Evolving in Healthcare

Ten years of clinical seniority, and Clare Batkin still chose to start again on a junior wage in a sector she knew very little about. Clare Batkin is an occupational therapist and founder of Your OT Tutor. She and Ruth explore the decisions that have taken Clare from the ideal part-time job share Clinical Educator role in a hospital to what can be seen as starting all over again. We get underneath the drivers for running your own business and what helps you avoid the traps of comparing whether you are doing enough. This one's for any health professional who has a strong interest in the education workstream but needs to hear the less traditional ways you can apply your skills to help clients and patient's get the best service. Press play if you're weighing up a move that looks illogical on paper. We Explore Why do some OTs thrive on hospital structure while others feel boxed in by it? What made trading a decade of seniority for a new grad wage feel like the safe option, not the risky one? At what point does unpaid, after-hours work stop being generosity and start being a business plan? How do you know your business is "enough" when you're the only one deciding what that means? Why team up with the OT teaching the exact same course as you? Timestamps 00:42 Introduction to Clare Batkin's career journey 02:42 Finding your path in OT 06:43 Choosing the right early-career role 13:11 Career experimentation and self-awareness 17:02 From hospital clinician to educator 20:08 A move that changed the career path 26:48 Starting a solo education business 31:14 Finding a niche in OT education 37:37 Building a healthcare education business on your own terms 44:40 Helping OTs build lasting careers About Clare Batkin Clare Batkin is an occupational therapist and the founder of Your OT Tutor, an education business supporting OTs working across Australia's hospital, private practice and NDIS sectors. After close to two decades spanning hospital rotations, senior clinical roles and university teaching, she now runs webinars, memberships and clinical education resources focused on the transferable OT skills that hold up across any setting, alongside a growing podcast library. Connect with Clare on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-batkin/ Join Clare’s free Learning Library: https://yott.au/learninglibrary Become a Your OT Tutor Connector or Alliance member: https://yott.au/membership Listen to the “How to be a better OT” podcast: https://yott.au/podcast or on your favourite podcast platform Career Cliniq Resources If this episode has you questioning whether your current role still fits, the StreamAhead Assessment is a good place to start figuring out what would actually suit you better. Learn more about StreamAhead HERE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drruthvo Instagram: instagram.com/drruthvo

Plenty of capable people learn to lead by copying whoever's already in charge. It works for a while, right up until it leaves you running on someone else's fuel and still not quite yourself. Ruth Andermatt is a Canadian self-leadership coach who has spent more than two decades working with executives and emerging leaders, most of them introverts. She was often the only woman in the room, and she has thought hard about what it costs to keep conforming to a style that was never going to fit. If you're in a non-titled role wishing you had more influence, or eyeing a step into management because it looks like the only way to have impact, this conversation is for you. Ruth draws a clean line between managing people and leading them, and she begins where most leadership advice skips ahead: how you lead yourself. Expect plenty on holding your ground without conforming, guiding the people above you, and what to do when the version of success you've been chasing quietly stops fitting. We Explore Why conforming to get into leadership tends to run out of road The difference between managing people and actually leading them Leading the people above you, not only the ones who report to you What self-leadership asks of you long before any title arrives The cost of staying in survival mode and calling it dedication Timestamps 01:15 Being the only woman in the room and the pull to conform 05:45 Masculine and feminine leadership, and why most workplaces pick one 08:48 The exhaustion of dancing to someone else's tune just to get hired 13:40 Why a title doesn't make you a leader, and what self-leadership actually means 16:44 Hitting a plateau and shifting your perspective instead of walking away 29:05 The blind spot that holds capable people back, women especially 33:08 Leading the people above you, not just the ones who report to you 41:25 Survival worn as a badge of honour, and the price every choice carries 45:09 Untangling your identity from how you got here and redefining success 55:48 Outgrowing your manager and repositioning without burning the bridge About Ruth Andermatt Ruth Andermatt is a self-leadership coach and consultant and the founder of Andermatt Consulting Experience (A.C.E. Inc) in Canada. A former national-level paddler and UBC graduate, she has coached executives, business owners and emerging leaders for more than twenty years, with a particular focus on women and introverts who lead quietly but effectively. Her view, useful for anyone in a hierarchical field like healthcare, is that leading yourself is the foundation everything else is built on, title or no title. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachruth/ Website: https://andermattconsulting.com Career Cliniq Resources If this conversation has you wondering where your influence and interests actually sit, the StreamAhead Assessment maps your experience across the full spectrum of healthcare work, not just the path you trained for: https://careercliniq.com/streamahead Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn or Instagram

