Becoming an Entrepreneur: The Fit Pharmacist
On this episode of the Your Financial Pharmacist Podcast, Tim Church interviews Dr. Adam Martin about becoming an entrepreneur for another edition of the side hustle series. Adam has been practicing as a pharmacist in the community practice setting for over 7 years, in addition to being a certified personal trainer, licensed nutrition consultant, author, speaker, and competitive natural bodybuilder.
About Today’s Guest
Graduating from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, Dr. Adam Martin has worked as a full-time pharmacist in the community practice setting for over 7 years, in addition to being a certified personal trainer, licensed nutrition consultant, author, speaker, and competitive natural bodybuilder.
His passion and focus is empowering pharmacy students and pharmacists
to overcome the barriers we face in pharmacy to make self-care a reality. He outlines how to do this with practical and realistic tips in this book Rx: YOU! In his book, Dr. Martin dispenses his Rx for success in how to simplify nutrition, fit in fitness, and manage stress so that you can become The FitPharmacist and put the health back into healthcare.
Summary
It’s easy to hear Dr. Adam Martin’s passion for self-care, pharmacy, fitness, and life. While Adam’s mother was sick with cancer, he spent a lot of time with her going to pharmacies and noticed how compassionate pharmacists were in caring for his mother. He wanted to continue that care and empathy for patients as a pharmacist and was driven to become one, despite not being accepted to pharmacy school at first.
Adam’s been a practicing community pharmacist for 7 years and loves his work. He enjoys being able to build a rapport and relationship with patients and feels that every interaction is important and directly impacts someone’s life.
His passion for his pharmacy career floods into every other aspect of his life and is apparent in his entrepreneurial journey. In college, Adam started helping his colleagues with their fitness and health journeys. This ultimately formed a community and inspired him to create an Instagram account (@thefitpharmacist) which currently has almost 30,000 followers.
Now, The Fit Pharmacist business has 3 tiers which include nutrition, health coaching, and physical fitness. In his business, Adam continues to help pharmacists and pharmacy students put the health back in health care and truly take care of themselves so they can better serve their patients.
Adam’s also been in business since 2013 with Dr. Joe Klemczewski and Dr. Kori Propst of The Diet Doc. Adam is also a speaker, author, and coaches other pharmacists and pharmacy students to become health coaches.
Mentioned on the Show
- 7 Figure Pharmacist by Tim Church, PharmD and Tim Ulbrich, PharmD
- Rx: You!: The Pharmacist’s Survival Guide to Managing Stress & Fitting in Fitness by Adam Martin, PharmD
- Dr. Joe Klemczewski
- Dr. Kori Propst
- Grant Cardone
- Lewis Howes
- Tony Robbins
- Zig Ziglar
- Tony Guerra Pharmacy Leaders Podcast
- The Fit Pharmacist Healthcare Podcast
- Gary Vaynerchuck
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love by Cal Newport
- Follow the The Fit Pharmacist on Instagram
- Thefitpharmacist.com
Episode Transcript
Tim Church: Adam, thank you so much for taking time to come on the show and for being a part of this side hustle edition.
Adam Martin: Tim, thanks so much for having me. Been a big fan of you and other Tim, especially since reading the book you guys created, which is phenomenal. “Seven Figure Pharmacist,” so much value in there. It’s just really a masterpiece for the profession. So thank you so much and congratulations on that production.
Tim Church: Oh, thanks, man. We really appreciate that and, you know, that was really the goal in mind is to get that information out there so that people don’t make the same mistakes that we did. So definitely appreciate you for the shoutout on that. Now, being into fitness and weight lifting, I want to know, did you get your workout in today?
Adam Martin: I actually did. You guys can’t see on the video, but I’ve got my “Deadlifts and Chill” shirt on. It’s the same thing as “Netflix and Chill” but “Deadlifts and Chill.” So yes, sir, I worked at Club Pharmacy this morning and then went right to the gym. But yeah, that’s my life is pharmacy and fitness.
Tim Church: Awesome, man, me too. I got mine in, so I felt good going into this podcast, you know, making sure that I was ready. Got my workout in. So before you kind of do your workout, is there anything that you listen to? Any kind of music that gets you pumped up for a workout?
Adam Martin: Oh, absolutely, man. Throughout the whole time, not like a specific song, but a high BPM. If you guys have satellite radio, BPM is an awesome station. You guys can use like Pandora for free, but yeah, any high beat. I actually studied Spanish in addition to pharmacy, so I love like upbeat Da Miel (?), Yummy (?), all the awesome people out there that are doing like mixed reggae type stuff. So any like high beat, high energy. But then I also like some rock. If you guys listen to Disturb, they’re legit for really getting your mind in the game. For sure.
Tim Church: After I read your book, I thought maybe Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz maybe as well.
Adam Martin: Yeah, you got that reference. Well it’s funny, I actually play that song to keep my techs engaged at work. Whenever they say like, we need a mix for reconstituted amoxicillin, every then and now I’ll put “Shake it Like a Salt Shaker.” So yeah, man, you’ve got to bring in the fun. And that’s why I call it Club Pharmacy is because, yes, it’s very serious, we’re taking care of people’s health. We’re literally impacting their lives. But you have to have fun and enjoy that because if you don’t, that stress is going to eat you alive. So finding some sort of way to create that environment or joy, happiness is going to allow you to give to your full potential, and that’s why I do what I do.
Tim Church: Even if it’s with Lil Jon.
