My thirty day transformation with Dr. Sasha High

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Hi, docs. Welcome to the Entre MD podcast, where it's all about helping amazing physicians just like you, embrace entrepreneurship so you can have the freedom to live life and practice medicine on your terms. I'm your host, Dr. Umna.

Well, hello.

Hello.

Welcome to another episode of the ontremd podcast. And today we are going to Canada because I have the amazing Dr. Sasha High with me here, and she is the founder of a multidisciplinary weight management clinic, and she is killing it. And her goal, her mission, is to help 10,000 women love themselves, lose weight if they want to, and thrive beyond the scale. And if you're a woman listening, you're going like, my goodness, she's in Canada. We need to move. But I have her here. So. Dr. Sasha, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today.

Thank you so much for having me. This is a huge honor. I'm so excited.

Yeah, this is going to be. This is going to be so much fun. Now, Dr. Sasha is one of the fabulous, fabulous doctors we have in the entremity business school, and we're going to kind of walk through what that's like, what the first 30 days have been like. And I want you to just lean in because you're going to get so much out of this and there's so many things you're going to be able to apply starting from today. I'm grateful that you know she said yes to coming to share her story, so, you know, just get ready to be blown away. So now, Dr. Hice, let's start from where you were before you joined the business school. Right. So what was business like? What was life like? Like and all that?

Yeah, absolutely. So I've been on a journey of entrepreneurship probably since 2017. That's when I decided to leave my job at the hospital where I was working full time and take this huge risk and open up my own clinic and had no business knowledge, no concept of what it meant to be an entrepreneur. But I just knew that I had to kind of follow this, like, calling on my heart of what I wanted to do with my practice. And it's been working okay, right? Like, the first few years, I made no money. I couldn't pay my staff well, but we were just, like, it was messy, but we were moving forward. And then over time, you know, the business has been getting. It's been more successful. We're reaching more people. But I really felt like the business was running me. And I think that that's probably when I first kind of reached out to you. And I was looking into coaching and stuff like that is. I just. I was like, I can't keep working at this pace. I work all day, every day, seven days a week. I come home, I put my kids to sleep, and then I work all night until midnight. And I do the same thing every day. And it just. That's just not what I signed up for when I went into being an entrepreneur and running my own practice. And so what I was really looking for when I first reached out to you is I was like, I want to scale, but I can't scale me. So clearly, I need to learn how to build my system better. And that's really kind of why I looked into Entre MD Business school and coaching with you.

Wow. Okay. And this is really important because the first problem is, okay, I want to start my practice. And then you start the practice, and you're like, okay, I need it to get to the point where it's profitable, and then it's profitable, and then you're like, okay, as profitable as running my life. Like, I need my life back. You know what I mean?

Exactly.

And that's kind of the trajectory here. So that's. I find that very fascinating that you're saying that. And for anybody, on any. At any phase, realize that, you know, at every phase, there's a challenge. You're like, wait a minute. We. We need. We need to change that. So let's talk about what you know, so it's, it's been 30 days, you know, at this point. And I like to celebrate every week, every day, if I could, stuff like that. Because I think it gives you the mental toughness that you need to keep moving forward. If you look at it in nature, we don't wait till our kids graduate from Harvard to start celebrating. Right. We celebrate everything. So what are some of the changes that have happened? Some of those could be internal, like mindset changes. Others could be external, like wins that have number values to them. You know, like what kind of wins have you experienced?

