I get asked all the time how I went from staff clinician to doing what I do now. This series is my most complete answer to that question — six articles covering everything from career strategy to the mindset shifts that actually make the transition stick. Paid members get access to the full series.
I was having lunch with a lawyer friend of mine not long ago. We were talking about business — the size of our teams, the kinds of work we take on, how we decide what fits and what doesn’t.
At one point I asked if he handled a certain type of case that seemed adjacent to his main area of practice. He paused, and then said something I’ve been thinking about ever since.
“It’s like if I was a furniture maker and someone asked me to build them a deck. Sure, I’ve got the tools. I could probably do it. But if I say yes, you’re probably not going to be happy with the result, and I’m definitely not going to be happy doing the work. So I say no — even when the money’s good.”
That’s positioning. In one clean analogy.
Positioning is knowing exactly what you do, who you do it for, and what kind of value you’re uniquely equipped to provide. It’s having enough clarity about those things that you know — without having to think too hard — when to say yes and when to say no.
And here’s what most clinicians and practice owners miss: positioning isn’t just a marketing concept. It’s a career concept. It’s a decision-making framework. And the absence of it is one of the most common reasons that capable people end up either overwhelmed with the wrong work or undiscovered by the right clients, employers, and opportunities.
