A LOT with Audra

Ep32
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​[00:00:00]

Audra Dinell: Welcome to a lot with Audra. Starting a business is exciting, it's sexy, and it can be hard as hell. Today we're gonna talk to our guest, Dr. Megan Bengston, about the challenges entrepreneurs face when starting a business, the three most important skills to build and the power of not going at it alone.

We're gonna use the lens of the threat experience to direct our conversation today because Megan was a member of cohort seven. So before we jump in, let me tell you a little bit about the threat. If you're unfamiliar, the threat is two [00:01:00] things. It's first and foremost a community of professional women who are like valued in the way that they are seeking growth.

Secondly, it's a container for these women to carve out time from their full lives to develop themselves, both personally and professionally. Specifically helping get to know themselves in this season of life, their strengths, their saboteurs, what they really want, and secondly, to build their power skills, the skills that really impact their businesses and careers.

Skills like confidence and emotional intelligence. To name a few for more information, visit the thread. wlc.com.

Meet Dr. Megan Bengston
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Audra Dinell: Okay, I am so excited to talk to Dr. Megan Bengston. She's a PT A DPT, and is the founder and owner of Kansas Pelvic Health and Wellness, a specialty physical therapy clinic, rooted in whole person compassionate care, and the co-founder of the Pelvis Project Podcast. [00:02:00] Providing education on pelvic health. Along with motherhood tips and navigating imperfect wellness. With over 15 years of experience, Megan has built a mission-driven business that goes beyond basic physical therapy, one that prioritizes whole person healing, changing the standard of care, and redefining what healthcare can look like As a leader, she is passionate about doing business differently, centering integrity.

Community and authenticity in both healthcare and entrepreneurship. Through her podcast and clinical work, Megan empowers others to challenge what's normal and reclaim their health with confidence. Outside of the business and work Megan is a wife and mom of two kids. She enjoys watching them play sports, spending time outside reading, and a good cup of coffee.

Welcome. Thank you. Thanks for having me. Oh my gosh, that is such an awesome bio. Oh, thanks. You are just such a badass.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: I'm gonna accept that and say thank you. 'cause that's something I worked on [00:03:00] in the thread. Oh my gosh. I love that. And you're so humble.

Audra Dinell: That's something we are working on in our house this summer, how to embrace our confidence.

But also be humble and you do that so well,

Dr. Megan Bengsten: It's something I have worked through.

The Importance of Self-Worth
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: Honestly, one of the reasons why I went to the thread because accepting, like knowing your worth. It was something for me, that is what led me to wanting to participate in the thread and always thinking like, you're not quite good enough.

So it's something that I've had to work on is to like accept, you know, those compliments and, and also tell myself like, yeah, you are badass. Like you built this from the ground up. You know? And of course I had help along the way, but at the end of the day, you know, that was. It was my vision and my idea and even saying that out loud and right now is like, oh gosh, I could go wanna hide in a corner.

But, yeah, it's been a wild ride.

Audra Dinell: Mm. And I love hearing you say that because I feel like that's some of my favorite work that we get to do and that I get to [00:04:00] walk women through. Mm-hmm. Is helping them realize their worth. Mm-hmm. I too have been in seasons of life, I think back to my early career and just not even being able to make eye contact with strangers or putting together events for CFOs.

And then hiding in the corner and not speaking to them all because inside I felt like, okay, I'm not really worthy of being in this room. And it is such a beautiful journey once you realize that and start to take these tiny, imperfect mm-hmm. Baby steps and sometimes missteps to build your belief in your own worth.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Definitely. And I think I remember sitting with you because you were so kind to during the thread, meet me for coffee and I think like crying and saying to you, I'm so tired of making everybody else happy and I'm so tired of doing everything for everybody else. And that was where, kind of that peak of like, okay, [00:05:00] I really need to focus in on, my worth and, myself.

And that conversation that we had was just, you just listened. So thank you for that and gave me space to kind of let it out. 'cause I feel like so many of us, I think women in particular, we just always are doing for others, and we do kind of lose or never really find who we are. And I think one of the things I was reading before I came in here and I told you, I brought my, my thread book, my intention, the first day we had to write was.

My intention is to embrace the parts of me that I have been afraid of, to let go of the fear of the fear perfectionism has held on me, and to clarify my values and my why unapologetically. And then I remember halfway through saying to my therapist she said, you know, what's holding you back? And I was like, I'm.