Yeah, so many. So I think one of the big concepts that you, you teach is the difference between RGA and non RGA activities. So RGA being revenue generating activity. And that was like, okay, yeah, I need to stop playing with my brand colors in Canva because that is not bringing in any patience. Right. And you know, tweaking my podcast art, that is not necessary. So I have just hired a VA to help with a lot of the tech stuff. You know, I spent two years ago, I did all of these like tech courses on how to run Facebook ads and learn all of the activecampaign all this stuff. That's fine. But I can't be spending my time doing that because I need to be doing my zone of genius. Also, your words of really reaching people, speaking to my ideal clients to bring them in so that we can help them. So that's been a big shift for me. I think the second one is just the mindset shift of it's okay to make money. I will be honest, like, I've had so many limited beliefs. Yeah. And you know, this is something, I don't know if this is specific to Canadian physicians also, is that we operate in a publicly funded health care system, so patients are not used to paying any money when they come to the doctor because the doctors just bill our provincial health plans. But our program is private because we have all of these non covered services. But that's really what makes us so excellent is our team and all of the added supports that we have. So I had to overcome so many hiccups in my mind, all my limiting beliefs around actually charging patients. And so, you know, I think the way that you phrased it is like money is the thank you, the thank you note. Right. For. For the service you provide. And so that has been a big shift for me as well is just recognizing like, hey, we offer an incredible service. Like our clinic is phenomenal with everything that we provide. And the Exchange of money is just the thank you card and that I have to be successful in my business to be able to pay the very best people to be on my and to keep everything running. Otherwise, I have no service to provide. So that's been a really big shift in mindset as well, and so important if I'm going to be in business. So, yeah. And just the idea of owning my voice, I think that's the third kind of big take home that I've had an overcoming fear of just putting my voice out there and functioning in my authority and taking that position as an expert in my field, which I am. But it's also scary to say that. Like, it just feels a little bit weird to say that owning my voice, getting my voice out there, living in my discomfort zone, which now I love. I actually think if I'm not a little bit nauseous with everything that I'm doing, I'm probably not doing enough. So now I'm like, okay, embrace the nausea. It's so good.

I love.

Yes.

Okay, so since it feels weird saying that you're the expert, you're the authority, how about I'm listening and there are thousands of doctors who are listening to the podcast and we are rooting for you, so how about you just own it? How about you just say it?

Yes, I am the expert.

You're the expert. Okay. You're the expert. You have results to show for it. So that is. That is so good. So let's track back a little because you said three really, really good things, right? So when we talk about the RGA versus non RGA activity and you picked, you know, some examples I think most doctors would resonate with, you know, like Tinker, you know, playing around with brand colors on Canva and, you know, tweaking the website and all of these things that we do. How is your life different now that not only have you separated them, but you've taken the non RGA things and you've handed that off, handed those off to your VA so you could stay in your zone of genius so you can do the things that only you can do. How is life different time, all of that?

Yeah, that's a great question. So, firstly, full disclosure, I'm not fully there yet, not where I want to be, but it is better. So just honestly, just from the breakdown of how I spend my week. So I used to work like I was seeing patients five days a week. It was all me plus my team, but that meant I was in the business five days a week. So I was working on the business every night and every weekend. And so now I've recruited some awesome doctors that I'm so proud of. And so now I work two days a week. Like, clinically, I'm cutting that down to one day a week and maybe less, because my area of genius is actually on group coaching. So I'm going to be doing more of that with my team and, you know, handing over more tasks to my admin assistant so that I can be creating content, building my team, investing into them, looking at, like, how can we grow? What are the new programs and services that we're going to offer our patients? How can I reach more people through social media, through, like, various online platforms, Preparing for my podcast. Which is coming. Not quite.

Which is coming.

Yes. Which is coming. Yeah. So, I mean, I think, you know, even today, actually this morning, I was walking my daughter to camp and then walking to the office, Then I picked her up again, and I was like, I never could have done this before. Right? Like, I never had the freedom before to be able to stop what I was doing in the middle of the day, pick her up from camp, have lunch with my three kids, and then come back to work again. So I'm very grateful to have gotten to the point where I can do that.

So when did you make the decision to go to two days? From five to two?

Yeah, that's been a transition. It's been a transition. So I went from five down to four down to three. And I've slowly been bringing on more people. But, you know, one of the beliefs. And this is. It's almost embarrassing to say out loud, but one of the beliefs I had is no one can do it as well as I can. And that stopped me for a long time, you know, and it's. And it's not true. There are certain things that only I can do, and that's what I need to focus on. And then there are things that other people are better than me at and are wonderful in. And so it's really about building a team where everyone's functioning in their strengths.

