life coach Archives - NonClinical Physicians https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/tag/life-coach/ Helping Hospital and Medical Group Executives Lead and Manage With Confidence Tue, 06 May 2025 11:11:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/cropped-1-32x32.jpg life coach Archives - NonClinical Physicians https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/tag/life-coach/ 32 32 112612397 See Her Massive Professional Rebirth From Intensivist To Coach – A PNC Classic from 2020 https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/intensivist-to-coach/ https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/intensivist-to-coach/#respond Tue, 22 Apr 2025 13:20:22 +0000 https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/?p=63679 Interview with Dr. Jessie Benson - 401 In this week's PNC Podcast episode, John presents his conversation with Dr. Jessie Benson, who describes her transition from critical care specialist and intensivist to coach. During her journey, she became a homesteader, musician, and professional artist after practicing anesthesiology and critical care medicine for 10 years. [...]

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]]> Interview with Dr. Jessie Benson – 401

In this week's PNC Podcast episode, John presents his conversation with Dr. Jessie Benson, who describes her transition from critical care specialist and intensivist to coach. During her journey, she became a homesteader, musician, and professional artist after practicing anesthesiology and critical care medicine for 10 years.

Jessie received her medical degree from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed an anesthesia residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a critical care fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.

Jessie spent the first 3 decades of her life chasing achievement and approval. Her life was marked by perfectionism and a fear of failure and rejection. Through dedicated self-work, she broke free from this way of thinking. That's when she really started living.

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A Coach, Musician, and Professional Artist

After practicing anesthesiology and critical care medicine for nearly a decade, Jessie took a leap of faith in 2014. She left medicine to build the life of her dreams.

She now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia on 5 ½ acres of heaven. Jessie’s days are filled with doing what she loves. She works with life coach clients. She creates and sells her beeswax and oil paintings as a professional artist. And since building her house, she now lives the life of a homesteader each day.

I just knew it wasn't the life for me, and so I decided I wanted to have a different life and that's what I do now.

In addition to developing her artistic impulses, she brought music back into her life. She began playing the cello, sometimes performing for others.

Shifting from Intensivist to Coach

Jessie has steadily grown her coaching practice to a vibrant one. In addition to meeting with her one-on-one clients weekly, Jessie leads workshops and retreats. The culmination of this work is her Brave Is Beautiful Circle, a year-long immersion program helping women connect with their authenticity and creativity and “find their brave.”

Jessie's Journey Didn't Stop There

Art and music weren't all that Jessie fell in love with. In preparation for her transition, Jessie completed yoga and meditation training and certification. Then, she traveled around the U.S. in an RV, hiking in many state and national parks. This helped her to select a location to settle down and begin her new life.

After her traveling journey, she started her life coaching practice. In her practice, she focuses on what she calls barrier beliefs. These are the obstacles to moving forward productively. Ultimately, that led her to develop her year-long coaching program. In it, she integrates much of what she has learned over the past several years. Now, she is super excited about her Brave is Beautiful Circle program. 

Summary

In this episode, Dr. Jessie Benson discusses why there is hope that each of us can find a more balanced life. Since leaving medicine, she now spends her time as a life coach, musician, homesteader, and professional artist. She now loves her life. And she encourages all of us to follow our own path to a more balanced and authentic life, whether in medicine or not. But it requires effort and commitment, and sometimes some coaching.

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Transcription PNC Podcast Episode 401

See Her Massive Professional Rebirth From Intensivist To Coach - A PNC Classic from 2020

- Interview with Dr. Jessie Benson

John: Dr. Jessie Benson, life coach, artist, and homesteader. Welcome to the PNC podcast.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Thank you, John.

John: This is going to be fun.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. I'm very much looking forward to it. I've been excited all week.

John: You know, my audience just loves hearing stories about physicians who have successfully transitioned to whatever it is they transitioned to. So just to give a little preview for the listeners, we're going to hear about homesteading today, we're going to hear about art today, we're going to hear about coaching and some other things in between. So that's why I knew I had to get you here and really get into some of these topics.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Well, I'm very much looking forward to sharing my journey because it has been so much fun.

John: The other thing I like to share with people when I have guests on here is inspiration and hope. Just from what little I know about you, I get the feeling that you really enjoy what you're doing, you feel very balanced. You're doing different things, and to the extent that there were things in the past, maybe, that weren't so great ... which I don't know anything about, but it just sounds like you where you are now is fantastic. So we're definitely going to want to hear what led to your transition, because you are a physician. You're still a physician. Obviously, we're always physicians, but you're not doing medicine anymore and so this is going to be good.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. I definitely love my life a lot more than what I call my medicine years, for sure.

John: Okay. Well then, without any further ado, then why don't you tell us about that? You were practicing for almost 10 years, and maybe just give us a little snapshot of what was going on and what prompted you to transition to what you're doing now.

Dr. Jessie Benson: So I practiced anesthesiology and critical care medicine. I was board certified in both and I did practice both, and I had been caught up in this cycle of chasing approval and achievement year after year, and my thing was A's. So chasing A's through grade school, high school, college, and so when the adults in my life said, "Go to medical school," seeking approval, I said, "Okay," and so I went full force. I was first in my med school class. I was best fellow at Cleveland Clinic, and eventually about 10 years ago, I realized that that life of approval and achievement was empty and I wasn't really enjoying it. I loved helping people, but the life ... I just knew it wasn't the life for me, and so I decided I wanted to have a different life and that's what I do now, and it wasn't just that easy. I had to overcome a couple of things. One of them was perfectionism and one of them was fear of rejection and failure. And so 10 years ago I was able to make a lot of progress in those areas and that's when my new journey began.

John: So I think we want to kind of get a kind of picture of how that looked. Some people ... I've had the occasional guests tell me, "Well, I just stopped doing what I was doing and just took six months off or a year off to figure it out." Others said, "I did a lot of soul searching and really a lot of research before I decided to leave medicine and I kind of tapered off and then converted and did something else and then something else, and now I'm where I am now." So kind of walk us through how you actually made that ... what were those kind of steps in between?

Dr. Jessie Benson: So mine was about a four year journey from ... from that moment 10 years ago, when I really decided to start having a good life, when I decided to start doing what I love, and that became art, that became music. I picked up playing cello. That became sprint triathlons. It became anything I wanted to do because I no longer only did things I thought I was going to "Get an A in." I actually started following my heart and doing things for fun, and so that was maybe 2011, '12, '13, '14. I became a professional artist. I was selling my art in galleries and at shows. I was playing cello professionally with a guitarist, and I just looked at my life in early 2014 and I said, "Medicine is keeping me from the things I love." I couldn't schedule concerts. I couldn't commit to shows because we had to pick our vacation a year in advance.

And the schedule wasn't good for me and neither was the mental and emotional drain on me, and so I paid off my $250,000 med school debt in March of '14, and so that was really the last string tying me to the career, because I knew I really needed to pay that debt off before I left to do something different, and I did, and then three months later, July 4th weekend in '14, I gave a six months notice to my practice and enrolled in life coach school because I had learned about it and realized, this is what I want to do. I want to work with people, helping them create lives that they love, and so I finished. My last night was December, 2014 in the ICU. I actually brought my cello and played for the nurses and the respiratory therapists and the patients. So it was a really wonderful last night of being on shift as a physician, and since then, I haven't looked back. People say, "Do you regret it?" Not many, no doctor, but other people will say, "Do you regret it?" And I say, "Absolutely not. I am truly living the life of my dreams and it gets better every day."

John: How did you get exposure to the life coaching? Where did that come up?

