Yesterday the alarm was at 05:00 and after composing my blog I set off on a 10k run, blown along by the remnants of Ophelia past Newcastle Racecourse to Gosforth and back.

Followed by a full day delivering the 3rd Practice Plan Workshop Tour with Sheila Scott.

As an aside……..

17 practices is attendance.

Here are some stats to ponder:

All 17 were investing in some form of digital advertising but none of them could accurately tell me the results

Only 1 practice was able to tell me the bounce rate on their web site (and that was an impressive 37.90% – well done Ghyllmount Dental)

4 practices had a full-time TCO

3 practices held a regular daily huddle

0 (that’s none of them) were prepared to say that they had an effective End of Treatment Protocol in place

The Workshop finished promptly at 16:30 and, after helping Sarah and the Practice Plan team to tidy up the room (thus is stardom), Sheila was off to The Lakes for a meeting tomorrow and I was back in my hotel room for the first of a series of evening calls, beginning an hour later at 17:30.

On the phone until 19:30 and then down in the bar at The Marriott for a cheeky sirloin with roast squash.

My intention was to attack an ever-growing task list in Asana but what actually happened was precisely 2 hours to answer the emails that had accumulated during the day:

• can you take a look at the accounts for a practice I’m thinking of buying?
• can you suggest a valuation figure for an associate who wants to buy in?
• can you have a look at this month’s patient newsletter and give us a green light?
• can you answer some questions about your new workshop programme for 2018?
• can you tell me what I should be paying a new member of our management team?
• can you have a look at the designs for our new window decal?
• can you have a look at our new practice logo and web site?
• can you point me at some decent education material for new practice managers?
• can you send me the hand outs from your recent talk?
• can you come over here and coach us – we need a 3-year plan for expansion?

In bed at 21:45 – read book – lights out 22:00.

And so today……..

Alarm 04:00.

Write this blog.

5k run at 05:00.

Taxi at 07:00.

First client meeting 09:00.

Second client meeting 13:30.

Expected home at 20:00 – to pack for Showcase.

I was in Belfast a few weeks back and chatting to my clients Mark and Beverley Gilbert from Creative Smiles about work rate for business owners.

Beverley shared with me an old Belfast expression:

“If you want something done, you should look for a hungry boxer.”

You and I – we are the hungry boxers.

We just keep getting back up on our feet and getting in the ring.

Here goes…….