Why Practice Owners Feel So Tired (Even When They Love Their Work)

Why Practice Owners Feel So Tired (Even When They Love Their Work)

Have you ever reached the end of the day and wondered why everything suddenly feels harder than it should? You still love your work. You still care deeply about your clients and your team. But the decisions feel heavier, the motivation isn't quite there, and even the simplest tasks seem to take more effort than they used to. This episode was inspired by The Cognitive Athlete by Clint Rahe, a book we recently explored in our Connection Book Club. It gave me a completely different way of thinking about the mental demands of running an allied health practice and why so many practice owners are feeling tired, even when they aren't necessarily burnt out. Sometimes the problem isn't that we need another productivity hack. Sometimes we simply need to recognise that our brains have been working incredibly hard, and they deserve the same care and recovery we would give our bodies. IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK ABOUT: * Why running an allied health practice creates an enormous cognitive load * The difference between physical tiredness and cognitive fatigue * Why many practice owners mistake fatigue for a lack of discipline or productivity * What elite athletes can teach us about preparation, performance and recovery * The importance of recognising the different seasons of business and leadership * A simple question that helps cut through the overwhelm: "If I could only work for two hours today, what would I choose to work on?" * Why recovery isn't something we earn after finishing the work, it's part of doing meaningful work well. MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAY One of the biggest lessons this book gave me was recognising that I spend a lot of time intentionally managing my business, but not nearly enough time intentionally managing myself. As practice owners, we often expect ourselves to think clearly, make great decisions and perform at a high level every single day. But just because we can keep going doesn't mean we should. Maybe the answer isn't squeezing more into our day. Maybe it's creating more opportunities to recover before we reach the point where everything starts to feel flat. If this episode leaves you with one thought, I hope it's this: You're not failing. You might simply be cognitively tired. Giving yourself permission to recover isn't selfish... it might just be one of the most important leadership decisions you make. Thank you so much for listening. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to invite you to learn more about The Connection, our membership for allied health practice owners. It's a place to connect, learn, reflect and remember that you don't have to navigate practice ownership on your own. You can find out more and explore our free resources at https://theconnectionco.com.au [https://theconnectionco.com.au]

The 3 Pay Rise Mistakes I've Made as a Practice Owner

THE 3 PAY RISE MISTAKES I'VE MADE AS A PRACTICE OWNER When Fair Work recently announced upcoming wage increases, I noticed something interesting. There seemed to be two common responses. Some practice owners went very quiet, while others felt relatively unaffected because they already pay above award wages. As I sat with it, I realised there was a bigger conversation to be had. In this episode, I'm sharing three of the biggest mistakes I've made over my 20 years as a practice owner when it comes to pay rises, remuneration, and leading a team. These aren't payroll mistakes or compliance issues. They're leadership lessons I've learned, sometimes the hard way, about balancing care for my team with care for the health of the business. In this episode, I talk about: * Why I used to think a pay rise was the only way to recognise and reward someone * What I've learned about the difference between recognition and remuneration * How avoiding difficult conversations can create more stress for everyone involved * The importance of understanding the numbers before making people decisions * How pay rises impact far more than just wages * Finding the balance between leading with heart and leading with sustainability * Why being a good employer doesn't mean saying yes to everything One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that good intentions don't pay wages. Healthy businesses pay wages. This episode is an invitation to step back, look at the bigger picture, and think about how you're approaching pay rises, recognition, leadership and business sustainability in your own practice. QUESTIONS TO REFLECT ON As you're listening, I encourage you to think about: * If money is only one part of the equation, what other opportunities for growth and recognition can you offer your team? * Is there a conversation you're avoiding because you're worried about disappointing someone? * Are you making people decisions with both your heart and your numbers? * If you say yes to a pay rise, what might you need to say no to elsewhere in the business? CONNECT WITH ME If you'd like more support navigating the challenges of practice ownership, I'd love to welcome you into our community. You can learn more about The Connection Co and the Allied Health Connection membership at: The Connection Co [https://theconnectionco.com.au?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Because building a good allied health practice isn't about choosing between smart and heart. It's about bringing both together