Adam Martin: Exactly. And actually, he’s really intelligent. So I know he’s making millions of dollars for saying three words, that being “yeah,” “OK,” and “what,” but this guy, he’s actually pretty intelligent — I don’t know if you’ve ever read up on him or not, but he makes some good mixes.
Tim Church: Yeah, that’s cool. I’ve been into like ‘80s montage music lately. So like all the Jean-Claude Van Damme and the Rocky movies. Those have been kind of my jams lately.
Adam Martin: Nice, man. Yeah, that’s what’s cool is it really depends on each individual, which is the whole approach that I have with health coaching that I do is there’s not a cookie-cutter plan where everyone fits into one category. It’s what are your goals? What do you like? What can you stick with? Because a lot of people fall into that trap of I want extreme results, so I have to make extreme sacrifices. Just like what we’re talking about with working out, like, oh no, I have to suffer. This is not going to be fun. Like this is punishment for the food I wasn’t supposed to eat. No. This is a celebration for what your body can do. Life is meant to be lived. And why walk when you can dance, man? So make it a party. So find that music that you love. I have some friends that really like classical music when they lift. That really juices them up.
Tim Church: That’s interesting.
Adam Martin: I don’t know how the heck they get through their workout, but that’s them, and you know, to each their own.
Tim Church: That’s how they hear it, yeah. Well, I’m really excited to kind of get your entrepreneurial journey and how you’re delivering value to other pharmacists out there. But before we kind of do that, can you talk a little bit about your career path as a pharmacist?
Adam Martin: Absolutely. So my career path as a pharmacist was my — I guess I’ll start with my why. My mom — actually, I love animals. We’ll start there. I love animals, so of course, the clear choice was I’m going to be a vet. Right? I want to take care of the puppies. I want to do all those things. So I very fortunately went and chatted at a vet clinic to kind of see what really went on. And it was not at all what I expected. I hated it, so luckily, that was in high school, so I was able to make a pivot to something else. Unfortunately, around that time, my mom got diagnosed with very aggressive cancer. I didn’t know it at the time, but she was given less than six months to live. And she was very determined, had a very strong mindset and ended up fighting for over five years in that battle. But during that time, we were in the pharmacy most days of the week. I don’t know any pharmacists personally at this time in my life. We don’t have any neighbors or family friends or anything like that, and all I knew was these people were really smart, and they’re crazy busy, like running around, short-staffed, all those things. But amidst that, a total stranger, my mom and our family, they would go above and beyond and really show that care and dedication and just say, like, “You know, can we drop this off for her? How is she doing?” Just genuine questions that just like caught my attention, like this is amazing that a total stranger can care so deeply for a stranger. So that really is what got me looking towards pharmacy in the first place. And then the more I looked into it, the more it was very clear I was meant to do this, like with absolute certainty. So I applied, I went to Pitt undergrad. And I applied to pharmacy school, super excited, and then I got rejected. “Your grades suck, this and that, you don’t” — whatever the reasons were, I didn’t get in. So I could have used that and said, “You know, this is crazy. I wasn’t meant to do this. This is too competitive. Blah blah blah.” But I really had my why. Like I was meant to do this. And instead of being discouraged, I got resourceful, I got involved in organizations, I was in the pharmacy school so much volunteering and learning, people thought I was a student. So I used that as my strength.
Tim Church: Wow.
Adam Martin: And then I actually the next year, applied again. I didn’t get accepted; I got waitlisted. I was the last person to get in my class, in my class of pharmacy. And I was like so excited and blessed. I’m like, oh, this is amazing. At the time, I was like, “Woohoo! This is great.” And we had orientation. And they talked about, don’t do this, don’t get in trouble. If you have a problem, talk to someone. And then the very last thing they said is, “By the way, you need to elect a president for your class.” And dude, it was a moment I’ll never forget. Like I was meant to do this. My parents really pushed leadership skill development. I was an Eagle Scout, all these things. And it was like, everything that I’ve done has now come to this point right now. So I ran for office, and I got elected president of my class. And I was like, you know what, I worked so hard to get in this, it literally took years plus one to get in here. I’m not going to waste this opportunity. So because it took so much, I overcame so much pain and rejection to get in there, I looked at this as such a gift. So I became like, how am I going to maximize this? Around that time, I also got into fitness. I’d been lifting for a few years, but I really got focused in the nutrition aspect. And what I found was if I went out and partied, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate in the classroom, and my workouts would suffer. But if I ate well and rested and did all the good things, I would be really focused in class, I’d make really good conversation, I’d take good notes, and my workouts would be amazing. So it was this dichotomy of fitness and pharmacy that really catapulted my success — not necessarily grade-wise, because I wasn’t a Rho Chi, I was more of a back-Rho Chi or a no-Rho Chi, so the grades weren’t all there. But the relationships, the learning, being involved in the community, volunteering. I went to seven conferences while I was in pharmacy school. So really just putting my energy in learning and connecting and networking and really making the most of all these amazing, brilliant people in pharmacy that I was blessed to have access to as my professors and colleagues. And whenever I graduated, it was right when the market started to shift. So when I was a first-year student, I was in Phi Delta Chi, and the people that were graduating in my fraternity were all talking about, oh, about a sign-on bonus or relo bonus, all those things that, you know, were the glory days of pharmacy. Well, that was literally the last year of that. That was I think 2008. And then it started to shift. Sign-ons were gone, relos were gone. And whenever I graduated, those didn’t exist. And it was really competitive. The job market really got tight. But because I networked and showed value, went to conferences, I ended up getting like six job offers when I graduated. Whereas people that just went through the motions didn’t even have any. Like there were some people that they didn’t know what they wanted to do, which is fine, you’re still looking to figure that out. But they didn’t have any job offers, so even after graduation, they were really struggling because that market shifted. So that really gave me an idea to not only help pharmacy students maximize pharmacy school but to help pharmacists and people in healthcare to live and give to the best potential possible because as you guys know listening, you’re probably in pharmacy, either a student or a pharmacist, there’s a lot of stress. Like a ton of stress. You’re trying to do 30 things at once, you’ve got flu shot quotas, you’re trying to give drugs that are off-market, and people are yelling at you, all these things. But you still want to give. You still have your why for why you got into this. But if you don’t have clear focus on that, it can really wreak havoc. And then you can fall into this trap of I’m here to give and serve, so me taking a lunch is selfish. Me giving up my time to work out instead of working out and taking care of myself, I’m going to give it to my patients. That’s really what it’s about. But short-term, that might work. But over the long term, that’s where it gets us into trouble. We start gaining weight, we start getting really overwhelmed with stress. And then it comes to a point where we’re not able to perform at our highest level. So by “giving our own self-care away,” we’re literally creating a detriment to the service of healthcare we’re providing. So self-care is not selfish at all. It’s the most selfless thing you can do because by investing in yourself, you can give more. And that’s my whole purpose is how to help people give their full potential.
