Ali’s Easy Guide to Getting Your Offer Out There (Without an Expensive Website Designer)

Big mindset first:
You will change your site MANY times. That is normal.
Your goal right now is clarity + momentum, not perfection.

You only need:

1. A URL

2. A way to get paid

3. A place to host ONE simple page

That’s it.

STEP 1: Buy Your URL (GoDaddy)

Goal: Secure your name or offer so you “exist” online.

What to do

1. Go to GoDaddy

2. Search for:

   • Your name (e.g. AliNovitsky.com)

   • OR your offer (e.g. StrongAt40.com)

3. Choose:

   • .com if available (don’t overthink this)

4. Purchase just the domain

   • You do not need email, website builder, or extras right now

Pro tips

• Keep it simple and spellable

• Avoid dashes and clever spellings

• You can always change your brand later

✅ Done when: You own the URL

STEP 2: Set Up a Payment Link (Stripe or Square)

Goal: Be able to accept money immediately — even before your site is perfect.

Option A: Stripe (most common)

1. Go to Stripe

2. Create a free account

3. Connect your bank account

4. Go to Payment Links

5. Click Create a payment link

   • Name your offer

   • Set your price

   • One-time or subscription

6. Save the link

Option B: Square

Same idea:

• Create account

• Connect bank

• Create checkout link

What you now have

• A single link you can:

  • Put on your website

  • Send via email

  • Drop into Instagram bio

  • Share in DMs

✅ Done when: You can send someone a link and get paid

STEP 3: Choose a Website Host (Squarespace)

Goal: Create ONE simple page that explains who you are and what you offer.

Why Squarespace

• Clean templates

• Drag-and-drop

• Hosting included

• No tech headaches

What to do

1. Go to Squarespace

2. Start a trial

3. Pick any simple template

   • You can change this later

4. Connect your GoDaddy domain

   • Squarespace will walk you through this step-by-step

Ignore:

• Blogs

• Multiple pages

• Fancy design features

You are building ONE page only.

✅ Done when: Your domain shows a basic Squarespace page

STEP 4: Build Your ONE-PAGE LANDING PAGE

This page has one job:
👉 Help the right person say “Yes, this is for me.”

You are NOT trying to say everything.

Simple One-Page Layout (Copy This)

1. Hero Section (Top of the Page)

What goes here:

• Who you help

• What problem you solve

• What result they can expect

Structure:

• Headline

• Short subheadline

• Button

Example:

Helping Busy Women Build Strength Without Overwhelm
Simple workouts, clear nutrition, and sustainable habits that actually fit real life.

[Join the Program]

(Button links to your Stripe payment link)

2. Who This Is For (and Not For)

Purpose: Let people self-select.

Structure:

• 3–5 bullets

Example:
This is for you if:

• You want simple, not extreme

• You’re tired of starting over

• You want results that last

This is NOT for you if:

• You’re looking for a quick fix

• You want perfection instead of progress

3. Your Story (Brief + Relevant)

Purpose: Build trust, not write your life story.

Structure:

• 3–5 short sentences

Example:

I’m Ali, a physician and coach who got tired of seeing smart, capable women feel stuck in their bodies and burned out by “doing everything right.”

I created this program to focus on what actually works — without guilt, extremes, or burnout.

4. The Offer (Clear + Concrete)

Purpose: Answer “What do I actually get?”

Structure:

• What it is

• What’s included

• Timeframe

Example:
The Program Includes:

• 3 strength workouts per week (10–20 minutes)

• Simple nutrition guidance

• Weekly mindset focus

• Direct support

Format:
✔ Bullet points
✔ Plain language
✔ No jargon

5. The Outcome (Paint the After)

Purpose: Help them imagine life after saying yes.

Example:

• Feel stronger and more confident

• Stop overthinking food and exercise

• Trust yourself again

6. Call to Action (Again)

Never assume they’ll scroll back up.

Structure:

• Button

• Price (optional)

• Reassurance

Example:

Ready to get started?

[Join Now]
30-day guarantee. No pressure. No perfection required.

(Button → payment link)

7. Optional: FAQ (Keep It Short)

Answer:

• How long is it?

• Who is it for?

• What if I’m busy?

That’s It. You’re Live.

No funnels.
No branding phase.
No designer invoice.

You can:

• Improve copy later

• Add pages later

• Change offers later

But now you can sell.

Conclusion

You don’t need a perfect website to start — you need a clear offer, a payment link, and one honest page. Build simple, launch early, and let clarity come from action.

We get to See Others… Not Fix Them

I once thought transformation was about change.

I believed that if I could just fix what felt broken, everything else would fall into place.
Stronger discipline. Better habits. More control.

What I didn’t understand yet was how much of myself I was refusing to hold.

Becoming a physician gave me language — but not relief.

Medicine taught me science, physiology, and frameworks for change. It helped me explain why things were happening. But it didn’t remove the ache.

And I started to notice a pattern — especially in women.

Brilliant. Capable. High-functioning.
Carrying more than anyone could see.

When I first tried to build something called “transformation,” no one came.

The word felt too abstract. Too confronting.

So we gave it a safer name.
Weight loss.
An exercise program.
Something tangible. Something acceptable.

What happened next didn’t surprise me.

Women came for one thing, and left with something else entirely.

We used nutrition, fitness, mindset shifts, and community— not as separate tools, but as an integrated path back to self.

What emerged wasn’t just physical change.
It was recognition.

A remembering of strength, clarity, and self-trust that had been buried under years of responsibility, expectations, and survival mode.

Transformation didn’t happen all at once.

It happened in the pivotal moment when a woman realized nothing was missing; everything was already inside her.

From that realization, everything shifted.

That’s why we built a program that doesn’t end, one that evolves as our women do.

Some began in Transform® 1 and are still here in Transform® 10.
Not because they were fixed, but because they’re growing, refining, and expanding.

Here’s what we believe about coaching:

You don’t come here to be fixed.
You come capable, accomplished, and already doing your best.

Most of our women have been coached by systems that push harder, assume discipline is the answer, and confuse pressure with growth.

You don’t need shame to change.

You thrive when a coach gets curious instead of critical.
When effort is assumed.
When struggle isn’t failure — but information.

This is coaching that softens the inner critic without removing accountability.
Honesty without harshness.
Challenge paired with safety.
Structure with room for humanity.

Growth doesn’t come from perfection.
It comes from being seen, understood, and supported through real life.

The most powerful coaching doesn’t sound like pressure.

It sounds like:
“Of course this feels hard.”
“What do you notice?”
“What would make this feel safer?”
“You don’t have to be perfect for this to work.”

Because of that, women show up.
They stay.
They try again.

Not because they’re pushed, but because they’re supported.

Transform® coaching is built on curiosity, safety, belief, and meaningful challenge — with deep respect for your effort, intelligence, and humanity.

If this resonates, you’re not late.
You’re right on time.

Sending love,
Ali

Please reach out directly to me if you want to discuss working together. A text is best to get our conversation started. 484-378-9246

You can see writings from all of those who came for one thing and left with another: https://www.thefitcollective.com/transform

The Real Risk of a Physician Shortage—and Why Fixing the Pipeline Isn’t Enough

The physician shortage is often discussed in abstract terms: workforce numbers, training capacity, retirement curves, and projected deficits. But the real risk of a physician shortage is not statistical. It is human.

When doctors leave medicine, the consequences ripple outward—quietly at first, then unmistakably. Appointments take longer to schedule. Emergency departments back up. Preventive care is delayed or abandoned altogether. Chronic disease worsens before it is addressed. Rural and underserved communities, already operating with thin margins, feel the strain first and most acutely.

Dr. Michael Suk, an orthopedic surgeon and former chair of the American Medical Association, has been clear that this decline has very little to do with physicians suddenly losing grit. Instead, doctors are being buried under administrative demands—prior authorizations, endless documentation, compliance checklists—spending more of their day fighting systems than caring for patients. The work they trained for has been crowded out by tasks that drain time, energy, and meaning.

The downstream consequences are predictable and already unfolding. When there are fewer physicians, patients wait longer, visits become rushed, access narrows, and outcomes suffer—especially in already stretched communities. As Dr. Suk has warned, if we fail to address both who enters medicine and what happens to them once they are in it, access to care will continue to erode.

But even that framing misses something essential.

Because addressing the pipeline alone assumes that if we simply train more doctors, the problem will resolve itself. It assumes that medicine, as currently structured, is a system people will want to stay in once they enter.

The data—and the lived experience of physicians—tell a different story.

Why Training More Doctors Won’t Solve the Crisis

Medical schools can expand class sizes. Residency programs can add positions. Loan repayment programs can offer incentives. These efforts matter, but they are fundamentally incomplete.

Because even when we train more doctors, many will leave unless the experience of being a doctor fundamentally changes.

Physicians are not exiting medicine because they lack stamina, intelligence, or dedication. They are exiting because the daily reality of practice no longer aligns with the reasons they entered the profession.

The system has become increasingly hostile to meaning.

What Doctors Are Actually Longing For

When physicians close their practices, reduce their hours, or leave medicine entirely, the reasons are often mischaracterized as burnout, entitlement, or generational fragility. In reality, the drivers are deeply human.

Doctors long for autonomy.

They long for meaning.

They long to reconnect with why they entered medicine in the first place.

Most physicians did not choose this career to maximize RVUs, manage overflowing inboxes, or argue with insurance companies about prior authorizations. They chose it to heal, to serve, to connect, and to make a difference in people’s lives.

Medicine once offered a sense of professional identity rooted in mastery, trust, and relationship. Over time, that identity has been eroded by bureaucracy, commodification, and loss of control over clinical decision-making.

Physicians now find themselves accountable for outcomes they cannot fully influence, constrained by systems they did not design, and evaluated by metrics that rarely capture the essence of good care.

The result is not just fatigue—it is moral injury.

The Wrong Question About Burnout

The persistent question posed to physicians has been, “How do we make doctors more resilient?”

But resilience is not the issue.

The question we should be asking is far more fundamental:
How do we build a system in which doctors can thrive while caring for others?

A system that requires chronic self-sacrifice without restoration is not sustainable. A system that treats physician wellbeing as optional or secondary will continue to hemorrhage talent, experience, and leadership.

This is not a call for less responsibility. It is a call for a different architecture of responsibility—one that acknowledges that physician health is foundational, not peripheral.

A Different Entry Point: Physician Health as System Reform

This is where a new conversation must begin.

What if reforming medicine does not start with reimbursement models or policy alone—but with the health, capacity, and sustainability of the physician workforce itself?

What if supporting doctors’ physical, mental, and emotional health is not a wellness perk, but a core infrastructure strategy?

This perspective reframes physician health from an individual concern to a system lever.

Healthy physicians practice longer.
Healthy physicians communicate better.
Healthy physicians are more present, more patient, and more effective.

And critically, healthy physicians are more likely to remain in medicine.

This is the premise behind the work being done at The FIT Collective.

What The FIT Collective Is Actually Doing

The FIT Collective was built on a simple but radical idea:
Healthy doctors create healthier patients—and healthier systems.

Rather than treating physician wellness as a soft, optional, or after-hours initiative, The FIT Collective approaches it as a strategic, evidence-based intervention designed to improve physician longevity, engagement, and effectiveness.

The work recognizes that physician health is multi-dimensional. Burnout is not just emotional exhaustion; it is physical depletion, cognitive overload, identity fragmentation, and loss of agency.

The FIT Collective integrates physical health through sustainable strength training and body composition support that prioritizes longevity over punishment. This is not about aesthetics or extremes; it is about restoring physical capacity in bodies that have often been neglected in service of others.

It integrates mental fitness through cognitive, emotional, and stress-regulation frameworks that help physicians understand—not suppress—their nervous systems. The goal is not to eliminate stress, but to improve recovery, regulation, and decision-making under pressure.

It integrates professional sustainability through autonomy-preserving, compliance-safe program design that allows physicians to expand their impact without increasing legal, ethical, or administrative risk.

This is not therapy replacing medicine.

This is not fitness competing with clinical care.

It is a parallel system that restores capacity—so physicians can remain in medicine without sacrificing themselves in the process.

Why This Matters for Patients

Physician health is not a private issue. It is a public health issue.

Doctors who are physically depleted, emotionally dysregulated, and chronically overwhelmed cannot deliver the same quality of care—no matter how dedicated or skilled they are.

Burnout narrows attention. Exhaustion shortens patience. Cognitive overload reduces empathy and increases error risk. These are not moral failings; they are predictable human responses to chronic strain.

When physicians regain strength, energy, and agency, patient care changes in tangible ways. Visits become more present. Counseling becomes more effective. Preventive care becomes possible again.

And something else happens that is rarely discussed.

Physicians begin to model health, not just prescribe it.

Patients are profoundly influenced by the example of the clinicians they trust. A physician who embodies sustainable health carries credibility that no pamphlet or guideline can replace.

