Radio Front Desk
Radio Front Desk is a podcast that talks to real people in real clinics about what it takes to build a health and wellness business.
Host Denzil Ford, Editor-in-Chief of Front Desk magazine, digs into the inspiring stories of folks building their practices from the ground up — including what works, what hasn’t, and everything in between.
Created by the team at Jane App, this podcast is your source for discovering fresh ideas and proven strategies for clinic life. Join us on this journey of building a practice you love.
Radio Front Desk
Are your meetings missing the magic? How to build real connections in your clinic
Pausing can feel counter-intuitive when your clinic’s to-do list is endless. But sometimes the most productive thing is to stop.
In this episode, Denzil reflects on why “pause with purpose” has become a quiet superpower in her work at Jane and how clinics of any size can borrow it. Instead of big retreats or complicated plans, she shares simple, human ways to slow down together so your time has direction, not just duration. You’ll hear her touch on:
- Turning tiny “aha” moments into big time-savers
- Giving each other the floor: letting admins and clinicians showcase small wins others can reuse
- Tackling one real clinic workflow problem, together (and shifting it from “mine” to “ours”)
- Building team trust over coffee or a meal, and why those unstructured moments carry back into the work
For solo owners and small teams alike, this episode offers a practical nudge to create intentional time, even if it’s just five minutes before closing.
Got your own version of connection? Email frontdesk@jane.app. Denzil would love to hear who you’ll sit down with this week and the one question you’ll ask.
How's it going? It's Danzo. I have a confession. I'm not great at slowing down. Instead, I'm someone who likes action. I like lists, and I like getting things done. And if I'm being really honest, sometimes I feel like the only way to progress is to always be in motion. But here's the thing: the most important shifts I've made in my work haven't come from rushing around. They've come from those rare moments when I actually pause. And I know I recently talked about taking a pause yourself. But I also love the idea of pausing with other people. Last week, I was lucky to have the chance to meet up in person with the people that I work most closely with at Jane. We set aside some dedicated time together, and yep, we did all the regular brainstorms, conversations, and coffee breaks. But what stood out to me most was the structure of it all, the intentionality. So not only were we hanging out, we were hanging out with purpose. And I think that's where the magic is that might have some value in a clinic setting too. I know that when you're running a clinic, the day-to-day is full of noise. I've been there. But I'm thinking that when we deliberately step away from it all for just a couple of hours, something powerful happens. Those scattered thoughts start connecting. People's voices get heard. And suddenly it's not just time together, it's time that has a direction. And here's the key: it doesn't have to be a retreat or anything big. Most of you don't have 10-person teams. For a lot of you, your team is one to three people. And that's enough. So what can you do to create some of this intentional time? I have some ideas, so hear me out. These are coming from my world in a tech company and in marketing, but I think some of it will be interesting to you. So, number one, share a little aha moment. I personally love learning about new tools. So, in a clinic setting, what I'm thinking is that it could be useful to set aside a short block where someone shows off a new tool they learned or even just an improved workflow that makes the things you're doing easier. We've been leaning in on presentations at Jane, but in clinic life, that doesn't have to mean a slide deck. It could be just a practitioner sharing a new exercise plan that they've built. And this way, the next patient handout only takes two minutes instead of ten. Or your front desk showing off the color-coded calendar they built. Or even just swapping how you explain online booking to patients who aren't super tech savvy. The point isn't polish, it's giving someone a chance to say, here's what I figured out, and then letting the rest of you learn from it. Number two, tackle a real problem together. At our meeting, we worked on one big challenge: how to describe Jane in a way that really clicks for clinics. And we came out with a bunch of ideas we could actually use. For you, maybe the question is how do we cut down on wait times at the front desk? Or how do I stop double booking myself? Talking it out with even one person can shift the problem from mine to ours, and that's when new ideas show up. Number three, share a meal. I love to eat, and especially with friends. Sometimes connection isn't about structure at all. It's just sitting down together over food or coffee. Those are the moments where conversations wander into things like music or weekend plans. Or in my case, cats. My profile says, intro me to your cat. And people actually do it. I can't have cats. My son's allergic. So those photos really do make my day. And it's in those little real-life human moments that trust gets built. And that trust carries back into the work. Intentional time doesn't have to be big or fancy. Even a one-on-one where you pause, ask a question, and actually listen can change how you feel about your work. So here's my nudge. Find one little pocket of time this week to pause with someone. It doesn't have to be long, it just has to be yours together. Anyway, that's it from me. I'd love to hear what your version of connection looks like. Hit reply and tell me who's one person you could sit down with this week and what's one question that you'd want to ask them. Send me an email at frontus getsjane.app and let's chat about it. Chat soon.