Bree Murray has never seen a patient. She'll still put "dietitian" on every form she fills in. She's spent 15 years in professional associations, food industry, health profession regulation, and a job-shared CEO role and has never once questioned whether that makes her a real dietitian. This conversation is for anyone who has. We Explore Building a dietitian career entirely outside clinical practice What personal life seasons reveal about what you actually value How a project officer becomes a job-sharing CEO The real cost of a portfolio career when you've come from a for-purpose background The difference between a career compass and a career plan About Bree Murray Bree Murray is an Australian dietitian with over 15 years of experience spanning professional association work, food industry consulting, health profession regulation, and executive leadership. She currently serves as executive officer for a Council of Deans of Nutrition and Dietetics, supports governance work with self-regulating health professions, and sits on the National Alliance of Self-Regulating Health Professions board. Her career has been built through relationships, referrals, and a consistent willingness to move into unfamiliar territory when the fit is right. Connect with Bree Murray https://www.linkedin.com/in/bree-murray-44193528/ Career Cliniq Resources If this conversation got you thinking about what's actually guiding your career decisions, the StreamAhead Assessment maps your interests and experience across the full spectrum of healthcare work - not just the path you trained for. 👉 Take the StreamAhead Assessment Join the Conversation What's the moment you realised the shape of your days didn't match what you actually cared about? I'd love to hear it. LinkedIn | Instagram

You're halfway through a degree or deep into a career you're not sure you'll stay in and the loudest fear isn't about what's next. It's that everything you've already invested might be wasted. Keagen Hadley finished an entire OT doctorate he wasn't sure he'd use and it was the very thing that gave him room to build a completely different career. Keagen Hadley is a regulatory medical writer for a large biotech company. He holds a doctorate in occupational therapy and has spent over a decade in the biotech and pharmaceutical space. We Explore How geographic limitation can become a catalyst for unconventional experience Why the financial variable in career decisions deserves more honesty in the helping professions How your cognitive wiring reveals itself early and what to do when it doesn't match the clinical path Why "regulatory medical writer" misrepresents the actual work of the role How credibility gets built in an industry where your healthcare credential doesn't automatically count Chapters 00:00 Meet Keagen Hadley - regulatory medical writer and OT 03:22 How a small-town CRO in North Dakota opened the door to biotech 08:50 $96K in student loans and the decision to finish anyway 14:14 The lecture that reframed scale and patient impact 19:25 Remote work, flexibility, and family life in biotech 24:48 Starting before you feel ready and selling yourself as a novice 35:56 Why recruiters matter more than applications in this field 45:10 Wrangling physicians who disagree 47:28 AI and regulatory writing 57:25 Why clinicians won't say the money part out loud Connect with Keagen LinkedIn: Keagen Hadley Newsletter: https://cliniciansguide.substack.com/ What Regulatory Writers Actually Make - https://thecliniciansguide.myflodesk.com/uegisjcpq9 6-Month Roadmap to Becoming a Regulatory Medical Writer - https://thecliniciansguide.myflodesk.com/nx48w16db8 Career Cliniq Resources If you're trying to get clearer on what actually drives your next step, the StreamAhead Assessment will map your interests within healthcare. 👉 Take the StreamAhead Assessment Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn and Instagram .

Most health professionals spend years building toward a role they're told is the destination. What happens when you get there and realise you're still evolving? Kristen Hicks-Roof is a registered dietitian and PhD researcher who built a full academic career - tenure, grants, research agendas, and chose to leave it to lead human nutrition at the US National Pork Board, a role that didn't exist before she took it. This conversation gets into what it's like to be a high performer navigating competitive dynamics, the identity reckoning that happens when your career and your motherhood collide on the same timeline, and what it actually looks like to take clinical skills into an industry most dietitians are taught to distrust. If you've ever felt like you outgrew a role you genuinely valued, or wondered whether the skills you built in practice could belong somewhere completely different, this one will sit with you. We Explore The fight to prove nutrition's value and why it follows you no matter what setting you're in What happens when your drive and the culture around you aren't well matched The identity shift from "mother scholar" to something with no established name How a 2am LinkedIn scroll during maternity leave became a career turning point What dietitians and clinicians misunderstand about working in the food industry Chapters 00:00 Unexpected Career Paths 06:31 The Role of Nutrition Professionals 17:08 Academia and Career Transition 28:26 The Decision to Leave Academia 34:01 Navigating Tension in Academia 42:46 The Impact of Motherhood on Career 49:29 Role in Nutrition Research 59:12 Building Connections and Following Passions About Kristen Hicks-Roof Kristen Hicks-Roof PhD, RD is the Director of Human Nutrition at the US National Pork Board, where she oversees research investment and science communication across stakeholder groups from farmers to federal policymakers. A former associate professor with promotion and tenure, her academic research focused on integrating nutrition across healthcare teams and the lived experience of mother scholars in academia. She also hosts the Nutrition Connection podcast. LinkedIn: Kristen Hicks-Roof Podcast: Nutrition Connection Career Cliniq Resources Wondering where your clinical skills could actually take you? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you map what you've built and where it could go next. 👉 Take the StreamAhead Assessment Join the Conversation Have you ever been in a role where your drive worked against you? Tell us about it. Find us on LinkedIn and Instagram .

