Get A Shift On: Healthcare Career Change and Business Stories

S1:E49 | Intimacy, Mental Health and Why Communication Is the Foundation of Everything | Gemma Nice, Sex and Relationship Coach

It's Mental Health Awareness Week. And one of the most under talked tools for managing stress, anxiety and mental well-being isn't medication, therapy or a morning routine. According to sex and relationship coach Gemma Nice, it starts a lot closer to home. Gemma Nice is back for part two. Multi-award-winning founder of The Relationship Coach, former veterinary nurse of 19 years, and someone who rebuilt her own 26-year relationship from the ground up using breath work, yoga and some very honest conversations. This episode goes deeper. If part one was about communication breaking down, this one is about what it actually takes to rebuild it — and what your body is doing while you ignore it. For healthcare professionals who've spent years being the strong one, the capable one, the one who holds everyone else together, this conversation will land differently than most. Topics covered: * Why orgasms are a legitimate mental health tool — the science of cortisol, dopamine and stress release * The real reason intimacy disappears in high-achieving relationships — and why it's rarely about attraction * What perimenopause actually does to a relationship when communication isn't already there * Why men are still left out of miscarriage, menopause and emotional health conversations * The traffic light system for exploring new things together without pressure or blame * How to use I statements at work — not just at home — to feel seen and heard * What erectile dysfunction and loss of arousal actually signal about the nervous system * Why the taboo around self-pleasure is a Victorian hangover that's still costing people their mental health * Monogamy, open relationships and how communication is the only way through any of it * Why body shame starts young, why parents carry it forward, and how to break the cycle Follow Gemma Nice:Website: https://www.gemmanice.com [https://www.gemmanice.com]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmanicerelationshipcoach [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmanicerelationshipcoach]YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gemmanicerelationshipcoach [https://www.youtube.com/@gemmanicerelationshipcoach]Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/GemmaHayleyNice/ [https://www.pinterest.co.uk/GemmaHayleyNice/]Twitter: https://twitter.com/GemmaHayleyNice [https://twitter.com/GemmaHayleyNice]Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/yogigemma [https://insighttimer.com/yogigemma]Book a call: https://calendly.com/gemmahayleynice [https://calendly.com/gemmahayleynice] Follow David :David's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbirchmore/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbirchmore/] Are you ready to leave healthcare? Still in a role you've mentally already left? Answer 15 questions and find out exactly where you stand, and what to do first. Take the free 2 min quiz here: https://david-a0a3cnqe.scoreapp.com [https://david-a0a3cnqe.scoreapp.com] Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Gemma's Journey 01:02 From Veterinary Nurse to Intimacy Coach 04:03 The Impact of Travel on Relationships 10:11 Navigating Arguments and Disagreements 13:33 The Power of 'I' Statements in Communication 18:07 Authenticity in Conversations 21:51 Breaking Taboos Around Sex and Relationships 26:06 Men's Emotional Health and Communication 33:52 Sexuality and Pleasure at Any Age 35:53 Navigating Relationships Through Menopause 39:05 The Importance of Communication in Intimacy 42:54 Understanding Orgasms and Mental Health 45:58 Breaking Taboos: Masturbation and Self-Exploration 48:54 Exploring Kinks and Fetishes in Relationships 52:58 Monogamy vs. Open Relationships: A Modern Perspective 58:03 Cultural Perspectives on Sexuality and Nudity

S1:E48 | From Radiation Therapy to Running a Global Health Tech Startup | Matt Vigar, AyniHealth

