Networking Unleashed: An Interview with Dr. Mel Colon and Michael A Forman, Professional Speaker

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Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable
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Connections. I'm your host, Michael Foreman.
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How good do you have to be at what you do for
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people to literally travel miles just to see
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you? Today's guest tackles difficulty foot and
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ankle cases that others often can't help patients
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and avoid major surgery and has created a concierge
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house call. model, a household model, unlike
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anything else in his specialty. But this conversation
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is about much more than medicine. It's about
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trust, reputation, caring, referrals, and what
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happens when you have the courage to do things
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differently. Because the expertise may get people's
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attention, but how you treat people determines
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what they say about you when you're not in the
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room. So put your... So put your best foot forward.
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Yes, I had to say it. So let's get into it. I'd
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like to introduce to the podcast, Dr. Mel Colon,
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and I have to come clean with you guys. I've
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become friends with Dr. Mel, and this is really
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going to be quite an extra... extra experience
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for me because I'm really dying to know what
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he does. And even though he gave me the write
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-up, I'm going to ask him all sorts of questions.
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But anyway, but Dr. Mel, how are you? Welcome
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to the podcast. And let me ask you a question.
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In the cliff notes, because I know this may take
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a long time, but give me the cliff notes of how
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you got where you are today. I drove from Brooklyn
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to here. No, I'm just kidding. I got here. Basically,
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my brother is in the same field. A board certified
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podiatrist, just like myself. He's living now
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in Naples. He moved from Atlanta down there.
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And basically, I decided, I guess maybe because
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his feet were bigger, I decided to follow in
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his footsteps and become a podiatrist. And it's
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great because you remember the comedian, Michael.
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I think you're old enough to remember him. He's
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no longer here, but Rodney Dangerfield. And he's
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no respect. He gets no respect. So the Rodney
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Dangerfield, the foot is the Rodney Dangerfield
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of the human body. It gets no respect. It's a
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very unusual part of the body because let's say
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you have pain in your face or your elbow and
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the doctor takes care of that, but you don't
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walk on your face or your elbow. You walk on
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your feet. So not only do we have to get rid
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of the pain or the problem, but we also have
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to know that it's a weight -bearing part of the
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body. And we have to do everything in our power
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and our creativity to have it not come back.
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Of course, you don't walk on your face unless
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you had a little bit too much to drink. But that's
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a whole different conversation. Okay. You're
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funnier than me. I want a refund. What's that
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all about? Okay. Patients travel significant
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distances to see you. What do you believe makes
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someone trust a professional enough to go past?
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dozens of other choices to reach that one person.
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Because I specialize in difficult, unresolved
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foot, ankle, and lower leg problems that very
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often other physicians can't get done, even though
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they're excellent doctors. They say practicing
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as a physician is a science, but it's also an
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art, creative and innovative. So what I do is
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very creative, very innovative, very gentle.
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I explain everything. And I treat every single
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patient like family, like they were king or queen
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of a country. I can't do it any other way. I
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grew up in Brooklyn, where we say, forget about
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it. Get out of here. What are you, nuts? So I
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really deeply care about every single patient.
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And so it's worth it for them to come. Actually,
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88 % of my patients come from the Atlanta metro
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area. And the other 12 % come from the other
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49 states. And only about two people come in
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from another country. So far, it's about two
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averages, about two people a year will fly in.
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So they're going to get the results. The answer
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to your question is maybe too long. An answer
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is that they're going to get the results and
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not going to be gentle and not going to explain
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everything to them. And I tend to call them after
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they leave. OK, and I want to make sure that
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they actually follow their instructions so that
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they have the very, very best results. I know
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a great many doctors, and I know probably even
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more specialists, and they all have a nice bedside
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manner. They always want you to think you're
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the most important person, but you go the extra
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step. You talk to them before, you talk to them
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after, and then you talk to them way after, just
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to see how they're doing. That, I think, is what's
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missing from the doctors of today. I totally
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agree. I don't talk to them so much before because
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I meet them when they come in the office. But
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since we started the new division where we do
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house calls or we go to their hotel room, I remember
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your question very well. Do I talk to them before?