From Physician Wellness to Patient Wellness

This is why a growing number of doctors are bringing FIT Collective programs directly into their practices—not as fringe offerings, but as structured wellness and prevention programs that are completely compliance-safe.

These programs do not violate scope of practice.
They do not replace medical care.
They do not create legal or ethical risk.

Instead, they expand the care ecosystem in a way that aligns with modern healthcare realities.

Patients receive evidence-based support for strength, metabolism, stress regulation, and behavior change—areas that traditional medicine often lacks the time or infrastructure to address effectively.

Physicians, in turn, regain a sense of impact.

They are no longer trapped in ten-minute visits trying to undo decades of lifestyle-driven disease with brief advice and medication adjustments alone. They become leaders of health, not just managers of illness.

This shift is subtle, but powerful.

A Quiet Reformation in Medicine

This raises an important question:
Could physician-led wellness integration be one pathway to reforming medicine from the inside?

Not through revolt.
Not through burnout.
But through redesign.

Rather than waiting for top-down reform that may take decades, this approach empowers physicians to create meaningful change within their existing practices—ethically, legally, and sustainably.

By supporting doctors as whole humans and empowering them to extend that support to patients, we may be addressing multiple crises at once: physician attrition, patient dissatisfaction, chronic disease burden, and rising healthcare costs.

This is not a silver bullet. Medicine is complex, and no single intervention will solve every structural problem.

But it is a meaningful shift in the right direction.

Reclaiming Autonomy Without Leaving Medicine

One of the most compelling aspects of this model is autonomy.

Physicians who integrate FIT Collective programs into their practices are not leaving medicine. They are reshaping it—within compliance, within ethics, and within their scope.

They are choosing to practice in a way that feels aligned again.

That alignment matters more than resilience training ever could.

Autonomy restores dignity. Meaning restores motivation. Health restores capacity.

Together, they create conditions under which physicians can remain engaged without being consumed.

What Thriving Doctors Make Possible

When physicians are supported, they stay.

When they stay, access improves.

When access improves, communities benefit.

This is not theoretical. It is already happening in practices that have chosen to invest in physician health as a core asset rather than an afterthought.

Patients feel the difference. Staff feel the difference. Physicians feel the difference.

So, Is This a Way to Reform Medicine?

Perhaps not through legislation alone.
Perhaps not through payment reform alone.

But through a cultural and structural shift that recognizes a truth medicine has long avoided:

You cannot save a healthcare system by sacrificing the people inside it.

Reform may begin where medicine has historically neglected to look—at the lived experience of the physician.

By restoring health, meaning, and autonomy to doctors, we may finally be addressing the root cause of burnout rather than blaming its victims.

And in doing so, we may be building a healthcare system capable of sustaining both those who give care—and those who receive it.

IMPACT

The real risk of a physician shortage is not just fewer doctors—it is the slow unraveling of care itself. Addressing the pipeline matters, but it will fail unless the experience of practicing medicine becomes sustainable again. By investing in physician health as a system strategy, not a personal indulgence, we may be opening a new chapter in healthcare reform—one that honors the humanity of physicians and strengthens the health of the communities they serve.

More Than Human: Who Cares for the Afterlife of High Performers?

We train them to be more than human.

From the moment a gifted athlete signs their first scholarship, or a brilliant student commits to pre-med, the message is clear: push harder, suppress weakness, outperform your limits. Pain is reframed as discipline. Fatigue becomes a badge of honor. Emotion is a liability. Rest is something you earn—later.

Doctors. Elite athletes. High-level performers of every kind.
They are built through repetition, pressure, sacrifice, and relentless expectation. Their minds sharpen. Their bodies adapt. Their emotional needs are quietly set aside in service of excellence.

And for a while, it works.

They win.
They save lives.
They earn respect, status, and validation.

From the outside, it looks like success. From the inside, many are surviving on borrowed time.

Because eventually—the system they mastered stops working.

An injury.
Burnout.
A mistake that costs confidence.
A body that no longer responds.
A mind that can’t quiet itself anymore.

And suddenly, the question becomes unavoidable:

What happens to a person who has been trained their entire life to be exceptional… when they are no longer allowed to be?

The Great Lie of High Performance

There is a collective myth we rarely interrogate:
That if you work hard enough, sacrifice long enough, and endure enough discomfort, happiness will arrive at the finish line.

That fulfillment waits on the other side of the gold medal.
That peace comes after residency.
That joy is something you unlock once you’ve proven your worth.

But for many high performers, the middle of the career tells a different story.

Physicians leave medicine in record numbers—not because they lack competence or passion, but because the emotional cost becomes unbearable.
Professional athletes retire earlier than planned—not because they stopped loving their sport, but because their bodies or minds force a reckoning.

This is not failure.
This is life.

Yet we treat it as personal weakness instead of structural neglect.

We ask people who have lived in extreme states of demand to suddenly become “normal.”
To slow down.
To be grateful.
To find balance—without ever having been taught how.

We take humans who were conditioned for intensity, precision, and sacrifice, and drop them into a world that offers no roadmap for after.

And then we wonder why depression, identity collapse, chronic pain, and emotional dysregulation follow.

The Cost of Becoming “More Than Human”

To perform at the highest levels requires adaptation—but adaptation always has a cost.

Elite training demands:

Emotional suppression in high-stakes moments

Chronic nervous system activation

Identity fusion with performance

Reward systems built on external validation

Over time, this creates individuals who are incredibly capable—and deeply disconnected from their internal signals.

Pain is ignored.
Fatigue is overridden.
Fear is intellectualized.
Emotion is postponed.

Until the body or mind eventually says no.

And when that moment comes, many high performers don’t just lose a role—they lose themselves.

My Story: From Full Ride to Free Fall

I know this world intimately because I lived it.

I was a Division I athlete on a full scholarship. From the outside, it looked like everything was going according to plan. Inside, my mental, physical, and emotional health were quietly unraveling.

I pushed.
I grinded.
I ignored pain signals from my knees and hips.
I silenced emotional discomfort to stay competitive.

Then came the yips.

That moment when a highly skilled athlete suddenly cannot perform a basic task—not because of lack of ability, but because the nervous system is overwhelmed by stress.

If you’ve never experienced it, it’s difficult to explain. Your body knows what to do—but your mind hijacks the process. Confidence collapses. Fear takes over. Control slips away.

I wasn’t alone. Several teammates experienced the same thing under a psychologically abusive coaching environment. But we didn’t talk about it. We couldn’t. We were bound together by shared silence and survival.

Trauma bonding before we ever had language for trauma.

When my athletic identity finally gave way, I was forced to meet myself for the first time—without the armor of performance.

I didn’t know who I was without being “the athlete.”

So I did what high performers do.

I pushed harder.

When Achievement Becomes Avoidance

Medical school became the next proving ground.

I traded one high-pressure environment for another. The rules were familiar: work harder, sleep less, suppress emotion, delay your needs. I became a physician by doing exactly what I had always done—overriding internal cues in service of external achievement.

And for a while, it worked again.

Until it didn’t.

Because you can only ignore the body and mind for so long before they demand attention—often in ways that feel abrupt and destabilizing.

What I eventually realized is this:

High performers are not broken.
They are unprepared for the afterlife of excellence.

The Missing Framework: Preparing for the After

We invest enormous resources into training people to perform.

We have:

Strength and conditioning programs

Tactical coaching

Skill acquisition models

Performance metrics

But we have almost nothing designed to help high performers:

Regulate their nervous systems long-term

Maintain identity beyond achievement

Transition out of peak roles with psychological safety

Sustain meaning when external validation fades

This is the gap.

And it is not addressed at the end of a career—it must begin at the beginning.

From the moment an athlete signs their first contract.
From the first day of medical training.

We need a strategic mental, emotional, and physical framework that evolves alongside performance—not after it collapses.

An Evolution in Aftercare

What I am proposing is not rest instead of ambition.

It is integration instead of depletion.

An approach that recognizes that high performance and long-term wellbeing are not opposing forces—but they require intentional design.

True aftercare means:

Teaching nervous system literacy early

Normalizing emotional awareness as a performance asset

Building identity complexity beyond a single role

Training recovery as seriously as output

Preparing for transitions before they arrive

This is how we sustain the people society depends on most.

Not by asking them to be less—but by helping them be whole.

The Work We Do at The FIT Collective

At The FIT Collective, we are building this missing infrastructure.

Our work sits at the intersection of:

Mental fitness

Emotional regulation

Physical resilience

Identity integration

We work with high-performing humans—physicians, leaders, former athletes—who have spent years being exceptional for others, and are now ready to learn how to be sustainable for themselves.

This is not therapy alone.
This is not fitness alone.
This is not mindset alone.

It is a strategic system designed to support the full human across the entire arc of performance and beyond.

We teach individuals how to:

Reconnect with internal cues without losing their edge

Strengthen their bodies in ways that support longevity, not punishment

Understand stress responses rather than override them

Build meaning that is not dependent on constant achievement

Because the goal is not to stop striving.

The goal is to ensure that when the gold medals stop coming, when the career shifts, when the identity evolves—there is still joy, vitality, and purpose waiting on the other side.

Caring for the People Who Carry So Much

Doctors.
Athletes.
High-level performers.

These are people who have carried enormous responsibility, pressure, and expectation—often quietly, often alone.

They deserve more than applause at their peak and silence at their breaking point.

They deserve a system that acknowledges the cost of excellence and plans for life beyond it.

The future of high performance is not about becoming superhuman.

It is about learning how to be deeply, sustainably human—before, during, and after the grind.

IMPACT

We have spent decades perfecting how to extract performance from extraordinary humans. The next evolution is learning how to care for them when performance is no longer the currency of worth. True excellence is not defined by how hard someone can push—but by whether they are supported to thrive long after the pushing ends.

Trying to Start an LLC… and Being Told You Might Need a “Professional Entity”? Here’s What That Actually Means

If you’ve ever tried to start a business as a licensed professional—physician, therapist, dietitian, attorney, CPA—you may have experienced a moment like this:

You finally decide to make it official.
You file your LLC online.
You feel proud, accomplished, adult.

And then you get an email that sounds… ominous.

“Upon further review of your entity name and business purpose, it looks like you may have the option to file as a professional entity in your state… ZenBusiness does not currently support professional entities.”

Refund issued. Momentum halted. Confusion activated.

If you’re thinking, “Wait—what is a professional entity and why is no one explaining this in plain English?”—you’re not alone.

Let’s slow this down and walk through what’s actually going on.

First: You Didn’t Do Anything Wrong

This is important to say upfront.

You didn’t mess up.
You didn’t “file incorrectly.”
You didn’t miss some obvious step everyone else magically knows.

What happened is very common for licensed professionals, especially physicians, because online LLC services often don’t clearly explain the difference between a regular LLC and a professional entity—or they don’t support professional entities at all.

This isn’t a you problem. It’s a system clarity problem.

What Is a “Professional Entity,” Really?

In many states, licensed professionals are not allowed to form a standard LLC for services that require a professional license.

Instead, states require a Professional Entity, which may be called:

• PLLC – Professional Limited Liability Company

• PC – Professional Corporation

• PA – Professional Association

The name varies by state, but the concept is the same.

👉 A professional entity is a business structure designed specifically for licensed professionals who provide regulated services (like medical care).

The goal isn’t to make your life harder—it’s to ensure:

• The business is owned by licensed professionals

• The professional is still personally responsible for clinical care

• The licensing board can maintain oversight

Why Online LLC Companies Flag This

Companies like ZenBusiness, LegalZoom, etc. use automated filters that look at:

• Your business name (e.g., “Medical,” “Health,” “Wellness,” “Physician,” “Clinic”)

• Your stated business purpose

• Your state’s professional regulations

When those trigger certain rules, the system flags your filing and says:

“You may need a professional entity.”

The key word here is may.

They are not saying:

• You definitely filed incorrectly

• You are in trouble

• Your business can’t exist

They are saying:

• “This is outside what our system supports. Please confirm your state’s requirements.”

Because many filing services do not handle PLLCs or PCs, they issue a refund rather than risk filing the wrong structure.

The Big Misunderstanding: “Professional” ≠ “More Complicated”

Many people hear professional entity and think:

• More expensive

• More legal risk

• More hoops

• More paperwork forever

In reality?

A PLLC functions almost identically to an LLC in day-to-day life.

Same things:

• Pass-through taxation (in most cases)

• Operating agreement

• EIN

• Business bank account

• Ability to hire contractors or employees

The main difference is:

• Ownership is restricted to licensed professionals

• Your license is tied to the entity

• You remain personally responsible for clinical decisions

Which, frankly, is already true regardless of entity type.

Why This Happens So Often to Physicians

Physicians are especially likely to hit this wall because many of us form businesses for things like:

• Coaching

• Education

• Consulting

• Speaking

• Online programs

• Wellness platforms

And here’s where it gets tricky:

Some of those activities do not require a medical license.