Dr. Jessie Benson: So I was reading an article when I was still full blown in medicine and it talked about what they do, and I realized, this is what I do for people. I listen to them. I inspire them. They come back six months later and say, "That thing you said that time in the locker room, I want you to know the difference it made in my life," and I realized that I could actually do that for living, not just in the locker room between cases. I could actually dedicate my full life to those moments with my clients, and so I researched schools and I picked one that was one of the original ones, and it was in Florida and then virtual, and I enrolled and actually started before I even finished medicine. I started in '14 while I was still practicing, my training.

John: All right. Yeah, one of the things I think several of us on the podcast have remarked on over the years is that one of the things about coaching is it kind of has all the good stuff that you do as a physician or a clinician and none of the bad stuff, the long call and the long hours and frequent call and what have you.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Absolutely, and I tell people, I get to help people, but I don't have to worry about life and death. Because as an anesthesiologist, responding to codes, responding to airway calls on the floor, taking care of patients in the ICU, that threat of death, even in a routine case, was ever present, and it weared on me, and now I get to help people feel better and I don't have to stress about that.

John: No, I think we forget that some ... I mean, I've talked to physicians that they don't even realize how stressed out they are because of those kinds of minute by minute decisions. Some are life and death, some it's just onerous, just paperwork that never ends and knowing that if you don't do it, it's going to be sitting there tomorrow and someone's going to be unhappy. I mean, all these things just are there and we kind of take it for granted, but if you step back and think about it, it can be quite painful and not even know it, and it's good that we realize it and decide how we're going to do something to change. Now some people can adapt and they love it. They love the intensity and they love the decision making like that, but I feel like most physicians, in 10 or 20 years, they're kind of worn out and need to do something else, but some of us learn that quicker than others, but we still need good physicians out there, don't get me wrong.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Please, don't all leave. But yes, for me, this is a more relaxed quality of life for sure.

John: And I think we're all entitled to that, and as I've said before, I mean I think all physicians are sort of part of one big family and we want each other to have great lives. So we're going to come back to the coaching later, but I want to talk about these other things that are interesting to me and I think to the listeners. So I want to hear about how you develop this whole interest in art, and maybe throw in your music, and then also this concept of homesteading. So you can go wherever you want with this.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Okay. Well I will go in chronological order.

John: Okay.

Dr. Jessie Benson: So art, I always enjoyed art and I always appreciated others' art, and even would support other artists by buying their work, but when I was still in that perfectionistic, A seeking mode, I just was unwilling to try. I wasn't willing to try anything, even if I thought it would be fun, because I was afraid I would fail, and I didn't feel like I could endure what I considered failure. So when that lifted, about 10 years ago, I just went and tried every art that I could. I tried charcoal and watercolor and oil paint and acrylic and sculpture and clay, and I loved all of them. And then one day I was at an art show and saw an artist who made her paintings out of beeswax, and I said, "What is this surface?"

And she said, "It's encaustic, it's beeswax," and so I went and bought everything. This is still while I was a physician in practice, and set up a place in my house for my home studio and just started creating. I bought two books and I did everything in those two books, and nothing looked like I wanted it to look. I wanted fine detail, and so the idea came to me for the technique that I do now, which is an original technique, and this is where I melt these wax and paint it on a board, and then with a very fine tool, I carved intricate nature drawing. So bird's nests or birds or trees, and then it's still just the wax, that light colored wax, and then I oil paint my lines and then the drawing comes to life and then seal it. And so in '13, that inspiration came to me and that's what I've been making and selling since.

John: Yeah. So, and we're talking about the art now. You have a website specifically for your art, is that correct?

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. It's my name, Jessie Benson Fine Art. So jessiebensonfineart.com, and I'm actually having a show ... I have occasional shows. You can kind of check back in and see virtual shows that I have yet, but I do a lot of commissions, actually, which are custom pieces. Someone might have me make one to honor a sister's wedding or the passing of a loved one. So a lot of my work is custom.

John: How do people find out about that? I mean, how do you develop clients in that particular part of your ongoing career?

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. So a major part that people find out about me is I was doing shows across the Eastern US, like Florida all the way up to Pennsylvania, and weekend shows that you might see in your own town, where artists set up booths for the weekend, and I gained a lot of exposure that way. And I still have people who will email me years later and say, "I saw you at this show. Will you make me a piece?" Or, "What do you have right now that you're selling?" And so that's a main way, and then I'm in galleries, and so folks will go into galleries, they'll see my work and they may not see something that they want there, or even if they do, then they'll get my contact info and email me for a custom piece.

John: All right. Well, somebody might track you down just for your advice on how to expand their art exposure.

Dr. Jessie Benson: I absolutely will help, because there are definitely tips, for sure.

John: All right. Well, I'll put the link to that website in the show notes. We have some others to talk about. So to go from there, chronologically then, the other things.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. So then the next thing was cello. It was really just music in general, but especially cello, which is the instrument that I've actually trained on. Again, loved music my whole life, but unwilling to try. The story of my life up until 10 years ago, and then I was at a music festival with my friend and she saw her friend playing cello and I said, "Oh gosh, can I try your cello?" And he said, "Sure," and as soon as I touched that instrument, I knew that I would do cello. Everything in me said, "You are going to play cello," and so I went right away ... I was still a physician then, practicing. I went and rented a cello from the local string shop, and within six weeks I had already found a teacher, was dedicated and decided to buy my own cello, which is a substantial investment, and went with my cello teacher, picked it out. My cello's name is Grace, and just love playing cello. I've played at shows and I play on my own and house concerts. So cello's a big part of my life only because I was willing to try.

John: Now do you have people you that you tend to play with or do things with other than your own ... you said, I think maybe before we started the episode, the interview here about maybe doing something with a guitarist or something else?

Dr. Jessie Benson: When I was in Raleigh, which is where I lived, I knew a lot of people who would play music, and I would duet with any instrument that would be willing to duet with me. So I have played duets with trombone, with banjo, a female banjo player that was a vocalist, with guitar, with piano. I was basically in this place of anybody, let's play together. Yes, so definitely I duet with people, and then also just play at home for myself.

John: Yeah. We definitely need to practice for sure, but it's fun to ... it's just playing. I play the guitar poorly, but playing is just fun. It's just something you just want to do and could probably spend hours, depending on your mood and all that.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Absolutely. I love to play outside when it's raining. When I'm covered to play during the rain, just it's a beautiful. It's a wonderful experience to share, playing music.

John: Well, I do talk about sometimes doing the bluegrass thing on my guitar. Now, guitar players and bluegrass are a dime a dozen. So what I always encourage people ... Anyone in the Chicago area that plays banjo that's listening to the podcast, get in touch with me because I could really use someone like a banjo player or a mandolin player or a fiddle player for that, any of the above.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Banjo is such a wonderful instrument to duet with, for sure.

John: Yeah. That's great. Okay, so we're going down this path. So you're getting into the cello after starting your art. You're doing both of those things and he thought, "Well, I don't have enough things to be interested in," so what's the next thing?

Dr. Jessie Benson: So I fell in love with both of those things, art and music before my last night that I described in 2014, and then in '15, I got my yoga teacher training, meditation teacher training, life coach training and certification, and then when all that was finished in late '15, I went on an eight month trip around the US in an RV, hiking many state and national parks, and at the end of that, after looking at many different communities, wondering if this is where I want to spend the rest of my current life, and I decided I wanted to settle in a little place I'd heard about called Floyd, Virginia, and I went to college at Radford University, which is in Virginia, and Floyd had this reputation for being the sweet little arts and music town. I never visited, but it stuck in my mind, because 20 years later I pulled that 40 foot RV up into a nearby town and went and explored Floyd and said, "Okay, this is where I want to live."

And so three weeks later made an offer on property and two weeks later owned it, and that's when my homesteading journey began, and what homesteading essentially means ... and I actually call myself a hybrid homesteader, but what homesteading means is to essentially try to do as much as you can for yourself. So it's this idea of reliance, and so what that looks like in my version of homesteading is the biggest project has been designing and helping build my house, and so when I got this land, it was basically land and a pond and a well, and now it's my dream home, my art studio, and still the pond, which is beautiful, with a half built dock, which is not finished yet, because that's what homestead life is, just a series of projects in different states of completion, and all of that took work. So just from designing my house on a piece of paper with a pencil, to getting the building permit, to meeting with the engineer to confirm the framing plan.