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I certainly talk to them during and I talk to
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them after, which is unusual, but I like doing
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that. So I talk to them before if they're going
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to have a house call. So that's when I talk to
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them before as well. Okay, you describe what
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you do as a combination of skill and caring.
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In a business and networking, have we become
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so focused on demonstrating competence that we've
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underestimated the competitive advantage of genuinely
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caring? Yeah, really, because I'm very healthy,
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but occasionally I go see a doctor and I can't
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believe how... uncaring some physicians or nurses
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are. And I compliment them like crazy when they
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have a great personality because I love that.
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And I think it's, that's the way it should be.
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It's the way I was raised and that's the way
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I'm wired. You ever find, because I know you
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and I know you in the networking environment.
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And you're very bubbly, very outspoken, very
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humorous and very smiley and everything. Do you
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ever run into those doctors that are so straight
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laced that they just want to just tell you what's
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wrong, tell you how they can fix you and move
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on? Yeah, I can't wait to get out of that office
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when that's happening. I just can't wait to get
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out the door. So when I go see a physician, which
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is not too often because I'm very healthy, but
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I do try to find out. Who do you think I could
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be comfortable with? Who's got a good personality?
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Because I think people don't screen for that,
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but I think you should screen for that. And I
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don't mind if people screen for that with me
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because I pride myself in having that type of
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personality. Good, good. And I agree. I agree
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100%. You often see difficult cases after other
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approaches haven't worked. When someone comes
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to you frustrated or skeptical, How do you rebuild
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trust before you ever begin treating the problem?
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I would rebuild trust by being very complete,
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very comprehensive, very caring, okay, and actually
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doing what I say I'm going to do. So I think
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that trust occurs that way because they're actually
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getting the kind of healthcare that every physician
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should offer. Now, that goes without saying,
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because with your whole concierge house call
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division, they have to first really trust you
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in order to allow you into their home. So it's
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a very interesting concept. And that's one area
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I didn't come up with myself. There's some very
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influential people here in Atlanta that asked
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me to come to their house. And I had never done
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that my whole career. And then it went so well.
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that they sat me down and said, you need to start
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this service. And I really didn't like the idea
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of having to go to someone's house because I'm
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a brutally honest person. So, but now I really
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like it. It's funny. I didn't know that that
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was going to be another iteration of what I do,
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but I'm really glad that they sat me down and
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I'm really glad. It's a much needed service.
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And you have that for dermatology, family medicine,
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internal medicine, and psychiatry. So the five
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specialties are those four plus me. And there
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also are chiropractors. There's a chiropractor
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that I know that goes to people's houses as well.
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Yes, I think I know him also. Your concierge
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house call model is very different from traditional
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health care. What did you have to believe about
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yourself and your patients to have the courage
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to build something when there really wasn't a
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roadmap to follow? Three words. Confidence. And
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maybe if we wanted to add some more, skill and
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determination. Just knowing what to do. I know
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my field. So really, it wasn't difficult at all,
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Michael. It was just a natural progression. With
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your personality and with your confidence level,
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because your confidence level is way above. anybody's
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because whether you know something or don't,
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you know it, right? And you're confident. And
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the other person will never believe that you
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don't know it because you're not so confident
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in what you're talking about. But your confidence
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level and your knowledge is so incredible that
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when you combine that with the confidence and
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the skill, it's a no brainer to have people come
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in, have you come into people's houses and have
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them trust you. It's an incredible thing. It
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really is. Thank you. Healthcare is becoming
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increasingly influenced by technology and AI.
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As medicine becomes more technologically sophisticated,
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could human connection actually become more valuable
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rather than less? I think you're 100 % right.
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I think it's more valuable. I have to admit that
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I'm on AI maybe one to two hours every single
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day. So I love AI, but I think you have to be
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careful with AI. That's not a person. And you
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have to double check everything AI says. So I
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think the human connection and personality and
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charisma and charm and caring are still very
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important human traits. And I think even some
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of the most important people like Bill Gates
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or Elon Musk have said that AI will not totally
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replace a physician because AI can do a lot of
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health care, but they can't do all of it. There's
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certain things that only human could do unless
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that changes 20 years from now. But within the
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next five, 10 years, for sure, you need that
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human connection. I couldn't agree with you more.
