DocSwiner's Superwoman Complex Blog

**This one’s dedicated to the good Dr. Mani Saint Victor. We have some collaborative things cooking, and he wanted to speak about side-gigs and social media**

I’ve been in this medicine game for almost a decade, and I wrote my book (How to Avoid the Superwoman Complex™) after about seven or eight years of practicing. I wrote it both as a way to broaden my horizons and to branch off into a different career path. I wanted to prevent the physician burn-out I’d been hearing so much about and spice up my career a bit. I could see how the days of seeing patients day in and day out, hearing complaints and dealing with ongoing insurance issues could wear one down. I didn’t want to get to that point.

I wasn’t always into social media. In fact, my husband had to encourage me to do it, because I didn’t want to share too much private information. I was, however, impressed by the fact that it was free to use at the time and I could reach people across the country and even in other countries, if I wanted. I initially started posting my blogs there, and once I decided to launch the book and do speaking engagements, it was a great way to advertise for free. Now, I’m hooked!

I see myself as a bit of an expert in all things social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin and Periscope – and I’m learning more and more each day. I love the ease of social media, if used correctly. The majority of my book sales and speaking engagement connections have occurred via social media. I’ve even started doing some consulting of my own for others who are starting from scratch and have no idea how to use their smartphones or download their apps! Don’t be afraid of it; but, there are some cons. There are folks out there who do want to snoop or troll or look into your private information, but you can control it, if you’re careful. Create a business page, so only those who want to support your brand are able to follow it.

When you decide you want to have a side gig, or what I affectionately call a “side hustle,” you have to work on your branding. Sure, I see myself as a wonderful family doctor–nice and personable–but if you are seeking a different professional avenue, you have to be smart and methodical about it. Putting yourself in front of people can be difficult for some, but if it’s what you want to do to be successful in terms of selling your product, selling your book, or offering yourself as a resource, you have to do it. There’s no way around it. You can hire a branding expert if you have the money, or spend the money for public relations, but the majority of my work was done with me, my husband (who is a marketing guru, in my opinion) & a personal assistant who works part-time to help me get my brand out there. Be professional and get real headshots done. Don’t just rely on selfies. Work on your website, but work even more on pictures and videos on social media. The Millennials don’t want to read a whole bunch of words all the time. They want to see you in action and get to know your personality.

I’m doing my first social media media training seminar this weekend (March 12th! docswiner’s-social-media-marketing-event-tickets) , and I’m very excited about it. I like to work intimately with people in a small group for things like this, because I can hold their smartphone in my hand and show them how to use it. We can walk through the process of downloading the apps, doing a demonstration, and hooking them up in a system where they can navigate all their apps at one time. I try to make it easy so that you’re not spending all of your time on your phone and you can be present and have quality time to spend with your loved ones. It really is as easy as it sounds. If you ever need help, let me show you.

Go ahead and step outside that box,

#docswiner