AJ: Hey everybody. Welcome. We are so excited to have you today. It’s [00:01:55] not every day that I get to interview someone that I [00:02:00] know, like, and admire. Uh, I get to know Dr. Mina [00:02:05] and her brand, and her business and her mission. I’ve gotten the privilege of getting to [00:02:10] sit in the audience to hear her speak. And I’m so excited to introduce her to [00:02:15] all of you today. Now, for all of those of you who are listening or watching, uh, [00:02:20] who her Face is new to you, or Dr. Mina, her name is new to you, uh, Dr. [00:02:25] Mina, I really would love for everyone to kind of get to know you a little bit and you have [00:02:30] kind of a unique journey and in my opinion, of what a [00:02:35] typical physician an MD, would go through Harvard trained physician to top podcaster [00:02:40] and entrepreneur. So can you tell our audience a little bit about your [00:02:45] story and behind the, the skin reel and also just this whole concept of [00:02:50] bringing humanity back into medicine. Dr. Mina: Oh my gosh. Thank you so much AJ, for [00:02:55] having me on. Uh, you and Rory and Brand Builders has really been instrumental in my [00:03:00] journey, so really thrilled to be here. And I think this is such an important, important [00:03:05] topic and that’s why I wanted to talk about it. So, yeah, I don’t, I guess I don’t like to do anything the [00:03:10] traditional way prior to being a. I was a ballet dancer, and then I decided I [00:03:15] wasn’t a very good ballet dancer. Why don’t I go to medical school? And everything was going [00:03:20] chugging along great. I was hitting all my goals. Go to med school, become a [00:03:25] dermatologist, become a MO surgeon. Have my own practice, become a partner. [00:03:30] Until 2020. And in 2020 A something, uh, pretty [00:03:35] big happened in my life. I turned 40. Now I know you were thinking [00:03:40] COVID happened and Yeah, so it’s like a double whammy, but I turned 40 [00:03:45] and I’m sitting at home. I’m not able to see my patients. I’m, I’m [00:03:50] stressed out because my, my income relies on seeing patients. [00:03:55] I have no idea what’s, you know, we all had no idea what was going on and I, I didn’t have [00:04:00] like a way to pivot into, to something else, and it really just. Flipped [00:04:05] everything upside down and it made me rethink, okay, I’m, I’m mid-career. I love what I [00:04:10] do, but what happens when I can’t physically see patients? What [00:04:15] happens when the pandemic happens? Um, you know, if there’s another pandemic, um, or [00:04:20] I become disabled. And I, I also was having a lot of questions for [00:04:25] myself like. I didn’t look like who I thought I should look like at 40. I [00:04:30] didn’t recognize the person looking back at me and I realized these bad habits that I had been kind [00:04:35] of pushing under the rug. They didn’t seem like that big a deal, you know, by the time 10 years [00:04:40] later, um, I wasn’t the healthy version of myself. I wanted to be. [00:04:45] All of that made me, uh, really dive into podcasts, into kind of a, a [00:04:50] self learning journey. And I realized I can help people as [00:04:55] a doctor outside of my clinic walls. And that is really what drove me to [00:05:00] start the podcast, the Skin Reel, because I knew people like me, women my age, ’cause all my friends [00:05:05] were asking me like, what’s going on with my skin? Why does my face, you know, all of a sudden, [00:05:10] uh, wrinkle like this? And I. Was disappointed with the information out there. [00:05:15] So it wa it was, uh, just kind of a journey for me to realize I can help my patients beyond [00:05:20] my clinic walls and, and there was a need for a physician, a [00:05:25] dermatologist, to be giving skin information to the public and yeah, so [00:05:30] that’s how it started. AJ: I love this because I feel like every [00:05:35] great business, every great story, every successful brand starts with a [00:05:40] story like this. It’s, you know, I didn’t like the information that was [00:05:45] out there and all my friends were asking, and I was asking, and I was looking in the mirror and I’m like, [00:05:50] why isn’t there something more, why? Like, why isn’t someone doing something about this? [00:05:55] And then you realize, oh, not for me to do Dr. Mina: exactly. [00:06:00] Someone should change this. AJ: And I love that when people take on the [00:06:05] responsibility of going, I’m not gonna wait on someone else to do it. I’m gonna do it. Right. [00:06:10] Uh, that’s, that’s my calling, that’s my thing. That’s what I can do. And what I [00:06:15] love about this particular conversation and why I wanted you to come on the show is [00:06:20] we work with a ton of physicians, MDs, uh, chiropractors, dentists, [00:06:25] but we, we work with a ton of people in the medical field, at Brand Builders Group [00:06:30] and at our sister company, mission Driven Press. We’ve had the privilege to work on a lot of books and a lot of [00:06:35] different, uh, brands behind the scenes. That have this real [00:06:40] unique expertise in the medical field, but yet the larger, [00:06:45] broader, efficient, uh, physician community isn’t [00:06:50] really delving into this, uh, uh, what I would say in more [00:06:55] mass appeal. And there’s a, what, how dare I say, I, um.