331 – The Leap from NHS to Private Practice with Funmi Obi

Jul 12, 2024

Today, I am thrilled to have Funmi Obi from ChilternWellbeing Foot and Ankle Clinic in Hayes, UK. In this episode, Funmi shares her inspiring journey from working within the NHS to establishing her successful private practice.

Funmi’s story is one of resilience, passion, and the pursuit of excellence, offering valuable insights and motivation for podiatrists at any stage of their careers. Whether you’re contemplating a similar transition or simply seeking inspiration, this episode is packed with wisdom and practical advice.

Funmi’s Career Tip

Be clear about your vision for your career.  And don’t be fearful about fulfilling that vision. Podiatry as a profession, is a small profession, there are a lot of people that you can reach out to that can help you.  I think that there’s no need to be in a kind of silo by yourself.

Dream big and just go for it, but make contact with people and ask for help, and then people will help you to achieve what you need to achieve.

If you would like to contact Funmi, she can be reached at funmi@chilternwellbeing.com

If you have any questions about this episode or future episodes, you can contact me at tyson@podiatrylegends.com

Saturday, the 24th of August, 2024, CAIRNS. 

The Power of Persuasion: The Mindsets, Strategies, and Tactics that Enhance Leadership Success and Profitability with Dave Frees

This LIVE one-day event with Dave Frees will be life-changing. It is rare to have this calibre of speaker in Australia, let alone Cairns, so I suggest doing whatever you can to attend. There are only a limited number of seats available, so I would not sit on the fence too long. REGISTER

Schedule a FREE 30-minute Zoom Call with Me.

If you have questions about your podiatry business, team, personal goals and career direction, organise a time to talk with me. I’m here to help in any way I can. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.  

I recommend following the link below to my calendar and scheduling a free 30-minute Zoom call. I guarantee that after we talk, you will have far more clarity on what is best for you, your business and your career.

My SCHEDULE – https://calendly.com/tysonfranklin/podmeeting30

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MY BOOK is available on AMAZON

It’s No Secret…There’s Money in Podiatry – https://amzn.to/3JhO9cz

Full Transcript

[00:00:00] Hi, I’m Tyson Franklin, and welcome to this week’s episode of the Podiatry Legends Podcast. With me today is Funmi Obi from ChilternWellbeing Foot and Ankle Clinic in Hayes, in the United Kingdom, which, in case you’re wondering where Hayes is, it is 16 miles from London. And I’ve done a few fact checks here.

[00:00:20] You’ve done your research. I’ve

[00:00:20] done

[00:00:20] my research. It’s 45 minutes by car, 16 minutes by train, so why would you drive? But if you choose to walk, it will take five hours. So Funmi, how are you doing today?

[00:00:34] Morning, thank you very much. I’m doing really well, thank you.

[00:00:37] I told you I was going to have an interesting introduction for you. So, thank you for coming on the podcast.

[00:00:42] I’m looking forward to this and I’m going to ask you a question. I haven’t asked anyone this question for a little while. Why did you decide to do podiatry? So

[00:00:56] my, my journey into podiatry wasn’t [00:01:00] straightforward. So it was a second choice. A very good second choice. Yeah. But it was a second choice.

[00:01:05] , I’d always wanted to do medicine, always wanted to be a doctor, and that, that fateful day of results, things change, and I had to think on my feet. I couldn’t go back home and say, oh. Well, this is the situation.

[00:01:19] Yeah.

[00:01:20] Not, if you’re not, if you’re from an African family, anyway, it doesn’t work like that.

[00:01:24] So I, I called UCL then explain the situation, turn my phone off. I went into London straight and they told me about podiatric medicine. It’s in medical school. And then I’d read about podiatry before in the UCL prospectus when I was applying for med school, it looked interesting.

[00:01:44] And so I went for the interview and I got a place. And I’d always thought that, oh I do podiatry and then I’d switch after that was the plan. I’d do podiatry, then I’d switch, I’d go back to med school and it would all be great. And I actually fell in love with podiatry. [00:02:00] I really enjoyed my degree.

[00:02:01] I enjoyed all aspects of it, the clinical aspect. And and then I said, okay, I, I just, let me work as a podiatrist for a year and just see how it, And 18 years, I’m still here.

[00:02:13] Still there? Can I go back a step? I need to go back one step because you opened the door.

[00:02:20] What’s the pressure of being from an African family?

[00:02:24] The expectation to succeed. It’s not a bad thing. Oh no, not at all. It’s a gentle encouragement to succeed. And in whatever you do. So it doesn’t matter what you, what profession you choose to be in or what you choose to do.

[00:02:39] You just have to do it really well. Okay.

[00:02:42] It sounds similar to a lot of immigrant families. like Asian families, Indian families. And I know like back in the day when I was at school, we had a lot of Italians and Greeks, and there was this big expectation that those kids did well at school, went on to university.

[00:02:59] Because their [00:03:00] parents had worked hard to give them a better opportunity than what they had.

