Full Transcript Conference Season and the Real Cost of Attendance 0:00 It's conference season and calendars are filling up fast. 0:03 Flights are getting booked. 0:05 Hotels are being reserved. 0:07 Registration fees are approved. 0:09 And calenders are blocked off for a few days away from the practice. 0:14 If you're like most physicians and practice leaders, there's a mix of emotions. 0:19 Maybe a little excitement. 0:21 A little overwhelm. 0:23 Even a quiet question in the back of your mind. 0:26 Is all of this actually worth it? 0:29 Because when you really step back and look at it, attending a conference is not a small decision. 0:35 It's not just the registration fee. 0:37 it's the travel, the hotel, meals, time away from patients, disruption to your team, mental energy. 0:47 Welcome to Medical Money Matters, the podcast where you can find experts, answers, and resources so that you achieve mastery over the financial and business 1:00 aspects of your practice. 1:02 Hello everyone, I'm your host Chilarina. 1:05 I began my career in accounting and finance and I have more than 30 years of experience running medical groups. 1:12 I own and operate a national healthcare consulting and revenue cycle company, and I am the author of Physician Heal Thy Financial Self. 1:20 In 2020, I co-founded the Physicians Leadership Project. 1:24 And in 2025, a released Physicians Edge, the first of its kind, CME accredited online business education for physicians. 1:34 My passion is to increase financial and business literacy for positions. 1:40 Episode 179, Stop Wasting Conferences. 1:41 How to get real value from every event. 1:49 It's conference season and calendars are filling up fast. 1:53 Flights are getting booked. 1:54 Hotels are being reserved. 1:56 Registration fees are approved. 1:58 And calenders are blocked off for a few days away from the practice. 2:04 If you're like most physicians and practice leaders, there's a mix of emotions.
Setting Clear Goals Before You Go 2:08 Maybe a little excitement. 2:10 A little overwhelm. 2:12 Even a quiet question in the back of your mind. 2:15 Is all of this actually worth it? 2:18 Because, when you really step back and look at it, attending a conference is not a small decision. 2:24 It's not just the registration fee. 2:26 it's the travel, the hotel, meals, time away from patients, disruption to your team, and mental energy. 2:35 This is NOT a $2,000 decision! 2:38 For most people, this is more like a 5, 000 to 10, 00 investment, sometimes more. 2:44 And yet, what I see over and over again is that people treat conferences almost like a passive experience. 2:51 You show up, you sit in sessions, take a few notes, maybe talk to a couple of people, and then you come home. 2:58 And within a week or two, it's like none of it ever happened. 3:02 Nothing really changes. 3:05 So today, I want to challenge that. 3:07 Because conferences can be one of the highest return on investments you can make in your practice, your career, and your network. 3:15 Or they can one the biggest missed opportunities. 3:19 And the difference is not just the conference. 3:22 The difference, is how you show up. 3:25 If you're going to invest that kind of time and money, it's worth being intentional. 3:29 It's worthwhile designing the experience so that you actually get a return. 3:34 And that starts before you even get on the plane. 3:38 One of the biggest reasons conferences under-deliver is that people don't go in with a clear goal. 3:43 They go with the vague sense of, I should learn something, or I could network. 3:49 but there's no actual clarity. 3:52 And when everything is a priority, nothing is. 3:56 So before you go, I want you to get very simple and very specific. 4:00 What are the one to three things that would make this conference worth it for you? 4:05 Maybe there is specific operational problem in your practice that you've been trying to solve. 4:10 Maybe it's around revenue cycle. 4:12 maybe it staffing. 4:14 may be it workflows. 4:15 May be its coding. 4:17 Whatever it is, name it. 4:19 Or maybe your goal is connection. 4:21 You want to meet other administrators or physicians who are dealing with the same challenges. 4:33 Or perhaps you're evaluating solutions. 4:36 You want to explore vendors. 4:37 you want understand what's out there.