[00:07:00] I think a medical crisis. Yeah. In the United States, in my opinion, [00:07:05] and the trustworthiness of doctors is going down, down, down, [00:07:10] and the, the information that’s on the internet. It’s bogus. Right? [00:07:15] But yet that is what people are listening to because of an influencer, someone they quote [00:07:20] unquote trust versus someone who really should, should be the [00:07:25] voice of this educational information of all of this. And, and they’re not, they’re kind of just [00:07:30] being quiet, just handling patients in their office. Yeah. And it makes me mad to be honest, [00:07:35] because. We’re going, can someone please tell us what, what we should actually know? Can [00:07:40] somebody give us real answers versus going after fad, after fad, after fad. I could go [00:07:45] on a very long tangent about this, but I’m not Yeah. Um, but I, I wanna know, like [00:07:50] you really have embraced this concept of like, no, I’m gonna build my personal brand. I’m gonna [00:07:55] put truth out there. I’m gonna answer the questions that people are asking for, whether they’re in my practice coming through [00:08:00] my doors or not. Dr. Mina: Yeah. AJ: Why did you do that, and what would you [00:08:05] say to the entire, you know, physician community out in the US of like, why [00:08:10] should they do it too? Dr. Mina: Yeah, I mean, so many great points in there. And you’re right, we’re in a [00:08:15] crisis right now in healthcare and patients are suffering. And healthcare [00:08:20] workers, doctors, uh, you know, I can only, I’m, I’m a doctor, so I’ll speak for doctors, but I know the nurses are [00:08:25] suffering. I know the people in the hospitals are suffering ever since COVID, right? We’ve lost autonomy. [00:08:30] There is a loss of trust. Um, it used to be right, like you put on a white coat, you’re the doctor, you’re [00:08:35] gonna do, as I say, very. Paternalistic. And, and so I think physicians were like, well, [00:08:40] why would I, why would I need to put myself out there? And in fact, um, it was really [00:08:45] frowned upon to put yourself out there, at least when I was training about 15 years ago. If I had told people, oh, I’m gonna [00:08:50] do an Instagram account, um, I’d be told, oh, don’t do that. You know, people wouldn’t take [00:08:55] you seriously. And I have to admit, when I started my podcast, I’m kind of embarrassed to say this. [00:09:00] I had no problem telling. The world that I was doing it, I was [00:09:05] so embarrassed to tell my partner, for my staff to know, for my immediate [00:09:10] community to know, because I was afraid they were gonna look at me like, who do you think [00:09:15] you are? Are you trying to be an influencer? Uh, why isn’t this good enough for you what [00:09:20] you have? So even though I was okay pub, you know. Doing this podcast to the [00:09:25] world within my community that knew me. I was, I was kind of embarrassed. And it’s taken me a [00:09:30] couple years to get over that and to be like, you know what, I’m, I’m putting out good information. And [00:09:35] I feel like, you know, I’m a part of this community of a lot of physician entrepreneurs, so I kind of [00:09:40] feel like, oh yeah, we’re all doing it. And then I go and I, I talk with like the rest of the physician community and they’re kind of [00:09:45] like, wait, you’re doing what? I do feel so strongly that [00:09:50] this is what we need to do more than ever, and I love how, uh, you and.[00:09:55] Excuse me. I love how you and Rory talk about, uh, you have a personal brand. This isn’t a [00:10:00] question of, Hmm, should I get a personal brand? If you’re a doctor, you have a personal [00:10:05] brand, you’re just not creating it. Other people are the Yelp reviews, the Google reviews, the [00:10:10] administrators, your hospital system, whoever employees you, whatever they’re [00:10:15] creating your personal brand. If, um, if you are not actively curating it, [00:10:20] so. I would just encourage physicians, you know, during this time where we do feel like [00:10:25] we’ve lost autonomy, um, medicine is not what it used to be. We’re having to [00:10:30] dispel a lot of misinformation. You know what? Turn on your webcam and [00:10:35] record, record a five minute, 10 minute teaching piece. Put it [00:10:40] out there. It’s gonna be scary at first. And, and, and see it as I’m helping [00:10:45] patients, right? It’s not like, oh, I wanna be. I wanna be Instagram famous and a [00:10:50] star, right? Like come from a place of service, which is what, as physicians, we all why [00:10:55] we all went into medicine. AJ: You know? I love that you say that because as you were [00:11:00] talking I was reflecting back on where did I find my [00:11:05] current groupings of doctors. Uh, I was thinking about my dentist, [00:11:10] my chiropractor, my, you know, md like my, you know, general [00:11:15] practitioner. And as I was like listening to you talk, I just like, literally gut checked [00:11:20] myself because 10 years ago I would’ve found most of my doctors, [00:11:25] um, through insurance. Dr. Mina: Yeah. AJ: I would’ve been like, who takes my insurance? [00:11:30] And personally, uh, we cut insurance out of our family three years ago. [00:11:35] Amen. I’m like, [00:11:40] I’m gonna go where I wanna go, who I wanna see. Right. And a lot of that shifted. It’s like our current, you know, we [00:11:45] have a, a concierge doctor and I heard him speak. Wow. And he [00:11:50] was speaking to my EO group and I’m like, I wanna learn more about what you do.[00:11:55] And it was because there was this relationship built. And I think he does just as much [00:12:00] speaking as he sees patients at this day. And he’s built up, you know, other physicians in his practice. But it [00:12:05] was, I found him because he came to speak to my EO group about longevity. And [00:12:10] it was about proactive, not reactive. It’s like, what can you do now? And there was [00:12:15] something in there that resonated. I’m like, yeah, yeah, why isn’t my current doctor talking about that? And we [00:12:20] left and then we left insurance and went to this concierge doctor. And then I think about, [00:12:25] uh, my dentist, uh, and it’s like, I’m pretty sure the first time I heard about him.