I had to learn building code. I had to learn so many things, and my cousin is a builder and he led the way and I helped with so much of it, and that's what homesteading is. So that's the house, and then for me, it's also growing my own food. I try to grow as much of my food as I can, and then I do things like bake all my own bread, make my own pizza crust, which is my personal favorite, and then just tend the land. Need cut down, trees need cut off around the edge of the pond. Just land takes constant maintenance, and homesteading is doing that maintenance as much as I can myself, and it's fun.

John: Okay. That's awesome. Now this is what happens typically, because I'm an introvert and when thinking about questions as you're talking, I have to go back, and my guests hate this when I do it, but you had gotten really involved in yoga, the coaching and meditation certifications, I think and those things, then you went on the RV trip. So was the RV trip mainly to look around geographically? How much of the planning for what you were going to do occurred ... well I'm assuming it did during that process as well. You were kind of figuring out how to put those things together?

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. So the main reason ... although in the back of my mind, I was thinking, "Well, I might find a neat community," because I did downsize my belongings when I left and I did put my house on the market. So what I knew was I'm not going to live in Raleigh anymore and that was it. I'm going to be a life coach. I'm going to keep doing art and music. I'm not going to live in Raleigh, and then it was blank slate from that point on, and so as I traveled those eight months, it was mostly just to have fun. I had been in this regimented, constricted environment, as much as any employee ship is, and I just wanted to be free. I just wanted to see the country. I just wanted to feel what it felt like to hike a new place every two or three days, to wake up and see new scenery. I just really wanted that, and so, yes, I was considering a community, but more, I just wanted to have fun and have an adventure.

John: Now, one of the things that some of the physicians on the podcast talk about is this feeling, kind of this pressure they get from their families or friends or people like, "Well, what are you talking about?" Was there any kind of pushback on that when you explained to whoever, your cousin, the builder, whoever, "Hey, I'm just going in my RV for six to eight months."

Dr. Jessie Benson: No, the people in my life, I'm very fortunate that they have this philosophy, if you're happy, I'm happy, and in fact, of everybody .... and I told, of course, everybody in the hospital, and I was there for six months, because I wanted to give them plenty of time to replace my specialty, and of everybody who over those six months knew I was leaving, everyone was just happy for me. There was only one physician who asked, "Well, really what are you going to do?" But everyone else was just happy for me, and I think too, a part of it was ... and more than one said, "I wish I could do it," and I would say, "You can," but it was total support, thankfully.

John: That's good. That helps. That helps. You're not fighting those battles of trying to explain yourself to people that don't understand. So let's see. I think I want to now hear more about the coaching, because I'm sure that has evolved over this period of time from where you started, and so how did you ... because I think for some physicians, this is really an attractive career, coaching. It's got all the good things about being a physician, as we said earlier. So yeah, how did you start coaching? What kind of coaching and how has that evolved over time?

Dr. Jessie Benson: So I chose a school that had a very comprehensive approach, as opposed to say executive coaching. I wanted a really comprehensive approach to coaching and to be able to meet a lot of different needs for a lot of people, and so that was the training I received, and then when I first started having clients, post training, post certification, that was what I did. I just would coach different people. I'd coached physicians. I would coach people from other professions. I would coach men. I would coach women. I'd coach them about their jobs, about their relationships, just really getting a feel for who I wanted to work with and what was most enjoyable to me, and when I first was coaching, it was very project management oriented. Let's figure out what you want to do, let's figure out the steps to get there, and let's do them, and that still has tremendous value. Of course, if we want to get somewhere, we need to know where we're trying to get and how to get there.

But since my practice first started several years ago, it has become much more elegant. I focus a lot more on beliefs, what I call barrier beliefs, the obstacles for why we don't do things, our fears, because we ... just like you said, people might want to leave medicine, but their family might be giving them a hard time. So focusing on those things and focusing on the action steps, but always making sure that the beliefs are in order before the action takes place. Yeah, and it's been pretty much one to one coaching, so private coaching, and then I've done some retreats and workshops where I incorporate my coaching with my yoga teacher, with my meditation teaching, and then what I'm doing now is something I'm super excited about, and it's a year long program for women and it's called Brave is Beautiful Circle, and it's a program where I help women find their authenticity and their creativity by doing what I call helping them find their brave, and it is the culmination of everything that we've been talking about since we've been on this interview. I incorporate my own personal experience of leaving medicine, I incorporate art challenges, I incorporate other types of creativity challenges, mindset challenges, one-to-one coaching, group coaching. So it's everything I love about coaching in one year long program.

John: Very nice. It's a good spot to put the websites in here. So you do have jessiebenson.com, which probably points to the app, but then you also have braveisbeautifulcircle.com, which is specifically for this year long process of coaching and learning.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. Yeah, www.braveisbeatifulcircle.com is where folks can just learn about the program. If they want to just learn about me and coaching in general, the jessiebenson.com, but as you mentioned, there is a link to the circle on jessiebenson.com.

John: Okay. So I'm going to get back to that in a minute, but I have to go backwards, as usual. At the beginning of your coaching ... this is a question I get a lot, and everyone goes through a training and they're certified and now they're kind of feeling like they're ready. They have to get clients. So I guess a couple of questions. One is, were you doing sort of some free coaching? Is that part of the process of learning to be a coach? And let's say at that very early stage, how did you get the word out? Where did you go to find clients?

Dr. Jessie Benson: So the answer to your first question about whether doing free, yes. During training, especially the program that I did, there is a lot of free coaching so that I can learn how to do it. I actually had to have, with my clients' permission, my calls recorded and then we would play them for our fellow students and our instructor. We would critique each other in a kind way, and so, yes, I did lots of free coaching. Then once I had my training and certification, then I took paid clients and it was all word of mouth, because I was in this large hospital and everyone knew what I was leaving to do. Some people would say, "Well, when you start coaching, I want you to coach me." I'd say, "Okay, I'll let you know when." So I had this kind of running list, because I did make it known this is what I'm going to do, and I didn't do that to get clients. I did it because people wanted to know what my journey was going to look like and I shared it, and so from the get go I had this pool of word of mouth client, and then word of mouth led to more word of mouth. So I actually didn't do any marketing my whole coaching practice up until now, when I'll start sharing about my circle, because that's a larger group of people, but it's just been word of mouth.

John: Now, the coaching that you started doing and have been doing for the last few years before the annual type of program or the year long program, what does that look like? How often do people usually get coached? What are they trying to get coaching for? How long does their coaching relationship usually last? It's kind of interesting to hear about those type of thing.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes, and so for all of my clients, no matter what they're coming to me for, I do a little free 30 minute thing to make sure that it sounds like what they want is something I can help them with, and then how I offer coaching as something that they want. So once we do that initial, then I do a two hour ... well, one to two hour, just depends ... life review session, and this is where we go through the nine fears of someone's life. So finances, work, relationships, rep, all those areas, and I have them rate their fulfillment on a scale of one to 10. So I get a snapshot and so today of what their life fulfillment in every area of life in this moment, and then we go from there.

And so right now I'm working with someone who's writing a book, and so we went right to career and contribution, because I already knew that person came to me ... she already came to me because she's writing a book and she wanted to support during that journey, and so we launched off from there, but we could just as easily have launched off from relationships or from self-care, like physical body care or mental care. And so from there, from that life review session, that's where the coaching happens, and then I meet with almost all of my clients 30 minutes every week, and I have one that we meet 30 minutes one time a month, but everybody else is 30 minutes a week, and then you asked how long is the relationship? It just depends. And so I have one person I've been working with for three years now. That person's been through career changes, from being employed, to being a consultant, to a relationship, to a new state, all sorts of wonderful life changes.