Emily Kelly chose physical therapy because a torn ACL at 14 showed her what one-on-one care could do. She found her dream clinic, treated patients for an hour each, and loved the work. Then a new grad started questioning what she believed about pain, and the clinical identity she had spent years building started to come apart. Emily is now a product manager at Prompt, a health tech company building software for rehabilitation providers in the US. This conversation covers what it actually took to get from one to the other. A pay structure that punished the qualification it demanded. The emotional cost of being the clinician who takes everything home. A healthcare innovation conference that lit something up. And a series of deliberate, unglamorous decisions that most career transition stories skip over entirely. If you are a health professional who knows something needs to shift but cannot see the steps from where you are, this episode lays them out honestly. We explore: What pain science does to a clinician's sense of who they are in the room The emotional cost of clinical empathy that no one talks about at university A pay structure that punishes the qualification it demands What hiring managers actually notice when a clinician interviews for a non-clinical role The unglamorous middle of moving from physical therapy to health tech product management About Emily Kelly Emily Kelly is a physical therapist and product manager at Prompt, a health tech company building practice management software for rehabilitation providers. Based in Denver, Colorado, she spent eight years in outpatient physical therapy before moving through customer success and leadership into product. LinkedIn: Emily Kelly Mentioned: Meredith Caston / The Non-Clinical PT, Lorimer Moseley (pain science researcher), Peter O'Sullivan, Adriaan Louw Career Cliniq Resources If this episode has you wondering where else your clinical expertise could take you, the StreamAhead Assessment maps your interests across eight healthcare work streams and shows you options you might not have considered yet. Take StreamAhead HERE! Connect with Ruth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drruthvo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drruthvo/

The boxes we're handed in healthcare are well-meaning. Your title, your scope, your place in the hierarchy - they exist for good reasons. But they can also become the edges of what you think is possible. Melissa Gunstone is a Canadian Registered Kinesiologist who graduated, hit the wall most new grads hit, and built her way out of it - not by leaving healthcare, but by refusing to stay inside the box it handed her. What followed is a ground-level account of private practice niching, a team to lead, and a product invented because it didn't exist. If you're a health professional navigating the gap between your training and what's actually possible - this conversation covers territory your degree never did. We Explore The gap between your credential and what the world does with it Why your professional title can work against you What more schooling won't give you Operating on the periphery of the healthcare system Finding your real market by listening, not assuming The cost of building a team when you're the only one who cares as much as you do Whether your business success can open doors for others in your profession How entrepreneurship can arrive before you're ready for the word About Melissa Gunstone Melissa Gunstone is a registered kinesiologist based in Ontario, Canada. She is the founder of Home Stretch (in-home kinesiology for seniors) and creator of Sturdey Fall Prevention Tools. She also employs and mentors kinesiologists through her business - making career development as much a part of her mission as client care. Connect with Melissa Home Stretch - In-Home Kinesiology for Seniors: https://www.homestretch4seniors.ca Sturdey Fall Prevention Tools: https://sturdey.com/collections/tools-to-stay-sturdy YouTube - The Fall Prevention Coach: https://youtube.com/@melissathefallpreventioncoach Melissa's marketing guy, Miles at Wondering Concierge: https://wonderingconcierge.com/ Career Cliniq Resources Wondering which direction your healthcare career could take? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you identify which work streams align with your strengths right now. 👉 https://careercliniq.com/streamahead

When someone says "you need to network," what's your gut reaction? If it's dread mixed with a side of ick, Kaylee Johnson gets it. She's an occupational therapist who's worked across clinical care, health tech, and leadership roles in the US, and we sat down to unpack what networking actually looks like when you're an introvert who'd rather do anything else. We also had some fun comparing Australian and US takes on networking. This conversation cuts through the schmoozing stereotype to explore networking as something more human: leading with curiosity, asking questions because you genuinely want to know, and figuring out how you can help someone solve a problem. Kaylee shares how she flopped hard in early attempts but eventually landed roles through authentic connections and why LinkedIn doesn't have to feel like performing. If you've been avoiding networking because it feels transactional, or you're job hunting but worried about word getting back to your current workplace, this episode offers practical reframes and the courage you'll need to step outside your healthcare bubble. We Explore Why networking conversations feel transactional and how to reframe them The courage required to network outside your professional comfort zone Cultural differences in networking expectations between Australia and the US Strategic use of LinkedIn without the performance anxiety How to de-risk job search networking when you're worried about your current employer finding out How networking plays a role in preventing career and performance stagnation About Kaylee Johnson Kaylee Johnson is an Occupational Therapist with 15 years of experience across clinical practice, health tech, and leadership roles in the northeast United States. As a self-described introvert, Kaylee has navigated multiple career transitions and now brings insights about authentic networking, cross-functional collaboration, and career evolution for healthcare professionals who want to explore beyond traditional clinical pathways. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylee-m-johnson/ Career Cliniq Resources If this conversation has you thinking about what else might be possible in your healthcare career, the StreamAhead Assessment can help you identify which work streams align with your current interests and strengths. Sometimes clarity starts with simply knowing what's out there. Access the StreamAhead Assessment: https://careercliniq.com/streamahead What's your biggest networking challenge right now? Drop me a message and let me know. Connect with me: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drruthvo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drruthvo/