[00:12:30] Was at a conference that he was also a speaker at, but then he’s on every [00:12:35] page of every magazine in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s like a celebrity dentist here in Nashville, [00:12:40] probably also around the country. But it was this. Unbelievable [00:12:45] amount of reputation and trust that had been built up through books and [00:12:50] speaking and podcasting and interviews and magazines. And it was like I couldn’t go [00:12:55] anywhere without seeing his face or his name. And that is [00:13:00] how most of my friends find their practitioners today. Right? It’s [00:13:05] through who are they learning from? Dr. Mina: Right. And I, I love how you said, you know, 10 years ago, [00:13:10] right? You, you would’ve found ’em through insurance. But patients are wisening up. They’re [00:13:15] realizing this whole thing is a racket, it’s a mess, right? You are paying every year [00:13:20] more and more for your premiums and deductibles, and you’re getting less. And less. [00:13:25] And, and so I’ll have patients too where I ask him, how’d you find me? And um, you know, it’s [00:13:30] ai, oh, it’s the mom’s Facebook group they’re a part of. And, and they at recommend [00:13:35] people. My business partner just saw someone who found him on TikTok, and my partner is [00:13:40] in his sixties, and he said, well, I’m not on TikTok. And he said, well. They were posting about [00:13:45] you on TikTok and, and it was good. So you don’t know where these things are gonna come [00:13:50] from, but why not be the one putting out that information and, and [00:13:55] education, and I see this as this is a free resource for people. It is. So hard to [00:14:00] find a dermatologist. I get it right. There are long, long waits and so at [00:14:05] least I can put out this free content for people to learn and, and hopefully [00:14:10] get some value. And if they wanna become a patient, then they can, but. I, [00:14:15] I do. You’re so right, like this whole landscape of healthcare is changing. [00:14:20] Patients want to be more proactive. Doctors. We wanna be more, more proactive, right? Like, [00:14:25] it’s not that we don’t wanna discuss these things, we just feel like we have constraints, but it’s [00:14:30] time that we, we stop making excuses, right? I used to think, oh, healthcare will get [00:14:35] better. Someone’s gonna fix it. Congress will fix it. It’ll, it’ll turn around. And, and [00:14:40] now I’ve realized 15 years later. It’s not gonna change. The only thing that’s [00:14:45] gonna change is what I do, what I’m willing to accept, and how I’m gonna practice. And [00:14:50] so I would, you know, any physicians listening or, or healthcare workers, like, don’t feel like you don’t [00:14:55] have the power. Uh, it can feel like helpless at times, but you can [00:15:00] change how you decide to practice and how you educate patients. And that may be on a [00:15:05] stage. AJ: I love that because yeah, it’s like, I mean, how many times am I actually [00:15:10] showing up in the office? Like I go to a dermatologist every single [00:15:15] year. Right. But I go typically once a year. Right, right. And that’s just for like, you know, skin [00:15:20] health. But I go see my MD maybe twice a year. I see my dentist twice a year. It’s like. It’s [00:15:25] pro. I probably need some stuff in between, but I’m not likely gonna pick up the phone and call the [00:15:30] office. Um, so how am I gonna stay up to date and knowing should I come in a little more [00:15:35] often? Did I notice something that maybe I should be looking at? That’s because you’re educating [00:15:40] us outside of the four walls of the office. I have, I have a question about this [00:15:45] because I think, you know, this is an interesting thing and I, I think it’s fascinating for to hear you admit [00:15:50] that, you know, five years ago, in 2020 when you were starting on this journey, you were kind of like, uh, I’m [00:15:55] not gonna tell anyone enough. I’m doing this. Like, I’ll tell everyone else. [00:16:00] Exactly. Yep. What, what are some of the misconceptions that doctors or other high [00:16:05] achieving, you know, certain professionals, what do you think are some of the misconceptions they have [00:16:10] about personal branding? Dr. Mina: I, I think the biggest one, and, and this is for [00:16:15] I can speak for doctors, is, is maybe a little arrogance. Like, well, I’m a, I’m a doctor. Of [00:16:20] course they’re gonna come see me. I trained at Harvard, I trained at the top programs, and [00:16:25] I’ll tell you, when I was looking for a job, that’s when it first hit me. Like, oh, I thought people were [00:16:30] gonna be falling all over to get me to come work with him. They were not. And so [00:16:35] I, I think it’s a little bit of this arrogance, like, oh, look at my credentials, look at my [00:16:40] training. I’ve given all these talks at these academic meetings. I have, you know, 30 plus [00:16:45] publications, but. Patients don’t know that regular, the public [00:16:50] doesn’t know that, and that’s not really what they care about, right? They want someone who is [00:16:55] approachable, someone they know, like, and trust, really. Right? Someone who they feel like, well listen to them. They [00:17:00] don’t care if I was, you know, top 10% of my class, right? [00:17:05] So it’s this changing now, maybe 30 years ago, maybe that is what people cared [00:17:10] about, but it’s not what they care about nowadays. They really want to know, like, and trust you. They can [00:17:15] get the information anywhere they want someone who can help put it together in a [00:17:20] unique in. In a unique way that kind of meshes with them. I’m not gonna be everyone’s [00:17:25] dermatologist. They’re not gonna always like my approach to things. I, I, you know, someone might be [00:17:30] more of a maximalist and they want someone with a different approach or more of a, a [00:17:35] masculine approach. I don’t know. Whatever it can be. So, um, you just need to present the [00:17:40] information in your unique way so that people who are your people can [00:17:45] find you and they will. AJ: Yeah, I love that. ’cause I think that’s such a great, that’s such a [00:17:50] great reminder, not just for, you know, physicians, but for anyone in business. We, I [00:17:55] think sometimes we all have the misconception of I will build it and they will come. Yes. [00:18:00] They don’t, they didn’t come. They didn’t come. They [00:18:05] don’t come. It’s like, no, you have to build it and then you have to go tell everyone that you built it Right. [00:18:10] You