47. From Burnout to Business Owner with Dr. Michelle Quirk

Mar 10

From burnout to renewed passion and vigor. I’m joined by Dr. Michelle Quirk who shares her transformation story from a run-down and dispassionate clinical pediatrician who found her joy by starting a side business as a running coach. This transformation ignited a passion in all parts of her life again.

How to Find Your Purpose

Listening and Looking for the Signs
Taking Action
Going Slow and Not Getting Overwhelmed

Listen to Episode 47 Here

Or listen on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android

About Michelle Quirk, MD

In the midst of a lively career in pediatrics, Dr. Michelle Quirk discovered that running could change her life. She embraced the sport by becoming a certified run coach with the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), a local Girls on the Run coach, and a Disney World-loving marathoner. She founded Mindful Marathon to help make running easy and fun for busy professionals.

For anyone thinking that running is too hard or that they can’t be runners, Michelle is ready to help transform you into a runner. She develops customized training plans for every type of runner—new, old, somewhere in between—and fits those training plans into busy lives, helping her athletes find their edge and achieve their goals.

Discovering Your True Passion

Dr. Michelle Quirk asked to meet for coffee one day, seeking some career advice. But when we met, I spotted the signs of burnout almost immediately and we began talking about what other options she had. Michelle describes how she felt and what other symptoms of burnout she was experiencing - something so many women physicians are familiar with.

When I asked Michelle what she would do if she could do everything, she regaled me with how much she loved running. All it took was a change in perspective, but Michelle realized right there that she didn’t have to compartmentalize these different parts of herself. Who says she couldn’t be a successful clinical pediatrician and a running coach?

While it wasn’t an overnight change, Michelle started researching what she needed to do to launch a run coaching business. The biggest shift came when she realized all she had to do was curate the roles, and time spent in those roles, to make her run coaching dream a reality.

Starting a Passion Project Beside Clinical Medicine

Michelle describes what steps she took to start Mindful Marathon while still working full-time in clinical medicine. She used her own favorite motto: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” to go slow and make her running passion a reality.

One of the biggest complaints her clients have is that they simply don’t think they have the time to start running. Be honest, how often have you used this excuse, too? Michelle explains how to find the time in your busy day to start building regular exercise into your routine.

Finally, Michelle shares the secret to long-term success: Making smaller goals. When you hit smaller goals consistently, we are absolutely more likely to stick to what we want to do!

Homework for Women Physicians

What is a goal you have that you feel is out of reach? How can you create smaller goals to make it more realistic? Let me know in the comments below!

In This Episode

What the signs of burnout might be [4:00]
What happens when you no longer compartmentalize the different parts of your life [10:30]
How to curate our roles to create the life you really want [14:30]
How to start a business while working full-time in clinical medicine [15:30]
How to find the time to start running [21:00]
The importance of making smaller goals [25:00]

Quotes

“We all actually know what we want to do. We really deep down know what it is that we want to do. There are signs and there are clues all around us. Sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement, to take a pause, and look around.” [8:06]

“I felt like I had a different purpose. I was still able to help people, but help them in a different way. I think that’s why we went into medicine. To help people.” [12:04]

“We focus on developing a consistent routine with walking and running. We start slow and my favorite expression is, ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint.’ A lot of us are looking for quick results, but in order to make it a lifestyle and not just a fad that will go out of style, we make it a slow process. But it’s really fun.” [19:34]