Episode Summary: Getting Unstuck – Transitioning from Working IN Your Business to Working ON Your Business

Podcast: Private Practice Startup
Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Damian Adler, Psychologist & Co-founder of Power Diary
Air Date: February 1, 2020
Episode: 171

Overview

This episode focuses on one of the most critical—and challenging—aspects of running a private practice: learning to transition from being entrenched in the daily grind in your business (tasks, billable hours, and client care) to working on your business (strategic growth, planning, and creating systems). Damian Adler, an experienced psychologist and entrepreneur, shares his personal journey, insights, and actionable strategies to break the cycle of being overworked, helping practitioners design their dream practices and lives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Practitioners Get Stuck IN the Business

• "Sugar Hit" of Billable Work
  • Practitioners often become addicted to the immediate reward of trading time for money.
  • Damian: “I call it a sugar hit...I trade the time, I immediately get this money. And that makes us all feel good.” (03:09)
• Initial Survival Mentality Stalls Growth
  • Most clinicians launch their practice focused solely on survival, never imagining they’ll grow too busy for their own systems.
  • “Their concerns...are going to things like am I going to be able to eat? …So they very much are focused on survival and not yet on scale.” (12:48)
• Organic and Inefficient Systems
  • As practices grow, clinicians simply add more of the same, often with makeshift systems patched together in moments of urgency.
  • “Their systems typically are organic...patched together. Then what happens is...they are amplifying an inefficient system.” (12:48)
• Reluctance to Say No & Fear of Drying Referrals
  • Compassion and fear prevent clinicians from turning away clients, even when overloaded.

Damian’s Story: Building a Practice Beyond the Grind

• Damian and his wife intentionally designed both their business and lifestyle, focusing on flexibility, quality of life, and financial stability.
• “We were very clear that we were working in a health space, but we weren’t running a charity…. This had to deliver some financial results, provide a certain lifestyle. We wanted flexibility, we wanted to be able to travel…” (03:09)
• Realizing the need for robust systems led to the creation of Power Diary, a practice management tool “by clinicians, for clinicians.” (09:55)

Getting Unstuck: Actionable Strategies

1. Rigidly Quarantine "On the Business" Time (Away from Practice Setting)

• Start with at least two hours a week every week, free from distraction.
• Host, Katie: “Don’t try to fit it in every week. It needs to be as important as anything else.” (20:36-21:33)
• Damian: “You cannot have that timeout in your office…because it just won’t happen. Good intentions out the window…” (18:38)

2. Planning & Building Accountability

• Regular “working ON the business” sessions and quarterly planning days are game-changers.
• Accountability with a coach or outside party can ensure follow-through.
  • “Our coach was a qualified accountant and a personal trainer...The accountability benefit of that was phenomenal. The cost was hard to justify at first, but…we knew we needed to set that up.” (21:33)

3. Define Your Ideal Life and Practice

• Before jumping into operations or growth tactics, clarify:
  • What kind of clients energize you?
  • How many client hours do you want to work?
  • What do you want your life to look like?
• Damian: “What aspects do you love of your work? …What type of clients do you feel energized about?...How many client hours, if any, do you want to do?” (24:09)

4. Systemize, Automate, and Delegate

• Embrace the principle: Eliminate—Automate—Delegate
  • Remove unnecessary tasks.
  • Automate wherever possible (e.g., using tools like Power Diary).
  • Delegate or outsource the remainder so you can focus on your strengths and personal goals.
• Damian: “Eliminate, automate, delegate…so you’re just focused on those key things and having a great life and having some fun along the way.” (31:06)

5. Plan for Life, Not Just Business

• Build your business around your life goals, such as time with family, travel, parental leave, etc.
• Proactive planning enables real breaks—such as maternity leave or extended vacations—without business disruption.
• Kate: “I’ve worked so hard over the years to really systemize my group practice so that it runs itself and I can take three months, I can step away…” (27:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “People get most stuck in this...who have full books and by any other definition would be seen as super success. But...they get trapped in this cycle where it is a trade for their time for money.”
  — Damian Adler (03:09)

• “The system is not going to just fix itself if you do nothing.”
  — Kate Lemieux (18:33)

• “Quarantine...no less than two hours a week...Every week. It needs to be free from distractions and it needs to be away.”
  — Damian Adler (18:38)

• “If you’re someone who’s likely to struggle with the self-discipline...hire a business coach to aid in that process.”
  — Damian Adler (21:33)

• “Design your dream life first...then, and only then, do you design the business to support that lifestyle.”
  — Consistent messaging from both hosts and guest (25:06)

• “Don’t forget to enjoy the journey.”
  — Damian Adler (31:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:09 | Damian explains the “sugar hit” & why clinicians get stuck | | 06:41-09:52 | Damian’s background & how he became a psychologist and co-founder of Power Diary | | 12:48 | The pattern of practitioners getting stuck: survival mentality, inefficient systems | | 17:06 | How ad hoc systems become bottlenecks; how to break the cycle | | 18:38 | The importance of quarantining time and making it sacred | | 21:33 | Planning quarters, accountability, and business coaching | | 24:09 | Defining your ideal life and practice | | 27:54 | Kate discusses systemizing her business for maternity leave | | 31:06 | Damian summarizes “eliminate, automate, delegate” principle | | 33:02 | Damian offers the free Freedom Workbook |

Free Resource Mentioned

• Freedom Workbook:
  • A step-by-step guide for practitioners to clarify, plan, and track their transition from working in to on their business.
  • Download: powerdiary.com/freedom

Takeaways

• Working on your business, not just in it, is essential for sustainability, freedom, and fulfillment.
• Systematize and automate to break free from being the bottleneck.
• Set aside protected, recurring time to dream, plan, and implement.
• Build your business around your dream lifestyle—reverse engineer your practice to serve your broader goals.
• Use eliminate–automate–delegate as an ongoing, practical mantra to lighten your load.
• Don’t wait for things to “just get better” on their own: intentional action is required.

For more resources and coaching, visit PrivatePracticeStartup.com.