[00:03:02] Absolutely. And most of the times, , a lot of families or ethnic families or immigrant families are coming into, different countries with not much. But, , one thing that was always kind of drilled into me is that, your education is your key.

[00:03:16] It’s your access, as all my dad would say, , it’s your access. It opens doors. Yeah. So it’s really important, , that you focus on that. , that’s something nobody can ever take away from you. So that was the kind of ethos in our home. , even my mom, she’s , at 69 did her PhD.

[00:03:32] So that’s the kind of, yeah, so that’s the kind of family. Everyone is very highly educated. So, it wasn’t really, I wouldn’t say it’s a pressure, it’s an expectation, but I think it’s something that has it’s so part, very much part of my fabric. Yeah. I think that’s what has helped me, , to get to where I am now and made it so easy for me to, , not wallow in my own sorrow that my my kind of, my [00:04:00] career has changed.

[00:04:01] It was like, okay, what do we do now? Let’s make this work and let’s get on with it. And then let’s just make it, make the career the best I can make it, which is what we’re doing.

[00:04:11] Okay. So because you went for medicine, didn’t get a bit straight away, you pivoted and did podiatry. Your family was like, you’re doing something.

[00:04:20] As

[00:04:20] long as you go to university and you qualify for something, at least that’s going to open certain doors, which may lead to other doors later.

[00:04:27] I think it was, I think it was, yes, there was disappointment, but I think it was the, they were more impressed with how I handled the situation. I think it was, I think demonstrating at that young age, I guess, how old are you?

[00:04:42] 17, 16, 17 when you’re doing your A levels, 17, 18. I think they were more impressed. the way I just managed the situation and gone on with it and came back and delivered the news. This is what I’m going to do. And I’m going to do this and I’m going to do this. I’m going to do this. And I think even now as a parent myself, my child [00:05:00] said, did the same thing or said the same thing.

[00:05:01] I think I would be very impressed, , with that, , showing that determination, , that’s really important. So

[00:05:07] did your husband have the same upbringing with the same pressure?

[00:05:12] Yeah, he’s, yeah he’s African, but he’s Nigerian, like myself yeah, and equally well fit and very successful and humble about it.

[00:05:21] Yeah. , I think it’s just a thing. I think most , from speaking out of place, but most kind of Nigerians you speak to, they typically are doing quite well.

[00:05:29] That’s good to hear. So how many PhDs are there in your family? There’s a

[00:05:34] few. Ah, there’s a few

[00:05:35] mum’s not the only one. There’s a few throughout the family. So was there pressure on you that once you finished podiatry to do more study and get a PhD as well?

[00:05:49] Yeah. I’ve done my MSCI, I actually really enjoy studying. Yeah. , I would like to do a PhD at some stage. I think at the moment, running a business with two young kids [00:06:00] definitely not the time.

[00:06:01] but I do enjoy learning. I enjoy putting into practice what I’ve learnt and I think it’s really important to to learn. I think when you become stagnant, you become very frustrated. And I think even as podiatrist, , I do have that insatiable appetite , to do courses and to read where I can.

[00:06:23] And it doesn’t even need to be podiatry related stuff. , , I listen to podcasts are different things and, , just to keep my mind alert, , because it’s, I think it’s important to be so well rounded as a person , that means you can have a conversation with anyone you meet on any level, and it becomes easy.

[00:06:41] Yeah, it was one thing uh, that my friend Dave Frees, that was last week’s episode, but he was one of the first people that mentioned me, listen to podcast completely outside of your wheelhouse. Listen to things that you would just would not normally listen to is that you’ll be surprised what you will learn.

[00:06:58] Yeah,

[00:06:59] [00:07:00] and I remember this one particular podcast. It was about being more efficient in the household.

[00:07:05] Okay,

[00:07:06] it was really weird. So I thought I’m gonna listen to this.

[00:07:09] Weird? That’s not weird.

[00:07:10] I know, but for me to listen to that, I thought this, okay, this seems like this is outside my wheelhouse.

[00:07:15] I listened to it and do you realise I learned it only takes like less than two minutes to empty your dishwasher.

[00:07:22] That’s all you picked up. Oh

[00:07:23] No. I picked up a pile of stuff, but what it was when they were talking about efficiency around the household and it just happened to be, two sisters that were actually doing this podcast.

[00:07:33] I can’t remember the name of it, but I really enjoyed it because they were talking about, , when you’re out in the shed and you’re doing something, this will be how to make things more efficient.

[00:07:42] But what

[00:07:43] you learn there, I went, Oh, that’s interesting. You could actually apply that to your podiatry business.

[00:07:48] Absolutely. I think, yeah, absolutely. I think that being if being efficient, is probably one of the most important [00:08:00] skills, , that I think I have or try to have, , because even just, we could maybe trivialize running a household, but to

[00:08:07] be able

[00:08:09] to manage all of that and then put your game face on.

