How do you scale a clinic without burning out or breaking what made it special?

In this episode, Dr Todd Cameron sits down with rural GP owner Dr Ben Nally for a deeply honest, practical conversation about what it really takes to scale a General Practice, especially when you’re doing it in a small, regional community with limited workforce, tight margins, and very public accountability.

You’ll enjoy a grounded walkthrough of what happens when a clinic starts in the red, runs on goodwill instead of systems, and slowly — deliberately — transforms into a thriving, sustainable business that serves both patients and the people running it.

Ben shares the uncomfortable early lessons, the small strategic wins that created momentum, and the leadership mindset shifts that allowed the clinic to grow from 2–3 FTE GPs to a team of 14+, without burning out the owners or losing the soul of the practice.

This conversation speaks directly to owners who feel the weight of responsibility — to patients, staff, and community — but don’t want to sacrifice their health, family, or sanity to keep the doors open. It reinforces a core truth: sustainable growth doesn’t come from doing more yourself; it comes from better systems, better people, and clearer leadership.

Stop reacting, start leading intentionally, and build a practice that actually supports your life, not consumes it.

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

1. 00:57 - The realities of running a practice in a rural community
2. 03:30 - GP Ownership as community leadership, not just business
3. 10:31 - Buying into a legacy practice (and knowing what to change and what not to break)
4. 13:16 - Mechanics of turning a struggling clinic around and how small wins create momentum
5. 16:44 - How intentional investment in people, leadership, and the physical clinic environment unlocks growth from 2.3 FTE GPs to 8.5+ FTE

ABOUT BEN NALLY

Dr Ben Nally, JCCA, MBBS, FRACGP is a Practice Owner, General Practitioner, Post Graduate Diploma in Anaesthetics

WHERE TO FIND BEN NALLY

Website: https://cgpmansfield.com.au/doctors-and-staff/#ben

Website: https://cgpmansfield.com.au/

Missed the previous Episode?

Listen to Episode 87 here: Scaling Clinics Without Losing Lifestyle: How Mary & Sean Did It

🎯 Book your free Practice Growth Call here: https://smc.expert/Personalised-Practice-Audit-PC

What does sustainable growth really look like when you’re building a clinic outside a major metro area with limited workforce supply, rising pressure, and no margin for error?

In this episode, Todd sits down with Dr Mary Wyatt and Dr Sean Stevens, owners of two thriving practices in WA, to unpack the unfiltered reality of scaling from a single Greenfield clinic to two high-performing sites, including a respiratory clinic during COVID and rapid expansion to 8.5 FTE GPs. They share what worked, what didn’t, and what most Clinic Owners underestimate when they try to grow.

From recruitment bottlenecks and ownership alignment, to why culture beats strategy when things get hard, this conversation is packed with lessons for GP owners who feel stuck at a ceiling or are scared of breaking what they’ve already built.

If you’re running a clinic in an MMM town, juggling leadership with clinical work, or wondering whether you’re actually set up to scale, this episode will give you clarity, confidence, and a blueprint grounded in real-world experience.

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

1. 01:03 - The shift from GP to business owner (and why most owners underestimate it)
2. 06:42 - How decisive leadership and strong systems accelerate growth under pressure
3. 15:40 - The ownership structure that protect the business from internal friction and create stability for managers and staff
4. 25:47 - The biggest mistake owners make when opening a second clinic
5. 30:39 - How disciplined decision-making protects you from bad expansion deals

Missed the previous Episode?

Listen to Episode 86 here: From Transactional to Transformational: The GP Standard That No App, Pharmacy or Walk-In Clinic Can Replace

ABOUT SEAN STEVENS

Dr Sean Stevens has been a GP for over 25 years, with 20 of them as a practice owner. Sean’s previous practice was awarded Australian General Practice of the Year, and Sean has been felicitated with the Australian GP Supervisor of the Year award. A highly respected Cockburn GP, Sean is also known for mentoring over 30 doctors on their path to becoming specialist GPs.

He is also the immediate past Chair of the WA Faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the peak body representing 4,000 GPs in WA and 40,000 nationally. Sean has previously served as Deputy Chair of the WA Faculty for four years and as Chair of the RACGP Education Committee for six years.

