Every now and then, a guest joins me on the Podiatry Legends Podcast whose story perfectly captures what this show is all about: taking smart risks, backing yourself, and creating your own path in podiatry. This week, that guest is Ben Wilkinson from Collective Foot Care & Orthotics in Hamilton, Ontario.
What makes Ben’s journey so special is that it started with a podcast review. In 2022, Ben left a review for the show, was randomly drawn to win a free mentoring session with me, and accepted it. At the time, he was working between two clinics, one close to home in Simcoe and another in Hamilton. He was at a crossroads and wanted to talk through which direction would be best for his future.
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A Decision That Changed Everything
When we caught up on Zoom, it was clear Ben was ambitious, switched-on, and ready for growth. After we reviewed his options, my advice was simple: take the harder path with more opportunity.
Simcoe was convenient but limited. Hamilton offered better technology, a larger patient base, and a team that gave him full clinical autonomy. It meant a longer commute, but it also meant a bigger future. A month later, he emailed me, he’d quit Simcoe and gone full-time in Hamilton.
That single decision changed the course of his career.
From Employee to Owner
Fast forward a short time, and Ben is now the owner of that very same clinic. When the previous owners decided to sell, he jumped at the opportunity. At just 24, he didn’t let age or inexperience stop him. He looked at the numbers, sought advice, and took a calculated risk, one that’s paid off enormously.
As he says in the episode, “I get an idea in my head and I just jump for it.”
Building His Brand
One of Ben’s smartest early moves was rebranding. The clinic’s old name used the previous owner’s surname, which was respected, but not his own. He first changed it to Collective Foot & Wellness Clinic to reflect a broader range of allied health services, including physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage, and osteopathy.
Later, after we talked about brand clarity and target markets, Ben refined the name again to Collective Foot Care & Orthotics. That small change made a huge impact; enquiries for orthotics almost doubled overnight.
His reasoning was simple: patients instantly understand foot care and orthotics. It’s clear, professional, and searchable.
Embracing Technology
Ben’s mindset for growth hasn’t stopped there. Always curious and tech-minded, he invested in a 3D printer to produce orthotics in-house. What used to take weeks with an external lab can now be done in a single day.
He even set up the printer in the clinic’s reception area, turning it into a talking point and marketing feature. Patients love watching their orthotics being created; it’s educational and builds enormous trust in their service.
The initial learning curve was steep, but Ben’s perseverance paid off. Within months, every orthotic produced in his clinic was 3D printed, saving time, cost, and improving quality control.
Leading by Example
What stands out most about Ben is his attitude. He’s positive, calm, and quietly determined, traits that flow directly into how he runs his team. He’s built a collaborative workplace where associates feel supported and empowered, not micromanaged.
And he’s already paying it forward. Ben now serves on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Society of Chiropodists, helping shape education and professional development across his province.
The Lesson for Every Podiatrist
Ben’s story is a masterclass in balancing risk and reward.
He’s proof that stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to the biggest professional breakthroughs.
Whether it’s taking a job further from home, buying your first practice, or refining your business name — success comes from making bold moves backed by logic and self-belief.
As I always tell my coaching clients: don’t take the easy path; take the path that leads to growth.
What Should You Do Next?
If you enjoyed this story, consider following the same path as Ben; don’t be scared to take risks, because the rewards are definitely worth it. If you’d like to talk with me or work with me one-on-one to grow your podiatry business, please follow the coaching links below.
If you’re looking for a speaker for an upcoming event or a facilitator to run a pre-conference workshop, please visit my Speaker Page to see the range of topics I cover.
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PODCAST TRANSCRIPT (Unedited)
Tyson E Franklin: [00:00:00] Hi, I am Tyson Franklin, and welcome to this week’s episode of the Podiatry Legends Podcast. The podcast designed to help you feel, see, and think differently. About the Podiatry profession. With me today is Ben Wilkinson. He’s from Collective Foot Care and orthotics in Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada. Now, Ben has been a qualified podiatrist in bracket.
I must put (Chiropodist) because he is in Ontario, Canada, and we don’t wanna upset anyone. For the past five years. And even though he is Canadian, he chose to study in the UK, and I’m really excited to have Ben on the podcast ’cause we have quite an interesting history even though it doesn’t go back a huge amount of years.
So, Ben, welcome to the podcast.
Ben Wilkinson: Thank you Tyson. It’s, , good to be talking to you.
Tyson E Franklin: Now I asked you. Something before and I went, oh, hang on, don’t answer it. ’cause I’m gonna ask you again on the podcast.
And can you remember how we connected in the first place?
Ben Wilkinson: I think that I found you through the podcast. [00:01:00] I was, just listening or looking for more Podiatry content to consume as we all do. And I was between jobs, I was looking at changing things up in my career a little bit, and I think that’s when I reached out to you just to see what your advice would be, just to pick your brains a bit, I think.
Tyson E Franklin: Okay. Yep. That’s almost correct. I’m on the right track. You’re on, you’re definitely on the right track. So I went back because I said to you, I take notes whenever I have a meeting with anyone online on Zoom. I have written notes. I went back to our written notes at the top. I had written down, you won the session with me because I, at the time, I was saying to about if you write a review for the podcast.
