I was on a group Zoom call with physicians in my private community last week. One of them been practicing for 15 years, successful practice, good reputation, and he said something uh that stopped the entire cold cold. He said, TJ, I'm exhausted. And it's not the patient load. It's remembering who I am supposed to be in every situation. He was exhausted from pretending. Professional with patients. Different person with staff. Another version with insurance reps. Another at home. I asked him, when do you get to just be you? Well, he didn't have an answer. That's what this video is about. The cost of being inauthentic. And why being real everywhere with everyone is not just emotionally easier but strategically smarter. Hey guys, Dr. TJ on here. If you're new to the channel, welcome. This is where I share real, unfiltered insights on building a private practice that actually works. Without burning out or selling your soul. So if that sounds like something you need, hit that subscribe button. We've got a lot more coming your way. Now, look, I want to be upfront about something. I'm not perfect at this either. But several years ago, I made a decision. I committed to being who I am everywhere. With my patients, with the positions in my community, with my family, and with my friends. Because here's what I've learned. And maybe you've experienced this too. The moment you start faking who you are, you lose track. You have to keep up that act. You start lying to yourself. And that shit is exhausting. So today I want to talk about authenticity. Not as some soft feel-good concept, but as a practical strategy backed by real research for your practice, your mental health, and yeah, your bottom line. See, because authentic doctors don't just feel better, they do better. And if you've been practicing for 5 years, 10, 20, 30 years, and you're feeling that exhaustion, that sense of I don't even know who I am anymore, stick with me. This one matters. So let's talk about why this happens. You didn't start out this way, right? When you opened your practice or took your first job. You were just you, excited about medicine, clear about your values. That's authentic. But then life happened. Insurance companies wanted you to see more patients faster. Staff expected you to manage conflict. Patients wanted you to be empathetic but also authoritative. Your family wanted you present, and somewhere in there, you started code switching, playing different roles. I remember when I first realized I was doing this. I'd finish a patient visit where I was doctor professional, you know, measured, clinical, careful with every word. Then I'd go to the back office and be doctor boss, farm directive. Then I'd get home and try to be fun dad TJ. And by the end of the day, I was drained. I was like tanked. Not from the medicine, from the performance. And here's the insidious part. You don't even realize you're doing it until you're so deep in that you've forgotten who the real you even is. We talk about burnout being at 62.8% now. We blame the hours, the paperwork, the insurance companies. And yeah, those contribute. But I think a huge piece that nobody talks about is this identity fatigue, the exhaustion of maintaining multiple versions of yourself. And the research backs this up. A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research and STA Healthcare found that authenticity in healthcare settings directly improves both patient outcomes and physician well-being, not correlation, causation. When you stop pretending, both you and your patients do better. So let me ask you, and I'm genuinely curious, so drop a comment below. When was the last time you felt like you could just be you for an entire day? Not the virgin uh patients need, not the virgin your staff expects, just you. So comment below. I want to hear your experience. So here's what changed for me. Several years ago, I made a decision. I wasn't going to be a different people anymore. I was going to practice what I preach, be the same TJ everywhere. And that meant getting really clear on who that was. And what I discovered, what the research also confirms, is that authenticity isn't just some nice to have soft skill. It's the foundation of trust in medicine. First insight, patients don't trust perfection. They trust real. A 2023 study in Sage Journal found that authenticity in the patient-physician relationship is the most fundamental way to build trust. Not your credentials, not your hospital ranking, not your years of experience, but your willingness to be genuine. I used to carefully craft every word in patient interactions. Now I just talk like myself. If I'm concerned, I show. If I don't know something, I say I don't know. And patient satisfaction went up because they can tell when you're being real. And here's what hit me. Being authentic is actually easier. You don't have to remember what you said to who, you don't have to manage your image. You just show up. Second insight, your conscience, uh, inner voice telling you what's right for each patient. That's you. And every time you override it to fit the system, you lose a piece of yourself. Four years ago, I opted out of one bad insurance uh contract that kept denying necessary care for my patients, right? It cost me money short term, but I slept better because I was aligned. And here's what I see with the uh physicians in my community, the syndicate. Um, the ones who thrive aren't the ones who say yes to everything. So it's kind of contrarian, right? They're the ones who practice medicine according