Ep #263: How I Went from Fear and Burnout to CEO of 2 Companies with Dr. LaToya Luces-Sampson

Hi docs, welcome to The EntreMD Podcast, where it’s all about helping amazing physicians just like you embrace entrepreneurship so you can have the freedom to live life and practice medicine on your terms. I’m your host, Dr. Una.

Well hello, hello my friends. Welcome back to another episode of The EntreMD Podcast. You are in for a treat. I’ve been trying to get this doc on the show for a minute. And we are here today because I have Dr. LaToya Luces-Sampson and she is an OBGYN. She is so gracious because it’s 9am at the time of this recording, she is in California so I don’t need to tell you anything else other than it’s super early.

But she’s here to share her story. She is an intrapreneur, entrepreneur, complete mogul, and you’re going to get so much out of her story, whether you are starting off or whether you are a veteran because it really shows the true journey of entrepreneurship, the way it happens. It’s just beautiful.

So, Dr. LaToya, welcome to the show.

Dr. LaToya: Thank you. Thank you, I don’t know if I can live up to that introduction, oh my gosh.

Dr. Una: Of course you can, just be you. All right, so I’m going to give you a moment to introduce yourself to the listeners.

Dr. LaToya: All right. Yes, like Dr. Una said, I am LaToya Luces-Sampson. I’m originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. I went to the illustrious Howard University College of Medicine, actually went there for undergrad as well. And I’m an OBGYN by trade. And right now I am the founder and CEO of Buy Default, a curated online directory for Black owned businesses and Black professionals who serve the Black community.

We help Black people feel catered to and celebrated by brands and professionals who view them as the ideal client. Everything that’s on the website, the businesses, the professionals, everything is Black by default. And I am also the president and CEO of Amina OBGYN Consultants. It is an independent contracting company that provides hospital based OBGYN services. And I help hospitals provide consistent and excellent OBGYN care in their hospitals.

Dr. Una: Man. Okay, guys, you’re going to enjoy this, just lean into this. Now as someone who hears, like she’s phenomenal, like she’s unbelievable, which you are, right? Unbelievable.

Dr. LaToya: Yes.

Dr. Una: But I want you to take us to the beginning, right? And guys, I don’t even know the whole story of the beginning, so this is going to be very fascinating. But I remember our paths crossing in June of 2021 when you came into the EntreMD Business School.

So talk to us about what life was like on the other side of that, and what made you decide to join a whole business school?

Dr. LaToya: Yes, so it started actually way before then, in about 2018, 2019. It always starts with my hair, right? Everything happens around my hair. So I was looking for hair products and I noticed that the brands that were out there, these big name brands, were marketing towards me. They had the colors of the bottles in earth tones and they used it in keywords.

But I still felt it was a little bit odd, a little bit inauthentic. And this memory kept coming back to me from my childhood when I first visited the United States and I saw a bottle of shampoo that said it was for normal hair. And I just remember the feeling of confusion when I saw that.

And I just couldn’t fathom what they meant by that because the environment I grew up in in Trinidad, we were part of the majority, right? I didn’t have some of the, let’s call them nuances that you experience in this country as somebody of African descent. So I forgot about that when I was younger and then the feeling and the confusion always stayed with me.

So when I returned to build my life here in the United States, I learned what they meant by normal, and it was not me, right? It looked a certain way and it kind of gave me the explanation that I was searching for at that point. And kind of why I felt the issue with the brands I was seeing now when I was looking for my own products.

So I said, you know, let me look for businesses that are Black owned because at least I know where they’re coming from. I know they understand me, I know that they understand what my hair needs.

And I don’t know if it’s even possible to remember what social media was back then, you could not really find brands and things like you can now. And Black owned businesses tend to be on the smaller side. So you would have to read a blog, you would have to watch a 20 minute YouTube video to get the products.

And I don’t know, blame it on the day job, I just cannot do that. I need a list, tell me what to get and I will get it, right? So I was like, what if I made this listing of these businesses so it will be easy to find. And I could just go somewhere, type it in and boom, there it is. But I was working full time, I was married, yes. So I just was too busy. And doctors don’t stop and sit, so I just didn’t.