I’ll randomly draw one out once a month and you get a free session with me just to talk about anything you wanna talk about and you won it that particular month. And not everyone that wins it that I offer it to takes it up. You did take it up and you were at a crossroads between one place you’re working at and another place you wanted [00:02:00] to talk through what was the best option.
Ben Wilkinson: Exactly. I forgot about that. I forgot. I won that talk with you. Yeah,
Tyson E Franklin: I know. I’d totally forgotten too. I knew we had spoken back in, it was only 2022, March 22 and mm-hmm. But when I went back and read the notes, I had it in read writing here and went, won the podcast review comp. That’s right. Yeah.
It’s amazing how people connected with each other. And at the time, definitely you were working between Simco and Hamilton. That’s right.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. I, when I first qualified, that was actually the first year I started working. I was working part-time between the two clinics and both of them were very different clinics in the way that they wanted me to practice and the way that they treated patients and.
I think my gut was telling me to make the decision that I did, but I think I needed a little bit of encouragement. And you were part of that [00:03:00] voice for me, for sure.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah, no, I’m just looking at my notes here and I’ve said recommended quit simco and work full-time at Hamilton. Yeah, absolutely. And that seems a lot has changed exactly what you, that’s exactly what you did.
You actually, and what is, you sent me an email. It was only about a month after that you sent me an email. And you said I quit Simco. I’m now working full time in Hamilton and absolutely loving it. It was a great decision.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah, for sure. Yeah. It’s funny how different clinics can work and operate. I really enjoyed my time in Simco, but in Hamilton they had all the latest modalities and they had full trust in me and my treatment plans with the patients.
So that makes a big difference for me being a new graduate.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah, I think the other part too, you lived near Simco, so it was a really, it was an easy job to get to. But you weren’t getting paid as much, whereas Hamilton was a lot longer drive, but there were a lot more opportunities there for you.
Exactly.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. [00:04:00]
Tyson E Franklin: So that all worked out.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah, it did. Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: And now you actually own that clinic. I do. Yeah. So , I
Ben Wilkinson: think it’s safe to say I made the right decision in the end.
Tyson E Franklin: , Oh, definitely. And I do, I was writing through, ’cause you were telling me at the time when the owners wanted to sell it. You reached out to me again.
We just spoke through different figures and numbers and what questions to ask them, and you went through all that, and then when you told me you actually owned it, I just went Awesome. And then it has just gone ahead in leaps and bounds since then.
Ben Wilkinson: Totally. Yeah. No, it’s been great. I’m still living closer to that Simco clinic, but, the commute has been absolutely fine. It’s, I, I enjoy going to work. I enjoy the clinic that I own, so
Tyson E Franklin: I’m happy. Yeah. An hour is nothing though , anyone listening to this who’s in a major city especially I know Sydney and Melbourne, an hour to get to work is just, it’s just what it is.
Ben Wilkinson: Yep.
Tyson E Franklin: It’s normal for sure. Yeah. Where I live in Cairns, if it takes more than [00:05:00] 10 minutes, we get frustrated. Yeah, everything is only 10 minutes away. That’s why we like it. So why Podiatry and why did you choose to actually study in the uk?
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. I think that I chose Podiatry.
Really, I was just interested in health medicine in general, but as most people around me know that I don’t have a, lot of patience. So, I figured the whole medical school program residency, , I just didn’t have time for that. Yeah. I wanted to jump in, get started with my career. So that led me to Podiatry.
And I, joke too, keeping with that theme of having the small patients, I think Podiatry is really cool because we can treat a patient and they can be a lot better, even within one treatment or one session with me. Mm, that’s true. So , I found that really rewarding.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. Yeah. , That is a really good part about Podiatry.
You can have someone come in with pain, depending specific on what it is, but [00:06:00] majority of patients, you can actually have them paying for it or reduced pain very quickly. Exactly. That’s great. So you did get that instant dopamine hit. It’s not being on social media, but with patients. So, but why did you choose to study in the UK and not study in Canada?
Ben Wilkinson: I think that again, goes back to my patience in Canada, or at least in Ontario. The province that I live in to get into Podiatry or carpathy we call it here still they want you to do a four year general science degree. Yeah. And then the three years of the carpathy Podiatry program afterwards. But I found out I could go to the UK.
Get started in the program right after high school and it was a three year program. Okay. And there was no limitations for me. I could come back, I could practice and everything was fine. But when you came back, you still
Tyson E Franklin: had to do some extra courses, didn’t you?
Ben Wilkinson: There [00:07:00] was, a board exam I had to write and, because I wanted to do injections and prescribe medication, I had to do little top up courses, but it was no big deal.
Tyson E Franklin: So once you did , the board registration, were you allowed to work straight away or you had to do those prescribing rights and all that as well before you could actually start working?
Ben Wilkinson: I was allowed to work right away, but I, yeah, I couldn’t prescribe or inject until I finished those courses. But to be honest with you, I think I finished them before I was even able to write my board exam.
I think I had everything done all at the same time.
Tyson E Franklin: Okay. Where did you study in the uk? I studied in Northampton. Did you ever consider staying in the UK and working?