So the question becomes:

Is this business providing medical services, or is it providing non-clinical services run by a physician?

That distinction matters—a lot.

Two Common Scenarios (And Why This Gets Confusing)

Scenario 1: You Are Providing Medical Care

Examples:

• Direct patient care

• Medical weight loss

• Prescribing

• Diagnosis or treatment

👉 In many states, this must be done under a professional entity (PLLC/PC).

Scenario 2: You Are a Physician Running a Non-Clinical Business

Examples:

• Coaching

• Education

• Courses

• Content creation

• Consulting (non-medical advice)

👉 In some states, this can be a regular LLC—as long as the business is clearly not providing medical services.

The problem?
Online filing platforms can’t assess nuance.

They see “Dr.” or “medical” and flag it automatically.

Why the Company Told You to “Check With Your Licensing Board”

This part feels intimidating, but it’s actually practical advice.

Licensing boards:

• Define what counts as professional practice

• Determine which entity types are allowed

• Protect the public—not punish entrepreneurs

Many boards can answer this with:

• A short email

• A phone call

• Or guidance already published on their website

You’re not expected to have this memorized.

What This Means Practically (Without Giving Legal Advice)

At a high level, here’s the thought process you’ll eventually walk through—likely with a professional:

1. What services is this business actually providing?

2. Does my state require those services to be offered through a professional entity?

3. If so, which type (PLLC, PC, PA)?

4. If not, how do I clearly separate clinical and non-clinical work?

That’s it. That’s the “mystery.”

No secret handshake. No failure on your part.

The Emotional Side No One Talks About

For high-achieving professionals, this moment can feel disproportionately destabilizing.

You finally:

• Took action

• Invested money

• Moved from idea → execution

And then suddenly:

• Everything feels uncertain again

• You wonder if you misunderstood the basics

• You lose momentum

That emotional whiplash is real—and unnecessary.

The truth is:
This is a normal clarification step, not a setback.

The Bottom Line

If an LLC filing service told you that you might need a professional entity, here’s what that actually means:

• You’re likely a licensed professional

• Your business name or purpose triggered a regulatory flag

• The platform doesn’t support professional entities

• You need clarity—not correction

A professional entity is not a punishment.
It’s not inherently harder.
It’s not a sign you did something wrong.

It’s simply the structure some states require when licensed professionals build businesses.

Once you understand that, the fear dissolves—and the path forward becomes much clearer.

Final Thought

Starting a business as a physician or licensed professional comes with extra layers, but also extra opportunity.

You are not behind.
You are not late.
You are not failing at entrepreneurship.

You’re just learning the rules that no one bothered to explain in plain language.

And now—you’re better equipped to move forward with confidence.

How to Set Up a Simple Business (and What Actually Happens After Your First Sale)

It’s been incredible working with other physicians this week and watching something powerful unfold in real time. I’ve seen ideas turn into action, hesitation turn into confidence, and more than a few “I never thought I’d do this” moments happen right in front of me.

Some of these doctors are launching brand-new products. Others are opening a Stripe account for the first time. A few are setting up an LLC and business bank account and realizing, maybe for the first time, that this thing they’ve been thinking about is actually becoming real.

And almost every conversation starts the same way.

Starting a business feels overwhelming, especially if you’ve never done it before. Between legal requirements, banking, websites, and payment systems, it’s easy to feel stuck before you even begin. The noise can make it feel like you need everything figured out before you take the first step.

The truth is, you don’t need a complicated business structure or a perfect website to start. What you need is a clear sequence and simple tools that allow you to move forward without overthinking every decision. When you know what to do first, then second, then third, the whole process becomes surprisingly manageable.

This is the exact step-by-step process I’ve been guiding doctors through so they can get legal, get paid, and get moving without burning out before they even launch.

Starting With a Clear Business Idea

Before touching an LLC application or buying a domain, the very first thing I ask people to do is pause and ground themselves in the idea. Not to perfect it, but to simplify it.

At this stage, you’re not building a brand. You’re simply getting clear on who you want to help, what problem you’re solving, and what type of offer you’re starting with. That might be a service, coaching, education, or a product.

You don’t need a niche statement, brand colors, or a long-term roadmap. Those things come later. Clarity doesn’t come from thinking harder; it comes from taking action. The goal here is momentum, not mastery.

Setting Up an LLC Without Overcomplicating It

For most first-time business owners, especially physicians, forming an LLC is the easiest and most practical next step. It separates personal and business liability, gives the business immediate legitimacy, and keeps the tax structure simple.

I usually recommend using a service like LegalZoom or your state’s business filing website. You choose your state, select a basic package, file the paperwork, and wait for approval. That’s it.

There’s no need for advanced legal structures or custom documents at this stage. A simple LLC is more than enough to legally start earning income.

Checking Domain Availability Before Locking in a Name

This is one of the most important steps, and it’s often skipped. Before you fully commit to a business name, it’s worth checking whether the website domain is available.

I encourage people to go to GoDaddy and search for the name as a dot-com. If the exact match isn’t available, small variations usually work just fine. Adding words like studio, collective, or consulting can often solve the problem without changing the heart of the name.

Your business name doesn’t have to perfectly match your domain, but it should be close enough that people can remember it without effort.

Buying Your Domain

Once you find a domain that works, buy it. This is one of those steps that feels small but carries a lot of weight. Your domain is your digital home, and securing it early protects your brand and prevents future frustration.

I recommend purchasing it for at least a year and turning on auto-renew so you never have to worry about losing it.

Opening a Business Bank Account

Separating personal and business finances is one of the most important mindset shifts in entrepreneurship. It makes everything clearer, cleaner, and easier.

To open a business bank account, you’ll typically need your LLC approval documents, your EIN, and a government-issued ID. Many banks allow you to do this entirely online.

Choosing a bank with low fees, easy online access, and compatibility with payment processors will save you time and stress down the line. This step alone simplifies taxes, bookkeeping, and decision-making more than most people realize.

Getting a Business Credit Card

A business credit card helps keep expenses organized and builds business credit over time. It also makes tracking deductions much simpler.

Starting with a no-annual-fee card through your existing bank is more than enough. The most important rule is to only use it for business expenses and to pay it off monthly.

Choosing a Payment System

This is often the moment the business starts to feel real. You’re setting up the system that allows people to pay you.

For most online businesses, Stripe is the easiest and most flexible option. Square works well for in-person payments, and PayPal is familiar to many users. Once you choose your payment processor, you’ll create an account, link it to your business bank account, and verify your identity.

You don’t need every feature turned on. You just need one clean, reliable way to get paid.

Choosing a Website Platform

Your website doesn’t need to be impressive. It needs to exist and communicate clearly.

I remind people often that your first website is not your forever website. It’s simply the place where people learn who you help, what you offer, and how to get started.

Platforms like Squarespace are great for simplicity and clean design. Kajabi works well if you want everything in one place, including payments and programs. WordPress offers flexibility but requires a bit more technical comfort.

None of these choices are permanent, and none of them will make or break your success.

Choosing an Email Platform

Email is one of the most valuable long-term assets in any business. Whether you start with professional email through Google Workspace or use built-in email tools from your website platform, the goal is simple communication.

If your platform includes email, use it. You can always upgrade or switch later as your business grows.

Connecting Your Domain to Your Website

This step sounds technical, but it’s usually straightforward. You’ll copy DNS settings from your website platform and paste them into your domain registrar. After a short waiting period, your domain connects to your site.

Most platforms provide clear tutorials, and this is a one-time setup. Take it slow and don’t rush it.

Connecting Your Payment System

Once your website and payment processor are ready, you’ll connect them to each other and to your bank account. Before launching, I always recommend testing the system with a small transaction just to make sure everything flows correctly.

That small test builds confidence and prevents surprises later.

Building Your First Home Page

You only need one page to start. That page should clearly communicate who the offer is for, what you provide, and how someone gets started.

Perfection is not required. Clarity is.

A simple, honest page is more than enough to launch.

You Got Your First Sale, Now What?

This is the moment everything gets very quiet.

The payment comes through, the notification hits your inbox, and almost immediately the question appears: what do I do now?

This is where many new business owners freeze, not because they aren’t capable, but because no one ever explains what happens behind the scenes after someone pays.

When a payment goes through, your payment processor records the transaction and schedules the funds to be deposited into your business bank account, usually within a few business days. You’ll receive a confirmation email letting you know the payment was successful.

Before doing anything else, it’s helpful to pause and remember what was sold. Was it a service, a program, a digital product, or a membership? Most online offers involve digital access, which means delivery is automated or semi-automated.

If you’re using an all-in-one platform, access is often granted automatically. The system creates a user account, sends a welcome email, and provides login instructions without you needing to touch anything. If you’re early in your business, it’s also perfectly fine to deliver access manually by sending a welcome email with clear instructions and next steps.

Some programs use access codes or enrollment links instead of automatic logins. In those cases, you generate the code or link and send it directly to the buyer so they can activate their access.

No matter how access is delivered, the most important piece is communication. Every buyer should receive a clear welcome message that reassures them they’re in the right place, explains exactly how to access what they purchased, and outlines what happens next.

Setting expectations early makes everything smoother. When people know when to start, how support works, and what to expect from the experience, trust increases and stress decreases on both sides.

Before your next sale, it’s worth going through the entire experience yourself. Purchase your own offer, read the emails, click the links, and view the program as a customer would. This simple step catches small issues before they become bigger ones.

Over time, documenting this process becomes incredibly helpful. Even a simple checklist creates a repeatable system you can rely on as your business grows.

And finally, resist the urge to overcomplicate things. You don’t need advanced automations or custom software to succeed. You need clear delivery, simple communication, and a process you can repeat with confidence.

Your first sale isn’t about perfection. It’s proof. If someone paid you and received what they expected, you’re already doing it right. From here, the work is about repeating what works, refining as needed, and building confidence through consistency.

I’ve Never Pretended to Know It All

One thing I’ve never been very good at is pretending.

I’ve never pretended to have all the answers.
I’ve never hidden the places where I struggle.
And I’ve never believed that leadership means certainty.

For a long time, I wondered if that made me less credible.

In medicine especially, we’re trained to know. To be composed. To carry authority without showing the cracks. Vulnerability can feel risky — sometimes even unsafe.

But here’s what I’ve learned: what some people call “too vulnerable” is actually what allowed me to evolve.

Not because I share everything, but because I don’t hide the work.

I’ve struggled with the same stress patterns.
I’ve had to regulate my own nervous system.
I’ve had to unlearn, recalibrate, and rebuild — more than once.

And instead of weakening my leadership, that honesty strengthened it.

It created trust.
It created connection.
It gave others permission to stop pretending, too.

I don’t believe we need more people who look like they have it all figured out.
I believe we need more people who are willing to evolve — out loud.

If this message is landing for you, it might be because you’re in your own season of change.

Maybe it’s your business.
Maybe it’s your body.
Maybe it’s your relationships: your people, your support system.
Maybe it’s your relationship with food.

You don’t have to know exactly what you need yet.

Whether it’s business, body, buddies, or food — we’ve got you.

If this hits and you need support in your evolution, message me at 484-378-9246.

No pressure. No pitch. Just a conversation. This is how we can decide if working together this year in Transform® would be a good fit for you.

Wishing you a grounded, honest Sunday,
Ali 

Following the Clues: Passion, Resilience, and the Medicine We’re Being Asked to Build

Eight years ago, I started a business with a simple intention:
to help women doctors take better care of their health.

At the time, I thought I was building a program.
What I was actually building was a practice—one that would grow into something much bigger than me.

Like many meaningful paths, it didn’t unfold in a straight line.
It followed clues.

From Health Program to Lifestyle Practice

What began as support for women physicians slowly morphed into a comprehensive lifestyle coaching practice—one that now aligns seamlessly with what modern medicine teaches us about optimal health, resilience, and longevity.

The business grew.
The programs expanded.
The outcomes deepened.

And along the way, I realized something important:
When you follow what works—what truly helps people—you inevitably end up ahead of the curve.

My Roots: Medicine, Reform, and Meaning

This work didn’t come out of nowhere.

My father, Dr. Bernard Leo Remakus, is an internal medicine physician who ran a solo practice, largely serving Medicare patients. Long before burnout became a headline, he was writing articles and books on medicine reform—questioning systems that exhausted physicians and failed patients.

He inspired all three of his children—me and my two brothers—to go into medicine.

And at 77 years old, he is still practicing.

Not because he has to.
Because he believes in medicine as service.

I didn’t fully understand it then.
I understand it deeply now.

We are losing doctors.
Burnout is heavy, complex, and layered.

And while I know firsthand that mental, emotional, and physical support can dramatically lighten that load, I also know something else to be true:

Burnout is higher when finances are a struggle.

You cannot separate physician well-being from physician sustainability.