Tim Church: I think you’re story of getting into pharmacy school and that path that you took is such a cool story just of resilience but inspiration on how you got into the field. And then I think you also made just a huge point about healing the healer, and that was always a point that was brought up when I was in school that you really have to take care of yourself. And I want to get into that a little bit more, but talk about what you’re doing as a pharmacist right now in your full-time job at a community pharmacy.
Adam Martin: Sure. So I love community pharmacy because it’s based on relationships and really having that rapport with your patients when they come in, you know them by their name, they know you by their name, you can follow up and say, “Hey, how was your graduation?,” sending them cards, just having genuine conversation and caring about people. That’s why I love going to work, and I can stand for 13 hours without a break and dance out of there like I just got there. So just having that level of impact and the relationships with the people to really just give and help them in their darkest moments because guys, when people come in the pharmacy, they’re most likely not having a good day. So if you can come to that interaction with energy and support and just being there for them, you’re going to impact their lives in so much — like it’s indescribable, the level of impact that you have the potential to make. But if we ourselves are facing issues that are controllable by diet and exercise, we’re doing a disservice. So by investing in ourselves, we can really make each and every interaction high-level. And I know that might sound like ridiculous or unrealistic, but I mean, I’m not at a slow store. We do over 500 a day without overlap. And you know, I go through the same stuff, tech call-offs, all the things. I’ve been doing it since 2012, so living in the trenches to give practical advice that’s realistic to help you with nutrition, fitness, dealing with stress, that’s kind of where that passion came from, unfortunately, through seeing so many other pharmacists succumb to that stress and the pressures that can take ahold of you if you allow it. So that’s where my one book came from, “Rx You: The Pharmacist’s Survival Guide to Managing Stress and Fitting In Fitness,” to take all those best practice tips and help you to overcome that and really invest in yourself.
Tim Church: Wow. I think you hit on so many points there that are just so key because you nailed it that pharmacists are so accessible and have the opportunity to really help people in multiple ways. But just even taking an interest in them when they’re at their worst can make all the difference. And I think sometimes, realistically, like you talked about, it can be difficult when you have all of these other things competing for your time and attention and just your own general energy and exhaustion. And so I think that other people probably listening are thinking, yeah, I get everything Adam is saying, but sometimes, I bet it’s difficult to maintain that same level of service and attention that you can give throughout your entire shift there. So I think that although it’s something that we should all strive for, it’s probably not always easy, right? To do that all the time during your entire shift.
Adam Martin: Oh guys, I’m not perfect. Like I make mistakes. But being able to do that the majority of the time and set yourself up so it’s easier — it’s not that it gets easier, it’s just that you get better. So it’s not that over time, stress goes away. Quite the opposite. You guys know, like they cut hours, more quotas, now there’s Shingrix on top of flu shots, and that’s on back order, so we just can’t wait ‘til that drops back again. But yeah, I mean, it’s not that it gets easier, it’s just that you get better. And you’re going to have days where life happens. If you’ve got kids, they kept you up all night or you’ve got relationship problems or you have a flat tire on your way to work, yeah, life happens. But being able to roll with the punches and bounce back from that, that’s what that practice. So what you practice in private is what you see in real life. So being able to do those rituals and prepare yourself so that when those things come up, you can face that adversity head-on and use it to strengthen you as a kind of overcoming a challenge.
Tim Church: Well, I mean, it’s cool, like I love the energy and the passion that you have just around the profession but your job and how you’re impacting patients every day. And I think that’s awesome, and you know, unfortunately, I don’t think that’s always the case in our profession. And it depends on your own ability to control your emotions and the things that are going on, but also there are some factors within the profession that do make it challenging to kind of come with that same level of passion and intensity. But I want to shift gears a little bit, and I want to know how did you become interested in entrepreneurship and creating this business, The Fit Pharmacist? How did that all come into play?