Fast forward to 2020, I had my son and my hair was falling out. So I really kind of readdressed the hair issue. And like most people during the pandemic, I said, why not? Why not now? Life is short, let me see if I can pursue this business.

And because my situation hadn’t changed, I was still working full-time, still married, now I had a son. I was like, “Oh, I need help because I do not know what I’m doing.” So actually, a couple friends of mine, two pediatricians and one Nigerian told me about Dr. Una. And that’s how I found the podcast.

First I binge listened and I said, “This is it. This is it.” So I found the business school, I was so apprehensive, the money. And I just didn’t know if it was the right thing for my type of business. I assumed that it was more for private practice and coaches and things like that. And my business was so different than everybody else’s, so I just was not sure.

But I was convinced, actually, by another physician who wanted to join but didn’t. And I made the leap and it has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Dr. Una: Oh, man, try to make Dr. Una cry here, best thing that happened to me.

Dr. LaToya: Yes, thank you.

Dr. Una: Thank you for taking us behind the scenes and sharing all of that. And you made a statement, you said, you know, the pandemic, you were like life is short, why not now? And I think that’s the biggest blessing that the pandemic gave the world, right?

It helped us put life in perspective and it’s one of those things like never waste a good crisis, take something good out of it. And for you that’s a whole, you know, that’s two businesses that you’ve launched since then, right?

Dr. LaToya: Right.

Dr. Una: Now, I want you to take us to the beginning, because someone might listen to this and say, “Oh, even though she was apprehensive about the money, even though she wasn’t sure it would work for her type of business, she just did it and everything changed.” Right?

But I remember a question you asked me in the very beginning, this must have been the first week or the second week. You’re like, “Okay, so I know you’re saying we should show up on social media and we should do all these things. Is there a way I can do that without showing my face and without putting my real name on there?” Right? Like so people can understand where you started from. And it’s okay, you can still transition out of that.

So talk to us a little bit about what you were thinking at the time and how you kind of owned who you were and became this person who’s bold to show up, interview all kinds of people and all of that.

Dr. LaToya: Yeah, that’s hilarious now that I think about it. When I joined the business school, you know, Dr. Una always says you need to tell your story. And I said, “There’s no way I am doing that, not me.” I did not show up on social media.

At this point in my life I had taken strategic steps to remove my identity from the internet. And just to tell y’all how serious I was, if you Google searched me all you would find was Dr. LaToya, and that’s in the medical contacts, for several pages on Google. The reason I know that is because I went through several pages on Google to make sure you would only find that.

Everything on Facebook, I deleted, made sure I wasn’t tagged. I had a very limited Instagram. I was always private, but because social media became the massive thing that it was, I just felt like the personal things that were on there were not appropriate for a physician. So I just didn’t really want to be a part of it.

And also, I don’t like people in my business. So there’s that as well. So it was more like I wanted to maintain this professional facade, really, outwardly. And then save my personal life and things for my friends and family and things like that.

So when she said you have to tell your story. I was like, “Well, no, my plan is to have somebody else be the face and I will just be behind the scenes.” And if I needed to speak, because my voice is so distinctive, I would have somebody else do it, who was American. And if I needed to show up, I would hire somebody, this is true, I would hire somebody to show up for me to be the face of my brand because it was not going to be me.

I was Dr. LaToya, and Dr. LaToya doesn’t do these things. So it was a bit of a struggle to get over that because that’s kind of where I started off and I was very serious about it.

Dr. Una: Love it. And I love that you then owned it and then you then told your story, right? And people talk about this a lot and I’m like you know what, you can be everywhere on the internet and still be private.

Dr. LaToya: Yes.

Dr. Una: You can have your professional persona there, you can have your business persona there. But as far as you and what’s going on in your home, you don’t have to put it on there. No judgment and against anybody who does. But if that’s your preference, you can still show up a lot and still keep your private life private.

Dr. LaToya: Yeah, and you know what’s funny, is that I was hiding part of myself that actually, you know, you say you’re an introverted introvert. I think I’m an extroverted introvert. So there are parts, sometimes I want to share, and I want to be out there and things like that. And I was just hiding that part away. And it was really because I was scared of what people would say, right?