A Clue I Didn’t Expect: COVID

During COVID, everything intensified.

Women physicians were exhausted, isolated, and carrying more than they ever had before. In response, I began offering free strength training classes for women doctors—simply because it felt like the right thing to do.

Before that, I would write out workouts for them.

But something changed when we started moving together.

That’s when Dr. Erica Howe noticed something important.

She saw how powerful it was that I could integrate mindset themes and behavioral change concepts while we were strength training together—not as a lecture afterward, but in the moment, in the body.

She loved it so much that she brought it into her work—wellness conferences for women physicians.

Soon, she was flying me all over the world to lead morning CME workouts, because I could deliver a meaningful educational message while we were moving.

We weren’t just exercising.
We were learning, regulating, and reconnecting.

That was another clue.

Two Missing Pieces in Modern Practice

As my work expanded and I became board certified in obesity medicine, a clear pattern emerged across practices.

Two of the biggest unmet needs were:

• Sustainable behavioral change

• Accessible, effective strength training

Not someday.
Not theoretically.
Now.

The good news? I had already built the solutions—without fully realizing where they were heading.

Everything we created was grounded in minimum effective dose:

• 10 minutes

• 3 days per week

• No fluff, no overwhelm

And the results were undeniable.

92% of our members maintained muscle—in a calorie deficit, through aging, and across perimenopause and menopause.

This wasn’t just fitness.
This was protective, preventative wellness support.

Another Clue: Being Seen by Leadership

Along the way, another moment quietly mattered more than I realized at the time.

Dr. Brooke Buckley—a general surgeon, lifestyle physician, and Chief Medical Officer—saw my work.

She looked at what I was building and said something simple, but profound:

“You are changing medicine.”

Coming from someone in her position—someone who understands both the clinical reality and the systems-level challenges—those words landed differently.

They gave me confidence to keep going.
To trust that this wasn’t just helpful—it was necessary.

That recognition became another clue.

When Belief Meets Opportunity

Then something pivotal happened.

Dr. Diana Pallin believed in the work enough to bring my programming into her obesity medicine office as an optional wellness offering available to patients.

Together, we did something quietly revolutionary.

We made structured, guided strength training accessible inside a medical setting—without burdening physicians or patients, and without replacing or influencing medical care.

Because I personally lead every workout in the app, patients felt like they had a personal trainer embedded into their experience.

Scalable.
Human.
Effective.

And when members of my community experienced these results for themselves, they started asking a different question:

Could I bring this into my own practice?

The Shift: From Personal Impact to Systemic Change

That’s when I saw it.

Not just a program.
Not just outcomes.

But massive impact—for doctors, patients, and the future of care.

Many physicians initially counted themselves out:

• “I’m W-2.”

• “There’s no way this would be allowed.”

• “The regulations would shut this down.”

So we educated.

We taught what anti-kickback actually means.
How to stay compliant with CPOM.
How physicians could bring their own LLC into their own practice to offer an optional, non-insurance, wellness-based service—clearly separate from medical decision-making.

And then something remarkable happened.

They started getting approved.

What Hope Feels Like

Every approval lifted something—not just financially, but emotionally.

Because this was never about creating a revenue stream for its own sake.

It was about:

• Giving physicians autonomy

• Restoring pride in practice

• Deepening the doctor–patient relationship

• Offering patients something they desperately need and actually use

This is how medicine changes—from the inside out.

What Courage Looks Like in Real Time

Earlier this year, I met Dr. Heather Ludwig, a family medicine physician.

She was thoughtful. Discerning. Honest.

She wasn’t sure my program, Transform®, was the right fit for her.

And instead of convincing, we talked.
We held space.

She joined—not with complete certainty, but with curiosity.

She started doing the workouts.
She felt the difference in her own body.

And something shifted.

She began talking to her patients about strength training—not as an add-on, but as an essential pillar of long-term health.

Then another opportunity arose—a small group experience called IMPACT.

Again, she wasn’t sure.
Again, there was no full certainty.
And again, she listened to herself.

She joined.

What happened next matters deeply to me.

Dr. Ludwig became the first W-2 family medicine physician in our community to approach her health system and ask if her own LLC could offer optional, in-house strength training—clearly separated from medical care, fully compliant, and grounded in patient benefit.

That was our first yes.

Not from a corporation.
From a physician who trusted her instincts.
From a system willing to listen.

From medicine, saying maybe there’s another way.

The No That Changed Everything

Years ago, I approached a large health system with this very idea.

They smiled politely and said,
“Well, you seem really nice. Thanks for coming.”

I am deeply grateful they said no.

Because that no kept this work in the hands of:

• Lower-paid specialties

• Independent practices

• Physicians who practice from heart, not hierarchy

It allowed us to build something with doctors, not around them.

The Future I Can’t Unsee

I can’t unsee this future.

A future where:

• Strength training is normalized as essential to healthspan

• Behavioral change is supported, not shamed

• Physicians are well, solvent, and empowered

• Patients feel cared for in body and relationship

This is what happens when you follow the clues—
when passion meets persistence,
and resilience meets timing.

I didn’t set out to change medicine.

But sometimes, when you stay true to what works,
you end up doing exactly that.

IMPACT

I can trace a straight line from my father’s internal medicine practice, to the women I first served, to the physicians now bringing this work into their own clinics. I can’t unsee it anymore. And once you see it too, you may realize—you were never meant to practice medicine the old way either.

The FIT Collective 2026 Guide

Hi friend,

Before the week begins, I want to offer you a Sunday reset: a pause, a breath, and a clear view of where we’re going.

We’re coming in hot in 2026 with one goal:
to create massive, sustainable impact in health, medicine, and longevity.

And I want you to have a simple guide to everything we offer at The FIT Collective — both free and paid — so you can choose what supports you right now.

No pressure.
No overwhelm.
Just options.

FREE RESOURCES (Start here)

These are designed to support awareness, education, and momentum — at no cost.

The Metabolism, Muscles, & Mindset Podcast
Science-backed conversations on health, strength, and sustainable change
https://www.thefitcollective.com/podcast

Bringing Strength Into Your Practice – Skool Community
For clinicians integrating strength training and wellness into medical care
https://www.skool.com/the-fit-collective-strength/about

Women Doctors Reset Lounge (Skool)
Community, reflection, and reset for women physicians
https://www.skool.com/transform/about

Holiday Reset
A gentle reset for your body and mind
https://www.thefitcollective.com/holiday-reset

Discover Your Dominant Stress Type (Validated Quiz)
Understand how stress shows up for you—and how to work with it
https://www.thefitcollective.com/distressrx-tool

PAID PROGRAM– ASYNCHRONOUS + LIVE SUPPORT

Nutrition Training Program
Includes monthly live Q&A
Designed for clinicians and health professionals
https://www.thefitcollective.com/nutrition-training 

COACHING & IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES (Individuals)

Transform® 10 (with CME)
A year-long coaching experience for deep personal and professional growth
Enrollment open Dec 18 – Jan 3
https://www.thefitcollective.com/transform

Berkshires Retreat 2026
In-person renewal, reflection, and recalibration
https://www.thefitcollective.com/berkshires-2026

Private Coaching
High-touch, personalized coaching
https://www.thefitcollective.com/private-coaching 

FOR PRACTICES & ORGANIZATIONS

Bring Strength Training + New Revenue Into Your Practice
Turn wellness into better care and sustainable income
https://www.thefitcollective.com/bundle

ACGME-Aligned Coaching for Institutions
Bring our coaching framework into your residency, program, or organization
https://www.thefitcollective.com/catalyst

This is your open invitation to step into what supports you next.

If you have questions — or want help deciding where to start — please reach out.
I’m available directly on WhatsApp:

(484) 378-9246

We’re building something meaningful here.
And I’m so glad you’re part of it.

Here’s to a grounded week and a powerful year ahead.

Talk soon!
Ali

Your FIT Collective Holiday Update

Hi friends,

As we come down the home stretch of 2025, I’m feeling deeply inspired — and clearer than ever about the impact I want to create with you this year. Behind the scenes, so much growth has been happening, and I’m excited to finally share it.

Here’s a little of what’s been unfolding…

Mark is opening his second practice (yes… things are full over here!).

The FIT Collective® is partnering with physicians nationwide to bring virtual gyms directly to clinical practices — giving patients evidence-based movement support while helping practices generate new revenue streams.

We’re also launching the 10th season of Transform®, which feels surreal and incredibly meaningful.

And… we’ve officially started our sister company, Catalyst for Organizations, where we’re serving healthcare systems and organizations with our pilot ACGME-aligned wellness and training program.

It has been a big year — and we’re just getting started.

December Wellness Event (Inside The Lounge!)

All month long, we’re gathering inside The Lounge for our December Wellness Event.
If you haven’t joined yet, come on in → https://www.skool.com/transform 

Our second live session is Wednesday, Dec 10th at 8pm ET, where we’ll be exploring one of my favorite topics:

How stress types interact in relationships — and how understanding this changes everything.

I would love to have you there.

For My Physicians: Bring a Virtual Gym Into Your Practice

If you’re a physician looking for a strategic, meaningful new revenue stream — this is your moment.

On December 11th at 1pm ET, I’m hosting an info session on how to integrate a virtual gym into your practice.

Replay will absolutely be available.

Join our new community for support and access:
https://www.skool.com/the-fit-collective-strength/about 

This is one of the most powerful clinical tools we’ve ever created, and I cannot wait to show you what’s possible.

Transform® — Enrollment Opens Once This Year

We are enrolling Transform® only once in 2026, and doors open December 18 and close January 3.

We will not reopen until January, 2027.

If Transform® has been on your heart, this is your window.

Learn more about our incredible community here:
https://www.thefitcollective.com/transform 

As always, I’m grateful for this community and the way you continue to grow, evolve, and create impact — not just for yourselves, but for the people you serve.

Here’s to finishing strong, feeling supported, and stepping into 2027 aligned and empowered.

With so much love,
Ali

Dr. Shauna Michelle VanDoren on Awakening Health: The Evolving Journey

In the world of pediatrics, certain clinicians carry a rare blend of depth, compassion, curiosity, and adaptability—qualities that allow them to move seamlessly across specialties while keeping the wellbeing of children at the heart of every choice. Dr. Shauna Michelle VanDoren, DO, FAAP, is one of those physicians. Her professional life has been defined not by a single lane, but by a commitment to meet children and families wherever they need her most—whether in urgent care, hematology/oncology, hospital medicine, primary care, or now, pediatric sleep medicine.

Her career reflects not only her capability, but also her courage: to learn more, to serve differently, and to keep evolving in pursuit of the best possible care for children.

Building the Foundation: Nursing, Medicine, and Early Clinical Leadership

Dr. VanDoren’s journey began long before medical school. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Baptist College of Health Sciences in Memphis in 1999. Working as a Bone Marrow Transplant nurse at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she developed the clinical intuition, emotional resilience, and patient-centered focus that would later become the core of her work as a pediatrician.

Her years at St. Jude laid a powerful foundation—exposure to high-acuity care, multidisciplinary teamwork, and the deep humanity of caring for children and families facing life-threatening illness.

She later served as a Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Coordinator at Children’s Mercy Hospital, further expanding her leadership and systems-level understanding of pediatric care.

These early experiences didn’t just prepare her for medicine—they shaped her into a clinician who sees the whole child and the whole family, not just the diagnosis in front of her.

Becoming a Physician: Training at Children’s Mercy Hospital

Dr. VanDoren earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 2008 from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, then completed her Pediatrics residency at Children’s Mercy Hospital (2008–2011). Her residency years were marked by deep clinical curiosity, a love for teaching, and an early commitment to understanding complex pediatric presentations.

She remained at Children’s Mercy as a Pediatric Hospitalist in Hematology/Oncology and later transitioned into urgent care, where she spent more than a decade supporting families through some of the most stressful moments of childhood illness. Her urgent care work—spanning the Northland, Blue Valley, and multiple independent contractor roles—allowed her to remain closely connected to general pediatrics and the real-world needs of families.

Her ability to manage acute concerns with calm, clarity, and clinical precision made her a trusted physician to countless parents across the region.

Private Practice and Community-Centered Pediatric Care

Between 2015 and 2021, Dr. VanDoren also served as a walk-in pediatrician at Johnson County Pediatrics, an affiliate of Children’s Mercy. This role brought her into the heart of community pediatrics, where she cared for everything from newborn concerns to chronic issues to school-age challenges.

Her commitment to accessibility—meeting families where they are, at the moments they most need guidance—became a defining feature of her practice.

A New Chapter: Sleep Medicine and the Future of Pediatric Wellness

In 2024, Dr. VanDoren began a new professional chapter, returning to Children’s Mercy for a Pediatric Sleep Medicine fellowship. Sleep is foundational to childhood development, behavior, learning, and overall health, and she recognized the growing need for clinicians who understand the nuances of pediatric sleep disorders.