Ben Wilkinson: I
Tyson E Franklin: did,
Ben Wilkinson: but. I graduated in 2020. So Great. As COVID was at its peak. Yeah, so the, I was in that kind of special class where the last few months of my course were almost dissolved.[00:08:00]
So before COVID hit, I was applying to jobs in the NHS or even looking at a couple different private clinics to work in. Even just to work there for a year or two to get started, get some experience under me. But once COVID hit, I didn’t know where things were gonna sit. I knew a lot of different companies, or even the hospital setting, they might not be so keen to offer me a visa Yeah.
During COVID. So
Tyson E Franklin: I just headed home. The COVID years. I reckon as a student studying at that time would’ve just, and things have all changed since then. Yeah. Prior. Prior to that, everything was like, you were always at the university and then after that it seemed to be, so many things are now done online.
They don’t have that same sort of interaction. Absolutely.
Ben Wilkinson: Well, my final exams were all online and I don’t think they had ever done that before. So they were trying to figure out how to run the exams online. Yeah. Um. [00:09:00]
Tyson E Franklin: It all worked out in the end. So did you live in the UK for , the whole three years full time,
Ben Wilkinson: I went back and forth a bit. I was able to come home for summer, so I came home for three or four months every summer. And every Christmas time we had a bit of a break too, so I either came home for a week or two or one year my family came over and visited me there and Okay. We did some traveling around too.
Yeah,
Tyson E Franklin: the UK’s a cool place. I’ve always thought the UK was never an area that I had any interest in wanting to visit until I went there for the foot and ankle show. And the first time I went, I was a really quick visit, came back again. It was raining. It was cold.
I’m thinking, why do people live here? But then this year when I went and Jonathan Small and I caught up, and we zoomed around and checked out all these different places, it was just sunshine. Blue skies, still cold, but it is such a interesting place to travel around. Easy to get around from one place to another.
[00:10:00] Now I have a totally, I have such a high respect for the UK and how interesting. I’m looking forward to going back again and checking more of it out over the next few years.
Ben Wilkinson: Nice. It’s a great country. There’s so much to see and the nice part about it, it’s, it is so small, so you can get around really easily.
Tyson E Franklin: You can get from one side, pretty much one part of the country to the other in a matter of a few hours.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. Yeah,
Tyson E Franklin: so once you decided that you were gonna leave the uk, go back to Ontario. And just to point out, for people who do not understand the landscape of how Podiatry works in Canada, it’s a bit different to other parts of the world.
Like in Australia, I can study in Queensland or in Brisbane, in Queensland, and I can work anywhere in the country. Doesn’t matter where I want to go. The UK pretty much the same thing. Canada is a little bit different.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. The big thing here is that half the country has adopted the model that the US [00:11:00] has with the DPM course and the other half of the country has more so adopted the UK or the Australia model.
So every province runs their own system and it’s really tough to work between each province or area of Canada.
Tyson E Franklin: That’s bizarre. So in Vancouver it’s Podiatry, but they’ve all done the DPM course. Yeah, that’s right. But in Ontario, everyone’s a Chiropodist and they’ve done the chiropody course, which is almost identical to the UK and Australian courses.
That’s right. They brought it over from the UK back in the seventies or eighties. I’m not too sure.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. Yep. We call ourselves podiatrists and you can’t technically Exactly. Ontario is just a special province though, where we’re the only province that still uses the term chiropodist So even the other areas of Canada that more so adopt the uk, the Australian model.[00:12:00]
I could go practice in those areas. Yeah, and I’d be called a Podiatry there. But in Ontario, the politics are just so tense. They keep us at chiropodist even though we still have the same
Tyson E Franklin: rights. I remember you telling me all this and I’m just trying to get my head around it going That might, and it must just be so frustrating sometimes.
Ben Wilkinson: It is. It’s confusing to us. It’s confusing to the public. It’s not a great system.
Tyson E Franklin: So when you’re talking to the average person on the street in Canada, do they know what a chiropodist is?
Ben Wilkinson: I would say it’s pretty 50 50. I will say more people recognize the Podiatry term though.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah.
Ben Wilkinson: If I meet someone on the street and they say, what do you do for work? Because I say I’m a chiropodist, I usually have to back it up and say like a Podiatry.
Tyson E Franklin: Okay. But if you just said, I’m a Podiatry, most people would know what you’re talking about. Or 50% would
Ben Wilkinson: I, I would say more. [00:13:00] Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: But you’ve gotta say the Podiatry part lower.
I’m a chiropodist and also a Podiatry. Exactly.
Ben Wilkinson: Small brackets.
I think it’ll get better here. Right now they’re very strict with us. We can’t use the Podiatry title, we can’t mention it anywhere.
Tyson E Franklin: It’s, it’s very strict. So what would happen, I’m always curious if I came to Canada, if I was in Ontario, I’ve come over from Australia, I have a Podiatry degree, I’m in Ontario and say I was gonna run a marketing workshop, for example.
Would I be introduced as a Podiatry or a chiropodist?
Ben Wilkinson: I think they would introduce you as a Podiatry Or anyone coming over to talk. Yeah, but if you set up shop, if you got a job here. Ah, yeah. Okay. You could say, I’m Tyson, I’m a Podiatry, or I have a qualification. Podiatry. But you would be called aist if you’re working.