Another person I worked with a few weeks ago, her friend gifted her three sessions and she was having writer's block. Another author, separate author. I got a couple of authors at the same time, and we did those three sessions and we found out the root of her writer's block. She felt so lifted in this burden that she didn't even see, because that's what the help of the coach is. When we're in our own thing, we cannot see it, the idea of fish feel water, and when another set of eyes comes in, it's like, "Isn't this thing bothersome?" "Oh, that thing. Well, gosh, I hadn't even thought of that." So we did that in those three sessions and she had a really good result. So it really just depends.

John: Okay. Cool. All right. Well, I want to spend the last few minutes talking about the Brave Is Beautiful Circle. So, I mean I looked at the site and kind of the description and so forth. Now, have you been doing a version of this already? Or I this a brand new thing? Why don't you tell us a little bit about that.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yes. This is my coaching dream come true. So I sat down, when I started thinking about once my house was finished ... because I've been working on this house for four years with my cousin and it is finally finished, finished. I had this wellspring of time. I thought what do I want to spend it on? And I thought, I want to finally do my coaching circle I've been dreaming about. So this is a brand new program. I'm going to start enrolling people now, and I am centering it toward women, and especially female physicians, because that's a group I understand. I am a female physician. I've lived the life of a female physician. I understand the unique challenges, and so that's the focus of the group, and it'll start in the fall. If someone signs up, they'll start getting one to one with me, but the group coaching will start later in the fall, all the different kinds of group sessions I mentioned to you. So that is brand new and I could not be more excited. I was thinking, when I sat down to design it, I thought what would I have wanted 10 years ago when I was trying to break free from perfectionism, from fear of failure, from fear of rejection? And this is it. And so that's the program I designed.

John: Okay. So this is actually a good time. So we're kind of ramping up to the group sessions. Right now you're starting with the solo, the individual. So yeah, we'll definitely put the link in there and let people know about it. What else do they need to know? You said particularly women, especially physicians, just dealing with, like you said, the perfectionism, maybe the unhappiness, the disenchantment or whatever it might be.

Dr. Jessie Benson: So the main two things that someone will get from this program is connecting with their authenticity and their creativity. So, things like learning how to say no, setting boundaries, excellent self-care, getting over that concept of giving for everyone else and leaving nothing left for oneself. So all of that authenticity work, and then the other half of it is creativity. So whatever that means in the woman's life, if it's music, art, cooking, but to start tapping into that living life with this sense of adventure, the sense of creative expression.

John: Very good. All right. Well we're just about out of time. So this has been really inspirational. We can't necessarily learn in 30 minutes how to become an artist, a cellist, a homesteader, a coach, but I think it's giving people hope that you could be ... I mean, you were in an intense career. I mean, intensivist, anesthesiologist in the CCU or ICU, and here you are 10 years later and very pleased and have tried a lot of different things, and so I think that's very inspirational, and so listeners, if you feel like you're trapped, there's no need to be remained trapped. you can move on, and it doesn't mean you have to leave medicine either. We're not saying that. We're just saying that we should be more intentional about what we're doing and we should be able to find a life that brings us joy and balance and fulfillment.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Absolutely. There is absolute hope in having a balanced life, whether you choose to stay in medicine or not, because leaving medicine is not for everybody, but I absolutely feel like someone can stay in medicine and still enjoy life.

John: Very good. Well with that, I do want to remind everyone to maybe go to jessiebenson.com. That's one place where you can at least see the coaching. I think maybe ... do you even talk about the art there, or you point them even to the art?

Dr. Jessie Benson: I don't think I do, John.

John: Well, we know the jessiebensonfineart.com is a place, but there'll be links in the show notes. So I just want people to understand that they have options and maybe follow a path similar to what you've done. So I'm really happy that you were able to come on the podcast today, Jessie.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Thank you so much for having me. I've loved it.

John: I can't imagine where you're going to be 10 years from now. The arc had been so steep here, I don't know.

Dr. Jessie Benson: I don't know either, but I am excited to find out.

John: All right. Well then we'll have to touch base again and find out where you are down the road.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Yeah, episode 500.

John: Yeah, oh my gosh. I better be retired by then, I don't know. All right, Jessie. Well, with that, I'm going to say thanks again, and we'll be in touch sometime in the future, but I'll just say goodbye at this point.

Dr. Jessie Benson: Thank you. Bye.

John: Bye bye.

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]]> https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/intensivist-to-coach/feed/ 0 63679 How To Make Meaningful Changes In Your Life Immediately https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/make-meaningful-changes/ https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/make-meaningful-changes/#respond Tue, 21 Jan 2025 13:59:37 +0000 https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/?p=42962 Interview with Dr. Michelle Bailey - 388 In this podcast episode, John's guest shares how to make meaningful changes in your life and career. Dr. Michelle Bailey is an accomplished academic pediatrician, medical director, and physician coach who first visited the podcast in Episode 124. Helping physicians navigate career transitions since 2012, Dr. [...]

The post How To Make Meaningful Changes In Your Life Immediately appeared first on NonClinical Physicians.

]]> Interview with Dr. Michelle Bailey – 388

In this podcast episode, John's guest shares how to make meaningful changes in your life and career. Dr. Michelle Bailey is an accomplished academic pediatrician, medical director, and physician coach who first visited the podcast in Episode 124.

Helping physicians navigate career transitions since 2012, Dr. Bailey combines personal experience with expertise to guide others through transformative career decisions. Her approach emphasizes the importance of thoughtful reflection and strategic planning in making successful life changes.

Our Episode Sponsor

Dr. Armin Feldman's Prelitigation Pre-trial Medical Legal Consulting Coaching Program

The Medical Legal Consulting Coaching Program will teach you to build a nonclinical consulting business. Open to physicians in ANY specialty, completing Dr. Armin Feldman’s Program will teach you how to become a valued consultant to attorneys without doing med mal cases or expert witness work.

His program will enable you to use your medical education and experience to generate a great income and a balanced lifestyle. Dr. Feldman will teach you everything, from the business concepts to the medicine involved, to launch your new consulting business during one year of unlimited coaching.

For more information, go to nonclinicalphysicians.com/mlconsulting or arminfeldman.com.

Our Podcast Sponsor

We're proud to have the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA Program, offered by the Haslam College of Business, as the sponsor of this podcast.

The UT PEMBA is the longest-running, and most highly respected physician-only MBA in the country. It has over 700 graduates. And, the program only takes one year to complete. 

By joining the UT Physician Executive MBA, you will develop the business and management skills you need to find a career you love. To learn more, contact Dr. Kate Atchley’s office at (865) 974-6526 or go to nonclinicalphysicians.com/physicianmba.

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Make Meaningful Changes Using the Power of Strategic Pausing

Drawing from years of coaching experience, Dr. Bailey introduces her concept of the power of the pause – a transformative approach to career decision-making. She explains how taking intentional time to reflect and assess can lead to more fulfilling career choices, rather than making decisions from a place of burnout or fear. This methodical approach has helped numerous physicians discover paths they hadn't previously considered.

Her framework helps doctors identify their core values and non-negotiables, essential elements often overlooked in career transitions. The process involves creating space for deep reflection about both professional and personal priorities. Dr. Bailey emphasizes how this pause can be the crucial difference between making a reactive career move and finding a truly fulfilling path.

Transforming Medical Skills into New Opportunities

Michelle shares eye-opening perspectives on how physicians can leverage their existing skills in new ways. Her insights challenge common misconceptions about career transitions, revealing how medical training provides valuable transferable skills that can open doors to diverse opportunities. She offers practical guidance on identifying and articulating these skills effectively to make meaningful changes in your career.