What becomes possible when you stop waiting to feel ready enough? Dr Anum Ali's undergraduate transcript didn't predict where she'd land. After six years as a crisis counsellor, she doubted graduate schools would take a chance on her, until a mentor told her that her GPA didn't tell her whole story . An adult ADHD diagnosis during her master's reframed years of academic struggle as a brain that works differently , and she built a career that uses how she thinks rather than fighting it: VP of Clinical at a health tech startup, university professor, clinical supervisor, private practice therapist, and founder of a youth mental health non-profit. Her PhD research on South Asian parents and digital wellness grew out of her own childhood experience of online bullying. We Explore Navigating healthcare as an immigrant and first-generation student What happens when a mentor sees beyond your transcript Getting an adult ADHD diagnosis and rebuilding your career narrative Saying yes and walking into rooms where you're not sure you belong Turning painful experiences into meaningful research Protecting your compassion when burnout threatens to erode it About Dr Anum Ali Dr Anum Ali is a licensed professional counsellor and clinical mental health researcher working across several healthcare sectors at once: VP of Clinical at a digital wellness startup building AI-powered parental guidance tools, a master's-level counselling educator and clinical supervisor, and a private practitioner specialising in culturally responsive therapy for South Asian communities. She founded DigiWell Foundation, a Texas non-profit focused on youth mental health and digital wellbeing, and her PhD examined how South Asian parents navigate adolescent social media use and mental health stigma. She's the first woman from her village in Pakistan to earn a PhD. Connect with Dr Anum Ali LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alianumtx/ DigiWell Foundation: https://www.digiwellfoundation.org/ TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfsNvFt--iI Career Cliniq Resources Ready to explore what else might be possible? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you see which work streams align with how you actually work best. Join the Conversation What room are you not walking into because you're waiting to feel like you belong there? Find me on LinkedIn or Instagram .

Dr Kat Sylvester has built her whole career on a refusal: she won't accept that nothing more can be done. A physical therapist working across neurological rehabilitation and women's health, Kat founded Operation Mist, a maternal health monitoring program that puts data directly in women's hands, and a mentorship program that has supported over 170 PT students. This is for any health professional who can see what their patients need but keeps hitting what the system allows. Kat is open about how she changed hospital neuro care simply by asking for what patients needed, how scar massage opened the door to postpartum recovery, and why she walked away from a job she loved to build something that fit both her clinical values and her life as a mum. This isn't a work-life balance story. It's about building a career around the change you want to see, even when no one else is doing it yet. We Explore Asking for what doesn't exist yet in your workplace Spotting the gap between what the system allows and what patients need Testing whether your idea has legs before you leave job security The moment loving your role isn't enough to keep you there Building a practice that puts knowledge in clients' hands instead of keeping them dependent About Dr. Katherine Sylvester is a physical therapist specialising in neurological rehabilitation and women's health. She founded Operation Mist, a maternal health monitoring program that uses wearable technology to catch postpartum complications before they become life-threatening. Kat also created a minority mentorship program that has supported over 170 physical therapy students through graduation, and teaches scar physiology and women's health to PT students and professionals across the United States. She maintains a private practice in Macon, Georgia, where she treats patients with neurological injuries and supports women through pregnancy and postpartum recovery. Connect with Dr. Kat Website - Operation M.I.S.T - Mommy Monitor YouTube Video - How Mommy Monitor Works LinkedIn Instagram Career Cliniq Resources Ready to explore what's possible beyond your current clinical role? The StreamAhead Assessment helps health professionals identify which career pathways align with their interests and expertise right now. Sometimes the first step toward change is simply understanding what options exist. Take the StreamAhead Assessment : https://careercliniq.com/streamahead Connect with Ruth: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drruthvo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drruthvo/