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My take on AI. with networking is AI replaces
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a lot. I talk to people all over the world from
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this podcast, and it's incredible, but AI can't
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give me the emotional responses. It takes all
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the emotion out of the answer. It can give me,
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technologically, it can give me the answer, what
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I'm asking. but it removes all the emotion, all
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the tact, all the body language, all everything
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that you need to network. When you and I go on
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Thursday nights and we go to network with people,
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you're networking, you're talking to people and
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you're happy and you're doing this. AI can't
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do that. AI doesn't replace you. It would take
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four computers to replace you because you bring
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so much to the table. There's so much emotional
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constraints, not constraints, but there's so
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much emotion that AI can't possibly replace it.
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And I always say that AI is great because I,
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too, and I am on AI almost two hours a day, but
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it can't replace. me speaking, me going out and
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speaking to an audience, because I need to pick
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up the vibe of the room. I need to pick up the
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vibe of the people. And you can't get that through
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a screen. I so agree. I think that's so spot
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on. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. You say the foot
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is one of the most neglected and misunderstood
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parts of the body. Do you see a parallel in leadership?
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that the problems we ignore because they seem
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small often become, all right, let me start that
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again. Do you see a parallel in leadership that
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the problem we ignore because they seem small
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often become the problems that eventually stop
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us from moving forward? I think if you think
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about it, The foot is kind of a strange, weird
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part of the body for a lot of people. They're
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embarrassed about their foot. The foot's covered
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up by socks and shoes, okay? And I think people
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just, there's no contest. There is another part
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of the body that is more misunderstood, misdiagnosed,
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or mistreated. part of the body. People should
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take care of their feet because think about it.
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If you don't have good feet, how are you going
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to work full -time or even part -time? How are
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you going to do exercise or sports or dance?
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How are you going to have a quality of life?
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So people neglect their feet. It's amazing to
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me, absolutely amazing to me how people can neglect
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their feet. They'll go to the dentist, which
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of course I understand. Everybody sees your smile
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and you need your teeth to chew and eat your
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food. But you really need, and you go to the
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dentist, the dentists are amazing with marketing
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because they tell you to come twice a year or
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at least once a year. But people don't go to
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a foot doctor, to a podiatrist, maybe even their
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whole life. So they should go to a podiatrist
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maybe at least every two years, but they don't.
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That's good to know because I'll have to make
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an appointment because I haven't gone in about
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five years, but that's a different story. Okay.
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Referrals in healthcare carry enormous responsibility
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because someone is essentially putting their
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reputation behind a recommendation. What has
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to happen before you've truly earned someone's
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referral? As far as you mean, how do I need to
00:15:40.059 --> 00:15:43.139
relate to that physician or that person that's
00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:44.720
sending me someone else? Is that what you mean?
00:15:45.299 --> 00:15:50.539
If I referred somebody, now I'm putting my reputation
00:15:50.539 --> 00:15:55.299
behind that referral. So what has to happen before
00:15:55.299 --> 00:15:58.860
you've truly earned? someone's referral how can
00:15:58.860 --> 00:16:05.100
i how can you earn my well expert for i don't
00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:06.919
know if i'm going to answer it properly the way
00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:09.480
you wanted to answer it but for example recently
00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:14.720
i have 55 plus communities people 55 years old
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:18.440
and above that live in maybe in a community of
00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:22.100
500 homes or whatever And they've been inviting
00:16:22.100 --> 00:16:24.820
me to give a talk. I normally talk for about
00:16:24.820 --> 00:16:27.360
seven minutes because I don't like to have a
00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:30.960
boring talk. What I talk about is very dynamic.
00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:34.220
And then I will have a question and answer period.