Her approach helps physicians recognize and articulate their unique value proposition in nonclinical roles. She discusses how medical training develops numerous transferable skills that are highly valued across industries. 

Summary

Physicians interested in exploring career transitions or seeking clarity in their professional journey can connect with Dr. Michelle Bailey through her website at DrMichelleBailey.com or schedule a complimentary career consultation at callwithmichelle.com. Her approach focuses on helping physicians make thoughtful, strategic career decisions through structured reflection and practical action steps.

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Transcription PNC Podcast Episode 388

How To Make Meaningful Changes In Your Life Immediately

- Interview with Dr. Michelle Bailey

John: I'm really happy to welcome back a guest from about five years ago. Back then, we were talking to her about her work as a senior medical director and some of the coaching she was doing. And I've been looking to get her back for a while, she's back to talk to us today and we're going to discuss mostly what she's learned and what she can teach us about career transition and physicians and so forth. Dr. Michelle Bailey, welcome back to the PNC podcast.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Hi, John, thank you so much for inviting me back. I'm so happy to be here.

John: Yeah, I've been following you over those last five or six years just to kind of see what you're doing. As far as I know, you still exist. You still have a LinkedIn profile. And I know that you're still doing coaching, physician coaching, it's always good to pick the brain of someone who has interacted with and helped physicians navigate their career, their life, whatever. That's why I really wanted to get you back here. So welcome back.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Thank you, thank you. Yeah, I've learned quite a few lessons over the last five years since we've had a chance to talk.

John: Yeah, and I think you've been coaching since around 2012. So you've been doing that for a while.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Yeah, I actually started coaching around self-care and balance between work and home-life before it was a thing. And it was just what I was seeing in my work at Duke with students and residents and fellows and even some faculty. And that sort of blossomed into more coaching work around career satisfaction and career transitions, particularly after I made my own transition back in 2016.

John: Yes, yes, that was a big change. To go from full-time, I think you were doing academic pediatrics at the time.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: That's right.

John: Yeah, and then you flipped into the other thing you're doing, which is the nonclinical work. Tell us just about that for a minute.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Sure, yeah, I was an academic pediatrician. I was seeing patients full-time in addition to teaching responsibilities at the medical school. And I decided to make the leap and move into a nonclinical career. I went to work as a medical director for a global contract research organization. And for those listeners who haven't heard of that, essentially the company I work for is hired by pharmaceutical or biotech companies to execute the running of their clinical trials. And so I wasn't sure if I was qualified to do that in the beginning, but they were very confident that I was and made an offer for me to join the team.

And essentially I get to leverage my medical education and experience and bring all of that into the world of pediatric clinical trials. And it's just been a wonderful career path for me, surprising in many ways. I still get to learn, which I love, and I still get to advocate for kids and to be a part of helping to bring life-saving and life-changing medicines to them.

John: Okay, we're going to talk mostly about what you've been doing with the coaching, things that maybe are new or just aha moments maybe that you've even had over these, let's say last five years. However, you did mention that issue about going to, I guess some people call it now biopharma, they use this kind of all-encompassing name, but the physicians often just feel like, well, how can I do that? I'm not a researcher. I haven't spent any time writing articles on things like that. But explain what you were kind of alluding to in terms of the fact that you were qualified for what you did then and what you're doing now.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Yeah, I can certainly say my journey and my experience mirrors a lot of the physicians that I have conversations with and ultimately end up coaching in that in our training and education, we don't really learn about options outside of direct patient care or bench research. And so that's really all I knew. And once I decided that I wanted to do something different, I had no idea what that would be.

And back during that time, there weren't a lot of podcasts like yours or conferences and other things around to kind of help educate you. But what I've learned over my eight plus years of being in this new industry is that we have transferable skills. So these things that we learn and skills we acquire as physicians, like leadership, for example, we have these skills that we bring with us to other industries and we can apply them.

For example, in my case, some of the skills that I get to use are just my general knowledge about children and the fact that they don't come to clinic visits alone, they come with their parents or they come with siblings. And so I'm looking at a study protocol for a research trial. And I see that the assessments for that study are going to keep that family on site in the clinic for like six to eight hours.

In my mind, that's going to be a difficult study to enroll for because as a parent, it means I've got to take time off from work. I've got to get my kids from school. I've got to arrange maybe childcare for the other kids or bring them with me. We got to figure out food while we're there for that period of time. So those are the insights that I can bring to a team that has never worked in a clinic and had these kinds of interactions with a family. And so it's things that are seemingly simple to us.

And I think we don't appreciate how much we know because it's just our world. It's what we do. But also just sort of the leadership that we acquire as a physician, the fact that we are really good at doing hard things, that's a part of our training. And also we're really good at figuring things out. So just because you've never seen something before, you don't know how to do something, you are motivated to figure out a potential solution. So that's another skill that we bring with us into these different roles.

And so I quickly understood how I could add value and contribute in meaningful ways to the team. And that really helped boost my confidence. And so what I talk to physicians about now is understanding their own set of transferable skills.

What are the strengths that they have? What skillset do they already have? And what gaps might they need to fill? But also just really paying attention to what it is they enjoy doing. Because usually there are things that we're really good at that don't feel like work because it comes naturally to us. And those are things that other people struggle with.

For me, what was really helpful was what I call the power of the pause is just stopping long enough to reflect on how I felt about my career at that point in time, what it was I wanted moving forward and getting really clear on that. And that included what I didn't want. So I had to get clear on that as well and then ask myself why I wanted that because that was going to be the motivation to help me push through the difficult moments as I was looking for a new career path. And I helped my clients with that power of the pause as well.

John: Nice. Well, I got to write that down, the power of the pause. I'm going to tell my listeners a secret right now. Actually, I've never discussed how I prepare for an interview before, but I want to discuss it now with you here because I'm going to ask you probably at least a few questions that the audience will be like, well, where did those come from? And so I'm just explaining to my listeners that when I'm preparing, some of my cohorts that do podcasts just wing it. They just know what they want to talk about when the guest comes on and they just do it. I'm so, I don't know what you'd call it, maybe insecure or is it just compulsive, obsessive compulsive?

I have to do a little research and so I'm looking at Michelle's website and I'm looking at Michelle's LinkedIn profile and so then I see these things out there. And so that's why I'm going to ask, for example, the next question. I think you may have already answered this question, but this is, I just want to let the audience know why I'm maybe being a little redundant, but you talk about getting clear on what's working, what's not working and what's missing from our lives.

That's kind of something a coach does, I think it helps their clients. And you're talking about the pause, is that when you're doing that getting some clarity or am I looking at something different there?

Dr. Michelle Bailey: No, I think you're absolutely right, John. So taking the time to pause is what allows you to have the space created to get clear. For many of the physicians that are looking to make a transition from clinical practice, they often are feeling very burned out, they're feeling low energy, exhausted.

And so from that space, if you're really just looking for how do I get out, your search is going to be driven largely by fear. It's like this sort of desperate energy of, I don't know what I'm going to do, but I got to get out of here, I got to do something. And instead, what I'm encouraging is to take that time to pause and give yourself a little breathing space to say, okay, I know I don't want to continue to do this indefinitely, it doesn't feel sustainable for me.

Given that, if I knew everything could work out well, what is it that I would want to do? And why do I want to do that? And taking the time to get clear on those things instead moves you into this energy of sort of positive momentum to move forward. It's a focus on where you're going rather than what you're running away from, you know? And I've seen how that makes a difference because I've had some physicians who've come to me after they've made a transition, but they didn't really think it through. They saw someone that they knew made this move into a different industry.

They thought, "Oh, they look happy, that's what I'm going to pursue." And so they do and they get an offer and they're thrilled about that. Everybody just wants to get their foot in the door, but only to find that this isn't a good fit for them based on the season of life and career that they're in and what it is they want.