If you’re [00:14:00] practicing,
Tyson E Franklin: yeah, because you’d have to be registered and you’d be registering with the chiropody board issue. Exactly. Yes. Okay. Let’s move ahead a little bit. You’re now a qualified chiropodist, Podiatry, depending on where you’re from, and you decided you were gonna work in Hamilton, so that’s where you were gonna work full-time.
All of a sudden, the owners won’t get into the details, but the owners decided they wanted to sell it and go off to do something else. What made you decide buying the practice was a good idea? Because you’re only young. You were only 24 at the time.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah, I was still young. When I did buy the practice, I was not even two years into my career, I don’t think.
Yeah. So I, it’s still pretty early on. And at that point, the previous owners of my clinic they’re wonderful people. They’re so great. I keep in touch with them . when they were ready to sell, they had started to remove themselves from the [00:15:00] practice. So I was already in the position with patients as the chiropodist, as kind of the senior chiropodist there.
So I think taking over just felt very natural. Patients were comfortable with me. I was very comfortable with the rest of the support team and staff. I knew already how the business was being ran, so it just felt like a really natural step to take over, actually. So, no nerves, definitely nerves, but. I think I’m one of those people that I, I get an idea in my head and I just jump for it.
My partner’s constantly telling me, stop and think about this. Yeah. Spend a day, spend it, spend two days thinking about it. Where does my mind’s already okay, what do I have to do? I’m. I’m already making it happen.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah, and we’d had this conversation too, ’cause you, when you came, reached out to me and said, oh, I have this opportunity.
And then we were [00:16:00] running through, what are the figures? How much are they asking for the clinic? What’s a turnover, what’s the profit? What are you currently getting as a wage? And therefore the, and the, and then we worked out, I think the profit that you were talking about was even after your wage, we’re still going, wow, this is a really freaking good deal.
This was a really, it was a really good deal. Even sometimes when people hear, oh, if the deals if it sounds too good, it can’t be true. No, yours was really good. And it was actually true. Definitely.
Ben Wilkinson: They had built an amazing clinic and with a really good clientele that stuck around with me, so I’m lucky for sure.
Tyson E Franklin: And, but you’ve grown at HEAP since then. Anyway. I’ve made loads of changes. Yeah. So what were the main change when you took it over yourself? When you looked at the click, how it was running, what were the main things that you look at and said, oh, these are things that I reckon I can change or improve upon?
Ben Wilkinson: I think that I was ready [00:17:00] to improve the marketing. Which I was really looking forward to working on actually. Yeah, I, the clinic had a great reputation within the community with professional referers. But I wanted to change the name. I wanted to change all my branding, get a new logo. I really enjoyed that side of things, that side of the business, and I.
I was ready to make it my own. So almost right away, actually I changed the name, I changed the website name. What was previous of things? What was the previous name? It was their last name
Tyson E Franklin: , So straightaway you knew when you took it over, you went, I, I’m going to change that to something else.
Ben Wilkinson: I
Tyson E Franklin: think so. Yeah.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. I was ready to change the name. I, like I said, they had a great reputation, but it wasn’t my last name
Tyson E Franklin: and it, I needed to make it my l Yeah. And the name you have now is not the name you changed originally changed it to either. That’s right. Yeah. Yeah. So what was the [00:18:00] other name?
What was the original name you did? I first named it Collective
Ben Wilkinson: Foot and Wellness Clinic. Okay. Which was great because I, I started off, which is better? Yeah. Broad. Yeah. And I brought in loads of other healthcare providers. We had a, a chiropractor, a physiotherapist, massage therapy, osteopathy. So we had a bunch of different services.
So I made the name really wide and encompassing of all those things.
Tyson E Franklin: But then how long ago was it, you changed your name? Change your name again?
Ben Wilkinson: Not quite a year ago. Yeah. Yeah. So maybe a year after I took over, I changed the name again.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah, because we were talking about it and just said that because it’s so broad and we discussed, where does your revenue come from?
Where do you actually make money? Do you make it from the Allied Health people that are renting rooms, or do you make it from Podiatry and orthotics?
Ben Wilkinson: And it [00:19:00] was Podiatry and orthotics. Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: And, and we were talking about your website, how it was, your website was very broad, but if you narrowed it in a little bit more, people would get a better idea.
So when you made that change to foot care and orthotics straight away, your orthotic numbers improved. Funny enough, probably by double, we were getting so many calls for Yeah, I reckon that was, that’s what I like. What I love is how , you took it from their name. You wanted to make it your own.
So you changed your name and the first name you came out was not a terrible name. It encompassed exactly what you were doing. But then narrowing the name down, it still hasn’t effect. You still have the other allied health professionals in your clinic, don’t you?
Ben Wilkinson: We do. Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. So it hasn’t really affected them at all, but it’s improved your business and you are the one that’s the most important.
Exactly. Yes. Yep. So I hope everybody heard that. Look at your business name and does it depict exactly what it is that you want?
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. [00:20:00] And the business name is such a big, important part of the business, but I don’t think it’s something that people should be afraid of changing.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. And the thing is, you.