Adam Martin: That’s an awesome question, man. And I don’t really consider myself an entrepreneur because I have a full-time job, but I guess I’ve got like two jobs, like the entrepreneur gig. But it started out by literally just people coming to me and saying like, “Hey, how can I do this? What tips do you have? What suggestions?” and just helping them. And it literally created a community. What started off as an Instagram handle became a community and then a business, and now like this movement in pharmacy where there’s pharmacy students and pharmacists that share their story every Friday. I’ve been doing it for 2.5 years now for Fit Pharmacist Friday, where that’s a source of inspiration and motivation for others who are exactly what you said, going through these challenges. And we all have our seasons where we feel down or it’s not going to happen or tough times. But having that community, much like what you and Tim have with Your Financial Pharmacist of support and mentorship, is just so phenomenal that it just kept growing and I kept getting more and more people and then the followers started growing, and I just kept creating content because I love it and I’m like, hey, here’s an issue that I see all the time in pharmacy that people complain about. This is something that I’ve used and others find helpful, let me share this. And that’s how it spread is just creating value that works and is practical because you can want to be healthy and talk to a nutritionist, but they don’t really get pharmacy world and how we don’t have a break and we have to do 30 things with the manpower to only do five. So when they tell you to eat a salad for lunch and chew 30 times before you swallow, it’s not practical. So if it’s not practical, and you’re not going to do it, and then you’re going to be right back where you started. So having simple solutions that are actually, you know, going to be effective in your work environment is really where I thrive to cut through the crap. But it’s still using stuff that’s research-based, effective, scientific, but translating that to pharmacy world, whether that’s nutrition, fitting in workouts, mindset mastery through meditation or self-development through reading, seminars, things like that. That’s where my niche came from. Then it just became so many requests for people to do one-on-one coaching. As a competitive bodybuilder, a *drug-free* — pharmacist, but drug-free bodybuilder, yes, that just fueled my passion. And I just created this community, and it turned into a business, and I just started to think, you know, this is something. Like I get messaged every day by people all over the world — literally. In India, Spain, Africa, I write for a magazine in South Africa, like it’s literally a global community. So in order to do that effectively, I need to figure out how business works. Because I wasn’t trained in that, I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m just creating value with stuff that I love. And to answer your question, that’s kind of how the entrepreneurship worked is I just did what I love, did it from good reason, with good intentions to help people to overcome the struggles that I myself went through and see others doing and just kind of extending a helping hand. And that created the book and the community and the business. So that’s what I do now is I help pharmacists and pharmacy students do the same thing in creating their health coaching business. I’ve been in business since 2013 with the godfather of flexible dieting, Dr. Joe Klemczewski, and his partner, Dr. Cory Probst (?), who is literally the best health psychologist in the world. I actually joined them as a client when I first graduated pharmacy school, and I asked them like, “Hey, I have this passion for nutrition. There’s all these certifications. What do I do?” And he said, “We can train you to do what we do.” And that’s what I looked at for awhile just to kind of see time play out, check out was what they’re doing legit, get referrals, just doing all those things to make sure it’s all good because he was an idol in natural bodybuilding world. So I knew he had a huge following, really great integrity, everyone has awesome things to say. But you know, money talks, as they say. So I really wanted to play that out, and it was one of, if not the best investments I’ve ever made in my life. So I’ve been with them since 2013. I’m actually flying to Nashville this Friday to give a talk alongside them. So they started as my mentors, now they’re my colleagues and business partners.
Tim Church: And so what it sounds like, Adam, is that it took some time to sort of grow that community, put out a lot of great content, and then people were catching on, really seeing that value that you were bringing to the table. And it almost seems like they sort of naturally became something that you could monetize, that you were solving people’s problems that they were having.
Adam Martin: Exactly. And straight up, like I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the awesome people in our community of the Fit Pharmacist movement. Like they’re phenomenal. Literally, you had mentioned earlier that not everyone’s always at the top of their game or so enthusiastic. Yes, that’s true. But I want to come back at that and say, there are so many that are, that they have hard days too. They’ve gone through those things, and that’s why I started that Fit Pharmacist Friday is to let people know that, you know, your colleagues, your students, might be Debbie Downers, I don’t know. But you need to know that there’s a community of people who have gone through some serious crap, whether it’s emotional or abuse or relationships or financial, and they’ve come out being so much stronger, creating strength from their struggle, making their mess their message, leading by example and being just a source of inspiration. So that’s why I do that. And it’s created this awesome community of pharmacists that are all about, you know, helping others. So that’s what it’s about, and I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without you awesome people. So thank you. Thank everyone who’s listening and been with me on this journey because like you said, it did manifest naturally because — and it’s picked up momentum, so I guess a value point for those listening is very simple: Clarity creates power. So when I started, I had all these passions, you know, nutrition, working out, pharmacy, and it was like all over the place. But then finding my message and tying that all together, being an advocate and really resource to put self-care back into healthcare, particularly in the pharmacy profession, that’s when things really exploded because I got so clear and focused such that every action, every article I wrote, everything was tied to this one mission. And when you get clear on what you’re trying to do and the value and purpose of giving that you’re really on a mission to create and give to others, that’s when you’re going to take off. And I’ve read many books on this, I’ve gone to seminars with Grant Cardone, with Lewis Howes, with Tony Robbins, all this year, and it’s just getting those mentors. And I hear the same message, clarity creates power. Really get connected with your why, and stay true to what you’re looking to accomplish, stay true to that mission, why you’re doing it and the outcome that you want, and that is going to drive so much more success. And if you stay with that and be consistent and put in the work, you’re going to get results beyond what you could ever imagine.