For me I'm not afraid to tell my age, but I'm at a different stage of life. I'm 57. And so I have grandkids. I want to be able to travel with my wife. I want to spend time with my grandkids. I want to pick them up from school or go on field trips with them.

It was important to me that whatever I did next allowed me location independent work and also allowed me to be able to have a flexible schedule so that if I needed to go and pick up my grandson from school, I could do that without feeling stressed out about it. So you have to just get clear on what your priorities are and what your values are.

When I work with clients, I have an exercise I do with them to help them get in touch with what their core values are now. Because the person that we are when we embark upon this journey in medicine is not necessarily the same person we are now, depending on how much time has passed. Like most of us are young adults when we're starting out on this medical journey and life happens along the way. And so being clear on where you are and what's important to you and where you want to go will really help direct your path towards something that's going to be a better fit for you.

John: Boy, how long would you say the average client that you've spoken with or even people you've even just mentored, how long does it take to figure that out do you think normally? Because many of us have this sense that we don't know what our passion is. We don't know what our purpose is. We don't really know what we like and we don't like. We just barrel forward and do our job because that's what we'd spent 15 years of our lives learning and it's hard for us to stop and even come up with answers to those questions.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Yeah, it varies quite a bit. I will say the physicians that have the fastest results in terms of finding that next step career in the nonclinical world are the ones that already come with a degree of clarity. They have made the decision. There's no ambivalence as to whether or not I want to do this. It's like, I've decided I'm going to leave clinical practice. I want to pursue a nonclinical career.

I don't know exactly what, but this is what I'm thinking of because I like X, Y, and Z. And so that the more clarity you have, the more accelerated I would say your journey is in terms of the transition. But for some people who haven't really given it much thought, the questions that we go through are very deep and reflective questions and it can take a good six weeks for them to really figure out, okay, this is what I want and this is why I want it.

But then there's another step of giving yourself permission to actually go after what you want. There's a lot of guilt and other uncomfortable emotions that can arise in thinking about making the transition. I feel like I'm going to be abandoning my patients. I don't want to abandon my partners. I don't want to leave them in a lurch. My family won't understand.

I may have to change my lifestyle if the salary that I get for nonclinical position is less than what I've had as a clinician. So there are all of these variables that come into play and I do think it's really helpful when you have a coach that can help hold space for you to work through some of that because you don't want that to be the barrier that keeps you stuck for yet another year and you're miserable. Life is just too short and too precious for that.

John: Well, if I was going to engage a coach, that would kind of be the thing. That's why I would do the engagements. Like, okay, I don't like what I'm doing. I'm not satisfied. It doesn't mean I'm burned out or whatever. I'm just it's just no longer what I want to pursue. And I really can't figure out, I would engage a coach to do that. So that makes perfect sense. that's kind of a core addition to the process that you have. So can you give us like just a glimpse as like what you said, you had either like some method or some tool or something to help people tease that out. Just an example would be very helpful.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Yeah, sure. So one of the things that we do is to explore like what's important to you now so that you can figure out what are some of the non-negotiables that you will need in this next career. So for example, like I have one client that I'm working with now, and it's important to her to be near an aging parent so that she can be a support to them.

And so she is really looking for an opportunity that allows her to stay in her geographic region for work. She knows through this exploration that it's important to her to have social connections around work. So as much as some people think, oh, I would love to just work from home full time, it is not for everyone.

And so if you need that social stimulation and connection on a regular basis through work, then you may need to have an opportunity that is office-based or at least hybrid. Where certain number of days you're going into the office and then a certain number of days you're working from home. So these are the kinds of questions that I will ask a client so that they can get clear on what's really important to them. And that sort of builds the scaffolding so that they know this is the container. Like I have to have this and I have to have that. Those are my non-negotiables.

Now with that in mind, what kinds of opportunities would fit into that? Because often we're doing the opposite. We're looking for an opportunity and then seeing how we can fit into that opportunity instead of the other way around.

John: I'm such a practical person at times. I have to ask this question. So what I would do, it could be a little overwhelming. There's lots of things that I definitely do want and a lot of things that are like absolutely not. And so they develop maybe even a checklist so that when as they're looking at job descriptions or they're talking to recruiters or whatever, it's like, okay, I got to make sure that we got these five are in and these five are definitely out of this job.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Yes, absolutely. And it kind of helps you create a matrix that you can work from. And even for you, like if you were thinking about doing something different, for example, I would start by saying, well, John, just write down like top of mind, the first 10 things that would be important to you in your next career, in this next opportunity.

And sometimes when people are asked that question, they're not able to write down 10 immediately. So that's not an uncommon thing. But what I would do is continue to ask yourself, it's like, okay, if I'm not so clear yet on what it is that I do want, let me start with what I don't want and write that out.

Let me get clear on that. For me, as an example, I was really clear that I did not want a job with a long commute because that's what I had in my clinical work. My commute was easily 40 to 45 minutes, an hour plus if the weather was inclement.

And so, it's like, well, I need a commute that's 15 minutes or less because I want to be able to maybe even go home for lunch. So starting there can help you gain that clarity that you need for what it is you do want. And thinking about like what would an ideal schedule look like for you? What hours would you be working? Would you be sitting at a desk or would you be doing something that's more interactive with people on a day-to-day basis? So these are the kinds of questions that you can ask. And I've developed some tools that I use with my clients to kind of help guide them through that process.

John: Excellent. I think that gives everyone a pretty good idea how that goes. And I go back probably about the time when I was speaking with you the first time on the podcast, like just have an episode with a coach about why coaching is so beneficial.

And because there's a lot of resistance to coaching. I see it all the time. And people call me or they ask for advice and it's like maybe you just need to sit down with a coach for a few weeks because I don't do coaching. And I'm not going to answer your question in a short email. But they're like very reluctant at times. But so that's a good refresher and a good look into coaching.

Now, I had on my list too, I wanted to ask you about what new revelations have you had about coaching in the last five years? Is there something new about coaching or just have things evolved in terms of where we are as physicians in the whole milieu of the healthcare system itself and different forms of employment?

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Yeah. Let me start off by saying, I believe in the power of coaching. And so I have my own coach. I'm a coach, but still I have my thoughts and beliefs that at times can be limited. And so one of the things that's valuable in working with a coach is having someone to help you see different perspectives. I will say that I have noticed that there seems to be an increase in thinking about working with a coach. Like you, I've been in a lot of Facebook groups and other social media groups where I saw a fair amount of bashing of coaches.

John: Oh, really?

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Yeah. And I think there's some that really feel like there are people who are out there who are presenting themselves as coaches that don't have any training, that don't have any background and are really just looking to take advantage of physician colleagues. So I'm not a proponent of that. However, there are a lot of us physicians who have gone on to do additional training in coaching.

And there are different types of coaching as you probably know, John there's executive coaching for people who are trying to get into executive level positions who want to do hospital administration or maybe go into the C-suite for an organization. There are life coaches, there are career coaches. So there are different sort of specialty areas, if you will.

And for me, career coaching was the likely choice because people started reaching out to me to ask me to help them with their own transition because I was speaking so visibly about my own journey and how I didn't have as much support as I would have liked back then and thought something was wrong with me because I wasn't happy doing what I was doing. And so I do see that more physicians are reaching out for some support, that many of the challenges that I hear when I have conversations with physicians about their career, is they're feeling a bit stuck and unmotivated. They don't know what they would do next if they were to transition.

If they decide that they do want to transition, they don't know where to start or how to sort of get their foot in the door. And it's feeling not as easy to make the transition for a lot of physicians as it was previously. And I can say that certainly there are changes within the industry that are reflective of the economic state of the region that you're living in that can make a difference.