So actually, now that I’m everywhere on social media, I probably share a lot more than most people do and probably you do, and things like that. Just because in general I’m a sharer. Like when I talk to my patients, I share a lot, that’s how I relate to them.

So it was really coming from a place of fear, and not even really that I wanted to be private. So I had to get over that and I’m really glad that I did because I actually do enjoy being out there.

Dr. Una: Oh man. And see, this is the thing about embracing your fears, is that you’ll find out that some of the things you’re so scared of doing, you actually love doing them. So it’s almost like you’re free to be you.

Dr. LaToya: Yeah.

Dr. Una: I didn’t discover till last year that I really love speaking on stage, I really love hosting events. So all these things that you think an extrovert loves, I love them as an introvert.

Now, after I’ve done three days of a live event, I am going to hide and talk to nobody, right? Because I am an introvert. But imagine if I didn’t dare my fears, there’s this whole aspect of life that I actually love that I would have done nothing with, you know?

Dr. LaToya: Yeah.

Dr. Una: So thank you for sharing that. Like yeah, it’s not really that I’m a private person, I’m just afraid.

Dr. LaToya: Right, that’s pretty much what it is

Dr. Una: That’s pretty much what it is. And I’m glad you said yes to it. Because you could have decided, no, I’m not going to do that. And one year later things would be the same.

And so you started Buy Default, which you know we love. So what are some of the things that as an entrepreneur now, you had to start doing to promote your brand, to grow your brand, and all of that?

Dr. LaToya: Yeah, the social media was the biggest part of it because when I started there was no website. So the actual business, the product if you will, is a website is a directory where you can go and search. And it’s special in the way that I wanted the search engine to be very strong. Because one of my biggest pet peeves, because I do shop online a lot is when you can’t find things in a big list, right?

So I spent time on keywords, different things like that to make sure the website was robust. So it was custom and had to be built from the ground up. So for months I didn’t have anything. But I still, I learned in the business school business before the business and all of that. So I did have to show up on social media, promote the idea, which was very difficult because it’s kind of like, well, what are you even talking about?

And getting the businesses to agree to be on it without an actual product was also a challenge. I got a lot of noes, but I still actually got a lot of yeses for something that they couldn’t necessarily visualize. So it really was me leaning heavily on Instagram and showing up weekly just promoting. I did giveaways, and I think I started my interviews by then.

So really just showing up and letting people know this is what I’m about, this is what the directory is about, and follow us and come along for the journey. And then when I actually launched, really just continuing. It was really just a continuation of things I had started before.

And I think the interviews really helped me. And that was something else that I was pushed to do in the business school, was pulling on other people’s audiences. And it’s also something else I discovered that I really enjoyed.

And I didn’t think, well actually, I wasn’t very good in the beginning. But I actually really do enjoy doing interviews now and I’m learning about people. And so that was another aspect that came out of this business that I really treasure now.

Dr. Una: She really treasures it and she was not good at interviewing, but she’s a rock star now. Put in the reps.

So you’re doing this business and all of this, but then certain things happened and another business was born.

Dr. LaToya: Yes.

Dr. Una: And I want you to listen to this because the thing about entrepreneurship is your first business may not be your last business. Your business may take a direction you didn’t see coming, there will be opportunities that will “fall in your lap” because you put yourself out there and you’re owning something.

So when you’re working on a business, whether you’re starting or you’re established, you want to give it your all because it’s the platform for something. We don’t know what something is, but it is our faithfulness with the little thing that we have that sets the stage for whatever else that that is. So talk to us about that.

Dr. LaToya: Yeah. So, going back to the background that was happening while I started this business, I was working full-time. And as an OBGYN, in my job full-time was minimum 60 hours a week. I had a now one or two year old, I had a husband, I had a life. So it was a lot to add on, starting a business.

And my work environment was not the best, especially the office, it was a pretty toxic environment. So adding on the stress of starting a business, even though I was passionate about it and I was happy that I was doing it kind of accelerated my burnout that was already happening. It was just too much and I shouldn’t have started.

It was more the mindset changes that I had in realizing my worth and realizing the value of my knowledge and my degree. I was like, “Why am I taking this? Why am I in this situation when I am such a valuable person?” Not just as a person as LaToya Luces, but as a physician, you know?

