What does it actually take to go from one struggling clinic to 24 locations? In this episode, Tracy Cherpeski talks with Corey Malnikof, founder of Palmer Care Group, about the real story behind scaling a multi-location healthcare practice — starting with the month he nearly lost everything before he found the systems that changed his trajectory.

Corey shares the financial test he uses with every practice owner who asks about opening a second location, the stages of growth where "the wheels fall off," and why Palmer Care Group intentionally paused expansion at 24 clinics to build stronger infrastructure. He also opens up about the hardest responsibility he's ever had to hand off as a founder, and how coaching and mentorship shaped nearly every decision along the way.

Whether you're considering your first expansion or you're already managing multiple locations, this conversation offers grounded, tested guidance on systems, delegation, and building a team you can trust.

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What if your biggest marketing problem isn't actually a marketing problem? In this episode, Tracy Cherpeski sits down with Ashley Gay — founder of Digital Ash Agency and a fierce champion of the independent practitioner — to talk about why branding is the foundation every growth strategy has to be built on.

Ashley brings a perspective that's both professional and deeply personal: as the spouse of a surgeon, she's watched the burnout and disillusionment that comes when physicians work incredibly hard but haven't built the infrastructure to support sustainable growth. Her mission is to help independent practitioners build their dream practices the right way, from the ground up.

In this conversation, you'll hear why branding and marketing are not the same thing (and why getting them out of order is expensive), how convenience has become your biggest competitor, why your brand is already being built by every phone call and parking experience — and what to do about it. Plus: why your brand isn't just a patient acquisition strategy. It's a talent acquisition strategy.

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Every independent practice has a cancellation policy. The question is whether it exists anywhere besides the new-patient paperwork. In this SNACK episode, Miranda Dorta puts Tracy Cherpeski in the interview seat to talk about what no-shows really cost a practice, and why the gap between the policy on paper and the policy in practice is a systems problem, not a patient problem.

Tracy breaks down the full cost of a single missed appointment (it is a lot more than the lost visit), the difference between a courtesy request and an enforced policy, and why practice owners and front desk teams avoid holding the line. She also shares how automated reminders and fee triggers let the system be the bad guy, so no human has to make the awkward call, and names the one booking change that strengthens practice operations more than any other.

If you have ever waived a no-show fee because it felt easier than the conversation, this one is for you.

Resource Mentioned: AI & Automations for the Smart Practice Roundtable – Request the Replay and Accompanying Resource Guide

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Burned out after two decades in psychiatric hospitals, Dr. Daniela Rizzo faced a choice during COVID: keep going, or build something different. She chose to build. In this episode, Tracy Cherpeski talks with Daniela about leaving the hospital model to create a thriving private practice that runs on her terms—fewer patients, extended 60–90 minute intakes, and a clinical environment that feels as much like a spa as a doctor's office.

Daniela shares the step-by-step journey of starting a practice: defining your vision first, then navigating legal structures, financial setup, and building visibility. She explains why combining practice areas (psychiatry, aesthetics, longevity medicine) makes more sense than you'd think, how trust is your best marketing tool, and why small touches—still water, espresso, genuine presence—matter more than expensive marketing campaigns.

You'll also hear about her guide for residents who want to start practices, and her upcoming book The Longevity Kitchen, which teaches that food is the first prescription. If you've wondered whether private practice is possible or how to build one that doesn't feel like hospital burnout 2.0, this conversation is for you.

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Everyone says "finish strong in Q4." Yes, we want that for you. But what if the practice owners actually crushing their fourth quarter are not the ones panicking into September? What if they are the ones who did something counterintuitive in August?

In this episode, Tracy Cherpeski introduces the pre-purchase inspection framework: before you buy a house, you check the foundation. So why would not you do that with your practice before you build Q4? She walks through the three layers that need to be solid—vision, systems, and financial clarity—and explains why slowing down in August actually speeds up your fourth quarter.

You will hear why the energy you bring into Q4 matters, how to use your vision as a decision filter when opportunities arise, and what separates practice owners who thrive from ones who just survive. Because crushing Q4 smarter is not about working harder. It is about building on something solid.

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Physicians work nearly 58 hours a week, but only 27 involve actual patient care. The rest? Administrative tasks that do not align with why they went into medicine. For practice owners, this burden is yours to own, often by accident. In this SNACK episode, Miranda Dorta and Tracy Cherpeski break down the admin burden, explore the difference between moral distress and moral injury, and share the framework that works: stop, hand off to a person, or automate.

They tackle why delegation is where most practice owners fail, how to tell the difference between a task that is hard to let go of and one that genuinely needs your clinical judgment, and the three critical questions to ask before buying any new tool. Plus: why sometimes the answer is not automation at all, it is another human.

If you are a practice owner caught between knowing you should not be doing administrative work and feeling like you are the only one who can do it right, this conversation is for you.

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Your healthcare practice looks organized from the outside. But behind the scenes, samples get lost, clinicians spend time hunting for things, and departments operate like they're held together by duct tape. Sam Yeruva, founder of PYCUBE, Inc., reveals why this happens and how operational intelligence fixes it.

Operational intelligence means connecting data across your workflows so you can see bottlenecks and waste in real time. Sam shares why hospitals struggle despite being well-funded, how healthcare can use AI as an assistant (not a replacement for clinical judgment), and what the four pillars of any workflow actually are: people, process, tools, and training.

In this episode, you'll hear about the time biopsies were lost in a loading dock, why 99% of clinicians want to spend more time at bedside, and Sam's powerful one-liner: "Respect the problem." He also explains why picking one strategic question and sticking with it beats trying to solve everything at once.

Practical, honest, and deeply relevant for any practice owner thinking about how to scale sustainably.

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What if the biggest threat to your practice is not a lack of patients, but administrative burden? In this episode, Tracy Cherpeski sits down with Damien Adler, a psychologist and co-founder of Zanda Health, who solved this problem by building systems instead of hiring more staff. For 14 years, Damien ran his psychology practice while creating the infrastructure that would eventually become Zanda Health. He automated scheduling, invoicing, documentation, and patient communication - so thoroughly that he and his wife could take month-long vacations to Europe while the practice ran itself. In this episode, Damien breaks down the three admin tasks that drain the most time and energy from healthcare practices, why automation actually frees your brain to think and lead, and how to incorporate AI safely without compromising patient privacy. You'll also hear about the hospitality mindset that transforms patient experience, why your brain works on open loops even when you're resting, and exactly where to start if you're overwhelmed by the idea of automating your practice.

Read the full show notes, memorable quotes, and key takeaways.

To request the replay of the Roundtable: AI & Automations for the Smart Practice, click here.

Resource Mentioned: “The 9 Secrets of Successful Health Practices” http://zandahealth.com/ThrivingPracticePod

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