Transcript
YouTube English auto-captions.

========================================================================

Hey guys, welcome to Bootstrap MD, the podcast for physician and healthc care entrepreneurs. This is for doctors who want to build more wealth and reclaim their autonomy. Uh, as mentioned, my name is Dr. Mike Wing.

I am a physician entrepreneur. I've done this for 20 plus years. Been involved in online businesses and offline businesses. And today we're going to be discussing a hot topic, one that I've been talking with my clients and different business masterminds and even in my social media feeds, and that's the rise of the creator economy for doctors.

So, is it a genuine path of freedom or is it just another shiny object that might distract us from getting really unpacked? So, stick around. We're going to break it down. So, what is the creator economy and why now?

So unless you've been living under a rock, you've seen doctors are popping up on YouTube, popping up on Tik Tok, Substack, even launching their own coaching products, their digital programs and online communities. So the online or the creator economy refers to people who want to leverage their knowledge, experience, and personalities to produce content and they monetize it directly through these digital platforms. This could mean ad revenue, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, paid memberships, or even selling their own offers. And it really exploded during COVID.

We got to see people more comfortable with Zoom calls, virtual events and and more. And more patients were asking about it. So doctors had more flexibility and frankly more frustration with a traditional health care system. So that set the stage for this creator economy shift.

So platforms like YouTube became more than just entertainment. They became a stage for authority. Tik Tok wasn't just for dancing anymore. It became a really powerful tool to educate and to help you build massive audiences quickly.

You can use Substack to create newsletters. So, letting physicians write what they really thought and without worrying about the hospital public relations departments. And here's what really kind of changed the game. More physicians realizing that their real value isn't just in procedures or doing billable units.

It's in their own perspective. It's about their story, their ability to connect, their ability to simplify, their ability to teach. So why is this all happening? Because the rules of influence have changed.

You don't need a network TV deal to build an audience. You simply need a camera. You need a message. And you just need to be consistent in doing it.

The barrier to entry is lower than ever. So the upside, it's potentially used. So why are more physicians wanting to become creators? I get this every day.

Every other day, doctors coming up to me, they want to start their own YouTube channel or Tik Tok. So let's talk about specifics. We crave autonomy as creators. Doctors are no longer bound by the restrictions of hospital marketing departments, by insurance coding, or let's face it, bureaucracy with medical boards in the establishment.

You choose what to say, how to say it, and when. So, you may have heard of Mama Dr. Jones, Dr. Danielle Jones.

She built a global OBGYn platform simply by sharing stories, authenticity, education, and numerous videos on women's health, and she does so on her own terms. Second reason, income diversification. We know that clinical income is capped. You can only see so many patients in a day, no matter how much they try to cram it through you guys.

But through the creator model, you can generate revenue for multiple streams. You can do it through affiliate marketing where you simply get paid by recommending different products and services that you like. YouTube ad revenue, you can do this once you hit over a,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. You can create revenue through digital products like ebooks, creating checklists and templates or self-paced courses.

You can create high ticket offers by doing one-on-one coaching or building business masterminds. You can do this whenever you want. For example, maybe you're working as an internist, but you could be maybe you focus on weight loss and you could create a six-w week metabolic reset course while still practicing part-time in your clinic. Remember, traditional practices are local, but your content can be global.

So, one place YouTube video or Instagram reel, you can reach potentially tens and thousands of patients, clients, or collaborators. More importantly, you begin to attract your tribe. So, these are patients who align with your philosophy or other doctors who want to learn from you. Finally, it's about credibility and growing your personal brand.

Your content become your modern-day resume. Whether you want to book more speaking gigs, launch a podcast, or get media interviews, having a consistent content presence boosts your authority exponentially. So, it's not uncommon for doctors to get invited to national news outlets or publications even after one viral post. I remember one example that that I did several years ago was I wanted to do a press release.

I wanted to talk about carpal tunnel syndrome and I noticed my son was having symptoms after a an episode of playing video games that was very related to carpal tunnel. So I just sent out a press release about it and I had at the time MTV News contact me where they could they could they wanted to interview me and and learn more. So in short, content creation can help you grow your reputation, your revenue, and your reach without adding another shift onto your calendar. So let's take examples of success stories that I think are worth studying.