I did not need to be here. And at my job there is a definition of golden handcuffs, they’re really, you know, we will “well taken care of” so it is a difficult place to leave. But I was past that, right? I knew that I did not have to be in that situation to be financially secure.

So I got to this point where I started feeling like I did in residency. Now, it’s a little bit of a backstory, residency was like the best and worst four years of my life, I always say that. And it was a difficult time and I said when I left I would never be that unhappy again because now I have a choice, right? I did not have to be like that.

So once I started feeling like that again, I really said, you know, this has to stop. There’s no way that I should be tolerating this. And I don’t have to be, I deserve to be happy and I deserve to thrive. So I made a plan, I said, I’m going to do this X, Y, Z, and then I’m going to leave by this time.

But as I kept going, that time just seemed further and further away, even though the date stayed the same. And I had to really take a step back and ask myself, what am I staying four? Is the “job security,” is the money, is it really worth my sanity? Is it worth it for my family to just be this unhappy? And the answer was no.

So I moved up the date that I left and, like I said, I was always going to leave but the gifts that Buy Default and the EntreMD Business School gave me was that I knew I could leave without a plan and I would be okay.

So I left my job in April with no plan to start working again. I knew I could work, I knew it was going to come, but I had time to figure it out. And I knew, because of these changes that I had made, I could not be an employee anymore.

And that’s how the independent contracting company came about. I said, okay, my skills are valuable. People need OBGYNs to cover, we are in high demand. I can just contract, I don’t have to be beholden to anyone. I can make my own schedule. So I decided that’s what I was going to do and I took my credentialing time as my vacation. So I had like four months of vacation while I waited to credential.

And the biggest thing for me, when I realized I really made the best decision was my sister called me up in maybe like a month or two after I left, and asked me to take a trip with her to Europe. And I was like, “Yeah, let’s go.” And I didn’t have to ask anybody. Well, I had to talk to my husband. But I didn’t have to ask for permission. I didn’t have to get calls covered. I just said, “Yes, I’m going to go with you for two weeks. Let’s do it.” And here we are, I’m leaving soon.

So that’s when I knew that this was the right choice because I had now control of my life. And I can just do the things that made me happy.

Dr. Una: Man, and if I remember correctly, tell me if I’m wrong, I think on one of our calls you were like, “I found myself on my way to work saying…” Tell us that story. You were like, “Yeah, I did say that.” Go ahead.

Dr. LaToya: Yes. And for any non-physicians listening this may seem a little bit shocking. I promise I’m okay and I was okay then. Not as okay as I am now, but I was fine.

In residency I would have this image, I lived very close to the hospital, like two blocks. I would be walking to work and I said, “I just wish a car would hit me.” Just like a little bit. Just a little bit so that I would not have to go to work, but not enough that I would be seriously hurt, right?

So it was like, you know, maybe a little tap on the leg or something just so that it’ll be enough so I did not have to go in there. And that is how unhappy I was. And I knew it was not okay then, but like I said, I did not have a choice.

So when I started having those thoughts again, on the way to the office, I’m driving my car and I was like, “I just wish somebody would rear end me right now. I just really wish it was just enough where my car would be damaged, I would be shaken up enough so I did not have to go into the office.” That’s when I said, this is enough and I need to get out of here.

Dr. Una: Wow, thank you for sharing that. Thank you for your vulnerability. And to any doctor who’s feeling that way, it doesn’t have to be. There’s a way out, there’s a process to get out of that. And Dr. LaToya, you’re just a perfect example of pulling this off, right?

And so you did the business, you had the mindset shift, you understood your value, and not just my worth as a human, but my worth as a physician. And you’re like, “Well, I’m just going to take this and take it somewhere else.” Right?

But you didn’t just do that as, well I’m just going to do locum or something like that. But you did it like this is my corporation. And as I know, that you negotiate like a boss. Like she’s like, this is a business.

Dr. LaToya: Yes.

Dr Una: Okay, people, she’s running a full on business. So talk to us about how this is different for you, because you’re not just approaching this as “Oh, I’m doing some shifts somewhere.”

Dr. LaToya: Yeah.

Dr. Una: But I own a corporation, I make sure my corporation is valued properly and all of those things. How is it different because you’re thinking like an entrepreneur?