00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:36.799
And then if they want me to examine their feet
00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:38.799
and give them some kind of idea what's going
00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:43.419
on, I could do that. So that is one way. of earning
00:16:43.419 --> 00:16:46.440
trust. And there's many other ways, but basically
00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:49.879
I just meet a lot of people. I have 30 ,000 people
00:16:49.879 --> 00:16:53.080
on LinkedIn, 30 ,000. So I practically have lived
00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:56.039
on LinkedIn and I know hundreds and thousands
00:16:56.039 --> 00:16:59.360
of other people. People just hear about it. They
00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:02.100
hear about it. They had a great result. For example,
00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:05.500
I had somebody just sent me a patient, someone
00:17:05.500 --> 00:17:08.559
I think you met at the networking event. He's
00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:11.779
a chiropractor in Buckhead. And he sent me a
00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:15.839
patient with gout. So he had like a really red
00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:19.339
and hot and swollen and very painful big toe
00:17:19.339 --> 00:17:23.299
joint, a bunion joint. And he came to me and
00:17:23.299 --> 00:17:26.700
I administered some nerve blocks, which flushes
00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:30.339
out the urate crystals from that joint and put
00:17:30.339 --> 00:17:32.519
him on some natural supplements as well to help
00:17:32.519 --> 00:17:36.640
keep him from coming back. And he's now, he said
00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:39.569
to me. My mother has a different problem. It
00:17:39.569 --> 00:17:41.730
sounds like she needs the same kind of treatment.
00:17:42.210 --> 00:17:45.069
And could I fly you to Jacksonville? I said,
00:17:45.109 --> 00:17:47.990
yes, you can fly me to Jacksonville. I will go.
00:17:48.230 --> 00:17:50.589
So right now he's in Jacksonville talking to
00:17:50.589 --> 00:17:52.990
his mother and he may be coming back with her.
00:17:53.170 --> 00:17:56.230
So I don't know. I gained trust in many different
00:17:56.230 --> 00:18:01.589
ways. I have everything you just answered. I
00:18:01.589 --> 00:18:03.369
have a hard time believing that you just spoke
00:18:03.369 --> 00:18:06.710
for seven minutes. Because that's the only part.
00:18:06.849 --> 00:18:10.529
Because you don't get around to the subject for
00:18:10.529 --> 00:18:13.910
seven minutes. I'll tell you what. I think you
00:18:13.910 --> 00:18:16.490
met someone on the, I won't mention her name
00:18:16.490 --> 00:18:18.589
publicly, but she's one of the people that comes
00:18:18.589 --> 00:18:23.150
to that networking. And she's so funny. So she's
00:18:23.150 --> 00:18:25.990
in the world of financial advisory. So we are
00:18:25.990 --> 00:18:29.170
going to start. We're going to do an improv.
00:18:29.900 --> 00:18:32.519
off -the -cuff comedy routine, and we're going
00:18:32.519 --> 00:18:36.900
to audition to be in comedy clubs and also networking
00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:40.559
events. That sounds great. You tell me where
00:18:40.559 --> 00:18:43.180
you are, and I will come see you regardless,
00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:48.299
okay? So you'll have my support. Your goal is
00:18:48.299 --> 00:18:51.900
often to prevent major surgery rather than simply
00:18:51.900 --> 00:18:56.539
perform another procedure. What... Has practicing
00:18:56.539 --> 00:18:59.440
medicine taught you about putting someone's best
00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:03.380
interests ahead of what's easiest, most conventional,
00:19:03.579 --> 00:19:07.799
or even potentially more profitable? Since I'm
00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:11.099
a brutally honest person and candid person, I
00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:13.039
will tell you that when I was recruited into
00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:15.740
the clinic that I'm in, Swanee, which is a five
00:19:15.740 --> 00:19:18.819
-star, 7 ,000 -square -foot clinic, the owner
00:19:18.819 --> 00:19:22.849
asked me, she said, Dr. Colon, I know you do
00:19:22.849 --> 00:19:24.769
bone surgery. I know you do all different types
00:19:24.769 --> 00:19:27.210
of sophisticated surgery as a board certified
00:19:27.210 --> 00:19:30.269
foot and leg surgeon. But coming into my clinic,
00:19:30.309 --> 00:19:33.289
if indeed you agreed to come in and close your
00:19:33.289 --> 00:19:37.009
other offices, can you stop doing that surgery?
00:19:37.109 --> 00:19:40.170
And can you change your philosophy to more that
00:19:40.170 --> 00:19:42.150
you can prevent people from having surgery? I
00:19:42.150 --> 00:19:45.279
said, that's beautiful. Let's do it. It was perfect
00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:47.960
timing for my life. It was much closer to where
00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:51.039
I lived. So I saved a long journey to my office.