I'm figuring out who I am, but I'm afraid of, like, I'm afraid of that person.

Audra Dinell: Mm.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Because But in a good, like a good way. It's not, I'm a [00:06:00] bad person, but I'm afraid to actually be who , I really am. 'cause I was just always kind of the nice girl. So what do you think you were afraid of? So something I've been digging into is the difference between being kind and being nice.

Audra Dinell: Mm.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: And because I've always been kind of the nice girl, I've put my own needs aside and I was afraid of finally stepping into kind of like using my voice of this is what I think, or this is what I want to do. I always kind of stepped back towards like, whatever anybody else wanna do is fine. And that's great.

It's good to be flexible and adaptable. But I think that it was just. I think I was just afraid of finally using my voice.

Audra Dinell: Yeah. Well, and it sounds like a story that might have been running mm-hmm. Through that is nice girls put everyone before yeah.

Themselves. Yep. So what do kind girls do? Yeah.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah.

Audra Dinell: Like I'm asking Well, yeah. What would you say kind girls do? So what did you work to?

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah. Being, being kind [00:07:00] is being honest and clear and that might make somebody upset. Being okay with maybe disappointing somebody, being okay with telling somebody no and.

Embracing Failure and Growth
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: I think that through all of this, even just like starting, even starting a business, it's a muscle that you have to flex being uncomfortable and uncomfortable and uncomfortable. Well, so I had to make some changes in my business and yeah, it, it made some people, I disappointed some people. And I made some people upset and I was like, oh, and I survived.

Audra Dinell: Yep.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: And it was the right decision. And it's okay for me to change my mind. It's okay for me to mess up. That's the other thing.

Audra Dinell: Hmm.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: I was so afraid of messing up all the time. I mean, let's not get this wrong here. I'm still a work in progress, but I almost, I needed to have failures because I think back on over my life and it was like, okay, I was [00:08:00] successful in, in high school and in my, my sports, and then I went to college and I got all A's and.

Graduated top of my, you know, summate in my undergrad and then went to PT school. I wanted to get into school and I got in. And so everything just kind of went the way it was supposed to, and I didn't have any, yes, we had like, life things happen that were unexpected and very hard and difficult, which I think definitely helped for me to who I am today.

But as far as like achievements go. I just always did what I was planning to do and I never had, quote unquote, like a failure, and so I needed to fail and like in a safe way. Fail. Yeah. You know, not a big way, but, paying attention to those little, like, I don't wanna call 'em failures, but all of them failures, you know?

But, i've had some patients that are young and in college and as we're talking and we're working on things and, and as you know, the way that I, I treat patients, we also very much are, you know, whole person. And so we have to look into their [00:09:00] nervous system and kind of. You know how their script, that how they talk to themselves and, I mean, this girl kind of, it's like crazy 'cause it's just so, so much pressure on herself.

Mm. And I just said to her, I was like, Hey, like, have a great time at college and also like, fail. Yeah. Do something and fail at it. Mm. Like who cares if you get a C? Yeah.

Audra Dinell: Well, and you have to find out how that failure feels because I, yeah. I think if perfectionism is what we expect of ourselves mm-hmm.

We're gonna be perfect. Yeah. We're gonna have no failures. Then we just build this up in our head. Mm-hmm. Of like, oh, when we fail, the world's gonna fall apart. Yeah. Or you know, yeah. X, Y, z Like, we just are so scared of the unknown because we've never experienced

Dr. Megan Bengsten: failure. Right? And, and what will people think of me and what will that look like?

And so I did a lot of work with, you know, just in therapy of, okay, and what if that happens and what if, what would the next thing happen? And what I realized through that

is [00:10:00] no matter if I fail or not, I will be okay because I am a capable human. Mm-hmm. And I will work through each one of those steps when it comes.

So. It's just been this whole, and I mean, I need reminders. There's times where I fall into, you know, where I'm like, oh gosh, you know, what if the what if game? But I can capture it a lot quicker.

Audra Dinell: Yeah.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah. And I

Audra Dinell: don't think it's ever like black and white. No. Okay. Now I know my worth and I'm standing in it and here I am, or I have self-doubt and it's crippling and I, you know.

