Strength to Stand
Marcus Aurelius on what resilience actually is I heard the news during our Monday morning staff meeting at 8:30 AM. One of our biggest referral sources — gone, just like that. No warning. No negotiation. Just a polite, corporate explanation about “new priorities” and “value-based care.” I knew what it really meant. Hundreds of patients […]
Your Attention Is Being Stolen
Marcus Aurelius on what to do about it It was 8 PM and I was still at the office. I’d been busy all day. Jumping between patient visits, staff issues, Medicare documentation, and endless emails. My phone kept buzzing with notifications. My computer kept dinging with messages. I was exhausted and couldn’t point to anything […]
The Power of No
Marcus Aurelius on what less actually buys you Sometimes the hardest business lessons come from saying yes when you should have said no. I learned this expanding my home health agency into a new geographic area. On paper it looked perfect. The numbers worked. The need was there. That area eventually grew to represent half […]
If It’s Not Right, Don’t Do It
Marcus Aurelius on the cost of getting it right You know that moment when doing the right thing is going to cost you? That’s when it actually matters. I remember getting a phone call. A daughter wanted more home health care for her mom — a patient we’d helped get better. The problem: her mom […]
The Morning Struggle
Marcus Aurelius on how the day starts Some mornings I get it right. I wake up early. Take time for gratitude and reading. Start my day centered and focused. Those days feel different. I’m moving with purpose instead of reacting. I make better decisions. I handle challenges with more patience. I feel more satisfied with […]
Is Your Business Really Living?
Marcus Aurelius on what existence isn’t “Just teach her daughter an exercise program and get out of there.” Those words changed a lot for me. I was working at a so-called nonprofit home health agency, caring for a patient who had suffered a massive stroke. She could only use one side of her body. She […]
Run Your Business Like It’s Your Last Day
Marcus Aurelius on practicing every day like it could be the one Bobby was the kind of doctor everyone wants to have. His patients loved him. His staff loved him. We loved working with him. Even in an age of rushed appointments and assembly-line medicine, he took time with his patients. He had a stellar […]
Doing Good Is Good Business
Marcus Aurelius on what business is for “I just want to go out to eat again.” When my patient first told me this, I could hear the longing in his voice. It had been over a decade since he’d been able to go to a restaurant. He wasn’t asking for a miracle. Just a simple, […]
When Doing the Right Thing Hurts
Marcus Aurelius on what integrity actually costs I remember staring at the spreadsheet, willing the numbers to change. It was clear. If we took this patient, we would lose a lot of money. We were a new business and every dollar mattered. A lot. Medicare wouldn’t come close to covering the cost of the care […]
A Business That Makes You Happy
Marcus Aurelius on what success is actually for You started your business for a reason. Freedom, maybe. The chance to work on your own terms, choose the projects that pull you in, spend more time with your family. Or financial security. Or the chance to make a real difference for the people you serve. Somewhere […]
The One Thing That’s Always in Your Control
Marcus Aurelius on where your power is Two business owners face the same problem. Their biggest client suddenly leaves. One panics. They scramble to replace the lost revenue, making rushed decisions that weaken the business further. They cut prices. They chase any client they can find. They spend sleepless nights stressing over what went wrong. […]
Acting with Intention
Marcus Aurelius on how to use the time you have Most owners I talk to assume they’ll always have more time. Time to scale (eventually). Time to launch the next thing (maybe next year). Time to figure it all out (once things slow down). They don’t. The owners who grow and the owners who stay […]