But even at times where we've seen a downturn, where there were fewer jobs available, there's always someone somewhere that is hiring. And so one of the most powerful things that you can do to enhance your own career and raise the likelihood that you can accelerate your transition is networking. And I get a lot of eye rolls when I say that. It's kind of like role plays when we were in medicine and we were learning a new skill and they were like, okay, we're going to do a role play. And everyone's eyes would kind of glaze over because no one enjoys doing it. But it is an activity that helps you develop a skill and get better at it.

And networking is one of those things. And the way I sort of talk about it is if you're looking for an opportunity for yourself, you are one set of eyes, one set of ears. But if you are telling other people what it is you would like to do, then you get more sets of eyes, more sets of ears.

It's kind of like boots on the ground that are going out like little sentinels that are looking on your behalf. So when something comes to their attention, they can think about you and reach out to you. So you want to stay top of mind for people. And that's one of the most important reasons for networking. Plus you learn about other things that people are doing that you otherwise might not be aware of.

John: Yeah, I just have a comment on a couple of things you said just to actually emphasize those and support what you're saying. Number one, most physicians would probably be shocked to know how many hospital CEOs still get coaching. There's so many people in business that get coaching.

They just see it as part of the job because they want to be cutting edge. They want to think strategically and they get a lot from the coaching. So that's one thing I, again, that kind of just because of this resistance that physicians have like, well, I've gone to all this school.

Well, that's not the point. And then the networking that's, there's so many it's not like you're going to a meeting and then having some drinks after the meeting and a conference room and you're networking. Nobody likes that really, at least physicians don't have time for that.

But to connect with people, whether it's through LinkedIn or through word of mouth or whatever, like you said, it just magnifies what you're doing. It just makes it so much more of a reach and exposure. So, yeah, it seems like that's becoming more important since we last spoke.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Absolutely, yeah. I think, as you mentioned, CEOs and other executives, this is just a part of the job. And often they are provided with a coach at the expense of it's charged to the company. And coaches are really valuable in helping you with a strategic plan so that there's some organization to what you're doing. And you're not just like throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. Because that burns a lot of time and a coach can really help you be more efficient and more organized because you're thinking in a more strategic manner.

John: That is so true. And I love hearing that. Okay, we're going to run out of time pretty soon, actually. I had this long list of questions, but let's try and kind of focus here. What else have you got to tell us that really can be useful? I know we were talking before we got on about making changes and I was thinking, well, that could be useful not only in career transition. I don't know if we've touched on that yet, just how to implement those changes in your life or other career tips or transition tips, anything like that that you think would be helpful.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Yeah, I think there are a few skills that really lend themselves to making change. One is decision-making. I didn't give this too much thought before I started working with a coach, but then I realized I have an approach to how I make decisions.

And I'm one where I need to have all the information. I want to see it all laid out so that I can weigh all my options before I make the decision. And there's this saying, how you do anything is how you do everything. And I noticed that that wasn't just showing up with big, important decisions. It was little decisions, like what entree I wanted to eat when I went out to a restaurant at dinner.

And my wife is like, pick one. I'm asking all these questions of the server to try and weigh my options. Which am I going to enjoy more? So decision making is a skill and I think it's one that can really lend itself nicely to helping you when you want to make change in your life. I think another skill like that is, well, I call it a skill, but self-confidence.

So belief in yourself. I said earlier during our conversation that physicians can do hard things. It's just part of our training and we're really good at figuring things out. I often remind the physicians that I'm coaching that they can do hard things and that they can figure it out. And it's okay that you haven't done this exact thing before. You have what it takes to be able to do it. And so your own self-confidence plays a big factor in how successful you may or may not be in doing things in your life when you're ready to make a change.

John: Okay. No, that is also, and people, I think if they recognize that maybe they don't feel that they're portraying themselves as not confident, but if they're doing it and not realizing it, then maybe they just need to step back and say, okay, let's stop and think about what I'm doing and saying, and then let's see if I can just portray myself as I really am, which is a confident powerful person that definitely can handle this new job.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Right. And I'll tell you one way you can know if you're lacking in confidence is the action that you're taking or rather the action you're not taking. So one of the things that I do see is for a lot of physicians, they are doing what they feel is taking steps to transition, but it's honestly a lot of busy work.

That's not really putting themselves out there because they're either afraid of rejection or they're having that self-confidence issue. And so when I ask very concrete questions, like how many applications have you submitted in the last week? And they say, well, none. So being able to really look at some concrete metrics for yourself and focusing on what you have control over. So you don't have control over whether or not someone makes you an offer for a job, but you do have control over how many people you connect with to network, how many applications you're putting out there how many jobs you're exploring, like maybe reaching out to recruiters.

These are things that you have some control over and just take a look at whether or not the actions you're taking are things that will make a meaningful difference in moving your career search forward, or if it's just accumulating more information and more data, which isn't necessarily going to help you in that next step.

John: So true. Again, it's logical. But the thing is, too, if you apply to a lot of places, you're eventually going to get feedback. And then you're going to say, oh, I didn't know that was stupid of me to do that way. And you're telling me because I've now made a contact with this person, a recruiter or the HR department. And there's a lot of information you can get from that. And it doesn't happen unless you start to apply.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Right. And the caveat is applying strategically.

John: Yeah.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Right. Just applying for any job and using the exact same resume, the exact same cover letter isn't going to cut it. People are looking at why should we hire you over someone else? And so the purpose of your resume and your LinkedIn profile is to help them understand why they should hire you. Why would you be a good choice as opposed to someone else? And most of the folks within HR who are looking at the initial application to invite folks for a screening interview don't have a medical background.

They don't necessarily understand how you can translate the skills you already have into this new role. And as a result, a lot of physicians, when they look at the job description, feel like they're not qualified for these roles that they're interested in. And so that's where transferable skills come in. And I'm developing a resource that folks can use to help them identify those transferable skills and what positions would be really good, a good fit for those skills.

John: Okay. That's a good segue because this is going to be a chance to learn more about your website and contacting you. But I want to say one other thing, and I've probably forgotten it now. But anyway, I think it's, I had a guest once tell me that she, before she found her first nonclinical job, she literally had sent in a thousand resumes, but she was going to websites and putting it in. She had no contact with any company person. She never called anybody, never talked to anybody.

And so, it was just a black hole. These things were going into. And like you said, the other thing I remember was that the job descriptions are like what they would want in the perfect candidate. Here's everything we want. They never get everything they want. So don't think that that rules you out.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: And to that point, I would say there's a lot of research that's been done on gender bias. And men, when they look at a job description, if they have like a third of the qualifications will apply. Whereas women, if they don't check off all the boxes, are less likely to apply. And that may sound like a generalization, but there's a lot of literature that's been done to kind of back that up. And so I would encourage listeners to not count themselves out. And if you check all the boxes, you're probably overqualified for the position and it's not going to necessarily be a good fit for you. So look for something where you have a lot of the qualifications and you can move into that role and still have room to grow.

John: That sounds good. That's good advice. Okay. So how do we find you and tell us about your website and yeah. And maybe even if you want to do a little pitch to say, what is the kind of client you're looking for that would be ideal for you? We could give you that opportunity too. Just tell us about your website and stuff.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Sure. Folks can find my website at drmichellebailey.com. You can also sign up for a complimentary career consultation with me. I love having conversations with physicians and hearing about where you are and what you're thinking about if you're considering a transition. And I'm happy to give you just some guidance on what might help. And for that, you can sign up at callwithmichelle.com. And then you can also find me on social media.

I'm on Facebook at Michelle Bailey, and I'm on Instagram at the Dr. Michelle Bailey. And I would say in terms of an ideal client that I enjoy working with and that I think I can help the most, it's someone who has been thinking about leaving medicine for a while, but they're still ambivalent. They're not sure whether or not that's the best course of action for them. And they have no idea where to start or how to figure that out. I think having just that complimentary consultation that I spoke of earlier is an opportunity to create that space where you can pause and reflect on where you are and where you'd like to be.