In 2025, she joined the Sleep Medicine faculty at Children’s Mercy Adele Hall, expanding her reach as both a clinician and educator.

Her growing expertise already includes:

• Behavioral sleep issues

• Sleep-disordered breathing

• Neurologically complex sleep challenges

• Obesity-related sleep conditions

• Sleep concerns in genetic and developmental disorders

She also sat for both the sleep medicine and obesity medicine board exams, demonstrating her commitment to understanding the full physiologic landscape of children’s health.

Leading Innovation: The INSPIRE Program for Children With Down Syndrome

One of Dr. VanDoren’s most significant upcoming contributions is the creation of the INSPIRE program, a specialized sleep program designed for pediatric patients with Down Syndrome.

Children with Down Syndrome often face unique sleep-related challenges due to airway differences, hypotonia, and comorbid medical conditions. INSPIRE aims to:

• Provide specialized, multidisciplinary sleep evaluations

• Offer personalized treatment plans

• Improve long-term health, behavior, and development

• Support caregivers with education, resources, and clarity

This initiative reflects Dr. VanDoren’s passion for innovation, equity, and delivering care that truly meets children where they are.

Academic Contributions and Research

Dr. VanDoren is also contributing meaningfully to scholarship and professional education. Her upcoming and recent presentations include:

• Pediatric Sleep Medicine in Urgent Care (2025 Webinar)

• Scoring Large Muscle Movements in Pediatric Sleep Studies (Poster, 2025)

• Macroglossia in Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (Poster, 2025)

• Case-based and teaching presentations dating back to her residency

Her research contributions include a notable publication in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society on antibiotic-associated adverse drug reactions in children (2019), reflecting her dedication to safe antimicrobial stewardship.

She also serves on the University Health Sleep Fellowship Committee, helping shape the training of future sleep specialists.

A Career Rooted in Service

Throughout every stage of her career, Dr. VanDoren has excelled in roles defined by service, adaptability, and compassion:

• Pediatric urgent care

• Hematology/oncology inpatient care

• Community pediatrics

• Sleep medicine

• Program creation and innovation

• Clinical coordination and nursing leadership

This breadth of experience gives her a uniquely comprehensive view of pediatric care—one that considers not only acute illness or chronic disease, but the full developmental, behavioral, and environmental context surrounding each child.

Professional Memberships

Her professional affiliations include:

• American Academy of Pediatrics

• American Academy of Sleep Medicine

These memberships reflect her ongoing commitment to clinical excellence and evidence-based practice.

IMPACT ahead: A Future of Possibility

When asked what comes next, Dr. VanDoren’s answer is simple: “So many things.”
She is a physician who sees both the gaps in the system and the opportunities within them.

Whether shaping innovative sleep programs, expanding obesity and sleep medicine integration, or serving in leadership roles that uplift future clinicians, her future contributions promise to be meaningful, multidimensional, and deeply impactful.

Dr. Shauna Michelle VanDoren represents the best of pediatric medicine: a clinician who evolves, innovates, and continually invests in the wellbeing of children and families. Her career is a testament to commitment, compassion, and the belief that every child deserves a chance to rest well, heal fully, and thrive.

Dr. Ashley Sandeen: On Honoring the Layers of Her Work and Purpose

Ashley Sandeen, DO, FAAP
Associate Professor of Pediatrics | Pediatric Intensivist
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Residency
Founder, Kosha Coaching for Physicians

There is a moment familiar to every pediatric intensivist—the brief pause before stepping into a room where a child’s life hangs in balance and a family waits for answers. Dr. Ashley Sandeen has built her career around honoring that moment. It is where her clinical precision, intuition, humanity, and purpose come together.

Her work spans clinical medicine, graduate medical education, quality improvement, and physician coaching, but at its core lies a single intention: to help people feel seen, supported, and empowered to become who they already are beneath the layers.

Who She Serves

Clinically: Supporting the Most Critically Ill Children

Dr. Sandeen is a pediatric intensivist caring for critically ill infants, children, and adolescents facing medical, surgical, or traumatic conditions. In the PICU, she manages complex physiology, life-threatening emergencies, and rapidly evolving clinical situations. She also provides procedural sedation services for pediatric patients requiring diagnostic studies or interventions, ensuring safe, compassionate, developmentally appropriate care.

Families often meet her during the hardest days of their lives. Her presence—steady, grounded, and deeply human—is part of what makes her work meaningful. She holds space for children and their caregivers with a balance of clinical excellence and emotional clarity.

Academically: Developing Physicians Who Lead with Skill and Purpose

As an Associate Professor and Associate Program Director for the Pediatric Residency Program at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Dr. Sandeen is deeply invested in education.

She teaches residents and medical students the essential principles of pediatric critical care, but her work extends far beyond the physiology of shock or mechanical ventilation. She helps trainees understand who they are as physicians—how they respond under pressure, how to navigate burnout, how to define purpose, and how to create sustainable careers in medicine.

Her curriculum work, wellness initiatives, and leadership in resident development reflect her belief that training excellent physicians requires caring for the whole person, not just the clinical mind.

Professionally: Improving Systems to Improve Lives

Dr. Sandeen is a leader in quality improvement within her health system. Her projects have shaped PICU liberation practices, delirium prevention protocols, ventilator weaning tools, rounding structures, and sepsis care pathways.

Her contributions strengthen not only patient outcomes but also the environments in which multidisciplinary teams work. She is known for bridging evidence-based practice with practical, human-centered implementation strategies—ensuring that good ideas become meaningful change.

What She’s Building This Year

Developing a PICU Follow-Up Clinic

One of Dr. Sandeen’s major current initiatives involves assessing the feasibility of establishing a PICU follow-up clinic. Many children experience lasting cognitive, emotional, or physical impacts after critical illness. This clinic would close a longstanding gap—helping families navigate recovery long after discharge.

The idea has strong support, but its full implementation requires data, structure, and cross-disciplinary planning. Dr. Sandeen is leading early development efforts as part of her ongoing commitment to ICU liberation and long-term patient wellbeing.

Strengthening Residency Recruitment & Wellness Programs

In her academic leadership role, she is working to enhance residency recruitment and expand the wellness curriculum for trainees. She strives to create an environment where residents feel valued, grounded, and prepared not only to practice medicine—but to thrive within it.

Advancing Intuition-Based Coaching

Through her business, Kosha Coaching, Dr. Sandeen helps physicians explore the koshas—the layers of self that shape identity, purpose, and connection. She is currently developing an intuition-based coaching framework that empowers physicians to strengthen the internal guidance systems often overshadowed by medical training.

Dr. Sandeen teaches that clarity comes from within, and her guiding mantra reflects this belief:
“I am already what I thought I had to seek.”

She is also engaged in collaboration around DistressRx and other innovative coaching initiatives entering graduate medical education.

Personally: Committing to Authenticity

Outside her professional work, Dr. Sandeen is navigating her own evolution—doing the “hard work” required to build a life aligned with her values, identity, and core desires. Her focus is on raising children who feel loved, safe, and supported, while also honoring her own authenticity and growth.

A Glimpse into the Human Behind the Work

• Favorite colors: black, green, teal

• Bucket-list destinations: Scotland, Greece, South of France, Italy, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Denmark/Sweden/Norway

• Business: kosha-coaching.com | Instagram: @koshacoaching

• Core motivations: helping others feel seen, easing emotional pain, supporting transformation, cultivating connection, and leading with impact and love.

Her unique blend of intensity, insight, humor, grit, and compassion shapes every aspect of her leadership, clinical care, and coaching practice.

Why She Does This Work

Across all her roles, Dr. Sandeen is driven by a deep passion for service.

She supports families in crisis.
She mentors trainees becoming the physicians they hope to be.
She improves systems that impact patient safety and provider wellbeing.
She coaches physicians who are searching for meaning, balance, and alignment.

Her mission is unified:
to create environments where people feel supported, empowered, and whole.

Her Core Beliefs

• Medicine requires both intellect and intuition.

• Sustainable careers depend on true wellbeing—not performative “resilience.”

• Quality improvement is an act of love for patients and teams.

• Recovery matters as much as survival.

• Leadership is about helping others feel seen.

• Healing—personal or professional—happens in layers.

IMPACT

Dr. Ashley Sandeen’s life and work reflect a powerful truth: that the most important transformations come from within. Whether at the bedside of a critically ill child, in the classroom with residents, inside a systems-level meeting, or partnering with physicians through Kosha Coaching, her purpose remains grounded in the same principles:

Impact. Love. Connection. Healing. Truth.

These values guide her through every layer of her professional and personal journey, and they continue to shape the meaningful contribution she brings to medicine, coaching, and the lives she touches.

Choosing Aliveness: A Year of Medicine, Mindfulness, and Red — The Story of Dr. Bridget Godwin

If you met Dr. Bridget Godwin today—pediatric gastroenterologist, researcher, life coach, writer, and mother of three—you might never guess that her earliest dream was to become an actress. Years before she became a clinician at one of the world’s most renowned children’s hospitals, long before she began coaching women in nutrition and life transitions, she mailed her one and only college application to NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, hoping to study theater.

When the rejection letter arrived, she was heartbroken. It wasn’t simply the loss of a program—it was the loss of the narrative she thought she was meant to live. But as life often does, it unfolded in ways she could not yet imagine. NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences became her new home instead, where she majored in English and minored in Mathematics and Psychology.

It turns out she was not losing a story—she was beginning a much bigger one.

Three Careers, One Calling

Today, Dr. Godwin’s professional life is a vibrant blend of medicine, research, and coaching. She often says she has “three careers,” but in practice they feel like three interconnected expressions of the same purpose: caring for others with both scientific precision and deep humanity.

The Clinician

At the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Dr. Godwin cares for children facing complex gastrointestinal conditions. Her work requires an ability to steady families through uncertainty, to offer clarity in moments of fear, and to meet each child with the kind of empathy that honors their resilience. Pediatrics may be about tiny patients, but the courage she witnesses is anything but small.

The Researcher

Dr. Godwin extends her clinical expertise into scientific discovery through her research in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) at Johnson & Johnson. Here, she investigates ways to improve outcomes for children with chronic conditions that impact their entire lives. Research teaches her to hold questions gently, to persist with curiosity, and to see the long arc of change—qualities that mirror the work she does with families every day.

The Coach

Her third role, and perhaps the one that blends most seamlessly with her personality, is that of life coach. As the lead nutrition coach for the Transform program and one of the featured faculty in Dr. Ali Novitsky’s Nutrition Training Program, she guides women—especially fellow physicians—through challenges around nourishment, identity, burnout, transitions, and aligning daily life with deeper priorities.

What makes her coaching unique is her grounding in mindfulness and present awareness. She helps women ask the most important questions: What do I want? What do I need? What makes me feel alive?

A Year of Balancing Growth and Home

This year, Dr. Godwin has set an intention that is at once simple and profound: to continue building a life of meaning at home while navigating her multiple professional paths. With her husband and their three young children, she is shaping a family rhythm rooted in curiosity, communication, and presence.

Balancing clinic duties, research work, coaching sessions, writing projects, and parenting is not an exercise in perfection—it is an exercise in alignment. She often shares that what keeps her grounded isn’t productivity, but mindfulness: drinking a cup of tea before opening her laptop, taking a breath between tasks, or reminding herself that she doesn’t need to be exceptional in every domain all at once.

Her life is less about “balance” and more about deliberate, compassionate choosing.

Writing: The Creative Thread That Never Left

The actress she once dreamed of becoming never fully disappeared. She simply evolved.

Today, Dr. Godwin channels her creative voice into writing. Her Substack, Tsundoku and Strawberries, is a space where she explores books, motherhood, identity, nourishment, grief, beauty, and the small joys that fill life’s corners. Her essays are reflective and lyrical, rooted in curiosity and honesty—a continuation of the storytelling she has always loved.

Writing gives her a place where titles fall away. She doesn’t have to be Doctor, or Coach, or Researcher. She gets to be Bridget—thoughtful, playful, earnest, and fully herself.

The Color Red: A Symbol of Aliveness

Ask Dr. Godwin her favorite color right now, and she’ll say red—with no hesitation.

Red, to her, symbolizes aliveness. It’s bold, energizing, and impossible to ignore. In a season of life where she is raising children, supporting families, guiding women physicians, and nurturing her own creative practice, red serves as a reminder of the desire at the center of it all:
to feel awake and alive in her life, moment by moment.

A Family Dream: Japan Awaits

On the family bucket list is a long-awaited trip to Japan. Dr. Godwin and her husband share a love of Haruki Murakami’s dreamlike storytelling, and their children adore the enchanted worlds of Hayao Miyazaki. Japan represents beauty, whimsy, introspection, and cultural richness—qualities that resonate deeply with her.

It is a trip they are certain they will take, a promise tucked into the future like a beloved chapter waiting to be read.