Don't use my voice, I think, like you said. Yeah. It's, it's a muscle that we build. Yeah. And the, the quicker we can get to that awareness mm-hmm. And then catching it and changing it. Mm-hmm. That's the real work.

Yeah. And it's not perfect.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: No, it's not. And it's uncomfortable. Mm-hmm. And it's a lot of, yeah.

There's just a lot of growth that has to happen and you just have to really, I mean they, you know, the people always say you have to get. Comfortable with being uncomfortable. Mm-hmm. And I think that that's honestly since [00:11:00] 2022, since we opened the clinic, that's really what I've embraced. I mean. They're all, I mean, you're a friend of mine.

Even coming here today, when I parked, I was like, okay, I'm a little like, but is this nervous now or am I excited or what? But you know, it's because I just, in my head, I had this script for so many years of like, that happens for other people. Other people do that. I, that would never happen to me. I could never do that.

And so now, to actually be doing, going after a dream. Mm-hmm. And not just being like, yeah, maybe one day I could do that. It's terrifying.

Audra Dinell: Like actually taking actionable one step closer to that person that you know you are inside. Because then what if the outside world doesn't like who you are?

I know. On the inside. Right. And it's like. Just one messy step after the other. Yeah.

Joining the Thread Community
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Audra Dinell: So take us back to like where you were before the thread you were in cohort. Seven. Seven? Mm-hmm. And that was in 23, 24. Okay. Yes, yes. So where were you when you came in? Like what [00:12:00] drew you to the thread? Like what? Just. Give us a, paint us a picture.

Yeah.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: So 2023. 2024. So when I opened the business in June of 2022, I had looked at the thread, I had been following along and I was like, okay, this is probably something I need to do. I had done mentorship for business, mentorship and obviously investing in myself within my profession. But I knew that.

If I was going to bring on a team of people and not just for them, but for me and my kids, and I just really realized the value of investing in yourself straight up, number one. But I knew, I thought, okay, I need to. I need to look into this more. I'm hungry to learn more about just leadership.

I'm hungry to learn more about myself and to finally dig into these things. And, and a lot of stuff that I know will never go away. It's like a wave that will come crashing sometimes, you know, peaks of like, oh, we're struggling with our, our, you know, difficulties we have, [00:13:00] and then it, and then at Christian nose down, you know.

But I. I also, too, I knew the things that I was internally struggling with, and I have a daughter, and she's 13 now, so at the time she was 12. Mm-hmm. And I was just like, I, I want to do better for her and I want to be able to be a good role model for her and give her advice that's, you know, rooted in.

Like, not that this is all truth, but rooted in like, this stuff's researched and how to be a good friend and how to know her worth. Mm-hmm. Earlier on. Mm-hmm.

Audra Dinell: You know,

Dr. Megan Bengsten: So yeah, I was in that place and so I, but I looked into it and I was like, I have no business doing this right now because I'm.

So busy and I thought, okay, next cohort. And so next cohort came around and I, it was not the right time at all. In fact, it didn't actually make any sense for me to do it. In fact, af like when I got on the call with Kendra, I was just like, yeah, this is probably not a good idea for me. [00:14:00] But I had just kind of told myself.

If something's telling me you shouldn't do this, you shouldn't do this, I need to do it. And that's what I've done since I've started the business is the feeling of like, you can't do this. You shouldn't do. Yeah, I do the opposite. Yeah. Which is hard. Because it's way more comfortable to be like, you know what, I'm not gonna do that right now.

Financially it wasn't a good idea for me right then, and time-wise it wasn't a good idea. But I did it and that's what got me to the thread. And when I started I was like, yep, this is exactly where I need to be.

Audra Dinell: Mm.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: So

Audra Dinell: I just think that speaks so much to, I think that's what I, one of my biggest lessons and I do wanna hear kind of what.

Three things you would tell entrepreneurs. Mm-hmm. Like skills they need to have or ideas they need to build on. But for me, that really hits because I know pushing myself to constantly be uncomfortable. Yeah. I mean, you also have to balance that with like rest. Mm-hmm. And breath, which is a whole nother challenge and a whole nother conversation.

But telling yourself that when your body is saying [00:15:00] no. Mm-hmm. Examining that and seeing if scarcity is at the root of it. Yeah.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah. Oh yeah. There's definitely a difference between like, you know, listening to your body if you're just like, you know, I should, I, should I or shouldn't I do this? But knowing myself and my past tendency to just want comfort and safety has really made me examine decisions.

