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
Do you really need to separate work and life? Why blending your personal story into your clinic might be your biggest strength.
What if the best thing about your work… is you?
In this episode, Denzil reflects on how a personal memory (and a conversation with Destin from Jane App) reframed how she thinks about the relationship between who we are and what we do.
Destin’s story about how her grandmother’s illness led her into nonprofit work and, eventually, to a career in community building reminded Denzil of something important: The personal parts of us don’t need to be tucked away from our professional lives. In fact, they might be our biggest advantage.
In this reflective episode, Denzil invites you to:
- Trace your own professional path back to its personal beginnings
- Notice the strengths that come easily (but might go unappreciated)
- Consider how your natural interests could shape your business in meaningful ways
If you’re building something (especially a clinic), this is a gentle nudge to follow that quiet thread that’s been there all along. The one that feels like you.
Have a story about what lit the spark for your own career? Denzil would love to hear it. Email her at frontdesk@jane.app. And if you enjoy episodes like this, subscribe for more reflections from Denzil.
Hello, it's Denzel here. Long before I had this job, I had a habit. Find something random, get obsessed, and then learn everything I could about it. And it started in a library. Picture this. Little five-year-old Denzel walking around the library. I'd wander until something unexpected grabbed me. Tigers, the Titanic, ancient tombs, anything. And then I'd take home all the books I could find and do a deep dive. And honestly, I still do the same thing, except now it's kind of my job. That memory came rushing back while I was talking to Destin on an episode of Radio Front Desk. For those who don't know, Destin is my beloved coworker who runs the community and events team at Jane. In our chat, she was reflecting on what really sparked her interest in community and shared how her early work with a nonprofit, one that directly connected to her grandmother's illness, was actually the reason she's doing what she does now. Destin really took something she felt drawn to in her personal life and made a career out of it. And this made me realize that the idea of keeping your personal and your work life separate might not be the best move. Actually infusing your personal story into your work might even be your biggest differentiator. Because I think it's important to remember what comes naturally to us might not come naturally to everyone else. We tend to underestimate our strengths, especially when they feel easy. And so we assume our thing isn't that special. But that's the whole point. Your thing might be what gives you an edge. So what would happen if you leaned into that? For me, that means letting that curious little five-year-old take over and say yes to work that seems too hard at first and stretches me. Like building a content team from scratch or launching a magazine without a career in print. I didn't know how to do any of it when I started, but I just can't help but feel drawn to the challenge. So if you're building something, especially Clinic, I wonder what you might change if you followed that thread. You know, the one that's been quietly present in the background of your life and really feels like you. So here's your nudge to give it a try. First, think about what you've always been drawn to, even as a kid. How can you pull that into your work? Then notice the things you do easily. You might even realize they're the very things someone else struggles with. And then don't be afraid to build your business around these things. Even if it's out of the norm, people are gonna see the you shining through, and I think that's exactly what people are looking for. So, no, your personal story doesn't have to stay separate from your professional path. In fact, it might be the most powerful part of it. Okay, now this is what I've been teeing all this up for. I'm genuinely interested to know if you trace all the important work you're doing now back to one place, what was it? What was the spark that lit the fire? I'm still that five year old kid who loves to hear stories. Send me an email at frontdesk at jane.app. I'm really looking forward to reading these. Until next time, you've got this.