Dr. LaToya: Yeah, so initially I had big dreams because now I was an entrepreneur, right? So I was going to do it big. I was not going to work with any locums companies, I was going to direct contracts with hospitals and make a ton of money and charge a lot.

Well that didn’t work out because of my specialty. You know, it’s really difficult for OBGYNs mainly to get malpractice. And in this area, and I think nationally, it is unusual for OBGYNs to direct contract. I think other specialties have more success with it.

But through the lessons that I learned, again, from the business, not to sound like a broken record, but I didn’t even miss a beat. I said, “Okay, I’m going to work with these companies, fine. But I’m also not going to let them low ball me.”

Now, OBGYNs nationally are undervalued. We are not paid well, even though we have one of the highest risk specialties, the most liability, and we actually have two patients. So I knew what value I brought and I knew what I would accept. You couldn’t tell me, like there was no way you were going to not pay me well, right?

And this is a frame of mind that I had. And just going back a bit, just for full transparency, I had the means to be selective, right? So we had made financial decisions that also enabled me to be able to leave without a plan immediately. And we already live frugally. So I don’t want it to not be relatable to somebody else who has loans and all this stuff going on.

There was that cushion that I had, but just knowing the value, it almost made it not important what else was going on. Because if you look hard enough, if you wait long enough, they will hire you. They need us, right? We are the revenue generators, and that’s what I don’t think a lot of physicians realize. These hospitals systems and these offices cannot make money without us, it’s us, right?

So with that mindset I negotiated up my rates from the base rates that I was offered. I just flat out said no for some places that I just, it was just too low. And when I was called last minute to cover shifts I said, well, sure I’ll do it, but what are you going to offer me for this? And when the offer was not good enough, I asked for more.

And I kept asking for more and they said yes. Because if somebody’s asking you two days before to cover a shift, they are desperate, right? Especially when you only got credentialed two days before that, right?

So it didn’t even seem unnatural to me to ask for more, and I think that’s where the change came from. Because I spoke to a lot of physicians about that because I was actually on vacation with a bunch of physicians at the time. And the original offer that I was given, everybody was like, “Oh, great.” And I was like, “No, I’m not going to take that. I’m just going to ask for a lot more.”

And I did not need to go and cover those shifts, right? So just remember, you don’t need to. They’re the ones that need you, right? I was in Lake Tahoe on a beach, literally, when I got that call. So me asking for four times what they offered, it was like a no-brainer, because it would take a lot for me to leave this vacation, right?

Dr. Una: Like the opportunity cost is pretty high.

Dr. LaToya: Exactly, and I think that’s something we don’t consider. We have this benevolence within us to help and the patients need us. And there’s nobody there so here we are, with our capes on ready to save the day. But when you think about it, it is not our responsibility to staff the hospital. That’s on them right?

When we show up we give the excellent care and do all the things. But it is not my responsibility, unless you have a private practice of course. But for me, for the hospital, that’s not on me. So if I’m going to come and give you my excellent care that I trained for, and shed blood, sweat and tears for, then I’m going to be compensated well, right?

And that is the mindset that I have now going forward with my business. And it’s served me pretty well so far.

Dr. Una: I love it. Okay, guys, listen, when she says, I asked them for four times, she’s not kidding. I’ve seen documentation of this stuff. I’m like, “What in the world?” Four times and they said yes. So she’s doing this like a boss, it’s just unbelievable.

Now, so I have a question for you, right? When you think about, so let’s go back to 2021. You got into this school, did all this stuff. Did you think like, okay, I will have this, then I would have left my job. Burnout would be a thing of the past. I’m traveling, like there was Lake Tahoe there, there was the two weeks in Europe all, I’m doing all this stuff.

And then I’m literally, right, like our tagline is you’re literally living life and practicing medicine on your terms. Did you see that coming?

Dr. LaToya: Absolutely not.

Dr. Una: When you think about life now, what do you think?

Dr. LaToya: No way. There’s no way I could have imagined how my life would be right now. Even four months into the business school I had changed as a person. And it’s not just me saying that, this was from my husband. He saw changes in me and commented on that just about four months.