[00:08:16] Go to work, and then you’re becoming, , the podiatrist, you’re the business owner and you’re the employer, and then switch back. I think that what if you’ve mastered that skill, then yeah, you’re good.

[00:08:29] So I want to get back onto your career. When you graduated, you went and worked for the NHS.

[00:08:36] When I got my registration, I locum for a little bit. Then I started working in the NHS in kind of November 2005. Um, And I stayed in the NHS for a long time. I think I went part time quite early. I went part time quite early. I think I realised quite early on that the full time nine to [00:09:00] five wasn’t really for me. So I think within about a year as a band five, I went part time.

[00:09:06] What’s band five?

[00:09:08] I’ll say that’s like your new graduate podiatrist.

[00:09:11] Oh, so band five is new. It’s just new.

[00:09:13] New fresh out of university particularly.

[00:09:17] And then how long do, before you go to band four, band three, two and one?

[00:09:21] No, so it goes band five, band six, band seven. Oh, it goes out the other way? Yeah, clinical need, yeah. Okay. And then band 8 is senior management level, and mind

[00:09:30] director. I’ve heard that mentioned so many times when people are talking about NHS, band 7, band 8.

[00:09:34] I thought it went all the way up to number one, but no, it’s actually back the other way.

[00:09:39] So you start off with band five podiatrist and and then within two years or so, then I went to band six stayed as a band six for a long time because in the NHS sometimes it’s, well, that time it’s quite difficult to get a band seven role.

[00:09:52] So when you’re a band, when you become a band seven, you’re now a clinical specialist. So that could be either in MSK and [00:10:00] diabetes whichever one of those roles you want to go into. And then, yeah, then I stayed as a band seven for a long time.

[00:10:08] Oh, so you did make your way to Band 7?

[00:10:11] Yeah. So I was MSK clinical lead for, in multiple trusts for maybe, I don’t know, maybe 10, 7 years?

[00:10:19] Yeah. Across different trusts, I think. Yeah. So, and then I left the NHS two years ago.

[00:10:26] So going back one step again, did you say that when you started the NHS, you only did it part time though? And you were working somewhere else?

[00:10:35] Yeah. I started full time. , as much as I enjoyed it back then, I just felt that I, the opportunity came somebody was they needed someone to take over their clinic.

[00:10:46] It was a podiatrist that was moving to Canada. Yeah. And it was really close to me. And one of My good friend, she was locating somewhere and she said, Oh, there’s a, , just spoken to this lady and she wants to relocate to Canada and her [00:11:00] clinic is close to where you live.

[00:11:01] Like, what do you think? I was like, yes, this is what I’ve been looking for. Yeah. And I went part time and and yeah, it’s and from there I’ve always, I always worked part time. I always had run like a one chair clinic from the beginning.

[00:11:15] And it was in a private practice?

[00:11:17] Yeah. Yeah. It was in a multidisciplinary clinic.

[00:11:19] So first of all, I started off, it was in like a chiropractic clinic, just rented a room. And then I moved to a bigger multidisciplinary clinic, which was an osteopathic clinic. And I was just the only podiatrist there. So everywhere I’ve worked, I’ve been the only podiatrist there. Just running my own thing from that room.

[00:11:36] And then , three years ago, I just had enough of that. They outgrew that and decided to open a proper clinic and employ staff.

[00:11:46] Okay, well we’re going to get on to that, but can I ask a question about, what is the fear of private practice in the United Kingdom? Because when you see some of the Facebook pages, , and you’ll see new and recent [00:12:00] graduates and they’ll be posting something that’s almost like there’s a bit of apprehension about going into private practice.

[00:12:05] They feel like they must go and work in the NHS or they’re a bit frightened, like private practice seems a little bit scary compared to the NHS. Is there a reason for that?

[00:12:15] I think, , bad news travels fast, doesn’t it?

[00:12:17] And I think maybe I think maybe some people have worked in private practices and they haven’t had the best experience. The NHS. Private practices are two very separate entities, , as someone that’s straddling across the two, I completely can see that. When you’re working in the NHS, it’s very, it’s almost very protected.

[00:12:39] You have your, everything’s almost done for you, but you have your clinics, you do your clinics, you finish your clinics, you do your notes, and then, , you’re either doing today I’m doing general, today I’m doing diabetes clinic, or today I’m doing nail surgery.

[00:12:53] It’s all very structured.

[00:12:55] Okay,

[00:12:56] but when you come into private practice, it’s [00:13:00] very, you’re very exposed, aren’t you? It’s very, you have to, you’re thinking on your feet all the time. You don’t know what’s, and also , people are paying for your services, which requires a lot more of yourself.

[00:13:12] It’s not just about being brilliant clinician, , you also need to Be at least a, some type of nice person that somebody would want to see. You need a good, you need a personality. You don’t just need good hands. Yeah. And I think also private practice, the hours can be longer. , so it’s not necessarily the easy way. I don’t think it’s an easy, an easier gig at all. I just think it’s very different. And I think maybe people have heard, , not so great things about private practice, but now that I’ve fully switched, I wouldn’t be able to go back.