00:19:51.259 --> 00:19:55.019
And now I do. Exactly. That's a very good question,
00:19:55.140 --> 00:19:58.640
Michael, because I save people from having surgery.
00:19:58.980 --> 00:20:03.880
OK, and I do that by using creative forms of
00:20:03.880 --> 00:20:08.640
treatment like a therapeutic, sympathetic nerve
00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:12.130
block, which I could explain better. when people
00:20:12.130 --> 00:20:15.809
come in. And it basically, it breaks the pain
00:20:15.809 --> 00:20:18.309
cycle, the soreness, the tenderness, the inflammation.
00:20:18.609 --> 00:20:21.150
It increases the blood flow permanently to that
00:20:21.150 --> 00:20:24.009
part of the body, to the foot or ankle or lower
00:20:24.009 --> 00:20:27.690
leg. And it's dramatic. It's absolutely dramatic.
00:20:28.210 --> 00:20:31.289
So that's why, getting back to an earlier question
00:20:31.289 --> 00:20:35.069
you had about why people would travel. Yes, they
00:20:35.069 --> 00:20:38.029
would travel. Because if I saved them from having
00:20:38.029 --> 00:20:41.059
surgery, It's a no -brainer. Why wouldn't you
00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:42.980
want that? And also, why would you want to stay
00:20:42.980 --> 00:20:45.279
with the pain? And why would you want to not
00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:49.420
be able to work or do sports or dance? So that's
00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:53.420
my answer. Absolutely. Absolutely correct. And
00:20:53.420 --> 00:20:56.559
it was so nice to hear that there is somebody
00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:03.559
putting the patient ahead of the prophet. And
00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:06.720
listen, I think you're the only one that I've
00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:09.680
spoke to that actually came out and said it.
00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:14.319
And look, I know you. I know your practice. And
00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:17.440
I know you do it. You don't just talk about it.
00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:21.359
You do it. Everything you say, you do. And that's
00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:24.680
another major factor when it comes to trusting
00:21:24.680 --> 00:21:28.890
the doctor. So that's for you. Thank you. When
00:21:28.890 --> 00:21:31.990
someone becomes known for solving problems other
00:21:31.990 --> 00:21:36.150
professionals can solve, ego can easily enter
00:21:36.150 --> 00:21:39.549
into the picture. How do you maintain confidence
00:21:39.549 --> 00:21:43.890
in your expertise while keeping the humility
00:21:43.890 --> 00:21:47.950
to continue listening and learning? That's an
00:21:47.950 --> 00:21:50.750
excellent question. And here is what I think
00:21:50.750 --> 00:21:55.789
might be an excellent, honest answer. Overconfidence
00:21:55.789 --> 00:21:59.380
or... Being narcissistic or having too big an
00:21:59.380 --> 00:22:01.799
ego or you can't get your hat on your head because
00:22:01.799 --> 00:22:07.440
your head's so big is ugly. That's why it's ugly.
00:22:07.579 --> 00:22:10.920
It's not right. It's not the way we're supposed
00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:15.160
to be. OK, so I'm confident, but not overconfident.
00:22:15.259 --> 00:22:19.279
I'm not an egotist. OK, and I never happened.
00:22:19.579 --> 00:22:23.039
And I it's just I'm just the way I was raised,
00:22:23.180 --> 00:22:26.720
basically. And it goes back to the confidence,
00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:31.079
but not overconfidence. Absolutely. And coming
00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:33.579
from the Bronx, Brooklyn and everything else,
00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:37.920
I'm 30 miles north of New York City. I grew up
00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:40.400
in Rockland County. There's Rockland and Westchester
00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:45.380
counties. And I grew up in Rockland County. So
00:22:45.380 --> 00:22:47.819
I know exactly your feeling, what you've been
00:22:47.819 --> 00:22:50.740
doing. So I want to bring this podcast full circle.