And I've had conversations with a lot of physicians who haven't gone on to be clients, but had that one consultation and came back to me and said that was so helpful because I got much clearer on what it was I wanted, or I learned that I'm actually not ready to leave clinical practice. I just need a different position within clinical medicine. And so I would encourage you to just think about that. But I'm happy to sit and chat with anyone who wants to have a conversation. I enjoy helping.

John: Very good. Now, I would definitely encourage people if they've been in this mode for the last six or 12 months, thinking about it and maybe even ruminating about it and just can't get it out of their mind, but I have not taken any action, you definitely want to reach out to Michelle and see if you can get off either fix the problem or move forward to the next thing. So that'll be very helpful.

There will be links in the show notes with all those, because it's sometimes hard to write those things down while you're driving. So just go to the website. At the end of the outro of this, then I'll put all that stuff there where you go to find all these links.

All right, Michelle, I will thank you very much for coming here today. But we really covered a lot of stuff that was very dense. Like you could write a book based on that.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Thank you so much, John, for having me. I really appreciate it. And just wanted to say how much I appreciate all you do to support the physician community.

John: I love doing it. And it gives me a chance to meet people like you, which is really fascinating. And I like to see other people helping us, our colleagues who are suffering.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Agreed.

John: Yeah.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: And impact is the most important thing for me.

John: All right. With that, I'll say goodbye.

Dr. Michelle Bailey: Bye, John.

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Disclaimers:

*Many of the links that I refer you to and in the show notes are affiliate links. That means that I receive a payment from the seller if you purchase the affiliate item using my link. Doing so has no effect on the price you are charged. I only promote products and services that I believe are of high quality and will be useful to you, and that I have personally used or am very familiar with.

The opinions expressed here are mine and my guest’s. While the information provided on the podcast is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge, there is no express or implied guarantee that using the methods discussed here will lead to success in your career, life, or business.

The information presented on this blog and related podcast is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. I do not provide medical, legal, tax, or emotional advice. If you take action on the information provided on the blog or podcast, it is at your own risk. Always consult an attorney, accountant, career counselor, or other professional before making any major decisions about your career. 

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The post How To Make Meaningful Changes In Your Life Immediately appeared first on NonClinical Physicians.

]]> https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/make-meaningful-changes/feed/ 0 42962 How to Be a Life Coach and Professional Artist – 158 https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/professional-artist/ https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/professional-artist/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2020 14:25:45 +0000 https://nonclinicalphysicians.com/?p=5146 Interview with Dr. Jessie Benson  In this week's PNC Podcast episode, Dr. Jessie Benson describes how she became a coach, musician, and professional artist after practicing anesthesiology for 10 years. Jessie received her medical degree from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed an anesthesia residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham [...]

The post How to Be a Life Coach and Professional Artist – 158 appeared first on NonClinical Physicians.

]]> Interview with Dr. Jessie Benson 

In this week's PNC Podcast episode, Dr. Jessie Benson describes how she became a coach, musician, and professional artist after practicing anesthesiology for 10 years.

Jessie received her medical degree from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. She then completed an anesthesia residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a critical care fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic.

Jessie spent the first 3 decades of her life chasing achievement and approval. Her life was marked by perfectionism and a fear of failure and rejection. Through dedicated self-work, she was able to break free from this way of thinking. That is when she really started living.

Our Sponsor

We're proud to have the University of Tennessee Physician Executive MBA Program, offered by the Haslam College of Business, as the sponsor of this podcast.

The UT PEMBA is the longest-running, and most highly respected physician-only MBA in the country, with over 650 graduates. And, unlike other programs, which typically run 1 – 1/2 to 2 years, this program only takes a year to complete. Recently, Economist Magazine ranked the business school #1 in the world for the Most Relevant Executive MBA.

While in the program, you'll participate in a company project, thereby contributing to your organization. As a result, the University of Tennessee PEMBA students bring exceptional value to their organizations.

Graduates have taken leadership positions at major healthcare organizations. And they've become entrepreneurs and business owners.

By joining the University of Tennessee physician executive MBA, you will develop the business and management skills needed to find a career that you really love. To find out more, contact Dr. Kate Atchley’s office by calling (865) 974-6526 or go to nonclinicalphysicians.com/physicianmba.

A Coach, Musician, and Professional Artist

After practicing anesthesiology and critical care medicine for nearly a decade, Jessie took a leap of faith in 2014. She left medicine to build the life of her dreams. She now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia on 5 ½ acres of heaven. Jessie’s days are filled with doing what she loves. She works with life coach clients. She creates and sells her beeswax and oil paintings as a professional artist. And since building her house, she now lives the life of a homesteader each day.

I just knew it wasn't the life for me, and so I decided I wanted to have a different life and that's what I do now.

In addition to developing her artistic impulses, she brought music back into her life. She began playing the cello, sometimes performing for others.

Exposure to Life Coaching

Jessie has steadily grown her coaching practice to a vibrant one. In addition to meeting with her one-on-one clients weekly, Jessie leads workshops and retreats. The culmination of this work is Brave Is Beautiful Circle. This is her year-long immersion program helping women connect with their authenticity and creativity and “find their brave.”

jessie benson professioal artist life coach

By life coach and professional artist Dr. Jessie Benson.

Jessie's Journey Didn't Stop There

Art and music weren't all that Jessie fell in love with. In preparation for her transition, Jessie completed yoga and meditation training and certification. Then, she traveled around the U.S. in an RV, hiking many state and national parks. This helped her to decide where she wanted to settle down and begin her new life.

After her traveling journey, she started her life coaching practice. In her practice, she focuses on what she calls barrier beliefs. These are the obstacles to moving forward productively. Ultimately, that led her to develop her year-long coaching program. In it, she integrates much of what she has learned over the past several years. Now, she is super excited about her Brave is Beautiful Circle program. 

Summary

In this episode, Dr. Jessie Benson discusses why there is hope that each of us can find a more balanced life. Since leaving medicine, she now spends her time as a life coach, musician, homesteader, and professional artist. And she loves it.

And she encourages all of us to follow our own path to a more balanced and authentic life. Whether in medicine or not. But it requires effort and commitment. And sometimes some coaching.

Links for Today's Episode:

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The Nonclinical Career Academy Membership Program recently added a new MasterClass!

I've created 17 courses and placed them all in an exclusive, low-cost membership program. The program provides an introduction to dozens of nontraditional careers, with in-depth lessons on several of them. It even includes my full MSL Course. There is a money-back guarantee, so there is no risk to signing up. And I'll add more courses each month.

Check out the home page for the Academy at nonclinicalphysicians.com/joinnca.

Thanks to our sponsor…

Thanks to the UT Physician Executive MBA program for sponsoring the show. It’s an outstanding, highly rated, MBA program designed for working physicians. It is just what you need to prepare for that fulfilling, well-paying career. You can find out more at nonclinicalphysicians.com/physicianmba.

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Podcast Editing & Production Services are provided by Oscar Hamilton

Disclaimers:

Many of the links that I refer you to, and that you’ll find in the show notes, are affiliate links. That means that I receive a payment from the seller if you purchase the affiliate item using my link. Doing so has no effect on the price you are charged. And I only promote products and services that I believe are of high quality and will be useful to you, that I have personally used or am very familiar with.

The opinions expressed here are mine and my guest’s. While the information provided on the podcast is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge, there is no express or implied guarantee that using the methods discussed here will lead to success in your career, life, or business.

The information presented on this blog and related podcast is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. It should not be construed as medical, legal, tax, or emotional advice. If you take action on the information provided on the blog or podcast, it is at your own risk. Always consult an attorney, accountant, career counselor, or other professional before making any major decisions about your career. 

The post How to Be a Life Coach and Professional Artist – 158 appeared first on NonClinical Physicians.

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