[00:13:45] Yeah, I think it’s changing though.

[00:13:46] Like I’ve had a lot of UK podiatrists on the podcast. Nearly all of them have worked in the NHS at some stage.

[00:13:55] I personally think it’s not a bad thing. Let’s be honest, even though, yes, , I’ve left [00:14:00] the NHS, but where else would I have been able to get the breadth of patients that I’ve seen over the years. I would never see these types of patients in private practice. The experience that I’ve been able to get from all the different types of clinics or the different types of pathologies coming in, all of the the connections with other clinical teams, , the having meetings, especially if you’re hospital based, , you can’t get, you won’t, you can’t replicate that experience in private practice. It’s a very different entity. And I think it’s potentially wise to at least go try it, , see all those patients, Get your hands dirty,

[00:14:43] get your feet wet,

[00:14:45] see, be under that kind of pressure, see all of those, all those complex cases.

[00:14:52] And, you’re doing a general clinic and someone’s coming in with this, , horrific wound and, , so I think it’s, Yeah. That experience I [00:15:00] think is good. , I think I, I can say that working in the NHS all that time has, been a benefit.

[00:15:05] I can never say it wasn’t a benefit. So what’s

[00:15:06] funny is you really lit up when I asked you that question, which I think is great. So why did you leave? Why did you what happened? At what point did you go, I need to go and work for myself. I want to go into private practice and leave the safety net of the NHS.

[00:15:25] The thing about that safety net. is that if you’re somebody that wants to grow, and this is my personal opinion, this is not the opinion of any other person, just myself, I felt limited. I felt that I’d reached the point where I didn’t feel like I was growing anymore personally. And I think I became, started to become quite frustrated.

[00:15:49] For example, like when you’re running your own business or when you’re working in private practice. If a patient needs something, you can get it for them, or you can complete their [00:16:00] package of care, they, as long as they can ready to pay, you, all the solutions are there, at your fingertips, you’ve got them in your clinic, you’ve got your orthotics, you’ve got your, you can, if they want their custom orthotics quicker, you can get them in five days.

[00:16:14] You’ve got your shockwave, everything is that is within your facility and I think in the NHS, things just take a little bit longer. Everything takes time. And so I was becoming a bit frustrated with delays and politics and things like that. So I just reached a point where I was becoming more and more frustrated at not being able to reach my own full potential.

[00:16:39] And and I’ve been feeling like that for quite a long time. I’d probably say a good 10 years. I’ve been , I was working in Haringey and I used to do a lot of the student placements when I was working at what used to be called Kensington and Chelsea or CLCH now.

[00:16:52] Yeah. And I got to Haringey and I saw a student I was on placement with me way back when. And he was like, Oh, you’re still here? [00:17:00] You’re still in the NHS? I thought, Oh

[00:17:01] dear.

[00:17:03] Because I’d been talking about it.

[00:17:05] About

[00:17:05] leaving and I think that really stunned me. I was like, Oh God, I need to now do something about this.

[00:17:11] I’m still here. I need to go. And then also, I think the biggest catalyst came was when COVID hit and remember how devastating that was? Yeah. And when you just saw how many people didn’t wake up the next day, died, Some people that were healthy, people were dying, and the numbers of people that were dying.

[00:17:39] And we had quite , a very tragic loss within our family as well. And I just thought to myself, you know what? Every this has happened and I’ve been given the opportunity to wake up today. I’ve been given I’m here where a lot of people are not here. Why am I wasting this opportunity?

[00:17:57] We really, it was so profound. I [00:18:00] just felt that this thing that I’ve been so fearful of is actually something I shouldn’t be fearful of because what’s the big deal if it went wrong? I’ve been so fearful of setting up a business and it was really unnecessary fear. And I just felt, you know what, I’m going to do it.

[00:18:18] Because I may not be here tomorrow.

[00:18:20] That’s true. I always say that to people. Working out what’s the worst that can happen. What’s

[00:18:24] the worst thing that can happen? , and also I felt that actually, I think it’s almost like, , I’ve been working for so long in the NHS, and I felt like my confidence had taken a nosedive.

[00:18:36] I think when you’re doing the same type of repetitive job, and you’re doing the same mundane day in, day out I just, you start to lose a little bit of confidence in yourself. And I think that was one of the issues that I had. And I, and after, , when COVID was happening and I just thought, actually.

[00:18:53] It’s not that I’m taking my family’s money and giving it to someone to run a [00:19:00] business for me. I’m taking my family’s money and I’m giving it to me to make something great. So what’s the risk? If I know what I can do and I know what I can achieve, I know what I’m capable of, actually the risks are really minimal, especially if, I felt that I was I was more confident in my ability.