know, it’s like we have this, uh, quote in our new book, wealthy and Well Known [00:18:15] that says, marketing is art. There is the art of [00:18:20] what you do, but then there’s the art of telling people that it exists. Dr. Mina: [00:18:25] Yeah. AJ: And a lot of us are really good about the art of what we do. ’cause that’s what you went to [00:18:30] school for. That’s where you spend all your time, money, energy, and resources. And we forget now. [00:18:35] We actually have to go tell people that this exists. I am here and here’s what we do and [00:18:40] here’s how we do it and here’s how we’re different. It’s like we actually have to market our art. [00:18:45] Right? Yeah. And that’s a good reminder no matter what business you’re in. Um, I just, [00:18:50] I personally feel like in the middle community, that just doesn’t happen [00:18:55] near enough. Dr. Mina: No. AJ: I have to do so much research on my own to figure out where [00:19:00] to go and who’s good and the amount of people I get referred from. And it’s like kind of exhausting. [00:19:05] Dr. Mina: Yeah, AJ: it would be so much better for us as consumers, the end users, [00:19:10] for you to help us find you, right? So for whatever it’s worth, [00:19:15] for anyone who’s listening in the medical community, uh, it really [00:19:20] is hard because there’s so much to filter through. If you were [00:19:25] more present, you would be so much more findable for your right [00:19:30] audience. Right. And that goes both ways, right? Um, okay. So, Dr. Mina, here’s my next [00:19:35] question. Now, you know, not to say this is true for everyone, but I do feel like [00:19:40] in the medical world, the medical community, uh, people tend [00:19:45] to, you know, have long tenured careers. Okay? So for [00:19:50] someone who feels like maybe their season of influence has passed. Right. Maybe they’re [00:19:55] like, well, I’ve been doing this too long. Uh, I can’t start doing that now. Or, you [00:20:00] know, things are just too different now. Whatever they might be saying, right. [00:20:05] This whole, I’m too late. Yeah. It’s too late for me to build a personal [00:20:10] brand, to start a podcast, to write a book, to go out and speak, like it’s just too late for me.[00:20:15] What would you say to them? Dr. Mina: Oh my gosh. Well, I, I’ll say I, I feel that way sometimes. I’ll [00:20:20] say, Ugh, I’m too old to start an Instagram account. I, I’m too old to get on [00:20:25] TikTok. My son, my children tell me, mom, you’re too old to get on TikTok, so that doesn’t help. [00:20:30] Um, I had those feelings too, like, oh, who am I at 40? Trying [00:20:35] to, you know, totally steer the ship in a different direction. Right. Our patients [00:20:40] need this. And one thing, I mean, I have content for days. I will never run outta content [00:20:45] because every time I see a patient or someone dms me a question, or the grocery store [00:20:50] checkout lady is, finds out I’m a dermatologist and asks me a question like, that’s my content, that’s [00:20:55] what people wanna know. And I think too, as, as you know, whatever you do when [00:21:00] you’re at sort of the top of your, um, career, um, you think, oh, everyone already [00:21:05] knows that, right? Oh, everyone already knows this is important. But they don’t. [00:21:10] You know it because you talk about it all the time and do it. So I think that’s hard for people [00:21:15] to, they think, oh, but this has already been done. Everyone knows it. Another one I felt was I [00:21:20] see all these like 30-year-old dermatologists who kind of grew up with. [00:21:25] Social media, Instagram, they have, you know, hundreds of thousands if not [00:21:30] millions of followers. And I think I can’t, I can’t do that. And I also don’t really wanna do that, [00:21:35] which is fine, that you don’t have to be, you know, like you guys say, right? And [00:21:40] brand builders, you don’t have to go wide, go deep, right? And the people. We’ll find [00:21:45] you no matter how old you are. I mean, I actually, some of my favorite people to follow, there’s a [00:21:50] neurosurgeon who I think is probably in his sixties, and he’s like, he’s like a dad figure [00:21:55] and he’s, I just love his content. He’s not, he’s not doing all the marketing [00:22:00] gimmicks and things to get people to watch and all that, but he has a huge following. So there, there are. There’s [00:22:05] someone, there’s an audience for you. You just have to put yourself out there. And it is [00:22:10] scary, I admit, but just do it because it’s so rewarding [00:22:15] when I, someone comes up to me and says, I heard your, your podcast, you’re Dr. Mina, [00:22:20] right? I’m not even that big. Right? But they’ll say that, really, I, I listen to that podcast and it really [00:22:25] resonated with me. Um, or when I’m seeing a patient, I can say, you know what? We haven’t really had a [00:22:30] lot of time to discuss this, but here’s a video that you can go watch at your leisure [00:22:35] that goes into it in more detail. So love that. Again, coming at it from, you’re, you’re [00:22:40] helping patients. We’re not doing this to become TikTok famous multimillion dollar [00:22:45] stars or whatever. And, and not even to quit medicine, right? It’s just another [00:22:50] way to, um, to attract your, the patients that you wanna [00:22:55] see and the people you wanna help take care of. AJ: Yeah. It’s like, you know. Hopefully for [00:23:00] most people in the medical community, they got into medicine ’cause they did wanna help people. [00:23:05] Right, right. Yeah. And it’s like, this is a way to do that. Dr. Mina: Exactly. It’s a, it’s a new way to think [00:23:10] though, because medicine, right? Like we are just entrenched in these traditions. We are slow [00:23:15] to innovate. We wanna see all this data. Uh, and, and again, it’s. It is [00:23:20] changing, but, um, it’s not changing fast enough and we’ve allowed other people to have [00:23:25] a loud voice out there, and we’re sort of hiding behind our white coats in our clinic [00:23:30] and, and