Also like you didn’t just go from like obviously the first name change was from their surname to a better name. The pseudo more of what you were doing. But the next change name, you still kept part of it. So it was really just the ending. So the collective part was, didn’t change.
Ben Wilkinson: Yep. So to be honest with you, none of our current patients have noticed.
I don’t think anybody’s brought it up. But it’s new patients that are noticing that they’re recognizing the new name and they’re understanding more what we do.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah, and I would say feel like looking at your website, it now talks more to the people that are looking for foot care and orthotics, not overall wellness.
Ben Wilkinson: Definitely. Yeah. I noticed when we changed the [00:21:00] name to Foot and Wellness, when it was so broad, we stopped getting a lot of referrals from family, doctors and other professional refers. And I think the name was just confusing it. A foot and wellness could have been a spa. It could have been, yeah.
Anything. So changing the name I, again,
Tyson E Franklin: I think was a good move. Yeah. And we also just, that’s not putting chiropody. The Title two, I think.
Ben Wilkinson: Okay. Yeah. That was on the table for a long time, but again, it’s the confusion. What is ity? What is
Tyson E Franklin: Podiatry? Short and simple. Yeah. Whereas foot care and orthotics, it makes sense regardless of whether you know the name chiropody or you know the name Podiatry.
You know what foot care is and you know what orthotics are.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: Exactly. Just makes it nice and simple. So with the marketing side of things, what was it about marketing you always liked?
Ben Wilkinson: I always wanted just something of my own, I think. Yeah, my dad had , a small construction business, [00:22:00] and of course I always looked up to that and the reputation that he built.
So I think it was just cool to build my own my own clinic, my own reputation in the community. So I was excited to change even the colors of the rooms and our brochures and all those little things got me excited.
Tyson E Franklin: So, okay, so you, you’ve been brought up watching your family have their own business?
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That’s a huge influence. , I think the main thing that made me wanna have my own business was just having the flexibility. If I wanna have a day off, I don’t have to ask permission.
I also worked for, I also worked for a lunatic that I wouldn’t have put up, with how I made myself work. I wouldn’t have put up with that. I wouldn’t have taken that from anyone else. And I, I think that’s the crazy thing. As a business owner, there’s all the benefits, but sometimes we need to look after ourselves a bit more.
Ben Wilkinson: For sure. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the business
Tyson E Franklin: and overwhelmed for sure. [00:23:00] But the one thing I will say about you, you’ve always had a really positive outlook. You are never down in the dumps. Like you’re always very uplifting and positive, which I think would reflect in your clinic and reflect with people that work for you.
Ben Wilkinson: I think so. We were talking today how no one’s ever heard me yell before. I don’t know if I’ve ever yelled in my life.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah, well usually like I, I’ll have certain coaching clients, I’ll be talking to ’em and they will occasionally. Show a little bit of frustration or they’ll swear or something like that.
Never seen you do it. Just you’re so calm all the time. Far calmer than me. Most people would say that around me, but yeah, who I am for better, for worse. That’s a good thing though. Yeah. Don’t change that. Keep, just keep that going. And you’ve never had any problems finding team members either.
Have you?
Ben Wilkinson: Um. I think the common struggle is finding podiatrists. Yeah. ISTs to [00:24:00] work. But I’ve had a pretty solid team from day one, which has been great. And yeah, I haven’t had a whole lot of headaches so far, knock on wood, but
Tyson E Franklin: it’s been good. It, yeah. But I, I do think having a positive attitude, even if something just, I know you’ve told me that certain things haven’t always gone to plan and there’s been little hiccups, but.
You’ve just accepted it for what it is and haven’t dwelled on it. You’ve just moved on to, okay, well what’s next?
Ben Wilkinson: Definitely.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah.
Ben Wilkinson: I think that goes back to having a positive outlook. I, I just know somehow things are gonna work out and they usually do.
Tyson E Franklin: That’s true. So when you were taking that risk at such a young age to, to take over that business, did you talk to your parents who had.
Had their own businesses, were they encouraging you? Here, go for it. What’s the worst that can happen?
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. I think, um, I think they thought I’d [00:25:00] be stupid if I didn’t do it. Yeah. Really? They were only encouraging from the start. Yeah. And they’ve been great. They’ve supported me a lot
Tyson E Franklin: since I’ve got started.
That’s fantastic. And there’s another point, anyone who’s listening to this, I think it’s really important to remember who is in your. Your circle of friends, who’s the people that like you associate with the people you talk to, the people you get advice from. And I say never take business advice from people who don’t own a business, because they would usually tell you all the reasons why you shouldn’t do it.
Oh, this could happen. What if this happens? Oh, you got a nice safe income here. You gonna tie yourself down. What if it doesn’t work? Whereas usually people that have had businesses and successful businesses will always see the positive. So I think if anyone listening to this, you’re thinking about buying somebody else’s practice, taking it over or setting up your own is make sure you’ve got some positive people on your side that can talk you through it.
Ben Wilkinson: [00:26:00] Definitely. Yeah, I, it’s really the best decision I’ve ever made, I think. And yeah, I’d encourage anyone to do the same, start their own business. Uh, it’s not for everyone either, right? We’re always on. Yeah. We’re always always at the first call if something goes wrong.
Tyson E Franklin: Um, yeah. But yeah. The other part I think is important though, is going way back when you were working in the two locations, you could have stayed with the soft option, stayed in Simco, close to home.
It was an easier job. You didn’t have to stretch yourself as much. That would’ve been a really softer option, whereas you took the harder option, which was an hour away. Probably had to learn , a lot more responsibility, but in the end, that actually paid off. Absolutely.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: So anyone listening, don’t cut corners, don’t take softer options.
We see it all the time in Queensland where I am, [00:27:00] majority of the population is in southeast Queensland, Brisbane, gold Coast, sunshine Coast area. So many people that do Podiatry are from that area when they graduate. There’s so many jobs outside of Southeast Queensland, like in regional and rural areas.
Great opportunities. There’s places where people have had practices there, 20, 25 years who’ve made me looking at selling. But so many of the podiatrists take this safe option of, and I don’t wanna, yeah, my, my boyfriend’s still here, my girlfriend’s still here, my family’s here. They don’t wanna.
Just stretch themselves out the wheel take, yeah, take on a bit of discomfort, but in the end it could really pay off.
Ben Wilkinson: Absolutely. Yeah. There’s great opportunities everywhere and uh, some people aren’t as willing to chase them, I think.
Tyson E Franklin: But I will be honest, when I graduated I was soft, gotta own up to that.
I stayed in Southeast Queensland, I went to the Gold Coast, went to take a job there. Didn’t end up [00:28:00] taking it. Ended up working for myself. I had a hand problem, was off of work for two years. When I decided I was going to work again, I was still looking at Southeast Queensland, but the head of the Podiatry department, I’d spoken to him, Alan Crawford, and he said, I don’t know if I, all you guys just keep wanting to stay in southeast Queensland.
There’s so many opportunities out of this area. So I went 1800 kilometers north to Cairnes and never looked back. Best decision ever made. Nice. Not an easy one either. I’m sure you had, most of your family was down in that area. All my family is still in Southeast Queensland. Good part is now is it’s a two hour flight, so I can catch up with ’em anytime I want.
Ben Wilkinson: That’s easy. Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: So I think people just gotta sometimes take the risk and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out. But it, you’ll normally find, if it’s a well calculated thought out risk, it usually does work out. [00:29:00]
Ben Wilkinson: I agree.
Tyson E Franklin: Absolutely. So now you’ve got the clinic, you’ve had it for a couple of years now.
It’s growing heaps. Everything’s moving along fine. You’re loving the marketing side of things. And you recently purchased a 3D printer.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. Why did you go
Tyson E Franklin: down that path?
Ben Wilkinson: Um, always been a little bit techie. A little bit nerdy with things like that. I got a little bit frustrated with some of the orthotic labs that we had been dealing with, I think, and some of them promising certain timeframes and the certain quality of product that weren’t always being delivered.
So I, I was hearing more and more about 3D printed orthotics and I just thought that would be amazing, have that in the office and it would just give me control over that whole process.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. So how have you found it so far, having it? Because it hasn’t been that long, has it?
Ben Wilkinson: No, it’s just been a few months now, [00:30:00] but I’ve gotten the hang of it, a bit of a learning curve to start, but I can now see someone in the morning and I could have the orthotics done by that afternoon.
Yeah. What was the biggest learning curve? And that’s really. The biggest learning curve was designing the orthotic in the Cadcam software. The program that I’m, I’ve been using is really quite easy and user friendly, but sometimes you hit prints and the product that is made isn’t quite what you imagined it would be.
, It’s just figuring out what to expect and. What the final product will actually look like. I think that was my struggle with
Tyson E Franklin: it. Okay. How many times would you say you made mistakes until you went, I’m actually really happy with what I’ve done here.
Ben Wilkinson: Oh. I probably made twenty or 30 pairs before I gave one to my first patient.
Okay. Yeah. And then [00:31:00] even to start, I was only using the 3D printer. Uh, maybe 10% of the time. I just made a few a week with the 3D printer and I followed these patients very closely. How are you liking it? How are you feeling in them? And once I started getting some really good feedback, that’s when I kick things up.
And all of the orthotics that I’m doing now or with the 3D printer,
Tyson E Franklin: so. So you’ve totally switched over now?
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: That’s great. And what’s interesting is, like you say, you make, say you made 20 or 30 pairs before you started using one patients. They don’t cost you a huge amount to make either no materials.
Yeah. If some people are thinking, oh, 20 or 30 pairs, that’s a lot of expense. It’s not a lot of expense for a 3D printer.
Ben Wilkinson: , No. It’s an investment upfront of course for the machines, but ongoing, the materials per device,, it’s gonna work out in my favor in the end, I think. Don’t think you go back to using a lab?
I don’t [00:32:00] think so. No. No. Now that I’ve gotten the hang of this, I, I really like the final product and no I’ve been quite happy.
Tyson E Franklin: I can see this being the way, the future for podiatry. , Actually, I hope this is the way of Podiatry in the future that eventually, . Under most circumstances, using an orthotic lab will be a thing of the past.
Most people will have a 3D printer in the clinic set up in one way or another. There might be one 3D printer. There might be multiple clinics all using their own that they go there and they just go and pick ’em up. But it’s more local. You’re not having to make patients wait two weeks or a week to get their orthotics, even if it’s the next day.