Mindfulness as the Thread That Weaves It All Together

In every arena of her life, mindfulness is the thread that holds the tapestry together. She teaches presence not as a perfect meditation practice, but as a way of living with awareness, curiosity, and choice. Whether she is helping a woman clarify her priorities, supporting a new diagnosis in a family, or navigating the complexity of a research initiative, she returns to the same guiding question:

Does this help me feel alive in my life?

Mindfulness allows her to build a life that is not reactive, but intentional. One that does not rely on achievement to feel meaningful. One that celebrates small joys, honest conversations, quiet moments, and the courage to make choices aligned with one’s deepest values.

IMPACT

Dr. Bridget Godwin’s life is a testament to the beauty of nonlinear paths. What began as a dream of acting grew into a career that blends science, compassion, teaching, creativity, and personal growth.

Her story is not about becoming one thing—it is about becoming herself.

And as she cares for children, advances research, coaches women, raises a family, writes her monthly essays, and embraces the color red, she continues to embody her guiding philosophy:
Choose aliveness.

Not perfection.
Not productivity.
Just presence, connection, meaning, and joy—moment by moment, breath by breath, in the life she is intentionally creating.

Dr. Dalal Taha: Advancing Neonatal Medicine Through Innovation, Compassion, and Scientific Leadership

In the high-acuity world of neonatal medicine—where the smallest patients face the greatest challenges—few physicians embody dedication, innovation, and quiet strength as profoundly as Dalal Taha, D.O. Over her decade-long career as a neonatologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, Dr. Taha has emerged as a leader in one of medicine’s most rapidly evolving frontiers: neonatal lymphatic disorders.

Her work bridges clinical excellence, scientific discovery, and unwavering commitment to families navigating the most fragile moments of their lives. Today, as an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Dr. Taha stands at the forefront of neonatology, helping redefine how clinicians understand, diagnose, and treat complex lymphatic and cardiopulmonary disease in newborns.

Early Foundations: A Commitment to Science and Service

Dr. Taha’s journey began at The College of New Jersey, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She continued her medical training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine, where her early promise was recognized through the Alumni Association Scholarship. During residency at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, she distinguished herself again—first as a pediatrics resident, then as Chief Resident, a role reflecting both her leadership and her dedication to medical education.

Her calling crystallized during her neonatology fellowship at Jefferson Medical College, where she again served as Chief Fellow. During these formative years, she received multiple national honors, including awards from the Eastern Society for Pediatric Research, recognition from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Hemant J. Desai Fellowship Award. These accolades foreshadowed the unique contributions she would go on to make in neonatal medicine.

A Career at CHOP: Expanding the Boundaries of Neonatal Care

In 2014, Dr. Taha joined the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the neonatology division at CHOP—one of the world’s most respected institutions in pediatric innovation. As an attending neonatologist at both CHOP and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, she cares for critically ill infants with conditions ranging from extreme prematurity to complex genetic syndromes, cardiopulmonary instability, and multisystem disease.

Her clinical home also extends to the Jill and Mark Fishman Center for Lymphatic Disorders, where she plays a pivotal role in a multidisciplinary team managing some of the rarest neonatal conditions seen in modern medicine. This work has become one of the defining features of her career.

Pioneering the Field of Neonatal Lymphatic Disorders

Over the past decade, Dr. Taha has helped lead a transformation in how clinicians understand the neonatal lymphatic system—a once overlooked circulation now recognized as central to disorders of fluid balance, chronic lung disease, and inflammatory injury in newborns. Through groundbreaking collaboration with cardiologists, radiologists, surgeons, and lymphatic specialists at CHOP, she has contributed to pioneering investigations that link lymphatic dysfunction to respiratory morbidity, systemic edema, and the pathophysiology of severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Her research on lymphatic imaging and interventions, published in Journal of Perinatology in 2020, illuminated how early diagnosis and targeted therapies can dramatically improve outcomes. Her work has since expanded into studies on ventilation-lymphatic interactions, hypereosinophilia in lymphatic flow disorders, and the role of novel surgical approaches such as lymphocutaneous fistula creation in infants with central lymphatic obstruction.

These contributions have positioned Dr. Taha as a national voice in the diagnosis and management of neonatal lymphatic disease—an emerging subspecialty within neonatology. Her expertise has led to invitations to lecture across the U.S. and internationally, from Abu Dhabi to New York, Missouri, Maryland, and multiple academic children’s hospitals nationwide.

An Educator and Mentor Who Shapes the Next Generation

Teaching has always been integral to Dr. Taha’s identity. From her earliest faculty years, she became a trusted lecturer in physiology, neonatal respiratory failure, lymphatic disorders, and complex case management. At CHOP, she has taught residents, fellows, and medical students across multiple curricula and regional boot camps.

She has served on numerous education committees, including the Neonatology Fellows Clinical Competency Committee and the Fellowship Selection Committee, influencing trainee evaluation, mentorship, and academic development for nearly a decade. In 2024, she became a clinical mentor within the Neonatology Fellowship Program—an acknowledgment of her commitment to fostering future leaders in newborn medicine.

Her teaching recognitions, invited professorships, and ability to translate emerging science into bedside care have made her an essential part of the educational fabric at CHOP and Penn.

A Researcher Advancing Evidence-Based Care

Dr. Taha’s scholarly contributions include:

• Peer-reviewed publications in Journal of Pediatrics, Journal of Perinatology, Pediatric Surgery International, J Matern Fetal Neonatal Medicine, and NeoReviews.

• Reviews in Seminars in Pediatric Surgery exploring the neonatologist’s perspective on lymphatic disorders.

• Book chapters for gold-standard pediatric texts, including Avery’s Diseases of the Newborn and the Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics.

• Multiple abstracts selected for national and international scientific meetings.

Her research has offered new insights into topics such as:

• Early caffeine therapy to prevent BPD

• High-flow nasal cannula and morbidity in extremely low-birth-weight infants

• The lymphatic phenotype in severe BPD

• Effects of ventilation on lymphatic flow

• Innovative treatment strategies for neonatal lymphedema

These investigations inform both clinical practice and emerging research priorities in neonatal-perinatal medicine.

Leadership in Scientific Conferences and Professional Societies

Dr. Taha has served as an abstract reviewer for the Pediatric Academic Societies meetings for nearly a decade and has held key organizational roles, including:

• Director of CHOP’s First and Second Annual Lymphatic Disorders Conferences

• Co-lead of the 2025 Lymphatic Disorders Focus Group for the Children’s Hospitals Neonatal Consortium

• Reviewer for the journal Acta Paediatrica

Her national presence extends through her longstanding involvement in the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Philadelphia Perinatal Society, and multiple osteopathic and pediatric organizations.

A Career Rooted in Compassion and Innovation

What sets Dr. Taha apart is not only her scientific rigor but the humanity she brings to every aspect of her work. Neonatology is a specialty defined by uncertainty, emotional intensity, and high stakes. Her research on clinician distress at the frontier of mortality, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, underscores her commitment to supporting not only patients and families but also the clinicians who care for them.

Her work invites a broader understanding of what it means to practice neonatal medicine today: to lead with empathy, to innovate with courage, and to continually ask how outcomes can be improved for the most vulnerable infants.

IMPACT

Dr. Dalal Taha’s career reflects the future of neonatology—interdisciplinary, innovative, and deeply human. Through her clinical expertise, scientific contributions, and unwavering commitment to teaching, she has helped redefine neonatal care at one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals. Her legacy continues to grow, one discovery, one lecture, and one newborn life at a time.

Dr. Jacqueline R. Carrasco: Elevating the Art and Science of Oculoplastic Surgery

In the world of ophthalmology—where precision, artistry, and lifesaving intervention converge—few clinicians embody the field’s full promise the way Jacqueline R. Carrasco, M.D., F.A.C.S. does. For over two decades, Dr. Carrasco has shaped the landscape of oculoplastic and orbital surgery regionally, nationally, and internationally. Her career, defined by innovation, education, and service, reflects a steadfast commitment to patient-centered excellence and the advancement of future generations of surgeons.

Today, she serves as a Clinical Professor of Surgery at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) and a Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, roles that allow her to influence the practice of medicine at its foundation—through training, mentorship, and leadership. But her story begins long before these titles, rooted in a lifelong passion for science, learning, and service.

A Foundation Built on Excellence

Dr. Carrasco’s path into medicine began at the University of Miami, where she graduated in the top ten percent of her medical school class, earned membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, and achieved exceptional percentile rankings on all three USMLE exams. Her undergraduate years were equally distinguished—she completed an accelerated Honors BS/MD program, graduated cum laude with a 3.9 GPA, and received national recognition for academic and scientific achievement, including designation as a National Science Scholar by President Bill Clinton.

Even earlier, as valedictorian of Ely High School, she garnered national awards such as the AAU/Mars Milky Way All American Award, the Silver Knight Award in Science, and honors from the International Science and Engineering Fair. These early accomplishments foreshadowed a career defined by curiosity, discipline, and a drive to make a meaningful impact.

Training at the Forefront of Ophthalmic Innovation

After completing a transitional internship at Crozer-Chester Medical Center, Dr. Carrasco entered her ophthalmology residency at the world-renowned Wills Eye Hospital, where she later served as Chief Resident. She then pursued an elite fellowship in Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery, sponsored by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS)—a distinction reserved for the most competitive candidates.

Her training reflects not only technical mastery but also a deep respect for the multidisciplinary nature of orbital disease, trauma, reconstruction, and aesthetic rejuvenation.

A Leader Across Institutions

Dr. Carrasco’s influence extends across multiple major health systems. Since 2018, she has served as System Chief of Ophthalmology for Main Line Health, overseeing ophthalmic services across Lankenau Medical Center, Bryn Mawr, Paoli, and Riddle Hospitals. She is also Division Chief of Ophthalmology at Lankenau and a long-standing attending surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Her leadership roles have helped guide health-system strategy, elevate surgical quality, expand service lines, and support resident and fellowship training during a time of rapid advancements in the field.

In parallel, she plays a pivotal role in physician education as Residency Site Director for PCOM Ophthalmology, shaping the curriculum, selection processes, and training experiences for the next generation of osteopathic ophthalmologists.

A Surgeon, Innovator, and Academic Trailblazer

As a partner—and now President—of Oculoplastic Surgeons of Philadelphia, Dr. Carrasco practices at the highest level of complexity. Her clinical expertise spans:

• Orbital trauma and fractures

• Thyroid eye disease

• Eyelid and lacrimal disorders

• Orbital tumors

• Cosmetic peri-orbital rejuvenation

• Minimally invasive and advanced reconstructive procedures

Her innovations include contributions to sutureless surgical techniques, advanced ptosis repair methodologies, and multidisciplinary orbital care. She continues to lead the field through invited professorships, national lectures, and her role in shaping ASOPRS surgical education and examination standards.

Scholarly Contributions That Drive the Field Forward

With dozens of peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and clinical investigations, Dr. Carrasco’s research spans topics such as:

• Thyroid eye disease

• Orbital infections and inflammation

• Atypical adnexal tumors

• Novel surgical approaches in aesthetic and functional oculoplastics

• Surgical techniques for ptosis, eyelid reconstruction, and lacrimal disease

She is a chapter editor for multiple editions of The Wills Eye Manual, one of the most widely used ophthalmology references in the world, and contributes regularly to the Wills Eye 5-Minute Ophthalmology Consult Series.

Dr. Carrasco also serves as an invited reviewer for Orbit, Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and the American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports, helping maintain the rigor and quality of academic publishing.

Commitment to Teaching and Mentorship

Perhaps most remarkable is her investment in teaching. Dr. Carrasco dedicates hundreds of hours each year to residents, medical students, and fellows. She organizes highly sought-after rotations, leads hands-on dissection courses, teaches cosmetic and reconstructive techniques, and mentors trainees pursuing competitive oculoplastics fellowships.

Generations of Wills Eye Hospital residents reflect on her mentorship as formative, citing her clinical wisdom, surgical precision, and humanistic approach to patient care as defining influences.

Recognition and Honors

Her accolades are extensive and span decades:

• Philadelphia Top Doctor (2024–25)

• Castle Connolly Top Doctor (2023–25)

• Castle Connolly Top Woman Physician (2024–25)

• Main Line Today Top Doctor (2010–2024)

• Vitals Compassionate Doctor Award

• Jefferson Dean’s Award for Excellence in Education (2021)

These distinctions underscore her reputation not only as a leading surgeon, but as a clinician who brings compassion, integrity, and excellence to every patient encounter.

A Trusted Voice in Public Education

Beyond academia and the operating room, Dr. Carrasco has become a sought-after voice in public health education. She has been featured in Self Magazine, Philadelphia Style, Ocular Surgery News, and national digital platforms discussing cosmetic safety, eye health, and best practices in oculoplastic care. Her blend of expertise and clarity makes complex topics accessible to the community.