When not at work, Sean loves socialising, spending time with his young family, and travelling.

“I love the focus on quality, patient care, fun, and innovation.”

WHERE TO FIND SEAN STEVENS

Website: grove-medical.com.au

Website: iinet.net.au

ABOUT MARY WYATT

Dr Mary Wyatt, a Cockburn GP, completed her medical degree (MBBS) at the University of Wollongong, NSW, in 2010. Following this, she moved to Perth, where she completed her GP specialist training in 2016. Mary enjoys the many aspects of General Practice, including managing chronic disease and mental...

General Practice is under pressure like never before. Pharmacies, nurse-led clinics, telehealth platforms and government-funded walk-in centres are all positioning themselves as “GP alternatives” - and it’s leaving many Practice Owners anxious, frustrated, and questioning how they stay relevant and sustainable.

In this episode, Dr Todd Cameron sits down with Dr Sachin Patel for a candid, at times uncomfortable, but deeply important conversation about standards in General Practice and why the future of GP clinics won’t be won through speed, volume, or transactional medicine.

Instead, they unpack what actually makes General Practice indispensable: transformational care, deep relationships, strong professional standards, and leadership at the patient, practice, and community level.

This is not just theory. It’s a call to lift the bar — clinically, culturally, and commercially — so your clinic becomes the place patients choose, teams want to work in, and communities trust.

If you’re feeling pressure from competition, workforce challenges, or a system that seems stacked against General Practice, this conversation offers something rare: clarity and control. It reminds you that the future of your clinic isn’t decided by politicians or platforms — it’s shaped by the standards you choose to lead by.

Listen in, reflect honestly, and ask yourself: Are we building a transactional clinic … or an indispensable one?

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

1. 00:00 - The threat of transactional medicine and why GPs are playing into it
2. 02:59 - Why transformational care is something no shortcut provider can replicate or replace
3. 12:05 - Professionalism inside the practice and why ownership starts with standards
4. 20:58 - Thinking beyond the consulting room and understanding the strategic advantage of genuine community leadership
5. 24:06 - Defining a 10/10 GP experience and raising the bar year after year

Missed the previous Episode?

Listen to Episode 85 here: NFE: The Leadership Rule That Transforms the Owner–PM Relationship Overnight

🎯 Book your free Practice Growth Call here: https://smc.expert/Personalised-Practice-Audit-PC

In this episode, Sachin and Todd pull back the curtain on one of the most defining factors in whether a clinic thrives or constantly feels like it’s stuck in Groundhog Day: the relationship between the Practice Owner and the Practice Manager.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by open loops, disappearing tasks, cancelled meetings, “doorstop” decision-making between consults, or that nagging sense of “Am I going mad? Didn’t we already talk about this?” — this conversation will feel like someone finally turned the lights on.

Together, Sachin and Todd unpack the root causes of misalignment, reveal the systems high-performing clinics use to stay on track, and share the exact practices Scale My Clinic teaches inside Project X to elevate communication, build trust, and create unstoppable momentum between Owner and Manager.

If you’re an ambitious Practice Owner who’s tired of firefighting, overwhelmed by leadership noise, and ready to scale with confidence, this episode is exactly what you need.

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

1. 00:57 - Symptoms of misalignment in an Owner-Manager relationship
2. 05:11 - The hidden cost of cancelled meetings, doorstop decisions, and ad-hoc leadership conversations
3. 09:57 - The fix: creating a non-negotiable meeting rhythm (and implementing “NFE”)
4. 21:20 - The Lencioni framework and how to build real trust and healthy conflict
5. 33:44 - The one powerful sentence that elevates the owner–manager relationship to its highest potential

Resources

The Holiday Reset Kit

Missed the previous Episode?

Listen to Episode 84 here: The Three December Mistakes That Cost GP Owners the Most

🎯 Book your free Practice Growth Call here: https://smc.expert/Personalised-Practice-Audit-PC

As the calendar flips toward the end of the year, many clinics unknowingly make decisions that create unnecessary chaos, cash stress, and missed opportunities in the months that follow.

In this episode, Dr Todd Cameron and Dr Sachin Patel break down the three most common mistakes clinics make at the end of the year. Mistakes that feel harmless in December but hit hard in February.

