This week we are talking about the mental side of being an entrepreneur and some of the challenges that brings.  I've struggled with a bunch of these challenges myself and worked through them, and so I have some tips and tricks for you. I hope you will find this video helpful as you enter the world without the accountability or direction of a boss and without a set schedule handed to you. 

You are Your Own Boss Now!

One of the biggest things that I've struggled with, and that people I talk to also struggle with, is that when you're your own boss, nobody is holding you accountable to complete your work. Nobody is breathing down your neck, waiting for you to hand in that project or that report.  No one is telling you where to be, what to do, or when to complete all your charts. All of this is now up to you. For the clinical stuff, that is easier. You have been through residency and various training programs, and you can probably complete the clinical items on...

Today I am sharing with you the one tool that you need which will grow your practice to seven figures in three days!  Okay, obviously that's a bit of hyperbole, but I DO have a special tool to recommend for you, and it's absolutely free. It can make you wealthy. It can bring you peace of mind. It can make sure that your business is healthy. It can make your life happy. The tool I want to talk about today is your brain and your gut. Do you realize that you already have the power to do all the things that you need to do and to achieve success?

Shiny Object Syndrome 

I was talking to some providers recently, and it's a common thing, not just for providers but for entrepreneurs, to get distracted by the shiny new tool or this little software widget here and think, "Maybe if I just sign up for this, some of my problems will go away...or I'll have more money... or more time..." It's hard to resist all these tools, especially because they're doing a good job marketing. But...

Today I am giving you a quick HIPAA update and tackling one of the most frequently asked questions that I get daily from my members. I've counseled most of them on this, and now it's time to share the information with you. 

The recent, current question that practitioners are always asking me is, "Can I email my patients?" In other words, does HIPAA allow you to email your patients? The answer from HHS is a qualified yes, but I would say it's a qualified no from me. Let's take a look at these differences.

Read the Fine Print

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has an article first published in 2008 (last refreshed in 2013) that says the Privacy Rule does allow you to email patients, even for health issues and treatment plans, which would traditionally be PHI (Protected Health Information). Also, according to HHS, unencrypted email is not prohibited and is allowed. However, the same article also references the reasonable safeguards you...

I went Live on Facebook last Friday to answer a few questions that providers continue to have.  I have had so many responses and follow-up questions to last Friday's Live session, and I thought it would be beneficial to post the Live video and reiterate the helpful content.   (Please note that the Live recording lags for just the first 20 seconds of the video.)

Recently, during my Functional Lawyer Membership Office Hours, I was talking to a provider who wanted to register her telemedicine practice in Florida-- because Florida allows for out-of-state practitioners to do so, as long as they have a license in good standing in another state. (If you need more information about this, you can go to www.functionallawyer.com/florida , and there is a step-by-step guide for you.) The provider I was helping had a good question, and one that often comes up: "What about insurance?"

Are you certain you're covered? 

The ins and outs of insurance are not always...

Did you know there are good fears and bad fears? There are fears that hold you back and fears that keep you safe. And then there are also fears that can be mitigated and, a lot of times, erased if you just did a little digging and self-exploration.

I know a bit about all of these types of fears and have experienced them on many levels while being an attorney, founding Functional Lawyer, and starting a functional medicine practice with my wife. I  left a very secure job at a well-paying law firm in a big, fancy downtown high rise in order to found Functional Lawyer, and I'm aware of the fear that entrepreneurs encounter every day. It's a really scary world out there.

However, I have learned that there's good fear, and there's bad fear, and both can be relevant to you as functional medicine providers. Recently, in 2021, I spoke with a provider who had been leasing an office for two years. And because she was so afraid of putting herself out there due to legal risks...

Professional Corporation Basics

Today at Functional Lawyer, we are talking about professional corporations, professional LLCs, and other professional entities. What are they? How are they different from regular corporations? Are there any specific naming rules that you have to follow?  I will be covering a variety of licensing questions, some protections for you against malpractice, and some taxation rules as well.

Firstly, a professional corporation is a corporation that is formed by licensed professionals whose company’s purpose is to provide the service that they're licensed to practice.  To put it simply, it is a group of licensed professionals forming a business.

What’s in a name?

One of the first things to consider is the naming conventions that are in play when forming a corporation. Most states’ rules vary a little bit here, but at the very least, you may be required to have the initials “PC” for a professional corporation,...

Today I'm talking about how to get a handle on and take charge of the financial cash flow of your business so that money, specifically cash flow of money, isn't a stress point or something that you avoid in your practice.

Now, I've seen this consistent concern from numerous doctors in my Functional Lawyer Membership and in general conversation with other doctors: cashflow is a stressful part of running a business. This is very common with small business owners, and I’ve seen it firsthand at Functional Lawyer and through my wife's functional medicine practice.

Today, I have a recommendation that will help you take charge of your cash flow so that you're not in a place where you're unsure if you can pay bills this month or worried that there's not going to be enough money at the end of the month for you to pay yourself.

The tool that I recommend, and this is a system that I've implemented at Functional Lawyer because it works so well at Origins...