And again, it's like flexing a muscle and, I mean, I was terrified when we opened the business. I remember signing the lease for was it, was it for three years? Yeah. And I mean, I was like, I had already made a plan for if I failed. And it was so unsafe. None of it was safe, you know, in my mind it wasn't.

But so many, like my, my path, getting to where I've gotten, I always sit and examine, okay, which, which one's easier and which one's harder? And most of the time, the harder one is what I'm, what I'm been called to do and I need to do and I need to listen to that. And so. Yeah, I think that that constant [00:16:00] like pushing, but also, like you said, you have to be balanced with rest and I definitely am.

You know, I'm like all about that. That's my part of my name and my game. But I also think that we sell ourselves short a lot.

Audra Dinell: Yeah,

Dr. Megan Bengsten: a lot of women do.

Audra Dinell: I'm like, we have to have you back on to talk specifically about women and pelvic I know. Issues, which, so that is gonna be the next podcast with you.

I remember when I first was starting the thread and it was in the middle of COVID and it was late 2020 and we were getting ready to hit this deadline. And my deadline for cohort one was like five days before I was gonna actually open the doors to the first cohort. Mm-hmm. And I was telling my dad, who is a big mentor of mine, I was saying.

If I at least get like 12 women. Mm-hmm. And I don't know, when I was saying this, maybe in December of 2020 and we were opening in March of 2021, I was saying. If I at least get 12 women, then I'm gonna do it. And he was calling me on it. He was like, don't, don't make that backup plan. Like, just go for it. Go get the [00:17:00] cohort that you wanna have.

And I was aiming for 30 and we had 17 women in that first cohort. Mm-hmm. And it was beautiful. And it was, they helped me build it. So I just, yeah, I know what you mean. Yeah. By just Oh, that, that risk and like creating a backup plan for yourself.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: I know. I know. And it's, we do that, it's like to protect ourselves.

Mm-hmm. But it's like such a false sense of protection. Yes. Because we will figure it out. Yeah. As we go. I mean. Yeah,

Audra Dinell: it's protecting ourself from risk and failure, which we already talked about. Yeah. Like you have to have those to, I know, continue to like pull back the layers on who you are and what you want outta this life and getting it.

Yeah.

Balancing Risk and Support
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: And I think then with that, like you had your dad and I, same I had have. A couple people in my life that were just so, supportive and my dad ran his own practice and it was hard. It was hard and it was, you know, we had what we needed, but it was very stressful for our family. And for my mom, it, she was kind of like, oh, I don't know.

Do you wanna do this? But my [00:18:00] dad was, I remember sitting with him and he's had different health things happen and, and he was recovering and I was sitting in his room and he was just like, I get it. He was like, you have an entrepreneurial heart. Mm. And he was like, so that's how I was. Mm-hmm. And so he was like, just go for it.

Yeah. And so I think that having people in your life that can support you in your dreams and then also finding something like the thread where you get around a whole bunch of men or women but to. Just kind of that same backup and to listen and pour in and encourage is very important.

Audra Dinell: Mm. So what would you say. Are hidden challenges women face when starting a business, like take us. Yeah. You know, back in 2023 when you came to the thread, you were one year in, I believe you were scaling and you were opening up a second space. Mm-hmm. Is that right? Um,

Dr. Megan Bengsten: We were expanding.

Expanding the Business
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Audra Dinell: You were expanding.

Yes. Oh, that's right.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: We were expanding into the space next door [00:19:00] and Oh gosh, yes, I remember that clearly. 'cause we had a workshop and, I can't remember what the title of that was. I was like finding our Y or something. And I was there putting the sign up on the front of the building from the side of the building.

And it's like metaphorically too. You're like, I'm on the side of the building and I'm on the front of the building. And again, it was this fear of I'm on the front of the building and what if I fail? And like all of this, you know? And I think I cried pretty good during that workshop because I think Janice came over and really, you know, I was like, just.

Asking questions and she really kind of laid into me about a couple of things in a good way.

Facing Self-Doubt and Fear
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: And yeah, so, but I think that those hidden challenges self-doubt. Mm-hmm. As obviously, I mean, you can hear that in my story of all the doubts I had someone say to me once, like, it looks like it, it was so easy.