A physical therapist now shapes Medicare policy for one of the biggest healthcare companies in America. Dana Strauss will be the first to tell you she didn't plan it. Dana started in acute care physiotherapy and now leads value-based care and Medicare policy strategy at a Fortune 6 company, a role usually filled by lawyers and public policy experts. This is for any health professional who can't stop noticing the things that don't make sense. Dana built a whole career out of that instinct, teaching herself what she needed, pitching ideas to leadership, and following each problem to the next. She's honest about the parts that don't make the highlight reel too, the LinkedIn messages that scared her, the mentors who took a chance, the startup that nearly broke her, and the moment she realised policy work was what she'd been doing on the side of her desk for years. If you've ever sensed there's more you could do without a prescriptive plan or the usual credentials, this one is for you. We Explore Letting what doesn't make sense become your career compass Pitching yourself into a role that doesn't exist yet How cross-functional committees put you in front of people who'll vouch for you Sending the message that scares you Working with a brain that needs constant intellectual stimulation About Dana Strauss Dana Strauss is a senior policy expert at a Fortune 6 company, leading value-based care and Medicare policy strategy for its healthcare delivery division. She started as an acute care physical therapist and built her career by solving problems others accepted as unchangeable. Her work spans alternative payment models, skilled nursing facility management, and population health, bringing a clinician's perspective to the policy that shapes how care is delivered across America. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danastraussdpt/ Newsletter: https://www.timelessautonomy.com/subscribe Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@FutureProofPT Career Cliniq Resources Wondering how your clinical expertise could translate into a different role? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you identify your value and see what might make sense for your next move. Join the Conversation What's something in your workplace that just doesn't make sense to you? Find me on LinkedIn or Instagram .

Colleen Sloan finished her nutrition degree pumping breast milk in campus bathrooms. That refusal to wait for a convenient moment runs through everything she's built since. A registered dietitian(RD) and physician assistant(PA) in paediatric practice, Colleen hosts the Exam Room Nutrition Podcast and trains clinicians in obesity medicine. This is for any health professional who keeps noticing a problem they can't ignore. Colleen has a pattern of spotting things that harm patients without anyone meaning to, like the shame planted in a seven-year-old during a routine appointment, then building the skills to do something about it. She talks about retraining as a single mum, finding mentors who accelerate rather than just advise, staying authentic instead of fitting the professional mould, and testing a business while keeping her clinical work. If you're weighing more training, or a move from employee to entrepreneur, this gives you a way to make those calls strategically rather than reactively. We Explore How a major curveball can sharpen your professional direction What's wrong with how healthcare talks to kids about their bodies Finding mentors who accelerate your growth, not just advise it Why authenticity beats fitting a professional stereotype Building and testing an expertise business while practising full-time About Colleen Sloan Colleen Sloan is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and certified physician assistant (PA-C) specialising in general outpatient paediatrics. With nearly nine years in clinical practice, she works right at the intersection of nutrition and primary care. She hosts the Exam Room Nutrition Podcast and recently launched an obesity medicine course for clinicians that pairs clinical knowledge with compassionate communication. Connect with Colleen Sloan LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/examroomnutrition/ Exam Room Nutrition Podcast : https://www.examroomnutritionpodcast.com/ Obesity Medicine Nutrition Course : https://www.examroomnutrition.com/course Career Cliniq Resources Wondering what else might be possible in your healthcare career? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you see which work streams align with your interests and values right now. Join the Conversation Colleen builds the skill to fix the problems she can't ignore. What problem in your work won't leave you alone? Find me on LinkedIn or Instagram .

Katie Blackburn loved clinical work. She also kept thinking there had to be a better way, and that thought wouldn't leave her alone. A physical therapist specialising in spinal cord injury rehabilitation, Katie moved into quality management, a step she'd once sworn she'd never take. This is for any health professional who senses there's more they could be doing but isn't sure it's allowed. Katie is candid about feeling stuck with a four-patient caseload when she wanted broader impact, preparing for a new role while working full-time and parenting, and the real grief of letting go of her clinical identity. She shares how she found mentors outside the formal structures, translated her clinical experience into the language of management, and learned to sit with not knowing exactly where she was headed. If you've ever wondered whether there's more for you beyond your current role, this gives you both permission to look and practical steps to take. We Explore Loving what you're leaving and still needing change The strengths and traps of a Type A personality in transition Finding mentors outside the formal structures Mourning a clinical identity and the imposter syndrome that follows Sitting with uncertainty as part of growth Timestamps 01:50 Why she never imagined leaving clinical practice 03:13 The frustration of impacting four patients at a time 06:17 The relentless pace and emotional toll of clinical work 09:51 How extra projects revealed a pull toward systemic change 16:49 Finding mentors outside formal structures 25:39 The courage to cold-email a mentor 28:11 Why the clinical playbook runs out early 43:29 Practical steps from clinical practice to quality management 50:56 Juggling preparation with a full clinical load 56:18 Mourning a clinical identity and ongoing imposter syndrome About Katie Blackburn Katie Blackburn is a quality manager and physical therapist with expertise in spinal cord injury rehabilitation in inpatient settings. Her move from full-time clinical practice into healthcare quality management gives her a clear view of systemic change inside healthcare facilities. Her background includes residency training and mentoring programmes, with insight into both structured and informal professional development. Connect with Katie Blackburn LinkedIn Katie Blackburn Career Cliniq Resources Wondering what else might be possible in your healthcare career? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you see which work streams align with your interests and values right now. Join the Conversation What's holding you back from exploring what's possible beyond your current clinical role? Find me on LinkedIn or Instagram .