I love that.

Love it. And just think about it. Think about two days a week so you can stay in your zone of genius, and so you can build a system, because that's what you're doing. You're building out a system, and that's powerful because you'll be able to help so many more people that way. That is really, really so good. Okay, and then the second thing you said is this piece about being okay with making money. And I think Many doctors struggle with that. I struggled with that as well. So what would you say to the person who's like, well, how did you overcome that? Because I feel bad and dirty almost. The person's thinking, charging people for services.

I've done a lot of work around that. I've listened to a lot of your podcasts on this very topic. And one of the things that you've said before that really resonated is just the idea that money doesn't change the person. Right. So money in the hands of someone with a good heart is going to function with like, with a good purpose. And I actually have very, very ambitious and exciting giving goals that also motivate me to.

I do, I hate to talk about that offline because. Yes.

Yeah. And so, you know, I just think of it now as, number one, I'm offering an amazing service and the people that we're literally changing people's lives and the amount that they pay for the transformation of getting their health back, being empowered and learning that it's not their fault, they don't need to keep trying to diet harder because that's not the answer when they're trying to manage their weight. We offer such an amazing transformation, number one. But number two, if I'm successful, I'm employing like, I'm employing people, I'm giving other people jobs, which is kind of cool. That's the second one. And then number three, money in my hands is I get to do some really cool things with that money and give it to some really great organizations that I really believe in. So that's really helped me to kind of overcome that pickle in my brain about money.

That is great. And that's a great thing to overcome because then you're free to make money and then do all these good things. You know what I mean? You're not holding yourself back, you're not self sabotaging and all of that stuff. Stuff. So that's great. I'm so happy that, you know, you've made. That you've made that transition. That's so good. Now I know that you're doing a lot of speaking and I know that, you know, in the, on trendy business school, one of the, I guess on trendy period, we talk a lot about speaking and all of that and we started talking about the signature talk and all of that. How has that made a difference with speaking for you and what impact does speaking have on your business?

Yeah, I think using the signature talk framework has really helped just create a more compelling story. I think you Teach that we need to use stories and simplify our message. That's been really helpful. So I used that for a talk that I did last week and gave me a better structure to deliver it with simplicity. But it's much more compelling as well. So that's been really helpful. And I think speaking in general has really helped my brand. I will say about a year ago, before I knew you, actually, I did start doing Facebook lives on my business page. And I for six months showed up every Wednesday night at 9 o' clock and it was like this TV show I had on my Facebook page and people expected it and they showed up for it. And I prepared different topics. And what that did is it drew the right people for our practice. So the people who come to our practice because their doctor referred them because their doctor thinks they need to lose weight, like, they're just not really engaged, they're not that interested. The people who seek us out hear about us from a friend, then binge listen to my YouTube videos and go on our Facebook page. Then they follow me on Instagram. They know what we're about. They're like, yes, I need what you are offering. That is what I want. And it just, it attracts the right people for our brand and our offering. So that's really, really been helpful. And at your prompting, I am planning on doing a whole lot more of that. Cause I think just continuing to get my voice out there and get the message out there and then reach the right people, that we're not going to reach the right people if they don't know we exist.

Right, right, right, right. So, you know, you have something that's really great. You have a service that's really great. And the next thing is just to let people know, like, it's over here. And speaking is one of the most amazing things. You know, as far as doing that for you, have you also noticed that in a way it's positioned you as the go to expert? Like, you know, maybe not all the way there, but it's, it's had. It's helped people perceive you in a different way?