Audra Dinell: Oh. And I'm

Dr. Megan Bengsten: like, oh

Audra Dinell: my gosh. Didn't feel that way.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: It does not feel that way. It is not that way. It's very rewarding, but it's the hardest thing I've ever done. Mm-hmm.

Imposter Syndrome and Hidden Challenges
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: Imposter syndrome mm-hmm. Is [00:20:00] another hidden challenge, which I wouldn't even necessarily say it's hidden. I think a lot of women, I mean, we know this just from the thread, when people start opening up about we all, we all deal with that.

But again, it's a muscle you have to flex. And I think that we talked about this in the thread that. Imposter syndrome is typically like an untapped potential that's there. Mm. That you just haven't necessarily like perfected yet. Or like refined. I should use the word refined instead of perfected because we're never perfect.

And then I think another hidden challenge is just playing it safe is the other one. Oh my gosh. It's so, but you know, I think, I think that it's interesting to me because I know, you know, men face challenges as well, but specifically women, it comes down to this, we're supposed to be nice and we're, I don't know, there's just a different, it's a different I think it was just receive, I'm just, it was received differently. Just some comments in passing and different things that just kind of was like, okay. All right. [00:21:00] I don't know that you ever would've said that if I was a man opening up a clinic.

Audra Dinell: How interesting.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah. And I mean, I mean, my husband works for us now mm-hmm.

And is 100% supportive and like Is def is, you know, all about like, this is her baby and you know, all of this. And I am so thankful for that, but, and I think I just, maybe that was more me feeling I, I have enough now I can reflect and be like, is that me and my insecurities? Just assuming that, or is there something there?

And I think that across the board we kind of can feel that sometimes. But yeah, that was, it was kind of interesting kind of this like. You know, how's your little clinic and those sorts of things. Yeah.

Audra Dinell: Yeah. I mean, and you hear that a lot in women's stories. Yeah. Yeah. You know, or even, and like you said, I think that's a really beautiful reflection of, sometimes it's us saying, yeah, oh, I've got a little business, Uhhuh Uhhuh, and that's our insecurity coming out.

Whereas sometimes it is culturally coming from mm-hmm. Someone, whether it be intentional or not. Yeah. Asking about your project. Yes, yes. And you're [00:22:00] like, well, it's actually a x, y, Z business. Yeah. Yes. Uh, that, um, And I think imposter syndrome too, to kind of like take it back there. I think those hidden challenges for female entrepreneurs

in general. Are so relatable and I think imposter syndrome for sure. Not only entrepreneurs, but it's just like many of us deal with that male and female, but many females deal with it, for sure. Definitely.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah.

Balancing Work and Family Life
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: And then I would only say the other thing too that comes to mind is, you know, there are many women that run businesses and, and may not have children or choose not to have children.

I think that me as a mother, some of those hidden challenges too, which I mean. Obviously they're probably not so hidden, but just the being able to have the mental load of work and then the mental load of home life. And I actually have been kind of trying to work away from this like balance thought because I.

For me, they're, they're not, [00:23:00] especially right now where I am in my business is they're never gonna be balanced, and I'm okay with that. I mean, my kids are 11 and almost 14, and so there are times where they need more and I'm there. And so yeah, I'm not gonna be maybe as engaged in the clinic other than fully engaged in patient care.

But then out of the other stuff, not as much. And then there's the flip flop where I really am having to double down and we're, you know, like right now, we just brought on a new therapist and there's a lot of time that I'm having an energy that I'm having to put in. And so I'm not there as much. And, but like I'm okay with that back and forth as long as it doesn't stay in one.

Side for too terribly long. Obviously, if I had to stay with my kid, you know, if my kids needed me for a long period of time, I would be there. But yeah, just that challenge of flipping your brain and the the heaviness sometimes and the load when you have a team [00:24:00] that it's not just me, I have to worry about at work, it's them too.

And so that has been, I mean, I knew that was gonna be a challenge but. I will say, honestly, harder than I thought it was gonna be.

Audra Dinell: Mm.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah.

Audra Dinell: And do you think, and this comes up all the time with the thread too, right? Mm-hmm. And we don't really say work-life balance. Yeah, I know. Yeah. Right. You know, it's like whether it be rhythm.

