Today we’d like to introduce you to TaVona Denise Boggs.
Thanks for sharing your story with us TaVona. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
How did I go from a burned-out physical therapist to live + business coach for women entrepreneurs in healthcare? I guess it started with my own experience as a physical therapist. I did what many do-I got the job, then moved into management. When I got passed over for a promotion at the clinic I had been running as the Interim Clinic Director, then was denied PTO (paid time off) to watch my brother walk across the stage, I quit. I had no idea how to start a business or how to get contracts as a physical therapist, but I was determined to figure it out because I was not going to miss that graduation. I am so glad things didn’t work out how I thought they would, because I am not sure I would be where I am today.
Fast forward a few years. I am loving the fact that I make more money doing the same thing, but have the ability as a contractor to decide when and where I’m going to work and I was quite honestly getting burned out. I felt stuck on the career treadmill, where all I did was get up, go to work, go home. My life felt like it had lost meaning or purpose. Yes, I loved helping my patients, but I also felt this calling to serve more people… to become more. It wasn’t until I got certified as a life coach that I figured out what was missing.
The ability to produce results in my life, not by doing more, but by thinking differently. That was a game-changer for me. No longer did I feel like I was stuck on that career treadmill, that I had agency in my life and that I could feel better even if the circumstances didn’t change. The funny thing is when I felt better, I had more energy, I was more creative. This led to my work as a mentor and creator of a burnout resilience program at one of the major hospitals in Atlanta, where I spent most of my time. I thought the only ones who were burning out were the older physical therapists, but it turns out, so were the new grads who were feeling the stress of trying to navigate a new career under the strain of $100K+ in student loan debt.
My practice has evolved over the years from life and wellness coaching to life + business coaching as I made it my mission to help as many women in healthcare avoid burnout, boredom and glass ceilings. It is my belief that people burn out when they don’t know how to use their thinking to feel empowered, no matter what circumstance they find themselves in and we get bored when our soul wants us to grow, but we choose to stay in the “security” of the comfort zone.
Often times, being a healthcare professional does not allow for that growth, especially if you do not want to open a traditional practice or remain inpatient care for the rest of your life, so I help women in healthcare take their education and experience to create a business that can be run from anywhere in the world that supports the lifestyle that they want.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Absolutely not! I hurt my back at the hospital in 2015 and was unable to treat patients for six months. When I went back to the DC area to take care of my mom before and after she knew replacement, it was incredibly challenging to establish my network there since I had not lived in the area for over a decade and my coaching business took a hit from it.
Upon my return to Atlanta, I decided to just focus on physical therapy. It was in the moments when my colleagues sought counsel that I realized that although I was initially trained as a physical therapist, at my core, I am a life coach and that’s when I re-entered the coaching industry, this time with a focus on supporting fellow healthcare professionals.
Most of my struggles throughout have been my thoughts and beliefs about not being “good enough” self-doubt, fear of not being able to make enough money. Oddly enough, I never thought about that when I started the physical therapy contracting company, I just quit and 30 days later had my LLC and my first contract. Something about this time felt very different. I struggled to get my name out there and focus and find “my people.” I suppose that one of the reasons I was never fully able to get out of healthcare is because those are my people. The new struggles are in building a team and learning how to effectively communicate and delegate, which has been challenging because I’m used to doing so many things by myself, but at this point, I need to focus on the community and my clients.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Our specialty is helping women in healthcare leverage their education and expertise to create a business that can be run from anywhere in the world, without going back to school if they want to move beyond patient care for any reason. We are known for helping women get past the mental blocks that keep them from launching and growing their businesses and developing strategies for sustainable businesses. I am passionate about the designing a life AND business that they love, not going from burned out in their jobs to burned out in their business.
The community that we have built, the Thrive Network for Women Entrepreneurs in Healthcare, sets us apart from others. This is not just a business. We are building a network of women entrepreneurs who understand that although we are healthcare professionals, we are people first. We are a community of women who are intelligent AND fun, who want to make a difference AND make money. We are quite literally changing lives by giving women the opportunity to create businesses that feel good and support the lifestyle they want.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My mom has been my biggest supporter and cheerleader. Always answering the phone (or call me right back), always listening to my ideas and being excited every time I call her and say, “I’ve figured it out!”
I have had several mentors and coaches over the years, but my life changed when I met Brooke Castillo, owner of The Life Coach School (yes, that is the official name). She is the one who taught me that my thoughts dictate my results and that if I wanted to feel better, no matter what the circumstance was, all I had to do was choose new thoughts. This was so liberating because I could stop blaming other people for how I felt and I no longer needed the circumstances to change to feel better.
Shan Thomas, of Credible Visibility and Meredith Castin, of The Non-Clinical PT, have both been so gracious in not only listening to my ideas and giving me real feedback but advocating for me and sharing my gifts and talents with their audiences when no one knew who I was. For that, I am eternally grateful.
Contact Info:
- Website: TaVonaDenise.com
- Phone: 404-926-6421
- Email: Thrive@TaVonaDenise.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tavonadenise/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tavonadenise/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaVonaDenise
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveinhealthcare/
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