Choosing Sessions and Making Connections 4:40 We want see what could actually move the needle in your organization. 4:44 All of those are valid goals. 4:47 But pick one to three, not ten, because that clarity will shape everything else. 4:53 It will shake which sessions you attend. 4:55 it will shaped who you talk to. 4:57 and it shape how you spend your time. 5:01 And speaking of sessions, this is another place where a little intention goes a long way. 5:06 There's a tendency to try to pack the schedule, to go from session to session because you feel like you should get your money's worth. 5:14 But the reality is, more is not necessarily better. 5:18 In fact, trying to attend everything often leads to cognitive overload. 5:23 You hear a lot of information, but very little of it sticks. 5:27 And by the end of the day, you're tired, your brain is full, and you can't really remember what you learned. 5:34 So instead of trying to do everything, be selective. 5:37 Choose the sessions that are most aligned with your goals, choose the speakers who you really want to hear from, and give yourself some space. 5:46 Because some of the most valuable moments at a conference don't happen in the session, they happen the hallway. 5:53 They happen between sessions, at coffee, when you sit down next to someone and just start talking. 6:01 Those are the moments where real connection happens, where you hear how someone else solved a problem, when you realize you're not the only one dealing 6:10 with something, or ideas start to form that are actually applicable to your world. 6:16 And this is also where I want to encourage you to be proactive before the conference even starts. 6:22 Think about who you want to meet. 6:24 Are there speakers whose work you admire? 6:27 Are their colleagues you've connected with online but never met in person? 6:31 are there people in your network who know are going to be there? 6:35 Reach out ahead of time. 6:37 A simple message, hey, I'm going to be at the conference. 6:40 I'd love to connect if you have a few minutes. 6:42 Goes a really long way. 6:45 And also, look for us at Healthy Practices. 6:48 If you see us there, please come and say hello. 6:51 These conferences are one of the best opportunities to turn virtual connections into real relationships. 6:57 The more you lean into that, the more value you'll get. 7:02 You're listening to Medical Money Matters, a weekly podcast brought to you by Healthy Practices, A healthcare consulting and revenue cycle company dedicated 7:11 to keeping our clients independent. 7:14 If you're looking for more ways to strengthen your business skills, check out Physicians Edge, the first of its kind CME accredited online business education 7:24 for physicians. 7:25 It's a mini MBA online course designed to help you master the financial side of your practice. 7:32 You can find that and more about how we support practices like yours at healtheps.com. 7:39 That's www.healtheps dot com. 7:44 And don't forget to follow or subscribe so you never miss a new episode. 7:49 Once you're actually at the conference, the biggest shift you can make is from passive to active.
Networking, Exhibit Halls, and Introvert Strategies 7:55 Instead of just listening, start asking yourself, how does this apply to my practice? 8:01 Instead taking notes, ask, what is the one thing I could actually do with this? 8:07 You don't need 20 takeaways from a session, you need one. 8:12 One idea that you can bring back and implement. 8:15 One insight that changes how you think about something. 8:18 one connection that opens a door. 8:21 That's where the ROI comes from. 8:23 And when it comes to networking, I want you to simplify this, because I know for a lot of people, this is the part that feels uncomfortable. 8:32 You don't have to work the room. 8:34 You do not have be the most outgoing person there. 8:44 It can be as simple as turning to the person next to you and saying, what brought you to this session? 8:50 Or, What are you hoping to get out of the conference? 8:53 People are there for a reason. 8:55 They're thinking about their practices, their challenges, and their goals. 8:59 And most people are actually very open to having a conversation. 9:03 So, focus on curiosity. 9:07 Ask questions, listen, share a little bit about what you're working on. 9:12 And if you have three to five meaningful conversations over the course of a conference, that can be more valuable than anything you hear on stage. 9:20 Now, let's talk about something that often gets overlooked, which is everything that happens around the conference. 9:27 The agenda is important. 9:29 Sessions are important, but the edges of the conferences, the dinners, receptions, informal meetups, that's where a lot of real value lives. 9:38 Those are the environments where people are more relaxed, where conversations go deeper, relationships start to form. 9:46 So if there are events surrounding the conference, consider going. 9:50 Even if it's just one, even if you only stay for an hour, because again, this is where connection happens. 9:58 And if know people who are attending, reach out and make a plan. 10:02 Let's grab coffee, let's meet for dinner, lets connect between sessions. 10:07 Be intentional about it. 10:09 Another area where I see people miss opportunity is the exhibit hall. 10:14 There's a tendency to either avoid it entirely or to walk through it quickly without really engaging. 10:20 But the Exhibit Hall is actually a really valuable part of the conference. 10:25 It's market research. 10:26 It is exposure to what's new. 10:28 What's evolving? 10:30 What is possible? 10:31 And even if you're not actively looking to buy something, it's an opportunity to learn. 10:36 But the key is to approach it strategically. 10:39 Instead of just collecting brochures or doing quick demos, ask better questions. 10:45 Ask, what type of practices benefit most from this? 10:50 Ask where does this not work well? 10:53 Ask, what does implementation actually look like? 10:58 Because the goal is not to be sold to, the go is to understand. 11:04 Now, I want to pause for a moment and talk specifically to the introverts listening, because this environment can be a lot. 11:12 Conferences are high energy. 11:15 There's a LOT of noise. 11:17 A lot of people. 11:24 So here's the reframe. 11:26 You don't have to be on all the time. 11:28 It just have be intentional with your energy. 11:32 Give yourself permission to take breaks. 11:35 Step outside. 11:36 Go for a walk. 11:37 Have a quiet meal by yourself if you need to reset. 11:41 Set small realistic goals. 11:44 Maybe it's, I'm going to have three meaningful conversations today. 11:49 not 30, three. 11:52 And redefine networking. 11:53 It's not about volume, it's about depth.