From failing to preload the year ahead, to switching off recruitment too early, to missing simple ways to make your people feel genuinely valued, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what high-performing clinics do differently and why preparation, not hustle, is the real advantage.

This episode is practical, grounded, and deeply relevant if you want to start the new year calm, in control, and strategically ahead of the curve.

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

• 00:00 - Why this time of year sets the tone for everything
• 01:20 - How high-performing clinics plan the year ahead
• 08:45 - Why momentum matters more than rest right now
• 12:45 - What really causes the February cash squeeze
• 17:00 - Where clinics quietly lose patients and revenue
• 30:20 - The leadership habit that protects your clinic long-term

Resources

The Holiday Reset Kit

Missed the previous Episode?

Listen to Episode 83 here: Practice Manager to Powerhouse: The Real Story Behind Scaling Two Clinics (and Surviving A Culture Crash)

🎯 Book your free Practice Growth Call here: https://smc.expert/Personalised-Practice-Audit-PC

What happens when someone walks into Practice Management with zero healthcare experience, no systems, no training, and a team already set in their ways - yet goes on to build one of the most admired clinics in the Scale My Clinic community?

In this episode, Bec Whitehurst shares her journey from “I didn’t even know what Medicare was” to overseeing two thriving practices, managing 26+ doctors, and creating a culture that attracts and keeps phenomenal people.

This conversation is a masterclass for Clinic Owners who feel overwhelmed, burnt out, or uncertain about how to empower their team. Bec lifts the curtain on trust, leadership, hiring, growth, opening a second site, navigating conflict, and what she learned from a complete cultural breakdown that forced her to rebuild from scratch.

If you’re a Clinic Owner or Practice Manager who wants to scale without losing your sanity (or your team) this conversation will change the way you lead.

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

• 00:58 - Why transferable skills matter
• 05:54 - How to survive the first months as a PM with no systems, no handover, & no roadmap
• 10:34 - Winning trust fast and the relationship strategies that make or break a practice
• 16:22 - Growing & expanding a clinic, and how culture and systems drive sustainable scale
• 26:56 - How misalignment, unclear roles, and lack of communication quietly destroy a practice long before problems become visible
• 41:59 - Practical frameworks that reduce overwhelm, prevent bottlenecks, and give owners more time back
• 51:21 - How to create empowered managers, what leadership really requires, and how to stop bottlenecking growth

ABOUT BEC WHITEHURST

Rebecca Whitehurst is a Business Manager at Grove Medical, overseeing two clinics in Perth. She loves turning chaos into structure, helping people thrive, and learning from every mistake, all while living her best millennial life as a coffee-fuelled, dog-obsessed people person.

• Website: https://grove-medical.com.au/

Missed the previous Episode?

Listen to Episode 82 here: The Walker Street Way: How BM Jessica Led a Culture Shift, a Clinic Move, and a Doctor Uplift; All at Once

🎯 Book your free Practice Growth Call here: https://smc.expert/Personalised-Practice-Audit-PC

Your clinic can’t scale if it’s still running on people instead of systems.

In this episode, Sachin sits down with Jess Rankin, Business Manager at Walker Street Doctors, for a masterclass on what it really takes to transform a clinic from “held together by heroic individuals” into a calm, scalable, system-driven practice.

Jess shares her unexpected transition into practice management, the baptism-by-fire early days, and the pivotal mindset shifts that allowed her and owner Nerida to work as a true leadership team instead of two exhausted people putting out fires.

From rebuilding trust after a tough internal transition, to implementing a service fee increase without losing a single doctor, to moving an entire practice in just eight weeks, to building an intranet that finally ended the “Where is that document?” chaos, Jess lifts the curtain on how real clinics grow - not through hacks or heroics, but through curiosity, communication, and the courage to challenge the old way of doing things.

If you’re a Clinic Owner or Practice Manager who’s ambitious but overwhelmed, struggling with key-person dependency, or craving a smoother, saner way to scale, this conversation will feel like oxygen.