I can see that’s where Podiatry has to move if they wanna keep owning the orthotic space.
Ben Wilkinson: I agree, and it’s a much better product to offer patient who comes in with foot pain that you know, needs an orthotic. It’s an easier conversation [00:33:00] to say, I can have your orthotics ready for you tomorrow or this afternoon, rather than you have to wait two weeks.
But when I have those conversations with patients, or when I used to, if someone came in with. Sore. But I would say, okay, we can get you started with some orthotics. They’re gonna, they’re gonna be two weeks before they’re ready. And the patients would look at me and say, two weeks, what am I supposed to do for two weeks?
And of course, we have other options. We have shockwave injections, the list goes on. But it’s really powerful to say that we can have these orthotics ready for you tomorrow.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. I found the same thing. , We didn’t have a 3D printer. We had a milling machine. I. The time we set it all up and I remember setting the whole thing up.
I think at the time it cost us $75,000, to set it up. But at the time our lab fees were about a hundred grand a year. Yeah. So to set up something that costs 75,000 [00:34:00] straight away, we were saving 25 grand in that first year. And then everything after that just kept leaving more profits. I in the business itself.
I think the initial investment, yes, it’s, it is always going to cost you a bit, but work out if you borrowed that money. What else? If you’ve got that money sitting there, what other return are you gonna get? I just think 3D printers is a easy option. The milling machine was loud. That was the only problem with it.
It was really loud but I know they’ve improved.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah. And the 3D printer’s. Cool. I know it takes a little bit longer than the milling machines would to make the pair. It takes about an hour for my 3D printer to finish a pair. But we have them set up right in the waiting room so people can watch the orthotics being made as they’re waiting for the appointments.
So they get request questions about it, questions about the machines, or, or even just. Foot care patients asking me about it or telling me. It’s cool to see the orthotics being made.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. I remember when we were talking about that. I said, yeah, put [00:35:00] it in the reception area. ’cause it’d be more entertaining than a fish tank.
Yeah, absolutely. And it will make you far more money having the, that, in the reception area set up the right way. Because I know if I walked into a clinic and it was a 3D printer doing something, I would have to ask questions. You couldn’t just sit there and go, yeah. Oh yeah, that, that’s interesting.
And not. If ask anything about it and that would then spark a whole conversation. And then they know when you’re talking about orthotics, they’ve already seen how it’s being made. Yeah.
Ben Wilkinson: Absolutely. I’ve had some great conversations with people who haven’t even been orthotic cases of mine.
They’ve come in for other reasons and they’ve been 3D printing enthusiasts, or hobbyist, and they’ve given me awesome tips or wanted to see the whole process from start to finish. So it’s 3D printing in general is just a cool a cool sector to be in.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. And it’s clean. It’s much cleaner than milling.[00:36:00]
I remember even when we had the, yeah, when we had the milling machine. Remember patients would hear , the slight humming noise going and they’d be asking, what’s that? And I’d go, oh, it’s the milling machine. So I’d take em in, they’d have a look, and they were just like, oh, this is so cool. And so they knew when you were talking about I thought they knew what was happening in the background, how it was being made.
But yeah. I love the 3D printer, how it, it’s quiet. It’s clean. It’s an hour is still pretty fast.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah, it’s not too bad. No.
Tyson E Franklin: And I was pretty good because I remember years ago you have to put ’em on overnight before you’re left for work, and therefore there’s only a limit on how many you can make unless you had a second printer.
Right. So since you’ve taken over the clinic, okay, you’ve got the 3D printer that wasn’t there. What other toys did you introduce or services that weren’t there when you took the business over?
Ben Wilkinson: I brought in the other wellness services, the physiotherapist, chiropractor, and massage and [00:37:00] osteopath.
And actually we have a reflexologist now too. And they’re doing great. They all have busy schedules. They all work kind of part-time for me. Yeah, which is ideal. And it’s been a nice compliment though for patients. We’ve had a lot of cross-referrals between the services and yeah, people have been interested in it.
Tyson E Franklin: Are they working for you or is it their own business and they just pay you rent?
Ben Wilkinson: They are working for me all as associates. Okay. So I keep a percentage of their billings and I provide the reception services in the room and yeah. Bookkeeping for them too.
Tyson E Franklin: So you are like the Godfather, you are the mm-hmm.
You are the puppet master maybe a little bit. And you enjoy it though. You’re enjoying that side of things. Yeah, I do. Running the business. Coming up with different ideas, watching the business grow, which I think is great. I think you’ve gotta enjoy what you’re [00:38:00] doing well, there’s no point in doing it.
It’s been great
Ben Wilkinson: and, it’s been two years now and I’ve gotten to the point now where I can just slowly reduce my actual clinical hours, my time with patients. So I have at least a day or a day and a half a week now where I can really focus and work on the business side of things, which has been really big for me.
Yeah.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. No, I think that’s really important. And that’s the other part point out to people too. You’ve been working yourself while this whole process has been going on. It’s not as though you bought the business and just sat back and counted the money. You were actually in there working with patients at the same time.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah,
Tyson E Franklin: I’ve been treating patients full-time since I started. Yeah. Until now. And then you opened up a second clinic in Simco?