Tesiah Coleman went into nursing to change a system. The system spent years trying to change her instead. A Women's Health Nurse Practitioner turned founder, she's now CEO of T o gather, her health justice platform. This is for any health professional whose work has cost more than the noble version admits. Tesiah is honest about racism in training, impossible caseloads, and the choice between calling and family when her son was diagnosed with cancer, and why your why holds steady when the how changes. We Explore The gap between nursing's radical roots and how it's actually taught Facing racism during clinical training while holding onto your goals The impossible maths of community health, too many patients and too little time Making career-altering decisions when your child is seriously ill Finding a setting where being a fixer is an asset, not a liability Timestamps 03:33 Creating T o gather: Building a Community for Health Justice 06:39 Navigating the Challenges of Healthcare Leadership 09:04 The Impact of Systemic Issues on Healthcare Providers 10:54 The Importance of Collaborative Care Models 13:00 Consulting in Health Tech: Bridging Gaps in Care 16:09 The Path to Nursing: A Personal Journey 18:58 Experiences in Nursing School: Challenges and Triumphs 21:51 The Reality of Community Health Work 25:03 The Intersection of Personal and Professional Life 27:46 Finding Community in Adversity 30:56 The Transition to Health Tech: A New Perspective 33:55 Building T o gather: The Vision for a Health Justice Community 36:44 Navigating the Uncertainties of Entrepreneurship 39:34 Lessons Learned: Wisdom for Healthcare Professionals About Tesiah Coleman Tesiah is a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and the founder and CEO of T o gather, a community platform for health justice advocates. She came into healthcare as a patient during an unexpected pregnancy, then trained and worked in under-resourced community health before moving into health tech after her son's cancer diagnosis reshaped what she needed from work. She now builds the kind of support and community she went looking for throughout her own career. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tesiahcoleman/ T o gather Platform: https://www.togathernow.com/ Kyndred: https://www.withkyndred.com/ Career Cliniq Resources When the how of your work has to change, the why can stay the same. The StreamAhead Assessment helps you see which work streams fit who you are now. Connect Find me on LinkedIn or Instagram .

Ever felt torn between staying loyal to communities that desperately need you and taking opportunities that serve your own growth? Venus Kalami, a board-certified paediatric dietitian, knows this struggle intimately. Venus shares her journey from community clinic work to academic medical centres, wrestling with the guilt of leaving under-resourced patients behind. She reveals what cultural humility actually looks like in practice - challenging the "Mediterranean diet is best" narrative and preserving patients' food cultures rather than forcing them into nutrition boxes. Through honest reflection on the barriers limiting diversity in dietetics and the village of mentors who made her advanced education possible, Venus demonstrates how healthcare careers evolve through unexpected turns and the courage to ask for support. We Explore Cultural humility and the myth of one right way to eat The guilt of leaving under-resourced communities for better-supported roles The systemic barriers to diversity in dietetics Why asking for help and finding mentors is its own skill Rethinking your professional identity when an industry role comes calling Timestamps 00:00 Unexpected career turns that shaped Venus's path 04:07 Finding paediatric nutrition as the right fit 06:49 Cultural humility and the myth of one right way to eat 12:22 Barriers to diversity in dietetics 19:47 Winning scholarships to fund advanced study 25:00 The village of mentors behind her growth 38:48 How investing in education pays off beyond money 41:42 Language as a tool for professional growth 48:53 Navigating a shift in professional identity 53:00 Redefining success beyond traditional metrics About Venus Kalami Venus Kalami is a board-certified USA paediatric dietitian with expertise in digestive health, cultural humility, and nutrition communications. As a first-generation immigrant, she brings a unique perspective to healthcare that challenges traditional approaches and advocates for cultural inclusivity in nutrition care. Venus has experience in academic medical centres, community clinics, and nutrition consulting, with a master's degree in Nutrition Science and Policy from Tufts University. Connect with Venus Kalami LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/venuskalami/ Website : https://www.venuskalamird.com/ Resources Mentioned : Diversify Dietetics organisation Career Cliniq Resources Ready to work out what's next? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you see whether your next move is to optimise, adapt, or reinvent your healthcare career. Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn | Instagram @drruthvo