[00:19:18] I’m like, you know what? I’m not hedging my bets on anyone else. I bet I’m betting on myself. I can do it. Let’s get going. And I remember like my hairdresser Michelle, and every time I’d see her every kind of six weeks and, I’d be talking about, Oh, I’m going to set up a business and I’m going to do that.

[00:19:34] I wonder if she said to me. You’re here talking and people are signing. Every time she goes, you’re here talking, you come here and talk, you talk talk. And people are signing contracts, they’re signing leases. I don’t want to, don’t come back, don’t come back and see, don’t come back here in six weeks if you haven’t got something to say and I’m like, wow, okay.

[00:19:59] But I [00:20:00] think one of the questions that people should ask themselves is what’s the worst can happen if you don’t jump at the chance? If you could have become miserable. Well, you can stay in the NHS and if you weren’t happy there, what was your mental state going to be in 20 years time if you just kept doing the same thing?

[00:20:17] Yeah. But it may not even necessarily be. job itself that you’re dissatisfied with, I think it’s being dissatisfied with yourself, because if you haven’t reached your full potential and you know you haven’t reached the full potential you start to become quite bitter.

[00:20:33] You need to be clear as to what you actually, I think goal setting and just being really clear as to what, yeah, I wanna be a podiatrist, but what type of podiatrist do I want to be?

[00:20:41] What act, what do I actually want to achieve? And I knew what I wanted to achieve, but I was, I guess I was too fearful of. Enacting on it or go going for it. And then it just became bigger and more frustrating and more irritating. And then I just reached that. [00:21:00] I was really irritated. Ask anyone around me

[00:21:02] oh, no but it makes sense. Everyone knows they should be doing something and they keep saying, there’s still things in my life that. And I jokingly say to my daughter, who’s 20 soon, Yeah, when I grow up, I’m really going to figure out what it is that I want to do. And we sort of laugh about it, and, but sometimes, I think if it’s something you’ve mentioned, More than half a dozen times, and you’ve been telling people you’re going to do something the longer it goes before doing like when I, before I wrote the world’s greatest podiatry business book, It’s No Secret There’s Money in Podiatry, back when I had hair, I spoke about that book for probably 10 years before I wrote it. And then eventually I bumped into someone who was an author and he said, you keep saying you’re going to write this book, but when are you going to do it?

[00:21:49] You need those people in your life. You need a cheerleader. I went

[00:21:53] bugger off. But then it was six months later, I had written the book.

[00:21:59] You [00:22:00] need, I think, what’s missing.

[00:22:01] I think if you, one thing I’ve learned now, if you have a desire to do something, you need to surround yourself with people that are equally excitable and energetic and progressive, because now I’m, I’ve always been a really big cheerleader for anyone that wants to do something exciting or they’ve got a an idea, , and I’m even, I’ve become a bigger cheerleader for them now that I know that I wasted 10 years, , because if I guess if I had somebody behind me that you can do it, just do it, just go for

[00:22:37] it.

[00:22:37] But you didn’t waste it. Just remember you didn’t waste 10 years.

[00:22:40] If you think about the amount of podiatrists that you helped along the way of that 10 year period, by you staying in NHS who have now got great careers because they had contact with you. Then maybe you were supposed to be in the, that’s where you were supposed to be over that 10 year period.

[00:22:58] Yeah yeah. I, okay, [00:23:00] first of all, I’d probably say, yeah, that is completely the wrong word. I shouldn’t have said wasted, actually. That’s probably more of a reflection on just the frustration that I felt at the time. But no, I wouldn’t say wasted at all. I don’t think I could take all the glory for their career success at all, no, but no.

[00:23:15] But I have met a lot of students over the years and what’s always nice is that when I see them at conferences or, see them at, at events, it’s always nice to catch up and have a chat. So I feel that At that time I just loved that, that interaction with students and encouragement and teaching and, learning helping them learn.

[00:23:37] So if in any way I was able to impact their careers or just make them love podiatry, then that’s a job well done. But yeah, I won’t take all the glory for that. But yeah, that, that was a really good part of, my role that I had over the years. And just really. Yeah, encouraging people, it’s a great profession, there’s so much, we’re quite lucky the remit for podiatry is [00:24:00] so large and I think that’s what I would just install in the students that, this, you can do this and this is so much fun, just, and always just get in contact with me if you need me.

[00:24:08] So yeah, so I, yeah, let’s scratch that word, not waste it. Scratch that word, waste it. . I think probably what ate in the back of your mind too, was when you said that some of these people came back and they said, are you still in the NHS? Oh yeah. They probably realised working with you how good you were.

[00:24:24] And just assume that you probably would have left and gone on and done something else. Yeah. So because you helped train them, they just expect that you’ve got to move on yourself, but you didn’t. So yeah definitely not wasted. So scrap that word from your vocabulary. Scrap that word. Yeah, no, not at all.