not putting ourselves out there. So my, my hope is over the next [00:23:35] 5, 10, 15, 20 years, like this whole landscape changes and almost every [00:23:40] doctor, if not every doctor has a YouTube channel where they give education or, or some sort of [00:23:45] platform that they use to engage with their patients and, and. The public. AJ: [00:23:50] Yeah, I love that. Now, you said something, um, a minute ago that I don’t want to [00:23:55] wash over ’cause it’s significant. And for people who are listening, I just don’t want them to [00:24:00] think, oh well that’s just what she does now. This is what you should do. You said, I have content [00:24:05] for days. Yes. I’ll ever run outta content. Every question I get, every dm, [00:24:10] every you know, person who’s checking me out at the grocery line, every, you know, whatever. Can [00:24:15] you just talk a little bit about. That a little bit more in depth. ’cause I think a lot of people [00:24:20] do have that, you know, kind of fear of, well, I don’t have anything to say. What would I [00:24:25] talk about? Yeah. Or the, what you ever said. Well, the other thing you said, which is, well, everyone already [00:24:30] knows that. It’s like, yeah, no, everyone you know knows that. Exactly. Right. [00:24:35] So talk a little bit about how you create your content and what you [00:24:40] mean by Every question I get is my content. Dr. Mina: Yeah. So, uh, I [00:24:45] think we overthink it, right? We think, um, it has to be super complicated. It can’t [00:24:50] just be, do I need sunscreen on cloudy days? You know? Um, so I would say if you [00:24:55] don’t, if you don’t think you have content, like, um, keep a journal throughout the [00:25:00] day of, you know, if you don’t wanna write, like get one of those. Uh, we’re voice recorders that just [00:25:05] records you throughout the day and plug it into AI and say, Hey, uh, what were 50 questions, [00:25:10] you know, that I discussed today? You’d be, you’ll be amazed, right? I think we just, we just see it so [00:25:15] routinely. But, um, sometimes I’ll invite dermatologists on my podcast and they’re like, oh, I have nothing to [00:25:20] talk about. I’m like, what do you mean you have nothing to talk about? And I’ll just tell ’em. I say, well, what [00:25:25] do you find yourself saying over and over and over again to your patients [00:25:30] or, or your friends who are texting you, Hey, do I really need this or that? So I think we overthink [00:25:35] it. We think it has to be these really deep, complex questions, but that’s not really, really people [00:25:40] want, they wanna know. What order do I put my skincare products in? Right. And you may be like, [00:25:45] oh, it’s, it’s so obvious, but it’s not right. And, um, so that, that’s your [00:25:50] content. We just need to be aware. We need to, um. Not just like, go through our day [00:25:55] and, and like, just ’cause it’s like, oh, here I go, I’m gonna give my spiel about sunscreen. You know, like, actually take the [00:26:00] time to be like, oh, that was a question someone asked me. And I, I really think use one of those voice [00:26:05] recorders because AI will tell you, they will tell you the, the 50 things you talked about with [00:26:10] your patients and, and give you questions, um, or give you content ideas if you’re struggling. [00:26:15] But I think if you really just. Take a step back in your day instead of just [00:26:20] going through the motions, you’ll realize you have content everywhere. In fact, I have too much [00:26:25] content. I forget. I’m like, oh man, I wanted to do a video on that. Or I forgot that. So I have the opposite [00:26:30] problem. Like it’s, I don’t have enough time to record all the things I wanna record. AJ: Yeah, I [00:26:35] would just like to what you’re saying, like I would encourage, for anyone who’s listening, who is a [00:26:40] physician too. Just spend a few minutes on Instagram or YouTube or [00:26:45] Or or on TikTok. Yeah. And look at all the false information out there. Right? Like what if you [00:26:50] just did that and said, you know what? I saw something today that wasn’t quite accurate. [00:26:55] I’d love to put the medical perspective, the real perspective behind [00:27:00] this. Yeah. That’s one thing that I do with all my FRA doctors. Yeah. All these. [00:27:05] Tips, trends, you know, whatever that are happening online. I’m like sending them like, [00:27:10] can you verify this? Like just real, I saw a video the other day just [00:27:15] because you know, you’re a dermatologist. Maybe you can speak to this where. This guy was [00:27:20] making this whole thing about like all the natural homeopathic things that you can [00:27:25] do if you don’t want to have fillers or Botox or do whatever. And he [00:27:30] said if you wash your face in ice cold water every [00:27:35] day, it’ll have the same impacts as Botox. And it’s like, [00:27:40] I wish, trust me, I would have a bowl of ice water right here, [00:27:45] aj. I literally like, I’m gonna put like ice in, like what am I gonna, what? How you thinking am I doing? [00:27:50] And so I’m like sending this to all my friends and they’re like, who? Who said this? Where did we find [00:27:55] this? So again, I would just encourage, like if you think. You [00:28:00] don’t have anything to talk about, just go watch. Yeah. Refuse and go, [00:28:05] let’s, uh, let’s talk about the science behind this. Right? Let’s talk about, you [00:28:10] know, so I just, you know, to what you were saying, Dr. Mina, it’s like there’s content for days, [00:28:15] especially when there’s so much false information out there. Yes. Or opposing [00:28:20] information. And you know, a lot of people are buying into that because [00:28:25] somebody who has the real truth and the real answers just isn’t out there. Dr. Mina: [00:28:30] Exactly, AJ: and I think that’s like, why I appreciate you and what you do so much is [00:28:35] you, you answered the call. Yeah, it’s, I’m not gonna wait for someone else to fix this. I’m not gonna wait for someone [00:28:40] else to do it. I have this