And I remember it was because we were at the retreat, it was right before I left. And that’s when he told me that. And my business launched in October or November. So I hadn’t even launched a business yet. And there were those changes, so there’s no way. No way.

Dr. Una: No way. And the what is coming, you’re still going to get like, no way I thought I’ll be here.

Dr. LaToya:  Exactly.

Dr. Una: Because that’s the life of an entrepreneur, you cannot predict. You just say yes and you keep saying yes. I am so happy for you. I’m so proud of you. I love hearing your story. I’m glad I got to share it with everybody because it’s not cookie cutter, right?

Like the process, the transformation we have to go through is a little cookie cutter. But what happens on the other side, there’s no telling, no telling. I’m so happy for you.

Dr. LaToya: Thank you.

Dr. Una: All right, so for somebody who’s listening who’s like, “Well, I am in business, it doesn’t look like it’s quite working. I feel stuck, I hear you, I’m so inspired. But I think about the business school and I’m like, I don’t know, if I have the time or the money. I don’t know if it’ll work for my kind of business. I’m not really sure.” What would you say to that person?

Dr. LaToya: Just do it. I know that’s what everybody says, but it is true. There is nothing that I can say, if you are not ready to be convinced, that will convince you.

And I’m a humble person to an extent, but my story is pretty amazing. And I’m a pretty amazing person, right? So if I didn’t inspire you, nobody’s going to, right? I’m just kidding.

Dr. Una: I love this, she’s like, “I’m humble, but hey I’m amazing.”

Dr. LaToya: And the reason I say that is because I cannot put into words how the transformation happens. Why it happens. It is indescribable. And I know when I was listening before I joined the business school, I was like, “Oh, these people sound crazy. Like it sounds like a cult.” And it probably does too, right?

But there’s a reason that we sound like this. We are living proof that it works. Whatever it is, it works, you will be changed. And of course, it’s always what you put into it, that’s where you’re going to get out. And just to be clear, I put in a lot, but there were a lot of things that I didn’t do. I just didn’t have the time, right? I literally did not have the time with my schedule and things like that.

So it’s not like if I dropped everything at work and I was all into the business and everything like that. I missed challenges, there was just things that I could not do. And I still got the major transformation. I still got all the benefits. And it’s a leap of faith that you have to take that your idea and yourself, that you are worth it. And this is worth your time, and to give it all that you can give it and just see where it will take you.

Because let me tell you, there was no way I would know that it would take me here. And yeah, I don’t know what else I could possibly say to convince you. But come on, come and join us.

Dr. Una: She’s like, “I don’t know what else to say, but come on. Come on.”

Dr. LaToya: Let’s do this.

Dr. Una: Let’s do it. Oh man, this was so good. I can’t wait, I get to see you in a few months in Dallas for our retreat, it’s going to be so good.

But guys, you heard her, so you can go apply, entremd.com/business, come join us. It really is a place of transformation. It really is a place where things that look like problems turn into beautiful businesses like what Dr. LaToya has done here. And we would love to have you.

And all we want is for you to bet on yourself, say yes to yourself, because that’s really what it’s about. And you come in, put in the work, get your transformation and get unstuck and then create this life that you love.

Someone listening is like, “Too good to be true.” Did you ever feel like quitting or like you’re just happy go lucky every day and you’re like, “I got this, rah rah, Kumbaya.” Talk to us.

Dr. LaToya: Yeah, I felt like quitting a lot. Like a lot, because I got a lot of nos. I still get noes actually. Even now, in both businesses it is a tough thing. It is definitely not all sunshine and rainbows. But the thing about having the community is that everybody’s in your boat or they have been there. And it’s like they are the light at the end of the tunnel.

Dr. Una: Oh, I like that. They are the light at the end, I like that.

Dr. LaToya Yeah. It helps, being in the community. And you’re probably like, “Oh my gosh, she’s talking about the business school again?” Yes, I am. It’s great, it’s a wonderful place to be, so come on.

But yeah, we feel like quitting all the time. Every day there’s a post from someone saying that they’re ready to give up. This is hard, but it’s just like any other community, it is helpful. We are not meant to be solitary people, even if you’re an introvert like Dr. Una.

Dr. Una: Yeah, we need people. I didn’t realize how badly till the pandemic. I was like, “Wait, where are the people?”