00:22:51.559 --> 00:22:54.900
If we remove the number of patients you've treated,
00:22:55.099 --> 00:22:58.819
the revenue you've generated, and the professional
00:22:58.819 --> 00:23:02.480
recognition you've received, how would you personally
00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:05.680
measure whether you had a successful career?
00:23:07.140 --> 00:23:11.869
Because of the results. And you should, offline,
00:23:12.069 --> 00:23:14.210
when we're not on the podcast, I could bring
00:23:14.210 --> 00:23:17.069
you people that have laws for confidentiality
00:23:17.069 --> 00:23:19.789
for patients, HIPAA laws, okay? But I could bring
00:23:19.789 --> 00:23:22.329
you people who would waive the HIPAA, they could
00:23:22.329 --> 00:23:25.049
sign a form, and they could tell you what I did
00:23:25.049 --> 00:23:27.809
for them. Because those results make me feel
00:23:27.809 --> 00:23:31.430
really good. That is something that, you know,
00:23:31.529 --> 00:23:34.690
it's just amazing. It's an amazing feeling, okay?
00:23:34.869 --> 00:23:38.430
Just like maybe when an artist and my wife...
00:23:38.779 --> 00:23:42.539
is Korean, and she's an artist. She does oil
00:23:42.539 --> 00:23:46.099
painting. So when she does that, and even when
00:23:46.099 --> 00:23:49.180
she sells the painting, it's not so much about
00:23:49.180 --> 00:23:51.619
making that money from the painting. It's about
00:23:51.619 --> 00:23:55.819
creating that work of art. Same thing with me.
00:23:55.960 --> 00:23:59.680
It's the creating a better functionality for
00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:02.200
patients, a better life for patients, remove
00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:05.779
the pain. Or sometimes it's a cosmetic reason
00:24:05.779 --> 00:24:07.759
that they don't like the way their foot looks.
00:24:07.980 --> 00:24:10.500
For example, they have those really thick, ugly
00:24:10.500 --> 00:24:13.839
fungal toenails, okay? I've come up with ways.
00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:17.019
For example, let's jump off fungal toenails for
00:24:17.019 --> 00:24:20.660
a second. Another one with nails is ingrown toenails.
00:24:20.819 --> 00:24:24.279
What I did is I took the procedure that all podiatrists
00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:26.160
in the United States use. We all pretty much
00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:29.799
use the same procedure. And I've used the word
00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:32.180
creativity before. That's not just a science
00:24:32.180 --> 00:24:34.920
word. It's an art. So what I did is I took that
00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:38.539
procedure. I made about five or six modifications
00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:42.640
to the procedure. So instead of 88 to 100 % success
00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:46.200
rate that podiatrists get, for me, it's 100 %
00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:50.359
every single time. Never, ever have I had an
00:24:50.359 --> 00:24:53.799
ingrown nail come back because I modified it.
00:24:53.980 --> 00:24:58.279
So that gives me pleasure. It's accomplishment.
00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:01.420
It makes me feel good. So you're right. It's
00:25:01.420 --> 00:25:04.920
not just money. I think it cannot be you do health
00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:08.980
care just for money. That's not right. That's
00:25:08.980 --> 00:25:11.359
the way it used to be. I don't know if it's so
00:25:11.359 --> 00:25:13.940
much the way it is anymore. But fortunately,
00:25:14.259 --> 00:25:17.619
there are people like you, Dr. Mel, that you're
00:25:17.619 --> 00:25:20.420
still out there doing it for the people instead
00:25:20.420 --> 00:25:24.539
of the profit. Go ahead. If I could correct one
00:25:24.539 --> 00:25:26.039
thing, because I know there may be other people
00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:29.119
watching this as time goes on. I think all the
00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:31.619
podiatrists are great. I don't want anyone watching
00:25:31.619 --> 00:25:34.140
this thinking that I say I'm better than them.
00:25:34.180 --> 00:25:37.039
No, not better. Different, creative, whatever.