[00:24:41] No, thank you for that. That’s true. No it’s been a good journey. And as sometimes my husband will always say, if I used to moan about my day, and he’ll be like your NHS work gives you credibility. Stop moaning. Yeah, that makes sense.

[00:24:54] Just saying for me personally I think if you’ve got that itch and you want to do [00:25:00] something different, just, yeah.

[00:25:02] But when you were in the NHS, you did a lot of stuff in MSK. So you specialised in that area. So what you learned there, you’ve probably carried over into private practice big time.

[00:25:13] Yeah, absolutely. I think that skill set. Yeah, which, and having that breadth of the patients that I had has been really, it’s been really beneficial. So obviously with the clinic I’m trying to navigate it to become, more of an MSK based clinic which, because obviously that’s the area of podiatry that I love the most.

[00:25:32] We still have a general caseload, but , I think eventually that’s where it will go. So yeah, in the NHS, I think just, , those, the skills that as managing teams and doing audits and, you know speaking to orthotic companies and, putting training in place for for the teams.

[00:25:54] So all of those skills have been really useful. And I’ve been able to translate a lot of them to private [00:26:00] practice. It

[00:26:00] was a hard transitioning, like going from, like you said, the NHS, where a lot of things were done for you to then having your own business. I’m sure there was a lot of freedom too, where you could just make decisions and things didn’t have to ask anybody.

[00:26:16] But at the same time, it would have been even just a mental transition.

[00:26:21] It’s, it was a shock. It was a shock, but it was the, for me, I was at peace because it’s something I’ve wanted to do, and then it’s done. So I was really, I was very happy about it and satisfied with it. It’s been a, It’s been quite, it’s been a large learning curve.

[00:26:39] I won’t lie. The skills required to run a business are so different. And when I think that the main difference is when you are like maybe running like clinical need or you’re, sourcing orthotics or, , those kinds of things you’re working with NHS budgets. It’s not your money, but [00:27:00] you’re still very conscientious of the budget.

[00:27:02] But it’s not your money when you’re now, but it’s now your money. It’s a bit different. It’s very different, , because ultimately if things fail, , that’s the stakes are slightly higher. So yeah, it’s been a massive learning, learning curve. I’ve had to think on my feet.

[00:27:19] I’ve had to get help. I’ve had to do courses and boot camps and, Like that bootcamp I did with you. Yeah. And but it’s been fun. I think, do you know what I think? I think you almost have to be a certain type of person to want to run a business. I don’t, I think you have to be wired in a particular way because the amount of it’s not linear, is it?

[00:27:40] There’s so many different thick curve balls that can come your way. And also the biggest. challenges consistency to be consistently good. You can’t, , because you’re being consistently good means that, , you get good reviews, you get repeat business patients are satisfied, they [00:28:00] recommend other people.

[00:28:01] So me being consistently good is not so, is okay, but everybody around you needs to be consistently good or your team needs to be consistently good all the time. I

[00:28:11] , but what you said about the personality type, I think it takes a certain personality type to want to have a good podiatry business.

[00:28:20] I think there’s other personality types that can just open a podiatry business and it can be rubbish. But what either they don’t care or they can’t even, they don’t know that it’s rubbish because. They don’t know, they just turn up, they do what they gotta do, they don’t get good reviews, but they don’t care, they just, they might be good podiatrists, but they just can’t run a business, and sometimes, they’re the ones that I jokingly, take the mickey out of sometimes, when I go, I know I care more about my patients and making money, I’m like, why don’t you just say you’re no good at business.

[00:28:54] Because to me, if you’ve been in podiatry 10, 15 years, you’ve got your own business, you’re driving a [00:29:00] crapped out car, you’ve got a massive mortgage and you’ve got no money behind you. You’re no good at business because you should be doing better.

[00:29:08] Yeah. I think, I guess it depends on what people’s motivation is. When they’re trying to open a business. I guess everyone, I think people you speak to, everyone’s motivations are slightly different. Some people want freedom. Oh, I totally get that. Quality of life.

[00:29:25] Some people want to make lots of money. I think but I think most people you speak to them, well, what they say, how genuine that is, I don’t know, but people lie.

[00:29:33] , I think people lie because I reckon If you open up your own business, you might want to do it for more freedom.

[00:29:39] I totally understand that. But yeah, really, freedom only goes so far.

[00:29:49] You need to pay your bills.

[00:29:50] You’ve got to pay your bills. You’ve got bills that you’ve got to pay. And you’ve got to reinvest money back into your business. Because if you really want to look after your patients, [00:30:00] you have to make money so you can reinvest it back.

[00:30:04] into the business. So you can buy other toys that you can do things that you can’t do if you don’t have money.

[00:30:10] But I think it’s, , when you’re part of the medical profession it’s not really a thing to to talk about the money. , I think it’s almost impolite, , , because Especially if you are working in the NHS or you’re not working privately.

[00:30:29] Let’s be honest, you’re not there for the money as such. There’s other careers that pay so much more. So you, to even get into that type of career choice in the first place, you obviously have an affinity with. People and wanting to help people and improve people’s quality of life.

