rather than a business. Develop multiple providers, ancillary services, and reliable systems that generate value even when you're not personally present. Building these pillars can create greater flexibility today and potentially increase the value of the practice when you're ready for an exit. About the Show: Bootstrap MD is the ultimate podcast for physician entrepreneurs looking to escape traditional healthcare and control their financial futures. Hosted by Dr. Mike Woo-Ming, a successful physician, entrepreneur, and investor, the show delivers actionable insights on starting businesses, creating passive income, and navigating healthcare entrepreneurship. Featuring interviews with industry leaders, physicians, and experts in telemedicine and digital health, it's your guide to building a profitable, fulfilling career. Tune in weekly at http://bootstrapmd.com About the Guest: Dr. Jean -Raphael Schneider, is a practicing neurologist, entrepreneur, author, and physician coach. He began his private practice journey in 2006 and built a multi-provider neurology practice using lean methodology and standardized systems. His practice eventually grew to four doctors, two nurse practitioners, and ancillary services including research and infusion services before he sold the business. Today, Dr. Raphael helps physicians transform their medical practices into scalable and sellable assets. He is the author of The Physician's Freedom Formula and runs the program Transform Your Medical Practice into a Scalable and Sellable Asset, where he teaches physicians how to build systems, reduce waste, scale their practices, and create a sustainable exit strategy. Book: The Physician's Freedom Formula. About the Host: Dr. Mike Woo-Ming has over 20 years of experience as a physician entrepreneur. He's built and sold multiple seven-figure companies and now leads Executive Medical, a group of clinics specializing in age management and aesthetics. Through BootstrapMD, he mentors physicians in business, content creation, and autonomy. Let's Connect: www.https://www.bootstrapmd.com Want to start a podcast? Check out the Doctor Podcast Network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is sponsored by NURP NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors to learn more. Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice. __________________________________ Are you building financial freedom, or sacrificing your life trying to reach it? In this episode of BootstrapMD, Dr. Mike Woo-Ming welcomes Dr. Michael Hersh, as he shares his journey through burnout, his pursuit of financial independence, and the realization that simply reaching a financial finish line would not solve the deeper challenges he was experiencing. The conversation explores why physicians can be hesitant to seek coaching, including the culture of independence, stigma around asking for help, and concerns about being taken advantage of. Michael explains how coaching helped him challenge deeply held beliefs, establish boundaries, schedule meaningful breaks during his clinical day, and become more present with his family. He also discusses how he shifted his perspective on the FIRE movement, continuing to save and invest while reducing the urgency to reach financial independence at the expense of his current life. He explains that many doctors come to coaching because their families are receiving the "leftovers" of their energy after demanding clinical work. The conversation also covers career transitions, physician entrepreneurship, podcasting, and how the Doctor Podcast Network has helped him make Better Physician Life more sustainable. Michael encourages physicians to recognize their transferable skills and explore the many ways they can use their expertise beyond traditional clinical practice. Three Actionable Takeaways: Identify What You Can Control: Physicians often feel powerless when working within complex healthcare systems, but there are usually areas where they can influence their experience. Identify the things you can change, such as your schedule, boundaries, routines, and daily habits, while learning to let go of circumstances that are outside your control. Stop Giving Your Family the Leftovers: After giving patients and healthcare organizations your energy all day, it can be easy to arrive home with little patience or emotional bandwidth remaining. Create intentional boundaries between work and home, schedule breaks during the workday, and develop routines that help you become more present with the people who matter most. Build a Life Beyond Clinical Medicine: Your identity and value as a physician do not have to depend entirely on clinical work. Explore your transferable skills, interests, leadership abilities, business opportunities, or entrepreneurial pursuits. You may not need to leave medicine completely; developing meaningful interests outside clinical practice can make your career more sustainable. About the Show: Bootstrap MD is the ultimate podcast for physician entrepreneurs looking to escape traditional healthcare and control their financial futures. Hosted by Dr. Mike Woo-Ming, a successful physician, entrepreneur, and investor, the show delivers actionable insights on starting businesses, creating passive income, and navigating healthcare entrepreneurship. Featuring interviews with industry leaders, physicians, and experts in telemedicine and digital health, it's your guide to building a profitable, fulfilling career. Tune in weekly at http://bootstrapmd.com About the Guest: Dr. Michael Hersh is a practicing gastroenterologist outside of Chicago and the founder of Better Physician Life Coaching. After experiencing burnout and realizing that financial independence alone would not solve the challenges he was facing, Michael discovered physician coaching and transformed his approach to work, family, and career. He now coaches physicians who feel trapped, overwhelmed, or uncertain about their professional direction. Michael also hosts the Better Physician Life podcast, where he explores the challenges physicians face and shares strategies for creating more sustainable and fulfilling careers. Website: betterphysicianlife.com Podcast: Better Physician Life Free Resource: betterphysicianlife.com/commutereset About the Host: Dr. Mike Woo-Ming has over 20 years of experience as a physician entrepreneur. He's built and sold multiple seven-figure companies and now leads Executive Medical, a group of clinics specializing in age management and aesthetics. Through BootstrapMD, he mentors physicians in business, content creation, and autonomy. Let's Connect: www.https://www.bootstrapmd.com Want to start a podcast? Check out the Doctor Podcast Network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is sponsored by NURP NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors to learn more. Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice. __________________________________ Are you building a sustainable telemedicine career—or simply collecting more state licenses? In this episode of BootstrapMD, Dr. Mike Woo-Ming welcomes Dr. Leo Damasco and Phoebe Gutierrez, to discuss their podcasting journey and the evolving telemedicine landscape. They explain how their partnership developed, why abandoning rigid scripts transformed their show, and how joining the Doctor Podcast Network helped them focus on meaningful conversations, research, guests, and sustainable content creation. The conversation then explores telemedicine's transition from its COVID-era boom into a more mature and competitive industry. Leo and Phoebe discuss shrinking physician leverage, increasing regulation, market consolidation, private equity involvement, and the shift toward smaller, focused practice models. They encourage physicians to think strategically about licensing, business ownership, leadership opportunities, diversification, and developing expertise beyond clinical care. They also explain how physicians can evaluate telemedicine companies and identify potential warning signs before joining. They emphasize asking questions, understanding regulatory responsibilities, participating in leadership, and protecting professional judgment. Rather than avoiding telemedicine, physicians should enter thoughtfully, build valuable skills, diversify when appropriate, and position themselves as knowledgeable contributors rather than interchangeable providers. Three Actionable Takeaways: Build Beyond Your Clinical Credentials: Having multiple state licenses can open doors, but licenses alone may no longer differentiate physicians in a competitive telemedicine market. Develop complementary expertise in compliance, operations, leadership, business development, technology, or practice management. The more problems you can intelligently solve, the more valuable you become to telemedicine organizations and potential practice partners. Investigate Before Joining a Telemedicine Company: Before accepting a telemedicine role, ask detailed questions about state requirements, physician responsibilities, clinical workflows, technology, prescribing practices, leadership expectations, and how patient information is handled. If a company discourages questions or describes your role as completely passive, pause and investigate further. Your professional license deserves careful protection. Diversify Strategically, Not Automatically: Having several telemedicine employers can provide protection against company instability, but working across too many platforms can dilute your attention and prevent meaningful expertise. Early diversification can help you learn the industry and discover what works. Over time, consider concentrating on organizations where you can contribute substantially, earn well, and build lasting value. About the Show: Bootstrap MD is the ultimate podcast for physician entrepreneurs looking to escape traditional healthcare and control their financial futures. Hosted by Dr. Mike Woo-Ming, a successful physician, entrepreneur, and investor, the show delivers actionable insights on starting businesses, creating passive income, and navigating healthcare entrepreneurship. Featuring interviews with industry leaders, physicians, and experts in telemedicine and digital health, it's your guide to building a profitable, fulfilling career. Tune in weekly at http://bootstrapmd.com About the Guests: Dr. Leo Damasco – Pediatrician and emergency medicine doctor turned telemedicine advocate, helping physicians transition to digital health. Phoebe Gutierrez – Former state regulator turned telehealth executive, specializing in compliance and sustainable virtual care models. They both host Telemedicine Talks Podcast, where they explore healthcare innovation, physician entrepreneurship, regulatory challenges, and practical strategies for building sustainable careers in telemedicine. Website: Telemedicinetalks.com Podcast: Telemedicine Talks Connect with Phoebe Gutierrez: https://www.linkedIn.com/in/pkgutierrez/ [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is sponsored by NURP NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors to learn more. Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice. __________________________________ Most physicians building a side business fall into one of two traps with "the number." 1: Trying to fully replace clinical income right out of the gate. Anything short of that full salary feels like failure, so healthy early-stage progress gets misread as "this isn't working." 2: Never setting a number at all. You're busy with webinars, LinkedIn posts, and calls, but you can't tell whether the business is working because you never defined what "working" means. Dr. Mike Woo-Ming reframes the goal: your real number isn't your income. It's your freedom number; the smallest monthly amount of outside income that lets you drop a call shift, cut a clinic day, or reclaim a Sunday. That number is almost always a fraction of your salary, and that's the point. Financial freedom isn't matching your W-2; it's buying back your time dollar by dollar. He shares his own story of setting an ambitious $10,000 per month target early on, watching the gap feel like failure every month, and only turning the corner when he lowered the bar to what would actually change his life (starting with covering a car payment). Two physician case studies drive the point home: one who set a realistic freedom number and kept going, and one who quit a promising venture because it failed to hit an unrealistic sprint-style target in the first few months. The episode ends