S1:E46 | Qualified Doctor Who Never Worked Clinically — Building a Healthcare Marketing Agency From Medical School | Tiarnan McKeever, Founder, KE Socials

Most healthcare professionals who leave do so after years in clinical practice. Tiarnan McKeever decided during medical school that he wasn't going. He finished the degree, got the letters, and used them to build something else entirely.Tiarnan is a qualified doctor and founder of KE Socials, a digital marketing agency that works exclusively with healthcare businesses — private clinics, doctor-led services, and medical education companies. He built the foundations while still studying, graduated without ever working clinically, and now runs a team in a London office serving clients across the private healthcare sector.This conversation covers what it looks like to use medical training as a commercial asset rather than a clinical one — and what healthcare professionals who are thinking about leaving can take from a doctor who made that call early and made it deliberately.Specific topics covered:Why Tiarnan finished medical school knowing he'd never work clinically, and why having the letters still matteredHow a conversation with a consultant about an app with no users sparked the idea for the agencySending 600 cold emails to get the first client, and what being a medical student actually got him in the doorWhy 50% of his clients have come through his personal LinkedIn, not the company pageThe three-stage patient acquisition model most private clinic owners get wrongWhy he lets go of clients who undermine his freedom, even if they're paying wellHow he defined his core values around freedom before designing the business, not afterWhat doctors bring to business that they completely underestimate — and why he'd still go to medical school knowing what he knows nowHis Q1 this year — what a bad patch looked like and how outside perspective pulled him through itWhy personal brand beats business brand, and what Daniel Priestley got rightListen to the episode here.Follow Tiarnan McKeever:Website: https://growth.kesocials.com/us/xLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiarnánmckeever/Follow David / Via Nova here:⁠⁠David's LinkedIn⁠⁠If you’re done pretending you’re fine… start here.Your Final Shift is a straight-talking exit guide for healthcare professionals who can’t do another 20 years of this. Get your copy hereAre you ready to leave healthcare? Still in a role you've mentally already left?Answer 15 questions and find out exactly where you stand, and what to do firstTake the free 2 min quiz here Want to try billboard advertising from £80? Get started with CAASie at https://caasie.co/?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=get-a-shift-on&utm_content=referral - 1.5M screens worldwide, pay-per-play.00:00 - Introduction and guest background02:29 - Why Tiarnan stayed in medical school despite starting a side hustle04:19 - The importance of perseverance and taking on challenges07:33 - Origins of Tiarnan’s business idea and initial side projects09:27 - What services his healthcare marketing agency offers12:17 - Why more doctors seek multiple income streams14:06 - The effect of systemic issues on medical professionals’ career satisfaction16:24 - How Tiarnan designs his ideal workday based on core values18:25 - Boundaries with clients and maintaining work-life freedom20:56 - Building and managing his team with clear core values23:16 - Challenging client arrogance and focusing on ideal collaborations27:19 - The stages of patient acquisition and common clinic mistakes33:21 - Views on private healthcare and system limitations44:04 - Advice for healthcare professionals considering leaving medicine47:43 - The value of medical skills beyond clinical practice49:50 - Future plans for business expansion and growth