[00:30:49] So it’s almost feels, I think, as a profession, not just podiatry, but I think all medical.

[00:30:54] Oh, I agree. It

[00:30:55] almost feels very sinful or exploitative to [00:31:00] talk about the money, but you do need to pay your bills. I always

[00:31:04] look into that. It’s one of the things like my book It’s no Secret…There’s Money in Podiatry, at no stage do I talk really about making money in the book.

[00:31:12] Yeah. All

[00:31:13] I talk about is ha about setting up a good business. And if you set up a good business, money is a byproduct of just having business. Yeah, absolutely. Business. And then I think if you don’t like money, if you really don’t like it, you have multiple options.

[00:31:26] You can give it away to charity. Or you can send it to me. Yes. . I don’t mind it. I have no problem with it at all. So if you don’t like it, send it to me. I will look after a, I will spend it for you. I don’t have a problem with that.

[00:31:39] It’s a mindset change, isn’t it? I think I’ve only had the clinic for three years, but the person I was in 2021 to the person I am now very different, , I remember I was still very fresh with, , very healthcare thinking, and now I’ve had to shift.

[00:31:59] Very [00:32:00] quickly into, yes, , my paramount goal is to improve my patients lives, , rid them of pain and, , be with them on that journey to recovery and, , just be a really good podiatrist. But also, if I want things like, shiny equipment. And oh, I want, , the really good podiatrists.

[00:32:20] If I really want to employ good podiatrists, I need the funds to be able to employ them. , if I want the building or the clinic to look aesthetically pleasing, that people come in and say, wow, that costs money. It does. So. I’ve had to grow up and think, , no, it’s true and be like, you know what?

[00:32:41] Okay, right. Let’s get out of this nHS thinking now I need to try and be a really good clinician and bring an income in that I can make this clinic look wow and make the patients all say wow and be like wow this is a really great place to have treatment because [00:33:00] the costs of running the business wow yeah I know wow it is shocking and I look at all anytime I go into any businesses now even if I go to a restaurant I look at it everything just looks different now you know because you can almost see behind The smiles and the, good mornings and everything.

[00:33:18] You appreciate how much

[00:33:19] it costs to, to just open the doors.

[00:33:22] Yes. Of a podiatry clinic. I don’t ask for discounts.

[00:33:26] No. I think it’s rude.

[00:33:28] I, before I’d be a bit cheeky, but now I’m like, no, that’s just rude.

[00:33:31] Like I said, just to open the doors of a podiatry clinic, to have a receptionist there, to have the lights on, to have water running, yeah, where you are, have heat, all that adds up.

[00:33:42] And sometimes you might even get someone who works with you and all they see is, oh, they see all this money coming in and go, Oh, here’s Funmi, you see a lot rolling around, a bed and all a hundred pound notes.

[00:33:52] I

[00:33:54] wish! But they don’t realise, especially first few months, first year or so, you’re not making any [00:34:00] money.

[00:34:00] No, and I think, I’m really blessed to have a really wonderful team. Yeah. I’m very transparent with my team. I will say, but things are really tight or things are really difficult. If they’re difficult. I don’t think there’s any point in painting this picture that we’re a flush.

[00:34:17] Yeah. , with money, , but then. At the same time, being transparent is really good, but also having action plans in place. So this is what we’re going to do. So this is where we need to get to. And this is what we’re going to do to get there. This is the goal. And then get everybody on board with that, , because obviously if the clinic thrives, everybody wins.

[00:34:38] , it’s more nice things we could do, there’s more dinners, there’s more, , more fun, like away days, , everything gets better. So it’s a win for everything, I can spoil them more, , the better we do, so.

[00:34:51] So we were talking off air and at the moment you’re looking for a new team member to join you?

[00:34:59] I am, yeah. [00:35:00] How’s that going?

[00:35:03] It’s not bad actually, we’ve had some applicants.

[00:35:05] Yeah.

[00:35:06] I think I said this before I’m gonna take it, I’m gonna take my time. With this recruitment, I really want the right

[00:35:12] way to get the right person,

[00:35:14] the right podiatrist, because I think sometimes when you’re you’re new to all of this, you make assumptions about people generally, because you don’t know, or you you need somebody now. I need somebody right now. And then you fill a seat. But I think we’re such a, we’re a really good team. And I’m not just saying this, but I’m just saying we are a really good team.

[00:35:40] Anyone coming to work with us would enjoy working at the clinic. So we just need, the right person, with a good spirit. Fun kind, good hands, obviously, and with a genuine willingness to learn, or just be really excited about podiatry, because, There’s no need to be [00:36:00] frustrated in your job. There’s no need to be frustrated in your job. There’s ways if, like things, that’s a good thing about practice, for example, , if you’re coming from far and, you don’t want to be stuck in rush hour, you don’t want to really, you don’t want to do a job before you’ve even got to work, okay, we’ll start later.

