Lately I’ve been living in two completely different professional worlds.
One is the world of building our comprehensive heart center. I have been in my division director roles for 5 months. The heart center work started years ago. Years of planning, committees, approvals, budgets, and meets.
I believe in ths work with my entire being. It is the right direction for our patients and our program. It is work that moves painfully slow. Some days it feels like I spend more time navigating the process than doing the work.
And then there’s my coaching business.
Two weeks ago, I decided I wanted to start a podcast.
I bought a mic, found a team to help me, and hit record. Five episodes are in the editing phase. Weeks—not years. Real conversations. Immediate feedback. Creative freedom. No committees.
The contrast is startling.
When i speak with coaching clients about starting a side gig, the first item that comes up is income stream. It takes years for side gigs to become profitable. The other benefits are realized in weeks,
Side gigs don’t just give physicians income—they give us back agency, creativity, and a sense of ownership we rarely feel inside large systems.
If you’ve been feeling the slow grind of institutional inertia, or wondering why you’re drained despite “doing everything right”, this may be the missing piece.
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Why This Matters
I didn’t start my podcast (or my coaching business) because I needed another job or more income.
I started it because I needed something that was mine. Something I could build without waiting months for approval.
And what surprised me was how energizing it was. It made me more present at work and at home because I had something outside the hospital that fed me.
This mirrors what I hear from physicians who write, teach, consult, or build small businesses: Those activities provide agency, creative expression, identity, growth, and community that is missing in their day jobs
These aren’t luxuries. They’re protecti
A Quick Reflection Exercise
Consider the following questions?
- Where do you feel the least agency in your medical career?
- What would you build if no one had to approve it?
- What tiny version of that could you start this month?
- How do you want this project to feel in six months?
This isn’t about adding more work.
It’s about restoring the part of you that’s been buried under protocols, EMRs, and productivity metrics.
The Bigger Picture
Most side gigs will not make you rich right away. They may never. Turn a profit.
But what they give you is invaluable:
Autonomy. Curiosity. Creativity. Human connection.
We will create a congenital heart center at my institution. But it will never move quickly, and it will never be mine alone.
The podcast is mine. It reflects my voice, curiosity, and values. It’s a reminder that I still get to build things that matter.
And maybe you need something like that too.
Ready to Explore Your Own Side Gig?
Let’s map your agency gaps, clarify your ideas, and design a sustainable first step.
Or if you’re not sure where to begin, you can explore the course below:
Take good care of yourself—none of this works without you.
– Ben
P.S:
You'll find The Developing Doctor Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and You Tube. The first episode drops in the next week or 2!. Subscribe now so you don't miss the first episode.
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