How do you know when it's time to make a career move in healthcare? Olumide Ajulo has navigated this question multiple times. A qualified psychotherapist and clinical psychology master's graduate, Olumide transitioned from finance management to become a team manager in university counselling services. His story demonstrates how to thoughtfully evaluate career decisions while building skills that create new opportunities. Questions We Explore How do you tell the difference between being frustrated with your role and being ready to leave? What are you running towards, not just what you're running from? What does the full spectrum of healthcare career decisions look like beyond stay or go? How do non-negotiables reduce career decision fatigue? When patients aren't responding to treatment, is it really their fault? Chapters 04:04 From finance management to therapeutic practice 06:31 Why acute mental health work appeals despite the challenges 09:02 Relational therapy and building real therapeutic connection 11:31 Career pathways and specialisation decisions in psychology 13:58 Working through client disengagement 16:20 Self-reflection as the engine of career growth 18:48 How emotional intelligence drives professional success 21:11 Rethinking responsibility for treatment outcomes 25:53 Moving from clinical practice into team leadership 27:39 Building effective multidisciplinary teams 29:58 Balancing clinical work with people management 33:35 Working out what actually energises you 39:57 A framework for career decisions using non-negotiables About Olumide Ajulo Olumide Ajulo is a counselling psychologist and team manager at a UK university counselling service. After over a decade in finance management, he made the strategic transition to psychology, bringing valuable systems thinking and people management skills to therapeutic practice. He now combines direct client work with team leadership, supervision, and service development in a multidisciplinary mental health setting. Resources mentioned: "The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog" by Dr. Bruce Perry Survivors West Yorkshire Connect with Olumide Ajulo LinkedIn HERE Career Cliniq Resources Feeling that pull to explore what else might be possible? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you discover which work streams align with your interests right now. Sometimes clarity starts with simply knowing what's out there. Connect: LinkedIn @Dr Ruth Vo, PhD | Instagram @drruthvo | careerecliniq.com

Nikki Campbell's CV doesn't go in a straight line, and that's the point. She moved from ICU nursing to palliative care to endometriosis coordination by following what mattered to her rather than the ladder she was handed. An Australian endometriosis nurse coordinator now training as a nurse practitioner, Nikki has built care models from scratch across three very different areas of nursing. This is for any health professional who suspects their interests are pulling them somewhere their specialty wasn't supposed to go. Nikki is open about following her own health experience into a new field, proving transferable skills when her CV didn't fit the template, and building something while she was still in the middle of delivering it. If you've wondered whether it's safe to ask better questions and follow where they lead, this conversation gives you a real example of someone who did. We Explore Excelling at work that no longer fits your values Why transferable skills can matter more than years in one specialty What it costs to ask "why do we do it this way" as a junior Letting personal health experience inform professional decisions Building a new model of care while you're still delivering it Timestamps 00:41 From ICU nursing to palliative care 10:55 The pressure of the linear career pathway 16:30 How transferable skills enabled big specialty changes 23:37 Building new care processes while still delivering care 29:14 Asking "why does it have to be like this" 34:38 Being told "you're not allowed to have an opinion" 39:34 Moving states and changing specialties 41:33 How motherhood shifted her view of work 45:26 A nurse practitioner vision for endometriosis care 49:33 Reaching patients through telehealth About Nikki Campbell Nikki Campbell is an Australian endometriosis nurse coordinator who moved from ICU nursing to palliative care to women's health. She is currently training as a nurse practitioner while working in telehealth, and specialises in helping endometriosis patients find their way through the healthcare system. Her work includes building new care models, quality improvement, and advocating for neurodivergent-friendly practice. Connect with Nikki Campbell LinkedIn: Connect with Nikki on LinkedIn Instagram: Connect with Nikki on Instagram Julia Argyrou Endometriosis Centre Career Cliniq Resources Wondering which work streams fit where your interests are now, and which transferable skills to invest in next? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you see both. Find me on LinkedIn or Instagram .

