Dr. Tea Nguyen (00:53)

Maybe I'll just tell people how I did it, even if it's messy. This was my thought in 2022 when I first started this podcast and that first episode I talked about was my pole dancing experience and how it related to business. Since then I've not returned to pole dancing. It's physically super hard. I just had a lot of fun attempting something that I had no physique for, but it was something that was

I actually got a lot of downloads. And so today's episode, I wanted to give you a recap of how far we've come. And I've only been able to get this far four years into this podcast because of doctors like you who are listening, who are sharing and who have reached out to get connected, to get help in your direct care practice. So I'm so excited to be able to evolve and grow with you. Here are some data for our podcast. We have thus far generated

23,000 downloads over time. Which is crazy to me to think about 23,000 anything, but I was able to get here with you listening to these episodes that I produce every Tuesday. The best or highest download episodes are the following. It was episode 71 that clarified what a membership versus fee for service is. So in a direct care specialty practice,

Dr. Tea Nguyen (02:17)

You can choose to have a monthly membership, kind of like going to the gym, or you can choose to have packaged items where you're giving care in a limited amount of time for a specific price point. And then there's also per visit. So fee for service have been traditionally associated with insurance and people don't like that term. And so it's really pay as you go. That's all that means. But that was the number one most downloaded episode. So I think that's pretty cool because

In specialty care, can do anything we want, literally. I have packages, I have membership, and I have the one-offs that people might need me for. And it's fun for me. I really enjoy being able to do this. And for others, some people just like to have the one thing, which is like a membership, and that's cool too. The next best episode, or the most downloaded, I should say, is EPISODE 155, Northpoint Surgery & Aesthetics with Dr. Jillian Ciocchettii, which is such a cool one because it really opened my eyes as to what's possible for surgeons. So in that episode, I encourage you to listen to that one. She talks a lot more about Smith Medical, how they are delivering as a surgery center cash pricing for surgeries and that she's part of. So that one for me as a surgeon too, I really love. That's not to say I didn't love the others, okay? Don't have your feelings hurt if I didn't mention your episode here, but I am.

Really glad to meet with all of the doctors who volunteer their time to be here. This is a free podcast. Nobody gets paid to be here and nobody's paying me to be here. This is just a passion project that I'm here to help support the doctors who need the help. And then the next, the third episode, the top downloaded episode was episode number 106. It is Direct Care with Dr. Andrea George Hill Country Endocrinology.

Dr. Tea Nguyen (04:09)

So this is so exciting for me because that means a lot of specialties are being represented. We've got rheumatology, endocrinology, general surgery, neurology, podiatry, PMNR, and I know there's going to be a lot more out there. I am most proud of what we have been able to accomplish together. This is not just my solo project. This is you listening and sharing. And from doctors who are willing to share their stories, all of this matters.

I have not had the mental capacity to even think about sponsorship, even though I mentioned it briefly in the past. And I had a little bit of a pushback about that. So I haven't found anybody that I felt aligned with that would allow me to expand and have bigger reach. So everything up to date has been organic growth and it's a lot of work. My inspiration to start this podcast came from my DPC story with Dr. Maryal Concepcion.

And at the time, there wasn't a lot of information pertaining to specialists. So that's when I decided to create this one instead. And I know since then, there's been a lot of podcasts out there talking about their own personal experiences with specialty care. And I think it's so exciting to be part of that movement. So you being here has turned into my passion project, which is basically an open diary of all the things that's happening in my life, personal and in business, and to share those inspirations or experiences with you.

unfiltered. So I think that's probably going to be why I'm going to stay unsponsored for a while. I don't want to be owned. I don't want my voice to be owned by anybody. I don't want to be regulated or you know, that kind of stuff. I just want to speak my mind and be able to share value to you so that you can start, launch, grow, expand, scale your direct care practice. But you know, as time changes, we'll see how it goes. There was some very interesting data that I thought I'd share with you.

in regards to podcasting in general. 90 % of podcasts don't make it past 20 episodes. This recording is episode number 210. 210 times I showed up here and you have listened and you have shared it and that's the thing that keeps me going. In addition to the data, 4.5 million podcasts have been registered as of this moment.