Yeah, absolutely. I do a lot of speaking for other physicians, so I do a lot of CME for physicians. And I also try to offer value whenever I can. So even in, you know, physician Facebook groups, if there's questions about obesity or medications or, you know, whatever, I try to, to contribute value. And so now it's to the point where if there are questions, people are tagging me. They're like, oh, yeah, Sasha, hi. She is an expert in this. And so that's really been helpful. I think the other thing it does is it differentiates me. Like, I'm an obesity doctor. I'm in the weight management field. I have to differentiate myself from all of the commercial weight loss programs out there. Right. This is a really saturated market where everyone and their neighbor is an expert in weight loss.

And everyone on the Internet.

Yeah, exactly. Everyone's an expert. And so being able to have my voice out there and have people, you know, prospective clients listen and be like, okay, yeah, no, she really does know what she's talking about before they even come and have a consultation with me, that's been really important as well.

This is so good. All right, so I'm going to ask you two part question, because somebody's listening and they're where you were before you started your practice, and they're thinking of starting a business. It may not be a private practice. Maybe, you know, they want to launch a skincare line or they want to become a coach or whatever, and, you know, they're terrified of it, and there's somebody else who wants to scale. But this is how chaotic my life is with the way this business is right now. Like, what's going to happen if I scale? You know, at the end of the day, it's fear both ways. So. But what would you tell those people? Because they're listening.

Yes. Take the messy action. Move out of your comfort zone, and just do it. I would also say I wish I had a coach four or five years ago when I was first starting. I didn't discover coaching until about a year ago, and I think that just would have made things go a whole lot faster. You can figure it out on your own. Right? But coaching just makes everything faster and a little bit smoother. So, yeah, move past the discomfort and embrace the fear, because that's where, like, it becomes so much fun.

So much fun, right? Like, so the discomfort zone is the fun zone. Isn't that so weird? But it's true, right? Like, that's where all the fun is. That's where all the magic is. And, you know, you referred to this earlier. Like, now I'm hanging out in my. Out of my comfort zone and is beginning to feel good. And, you know, and. And I came to that conclusion. I was like, you know what I mean? My zone of discomfort. But I feel comfortable here now. Right? And so it's something. You practice long enough, you actually enjoy it, so you might as well embrace it and start doing that. Okay, so people are like, wait a minute. She has all these YouTube channels. She's doing all these things. Where can we find her? So where can they find you?

Yeah, so my YouTube is under my name, Sasha High. I have instagram sasha high md and my clinic website is high metabolicclinic.com and we help patients across three provinces in Canada, Ontario, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia.

That is so good. So, so, so good. So, people, you heard it. So go follow her. Go follow her stuff. And I want you to take what you've gleaned from this, and I want you to apply it. There's. There's just something really magical about doing the little quote unquote that, you know, just take it, apply it. Do the messy actions stay uncomfortable? You know, say, yes, do all the things. Okay, and I want you to take this episode and I want you to share it with another doctor in your life and tell them, listen, you have to listen to this. Why? Because we live in the weirdest time for physicians, but it's also the best of times if we approach it the right way. Right? So, yes, you know, there's loss of autonomy. Yes, we're being, you know, replaced by other people and the whole nine yards and all of that, but the truth of the matter is, it's our career, our lives. Anytime we want, we can get back into steering wheel and we can be in control, get back in the driver's seat and be in control. And, you know, that is part of what this podcast is for. So, Dr. Hai, thank you for coming to take us behind the scenes.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much. Because this is helpful, you know, for someone to see, okay, well, they're not having all this success because they're better than us. They just know different things and they're doing different things. And if we can know those things and do them too, then we can have those results, too. So this. This is so helpful. Thank you so much for coming on.

Thanks, Dr. Una, for having me. This has been amazing.

Absolutely. All right, people, so go follow her. Go share the episode, and I will see you on the next episode of the EntreMD podcast.

Hey, if you love listening to the EntreMD podcast, I want to invite you to join OntreMD on demand. It is my signature subscription program that gives you access to a library of business courses designed to help you do one thing as a physician entrepreneur, and that is to thrive. Just head out to entreand.com forward/, on demand, and I love to have you join us. See you on the inside.