These are examples of doctors who built thriving personal brands through the creator economy. Dr. Kevin Jabal, I believe, hopefully I'm saying his name right. Kevin, if I'm not, might forgive me.

Been following him on Med School Insiders. He started by creating videos for medical school applicants. Everything from how to ace the interviews to dealing with burnout. His channel now boasts over 1.5 million subscribers.

Since then, he's launched online courses, brand partnerships, and built a full media company, all while empowering future physicians. One of my favorites, Dr. Ali Abdal. He's a former general practitioner from the UK.

He started making productivity videos while working as a doctor. He now runs a sevenf figureure creator business focusing on helping knowledge workers and entrepreneurs become more effective through his YouTube, through his online courses. He has a part-time YouTuber academy. He teaches others how to replicate his path with transparency and authenticity.

And I believe he's actually either um decided not to go into medicine or at least putting it on pause. As I mentioned, Dr. Mama Mama Dr. Jones or Dr.

Danielle Jones is an OB/GYN doctor. She's also mom of four. She turned Tik Tok and YouTube into platforms to help educate young women and families about reproductive health. She then breaks down complex topics with humor and honesty.

She builds trust and loyalty with her audience. And she's also used her platform to combat misinformation and influence policy conversations. Then I know a favorite of a lot of you guys, Dr. Pier Ortia.

He's a physician focusing on longevity and optimal performance. So he took a different route. He decided to go to doing long form content. So he has a podcast where he dives deep into scienceheavy topics.

And then he has a premium membership site offering expanded content. So he's built a business around intellectual depth in curated exclusivity. And then finally, someone near dear to my heart is myself, Dr. Mike Wuing.

built Bootstrap MD and I've been fortunate to coach uh physician entrepreneurs. I develop programs like we recently had our physician author blueprint program helping other doctors write their own books and building revenue streams beyond the exam room. So that content has allowed me to scale to partner with some really cool people like Dr. Peter Kim and Dr.

edge wrong and then my message and then impacts far beyond my Southern California practice. And really hopefully what you get with these examples is that there's really no single formula whether it's doing short form viral videos, doing deep dry podcast interviews or educational newsletters. It's what matters most is finding your voice, your niche and and at the end who wins is just showing up consistently. But it's not all glamour.

There are some traps. There are some real risks if you're not intentional. You could you can get burnt out. And I think a lot of times where I see it is where doctors, they want to be on everything.

Uh they want to be on Instagram, they want to be on Tik Tok, they want to be on LinkedIn, they want to be on YouTube. This can lead to creative fatigue and exhaustion. Maybe they'll start off being really enthusiastic and then they end up quitting after 30 to 60 days because of the pressure to constantly produce is overwhelming. The solution is just focus on one platform.

Systematize your workflow and set realistic goals. I'm getting close to 300 episodes because I just focused on podcasting. I said this is my main uh area that I wanted to do and I just I just stuck with it. And you know, five plus years later, I'm hitting milestones.

I never could imagine that I would be doing 300 episodes. Then our favorite acronym, HIPPA, and the legal pitfalls. Sharing even one seemingly harmless patient anecdote without properly deidentifying them could violate HIPPA and result complaint or worse yet a lawsuit. So you really need to be very careful, very meticulous with patient stories.

Blur faces and videos, blur areas if you're going to do the clinic, make sure make sure you have their approval on there. And you want to avoid sharing any timelines that could identify individuals. You know, go to that saying, I'm not an attorney, so you need to consult legal if you're if you're unsure about that. Then one more trap is just validation addiction.

It's easy to fall into the trap of chasing likes, followers, and views. Last time I checked, you can't put Facebook followers in the bank. They're not going to translate into trust, into authority, or income. Sure, you might go viral for a trendy video, but if that content isn't aligned on your own mission, it could actually dilute your brand.