Tim Church: It kind of reminds me of that quote from Zig Ziglar where if you help enough people get what they want, eventually, you’re going to get what you want. And that’s just really what I kind of hear as you’re going through that and talking about that because it’s easy to see that your passion and the power that you’re putting into this movement and parts of your business is really encouraging others but just having such a huge impact, and it’s really cool to see that. And to get a little bit more practical about the business itself, can you break down the different layers on how you’re bringing in additional income?
Adam Martin: Absolutely. The business is the Fit Pharmacist. And I have three main tiers with that. It’s expanding to a fourth right now. That being nutrition and health coaching, really helping people to live their best lives through helping them, specifically through mindset coaching, so how to deal with stress and anxiety, really have that attitude and practice of constant, neverending improvement, to really have those mentors and learn those things. The second being physical fitness, finding something that you enjoy because I love to deadlift, but you might not. Or you might have some physical ailment. So all my clients that I have, not one of them is interested in bodybuilding, and I am 100% OK with that. So just because I am a bodybuilder, that doesn’t mean that I expect you to be. That’s my passion. But you might like Zumba or something else. So it’s finding what you love and enjoy and doing that because it’s different for every person. And then the whole nutrition aspect. I do not believe in supplements or scam shakes or being reliant on a product because what’s going to happen when you go on vacation and don’t have the product or you go to a birthday party, and there’s no product there. It’s not living. It’s relying on an external thing. But when you really focus on education and being able to make those decisions and knowing nutrition, the science behind it, in a simple way. Not like a crazy, you know, professor-type deal, but practical knowledge, that’s going to allow you to become your best nutritionist. And I don’t throw you under the bus; I guide you through the process because everyone is starting from a different point. So that’s why I do very extensive in-taking with each of my clients to figure out what their goals are, what they’ve tried before, where they are right now and then where they’re looking to go so that we can create a realistic action plan.
Tim Church: And so do they pay you, is that like a flat fee for a service that’s over a certain period of time? Or how does that work?
Adam Martin: Sure. So the payment structure is based on time. So it depends on the individual because some people, you know, they’re at their healthy weight, they’re just really looking for more mindset. So I have a three-month program for someone that has that experience and they’re just looking to take that to the next level. I have a six-month program, and then I have a year-long program. So that’s why that intake is so important to really get to know the individual and based on where they are and where they’re looking to go, based on what their goals are, I can really make a recommendation for what would best allow that to practically happen. So that’s how that pricing structure works.
Tim Church: And then, so that’s one aspect of the business is doing basically consulting, helping pharmacists and other people get on a great nutrition plan, a fitness plan, and then what’s the other aspects of the business?
Adam Martin: So there’s a lot of pharmacists that feel like they’re not fulfilled. They feel like they’re just clocking in and just keep dispensing medications. It’s not their jam. They’re looking for another way. They’re really into the nutrition; they see the benefit for themselves, and they want to do that. They want to be the pharmacist that, you know, dispenses fitness to their patients and leading by example. But there’s so many internet programs and things like that, how do they do that? And how do they learn the business side? Because yes, there are pharmacy schools that offer PharmD-MBA programs, but you know, specific for fitness coaching, health coaching, things like that, that’s my other business is helping pharmacy students and pharmacists really do that practically from someone who actually does it. So it’s cool to get the inside business from like you guys do with your finance book, mistakes you made for investing and frivolous spending and so forth, just like me. Like I’ve made mistakes in building my business, spending money where it didn’t need to be, spending too much time doing this where it should have been that, so guiding them through that process with that whole plan and allowing them to do it at a faster rate with more success and I’m with them through that whole time so that, like I said, it’s different for every person, things are going to accelerate at a different pace. So being their coach through that process. I’ve been doing that for two years now, and it’s honestly one of the most rewarding things in my life because once you see someone really realize their potential and say things like, “Wow, I’ve always seen people do this, and I never thought I could do it. But I just did it, and it feels amazing.” I had one of my current clients for the 2018 course just closed his first health coaching client on a six-month program last week. And you should have seen him. Like he was so happy. Like it made everything, like all the work, all the late nights and everything that I had put in, it made it all worth it. That actually leads to the third layer of business, since you might pick up on I can’t shut up, and like I really done that for a long time, and that is speaking. I love to speak. It’s a passion of mine, it’s a natural gift. But really learning that and honing it so it can be effective in helping people to get those simple solutions to really empower themselves, whether that’s a mindset thing, staying in their element and overcoming stress at work, nutrition, social media, all of the things that I do and practice myself in a talk. So I speak at several businesses in the Pittsburgh area and all over. I’m actually flying to Nashville on Friday to talk about social media. But it’s a passion. I love it. And pharmacy schools are my jam. I’ve been working on a book for three years now to help pharmacy students master their whole experience in pharmacy school because I had an amazing education at Pitt, I love that school so, so much. But there’s some things that I wasn’t taught. Maybe I was not paying attention, so it could be my own fault. But there’s some things like building your personal brand, how to network effectively, like the ins and outs: what to do before a conference, after the conference, how to follow up, all of those types of things, I made a book. The first half is those practical skills that looking back as a pharmacist for eight years now, looking back in pharmacy school are my highlights, what were the things I wish I knew, that’s the first half of the book are those skills that will really set you apart and give you a competitive advantage in your career. And then the second part of the book is what took all the time. There are a collection of interviews from the best people in our profession, each chapter being a niche. So I have a chapter on specialty pharmacy with one of the best people in the industry. I have someone in research. I have someone that does PGY1 residencies, and all of those different things, those different avenues you can go, that are literally the top of their game. And I had pharmacy students do the interview so that they could get the experience asking them questions like, “Right now, you’re at the top of your game. If you knew you were going to end up here, and you were on Day 1 at pharmacy school, what things would you have done differently? What resources would you recommend diving into if this is your niche? What connections — where would you spend your time so that you would end up where you are, but at a faster rate so the value of that knowledge is really what took the time?” But then I took it a step further and what I told the dean who is a part of this project, Dr. Kroboth at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy, a phenomenal individual, so inspiring, I told her, “What I want to do is create this book, sell it. I want it in every pharmacy school in the country. But I don’t want to keep $1 from the sales. I want all of the money from the hard copy book sales to go to an endowment fund for a scholarship for a pharmacy student who is overcoming adversity and looking to make an impact in our profession.” Because I want to give back, I want to pay it forward. So that was my innovative way to create that. And that’s kind of why I’m so juiced about it, why I love going to pharmacy schools and talking, because it was the biggest gift I’ve ever gotten is a chance — a chance to get in and to really put my passion into work to make the most of that time. And I want to help others do the same, so that’s the why behind all my energy and talking and all the stuff that I do.