Dr. LaToya: Exactly.

Dr. Una: So, but thank you for saying that. And so the thing, and I pull that out because it doesn’t matter how successful an entrepreneur is, they have challenges, they feel like quitting, all of that. But it does matter the container you’re in, right? Because you get to see people who are like, “Oh, I felt like quitting.” And they tell you their story on the other side and you’re like, “Wait, what?”

And it’s story after story like that, so you’re like it’s okay to feel like quitting, just don’t quit. The feeling is not a problem.

Dr. LaToya: Right.

Dr. Una: Quitting is a problem. And I’m so grateful that you didn’t quit, right? You kept going with it and I cannot wait to see where we go with this.

So where can people find you? Where can people find Buy Default? There are people who had their hair fall out too and they’re like, “Oh my goodness.” Right?

Dr. LaToya: Yes, so for me personally, I am on social media everywhere. I’m on Facebook, it’s Dr. LaToya L. Sampson, Instagram, Dr. LaToya MD, as well as TikTok. And Buy Default is B-U-Y-D-E-F-A-U-L-T, so www.buydefault.com. And we have Instagram is B-U-Y_D-E-F-A-U-L-T, and then Facebook is all one thing. TikTok, yeah, so just do Instagram.

And again, full disclosure because of all of these life changes, I had to take a step back from Buy Default and it isn’t as active, but the passion for my business is still there. And I know, something else that I learned is to give myself grace, and I need to focus on one thing. And right now the priority for my family and for myself is really to make sure, you know, I still love practicing medicine, right? And to make sure that I can still practice and I can still support my family.

And it doesn’t mean that Buy Default is going by the wayside, I haven’t quit on it. It’s taking a pause at this moment and it’s okay. And that’s also something that we learn as well, is it’s okay. So it may not be super active right now, but still follow me. Still follow us, still go to YouTube to subscribe to our channel.

You can binge watch all of my episodes, I have lots of them, of all my interviews with the businesses and the professionals. And it will be taking a little bit of a turn this year and I’m focusing more on the physician directory just because of my access and I feel like it is important for people to find physicians and other professionals that look like them.

So I’m going to lean more heavily into that part of it. So there’s a lot more to come and I am excited to go along for the ride. And I hope that you come along with me.

Dr. Una: Oh man, and thank you for sharing that because that is also something, right? I paused this and I gave myself space and I have decided that it’s okay. I made an executive decision that I’m pausing this, right? And that is so powerful.

So guys, this is the reason why I love this interview, it’s just real. It’s real life, it’s not a highlight reel, it’s not some make believe thing. It’s this is the business I’m building, this is what’s going on, I paused here, I’m up-leveling here, I’m going to come back to this. And you’re just owning it like a boss. I am beyond excited for you. This is so good.

All right people, so go follow her, follow her her stuff. We’re physicians who support physicians because we are the cavalry and really support her. If you’ve been thinking about starting a business, growing your business, you’re like, “I want to take it to six figures, I want to take it to seven figures. I want to take it to multiple seven figures.” Business School is calling your name, go apply entremd.com/business and Dr. LaToya and I would love to see you there.

Dr. LaToya: Yes, come on.

Dr. Una: So, Dr. LaToya, go get it, man. I’m so proud of you, I cannot wait for us to do this again. In six months or a year we’ll tell the updated version of this story, how about it?

Dr. LaToya: Yes, thank you so much for having me. I feel like I’ve arrived now that I am on The EntreMD Podcast.

Dr. Una: Well you have arrived, you’re just going to go to different levels of arrival. How about that?

Dr. LaToya: Yes, arrival number one.

Dr. Una: All right people, you’ve heard this, please share the episode because this will help a lot of physicians. We talked about all kinds of things here, starting a business, growing a business, pivoting, mental health, all of that. We talked about a lot of things so share this with another doctor, you will be changing their lives. And I’ll see you on the next episode of The EntreMD Podcast.

Hey, if you love listening to The EntreMD Podcast I want to invite you to join EntreMD On Demand. It is my signature subscription program that gives you access to a library of business courses designed to help you do one thing as a physician entrepreneur, and that is to thrive. Just head out to entremd.com/ondemand and I’d love to have you join us. See you on the inside.