Most healthcare professionals assume the skills they built in clinical practice are only useful in clinical practice. Matt Vigar spent 18 years at Elekta, went from therapy radiographer to Vice President, and is now building his own health tech startup from Seoul. His story is proof that what you learn at the bedside, in the planning room, and on the treatment machine travels a very long way. Matt Vigar is a radiation therapist turned global business leader. He started his career in Sydney, came to the UK on what was supposed to be a two-year working holiday, and never went back. He worked his way through applications training, sales, business development and senior leadership across the UK, Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea, before being made redundant during an Elekta global restructure. He's now co-founder of AyniHealth, a health tech platform focused on clinical education, credentialing and community of practice. This conversation is honest about what it actually feels like to reach the role you set out to get and realise it isn't what you expected. Matt talks about redundancy, rebuilding, and why having a purpose before the call comes makes all the difference. For any healthcare professional wondering whether their skills travel, this is worth your time. Topics covered: * How a chance conversation in a hospital corridor led to an entirely different career * The clinical skills Matt took directly into his first applications role at Elekta * 18 years across the UK, Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea — and what each move taught him * Getting promoted to VP and feeling flat when he got there * Why setting systems rather than goals changes how you work * How a mentorship programme helped him find his purpose before redundancy landed * The financial reality of going from VP salary to startup founder * How AyniHealth was built around the same problem Matt watched healthcare teams struggle with for two decades * Why healthcare professionals make unusually good business founders * What to do when redundancy hits and the "why me" feeling takes over * The value of finding stillness — and why Matt meditates for 30 minutes before he touches his phone Listen to the full episode now. Follow Matt Vigar:Website: https://www.ayni.health/en [https://www.ayni.health/en]LinkedIn: Follow David / Via Nova here: ⁠⁠David's LinkedIn⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbirchmore/] If you’re done pretending you’re fine… start here. Your Final Shift is a straight-talking exit guide for healthcare professionals who can’t do another 20 years of this. Get your copy here [https://stan.store/vianovalife/p/your-final-shift-healthcare-exit-guide] Are you ready to leave healthcare? Still in a role you've mentally already left? Answer 15 questions and find out exactly where you stand, and what to do first Take the free 2 min quiz here [https://david-a0a3cnqe.scoreapp.com] Chapters00:00 - Introducing Matt Vigar and his journey from radiation therapy to healthcare leadership 02:05 - Early career in Sydney and decision to explore global opportunities 04:34 - Moving into industry at Elekta and international travel experiences 08:00 - Lessons from working abroad in Europe and Russia 12:15 - Applying clinical skills to industry roles and teaching experiences 15:43 - Notable cultural moments and social traditions in healthcare settings 21:04 - Experiences in Asia: South Korea, Hong Kong, and the region's healthcare landscape 27:35 - Transitioning from regional management to founding AyniHealth 32:00 - Building a healthcare community platform and solving education challenges 36:50 - Navigating corporate restructuring and making career shifts 42:56 - The significance of community, support, and mental well-being during change 48:46 - The role of teamwork and collaboration in healthcare and startups 55:35 - Prioritizing purpose, reflection, and mental clarity during career decisions 60:10 - Practical tips for embracing change and pursuing passions 64:18 - Personal achievements and re-evaluating success beyond titles 65:00 - Final thoughts and future plans for AyniHealth and community impact

S1:E47 | How to Fix Communication, Intimacy and Trust in Your Relationship | Gemma Nice, Sex and Relationship Coach

Relationship breakdown rarely starts with a single event. It starts with communication that just stops, busy schedules, late nights, devices, and two people living alongside each other without actually connecting. Gemma Nice is a multi-award-winning sex and relationship coach, founder of The Relationship Coach, and someone who rebuilt her own 25-year relationship from near-breakdown. She left a 19-year veterinary nursing career, found yoga in Thailand on a backpacking trip that saved her relationship, and eventually built a business around the three things she sees break every relationship: communication, intimacy, and trust. This conversation goes places most podcasts won't. Gemma talks about why high-achieving professionals are particularly vulnerable to relationship breakdown, why scheduling intimacy is smarter than waiting for spontaneity, and what your body is already trying to tell you — if you'd just stop and listen. For healthcare professionals who've spent years being the capable one, the one who holds it together, this episode will make you think about what that's actually cost you. Topics covered: * How to fix communication, intimacy and trust when the relationship has stalled * Leaving a 19-year veterinary nursing career and why corporate takeover was the final push * How the stress of clinical work showed up physically — and what happened when she left * The backpacking trip to South Africa, Thailand and New Zealand that rebuilt a relationship from the inside out * Why the three pillars of communication, intimacy and trust collapse in a specific order — and what to do about it * What high-achieving professionals get wrong about connection, and why devices are the silent relationship killer * The back-to-back conversation technique she gives clients who can't talk without it turning into an argument * Why scheduling intimacy is not unromantic — and why you'd do it for a work meeting without blinking * The hormonal reality of orgasm as a stress response, and what that means for anyone stuck in fight or flight * The generational roots of sexual shame, why the Victorians are still running the show, and what it takes to change that * Why foreplay starts the moment penetrative sex ends — and what that means day to day New episode out now. Link in the comments. Follow Gemma Nice:Website [https://www.gemmanice.com]LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemmanicerelationshipcoach⁠] YouTube [⁠https://www.youtube.com/@gemmanicerelationshipcoach]Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/yogigemma [https://insighttimer.com/yogigemma]Book a call: https://calendly.com/gemmahayleynice [https://calendly.com/gemmahayleynice] Follow David / Via Nova here: ⁠⁠David's LinkedIn⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbirchmore/] If you’re done pretending you’re fine… start here. Your Final Shift is a straight-talking exit guide for healthcare professionals who can’t do another 20 years of this. Get your copy here [https://stan.store/vianovalife/p/your-final-shift-healthcare-exit-guide] Are you ready to leave healthcare? Still in a role you've mentally already left? Answer 15 questions and find out exactly where you stand, and what to do first Take the free 2 min quiz here [https://david-a0a3cnqe.scoreapp.com]

S1:E46 | Qualified Doctor Who Never Worked Clinically — Building a Healthcare Marketing Agency From Medical School | Tiarnan McKeever, Founder, KE Socials