Tim Church: Wow. That is awesome, Adam. I didn’t know about that book. Is that out already?
Adam Martin: No. That has been in the works.
Tim Church: OK. So that one’s coming.
Adam Martin: That one’s coming in 2019. So it’s funny. I started that book three years ago. But then in the time, I was like, people really want like self-care tips. Like I keep getting messages every day, Instagram, Facebook, so I need to create a resource for that. So that’s where that book came out, and the response was, “Oh dude, you always say like the business is determined” — I forgot how this quote goes, but the market determines your success. That book came out, and 60 copies in 24 hours, it was a bestseller on Amazon, like it was incredible. I had people from Abu Dhabi buy it, Mexico, Canada, China, like amazing. Like literally worldwide reach. And I was blown away. Like I made this, I’m like, this will be like a cool e-book. And one of my mentors was like, no, no, no. You need to make this a hard copy book. I’m like, OK. So I did that, and I was like, I’ll sell like 10 copies. It’ll be cool, you know, to publish a book. But dude, it was amazing. And that just fueled and reinforced like hey man, you have something here. You need to keep going because you’re providing value, and it’s actually effective. And people are messaging me, saying, “This helped me so much.” Tony — Tony Guerra had me on his podcast, like dude, I lost 5 pounds from your one tip. I’m like, cool man.
Tim Church: Which tip was it?
Adam Martin: That was the water test, which I actually —
Tim Church: Oh, I love it. I love it. I do that all the time.
Adam Martin: Dude, I created that at work. So that’s in the trenches tip because I kept getting hungry because I was so busy, I would start feeling hungry. But I knew I wasn’t hungry, but I had this feeling. So I just chugged a bottle of water, and then 5-10 minutes later, the hunger feeling was gone. So I started looking into it, and I come to realize that the brain does not know the difference between hunger and thirst. So literally, if you feel hungry, it could be that you’re just thirsty. So in order to determine that, you’re probably dehydrated running around like a chicken with its head cut off at Club Pharmacy trying to answer all the 50 phones and the people trying to get their script filled ASAP. So chug a water, and it’ll likely go away. And 99%, dude, like I use this every single day. I used it this morning like three times. Almost every time, it goes away from drinking water. So that will save you unnecessary eating, extra calories, so it’s simple math. Like you guys are numbers with finance. It’s simple math. Calories in, calories out. If you can cut that stimulus so you don’t keep putting more calories in you don’t need, you’re going to get to your goal faster and not be walking backwards or not walking at all as we’re talking food.
Tim Church: Yeah, no, I love that tip. And there’s definitely some others that are really key in the book. I really like one of the lines that you put in there, and it was about that a lot of pharmacists, just based on the nature of the jobs, whether it’s community pharmacy or the other type of position, that a lot of times that excuse is, “Well, I don’t have to eat right. I don’t have time to exercise, you know, because of my job and because of my kids and because of all the other things I’ve got going on.” And then what you came back and said is, it’s not that you don’t have time. It’s that you haven’t figured out a system, a routine, the habits that work well with your lifestyle. And when I read that, I thought, wow. That really is the key is you’ve got to find something that works for you. So I think that was such a cool point that you put in there.
Adam Martin: Thank you, man. I appreciate that. It comes to the main concept of how I conduct my life, how I help my clients really find that “Aha!” moment for the system that you just described. It comes to something coined by my mentor, Dr. Joe Klemczewski, and business partner, that being structured flexibility. So you need a plan of what to do, things to cook, workout strategies and whatever, but you don’t want to fall into the psychological trap of black-and-white thinking. Like it’s this way or the highway. You need that flexibility component because as we know, life is not black and white. So if you try to do it in a black-and-white manner, you’re going to give yourself more frustration and anxiety when you’re trying to succumb those at the same time. So it’s going to be counter-productive. So if you have a plan, the structure, but you also have flexibility to kind of roll with the punches when things aren’t exactly as planned because such is life, you’re going to have a much easier and enjoyable time, whether that’s saving for finances with paying off debt, whether that’s mastering your mindset, nailing your nutrition at work and days off, and just like you said, finding the time to work out. I bring that up again in the book for pharmacy school, relating it to Beyonce. Like look what she does, like amazing things. But she has the same amount of time that we do, right? So she has a system to just be efficient, and she’s been doing it for so long, she’s putting in the reps, literally. It’s about reps — being good and building that skill by being consistent and practicing those things. So yeah, it’s not “I don’t have time” but it’s that “I’m not making it a priority to find that time. So and that’s different for every person. So you might have five kids, you might have a job where you have to drive three hours one-way. It’s different for each person, so really looking at your life to see where it can fit, kind of like how you guys do in “Seven Figure Pharmacist.” In the beginning, you talk about having that money checklist of really — the “vitals check,” that’s what it’s called, the “vitals check” of what am I working with? Where is my starting point? And then once you know that and have that awareness, you can know where you want to go and how to get there.
