303: Why Microcirculation Matters
The Clinical Entrepreneur
What if one of the biggest reasons your patients are not improving has less to do with the protocol itself… and more to do with whether oxygen, nutrients, and support can actually reach the tissue? In this episode, I’m unpacking why microcirculation deserves far more attention in clinical practice. These tiny vessels, the arterioles, capillaries, and venules, are where the bloodstream meets the cell. This is where oxygen and nutrients are delivered, waste is carried away, and healing begins. And if that system is compromised, progress can stall. We talk about why microcirculation may...
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302: It's Not a Patient Problem - It's a Leadership Problem
The Clinical Entrepreneur
Your patients aren't disappearing because of their budget or their schedule. In most cases, they stop coming back because of what happened - or didn't happen - during their very first visit. You know the drill…. they quietly drift off with no warning, no explanation, nothing. So the only thing left to do is construct a perfectly reasonable theory for why it happened. Check. But here's what I've finally realized: it’s not about them at all. Poor patient retention in a wellness practice isn't a patient problem. It's a communication problem, a structure problem, and honestly, a...
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301: Lion’s Mane for Brain Fog, Sleep, and Menopause
The Clinical Entrepreneur
As it turns out, mushrooms may play a far greater role in human health than we originally thought - and as such, may deserve a place in every clinical protocol. In this episode, I’m joined by long-time herbalist and mushroom expert Lee Carroll for a fascinating conversation about Lion’s Mane, mushroom quality, and two new products from Real Mushrooms: Lion’s Mane Focus and Lion’s Mane Calm. We talk about why mushrooms may need to be viewed less as an “extra” and more as a foundational part of long-term health support, especially when it comes to cognition, stress resilience, sleep,...
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300: The Real Problem With the Standard Process Price Increase
The Clinical Entrepreneur
The Standard Process price increase and MediHerb price increase have practitioners talking, and they have a right to feel frustrated. This affects inventory, recommendations, protocols, and what patients can realistically afford. But the real problem is not just the price increase. It is what happens when frustration starts driving decisions that should still be clinical. After a Facebook post in December lit up the practitioner community, I saw reactions all over the board. Some people were frustrated. Some were ready to make big changes. Others were more neutral. And honestly, I understand...
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299: How I’d Build My Practice If I Had to Start Over
The Clinical Entrepreneur
I recorded this episode once already, and when my production team went to download the file… there was no sound. I was annoyed, avoided re-recording it for a week, and then finally sat back down, opened my notes, and the very first line said: get your head right before you do anything. Honestly? That was the perfect reminder - because this episode is really about the mindset and business shifts I wish I had made much sooner. If I had to start my wellness practice over again today, I would not do it the same way. In this episode, I’m sharing the five mindset shifts I’d adopt immediately,...
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298: You Think It’s Hormones. It Might Be Blood Sugar.
The Clinical Entrepreneur
If your patients aren't getting better - despite doing all the right things - blood sugar might be the piece you're missing. I'm walking you through the symptoms, the labs, and the exact protocol I use to stabilize blood sugar in functional medicine patients. This one might change how you see every case you've ever stumped yourself on. Blood sugar isn't just a diabetic problem. It shows up as brain fog, stubborn weight, hormone chaos, anxiety that won't quit, and patients who are doing everything right and still not getting better. I've seen it so many times - and I've been guilty of chasing...
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297: How to Raise Your Prices Without Losing Patients
The Clinical Entrepreneur
I've heard every excuse about why wellness practitioners don’t raise their rates. Things like “my patients can’t afford it,” or “I don’t know enough to charge more,” or even “what if they leave?” The underlying fear that keeps your prices low isn't about the money. It's about what you believe you actually deserve. I recently raised my fees – by only $20. And I laughed at myself - because I know I'm worth more than that. But that small number told me something important: even I get comfortable with what I’m charging. And comfortable is where practices quietly plateau. In...
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296: Why I Rarely Order Lab Tests (And What I Do Instead)
The Clinical Entrepreneur
I'm just going to say it: you probably don't need as many lab tests as you think. After 23 years in practice, I'm sharing why over-testing is getting in the way of good clinical work - and the only three reasons I'll actually order a test. I see it constantly: a new patient walks in with a stack of results - stool tests, genetic tests, mold panels, toxin panels, sometimes $3,000 or $4,000 worth - and they're still sick. If the tests had the answer, they wouldn't be sitting across from me. Here's what I've learned: tests don't give you a diagnosis. They give you data. And data without a...
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295: The Real Reason Your Patients Keep Disappearing
The Clinical Entrepreneur
If your schedule has more holes in it than you’d like, it's probably not a marketing problem - it's a practice model problem. I'm breaking down the 5 elements of an entry-level, outcome-based program so your patients stop disappearing and you actually get paid for the transformation you deliver. If every patient you'd seen in the last six months was still active in your practice right now, would your schedule still be partially empty? Probably not. You have the patients - the problem is keeping them active and engaged. With a typical fee-for-service model, every appointment feels like a...
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294: Why Your Protocol Isn’t Working (Start With These 3 Things First)
The Clinical Entrepreneur
If your patient is doing everything right and still not moving the needle, stop changing the protocol. Start here instead. I'm breaking down 3 of my 5 Clinical Non-Negotiables: the foundational things I address with every single patient before anything else, no matter what they came in for. Here's the unconventional truth: more/better/different protocols aren't the answer. Doing them in the right order is. I've made this mistake - and watched other practitioners make it as well - for over 20 years. A patient comes in with Hashimoto's so you reach for a typical thyroid protocol. A little...
info_outlineA 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 needed the right combination. But every change triggered more panic. Every new supplement amplified his symptoms.
Then I had a huge realization: his digestive system t wasn't the problem. It was just the microphone, amplifying the symptoms. His nervous system was so completely dysregulated that it couldn't regulate around anything - not food, not supplements, not even safety.
And I didn't see it until he was gone.
This is the hardest case I've shared in this series - not because the symptoms were complex, but because I had tunnel vision. I was so focused on fixing his upper digestion and gut that I missed the real driver: a nervous system that had completely gone off the rails and could no longer regulate.
What You'll Learn:
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The signs of complete nervous system dysregulation (and why they can be hard to spot)
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Why the loudest symptom isn't always what needs addressing first
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How asking patients to track symptoms can backfire badly
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The difference between stabilizing a patient and trying to fix them (spoiler: some people need ‘boring’ before they need a protocol)
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Why post-viral neuroimmune injury is a whole different beast
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What "creating safety" actually means clinically - and why it's medicine
Resources Mentioned:
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Free download: 6 Principles of Clinical Thinking
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Learn the "how" of functional medicine inside Clinical Academy
Connect with Ronda:
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Clinical Academy: rondanelson.com/clinicalacademy
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Free Resource: rondanelson.com/6principles