with a practical three-step exercise you can finish in 5–10 minutes tonight: Freedom number: Smallest monthly amount that changes one specific thing about your week. Proof number: First repeatable revenue that proves the concept works (often far smaller). Time check: Divide by the hours you're realistically willing to give; adjust if it becomes another full-time grind. Once you have the right number, the same business often stops feeling behind and starts feeling ahead. Three Actionable Takeaways: Your freedom number is not your salary: Calculate the smallest monthly outside income that lets you change one concrete thing (drop a call, cut a clinic day, reclaim a weekend). For most physicians this is a few thousand dollars a month, not a few hundred thousand a year. Separate proof from freedom: Early on, track a much smaller "proof number" (first repeatable paying customers or first $500–$1,000 per month recurring). It answers "Does this concept work?" long before the freedom number arrives. Run the time check: If reaching your freedom number requires another 30–60 hour week on top of clinical work, the math isn't freedom, it's a second job. Adjust offer, price, or timeline until the hours fit the life you actually have. About the Show: Bootstrap MD is the ultimate podcast for physician entrepreneurs looking to escape traditional healthcare and control their financial futures. Hosted by Dr. Mike Woo-Ming, a successful physician, entrepreneur, and investor, the show delivers actionable insights on starting businesses, creating passive income, and navigating healthcare entrepreneurship. Featuring interviews with industry leaders, physicians, and experts in telemedicine and digital health, it's your guide to building a profitable, fulfilling career. Tune in weekly at http://bootstrapmd.com About the Host: Dr. Mike Woo-Ming has over 20 years of experience as a physician entrepreneur. He's built and sold multiple seven-figure companies and now leads Executive Medical, a group of clinics specializing in age management and aesthetics. Through BootstrapMD, he mentors physicians in business, content creation, and autonomy. Let's Connect: www.https://www.bootstrapmd.com Want to start a podcast? Check out the Doctor Podcast Network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is sponsored by NURP NURP helps busy physicians grow their wealth through AI-powered algorithmic trading designed for demanding careers. No day trading, no guesswork, and no constant market watching required. Ready to put your money to work? Visit start.nurp.com/doctors to learn more. Trading involves risk, and results may vary. This is not financial advice. __________________________________ How many business ideas are you currently sitting on? If the answer is more than one, this episode is for you. Dr. Mike Woo-Ming opens with a hard truth most ambitious physicians eventually face: seven ideas is functionally the same as zero. A business you haven't started pays you exactly as much as one you haven't thought of yet. Drawing from his own experience building a medical practice while simultaneously chasing software, coaching, and side projects, Mike shows how the very instincts that make doctors excellent clinicians, gather more data, rule everything out, don't act until you're certain, become the instincts that keep them stuck in business. He reframes idea-shopping as insurance against failure and "more research" as procrastination with a spreadsheet attached. The episode then moves from diagnosis to a practical tool. Mike walks listeners through the Three Filter Test: The Relieved or Trapped question applied to what you already have The 30-Day Dollar Test (which idea can put real customer money in your hands the fastest) The Only-You Test (which idea actually gets easier because you are the one doing it) He closes with a clear rule: once a winner survives the filters, give it 90 days of monogamy—no new research, no idea #8 appearing at 11 p.m. A mediocre idea run for two years will beat a perfect idea still living on a comparison chart every single time. Three Actionable Takeaways: Seven ideas equals zero ideas: Having multiple business concepts feels productive and safe, but functionally it is identical to having none. A business you have not started generates zero revenue, zero customers, and zero momentum. Until you deliberately choose one idea and commit, every option remains theoretical and your progress stays permanently stalled. Choose or stay stuck. Run the Three Filter Test tonight: First ask whether keeping only your current work leaves you relieved or trapped. Second, identify which idea could put real customer money in your hands within 30 days. Third, determine which idea becomes easier specifically because of your unique specialty, network, license, or story. The idea that survives all three filters is the one worth pursuing. Commit to 90 days of monogamy:. Once a single idea emerges as the clear winner, give it your exclusive attention for one full quarter. Refuse new research, new podcasts, and any late-night idea number eight. Real-world data and momentum collected over 90 days will teach you far more than another year of theoretical comparisons ever could. About the Show: Bootstrap MD is the ultimate podcast for physician entrepreneurs looking to escape traditional healthcare and control their financial futures. Hosted by Dr. Mike Woo-Ming, a successful physician, entrepreneur, and investor, the show delivers actionable insights on starting businesses, creating passive income, and navigating healthcare entrepreneurship. Featuring interviews with industry leaders, physicians, and experts in telemedicine and digital health, it's your guide to building a profitable, fulfilling career. Tune in weekly at http://bootstrapmd.com About the Host: Dr. Mike Woo-Ming has over 20 years of experience as a physician entrepreneur. He's built and sold multiple seven-figure companies and now leads Executive Medical, a group of clinics specializing in age management and aesthetics. Through BootstrapMD, he mentors physicians in business, content creation, and autonomy. Let's Connect: www.https://www.bootstrapmd.com Want to start a podcast? Check out the Doctor Podcast Network! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.