A Legacy of Service

From providing ophthalmic care at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship to supporting community organizations like the Haverford School and Fred’s Footsteps, Dr. Carrasco brings her talents and generosity beyond the clinical realm.

Her service reflects her broader philosophy: that medicine is not just a profession, but a lifelong opportunity to uplift individuals, communities, and the future of healthcare.

IMPACT

Dr. Jacqueline R. Carrasco’s career stands as a testament to what is possible when exceptional skill meets unwavering dedication. Surgeon, educator, leader, researcher, and mentor—her work continues to shape the field of oculoplastics and inspire those who follow in her footsteps. As she advances the art and science of orbital and eyelid surgery, her impact resonates far beyond the operating room, leaving a legacy of excellence, compassion, and innovation.

24 Days. $12,000 in Gifts. Are You In?

Our all-inclusive December Wellness Experience starts tomorrow, and I could not be more excited to welcome you in.

We’re celebrating the season with over $12,000 in gifts — including retreats, programs, and the hottest wellness items of 2025–2026. Think Aruba, Miraval, an infrared sauna blanket, and so much more.

Here’s what’s waiting for you inside:

24 Days of Prizes — daily draws featuring luxury wellness items, retreats, and programs
15 High-Yield Live Calls — mindset, metabolism, movement, and more
An Amazing Community — new friends, inspiring conversations, and full support
A Wellness Reset You’ll Actually Look Forward To

This is your invitation to end 2025 feeling grounded, energized, and deeply supported.

Join the December Wellness Experience here:
https://www.thefitcollective.com/december

I can’t wait to see you inside.

With so much love,
Ali

Dr. Jessica Rivera: A Veterinary Neurologist Helping Animals—and Communities—Across the U.S.

When it comes to veterinary neurology, few professionals bring the depth of experience, global perspective, and heartfelt dedication that Dr. Jessica Rivera offers. As a Diplomate of Neurology and Neurosurgery (DACVIM) and a highly sought-after locum veterinary neurologist, Dr. Rivera has built a reputation for delivering exceptional specialty care to pets and their families—no matter where they live.

Her passion for service, her love of learning, and her commitment to personal growth make her a standout not only in veterinary medicine, but as an inspiring example of what it looks like to pursue purpose, movement, and meaning in one’s career.

Who Is Dr. Jessica Rivera?

Dr. Jessica Rivera is a veterinary neurologist and neurosurgeon who provides expert locum support to specialty hospitals across the United States. With advanced training, a decade of clinical experience, and a deep love for animals, she steps into communities that need temporary or long-term neurological coverage—helping pets get access to life-saving care.

A Passion for Serving Communities Nationwide

Locum work allows Dr. Rivera to live her mission: helping as many pets, teams, and families as possible.
Because she travels wherever she’s needed, she has supported veterinary neurology departments in:

• The East Coast

• The West Coast

• The South

• And everywhere in between

Her adaptability, efficiency in high-stress environments, and genuine care for clients have made her an invaluable member of every team she joins.

A Career Rooted in Excellence

Dr. Rivera’s academic and professional path reflects extraordinary dedication. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, ranking 5th in her class, before completing competitive internships and a rigorous residency at the University of California, Davis.

Her career includes Diplomate roles at:

• Bush Veterinary Neurology Services (VA & NY)

• Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group (NY)

• Aurora Veterinary Neurology Services, LLC, where she currently practices as a locum neurologist

Her expertise spans:

• Complex neurosurgery

• Intracranial disease

• Spinal disorders

• Neuromuscular conditions

• Emergency neurologic care

Beyond Medicine: A Multifaceted Leader

One of the most impressive aspects of Dr. Rivera is the dimension she brings to her work. She’s not only a scientist and surgeon—she’s a communicator, educator, creator, and adventurer.

Bilingual Medical Educator (English/Spanish)

Dr. Rivera has presented neurology lectures across the world, including multiple international conferences in Mexico where she delivered Spanish-language lectures.

A major professional milestone:
She translated and delivered complex neurology content entirely in Spanish—despite having learned medicine in English—a challenge requiring precision, mastery, and deep commitment.

Researcher & Author

Her research includes published papers and ongoing manuscripts on:

• Cytogenetics of feline meningiomas

• Biomarkers for intracranial neoplasia

• Neuromuscular disease

• Neonatal physiology

• Clinical neurology outcomes

Her work contributes to advancing veterinary neurology on a global scale.

Her Current Mission: Becoming Her Healthiest, Most Aligned Self

In 2025, Dr. Rivera is investing deeply in her personal evolution.
Her main goals include:

• Becoming the healthiest version of herself

• Exploring new avenues for helping others

• Considering new creative ventures

• Potentially launching an online course, coaching program, or educational platform for veterinary professionals or pet owners

She’s intentionally exploring what’s next—with curiosity, courage, and an open heart.

A Future Business on the Horizon

While Dr. Rivera already operates Aurora Veterinary Neurology Services, LLC, she is actively imagining what her next professional chapter might look like.

Possible Areas She’s Exploring

• Coaching for veterinarians (wellness, career support, or specialty mentorship)

• Veterinary neurology social media education

• Online courses for pet parents or vet students

• Expanding her international work

Her creativity, communication skills, and passion for accessible education position her beautifully for any of these paths.

Current Business Website

🌐 https://avnsllc.wordpress.com

The Personal Side: What Makes Dr. Rivera Truly Unique

Behind the doctor’s coat is someone with a remarkable and vibrant life.

Her Favorite Color

Teal—a color that reflects calm, clarity, and vibrancy.

A Hidden Talent You’d Never Guess

She is a black belt in Isshin Ryu Karate, blending discipline, focus, and physical mastery—traits that mirror her surgical expertise.

Global Traveler & Cultural Explorer

Dr. Rivera has studied abroad in:

• Japan

• Australia

She also speaks:

• Spanish (native/bilingual)

• Japanese (upper beginner)

• American Sign Language (beginner)

Her Dream Travel Bucket List

Her heart is set on Africa, especially:

• Tanzania – to witness the Big Five

• Kenya – to visit Giraffe Manor & Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

• Rwanda – to see wild mountain gorillas

Her love of wildlife and conservation aligns beautifully with her veterinary roots.

Skills That Set Dr. Rivera Apart

Veterinary Neurology Expertise

• Board-certified (DACVIM)

• Highly skilled neurosurgeon

• Calm and efficient in emergencies

• Leads with empathy and communication

Team-Oriented Leadership

• Gregarious and approachable

• Passionate and enthusiastic

• Dedicated to client education

• Thrives in collaborative environments

Adaptability & Excellence

From busy urban hospitals to international lecture halls, Dr. Rivera brings the same level of precision, compassion, and professionalism everywhere she goes.

What’s Next for Dr. Jessica Rivera?

Dr. Rivera stands at the exciting intersection of expertise and reinvention. She’s honoring the tug toward something new—something that allows her to help animals, veterinary teams, or other professionals in fresh and meaningful ways.

Her next venture may involve:

• Sharing her neurology expertise through digital education

• Supporting veterinary professionals through coaching and mentorship

• Expanding her locum services nationally or internationally

Wherever she goes next, her combination of skill, empathy, and passion ensures she will elevate every space she enters.

IMPACT

Dr. Jessica Rivera is more than a veterinary neurologist—she is a healer, educator, global citizen, and evolving creator.

Her journey reminds us that expertise and reinvention can coexist beautifully. Whether she’s performing neurosurgery, teaching across continents, or imagining her next venture, Dr. Rivera shows what’s possible when you lead with purpose, curiosity, and heart.

Dr. Sara Ayers: A Pediatrician, Mother, and Mindset Mentor Helping Women Thrive

In a world where women physicians often carry the invisible weight of caregiving, leadership, emotional labor, and perfectionism, voices like Dr. Sara Ayers are essential. A dedicated pediatrician and mother of three, Dr. Ayers brings not only clinical experience but also lived wisdom about navigating professional and personal demands with intention, strength, and self-compassion.

A Pediatrician With a Heart for Families—and for Women Who Care for Them

Dr. Sara Ayers has devoted her medical career to pediatrics, a field known not only for its scientific rigor but also for its emotional demands. As a pediatrician, she supports families through moments of uncertainty, triumph, fear, and transformation. Her work requires patience, adaptability, communication, and deep empathy—skills she now brings into her work supporting women as well.

But beyond her role as a physician, Dr. Ayers is also a mom of three, balancing the complexity of raising children with the responsibilities of medical practice. She understands firsthand the daily momentum, mental load, and boundary challenges that so many women juggle.

It is this unique blend—clinician, mother, and mentor—that makes her work so meaningful to the women she now guides.

A Longtime Participant in Dr. Ali Novitsky’s Programs

Coaching as the Catalyst for Personal Transformation

Dr. Ayers shares openly that she has been part of Dr. Ali Novitsky’s coaching programs since nearly the beginning, experiencing their evolution and transformative impact over time.

Her journey began with a simple desire:
to feel better, live better, and show up more fully as both a physician and a mother.

From group coaching sessions to reflective curriculum work, the tools she learned fundamentally reshaped how she approaches:

• Emotional regulation

• Boundaries

• Self-trust

• Burnout prevention

• Body image and self-compassion

• Identity beyond roles

• Leadership and communication

• Navigating overwhelm

• Reclaiming energy and intention

What she discovered was both powerful and deeply personal:
Coaching isn’t about changing who you are—it’s about remembering who you already were before burnout, guilt, and expectations layered over your identity.

This internal shift, built over years of commitment and community, now informs everything she shares with others.

From Participant to Guide: Helping Women Navigate the Journey

Supporting Women Physicians With Real-Life Wisdom

After experiencing the life-altering results of coaching, Dr. Ayers felt called to share what she learned with other women—especially those balancing medicine, motherhood, and self-expectations.

Her mission is simple and heartfelt:

“I hope to share some skills with other women to make the journey a bit easier.”

She brings a rare blend of:

• Medical expertise

• Personal lived experience

• Vulnerability

• Strength

• Practical mindset tools

• A deep understanding of the emotional world of women physicians

Women who work with her often describe her presence as grounding, uplifting, and deeply relatable. She teaches not from theory alone, but from having walked the path herself.

Building Strength—In Body, Mind, and Identity

Physical Strength as a Reflection of Internal Strength

Dr. Ayers is passionate about movement, strength, and the power of physical resilience. Her hobbies reflect a commitment to both discipline and joy:

• Kickboxing

• Weight training

• Orangetheory Fitness

• Knitting (the ultimate mindful reset)

These activities mirror her personal philosophy:

Strength shows up in many forms—and all of them matter.

Kickboxing and weight training build physical and mental grit.
Orangetheory supports endurance, consistency, and community.
Knitting provides restoration, creativity, and mindful quiet.

This blend of powerful and gentle practices reflects her belief that women deserve both strength and softness, structure and rest, progress and presence.

Why Women Connect With Dr. Ayers

A Voice That Feels Real, Honest, and Supportive

Women physicians often feel isolated in their struggles—yet Dr. Ayers offers connection grounded in authenticity. She understands:

• The overwhelm

• The guilt

• The desire to do everything well

• The burnout that creeps in quietly

• The constant caregiving for both patients and family

• The pressure to be strong while craving support

What makes her support unique is that she speaks with the energy of someone who has lived these experiences and built a life with intention on the other side.

A Mentor Who Knows Transformation Is Possible

Her experiences in group coaching with Dr. Ali Novitsky have taught her the tools of:

• Thought awareness

• Emotional processing

• Mind-body regulation

• Grounded goal-setting

• Worthiness and compassion

• Nervous system safety

• Leadership by example

• Identity expansion

Now, she offers these insights with clarity and accessibility, helping women integrate them into real daily life—not just theory.

The Power of Community and Connection

Dr. Ayers knows what many women learn only after years of struggle:
Community heals what isolation harms.

Participating in Dr. Novitsky’s programs gave her a support network of women physicians who understood her experiences without explanation. This was transformative—and now she strives to help other women find that same sense of belonging.

She reminds women that they don’t need to:

• Hold everything alone

• Pretend they’re fine

• Push past exhaustion

• Shrink their needs

• Sacrifice their wellbeing for their roles

Instead, she advocates for community-based growth, where women empower one another through shared vulnerability and collective strength.

A Model of What Is Possible for Women in Medicine

Dr. Ayers is part of a growing movement of women physicians redefining what success and fulfillment look like. She represents:

• A new generation of leaders prioritizing wellbeing

• Mothers who show that rest and ambition can coexist

• Physicians committed to healing patients and themselves

• Women modeling strength without burnout

• Mentors who create safety, support, and transformation

Her journey reflects the truth that women do not need to choose between being exceptional clinicians, engaged mothers, and fulfilled individuals—they can build lives that hold all of it with intention.

IMPACT

Dr. Sara Ayers is more than a pediatrician and mother—she is a guide, a grounded voice, and an inspiring example of growth through coaching and community.