00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:40.279
But no, and I don't say physicians do things
00:25:40.279 --> 00:25:42.759
just for money. So I want to make sure that it's
00:25:42.759 --> 00:25:46.019
not an impression that anyone gets, okay? Okay,
00:25:46.200 --> 00:25:49.319
that was from my point of view. Okay, that's
00:25:49.319 --> 00:25:51.980
the difference. Dr. Mel, this was great. You're
00:25:51.980 --> 00:25:54.960
a great guest. Listen, if somebody wanted to
00:25:54.960 --> 00:25:58.019
get hold of you, either because they have a foot
00:25:58.019 --> 00:26:00.960
problem or they just want to say hi, what's the
00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:03.660
best way that they can get hold of you? Okay,
00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:06.720
that is another thing. Most doctors never, ever
00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:09.279
put their mobile number on their business card.
00:26:09.359 --> 00:26:12.779
I do. OK, and I've never seen anyone or all the
00:26:12.779 --> 00:26:14.940
years I've been doing this abuse that nobody
00:26:14.940 --> 00:26:18.460
has no one. So they could call me the best time
00:26:18.460 --> 00:26:21.440
to call me. And I invite you to call me. No problem
00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:24.359
for me. The best time to call me is between 1
00:26:24.359 --> 00:26:28.579
and 8 p .m. Eastern Time, between 1 and 8. And
00:26:28.579 --> 00:26:39.490
that number is 678 -522 - 2 -870 -678 -522 -2870.
00:26:39.769 --> 00:26:43.369
Call me between 1 and 8 p .m. And that's especially
00:26:43.369 --> 00:26:46.329
important when it's a house call. But even if
00:26:46.329 --> 00:26:47.829
they're going to come into the office in 20,
00:26:48.109 --> 00:26:52.750
then they could call me. Fantastic. Here's today's
00:26:52.750 --> 00:26:56.190
takeaway. People don't go the extra mile for
00:26:56.190 --> 00:26:59.930
average. They don't refer people they don't trust.
00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:04.859
When you're treating patients, leading a company,
00:27:05.079 --> 00:27:08.180
or building your network, your reputation is
00:27:08.180 --> 00:27:12.299
being created in every interaction. Be excellent
00:27:12.299 --> 00:27:15.000
in what you do. Care about the person in front
00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:17.640
of you. And remember, the most powerful networking
00:27:17.640 --> 00:27:20.920
often happens when you're not even in the room.
00:27:21.059 --> 00:27:24.180
When someone trusts you enough to put your name
00:27:24.180 --> 00:27:27.299
into the conversation. If you enjoyed today's
00:27:27.299 --> 00:27:30.519
episode, like, follow, and subscribe to Networking
00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:32.960
Unleashed, Building Profitable Connections, and
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:35.420
share this episode with someone who understands
00:27:35.420 --> 00:27:38.619
that relationships are built from one interaction
00:27:38.619 --> 00:27:41.859
at a time. I'm Michael Foreman. And remember,
00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:45.640
expertise gets you noticed. Caring gets you remembered.
00:27:46.119 --> 00:27:49.500
Trust gets you referred. I'll see you on the
00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:53.099
next episode. Dr. Mel, thank you for coming on
00:27:53.099 --> 00:27:56.920
my podcast. You are a great guest. Thank you
00:27:56.920 --> 00:28:00.299
so much. To wrap folks, a huge thank you to our
00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:02.980
guests for sharing such incredible insights today.
00:28:03.380 --> 00:28:06.740
And of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing
00:28:06.740 --> 00:28:09.759
listeners, for tuning in and spending your time
00:28:09.759 --> 00:28:12.839
with us. If you're interested in my digital courses,
00:28:13.119 --> 00:28:16.000
being coached, or having me come and talk to
00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:19.460
your company, just go to Michael and fill out
00:28:19.460 --> 00:28:23.039
the request form. Remember, networking isn't
00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:25.700
about being perfect. It's about being present.
00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:28.839
So take what you've learned today, get out there,
00:28:28.940 --> 00:28:31.980
and make some meaningful connections. If you've
00:28:31.980 --> 00:28:34.720
enjoyed this episode, please don't forget to
00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:37.920
subscribe, leave us a review, and share it with
00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:40.240
someone who could use a little networking inspiration.
00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:44.140
Let's keep the conversation going. You can find
00:28:44.140 --> 00:28:48.460
me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or my
00:28:48.460 --> 00:28:52.359
website, foreman .com slash podcasts.