Hello everyone!
So, as I'm sure you've noticed, there have been many versions and changes to my blog over the years. If you've been with me as far back as Kettlebell Therapy, it's been a wonderful journey of growth and learning together. And, this togetherness is what has brought me to this point to shift my blogging entirely.
Just in case you've just gotten to know me, here's a snippet of the last 5 years or so of blogging and social media mayhem.
In Summer of 2011, I found myself professionally frustrated as a Physical Therapist. As I was already garnering attention at the national level regarding kettlebells, my wife suggested I start a blog and get on social media. Honestly, I was really resistant. Prior to meeting my wife, I didn't have a Facebook (well, I had one... lost somewhere in cyberspace back in the day when you needed a *.edu email to have one). In any case, I got into blogger, Twitter, and Facebook.
Quickly, I realized that for my own style, my blogging was very much content driven. I didn't have much video nor imagery to share. But, I had thoughts, concepts, and actionable strategies to share. And, apparently you liked it!
Quickly, I realized that for my own style, my blogging was very much content driven. I didn't have much video nor imagery to share. But, I had thoughts, concepts, and actionable strategies to share. And, apparently you liked it!
Eventually, the voice of Kettlebell Therapy shifted from kettlebells into the healthcare industry. I chose to open up Blog @DrBenFung (this blog) for a better platform to represent the written content accurately. My writings on healthcare turned into business as I got close to getting my MBA from the University of Michigan. And, as we got to know each other better, I felt that being emotionally transparent and even vulnerable was to be a good thing for everyone.
I started changing my blog subtitles which eventually landed at this theme of "honest conversations." I moved on from business, marketing, healthcare, and advocacy into relationships, academics, career paths, and the like. I realized, this honesty, this transparency, this vulnerability actually helped so very many of you as you started to reach out with private messages on how encouraging it was to see someone "successful" share inner thoughts... that wasn't so easy as so many people publicly like to make themselves appear absolutely put together -- flawless.
It's funny because, when I stepped onto the public scene (digital and otherwise), I felt the obsessive need to ALWAYS be professional... and, I lost my personal aspects from it. I lost myself. I felt the continual need to put forth this super refined image of "DOCTOR" when really -- I'm just a huge dork.
And, by now, you know this! You know I love to cook. You know that I study martial arts. That I have ADHD, was bullied as a kid, and have interests in Science Fiction. You know that despite all my schooling, I only just started finding a love of reading. I am husband to the best wife ever and am the proud father to a severely intelligent and strikingly handsome son named Nathan.
To all this, my wife, Christina, remains my muse which leads me to......!
Daddy In The Raw: The Real Life of a Work at Home Dad.
Ever since joining UpDoc Media, I've been getting a lot of questions like:
- How is it?! Being your own boss?
- What is the life of an entrepreneur like?
- Why did you make this move away from clinical practice?
- Do you only work from home?
- Is this your only job?
- What motivated you to apply your MBA through a startup?
And, I want to answer such questions. More than that, I wanted to empower this new generation of colleagues and friends who are not satisfied with the status quo. I want to share my situation, my reasoning, and the path which lead me to ditch a very stable $6-Figure paying job (with plenty of upward mobility opportunities... actually, they practically bent over backwards to keep me in because of my MBA)... so that I could work at home and be with my family.
How did the lessons of moving up the rung of corporate leadership early in my career affect my decision? Did it go all the way back to the lessons I learned from my sabbatical? What madness drove me to go from a life of surplus into a life which is lived moment by moment, month by month?
These days, people want to get to know the real you. More than that, people want to feel empowered to be real for themselves. This is what Daddy In The Raw is all about. This is my real life. As I share it, openly, transparently, vulnerably, honestly... raw in effect, I want it to encourage to those who yearn to live a full and rich life -- filled with success in every measure.
Some final FAQs:
- Am I closing this site?
- Answer: Nope! It'll still be here with some periodic content which neither fits UpDoc Media nor Daddy In The Raw.
- What about UpDoc Media?
- Answer: UpDoc Media represents my professional voice and platform. It is where I do my "real work" so to speak. Daddy In The Raw is where I am free to "be" myself. It is where I will open the windows for a peak at the real me; how very silly I am, how much I love coffee, and how I will do just about any crazy thing to fulfill the needs of my ADHD-ness.
- Are you still a Physical Therapist?
- Answer: Yes I Am! Being a PT will always be a centric part of who I am. I like to think of myself as a PT who is leveraging the profession in novel avenues beyond the clinical walls. PTs can be so much more than clinicians; I aim to lead this movement by living it.
- How do I afford working at home?
- Answer: I'll be sharing about income strategies through Daddy In The Raw.
- Will I work from home, forever?!
- Answer: Who knows?! I hope to, in part. Rather, it isn't the working from/at home which is the driving factor. It is the motivation that I rather make time, not money, to maximize my life and the positive value I can bring to others. Right now, this is by working at home along with some other avenues. Later? Who knows! Ultimately, I'd love to share my thoughts through large scale public speaking platforms... but, more on that later ;)