5 Tools I Actually Use in My Own Practice

I have tried a lot of systems, apps, and tools in my time as a practice owner. Some have promised me productivity bliss, but most ended up as clutter on my phone. So in this episode, I'm sharing the five tools that genuinely work for me. These are the ones that suit how my brain works, that help me connect with my team, stay organised, and actually get things done. Here's what I covered in this episode: * Why I finally stopped trying to make phone-only apps work for me * The key questions I ask before adopting any new tool * My favourite walkie-talkie-style app that helps me connect with my team and clients (without the email overload) - https://www.voxer.com/ [https://www.voxer.com/] * A visual, structure-loving-but-not-rigid person's app for daily planning - https://www.tiimoapp.com/ [https://www.tiimoapp.com/] * The clinic communication tool that took us out of email chaos and into calm - https://connecteam.com/ [https://connecteam.com/] * A project manager that helps me brain dump and plan big things - https://clickup.com/ [https://clickup.com/] * My old faithful for storing and finding all the things (even if you're a dump-and-dasher) - https://drive.google.com/drive/ [https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/my-drive] Takeaways: * The right tools are the ones that reduce mental load, not add to it * You don’t need the fanciest system, just one that works with your brain, your energy, and your current stage of business * If a tool feels like homework, it's not the right one for you * Ask yourself: Does this live where I already work? Will it make things easier or harder? Do I really have the capacity to build a new habit right now? * Remember to check out the Busy Blind Spot Quiz to get insight on how you're currently approaching work https://theconnectionco.com.au/resources/ [https://theconnectionco.com.au/resources/] Thanks for listening! I hope this episode helps you feel a little more confident choosing the right supports for your workday. If you’ve found a tool that fits you perfectly, I’d genuinely love to hear about it. And if you’re looking for more support and connection in your practice journey, come join us at The Connection Co! We are here to make things easier for you. https://theconnectionco.com.au/membership/ [https://theconnectionco.com.au/membership/]

When I realised I wasn't wearing enough hats (I know!!!)

Have you ever had that moment where you're sitting at your desk surrounded by Post-it notes, printer problems, and unfinished progress notes and thought, "Hang on, this is a lot more than being a therapist"? Yep, me too. In this episode, I take you back to when I first started my practice (hi, baby Ruby in the pram!) and share the very real realisation that we wear way more hats than we ever signed up for. In this episode, I chat about: * The funny but accurate concept of an "entrepreneurial seizure" from The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber * Understanding the three roles every business owner juggles: technician, manager, and entrepreneur * Why we spend too much time in our safe, comfy clinician zone (and what that costs us) * What happens when the entrepreneur hat stays hidden in the cupboard * Practical ways to carve out time and space for managing and growing your practice * Giving yourself permission to grow (without tying it to being even more busy!) Reflections & Takeaways: This episode is all about recognising where you're spending your time, and whether it's where you need to be. Technician, manager, entrepreneur: they’re all crucial roles, but most of us cling to our clinical roots while the business side of things quietly frays around the edges. The moment we start to truly own our business owner identity? That’s when things shift. Remember: you don’t have to grow a big team. You don’t have to step away from clients entirely. But you do deserve calm, clarity, and support. And that means building systems, carving out CEO time, and embracing all the hats (even if they’re a bit uncomfortable at first). If you’re feeling like the technician role is taking over your world, I hope this episode gave you some practical ways to step into your manager and entrepreneur shoes a little more often. And if you need help doing that, come join us inside The Connection...it's the place where we work on these things together... Smart with Heart! You can learn more here: https://theconnectionco.com.au

Pre-holiday emotional jetlag...and how to avoid it!

If you are juggling school holidays, sick kids, and a business that never seems to switch off, you are so not alone. In this episode, I recorded mid-school-holidays (with one grumpy child off with Dad!), I'm unpacking what it really takes to get rest when you're a practice owner. After 19 years in business, I still sometimes get this wrong. I block out the holidays in my calendar, but I forget to actually plan for them. And what ends up happening is a half-switched-off, half-working juggle that leaves no one feeling like they've had a proper break. So today is all about taking a REAL holiday. Not the kind with tinsel and tension or school holidays that feel like a logistical headache. I'm talking about the kind of break where your soul says yes, your laptop stays closed, and no one asks you for toast every three minutes. In this episode, I share: * Why practice owners struggle to switch off on holidays * The frantic pre-holiday energy (you know the one... 117 tasks before Friday!) * What actually makes a break feel like a real break * The importance of energetic boundaries before and after a holiday * How to prep your team (or yourself if you're solo!) * Tips like the fake start date, the holiday FAQ, and the single point of contact * Why "no new projects" is your new holiday mantra * What to do when you come back so you don’t feel punished for taking a break * And why it’s okay (essential, even) to book that pastry-and-a-book moment Real holidays don’t just happen. They take intention and planning, not just of the calendar logistics, but of our mindset. I want you to feel like you got a break, not just your business. That means buffers before and after, boundaries, and giving yourself full permission to be a human who needs rest. Thanks for being here. If this episode resonated, feel free to share it with a friend who needs the reminder too. You can learn more about how to connect with me and join our beautiful community over at theconnectionco.com.au. Want my freebie download?? I’ve made you a little freebie: a "Real Holiday Prep Checklist" just for practice owners. Send us an email and we'll get it over to you hello@theconnectionco.com.au