If you’ve ever thought, “There has to be more than just working more shifts to make more money…” — this episode is going to open your eyes.

In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Christopher Cannell, PA-C, who shares how he transitioned from full-time clinical work into a flexible, high-income career combining academia, consulting, and entrepreneurship. What started as a single opportunity turned into a thriving medical legal consulting business—one that allows him to work less clinically, earn more, and take back control of his time.

We break down what medical legal consulting actually looks like, how to get started (even without a doctorate), and why this path might be one of the most aligned, ethical, and financially rewarding ways to use your clinical expertise outside traditional practice.

• What medical legal consulting actually is (and what you’d do)

• How expert witness work and case review really get paid

• Why you don’t need another degree to get started

• The balance between clinical work and consulting

• How to build income without burnout or overtime

• Why networking (not social media) is your biggest growth lever

• The mindset shift from employee → entrepreneur

• How this work can actually make you a better clinician

Keywords: medical legal consulting for PAs, expert witness physician assistant, PA side hustle ideas, healthcare consulting income, non clinical careers for physician assistants, medical expert witness jobs, PA entrepreneurship, healthcare side income ideas, physician assistant consulting business, legal nurse consultant alternative, make money as a PA outside clinic, clinician entrepreneurship, work from home healthcare jobs, PA career flexibility, burnout alternatives for clinicians, healthcare side gigs high income

SPONSORS:

PA Moms Women’s Medical Summit https://www.pamoms.com/wms26/ Enter “Tracy Bingaman” for who referred you!

LINKS:

Chris Cannell APConsultant Website: https://theapcconsultant.mykajabi.com/

Clinician Entrepreneur Collective Waitlist www.tracybingaman.com/waitlist
Schedule a call with Tracy https://calendly.com/the-pa-is-in/gen-call

Goals Aren’t Enough—Your Business Needs a Plan

You’ve been told to set goals—big ones. Write them down. Visualize them. Work harder toward them. But here’s the problem: most goals are too vague to actually drive action. “Help more people.” “Make a difference.” “Grow the business.” They sound good, but they don’t tell you what to do on a random Tuesday night when you finally sit down to work. And that’s exactly why so many businesses stall.

If your business feels busy but not profitable, scattered instead of strategic, or exhausting instead of energizing—it’s not a motivation problem. It’s a clarity problem. Inside this episode, I break down what’s actually missing: a clear, specific, and compelling treatment plan for your business. Because just like in medicine, “feel better soon” isn’t a plan—and it won’t get results.

A real business treatment plan creates direction, urgency, and momentum. It helps you stop guessing, stop spinning your wheels, and start making intentional moves that lead to revenue and impact. And the best part? You already know how to do this—you’ve just been applying it to patients instead of your business.

• Why vague goals quietly kill small businesses

• The difference between being busy and being profitable

• How clinicians accidentally “wing it” in business

• The concept of narrative traction (and why it drives action)

• Why your business feels scattered, reactive, and draining

• The 3-part framework for building a business treatment plan:

• • ✔ Three specific economic outcomes

  • ✔ A clear deadline

  • ✔ A compelling reason why it matters

• Why “impact without revenue is a hobby”

• How to create urgency that actually moves your business forward

• A real-life example (yes… including a $430 baseball bat ⚾)

Inside the Clinician Entrepreneur Collective, we take your clinical brain and apply it to business—so you can build something that creates income, impact, and freedom.

If your business feels like a side hustle you squeeze into the cracks of your life… This is your invitation to do it differently.

Join the waitlist: www.tracybingaman.com/waitlistNext cohort starts June 1, 2026

SPONSORS:

ADVANCED PRACTICE PLANNING, LLC: advancedpracticeplanning.com/fi

SERMO https://app.sermo.com:443/?sermoref=39d97a2c-f699-4f8b-b2f9-1eb131e18c75&utm_campaign=tell-a-friend

Keywords: business strategy for clinicians, entrepreneur mindset healthcare providers, clinician entrepreneur collective, how to build a business plan, why small businesses fail cash flow, treatment plan for business growth, storybrand business strategy, how to set measurable goals in business, increase revenue without burnout, side hustle for physician assistants, business clarity for entrepreneurs, mission statement examples business, narrative traction marketing, clinician side income strategies, how to grow a coaching business, sustainable business for healthcare workers

What happens when you leave a stable, six-figure clinical career… to build something of your own?

In this episode I sit down with returning guest Kate Johnston—former PA turned full-time coach and entrepreneur—to talk about what it actually looks like to walk away from medicine and build a business from the ground up.

And spoiler: it’s not “build it and they will come.”

We dive into the real, unfiltered lessons from Kate’s first years in business—from the identity crisis of no longer being “a PA” to the surprising skills no one tells you you’ll need (hello, marketing and sales).

We also talk about:

• Why changing jobs doesn’t fix burnout (and what actually does)

• The difference between treating symptoms vs solving root problems (in both healthcare and business)

• How niching down transformed her business (and why it feels scary but works)

• The biggest mistake she made when starting—and what she’d do differently

• Why “protecting your revenue” might be the smartest move you make

• The mindset shift that helped her reclaim her self-worth outside of medicine

Plus, Kate shares how she helps women in healthcare break free from emotional eating and build a healthier relationship with food—without relying on willpower or quick fixes.

This episode is for the clinician who’s thinking: “There has to be another way.”

Because there is. But it’s not what Instagram told you.

Want Help Building Your Own Income Stream?

If you’re sitting there thinking:

“Okay… but what would my version of this look like?”

I’ve got you.

Grab Your Copy of the Side Gig Guide: www.tracybingaman.com/gig

SPONSORS:

ADVANCED PRACTICE PLANNING, LLC: advancedpracticeplanning.com/fi

SERMO https://app.sermo.com:443/?sermoref=39d97a2c-f699-4f8b-b2f9-1eb131e18c75&utm_campaign=tell-a-friend

Keywords: clinician entrepreneurship, PA to entrepreneur transition, starting a coaching business healthcare, emotional eating healthcare workers, burnout and career change PA, side business for clinicians, healthcare career pivot stories, building a coaching business from scratch, mindset for entrepreneurs healthcare, leaving clinical medicine