Better Physician Life Coaching

Founder, CEO

Lodestar Consulting & Executive Coaching

Instructor, professional coach, and group facilitator for LODESTAR courses introducing trauma-informed best practices and concepts in the workplace.

Senior Faculty and Executive Coach with Lodestar Consulting & Executive Coaching, LLC

“If you don’t do this, what will change?”

That’s the question my first physician coach, Dr. Jimmy Turner, MD, asked me right before I decided to sign up for coaching.

It cracked something open. For a long time, I believed people don’t really change. But that one question made me realize possibility was bigger than I thought.

For Jimmy, that door opened through entrepreneurship. Six months out of fellowship, he found himself solving problems in new ways and it reshaped how he saw medicine, identity, and opportunity.

In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟔 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭—𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤? 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 & 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐫. 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫, we talk about skepticism, entrepreneurship, and what happens when you take the risk of stepping into change.

🎧 Listen now: What If You Took the Risk? Physician Entrepreneurship & Change with Dr. Jimmy Turner

Doctor Podcast Network

#PhysicianLeadership #HealthcareProfessionals #MedicalCommunity #BetterPhysicianLife #HealthcareLeadership #PhysicianGrowth

Michael Hersh, MD

Physician Coach at Better Physician Life Coaching | Trauma-Informed Professional Coach | Associate Certified Coach (ACC) | DO and MD Coach

Entrepreneurship is harder than being a physician. Not necessarily harder in skill, but infinitely more stressful. That’s how Jimmy Turner, MD describes it.

Because in medicine, the path is mapped. In entrepreneurship, there’s no map.

It’s not for the faint of heart. But that stress? It teaches lessons medicine never will. Negotiating. Saying no. Facing uncertainty. Learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

And if you’re willing to do that, the benefits on the other side can be amazing.

In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟔 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭—𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤? 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 & 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐫. 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫, we talk about the reality of risk, the stress of entrepreneurship, and why those very obstacles can become the way forward.
🎧 Listen now: What If You Took the Risk? Physician Entrepreneurship & Change with Dr. Jimmy Turner

📌 https://lnkd.in/gYg-Gd2b

Doctor Podcast Network

#PhysicianLeadership #PhysicianPerformance #PhysicianStrength #HealthcareProfessionals #BetterPhysicianLife #HealthcareLeadership

Physicians have always been entrepreneurs.

We used to hang a shingle, attract patients, and figure out how to run a practice. Somewhere along the way, we were told we’re “bad at business” and handed that part of our work away.

But in giving it up, we also gave away a piece of fulfillment.

Because after years of practicing medicine, the cases start to feel the same. What entrepreneurship can bring back is excitement. The chance to learn new things, try, fail (even fail publicly), and keep going anyway.

That’s the spark many of us don’t even realize we’re missing in our medical careers.

In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟔 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭—𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤? 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 & 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐫. 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫, we explore how entrepreneurship rekindles fulfillment, creates growth, and why it may be closer to who we are as physicians than we think.

🎧 Listen now: What If You Took the Risk? Physician Entrepreneurship & Change with Jimmy Turner, MD

Doctor Podcast Network

#PhysicianLeadership #HealthcareProfessionals #MedicalCommunity #BetterPhysicianLife #HealthcareLeadership #PhysicianGrowth

Every time you say yes to one thing, you’re saying no to something else.

And if that yes wasn’t a Hell Yes?
Then the person you’re really saying no to… is you.

This is the basis of Dr. Jimmy Turner’s “Hell Yes Policy.” I remember reading his blog post years ago, and it still sticks with me today. 

Because the more commitments we stack up, the more we crowd out what matters most. The key isn’t doing everything you can. It’s getting clear on the 3–5 things that matter most right now and saying no to everything else.

And those priorities can change. Saying yes once doesn’t lock you in forever.

In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟔 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭—𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤? 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 & 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐫. 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫, we talk about clarity, boundaries, and why courage sometimes looks like saying no.

