In Episode 433, I shared the first 12 reasons I believe podiatrists sometimes play it safe and resist trying something new.
This week, I’m continuing the conversation (Part 2) with another 13. And while Part One focused heavily on the fear of trying something new, Part Two goes deeper into something I think is even more important:
What is staying comfortable actually costing you? Because doing nothing isn’t neutral. Doing nothing is still a decision.
13. Fear of Being Judged by Your Team
You’ve been to a workshop, heard a great idea and can’t wait to introduce it to your practice.
Then you imagine the staff reaction: “Here we go again. Obviously the boss has been to another workshop.”
Practice owners can become reluctant to introduce new systems, marketing ideas, technology, or patient experiences because they anticipate resistance from their team.
You can’t let fear of eye-rolling determine the future direction of your business.
14. You’ve Been Burnt Before
You tried Facebook Ads, and they didn’t work. You bought expensive equipment and didn’t get the return you expected. You hired a consultant or business coach and felt like you wasted your money.
One bad experience can become evidence that every similar idea in the future is dangerous, but that’s a bit like having one bad meal and declaring restaurants a failed concept.
Learn from what happened, but don’t allow one experience to determine every future decision.
15. Wanting Evidence Before Experimentation
Clinical training teaches us to look for evidence, and clinically that’s absolutely appropriate.
Business can be different.
Sometimes you need to test something in your own practice before you’ll have enough evidence to know whether it works for you.
Someone had to be the first podiatrist in a town to introduce shockwave, laser or another new service. Waiting until everyone else has proven it works might feel safer, but by then you’ve also lost the advantage of being early.
16. Fear of Losing Credibility
What if nobody watches my video? What if another podiatrist thinks it’s terrible? What if I say something wrong?
These thoughts can prevent people from ever starting. I’ve made thousands of videos, and they’re certainly not all perfect.
But the podiatrist who makes 50 imperfect videos will probably become a much better communicator than the podiatrist still planning their first perfect one.
17. Comparing Your Beginning With Someone Else’s Middle
You see someone confidently speaking on stage, running a successful clinic or creating polished videos. What you don’t see are their first attempts. You don’t see the mistakes, awkward presentations, bad videos or years of practice that came beforehand.
Don’t compare your first attempt with someone else’s fiftieth.
18. Thinking Trying Means Committing
Trying something doesn’t mean marrying it. You can test different opening hours, try a new appointment type, change your marketing message and even experiment with AI software.
You can try something for 30, 60, or 90 days, assess the results, and then decide whether to continue.
The same principle applies to improving your recall system, promoting a niche service and changing your pricing.
Experiments are reversible.
That’s a powerful mindset for any business owner.
19. Overestimating the Downside
“If I increase my fees, everyone will leave.” Will they?
“If I niche my marketing, I’ll lose all my other patients.” Will you?
We often create catastrophic outcomes in our heads that are dramatically worse than what is likely to happen.
As I say in the episode:
The brain writes disaster movies on a surprisingly small budget.
20. Underestimating the Cost of Doing Nothing
This might be one of the most important points in both episodes. We constantly calculate the potential cost of change.
But what about the cost of not changing?
What does it cost you if you don’t increase your fees for five years? It could be tens of thousands of dollars
What happens if you ignore AI while competitors use it to become more efficient? You could be left behind.
What’s the cost of never improving your systems? Your clinic becomes stale and slowly falls behind your competitors.
What happens if you employ people but never improve your leadership skills? Everyone is looking for leadership and guidance, and if they don’t get it, they will look elsewhere or take leadership themselves.
What does ineffective marketing cost over five or ten years? It’s sometimes hard to measure exactly, but it would be a lot.
What opportunities disappear because you don’t introduce a new service? Sitting back and always being second or third can make you irrelevant.
All of these decisions come with a cost, and doing nothing is still a business decision.
21. Waiting Until You Feel Confident
We often imagine the process looks like this:
Confidence → Action → Success
In reality, it’s more likely:
Action → Experience → Competence → Confidence
You don’t become confident and then step outside your comfort zone. Stepping outside your comfort zone is often how confidence gets built.
22. Not Wanting to Ask for Help
Podiatrists are professional problem-solvers. Patients come to us expecting answers, so over time we can unconsciously start believing we’re supposed to know everything.
You don’t, and neither does anyone else. Successful people build networks containing people who know things they don’t.
Asking for help isn’t evidence that you don’t know enough. It’s often evidence that you know enough to recognise when someone else can help.
23. Fear of Becoming Too Commercial
This is something you will often hear podiatrists say: “I’m in podiatry to help patients. I’m not in it for the money.” That’s the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard.
But why do those things have to oppose each other? A profitable practice can invest in better equipment.
- It can employ great people.
- It can pay better wages.
- It can send team members to training.
- It can improve the patient experience.
- And it can continue helping patients for many years.
Profitability and professionalism are not opposites.
24. Fear of Standing Out
There’s safety in looking like every other podiatry clinic.
- Same services.
- Same website language.
- Same photographs.
- Same marketing.
- Same opening hours.
- Same beige waiting room.
Standing out means accepting that some people won’t like what you’re doing. But standing out is also how people notice you.
25. Confusing Discomfort With Danger
Standing on stage for the first time feels uncomfortable. But so can increasing your fees, and recording your first video definitely feels uncomfortable. Hiring your first employee or practice manager can feel uncomfortable.
But uncomfortable doesn’t automatically mean dangerous.
Sometimes discomfort is simply evidence that you’re doing something you haven’t mastered yet.
What Is Your Comfort Zone Telling You?
Your comfort zone isn’t necessarily telling you what’s right or wrong; instead, it’s showing you what’s familiar.
Across Episodes 433 and 435, I’ve now shared 25 reasons podiatrists play it safe. I’d encourage you to go through them and ask yourself:
Which ones are affecting me?
And more importantly:
What might they be costing me?
Please, Connect With Me
I’d love to hear what you think about this episode and whether you’ve ever caught yourself playing it safe.
You can contact me at tf@tysonfranklin.com or tyson@podiatrylegends.com.
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