S2 E10: Why Patients Drop Off: How to Set Clear Expectations & Improve Retention
Release Date: 03/11/2025
E291: When the Gut Isn't the Real Problem
The Clinical Entrepreneur
A former competitive athlete came to me barely able to function. He had severe nausea, almost constant stomach pain, a known ulcer, crushing anxiety, and unrelenting fatigue. After looking at his intake forms, it seemed obvious that his digestive system was screaming for help so I did what any practitioner would do - I started by supporting optimal upper digestion. And everything made him worse. Bitters? Made him worse. Gallbladder support? Worse. Aloe? Also worse. The PPI worked, then didn't. The DGL helped a little, then stopped. I kept adjusting the protocol, thinking I just...
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E290: The H. Pylori Case That Stumped Everyone (Until We Fixed the One Thing They All Missed)
The Clinical Entrepreneur
What causes relentless belching that can clear a room - even after four rounds of H. pylori treatment? A 55-year-old retired dental hygienist had been treated for H. pylori four times. Two rounds of medical intervention and two different functional medicine practitioners tried to help - without success. The infection kept coming back, along with the belching so severe she could clear a room. The problem? Everyone missed the most important thing: the biofilm. In this episode, Ronda walks you through the exact three-phase protocol that finally worked: Prep & Prime (biofilm disruption +...
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E289: The Restless Leg Case I Missed Twice - Clinical Thinking Episode 3
The Clinical Entrepreneur
Twenty years of restless legs. Two failed attempts. One patient who kept coming back anyway. In this episode, I finally figured out what was missing - and it had nothing to do with magnesium, valerian, or sleep hygiene before bed. This case humbled me. I'd treated her twice before with all the "right" things - minerals, adaptogens, calming herbs, etc., and nothing worked. When she came back a third time, desperate and hardly sleeping, I knew I had to dig deeper. What I found changed how I think about restless leg syndrome entirely. RLS isn't a muscle problem. It's not a simple mineral...
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E288: Why Her Panic Attacks Had Nothing to Do With Her Brain – Clinical Thinking #2
The Clinical Entrepreneur
She was convinced it was her thyroid. After years of panic attacks, chronic anxiety, and a body that felt like it was "fighting something," she came to Ronda certain the answer was in her thyroid labs. It wasn't. In this Clinical Thinking case study, Ronda traces the real root cause back to compromised digestion and a nervous system running on stress hormones. This 28-year-old executive assistant had all the classic signs practitioners often miss: fasting glucose of 71 (a red flag for metabolic instability), light-colored stools, fatty food intolerance, and that telltale mid-back pain at the...
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E287: Critical Thinking Episode 1: The Cracked Tooth That Explained Everything
The Clinical Entrepreneur
She looked perfect on paper. Impeccable diet. Physically fit. Emotionally stable. Then she walked into my office and said, "I can't stop crying. I can't think. Something is wrong, and I don't know what it is." Her labs told part of the story: CRP at 87, neutrophils through the roof, lymphocytes bottomed out. But there was no fever. No illness. No obvious source. Until she dropped one sentence that changed everything. This is the first episode of my new Clinical Thinking series where I walk you through real patient cases, step by step, so you can see how I actually think through complex...
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E286: I'm a Dopamine Addict (And It Almost Wrecked My Business): 5 Lessons from My Hardest Year
The Clinical Entrepreneur
I'm going to be honest with you: 2025 humbled me. It wasn't my year. I didn't hit the goals I set. I didn't finish the projects I planned. I spent more time putting out fires than building anything meaningful. I went from a team of five down to two plus a virtual assistant and I ended up picking up way more work than a business owner should be doing. I was so scattered, so mentally fatigued, that some days I couldn't focus on anything for more than 10 minutes. There's a joke in my world: 'How many rabbit holes can Ronda go down in one day?' And this year, the answer was... too many. So this...
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E285: Why “Quick Questions” Are Costing You More Than You Think
The Clinical Entrepreneur
Those “quick questions” your patients sneak into chats, emails, and hallway drive-bys are quietly draining your time, profit, and clinical excellence. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on boundary creep; what it looks like, why it happens, and the exact phrases you can use to redirect those questions into paid appointments so you can protect your schedule, your sanity, and your bottom line. So if you’ve ever given out your cell number, answered a Practice Better chat at night, or tried to handle a full clinical case in your DMs, friend… this one is for you. I’m walking...