experience, I have this knowledge, I have this expertise. [00:28:45] I believe that people in the medical field have a responsibility to help [00:28:50] reeducate the public when there’s a whole bunch of false junk out there. So I [00:28:55] just, I love you for just being like, no, I answered the call. I didn’t wait on someone else. Dr. Mina: [00:29:00] Yeah. I, I think this is where, this is the future, right? Um, [00:29:05] there’s not enough doctors to see everyone. There’s so much, it’s so easy to spread information, [00:29:10] including misinformation. So, um, I know it feels weird for physicians to think about doing this, but [00:29:15] this really, uh, otherwise you’re gonna be the world’s best kept secret, and, and that’s no good either, right? AJ: If [00:29:20] that doesn’t help anyone. So on that note, I have two quick questions. I know that well, actually I [00:29:25] lied. I have like three quick questions. Um, but I think this one is, uh, this one is [00:29:30] interesting ’cause you’ve been featured in a lot of well-known me media, right? [00:29:35] People, wall Street Journal, glamor. Um, there’s a lot of mainstream media that [00:29:40] you’ve been featured in and I’d just like for you to speak to just for a moment, like, how can building a personal [00:29:45] brand create opportunities beyond just the immediate career field? Dr. Mina: Oh [00:29:50] yeah. I, and, and I think especially nowadays, there’s so much physician burnout [00:29:55] out there. We feel like we’ve, we’ve done all this training, we’ve spent all this money, and now we’re, [00:30:00] we’re just like a cog in the wheel of this dysfunctional healthcare system. And so [00:30:05] burnout’s a very real thing. And what I love about cultivating your personal brand, it’s again, you are [00:30:10] taking ownership. I can’t fix insurance. Single-handedly, but I can change how I’m [00:30:15] gonna show up and what I’m gonna do. And, and I just find that so empowering, [00:30:20] especially nowadays. So whether you’re employed, own your own practice, whatever, you can all have a personal [00:30:25] brand and the opportunities that it affords is really remarkable. I, [00:30:30] um, yeah, I’ve been quoted in a lot of pieces. People approach me, I get approached all the time about [00:30:35] brand deals, which I wanna be really selective. If I’m gonna put my name behind something, it’s something that [00:30:40] I really. Use, I recommend I’ve already talked about it. Um, because again, [00:30:45] I, and I do think as physicians, we, we do need to be careful about that. Don’t just take everything that [00:30:50] comes your way, really vet it, screen it and make sure it’s something you believe in. Because [00:30:55] people, um, I feel like that is one way to lose your credibility, right? But. [00:31:00] Lots of opportunities can come, come, speak at this event. Um, I really wanna [00:31:05] focus on women in midlife, basically me who are going through, who are, are [00:31:10] noticing changes and maybe feeling, uh, irrelevant. Like, I’m invisible now. I’m, I’m, [00:31:15] I’m past my prime. And helping them see, wait a minute, you’re not. Just, and, and [00:31:20] how can you still be healthy and beautiful and have beautiful skin and, and really [00:31:25] taking an inside out approach. So that’s really sort of like my platform. Those are the people I wanna speak to [00:31:30] and, and help. And it’s amazing how many opportunities will find you [00:31:35] when you start putting your name out there. And you’re not gonna say yes to all of them, but. It just [00:31:40] takes like that one connection, that one person that you meet, and who knows, [00:31:45] like, next I’ll be writing a book. Right. You know, all these, all these amazing things that can [00:31:50] come from just turning on your camera and helping people. And, and that’s really [00:31:55] like, we’re physicians. We go into medicine to help people. So this is just sort of like [00:32:00] Doctor 2.0. Like it’s just the new, the new era. AJ: Yeah, I love [00:32:05] that. And I think that’s so true. It’s, uh, people are looking for truth in [00:32:10] all different, you know, facets of life and medicine and healthcare is.[00:32:15] Definitely one where we’re all seeking of like, right, what should I do? This person says this [00:32:20] and that person says that. Um, and then it’s like creating your own brand around like, this is my [00:32:25] take, right? This is my mission in the field. Um, and that does attract different things. [00:32:30] It’s not gonna be for everyone, but yeah, find your thing. And it does start to attract some of that. Now, [00:32:35] we mentioned insurance earlier, and I had this as a side note. I wanna come back to it for a second because [00:32:40] I think there’s a love hate relationship with insurance, uh, for a lot of us. [00:32:45] Um. I think this is an interesting question, and this is a question that you [00:32:50] brought up and I wanna kind of like retack this. Again, for those who are listening. [00:32:55] In your opinion, how does building a personal brand give doctors back [00:33:00] control when they feel powerless against insurance companies [00:33:05] and big, large administrators? Dr. Mina: Yeah, so again, it, it gives [00:33:10] you options. Um, so for instance, I, I have two practices now. I have one [00:33:15] where I do take insurance. I tend to do more surgery and I have a lot of Medicare patients who are [00:33:20] older and, um, and, and I love, I love that. Patient [00:33:25] population. I really love what I do, but I can’t really talk about preventative and longevity and [00:33:30] regenerative options for skincare in these short visits. So I realized I really need [00:33:35] to have something else where people can find me and come see me. And so that’s why I also have [00:33:40] a, you know, outta network, uh, direct specialty care practice where [00:33:45] people, if I align with them, um, and they wanna spend, really the goal is to have [00:33:50] sort of a 12 month. Or more experience with me. Where we really [00:33:55] delve into all that is