So, focus on content that reflects your values and serves your ideal audience. If even if it doesn't get traction in by going viral, another thing that I know a lot of doctors struggle with, and you don't think we struggle with it, but we all do, including myself, and that's imposter syndrome. They struggle with belief that you're not expert enough to be on camera or to offer coaching. Remember, your MD or DO already places you in the top 1% of medical experts.

You don't if if you want to go under health, you don't need a million followers. You need to serve the right start with 50 100 people that'll turn to turn to 500 to a,000. Again, again, it starts simple and just work your way up. Also, it's, you know, poor monetization strategy.

If you're relying solely on YouTube adver revenue, I I I told you, you know, you can get paid. Um, but it's not a lot of money. You know, over time it will be, but you know, we're talking, you know, small dollars, three, three figure, maybe four figure. And then you can build that up though that can go into brand deals, doing affiliate marketing.

You know, the majority of creator income that I've seen it comes from offers, but doing consulting, oneonone consulting, doing courses, doing group coaching, doing memberships, books, and digital products. Build the business first and then let the content be the magnet. The bottom line is content creation is a powerful tool, but without a clear strategy and boundaries, it can become another source of stress. Avoid it with a business mindset and then protect your time, your energy, and mental health.

So, I want to leave you with this. Here's how to get started without losing your mind. I want you to start with clarity. I want you to start with intention.

First, start with your why. Before you record anything, before you write your own first blog post, before you record your first episode, ask why am I doing this? What am I trying to do? Am I trying to educate the public?

Am I trying to grow my patient database? Am I building a coaching business? Let your why become your compass when things get overwhelming. Number two, choose just one platform to master.

Resurge to post everywhere. I start with podcasting because I can talk. I may not talk as eloquently as want, but I knew I could do this. When it cames time to writing, I had writer's block.

I didn't a little bit camera shy on videos, but eventually I did get up on onto YouTube. But for me, podcasting was my platform. It suited my content style and it suited my audience the best. Here are some here are some tips.

If you want to do long form education, go to YouTube or podcasting. If you want quick engagement, you want to do Tik Tok, YouTube shorts, Instagram reels. If you're doing written thought, the written word, I would recommend LinkedIn or Substack. The great thing about doing this is once you do like written content or any type of content, you can then purpose it.

You can take your written content, make it into audio, make it into video. If you're busy, we all are busy. Then batch, you know, I try to schedule content where I'm recording two to three episodes at a time. Created content in focus sprints.

You could record three to four videos in one afternoon or write three email newsletters in a weekend. You can use AI tools like Buffer or later to schedule your posts. What this does, it reduces decision fatigue and keeps you consistent. Launch with a simple offer.

Don't wait until you build a huge audience. You can offer something simple. If you're going to do coaching, maybe start them up on a strategy call, a downloadable guide, uh a three-day email course. Um then promote that offer regularly in your content.

That's how you start turning views into value. And then finally, you can't change unless you measure it. So track what works. You can use analytics to redefine your approach.

Which topics gives you the most engagement? Which calls to actions drive signups? Which video gets shared? Which don't?

Datadriven decisions help you grow faster without you burning out. And then get support early. If you're serious about building this into a real income stream, you know, consider having a mentor. Could be myself.

I'd be more than honored. Or it could be others. Join a creator focused mastermind. Hire a VA, a virtual assistant or video editor.

Find an accountability auditor who's doing like-minded things. Like you don't have to do this alone. The most successful physician creators treat the content business as what it exactly is. It's a business.

You do that with strategy, systems, and support. So to wrap up, the creator economy can free you from the grind, but only if it aligns with your mission and you treat it like a business. So doc, what are you going to create? I'd love to hear it.

Reach out to me on bootstrapmd.com. If any of this resonates with you, please subscribe to our podcast at bootstrapmd wherever you listen to the podcast. Also join our school uh platform. This is where we you can find other like-minded doctors at school at doctor's online success sk uh and uh happy to have you you join.

I think we have over 100 doctors right now where we're talking about topics exactly like this. So again I want to thank you for listening. Remember as entrepreneurs you're going to have your ups and your downs. Just do something a little each day.

Keep building, keep creating, and keep moving forward.