One of the pleasures of a conference is catching up with some of the "names' in your industry. For several years, I've been a devotee of The Blog Squad -- Denise Wakeman and Pasy Krakoff. So it was exciting to meet them in person at the InfoProfit Intensive weekend put on by my coach, Adam Urbanski.

Their presentation reiterated all the benefits I have come to appreciate of having a blog to promote and reinforce my brand and my business.

Let me remind you of the key opportunities having a blog represents:

• getting found quickly by the search engines - blogs are search engine magnets!
• being found by the media - the vast major of media writers turn to the blogosphere to find the experts to interview and quote
• your content is organized by category and available to be found on the Internet forever
• you have the opportunity to create a real conversation with your audience and learn from them

Their secrets to a winning blog -- Pay attention to 4 things:

• Content - make sure you use this platform to position yourself as an Expert, and provide education and resources to the prospective audience you want to reach
• Outreach - engage others with a conversational dialog-encouraging style -- this is not the place to pontificate. Also work on creating relationships with other bloggers who are likely to reciprocate by sending traffic in your direction
• Design - not hugely important, but don't forget that this is yet another way to create perception in the minds of or audience. Look professional; you're not an amateur.
• Action - Get your audience to take action as a result of reading your blog. Decide on your strategic purpose for the blog and then make it happen!

And here is a brief interview with the Blogging Stars themselves (one of the advantages of having my nifty Flip Video on hand)

I had the pleasure of being interviewed last night by Pam Slim of the popular Escape from Cubicle Nation Blog, for her podcast.

Our topic? - our mutual interest in creating a context of both sober reality and follow-your-dream hope, for aspiring entrepreneurs.

No falling for the hype-filled promise of overnight riches with just you, an untested business idea and an internet connection!

Slow and steady seems to do the trick, in my experience. And it's not what I anticipated would happen at the beginning.

Having shared my story of how long it took me to make an income comparable to the one I had brought in as a physician, I talked to Pam about the journey, and what I had learned about myself and from my clients' experiences along the way.

Listen here to the podcast (it's about 38 minutes) -- and discover what lessons may apply. And then please share your thoughts in the Comment section, especially if you are a seasoned physician entrepreneur with a story.

"Get Slightly Famous" author Steven Van Yoder recently interviewed me for his January monthly podcast. Steve's book has been a terrific resource for me, and consequently my clients - it's one of my highly recommended readings for any entrepreneur who is well-placed to position him- or herself as an Expert Thought Leader. So I was truly honored to be a guest of the Get Slightly Famous Podcast!

If you have 23 minutes, listen closely for tactics you might be able to adapt for your own use -- ways to attract the target market patients, clients or customers you need for your business to be successful. At least, it's my take on what is needed -- and what's keeping me busy as I adhere to my Marketing Plan!

Hey, all you entrepreneurial physicians -- we're coming out of the closet. We were featured in yesterday's online issue of Entrepreneur.com! 

In "What's Up With These Docs?" (with the cute subtitle "These former doctors found the best treatment was to take two aspirin and start a business in the morning"), writer Geoff Williams has profiled three physicians who have stepped away partly or wholly from medical practice and founded businesses of their own -- much like many of the physicians I have interviewed for my Conversations with Trailblazers series.

A podiatrist with a knitting shop, an ER doctor with his own consulting firm that deals in crisis management and another ER physician whose company creates software to help simplify decision-making for financial, government, manufacturing, insurance and medical businesses -- it is no surprise that smart, well-educated physicians have come up with such an array of businesses in which to find fulfillment and their creative outlets.

As a physician entrepreneur and a coach who specializes in helping physicians like these become successful in their businesses or practices, I enjoyed seeing The Entrepreneurial MD referenced in the article as well.

PS:

This exposure for The Entrepreneurial MD follows perfectly on the heels of a hugely subscribed teleclass yesterday with Melanie Rembrandt of Rembrandt Communications, in which she discussed low-cost ways to get the attention of and acknowledgement by your target market and the Media through the use of Public Relations.

Because of the level of interest so many of you expressed by signing up, I'll be dedicating at least one blog post a week over the next few weeks to marketing. In all the coaching work I do, this is surely one of the most challenging aspect of running a business for many physicians. I want to help make it easier for you!

A couple of weekends ago, I drove 20 miles with an excited fluttery feeling in my stomach - I was about to meet the three other members of my Mastermind group in person, together for the first time. We'd spent close on four years meeting monthly by phone to support each other's professional development, business goals and personal dreams. Circumstances, including a conference in Southern California had brought us close enough geographically, to arrange the in-person meeting.

It's hard to describe the sensation of sitting in close proximity to people who, until then, had been bodiless yet familiar voices ... very strange and very comforting. Here we are in the picture .... from left to right -- Kernan Manion MD, Sara Miller PhD, me, and Betty Till CPCC -- 4 coaches, all trained and geared to support physicians' professional development in various ways.

I share this anecdote and recent memory with you as a way to introduce The Entrepreneurial MD's inaugural Mastermind Circle that is set to begin meeting in early December.

Would you like to belong to a group of your peers who are focused on getting results in business or practice-building?

Do you need to get a fire lit under you, to begin taking actions to start or grow your business or practice?

I've written previously about Mastermind groups and the value they contribute to entrepreneurs' lives. Are you looking for the right one to join? 

We already have five Circle members signed up, with a goal of eight for the first group. Here's who we are looking for, to complete the Circle:

• physicians or healthcare professionals who are running, or plan to run, their own practices or businesses
• physicians or healthcare professionals who are totally committed to producing results in their practice or business
• physicians or healthcare professionals who want to dramatically improve their productivity
• physicians or healthcare professionals who want to clarify their thoughts and ideas, and develop greater focus
• physicians or healthcare professionals who enjoy collaborating, sharing, and asking for resources and feedback in a "mini community" that is dedicated to each person's success.

I'll be your coach and facilitator, providing expertise, resources and provocation! Come join us if this feels right for you.