This week’s episode is a little different.
Over Easter, I experienced one of the most painful and debilitating injuries of my life. A severe sciatic nerve issue caused by multiple bulging discs in my lumbar and sacral spine. It wasn’t caused by one specific event. It was an accumulation of small issues I ignored until my body finally said, “Enough.”
What’s followed has been weeks of intense pain, limited mobility, cancelled plans, and a forced pause on both work and life.
But within that time, I also uncovered five powerful lessons that every podiatrist and business owner needs to hear.
1. Be More Empathetic
Until you experience something firsthand, you don’t fully understand it.
I’ve treated patients with sciatic pain before, and I believed I was empathetic. But after going through it myself, I now realise there’s another level.
This experience has changed how I’ll interact with people forever. Empathy isn’t just about asking how someone is. It’s about how you ask, your body language, your tone, and whether the patient truly feels heard.
2. Protect Yourself Financially
This injury reinforced something I’ve said for years: you must protect yourself financially.
If I were a solo practitioner with a relatively new business or employee right now, being unable to work for weeks would be financially devastating.
Key considerations for everyone:
- Do you have income protection insurance?
- Do you have business expense insurance?
- Do you have cash reserves that can support you and your business in difficult times?
I also shared a personal story about being forced to stop working in my early 20s due to a hand problem. Without insurance, the outcome could have been very different.
3. Take Out Travel Insurance Early
I had a planned trip to Toronto, Canada, that included serving as a keynote speaker at the Ontario Society of Chiropodists conference and included a holiday with my wife, Christine.
Fortunately, we had flexibility with all our accommodation bookings and avoided financial loss. But this was a great reminder:
As soon as you commit financially to travel, get insurance. And when booking accommodation, always know your cancellation deadlines. Make sure you note these dates down.
4. Always Have a Backup Plan
In the first week, I had to cancel a few coaching calls and four podcast recordings because I couldn’t stand or sit for more than a few minutes because of the pain. This left me without any podcast episodes banked for the upcoming weeks, which forced me into doing this solo episode.
But this lesson goes far beyond podcasting.
In your clinic, ask yourself:
- What happens if your key supplier fails and you run out of important clinic consumables?
- What if your equipment breaks?
- What if a key team member is suddenly unavailable for a substantial amount of time?
Planning for worst-case scenarios isn’t negative thinking. It’s smart business.
5. Stop Putting Things Off
This was probably the most personal takeaway. We all have things we say we’ll do “one day,” but for some reason, we never get around to it; why? What was more important?
For me, the big thing I have been putting off is writing fiction, not just business books, which I’ve done and will continue to do. I’ve been talking about it for years, and my wife and daughter love the story lines I have created.
This injury forced me to reflect on what really matters and what I’ve been delaying.
Because the truth is… tomorrow isn’t guaranteed for any of us.
Final Thoughts
This experience has been painful, frustrating, and at times, overwhelming. But it’s also been a reset.
A reminder to:
- Look after your health
- Protect your future
- Appreciate your family
- And take action on what matters most