skincare, not just topicals or [00:34:00] procedures like kind of skin health holistically. And, and so that’s [00:34:05] where I’m able to really take the time with these patients who, um, go over [00:34:10] nutrition, exercise, like all of the things that go into healthy skin. I [00:34:15] think too often we think it’s just what products you put on and, and I wouldn’t have been able to [00:34:20] do that if I didn’t already have a voice out there and a personal [00:34:25] brand that people knew and resonated with. ’cause otherwise I’d, I’d open up that shop, think [00:34:30] everyone’s gonna come hang my shingle and crickets, right? Like people have to know me. They have [00:34:35] to. Trust me. And, and that’s another thing I love when patients come in and they [00:34:40] say, I feel like I already know you because they’ve, they’ve watched me, they’ve followed [00:34:45] me, they’ve heard my podcast, they know my personality. They know, uh, sort of what I’m [00:34:50] like, you know, they know my kids’ names or my husband’s name. So to me that just makes [00:34:55] the relationship more special because they already know me. They’re already invested [00:35:00] in, in working with me. And, um, it’s just super fulfilling and, and that helps. [00:35:05] With the burnout where I don’t feel like a cog in the wheel now because I have [00:35:10] options. And, um, so I’m, I, I understand there is a role for insurance. [00:35:15] Not everyone’s able or willing to give up insurance completely. And I do think it [00:35:20] has a role for, um, you know, very, uh, you know. Expensive surgeries, [00:35:25] chemotherapy, cancer, catastrophic stuff, but it’s like, um, you know, [00:35:30] car insurance or home homeowner’s insurance. Right? You don’t, you don’t use that for your oil [00:35:35] change, right? You save it for, you know, the wreck if it happens. And I do think people [00:35:40] are starting to realize like, wait a minute, I’m paying all this money for interns. I’m not getting what I want in [00:35:45] return. I’m told who I can and can’t see. And, um, so I think it’s. Patients are [00:35:50] realizing this and physicians are realizing like, wait a minute, uh, I don’t have to accept this. I [00:35:55] can do this better. I can serve my patients in a better way. And so that’s why I’m, I’m [00:36:00] kind of playing the fence. I’m doing both sides, but, um, in different ways. AJ: Yeah. But you [00:36:05] know, you said something that I think is really powerful. It’s like you said, I love it when patients come [00:36:10] in and go, I feel like I already know you. And that’s a sign of like, people are opting [00:36:15] in to your practice, they’re opted in to your methodology, they’ve opted into your [00:36:20] way of doing things. So there isn’t like this, I have to convince you, uh, or are you gonna have [00:36:25] to educate you like you’ve already done the education? That’s why they’re there. Like that’s a pretty [00:36:30] powerful thing when someone goes, Hey, no, I’m here because I feel like I already know you. I already have [00:36:35] a level of trust I’ve already learned from you. So they’re not coming in as a. I don’t know [00:36:40] anything. Tell me what to do. It’s like, no, I’ve been following you, learning from you. It’s why I’m here. [00:36:45] Right? That’s a different patient. Dr. Mina: Oh yeah. And, and it makes it, it’s a [00:36:50] relationship, right? And that’s where in healthcare the relationship, you know, now we’re, we’re [00:36:55] providers. You see someone new each time. People are always moving around and, and it’s frustrating. The [00:37:00] patients are like, I don’t know who’s my, my doctor who I’m really seeing and, and. I [00:37:05] like the relationships. That’s why I love being a dermatologist. I love seeing patients over and over. I love [00:37:10] building that relationship with them and their families, learning about their families. Um, so [00:37:15] to me that’s the rewarding part of, of having that connection. And I love it when they [00:37:20] come in. They’re already on board and, um, and, and we know it’s gonna be a match, [00:37:25] AJ: you know? I love it too. You find? ’cause I was thinking as you were talking, like my [00:37:30] chiropractor, her name is Dr. Sarah. And at this point, since she only works [00:37:35] one day a week, I rearrange my whole schedule to only see her. So like [00:37:40] I don’t wanna see anyone else I for you. And you know that’s because I like her [00:37:45] way of doing it. Now, could I see everyone else there? Sure. Do they likely do something [00:37:50] similar? Sure. I don’t want that. I want her. And I think that is, that’s, [00:37:55] that’s the type of relationship that we should be cultivating, that we should be [00:38:00] creating in our different medical practices is like, they’re here because there is a relationship.[00:38:05] Dr. Mina: Yeah. AJ: Right. It’s like I won’t see anyone but her. I’ll schedule everything else so I can just get [00:38:10] her for that, you know, 10 minute visit. But it’s important because I want her. Yeah. And I [00:38:15] think that’s a lot of what we’re seeing. It’s like you gotta, you gotta do work to build that relationship. Yeah. That doesn’t happen [00:38:20] when you see someone once a year. This can happen. There’s gotta be something [00:38:25] outside of that. Absolutely. Okay, last question. What’s [00:38:30] one small step that a busy doctor could start taking [00:38:35] today to start building their personal brand? Dr. Mina: Yeah. So I would say, [00:38:40] just start, I started, I, I, I didn’t have you guys, I didn’t have brand [00:38:45] builders helping me. I, I, I, I did it messy, right. Just I, and that’s, that’s the thing. Like [00:38:50] physicians, we are perfectionists. We want it perfect. And in medicine yeah, you kind of want [00:38:55] your doctor to be a, a perfectionist, right? But. For something like this, it doesn’t have [00:39:00] to be perfect. You, you know, someone asked me like, wait, before you record, do you do your hair? Do you do your [00:39:05] makeup? I, no, I’ve got like my