Tim Church: Well, Adam, there’s no question that what you’re doing is delivering a lot of value to people. I mean, I think everybody can hear that in your passion. But one of the questions that I wanted to know is certainly, you’re running a business and you’re monetizing a lot of what you’re doing, which is great because you’re providing good value. But what are you doing with the additional income that you’re earning from the Fit Pharmacist?
Adam Martin: Putting it back. Literally. I have a separate business account where all of my money goes in, and goes back into the business, creating value, creating better content. So now, that’s shifted into upping my podcast. I have a podcast, the Fit Pharmacist healthcare podcast, but I actually just interviewed your colleague, other Tim.
Tim Church: We need to talk, which Tim? Which one?
Adam Martin: Yeah, yeah. Other one. So increasing the quality of that, so the equipment to do that. I’m now getting really into videos, so creating that production. The other thing is I love, like you said, to give and use my passion and skills to make an impact. So I’m going to Panama in February on a medical mission trip with, actually, a girl that I met in the Fit Pharmacist community, who is just — that’s her niche. That’s her passion. She’s on an advisory board for a nationwide mission trip organization. And I had her on the podcast, I think it was like six months ago. And we were talking about how to go on a mission trip, like what to expect, how to get started. And in that interview, she said, “Oh yeah, we’re going to Panama.” And I’m like, “Oh, do you need another pharmacist?” She’s like, “Actually, yeah.” I’m like, hmm. That’s it. So that’s not cheap. You’ve got to fly, investing with travel and all the stuff and vaccines. Plus, it’s the opportunity cost, so as you guys know working at work in chain pharmacy, you don’t really get that much vacation time, but I’m investing my vacation time into that. So that’s literally how I spend. I reinvest it. I put it back into the business, into myself. So that’s going to seminars. Like I literally tried to think, how can I invest $15,000-20,000 in my personal skills this year? What am I passionate about? What am I looking to do?
Tim Church: I think that’s so good, Adam. I love that you’re reinvesting a lot of the money in yourself and in the business just because you believe in it so much. And I think that’s awesome. But I think a lot of people, they’re probably listening and just like on other episodes, that you’re doing a lot in addition to working as a full-time pharmacist. How do you practically manage the Fit Pharmacist with your personal life and your full-time job? And how many hours — what’s a typical week like in terms of how much time you’re spending on it?
Adam Martin: So that’s an excellent question. And there’s a really big dip that you can fall into of not knowing when to say no, not knowing when the cutoff is. So it’s not having a “To Do” list, but it’s having a “Not To Do” list that’s really going to help you in the long term because I see so many times people get into this niche of health coaching, and they go all in for 2-3 months, and then you don’t hear from them again. And they’re like, “Oh, I went through some stuff, blah, blah, blah,” or “Oh, I got too busy,” or “Oh.” But if you pace yourself — so that’s not saying, let off on the gas. But really having time blocking and chunking in your day. So again, it really depends on your schedule, whether you’re married, you have kids, being realistic with that. For me, — so Gary Vee, if you guys listen to him on entrepreneurship, Gary Vee talks about that magic — what is it? 10-2 hour, which my colleague and friend Richard Waithe practices. 10-2, he’s all about that. For me, that doesn’t work for my lifestyle because some days, I work mornings, some days, I work nights, so I kind of sandwich it. So I call it my power hour in the morning, which is really two hours, which is reading, daily devotion, just going on a 20- or 30-minute walk while listening to personal development videos or things like that. And then prepping for the day, setting my goals, setting my intentions, going through my gratitude list. I start every day, two hours, with that routine, and it really fuels me and sets me up. Then it depends on how my days are structured with work because I’m on a rolling two-week schedule. Sometimes, it’s two hours after that. But getting that two- or four-hour window in every day, but knowing when to quit. So it’s so tempting — and I did this for years when I started way back in the day — of I’m going to go to bed at 9, but then you get this idea and you start writing an article, and then it goes into another thing, and it’s 12:30. And you don’t want to “quit” or be lazy, but you have to know when to say no. And you have to really put your priority in real-life relationships. Social media is a huge trap. It’s a great tool, but it can really suck the life out of you.
Tim Church: Definitely. Definitely.
Adam Martin: I’m serious.
Tim Church: No, I know. Yeah.