to their value, not someone else's protocol. They have figured it out, how to set boundaries that protect their conscience without destroying their income. So that's actually one of the things we work on every week in our group calls. How to make decisions that align with your values while still building a profitable practice. Because you shouldn't have to choose between integrity and income. Third insight: when you show up authentically, you naturally attract people who align with you and you repel people who don't. And that's the point. Research from LinkedIn's healthcare analysis and Harvard Business Review shows that authentic healthcare marketing creates stronger patient loyalty, higher satisfaction scores, and better long-term outcomes. Not because you're manipulating people, because you are attracting the right people. When I started being real in the syndicate, right, in our community, showing up as myself, not some polished consultant, I attracted physicians who value straight talk over BS. And those relationships, they're easier to maintain because you were not pretending. And yeah, authentic practices are more profitable. Not because you're chasing money, but because aligned patients stay longer, refer more, and actually value your time. Success follows integrity, uh, money follows mission. Alright, so I'm not going to coach you through every detail here, but that's what we do in the syndicate. But let me give you one thing you can do this week to start practicing authenticity. And then I'll tell you what else is possible. So here's your practice for this week. Run the consistency test. Ask yourself, would I say the same thing to my patient as I would to my colleague? Would I treat my staff the way I want it to be treated? Am I the same person in the exam room as I am at home? If the answer is no, your code is switching. And that's where the exhaustion comes from. So this week, pick one interaction where you usually put on a mask and just don't. Be the same person you are everywhere else. See what happens. That's your starting point. Of course, there's more, a lot more to this. See, what we do in the syndicate uh community, we go deep than just uh being yourself, right? We work on designing your entire practice around these authentic values. How to structure your schedule so you're not rushing patients, how to price your service based on what you actually believe they're worth, not what insurance says or what insurance covers, how to build an offer that reflects your philosophy of care, not CPT codes. The physicians in my community, they're not just feeling less exhausted, but they're also practicing medicine the way they always wanted to. And they're making more money doing it too. Because when your practice is uh built on authenticity, everything gets easier. That's what the syndicate is. On our group calls, we're working through real situations. I ask doctors, um, and doctors, you know, explain situations. How do I handle this difficult patient authentically? Or how do I set this boundary without feeling guilty? How do I say no to this contract? And you've got a whole room of physicians who get it, who's been there, who can help you see clearly, because authenticity isn't one-time decision, it's a daily practice, and it's a hell of a lot easier when you're not doing it alone. And I'm genuinely curious here, comment below and tell me what's the one area where you feel like you're code switching the most. Look, if you're watching this and something clicked, you're tired of maintaining different versions of yourself, you if you're ready to build a practice that actually aligns with who you are, and like if you want to be in a room with other physicians who are doing this work, let's talk. The syndicate is a safe, supportive, positive community for physicians who are serious about this type of stuff. We do group Zoom calls where we work through real situations together, like I said. I also provide one-on-one calls for personalized guidance, and we offer and host in-person events where we connect face-to-face in the same room. I practice what I preach, I show up as myself, I give you straight-up talk, not consultant BS. And we built a community where you can actually be you without judgment. So if you want to explore this, actually I offer a free 45-minute profit accelerator session. We'll map out where you're losing yourself, what it would look like to practice authentically in your specific situation, and whether the syndicate is a good fit for you. This isn't for everyone. If you're not ready to make real changes, this isn't your call. But if you've been in practice long enough to know what's not working and you're already to do something about it, put a time. Before I let you go, here's what I want you to understand. Being authentic isn't risky. Maintaining a facade, that's the risk. That's what leads to burnout. That's what makes you forget why you went into medicine. So when you stop pretending, you stop exhausting yourself. When you align your practice with your values, you stop fighting with yourself. When you show up the same everywhere, you get to be you again. Patients show up, they become loyal, your practice grows. But that's not even the best part. The best part is you remember who you are. So if this video resonated with you, subscribe to the channel. We've got a lot more real talk about building better practices coming your way. And don't forget to comment below. I genuinely want to hear where you're struggling with this. This is Dr. TJ An signing off.