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

• 05:11 - Why challenging the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset is crucial for breaking growth plateaus and reducing key-person dependency.
• 12:20 - Building the dream practice with your doctors, not for them
• 17:12 - Raising service fees the right way without losing a single GP
• 19:55 - Why centralising processes, policies, and “the way we do things here” is one of the highest-leverage moves
• 29:58 - The power of a true PM – Owner leadership rhythm

ABOUT JESSICA RANKIN

Jess Rankin is the Business Manager at Walker Street Doctors in North Sydney, where she blends strategic thinking with genuine care for people. With a background in HR and health administration, including experience with the AMA NSW, Jess is passionate about creating an efficient, joyful, and values-driven workplace that allow doctors and staff to deliver exceptional care. She’s also the Chairperson of the Unsworth Foundation, leading her family’s philanthropic work to support community and health initiatives across Australia. Known for her energy, organisation, and her favourite question “Why?” Jess believes that strong systems create the space for connection and better care. Away from work, she’s grounded by her husband, two adult children, her parents who live a bit too nearby, and two much-loved cats, Loki and George.

• Website: https://www.walkerstreetdoctors.com.au/

Missed the previous Episode?

Listen to Episode 81 here: The Pressure Index of Ownership: Lessons from AFL, Medicine, and Building a Future-Ready Clinic

🎯 Book your free Practice Growth Call here: https://smc.expert/Personalised-Practice-Audit-PC

If you want a clinic that runs smoother, grows faster, and feels easier to lead, the real breakthroughs aren’t in medicine. They’re in the metrics, mindsets, and leadership moves you make outside the consult room.

In this episode, GP and Practice Owner Dr Andrew Palfreman joins Todd to unpack the unexpected overlap between coaching under-14 AFL kids and running a high-functioning General Practice - and why the “fierce cauldron of self-development” is the best preparation you never knew you needed.

Andrew shares the story behind the now-legendary RPI and why simple, behaviour-driven metrics outperform complex dashboards. He opens up about taking over a long-standing practice earlier than expected, stabilising a team after turbulent ownership changes, and how he rebuilt trust, culture, and momentum from the inside out.

You’ll also hear how Andrew navigated ownership as a new fellow, led calmly through the uncertainty of COVID, built a proactive model of care, and now prepares his clinic for its next major growth phase, both operationally and structurally.

If you’re a GP or Practice Owner looking for grounded, real-world lessons from someone who’s lived every part of the journey - clinical, managerial, cultural, financial - this conversation is a goldmine.

You’ll walk away with insights you can apply immediately, whether you’re stabilising, growing, or scaling your clinic for the future.

In this episode of the Scale My Clinic Podcast, you’ll learn:

• Why coaching-style thinking makes you a stronger Practice Owner (00:22)
• How to create lead/lag indicators that drive real behaviour change, keep your team aligned, and remove ambiguity without overwhelming people with dashboards (01:26)
• The first high-impact decisions new owners must make to stabilise the team, protect the business, and set the clinic up for long-term growth (10:21)
• What strong crisis leadership really requires and how to guide your team with confidence in uncertain moments (23:04)
• How planned care, health assessments, and rebooking systems create sustainable scale (28:49)
• How strategic room planning, telehealth flow, and property decisions that enable growth (36:02)

ABOUT DR ANDREW PALFREMAN

Dr Palfreman graduated from the ANU Medical School in 2009 and completed GP specialty training to become a Fellow of the RACGP in 2014. He worked previously as a Registrar at Winnungah Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service and Interchange General Practice. While Clinical Director at IGP, he was fortunate to help at Watson in 2015 prior to the passing of Dr Phillip Toua (well known to longstanding Watson and Giralang patients). In 2017, Dr Palfreman returned permanently as Clinical Director and bought the practice in November 2018. In 2021, he also began work at a GP outreach clinic with Directions Health Service.

Originally from Melbourne, he is an alumnus of the University of Melbourne and RMIT and worked in 1997 at Monash University. He moved to Canberra in 2001 and spent two years in Solomon Islands prior to studying medicine. In October 2018 he returned briefly to the Pacific as a locum doctor in Port Vila, Vanuatu. He has three children, a Staffy called Steve, and lives locally.

While interested in general medicine, he has specific interests in chronic disease and pain management, men’s health and Indigenous health. In November 2024, he received a Medicare Champion award from the Australian Government:

Announcing Australia's Medicare champions | Health Portfolio Ministers | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

• Website: