Podcast Summary

Leap Academy with Ilana Golan

Episode 137: Blackstone Medical’s Founder Vick Tipnes On Scaling a $500 Office Into a Healthcare Empire

Date: December 9, 2025
Guest: Vick Tipnes (Founder & CEO, Blackstone Medical Service)

Episode Overview

In this deeply candid and inspiring episode, Ilana Golan talks with Vick Tipnes, the founder of Blackstone Medical Service, about his journey from being broke—with just $78 in his bank account—to building one of the fastest-growing healthcare companies in the U.S. Together, they explore the realities of entrepreneurship, the darkest moments behind apparent “overnight success,” and the personal growth required to scale not just a company, but one’s own life. Vick shares hard truths about risk, perseverance, failure, and how building a meaningful, aligned life matters as much as business achievements.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Influences & Family Background ([02:39]–[05:11])

• Entrepreneurial roots: Vick was inspired by his father, who ran a small business after the family migrated from the UK.
  • "I knew at a very young age... Probably eight, nine years old. My father was an entrepreneur...I just started to gravitate more towards that." ([02:52] – Vick)
• Knowing what he didn’t want: Observing the relentless grind and lack of work-life balance in his father’s business clarified for Vick what he was determined to avoid: becoming "a slave" to his company.

2. Leaving the Traditional Path ([05:11]–[06:22])

• Rejection of tradition: Vick dropped out of college after only six months to "lean into" his ambitions.
  • "I just leaned into what I knew I wanted to do...to be a really crazy individual and put everything on the line and risk everything to hopefully have your day in the sun." ([05:28] – Vick)
• Family pushback: Significant resistance from parents who wanted him to be a doctor or lawyer; called the “black sheep” for charting his own path.

3. Foundational Sales Experience & First Venture ([06:30]–[11:25])

• Sales as a critical skill: Intentional decision to sell cars at 18, not as a career, but for learning salesmanship.
  • "I needed to know how to sell... I just sold my ass off, basically." ([07:37] – Vick)
• Personal hardship leading to healthcare: Both parents diagnosed with terminal cancer; exposure to the healthcare system’s lack of empathy sparked his first entrepreneurial venture in radiology.
  • "I saw that there was a need for a customer service level in healthcare..." ([07:37] – Vick)

4. The Painful Learning Curve of Business ([11:25]–[14:00])

• Selling first business, bitter truths: Sold radiology business for several million but only walked away with $250K after debts and mistakes.
• Key lesson for entrepreneurs:
  • "It's like eating glass... Unless it’s something you really enjoy...I don't recommend it." ([12:20] – Vick)
  • "I don't think businesses go out of business because of cash flow. They go out of business because people quit." ([13:03] – Vick)

5. The Reality of Risk, Resentment, and Resilience ([15:06]–[16:09])

• Using disappointment as fuel:
  • "I was angry that I put myself in that position. I'm not the victim type...The best revenge is massive success." ([15:27], [15:48] – Vick)

6. Building Blackstone Medical: From $500 Office to Market Leader ([17:59]–[30:44])

• Starting with nothing: In 2011, after a divorce, with two young kids, no money, no support, Vick rented a $500/month office.

  • "We had to interview people at Starbucks because we saw people pull up to interview and then they left. It was that bad." ([21:52] – Vick)

• Calculated bet on home sleep testing: Saw the future in at-home diagnostics for sleep apnea. No personal experience with sleep disorder, but clear on market need.

• Years of immense struggle:

  • Lived “day to day for years.” Was making $800–$900 a week until 2015/16.
  • "It was this constant robbing Peter to pay Paul...I didn't have the luxury of even week to week. It was day to day for years..." ([24:04] – Vick)
  • "The business was losing money, but...the numbers were going up. I wish it was going up faster, but it wasn't going down." ([24:18] – Vick)

• Patience and evidence-based positivity: Anchored to measurable progress even through losses, recalling Jeff Bezos’ focus during Amazon’s crisis.

  • "I just had to stay in business long enough for it to really get traction and then go right." ([26:10] – Vick)

• On personal growth and self-reinvention:

  • "You gotta make sure the company doesn’t outgrow you...You almost have to shed your skin..." ([27:58] – Vick)

• Inflection point and “hockey stick” growth: Success came by 2018/2019, thanks to years of foundational work and being ready when the market shifted.