Ben Wilkinson: Yes.
I did just , a small practice , and recently I moved it actually from Simco to Port Dover, which is only about 10 [00:39:00] minutes down the road. Yeah. But I have a nice little spot there. Close to home. I just work a day and a half there a week. And it’s mostly orthotic cases. I see. That’s been really nice.
Tyson E Franklin: So with the original thing that was in sim code where you were working, is that still there with the same owner or did it they end up selling it or what’d they do?
Ben Wilkinson: Um, it’s still there. I, I know they’re. Busy, which is great. She’s been there a long time. Um, oh, you said there’s no
Tyson E Franklin: Ill feeling when you’re left either.
It wasn’t as though you go, oh, I’m gonna leave for whatever reason. You’re not that sort of person.
Ben Wilkinson: No, no. I don’t think we ended on bad terms. Yeah, there was three of us there working with her, and we’ve actually all gone off and done separate things now.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. When you can normally tell a good employer is when you decide you’re going to leave.
They don’t get the shits that you’re leaving. Now. They might be disappointed. Like I had people work with me. Yeah. If somebody left, I was disappointed they left. But rarely did [00:40:00] you ever get shitty with them. ’cause it’s like, especially some of them who I knew were going to have their own practices and were going to do really well from it because they just had the right attitude.
Ben Wilkinson: . Right now I have, um. a chiropodist working for me. Uh, her name is Rachel. Yeah. And I consider Rachel a really close friend, actually. Uh, now, uh, we just went and we did a course in Amsterdam together this summer, which was amazing. Yeah. But she’s, just starting her own clinic just part-time. And I know in the back of my mind that.
Eventually she’d like to work full-time for herself. But I’ve told her from day one when she told me that, do what you have to do what you wanna do. There will never be hard feelings. Like I yeah. That’s good. I’m excited.
Tyson E Franklin: Okay. So you mentioned you went to Amsterdam, which is great.
So this is probably the last question before we wrap up, but how important do you find it is to go along to conferences, other events like we met face-to-face in Chicago [00:41:00] when I did, a marketing workshop. So how important do you find it is just to get out of the clinic and go and learn, do continuing education.
It’s super important.
Ben Wilkinson: Um, done loads of courses and been to lots of conferences. I’m, I’m lucky that way, and. I think learning more of the clinical side of things or the business side of things with these courses, it’s just as important as connecting with other people in the profession and making connections.
Yeah, networking. It’s amazing. I’ve met some awesome people. I mentioned, I did a course in Amsterdam and yeah. We actually sat down next to a Podiatry who practices only about an hour away from us in Canada, and we spent a lot of the trip with him , and we became quite close with him, which is a hilarious coincidence, but you never know where you’ll meet people.
Tyson E Franklin: Well, when [00:42:00] you did the marketing workshop, when we caught up in Chicago and Mike Donato was there, and at the time he was the president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. And that, the best thing when you go to any event, the people you meet and the friends that you can connect with.
And then as I pointed out to you, Ben, try and maintain those networking relationships. But they just, the thing is, the good part is you can bump into, again, five, 10 years time and as soon as you bump into ’em, knowing that you spend a certain amount of time together, maybe had a beer or something like that afterwards, ah, that friendship just, it just stays there forever.
Ben Wilkinson: Absolutely.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. That’s great. Yeah, people I I know who never go to conferences just sit in a clinic and they just stay there and they get bitter and twisted over the years and they go, I have no , no friends in the profession. You gotta get out. You gotta leave the confines of your clinic.
Definitely.
Ben Wilkinson: Yep. Have to get out there. [00:43:00] Be open to learning new skills. Be open to meeting new people. I think that’s very important and it’s usually mandatory for most governing bodies, and that’s for a reason.
Tyson E Franklin: Okay. Last thing is with the Ontario Society of chiropodist, you are now helping them out.
You are part of the conference committee that they do each year.
Ben Wilkinson: Yeah,
Tyson E Franklin: I,
Ben Wilkinson: I just recently joined their board of directors. I think they’ve put me in charge of education and, and courses that they’re gonna be running. Mm. I haven’t been too involved yet, but I’m excited
Tyson E Franklin: to get started with that.
And they have their conference, every year.
Yep. I’ll put a link in the notes to their society, so if anyone wants to keep in touch of when those conferences are on, ’cause it’s always good, I think doing overseas conferences even better than doing ’em in your own country sometimes.
Ben Wilkinson: Definitely. And usually you can get a bit of a tax break from doing it, so Yes. Not a holiday, not come visit.
Tyson E Franklin: Yeah. Okay. [00:44:00] Ben, I want to thank you for coming on the Podiatry Legends Podcast. This has been fun. Like I said, we’ve known each other for a few years now. It’s great getting you on here. ’cause I thought some of the things you’ve done at such a young age, I, I just think there’s a lot of younger podiatrists who will actually hear this and look up to you and be inspired by what you’re doing.
Thank you. That’s really nice of you to say that. So, uh, I look forward to talking in soon. Of course, you too. Okay. See you later. Bye. Thank you, Tyson. Bye.