Adam Martin: So really seeing what it is. It’s a tool, it’s social media, and putting priority on real-life interactions, literally like in person. That’s where it’s at. So being fully present with that person is the best compliment you can give them. So I love my family, I’m very blessed to have an amazing dad. He’s such a role model. Like he’s a missionary, he is building a library in Africa. Just the most giving and loving man of God I’ve known, and I’ve modeled my life after him. So I want to spend time with him. So I do that on a consistent basis. But it’s doing him and me a disservice by being there and being on my phone. So when I’m with him, my phone’s charging in the corner. I don’t see it. Or just having that promise to yourself that this is special time. I am going to be fully present with this person because I don’t know if he or she is going to be here tomorrow. I don’t know what the future’s going to bring. But I know right now, I have the gift of being with them. And I don’t want to waste that on some Instagram post or whatever. So time blocking and chunking is the best advice I can give. Practicing deep work, which I have a whole chapter on that in the pharmacy school book. If you guys ever read “Deep Work” by Cal Newport. He also wrote a book, “So Good They Can’t Ignore You.” Phenomenal author. But really chunking your priorities into times that fit your schedule but knowing when that cutoff is. So again, coming back to what I started with, it’s not making a “To Do” list but a “Not To Do” list. So have those non-negotiables. When 9 p.m. hits, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing, it’s time to stop. It’s time to be with your loved one and spend that hour that, yeah, you could write an article, you could do whatever, but you might not have that tomorrow. So really be present in that moment, and the best investment you can make is in the present with the people that are in your life. So that’s my advice as to how to keep it all together is know where your non-negotiables are, really invest in those that love and support you, and give back. That’s really the key. And it sounds so cliche. And I’ve heard that all my life, but in the past year, I’ve really practiced that, and it’s transformed not only my personal life, but my business life. And it’s been an amazing journey.
Tim Church: That’s so good, Adam. Thank you for those tips. I think that’s really great, and it just kind of highlights how important it is that, you know, you don’t have to be going 100 miles an hour in your business to be successful all the time. You know, there’s obviously going to be times, and it’s going to ebb and flow when you’re working hard, but also just making sure that you’re dedicating quality time to the people that matter most to you just because that is such an important thing to keep in mind as you’re going through that. So last question I have for you is, what advice would you give to other pharmacists or even students out there who have an interest in becoming an entrepreneur?
Adam Martin: So consistency is key. So what I mean by that is you’re going to read a book or see a movie or YouTube video or go to a conference or listen to a podcast where you get super inspired and want to go all-in. That’s great. That’s what we call motivation. The difference between people that stay in the game, that make an impact, that turn their passion into a business is shifting that into commitment. So motivation comes and goes. You know, it ebbs and flows with how you’re feeling, your interaction, your environment. It can be totally different from one day to the next. But commitment is you are tied to this goal. You have a why, and you’re tied to it. So you might not feel like going to the gym tomorrow. You might be exhausted or have a list of so many other things that you could do instead. But you’re committed to your fitness. You’ve turned your should into a must, a non-negotiable. This will happen, regardless of how I feel because I owe this to myself. When you make that commitment to yourself and to your goal, that is what is going to set you ahead. They say so often, go the extra mile. It’s not crowded there. Here’s why. That principle. Motivation vs. commitment. Everyone wants to go all-in, they want to grind, and you know, no sleep, like all work, all day, like no play, all work, whatever that is. And in the beginning, you’ll find that. And that only lasts a couple months. But the longer you stay in the game, the less and less people are there. So if you’re in the game for 4-5 years, there’s not going to be much competition there because it gets hard. Guys, it gets hard. Entrepreneurship is a lonely route. It’s not guaranteed. You’re going to eat crap. You’re going to sleep on couches, you’re going to have adversity you never saw coming. But if you are committed to that goal and that why and your reason, then that is how you’re going to succeed. So delayed gratification is another thing with that. It’s kind of a paired relationship. So you might be networking and putting out content for months without many likes or comments or shares. Keep going. Do not quit because everyone quits. But if someone comes on your article, and they see you’ve been consistently writing one a month or whatever, they’re going to be like, “Oh, wow. You’ve been in this a long time. That shows that you’re committed.” It’s looking at your track record. So those two principles, if you can like put those into practice, you’re going to make it. So be consistent. And be patient. They’re very simple but very difficult to put into practice. And I think if you do that, that’s what’s going to keep you in the game, and the longer in the game you are, it’s not a guarantee because you have to adapt and innovate with time and change and so forth. But that is really the secret sauce because so few people do it.
Tim Church: Adam, that was awesome. And thanks for sharing those tips. And I know that your story and what you talked about today is really going to inspire at least somebody out there to kind of go down this journey but just to pursue their passion. And I want to thank you for coming on the podcast. And what’s the best way for someone to reach out for you or to learn more about what you’re doing?
Adam Martin: So the ‘gram is my jam. So if you’re on Instagram, guys, that’s where I’m most active. @thefitpharmacist. DM me, comment on my posts. I get back to every single person. I pride myself on that because I feel like every interaction, there’s a reason behind it, regardless of what that is. I also have my website, TheFitPharmacist.com, where I have all my articles there, resources, that’s where I highlight all of the Fit Pharmacist Friday features that you can get inspired and connect with them.
Tim Church: Adam, thank you again for sharing your story, for coming on the show. It’s just been a real pleasure.
Adam Martin: Thank you, Tim. I appreciate what you and other Tim are doing. The other thing I say is, guys, get their book. It’s incredible. Seriously. Like I love to read, but it’s — I love how the book is structured. It’s just so simple and practical, so I can’t say enough good things about it. I love what you guys are doing with Your Financial Pharmacist, such a valuable asset to our profession. So it’s such a pleasure to finally meet you, meet you and talk to you, Tim, and I just can’t wait for what the future holds.
Tim Church: Thanks, Adam. Really appreciate that.
Adam Martin: Thank you.
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