Most healthcare professionals who leave do so after years in clinical practice. Tiarnan McKeever decided during medical school that he wasn't going. He finished the degree, got the letters, and used them to build something else entirely. Tiarnan is a qualified doctor and founder of KE Socials, a digital marketing agency that works exclusively with healthcare businesses — private clinics, doctor-led services, and medical education companies. He built the foundations while still studying, graduated without ever working clinically, and now runs a team in a London office serving clients across the private healthcare sector. This conversation covers what it looks like to use medical training as a commercial asset rather than a clinical one — and what healthcare professionals who are thinking about leaving can take from a doctor who made that call early and made it deliberately. Specific topics covered: * Why Tiarnan finished medical school knowing he'd never work clinically, and why having the letters still mattered * How a conversation with a consultant about an app with no users sparked the idea for the agency * Sending 600 cold emails to get the first client, and what being a medical student actually got him in the door * Why 50% of his clients have come through his personal LinkedIn, not the company page * The three-stage patient acquisition model most private clinic owners get wrong * Why he lets go of clients who undermine his freedom, even if they're paying well * How he defined his core values around freedom before designing the business, not after * What doctors bring to business that they completely underestimate — and why he'd still go to medical school knowing what he knows now * His Q1 this year — what a bad patch looked like and how outside perspective pulled him through it * Why personal brand beats business brand, and what Daniel Priestley got right Listen to the episode here. Follow Tiarnan McKeever:Website: https://growth.kesocials.com/us/x [https://growth.kesocials.com/us/x]LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiarnánmckeever/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiarn%C3%A1nmckeever/] Follow David / Via Nova here: ⁠⁠David's LinkedIn⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbirchmore/] If you’re done pretending you’re fine… start here. Your Final Shift is a straight-talking exit guide for healthcare professionals who can’t do another 20 years of this. Get your copy here [https://stan.store/vianovalife/p/your-final-shift-healthcare-exit-guide] Are you ready to leave healthcare? Still in a role you've mentally already left? Answer 15 questions and find out exactly where you stand, and what to do first Take the free 2 min quiz here [https://david-a0a3cnqe.scoreapp.com]  Want to try billboard advertising from £80? Get started with CAASie at https://caasie.co/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=get-a-shift-on&utm_content=referral [https://caasie.co/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=get-a-shift-on&utm_content=referral] - 1.5M screens worldwide, pay-per-play. * 00:00 - Introduction and guest background * 02:29 - Why Tiarnan stayed in medical school despite starting a side hustle * 04:19 - The importance of perseverance and taking on challenges * 07:33 - Origins of Tiarnan’s business idea and initial side projects * 09:27 - What services his healthcare marketing agency offers * 12:17 - Why more doctors seek multiple income streams * 14:06 - The effect of systemic issues on medical professionals’ career satisfaction * 16:24 - How Tiarnan designs his ideal workday based on core values * 18:25 - Boundaries with clients and maintaining work-life freedom * 20:56 - Building and managing his team with clear core values * 23:16 - Challenging client arrogance and focusing on ideal collaborations * 27:19 - The stages of patient acquisition and common clinic mistakes * 33:21 - Views on private healthcare and system limitations * 44:04 - Advice for healthcare professionals considering leaving medicine * 47:43 - The value of medical skills beyond clinical practice * 49:50 - Future plans for business expansion and growth

S1:E45 | How Healthcare Professionals Can Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn (Without Quitting Their Job) | Souad Menif, Medica Ink

Most doctors and healthcare professionals are brilliant at their job. They're invisible online. That gap is costing them opportunities they don't even know exist. In this episode of Get A Shift On, David Birchmore speaks with Souad Menif — 4th year dental student, founder of Medica Ink, and LinkedIn ghostwriter and strategist for healthcare professionals and doctor-founders — about why clinicians struggle to build a visible presence online, and what actually changes when they do. Souad shares how she built a LinkedIn ghostwriting agency while still studying full-time, what made her realise her writing skills were a real asset, and why the biggest problem isn't that doctors can't write — it's that they're trying to say too much. The conversation covers: * Why healthcare professionals undervalue their own skills and experience * Why doctors over-complicate LinkedIn and how to fix it fast * The difference between a strong personal brand and a large following * Why engagement and commenting can outperform your own posts * How to optimise your LinkedIn profile before you write a single post * Building a business alongside a clinical career — what's realistic * Why waiting until everything is in place is the biggest mistake * Family pressure, career identity, and the weight of the path you were "supposed" to take * Why Souad still does dentistry — and what that tells us about portfolio careers * The role of LinkedIn for clinicians facing NHS redundancy or career change For healthcare professionals wondering whether they can build something of their own without leaving the system — this episode is a direct answer. Follow Souad / Medica Ink:Website: medicaink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/souad-menifInstagram: @linkedin_dentist Follow David / Via Nova here: ⁠⁠David's LinkedIn⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbirchmore/] If you’re done pretending you’re fine… start here. Your Final Shift is a straight-talking exit guide for healthcare professionals who can’t do another 20 years of this. Get your copy here [https://stan.store/vianovalife/p/your-final-shift-healthcare-exit-guide] Are you ready to leave healthcare? Still in a role you've mentally already left? Answer 15 questions and find out exactly where you stand, and what to do first Take the free 2 min quiz here [https://david-a0a3cnqe.scoreapp.com]  Want to try billboard advertising from £80? Get started with CAASie at https://caasie.co/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=get-a-shift-on&utm_content=referral [https://caasie.co/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=get-a-shift-on&utm_content=referral] - 1.5M screens worldwide, pay-per-play.