Capturing Takeaways and Implementing After the Event 11:56 it is about connecting with a few people in a real way. 12:00 and that is absolutely doable even if you're not naturally outgoing. 12:06 Now let's talk about what happens after the conference because this is where most of the ROI is either realized or lost. 12:14 The reality is most people forget the majority of what they learned within days. 12:20 So if you don't have a system to capture and retain what you've gained, it fades quickly. 12:26 A simple approach is to take a few minutes at the end of each day of conference and write down your top three insights. 12:33 Not everything, just the top 3. and then identify one action that you might take based on those insights. 12:41 That's it. 12:42 Keep it simple. 12:44 Then, when you get back, give yourself a short window, ideally within 72 hours, to review your notes. 12:51 Look at those Insights again. 12:53 Ask yourself, what actually matters here? 12:57 What is worth acting on? 12:58 And then pick one to three things. 13:01 Not ten. 13:02 One to Three. 13:04 And bring those back to your team. 13:06 Share what you learned. 13:08 Share why it matters. 13:13 But also be clear about what you're not doing, because one of the fastest ways to overwhelm a team is to come back from a conference with a long list of 13:22 ideas and try to implement everything at once. 13:25 That's not how change happens. 13:27 Change happens through focus, through testing one idea, piloting one change, seeing what works, adjusting. 13:35 And over time, those small changes add up. 13:39 That's where the ROI comes from. 13:42 Not from attendance, from implementation. 13:45 So when you think about whether a conference was worth it, don't just ask, did I enjoy it or did learn something? 13:51 Also ask did i do something differently because of it? 13:56 Did I solve a problem? 13:58 Did make a connection that matters? 14:00 did I avoid a mistake because of something I learned? 14:04 Because sometimes the ROI is not immediate. 14:07 Sometimes it's something you implement months later. 14:11 sometimes it is a relationship that turns into an opportunity down the line. 14:15 But there should be a throughline. 14:17 There should a be connection between the investment you made and the outcomes you see over time. 14:23 And when you approach conferences this way as leverage points, as intentional investments, you start to see them differently. 14:31 They're not just events, they're opportunities to compress learning, exposure, and connection into a very short period of time. 14:40 And that's powerful, but only if you use it that way. 14:45 So, as you head into conference season, take a few minutes and decide what success looks like for you. 14:51 Be selective about how you spend your time. 14:54 be present in the moments that matter. 14:57 Look for the people you already know and be open to meeting new ones. 15:02 Look for us, too.
Closing Thoughts and Healthy Practices Services 15:04 We love those in-person conversations that start with, I've been listening, and turn into something much more meaningful. 15:12 And most importantly, follow through, because that's where everything changes. 15:18 Until next time. 15:22 Before we wrap up, if you're listening to this and thinking, it's not just one thing, there are multiple parts of my practice that could be running better, 15:31 I want you to know that you are not alone. 15:33 Most physicians were never taught how to run the business side of medicine, and yet you were expected to lead complex, multi-million dollar organizations. 15:42 That's no a personal failing, its a systems gap. 15:45 At Healthy Practices, our operational and strategic consulting is designed to help you close that gap. 15:52 We work alongside physicians and leadership teams to bring clarity to the business. 15:57 Everything from workflow and staffing models to financial performance, growth strategy and long-term planning. 16:03 The goal is to move you from reactive and overwhelmed to structured, intentional and in control. 16:11 For some practices, that means solving immediate operational pain points. 16:15 For others, it's about stepping back and building a clear strategy for sustainable growth, profitability and leadership development. 16:23 And often, its both. 16:25 Because when your systems, your people and your financial performance are aligned, everything gets easier. 16:32 Decisions become clearer, teams function better, and the day-to-day stress starts to come down. 16:39 So if you're ready to take a more intentional look at how your practice is operating and where it could go next, I'd encourage you to reach out and start 16:47 the conversation. 16:48 You can find more information in the show notes or at healtheps.com.
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