🎧 Listen now: What If You Took the Risk? Physician Entrepreneurship & Change with Dr. Jimmy Turner

#PhysicianLeadership #MedicalCommunity #HealthcareProfessionals #PhysicianSupport #BetterPhysicianLife #PhysicianVoices #HealthcareLeadership

You might know the diagnosis and plan before you even step into the room.
You’ve seen this case a hundred times…maybe a thousand.
But to the patient sitting there, it’s the first time.

Bradley Block, MD shared a great analogy:
Think of medicine like a Broadway show.

Those actors have performed the same lines, the same songs, night after night — seven shows a week, twice on Sundays. But for the family who flew in from Minnesota to see that show for the first time, this night matters.

If the actor just phones it in because they’re tired or bored, they rob that audience of the magic.

It’s the same for us in medicine.
Even if we’ve said it a thousand times, our patient is hearing it for the first time.

Presence isn’t about pretending. It’s about honoring that this moment (this interaction) might mean everything to them.

🎧 In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟗 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 — “𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫–𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠” 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐫. 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤, we explore how showing up with intention changes everything: trust, efficiency, and connection.
https://lnkd.in/gBQwj3J8 

Doctor Podcast Network 
 
#PhysicianLeadership #PhysicianCommunication #HealthcareCulture #PatientTrust #ProfessionalDevelopment #MedicalEducation #BetterPhysicianLife

Scarcity convinces us we have to grab our piece now or be left behind.

Say yes to the extra shift.
Say yes to the leadership role.
Say yes, because if you don’t, the opportunity might never come again.

But here’s the thing: most of the time, the world is far more generous than scarcity would have you believe.

And scarcity isn’t just about money or time. It creeps into how we think about belonging. If time, money, and status feel scarce, then connection must be scarce too. Respect must be scarce. Acceptance must be scarce.

That’s when it gets dangerous. Because scarcity tempts us to shrink back. To keep the mask on. To avoid being vulnerable. To say no to the dinner invite or the phone call.

And that’s how we end up alone in a crowd. Surrounded by people, but not truly connected.

In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟕 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭—𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, we explore how scarcity shows up in medicine, and what it costs.

🎧 Listen now: The Scarcity Trap in Medicine: Why More Is Never Enough
https://lnkd.in/guSxkrSc 

#PhysicianLeadership #HealthcareProfessionals #PhysicianBurnout #MedicalCommunity #WorkLifeBalance #BetterPhysicianLife #HealthcareReality

Wake up. Commute. See patients. Wrestle with the EMR. Sit through meetings that feel like déjà vu. Text your spouse during a lull. Drive home. Sleep. Repeat.

You don’t hate your job. You’re not burned out. But there’s a low hum of restlessness underneath it all. A quiet boredom that’s easy to miss because everything looks “fine” from the outside.

We’re not trained to talk about that feeling.
Medicine has a language for crisis — burnout, exhaustion, depression — but not for the subtle drift that happens long before.

That’s complacency.
And it’s dangerous precisely because it doesn’t hurt enough to force action.

You stop growing. You stop questioning. You stop imagining. And little by little, you settle into a version of your career that’s smaller than the one you once pictured.

The truth? Burnout may break you, but complacency can quietly erase you.

🎧 In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟖 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 — “𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞)”, we talk about how to recognize the quiet drift and start waking back up.
https://lnkd.in/gpzJmsZK 

#PhysicianLeadership #CareerGrowth #MedicalProfessionals #PhysicianWellbeing #HealthcareCulture #ComplacencyTrap #BetterPhysicianLife

He didn’t hate his job. He wasn’t burned out.
But every night, when he got home, he was just… done.

One of my coaching clients — let’s call him Greg — is a family medicine doc. Great practice. Great family. His patients love him. But when his teenage son mentioned wanting to learn guitar, Greg barely looked up. Long week. Empty tank. He just wanted sleep.