me checking online Google to see how many podcasts are registered. 4.5 million, that's insane. So everybody has the opportunity to share their stuff, but only a few actually make it past 20 episodes and more. And I know that number dwindles down to those who make it past 100 episodes. So how long will I go with this? I don't know until I'm tired. I really don't know. I will keep producing for as long as you have questions.

because we evolve with time. And so the information provided in the past may have changed. And so I'll have my updates as they come along. So you and me, we are making waves on the air. So I wanna thank you so much for being here and letting me enjoy this creative endeavor, messy and all. I know many of you OG listeners have since opened your direct care practice and I wanted to give you something to help you with your continued growth. If you're an established or budding direct care doctor,

Dr. Tea Nguyen (07:24)

Chances are you already know what you're doing clinically. You've got the medical degree and experience to help people. You know how to take care of patients and you probably know at least intellectually what could move your practice forward. But maybe you're not doing it or maybe you need more support because I know as a solopreneur, doing it alone is exhausting. There is a lot of mental bandwidth that's required to make all of these micro decisions day in, day out. And if you keep trying to do it yourself, yeah.

It's exhausting. There is a gap between insights, what I share with you here, and execution, which is why I wanted to introduce you to the Continuity Circle. This is a program within the Direct Care Society that I've created for the doctor who has a direct care practice, is ready to launch theirs, and just needs more support. Most direct care doctors don't fail because they lack intelligence or training or even passion. It's not that you're doing anything wrong. Oftentimes,

The stalled growth is because you're often isolated or you're carrying the whole weight of your practice by yourself or you're constantly context switching between being a clinician, a CEO, a marketer, problem solver and all the things. And there isn't really a feedback loop to tell you whether you're on track or not, to tell you what's going to work, what's the best way to do something, what's the best way to navigate the problems.

Ultimately, when you own a business, problems don't go away. You just get better at solving them. But sometimes you have mental exhaustion trying to solve them all yourself. And I know as a business owner, when I'm working by myself, sometimes I second guess myself. And so I end up abandoning a project too early because I was too impatient or I blamed myself for not being disciplined or not being able to handle it. Right. These are things that we think is a motivation problem, but what it really is is a continuity problem. You don't have the support network to help you push through the hard times. And we can't run full speed year round. There are periods and seasons in our practice where we need a little bit more help than other times. So let me tell you a little bit about the continuity circle. This is where you take what you know and you translate it into one clear focus each month. This is where you'll have measurable action.

Dr. Tea Nguyen (09:47)

You're going to get real world feedback and adjustments that compound over time. So inside the circle, we work in monthly cycles and each month the members get to choose an area of focus. Maybe it's a clinical system, maybe it's pricing or pricing updates. You might need to establish some clear boundaries or maybe it's a marketing thing or a workflow issue or a mindset to work on. This is where we also turn ideas into specific trackable steps.

where you get coaching and perspective in real time. And there's optional hot seats to review your business plans, your pricing, your patient acquisition modalities, team expansion, and ultimately how to give you back your life. This is where you get the opportunity to learn from other doctors who are just like you. So in this container, this support network, you will have accountability without pressure. You will have structure, but it won't be rigid because you are going to design your practice your way.

and you will have the space to think about them clearly again. This is how you create momentum. So if you're a direct care doctor who is tired of doing everything by yourself, having to start over from scratch every few months, or you feel like you're just capable of more, but you know you would flourish in a group environment, the continuity circle exists for you. This is not where we try to fix you or pressure you.

but it's where we walk alongside you to help you build something that's sustainable, aligned, and one that's actually yours. As an anniversary special, the doors are officially open right now to join the Direct Care Society's continuity circle. We get started on March 13th, 2026. Now I want to encourage you to attend live. That's where you get the best transformation. And if you can't attend live, you will still have access to the recordings to review on your own time.

So when you're here, realize that you are never behind. And I would love to be by your side to help you get that massive growth in your direct care practice. One last note, I want to thank you so much for being here and allowing me to be part of your journey and happy anniversary to us. I'll catch you next week.