Her long-standing participation in Dr. Ali Novitsky’s programs has allowed her to rewrite her relationship with stress, identity, strength, and possibility. Now, she helps other women do the same—offering wisdom born from real experience and a heartfelt desire to make the journey easier for those who follow.

Her message is powerful and simple:
You don’t have to do this alone—and you are capable of more peace, strength, and joy than you realize.

Dr. Diana Pallin: Transforming Lives Through Modern Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Health

In today’s world—where chronic disease, metabolic dysfunction, and weight-related illnesses are on the rise—the need for compassionate, evidence-based obesity care has never been greater. Dr. Diana Pallin, founder of New Start Medical, stands at the forefront of this movement. With dual board certifications in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine, over a decade of specialized experience, and a deep commitment to the well-being of her patients, Dr. Pallin is transforming the way individuals approach weight loss, metabolic health, and long-term wellness.

Learn more at https://www.newstartmedical.com.

A Leader in Evidence-Based Obesity Medicine

Board Certified and Dedicated to Metabolic Health

Dr. Pallin is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Board Certified in Obesity Medicine, giving her the clinical foundation to understand the complex medical, hormonal, psychological, and environmental factors that influence a person’s weight.

Since 2013, she has practiced Obesity Medicine, a rapidly advancing specialty focused not only on weight loss but on the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disease. She is an active member of the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) and integrates OMA’s professional guidelines into her patient care.

Her practice is not about dieting. It is about true metabolic change.

Founder of New Start Medical

As the founder of New Start Medical, Dr. Pallin has built a comprehensive metabolic practice designed to help patients achieve sustainable, medically supervised weight loss.

New Start Medical is grounded in:

• Evidence-based obesity medicine guidelines

• Individualized treatment plans

• Comprehensive medical assessments

• Lifestyle-focused metabolic strategies

• Ongoing clinical supervision and support

The practice delivers a structured, patient-centered experience that helps individuals improve their health, reduce chronic disease risk, and build lifelong habits.

Learn more about her programs at https://www.newstartmedical.com.

A Comprehensive Approach to Medically Supervised Weight Management

Addressing the Whole Person, Not Just the Scale

Dr. Pallin’s philosophy centers on two core beliefs:

1. Weight is a medical condition, not a personal failure.

2. Sustainable weight loss requires medical understanding and individualized treatment.

Her practice addresses the multiple dimensions of weight and metabolism:

• Hormonal imbalance

• Insulin resistance

• Genetics

• Inflammation

• Medications

• Stress and sleep patterns

• Nutrition and movement

• Behavioral and emotional health

This whole-person approach helps patients understand the why behind their struggles, which is crucial for long-term success.

Medically Supervised Programs for Safe, Effective Results

New Start Medical delivers comprehensive weight management grounded in clinical science and metabolic physiology. Patients receive:

• Detailed metabolic assessments

• Personalized nutrition guidance

• Lifestyle medicine coaching

• Medication management when appropriate

• Close monitoring of medical conditions

• Support for long-term weight maintenance

Unlike quick-fix diets or commercial plans, Dr. Pallin’s programs are designed for patients who want a safe, structured, medical pathway to lasting health improvements.

Improving Cardiometabolic Health Through Lifestyle Medicine

Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Disease

One of Dr. Pallin’s greatest passions is the prevention and management of cardio-metabolic conditions, including:

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes

• Metabolic syndrome

• Fatty liver disease

• Inflammation-related disorders

Because these conditions are strongly affected by lifestyle, Dr. Pallin incorporates personalized strategies that support:

• Improved glucose regulation

• Reduced cardiovascular risk

• Enhanced metabolic flexibility

• Healthier liver function

• Better long-term outcomes

This integrative approach empowers patients to take charge of conditions that may otherwise progress silently for years.

A Mission Built on Compassion and Empowerment

Supporting Patients Through Every Phase of Their Journey

Dr. Pallin’s patients often describe her approach as supportive, encouraging, and deeply informed. She believes in creating a space where individuals feel heard, respected, and empowered—not judged.

Her goal is to:

• Help patients understand their physiology

• Provide effective tools rooted in science

• Build confidence through education

• Foster accountability with compassion

• Celebrate progress, not perfection

This commitment to empathetic care is what makes New Start Medical a trusted partner in weight and metabolic management.

International Roots and Medical Excellence

From Romania to the United States: A Journey in Medicine

Dr. Pallin was born in Romania and attended the prestigious Iuliu Hațieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Cluj Napoca—one of the top medical schools in Eastern Europe.

Her international background gives her a valuable perspective on:

• Cultural influences on health

• Barriers to care

• Patient diversity and individual needs

• Global approaches to metabolic medicine

Chief Resident and Educator at New Hanover Regional Medical Center

After moving to the United States, Dr. Pallin completed her Internal Medicine residency at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. She distinguished herself as Chief Resident, where she helped design the educational curriculum for Grand Rounds and morning reports.

Her leadership experience strengthened her ability to communicate complex medical topics with clarity—an invaluable skill she brings to her patient care today.

A Life Rooted in Family, Travel, and Nature

Finding Joy Beyond the Clinic

When she is not caring for patients, Dr. Pallin enjoys a rich and fulfilling personal life. She loves:

• Traveling to new places

• Experiencing different cultures

• Spending time in nature

• Creating memories with her family

Her appreciation for new environments and natural beauty resonates with her belief that health is a lifelong journey—one that blends science, lifestyle, personal joy, and connection.

The Vision of New Start Medical: A Better Future for Metabolic Health

Accessible, Evidence-Based Care for All

Dr. Pallin created New Start Medical with a vision to make obesity medicine more accessible, less stigmatized, and more scientifically grounded. Her clinic continues to lead the way in:

• Metabolic evaluation

• Personalized medical weight loss

• Lifestyle education

• Cardiometabolic prevention

• Chronic disease reduction

• Patient empowerment

With more than a decade of obesity medicine experience, she is helping shift the national conversation toward evidence-based, compassionate care.

Visit https://www.newstartmedical.com to explore her programs and begin your own metabolic transformation.

IMPACT

Dr. Diana Pallin is a physician who blends clinical excellence with compassion, evidence-based obesity care, and a deep commitment to improving patient lives. Her work at New Start Medical is transforming how individuals understand their health, navigate metabolic challenges, and achieve sustainable weight management—without shame, judgment, or confusion.

Dr. Brooke Buckley: Transforming Healthcare Leadership With Purpose, Courage, and Compassion

In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, few leaders embody both the clinical expertise and human-centered leadership required to reshape organizational culture. Brooke M. Buckley, MD, FACS stands at the forefront of this transformation—a board-certified general surgeon, Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, experienced physician executive, health coach, and national advocate for trauma-informed leadership and workforce well-being.

Dr. Buckley is also the co-founder—along with Drs. Mark and Ali Novitsky—of Catalyst for Organizations, a groundbreaking, human-centered transformation initiative powered by The FIT Collective. This program equips hospitals, practices, and healthcare systems with the frameworks, training, and cultural scaffolding needed to build resilient, values-aligned teams that can thrive in demanding environments.

A Surgeon, Strategist, and Systems Leader

Clinical Excellence and Lifestyle Medicine Expertise

Dr. Brooke Buckley brings decades of experience as a skilled clinician and surgeon. She is:

• Board-Certified in General Surgery

• A Diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine

• A long-standing advocate for whole-person care, preventive health, and integrative well-being

Her dual training in high-acuity surgical care and evidence-based lifestyle medicine gives her unique insight into the full continuum of patient health—from emergency intervention to long-term resilience and recovery.

Leadership Training Rooted in Business and Human Behavior

Dr. Buckley earned her MBA from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, equipping her with strategic and operational expertise rarely combined with frontline surgical experience.

This fusion allows her to communicate across the clinical-administrative divide, build effective multidisciplinary teams, and drive sustainable organizational change.

A Career Dedicated to Transforming Healthcare Systems

Dr. Buckley’s leadership experience spans multiple institutions and progressive levels of responsibility.

Current Roles and Responsibilities

She currently serves as:

• System Vice President of Medical Affairs for Henry Ford Health

• Medical Director of the Command Center, stewarding system flow, crisis coordination, and operational readiness

From 2020–2025, she served as Chief Medical Officer of Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, guiding clinical strategy through some of the most challenging years in modern healthcare.

Past Leadership Positions

Her prior leadership includes:

• Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Meritus Health

• Associate Chair of Surgery at Anne Arundel Medical Center

• Medical Director for Acute Care Surgery and Wound Center Programs

These roles reflect her breadth of experience leading surgical services, hospital operations, crisis management, and physician culture initiatives.

National Leadership and Advocacy

Championing Clinical Leadership and Policy

Dr. Buckley has been trusted to lead at a national level across multiple influential organizations, including:

• Past Chair of the Committee on Clinical Leadership for the American Hospital Association

• Chair of AMPAC (American Medical Political Action Committee)

• President of the Maryland State Medical Association

She currently serves on the Joint Commission Board, contributing to national conversations on safety, equity, quality, and accreditation.

National Speaker on Burnout, Workforce Wellness, and Trauma-Informed Leadership

Dr. Buckley is widely regarded as a compelling keynote speaker who blends vulnerability, data, and lived experience. Her signature topics include:

• Burnout in medicine

• Trauma-informed leadership

• Workforce mental health

• High-functioning team dynamics

• Crisis leadership

• Creating psychologically safe medical environments

Her workshops and presentations empower leaders to build healthier, more connected, and more sustainable systems.

Co-Founder of Catalyst for Organizations

A Vision Shared With Drs. Mark and Ali Novitsky

Dr. Buckley is the co-founder—alongside Dr. Mark Novitsky and Dr. Ali Novitsky—of Catalyst, an innovative organizational transformation framework for healthcare teams.

Catalyst for Organizations, created through The FIT Collective, brings together trauma-informed leadership, psychological safety, communication training, and cultural transformation strategies designed specifically for stressed, overextended healthcare environments.

Catalyst trains teams to:

• Lead with clarity

• Communicate with emotional intelligence

• Regulate under pressure

• Build cultures that retain people

• Align organizational behavior with mission, values, and humanity

Dr. Buckley brings her executive leadership, operational mindset, and deep understanding of trauma and burnout to this program—making Catalyst one of the most unique, powerful tools available for healthcare organizations today.

A Mission to Support Women in Medicine and Leadership

Helping Women Reconnect With Meaningful Work

At the core of Dr. Buckley’s teaching is a mission:

To help women in medicine reconnect with their purpose, align their work with their values, and create space for both impact and joy.

Through coaching, mentorship, and system-level advocacy, she works with women physicians and leaders to:

• Prevent burnout

• Build self-trust

• Develop boundaries

• Navigate trauma and high-pressure environments

• Reclaim passion for their work

• Lead authentically

Certified Health Coach and CISM-Trained Leader

Her training in Critical Incident Stress Management allows her to support clinicians navigating traumatic events and cumulative stress.

As a certified health coach, she guides individuals in integrating sustainable habits, emotional regulation strategies, and lifestyle practices that support both personal and professional wellbeing.

An Integrated Leadership Philosophy

Where Purpose Meets Performance

Dr. Buckley believes that organizations thrive when humans thrive. Her leadership style is rooted in:

• Courage

• Self-awareness

• Transparent communication

• Trauma-informed decision-making

• Alignment between values and actions

• Respect for the emotional experiences of teams

Her approach bridges the gap between clinical excellence and compassionate leadership.

Leading Through Crisis With Humanity

Dr. Buckley has served in key leadership roles during some of the most turbulent periods in healthcare. Her C-suite experience is supported by:

• Real-time crisis management

• Command center coordination

• Burnout mitigation frameworks

• Support for teams facing moral injury

• Creating space for recovery, communication, and reconnection

Her ability to lead while honoring the emotional weight of the work is one of her most defining strengths.

Education and Early Career

Medical Training

Dr. Buckley graduated from:

• The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health

• Completed her Internship and General Surgery Residency at Fairview Hospital in the Cleveland Clinic Health System

Her surgical roots instilled a deep appreciation for teamwork, precision, and high-stakes decision-making—skills she continues to apply at the system level.

Life Outside of Medicine

Family and Personal Joy

Outside the boardroom and operating room, Dr. Buckley is a dedicated mother to three young sons and lives a joyful, grounded life with her family and her beloved sheepadoodle.

Her personal life reflects the balance, authenticity, and humanity she encourages in leaders and clinicians.

IMPACT

Dr. Brooke Buckley is a rare kind of leader—deeply skilled, deeply human, and deeply committed to transforming healthcare from the inside out. As a surgeon, executive, lifestyle medicine physician, and co-founder of Catalyst for Organizations, she brings clarity, compassion, and courageous leadership to systems in need of healing.

Her mission is clear:
To help clinicians and leaders reconnect with purpose, align with their values, and build lives—and workplaces—where impact and joy can coexist.