hair clip. I was just seeing patients. I just threw it down [00:39:10] and it’s about to go right back up when we’re done. Like, you don’t, you know, I did invest in a ring light. Um, [00:39:15] so I do think a or a camera, uh, that clips on my thing, but you don’t, you don’t need that, right? If, [00:39:20] if a microphone could help but just sit down. And do five [00:39:25] minutes and, and record, uh, what did you see today that you talked about? And [00:39:30] just put it out there. Because at, at first in the beginning, the good news is not a [00:39:35] lot of people are watching right? In the beginning. So you’ve got some wiggle room and, and just create like [00:39:40] a, just create like a library for your patients that you’re seeing. Mm-hmm. Like, oh, I’m [00:39:45] always talking about how to take care of a wound, so I’m gonna do a quick five minute video. Here’s how you take care of a [00:39:50] wound and you’ve got it up on YouTube, it’s free, and, and then you just start adding to [00:39:55] it. But, um, I think we think it’s gotta be this. Big production. We’ve gotta have like [00:40:00] producers and all, all this stuff, which there are people who, who do that and it looks [00:40:05] amazing, but you don’t, I don’t do that. And it, you don’t have to do it. That’s not what people are really [00:40:10] looking for. Uh, they’re looking for just good content. And if you don’t believe me, like [00:40:15] just go on YouTube and start looking up stuff. Like look at other doctors in your field. And, um, [00:40:20] sometimes I’m like, oh my gosh, I can’t believe they. They filmed with, you know, whatever in the mirror that [00:40:25] we all can see. But hey, uh, just do it. So don’t get overwhelmed. Don’t think it [00:40:30] has to be perfect. A five minute quick video on something you talk about all the [00:40:35] time and just start creating a library of content or things you wanna talk about, a [00:40:40] blog, whatever. If you don’t wanna be on camera, although I do think, um, people like seeing you. Uh, [00:40:45] so I would encourage that. But, um, I would say just start. Don’t be scared. You don’t have to tell [00:40:50] anyone. You can be like me and just tell the world, right? And don’t tell your [00:40:55] immediate people. Um, but I find like patients love it when I can say, Hey, I’m gonna send [00:41:00] you a, a video on how to do this, or I’m gonna send you a video on X, Y, or [00:41:05] Z. And they love it. And, and I, I don’t think all my patients are older. They don’t know how to do that [00:41:10] nowadays. Everyone’s got a phone and, and everyone’s got someone who can help ’em click a link. Right. So I [00:41:15] find, uh, even my 90-year-old patients, they know how to work that phone and they know how to click [00:41:20] buttons. AJ: Yeah. I, I can’t, you know, reinforce that more. And it’s like [00:41:25] the hardest thing to do is just to start. Right. It’s like pick one question that [00:41:30] one patient asks you today. Turn on your phone and record an answer. Even if you’d ever [00:41:35] send it. Just start building an archive in your phone. And when you feel just enough confident one day, you start [00:41:40] putting ’em out there, or you just have ’em for your, you know, patient body within the office. But like, pick [00:41:45] one question every day that someone asked you that you’re like, hmm. I get asked that all the time. [00:41:50] Right? What? I didn’t have to repeat myself 14 times a day. That’s gotta be you for that. Yeah. Uh, [00:41:55] start there. Yeah. Uh, Dr. Mina, thank you so much for coming on the show [00:42:00] today. I think we have so many conversations with, you know, different types of entrepreneurs [00:42:05] and business owners and course creators, but, you know, I haven’t really had a [00:42:10] physician on the show to talk about what is building a personal brand look like as a doctor.[00:42:15] Like, what does that look like in the medical field? And this has been so refreshing and so [00:42:20] enlightening, and I just wanna commend you for. Again, I said this three times now, but it’s, I’m not waiting around [00:42:25] for someone else to do it. Uh, I answered the call. I started doing this wasn’t perfect, [00:42:30] but you just gotta show up and look at what that has done in such a short amount of time for [00:42:35] you, your practice, your business, but most importantly for all the patients that you’re helping. So if [00:42:40] people wanna stay in touch with you, ’cause you’re awesome, where should they go? Yeah, so [00:42:45] if you Dr. Mina: wanna watch some of my videos when I started and wasn’t so good, uh, you, I, I [00:42:50] have an app where I put all my content in one place, my videos, podcast, blog, um, [00:42:55] and my, my email, my contact information is there. So it’s the skin reel, which I have to [00:43:00] spell out in this day and age, REAL, like real skin. And, uh, it’s [00:43:05] on, uh, you know. Android Apple, uh, you can find it there. It’s totally [00:43:10] free. So even if you’re like, I don’t care anything about skin, maybe you’re, maybe you have a [00:43:15] patient who cares about their skin and you are like, Hey, just go get this app, right? Uh, she’s got all [00:43:20] the content, you can follow her. But, um, all my information’s in there, the material I’m putting [00:43:25] out there, and you can kind of get an example of like. Is how she does it. And it, it’s not [00:43:30] perfect and it’s messy at times, but I’m, I’m giving real good information for my [00:43:35] patients and that’s what keeps me, keeps me going. AJ: Love it. Y’all go to the App Store, [00:43:40] the Skin Reel app with Dr. Mina. We will put the link in the [00:43:45] show notes along with a link to her website, social Media Profiles, podcasts. We’ll do all the [00:43:50] things, but you can find all of that in the app, right? So go to the app store, the [00:43:55] skin reel to learn more from Dr. Mina. Thank you so much for being here. [00:44:00] So excited everyone else will see you next time on the Influential Personal Brand. Bye [00:44:05] everybody.