[00:36:17] You start at 10. Do you know what I mean? , there’s ways you can, make somebody’s life easier. It doesn’t have to be so rigid.

[00:36:28] Life’s too short to not be having fun with what you’re doing.

[00:36:31] Absolutely. I think yeah, that’s my thing. It doesn’t have to be rigid. If I wanted rigidity, I’d, stay where I was. Now it’s time to just have, but it’s true, isn’t it? I I know if my daughter has sports day where I can, I can start later and go to her sports day or, that’s a flexibility

[00:36:49] thing we were talking about before.

[00:36:51] Flexibility. When you have your own practice, it’s not always about money. It’s the freedom to come and go and

[00:36:58] Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. Which [00:37:00] is so important the therefore, don’t miss out on the most important things in your children’s lives or in your life. It’s something you want to do. So yeah, so we’re recruiting at the moment.

[00:37:09] So if anyone wants to reach

[00:37:10] out to you, what’s the best way to contact you?

[00:37:12] So, drop me an email.

[00:37:14] Yeah, give us the, yeah, give us the email address. I’ll put it in the show notes as well.

[00:37:18] Okay. Yeah. So funmi@chilternwellbeing.com yeah, you are, you’re right. It ’cause it’s a unique name.

[00:37:23] I will put it there. Phone me, which is

[00:37:24] F-U-N-M-I and it Yeah,

[00:37:26] it’s a silent n .

[00:37:27] Yeah.

[00:37:28] For me at children wellbeing com. And yeah, just drop me an email and then we can have, let’s talk, let’s just see whether, you can come in and come into the clinic. Come and shadow us. Come and see what we do.

[00:37:39] See if it’s the place that you’d like to work. See if the vibe is good and then take it from there.

[00:37:46] Yeah, like I’ve known you for a little while now back when you did the reboot and we chat fairly often and I can just tell that where you work is a fun place. So, whoever [00:38:00] is going to join your team, this is just advice for anyone, is wait until you get the right person that’s going to be a good fit for your team.

[00:38:07] Because if you get the wrong person, it can just mess stuff up big time. And I’ve learned that from making mistakes where I’ll be so desperate just to employ someone that can wear a podiatry hat. And didn’t realize you’re throwing a poisoned apple amongst your good apples. It doesn’t take long to ruin everything.

[00:38:28] But also I think it’s also, I think now, I think even as an employer, I think it’s really important to know what you want as well. I’ve had good podiatrists, I’m really lucky. All the podiatrists that have worked in our clinic have been really great. I think it’s just, if I want that wholesomeness now and that that you really enjoy.

[00:38:46] For everyone to enjoy each other, yeah, a full time person that can come in and just be that last piece in the jigsaw.

[00:38:53] Yeah, but we used to do the same thing when we were recruiting because our clinic was heavily involved in MSK biomechanics. If somebody [00:39:00] applied for the job and they said, oh, I love high risk feet and diabetic foot ulcers I wouldn’t employ them.

[00:39:07] Because it wasn’t what I was looking for. It wasn’t what you were doing. I knew that 80 percent of the work, or 70 percent of the work was going to be MSK related.

[00:39:15] Yeah, so it wouldn’t

[00:39:16] fit. So having someone that didn’t have an interest in that area straight away was a red flag. No point employing them.

[00:39:21] I could, but then it would have just frustrated me. And it would have frustrated them as well. There was a better job for them out there somewhere.

[00:39:29] Yeah. And that’s just being honest, isn’t it? Yeah.

[00:39:32] I’m not wasting anyone’s

[00:39:33] time.

[00:39:34] I know. So I want to thank you for coming on the Podiatry Legends Podcast. Do you have any words of wisdom before we wrap up?

[00:39:41] Is there any? Say there’s a new graduate out there at the moment. I have not done this for a long time. They bump you at a bus stop and they go, you’re on the Podiatry Legends Podcast. Yeah. What’s one bit of advice that you would give them?

[00:39:56] I would say, be clear about your [00:40:00] vision for your career. And don’t be fearful about fulfilling that vision. Podiatry as a profession, is a small profession, there are a lot of people that you can reach out to that can help you. And I think that’s what I would say. I think that there’s no need to be in a kind of silo by yourself.

[00:40:23] Dream big and just go for it, but make contact with people and ask for help. That’s what I would say. And then people will help you to achieve what you need to achieve.

[00:40:35] That is good advice. It’s like the quote on my back wall. Your next connection will be the one that changes your life.

[00:40:39] Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. You need to put yourself out there. Oh, yeah.

[00:40:43] I just think that’s why you need to go to events. You need to get a little workshops, conferences. If you can’t go to the bigger ones, then go to some of the smaller ones that other people are holding and just connect with other people.

[00:40:56] So Funmi, I want to thank you so much for coming on the Podiatry Legends [00:41:00] Podcast sharing part of your story. And this has been a lot of fun. So thank you very much.