Later, it hit him.
He used to play guitar. He used to love it. And if he kept choosing easy, his son might never see that part of him.

So he pulled his old guitar out of the closet.
Sat down with his son.
They fumbled through chords together. 
And Greg told me afterward, “I hadn’t felt that alive in years.”
All because he stepped off autopilot.

So here’s my question: What’s your version of the guitar?
What’s the thing you’ve set aside that could bring a part of you back to life if you picked it up again?

🎧 In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟖 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 — “𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞)”, we explore how reconnecting with what moves you can reignite purpose in and out of medicine.
https://lnkd.in/gpzJmsZK 

 #PhysicianLeadership #CareerFulfillment #PhysicianWellbeing #HealthcareCulture #PersonalGrowth #ComplacencyTrap #BetterPhysicianLife

From day one as a premed, the message was hammered in:
There are only so many seats.
 Only so many honors.
 Only so much room at the top.

Years later, the script hasn’t really changed.
“Will there be enough patients if the hospital hires someone new?”
“Will my RVUs hold up this year?”
“Am I keeping pace financially?”

And here’s the thing, scarcity doesn’t stay at the hospital. It follows us home. Suddenly, it’s about your neighbor’s new kitchen. Your colleague’s early retirement. Even your own vacation slipping away too fast.

It becomes a constant hum of anxiety. And for me, it poured gasoline on my physician burnout, especially around money and time.

As we head into Thanksgiving, it’s worth asking: what if enough isn’t out there to chase, but right here to notice?

In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟕 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭—𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, we explore how scarcity creeps in and what gratitude opens up instead.

🎧 Listen now: The Scarcity Trap in Medicine: Why More Is Never Enough
https://lnkd.in/guSxkrSc 

#PhysicianLeadership #HealthcareProfessionals #MedicalCommunity #BetterPhysicianLife #HealthcareLeadership #WorkLifeBalance #PhysicianGrowth

What’s your version of the guitar?

That thing you set down years ago (maybe decades) that once made you feel sharp, alive, connected?

For some, it’s an instrument.
For others, it’s writing, hiking, building, traveling, teaching, something that used to light them up.

We tell ourselves we’re too busy, too old, too established. But really, we’ve just gone numb to what made us feel most alive.

Here’s one small way to find your way back.
Once a quarter, grab a pen and a blank page (or your notes app if you must) and sit with three questions:
❓ What am I doing out of habit?
❓ What used to give me energy that I’ve set aside?
❓ And what small step could I take to bring some of that back?

That’s it.
No five-year plan. No major pivot.
Just the courage to pick something back up and step off autopilot.

🎧 In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟖 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 — “𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞)”, we explore how to spot the quiet drift and take small steps back toward purpose.
https://lnkd.in/gpzJmsZK 

#PhysicianLeadership #CareerFulfillment #PersonalGrowth #PhysicianWellbeing #HealthcareCulture #ComplacencyTrap #BetterPhysicianLife

The antidote to scarcity isn’t always abundance.

Sometimes it’s just… enough.

Not more patients.
Not more accolades.
Not another leadership role.

Just enough.

Enough RVUs to keep the lights on—without sacrificing every evening.
Enough time with your kids to remember the season you’re in, not just the logistics.
Enough energy to sit with your spouse and talk about more than schedules.
Enough space to protect your health, so you can keep showing up not just as a physician, but as a husband, a wife, a father, a mother, a friend.

That’s not laziness.
That’s freedom.

In 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏𝟕 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭—𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, we talk about what enough looks like, and why it matters.

🎧 Listen now: The Scarcity Trap in Medicine: Why More Is Never Enough
https://lnkd.in/guSxkrSc 

#PhysicianLeadership #MedicalCommunity #HealthcareProfessionals #PhysicianSupport #BetterPhysicianLife #PhysicianVoices #HealthcareLeadership

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