How One Practice Owner Stepped Away and Found Her True CEO Role
The Day Sarah Didn’t Go to Work — and Found the CEO She Was Meant to Be
Sarah used to believe she was the only reason her practice worked.
She treated patients full time, ran the office, and believed that with her in the office, everything would fall apart. Her office manager had been encouraging her that she didn’t have to be involved in every little detail, reassuring her that everything would still work without her.
Then one morning, her office manager called.
“Don’t come in today,” she said gently. “We’ve got it covered.”
Sarah hung up the phone and just sat there, staring at the clock.
Not going in felt like it violated everything she believed about work — and even her sense of identity.
“What am I supposed to do now?” She later told me it was her first thought.
She stayed home.
She admits it was harder to do than she thought it would be.
And that one day changed everything.
At first, Sarah didn’t know what to do with her time. She wrestled with the belief that she was abandoning her business.
But as the days went on, something unexpected happened — her brain started to think creatively again.
She began asking bigger questions:
What opportunities have I been too busy to see?
How can I mentor my leaders instead of micromanaging them?
What if my job wasn’t to be at the center of everything but to build something bigger?
Over the next few months, Sarah leaned into the discomfort.
She promoted her right-hand therapist to clinic director, gave her office manager more decision-making authority, and clarified everyone’s roles using a decision-rights framework.
It wasn’t easy. There were setbacks, like the time spoke over her office manager about coding questions. At times she was quick to solve a problem her director could have solved. Because of the jumping back in, overstepping, and she realized she had to apologize to her team. But each time she did, trust grew deeper that this change was real.
The Results
Within a year, Sarah’s business looked completely different.
Her revenue grew by nearly 50%, driven by improved billing, coding, developing her clinicians and more strategic marketing.
She cut her own hours dramatically and found herself actually enjoying the business again.
Even her friends — successful physicians — noticed the difference.
“You seem lighter,” one told her. Another asked, “What changed? You look like you enjoy this again.”
The Inner Work
Sarah’s biggest fears turned out to be more like ghosts that never materialized.
She realized the business was more resilient than she ever gave it credit for.
At first, she didn’t feel like she deserved this time and success. But that shifted into deep gratitude and a renewed desire to create a better life for her team and community.
That gratitude began to shape how she led: she started designing the business not just for growth, but for human flourishing. That meant better lives for her staff, better care for her patients, and more freedom for herself.
She now spends her time thinking, creating, and leading. She now describes that stepping into the CEO role was one of the best decisions she’s ever made.
She values her time as her greatest source of wealth.
She still is involved, but from a completely new role and perspective.
Lessons & Takeaways
Sarah’s shift wasn’t about learning more — it was about letting go.
Here are a few questions that might help you consider your own next step:
If you fully embraced the CEO role, what’s the first thing you’d stop doing?
Who on your team could take on a decision this month that you’re still holding onto?
What evidence do you already have that your business can thrive without you in every detail?
If you created even five extra hours a week to think and plan, where would you focus that energy?
Reflection
Sarah’s journey took six extra months because the emotional shift was harder than the operational work.
If her story feels familiar — you’ve already laid the foundation but can’t quite step out, now is the time to explore what’s really holding you back.
What’s one fear that is holding you back?
If you want to talk through how this kind of change might look for you, schedule a call and we can talk through it.