7. Scaling, Leadership, and Mindset ([27:58]–[33:56])

• Hiring challenges: The further the company scales, the harder it is to find top-tier talent.
• Letting go to grow:
  • "It's almost like you need to fire yourself from the role that you've been..." ([29:13] – Ilana)
• Intense focus on readiness:
  • "When the right opportunity came...we were ready to execute, and we drove the ball all the way down the field..." ([29:35] – Vick)

8. Identity, Mindset, and Living “Maximum Life” ([31:36]–[36:59])

• Avoiding complacency and reclaiming a sense of adventure:

  • "When you were a little kid, everything was just very bright and new and adventurous...that's something that I've always been chasing myself to never lose." ([31:36] – Vick)

• Portfolio careers and diversification: Advocates time-blocking and disciplined ruthlessness with scheduling to avoid “spread too thin.”

  • "I try not to allow time to tell me what to do...I block everything out and I can just go do that." ([33:56] – Vick)

• Investing in self-identity:

  • "Nothing in life was going to change unless I changed me...If you’re not where you want to be, there’s something you got to change about yourself." ([35:54] – Vick)

• Key priorities for entrepreneurs:

  • Mental health
  • Spiritual growth
  • Communication ability
  • Discerning truth within massive information

9. Reflections, Advice, and “Genius Abilities” ([40:44]–[44:14])

• Advice to younger self:
  • "Just having the understanding you’ll get through it. Good times or bad times, they don’t last...You just have to remain positive and keep going." ([40:44] – Vick)
• Tenacity is partly innate:
  • "I think it's God-given...Some people's tenacity only gets so far...no one’s ever told me, Vic, you just need to work harder or be more tenacious. No one’s ever said that to me." ([41:53] – Vick)
  • "I think everyone has genius abilities, but I think they're at different levels. Some people have more than others, and we're all uniquely different." ([43:02] – Vick)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Trying to grow a business and remain cash flow positive, it’s like eating glass. It’s a painful, painful thing that people underestimate. I don’t think businesses go out of business because of cash flow. They go out of business because people quit.” — Vick ([13:03])

• “I don't have the idea that I can quit...There is no quitting switch in me.” — Vick ([14:25])

• “The best revenge is massive success.” — Vick quoting Frank Sinatra ([15:48])

• “When the right opportunity came...we were ready. That's the simplicity of it. Had I built the company in 2017, 2016, I don’t think that we would have been able to capitalize on it.” — Vick ([29:35])

• “You gotta make sure the company doesn’t outgrow you. The company requires a different skill set from management...You almost have to shed your skin.” — Vick ([27:58])

• _"Nothing in life was going to change unless I changed me." — Vick ([35:54])

• “Some people have more [tenacity] than others, and we're all uniquely different. At the end of the day, whoever you are, whatever you're doing, there’s only one you. If everybody was the same, it would be very boring.” — Vick ([43:02])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Early influences and work ethic – [02:39]–[05:11]
• Decision to leave college and become an entrepreneur – [05:11]–[06:22]
• First sales job and lessons in sales – [06:30]–[07:37]
• Transition to healthcare after parents’ illness – [07:37]–[09:41]
• First business, learning from mistakes – [11:25]–[12:56]
• The myth of entrepreneurship and resilience – [13:03]–[14:14]
• Selling business, channeling frustration into growth – [15:06]–[16:09]
• Starting Blackstone Medical from scratch – [17:59]–[23:42]
• Years of struggle, making ends meet, maintaining belief – [24:04]–[26:10]
• Leadership, company growth, finding talent – [27:58]–[29:13]
• Inflection point and scaling up – [29:35]–[30:44]
• On writing and mindset (“maximum life”) – [31:36]–[32:52]
• Managing time and portfolio careers – [33:56]–[35:14]
• Personal change and investing in identity – [35:54]–[36:59]
• Advice on mental health and growth – [36:59]–[37:30]
• Advice to younger self: perseverance and lightness – [40:44]–[41:53]
• Tenacity and unique genius – [41:53]–[44:14]
• How to get a home sleep test (practical info) – [38:36]–[39:56]

Tone & Style Highlights

• Vick is brutally honest and pragmatic, highlighting entrepreneurship’s pain, not just its glamour.
• Ilana draws out underlying motivations and the emotional, personal aspects of what it really takes to "leap."
• Persistent themes: Resilience, self-awareness, intentionality, and personal reinvention.
• The conversation stays grounded, skipping fluff in favor of practical wisdom and hard-won lessons.

For Listeners: Key Takeaways

• Entrepreneurial success is almost never quick or easy; patience and endurance are essential.
• Major business growth is possible only after years of foundational struggle and self-evolution.
• Developing deep self-awareness, a willingness to change, and a disciplined mindset are keys to both professional and personal fulfillment.
• Building something meaningful is about more than just money—it’s about crafting a life aligned to your true ambitions and strengths.

Connect with Vick Tipnes:

• Social Media: @VicTipnes on all platforms
• Company: Blackstone Medical Service
• Book: Did You Sell Your Soul? It’s Never Too Late to Change Your Story