Lina Briek kept getting passed over for the promotions she wanted. The thing holding her back inside the system turned out to be the same thing that built her a business outside it. A dietitian and PhD researcher, Lina founded Tube Dietitian, a Melbourne business supporting adults living with feeding tubes at home, after fourteen years across rural and metropolitan hospitals. This one is for any health professional who has been told to slow down, dim their enthusiasm, or wait their turn. Lina is candid about how a secondment outside her specialty reshaped how she saw her work, why rural roles taught her more than the prestige posts, and what it took to put a price on her worth after years of being valued by pay scales and awards. If you've ever sensed that the system rewards staying small, there's a lot here worth sitting with. We Explore What happens when your natural energy gets read as something to manage Why rural and grade-one roles can build confidence faster than prestige posts How a secondment outside your specialty can change the way you think about your work The point where job security starts working against you Pricing your worth after years of being valued by pay scales and awards Timestamps 01:40 Becoming a dietitian and an early bet on nutrition 04:03 What families in intensive care really care about 06:29 Why rural grade-one roles build confidence fast 12:17 "Your confidence is very American" and healthcare hierarchy 20:20 The COVID shift that pushed nutrition aside 25:19 Pricing your worth after public hospital pay scales 28:31 The $5,500 legal lesson that protected the business 30:25 The secondment that changed how she saw her work 34:34 When "coaching" really meant suppress your energy 41:28 Why she wouldn't take the straight-line career path About Lina Briek Lina Briek is a dietitian, PhD researcher, and founder of Tube Dietitian, a Melbourne-based business providing specialised nutrition support for adults living with feeding tubes at home. With fourteen years of hospital experience spanning rural general practice to metropolitan ICU, she bridges the gap between hospital discharge and long-term home care. Her research looks at the state of home tube feeding in Australia, with a particular focus on real food approaches. LinkedIn : Lina Briek's Profile Business Website : Tube Dietitian Career Cliniq Resources Inspired but unsure about your own next steps? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you see which healthcare work streams align with your interests and life right now, including the ones you might not have considered. Follow the show and find me on LinkedIn or Instagram .

Most practitioners get warned early that certain clients, or certain populations, will be the hard ones. Chris Bradshaw built his career finding close to the opposite. A psychotherapist with a PhD in clinical psychology, Chris set out to become a civil rights lawyer before his path turned sharply toward therapy. This conversation is for any health professional who has felt the pressure to always have the right answer, wondered whether "difficult" is a fair label for a client, or questioned how to keep doing meaningful work without it costing them everything. Chris is honest about what gets in our way as helpers, what genuine presence asks of us, and what it takes to build a practice that holds up over time. And if you've been weighing how much of your future should stay client-facing, there's a lot here worth sitting with before you decide. We Explore The pressure to have the right answer for every client Why being truly present feels so uncomfortable for helpers Sitting with not knowing while still being useful The line between being supportive and being challenging What sustainable practice asks of you before burnout forces the question Timestamps 01:06 Unexpected Pathway into Counselling 03:10 Finding Meaning in Counselling 08:22 Challenging Assumptions in Therapy 14:41 The Journey to Certification 19:57 Research and Therapeutic Presence 24:56 Navigating Therapeutic Presence 27:19 The Role of Presence in Healthcare 29:12 Balancing Client Needs and Professional Expertise 32:04 Burnout in Healthcare Professionals 35:39 Strategies for Preventing Burnout 40:23 Setting Goals and Managing Time 48:19 Future Directions in Therapy Practice About Chris Bradshaw Chris Bradshaw is a psychotherapist with a PhD in clinical psychology who specialises in depth-oriented therapy and somatic approaches. His research focuses on therapeutic presence and the client experience of attunement. Chris has worked across diverse settings from addiction treatment to private practice, consistently discovering that the populations others label as "difficult" are often the most ready for meaningful change. Connect with Chris: LinkedIn Profile - HERE Chris' Podcasts - HERE Career Cliniq Resources Working out whether your long-term goals should keep you in client-facing work? The StreamAhead Assessment helps you see which work streams actually align with your interests right now. Follow this podcast, LinkedIn or Instagram

What You'll Learn From This Episode Professional Identity & Purpose "Am I still a PT if I'm not practicing clinically?" - How Raji separates credentials from identity Redefining what impact looks like beyond direct patient care Why your clinical background is actually your competitive advantage in health tech The Real Work of Career Transition Why your clinical resume won't work for non-clinical roles (and what to do instead) The exact LinkedIn strategies that opened doors for Raji How to handle rejection, pay cuts, and the humbling reality of starting over The networking approach that gets results without seeming desperate Turning Challenges Into Fuel How Raji transformed workplace discrimination into career clarity Managing visa restrictions while building a new professional path Why COVID-19 became the catalyst she needed to make her move Chapters 00:43 Raji Introduction 01:34 Starting out & Transitioning into Product Management 03:09 Journey from Clinical to Non-Clinical Roles 05:49 Navigating Challenges in Healthcare 08:43 The Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare 11:14 Building Leadership Skills in Outpatient Care 14:11 Work-Life Balance and Career Growth 16:34 The Importance of Networking and Mentorship 19:10 Overcoming Rejection and Learning from Mistakes 21:46 Defining Success Beyond Clinical Roles 24:33 The Role of Curiosity in Professional Growth 27:16 Finding Belonging in a New Professional Identity 29:43 Embracing Change and New Opportunities 32:14 The Future of Healthcare and Product Management Find Raji on LinkedIn : Ready to Navigate Your Own Career Evolution? If this conversation sparked something for you, you're not alone. Many healthcare professionals feel stuck or wonder what else might be possible beyond their current role. Get started with the StreamAhead Assessment here . Connect with Ruth on LinkedIn or Instagram