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E284: Big Pharma’s Newest Lie: ‘Perimenopause’ for Women in Their 30s
The Clinical Entrepreneur
Big pharma has officially crossed the line: 30-something women are being told they’re in ‘perimenopause,’ and the recommendation (of course) is to start HRT. The truth is that they are tired, stressed, skipping meals, and feeling overwhelmed. In this ultra-sassy episode, Ronda breaks down the manufactured narrative driving this trend, the physiology that proves it wrong, and a real case from her clinic that highlights how widespread the misinformation has become. Younger women don’t need hormone therapy - they need blood sugar support, a well-regulated nervous system, and a meal...
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283: A Case Study in Clinical Simplicity - Don’t Skip the Low-Hanging Fruit
The Clinical Entrepreneur
In this episode of The Clinical Entrepreneur, I walk you through a real case study of a high-stress, high-anxiety patient who turned things around - no labs, no overwhelm, and no complicated protocol. Instead, I focused on what I call “the low-hanging fruit”: stress, sleep, digestion, and diet. You’ll hear the exact questions I asked, the protocols I recommended, and the surprising symptom he revealed weeks later. Want help building clinical confidence like this? 🎯 What you’ll learn: My 4 “low-hanging fruit” focus areas Why Calm Restore and digestive...
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S2 E48: 2026 Won’t Plan Itself - But This Episode Will Help
The Clinical Entrepreneur
As the year wraps up, it’s time to do more than just “plan for the next.” This episode is a clear walk-through to help you celebrate the wins, identify the lessons, and set your business up for a powerful new year. Inside this episode: ✅ How to reflect on what worked (and what didn’t) ✅ Where most practitioners get stuck when planning the next year ✅ The 4-step framework I use to refocus with intention ✅ Two free downloads to help you map out what’s next 🔗 : The Year-End Reflection Workbook and Next-Year Vision Planner 🎧 Get accountability and support for...
info_outlineEver had a patient disappear into thin air? One minute, they’re all in, excited about their treatment plan, and the next - GHOSTED. No calls, no follow-ups, no explanation. 🙄
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Was it me? Was it the cost? Did I say something weird?” - take a deep breath. It’s not just you, and it’s (probably) not about money. Patients don’t drop off because they don’t want to get better… they drop off because they don’t know what to expect.
When your patients feel uncertain about the journey ahead - when they don’t understand the process, the ups and downs, and the time commitment - they’ll bail at the first sign of discomfort. But you can fix this by setting crystal-clear expectations from the start.
In this episode, I’m sharing the five key steps to keeping your patients engaged, compliant, and fully committed to their health transformation. Because when they trust the process, they’ll actually stay in the process. Let’s dive in!
Here’s What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
🔥 How to break treatment plans into phases so patients know exactly what’s happening (and why!)
🔥 How to normalize symptoms so they don’t freak out over detox reactions or temporary discomfort
🔥 How to set clear milestones that show patients they’re making progress (hello, motivation!)
🔥 Why communication boundaries matter - and how to make sure patients reach out at the right time
🔥 How to anchor patients in their bigger why so they stay committed instead of quitting at the first hurdle
If you’ve been struggling with patient retention, this episode is your blueprint for fixing it - fast.
Key Takeaways:
💥 Patients need a roadmap. Without clear expectations, they’ll get lost - and lose motivation.
💥 The “messy middle” is real. Prep them for bumps along the way so they don’t jump ship.
💥 Progress tracking keeps them engaged. Show them how far they’ve come so they don’t give up too soon.
💥 Good communication = trust. Give them guidelines for reaching out before they spiral into doubt.
Want More Support? Here’s Where to Find It:
🎯 12- Month Growth Plan: Download my step-by-step guide for growing your business, one strategic step at a time.
💡 Need help streamlining your patient experience? Join Clinical Business Academy for coaching, tools, and strategies to build a thriving practice
📌 Join the Clinical Mastery Facebook Group – Because business-building is better with a community that gets it.
Subscribe & Review:
Watch this episode here! Never miss an episode and subscribe to The Clinical Entrepreneur Podcast. Leave a review if today’s episode helped you keep your patients engaged. Your feedback helps me create more content to support you in growing your practice. 💖