Everyone has a different way of saying it. Yeah. But the truth is the tension that ambitious women have. Or ambitious people have mm-hmm. With their life outside of work, whether it be family or not. Mm-hmm. I mean, it's just real. And burnout is real. Oh yeah. And I just, I.

Personally love the way we can just have these conversations. Mm-hmm. About how do you do it, what are you thinking? Mm-hmm. Because there is just no one right or wrong way to do it. There's not anyone can, it's like depending on what you, you are and your [00:25:00] values, and yes. Your business and your family needs.

Yes, yes. It might look totally different than mine and they both might be thriving. Totally fine. Yeah.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah. I had somebody ask me a patient who was thinking about starting her own thing. She's like, do you, do you have any regrets? She's like, really worried about being away from her young child and do you have any regrets?

And And I was like, no, I don't because my kids have seen. They've seen mom and dad do something together and the fruit of it. And I make sure and bring them into it and talk to them about what I'm doing and share things and accomplishments and they are very much, I mean, when I hear them say things like, well, I think I wanna own a business or.

I think I wanna be a physical therapist or this or that. I'm like, okay, we are just fine. And that works for us.

Surrounding Yourself with Ambitious Women
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: And also, I've really worked now, before I wasn't doing this, and this is something here recently, I've really tried to surround myself with other very ambitious women who are mothers.

They're bad asses that are figuring it out, and I wanna say, aren't doing it all because we're not doing it all by [00:26:00] ourselves. Mm-hmm. I mean, my husband is there to go pick up the kids if I'm not there to pick them up or there's always somebody. So we're not doing it without any help, that's the thing.

But I'm just so thankful. In fact, one of my mentors that I have that I just, I'm doing this. I specialize in this fertility optimization and she's a mentor of mine, but she has two young kids and she's out there just like kicking ass and traveling and doing all speaking events and all this, and she is a fantastic mother and she's there for her kids.

And tho those are the type of people that I need to be fed by because I think, I thought I wanted this like. Oh yeah, this leisure, like a couple days off a week and I could just hang out at home and drink my coffee and go pick up my kids maybe one day, but that's just not the season I'm in right now.

Mm-hmm. I have these goals and these ambitions and to get there. It doesn't look like me sitting at home [00:27:00] just like relaxing and drinking coffee. Right. Although that I do that, you know, on the weekend, but that's just not where I am right now. And I became very okay with that. So then I hadn't have as much tension there.

Audra Dinell: Oh, that it

Dr. Megan Bengsten: was, it was like, it was making me resentful for my job. I was like, what is this? 'cause I love what I do. I love my business. And I realize, I'm like, oh, I'm like acting like what I want five years down the road. I haven't done the work yet to get there. Why would I? You know what I mean? Like I'm just not there yet.

Audra Dinell: Oh my gosh. That is such a good thought process because like you said, it just relieved some of the tension. Oh, it did. Because so much of it was is in our heads Yeah. Of what things either should look like because we're taking someone else's version of success and thinking that it needs to be ours or whether what we want.

Has not been yet accomplished. Right. 'cause we're still on that journey. I know.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Ooh. And just that, like, taking full, something we've been working on within our team is this like, idea of taking full [00:28:00] ownership. And so when I really look at it, I'm like, okay, for me to take full ownership of okay, if I wanna hit, like if I have a goal I wanna hit within the business.

And I can't be upset if I don't hit it, if I didn't take the ownership to do the things to get to there. Mm-hmm. If I'm like, oh, I had this, or if I keep putting things in front of it, and I started to see that, I'm like, well, I can't be upset about it. Because I wasn't, doing the things I needed to do to get there.

Mm-hmm. So it's just so much like looking at full picture. I don't know, it's just fascinating.

Audra Dinell: Oh, you're taking me to church. Okay. So a couple of things. You talking about surrounding yourself by other ambitious women who are also mothers because that's who you are. Mm-hmm. And. Who you need to be poured into by.

Yeah.

Mastermind Group Experience
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Audra Dinell: Tell me about your mastermind group in the thread. Yeah. Because I know you had an interesting experience.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Oh yeah. Oh yeah. We had, we had such a great experience. Our mastermind was all compiled of, business owners in a [00:29:00] sense. But all different fields. One of the other members of our mastermind, is also a physical therapist, but sees kids and she also sees adults too. But that was her main at the time, focus. And then, gosh, we have a boutique owner and, culture creations. Non-profit founder, non-profit founder. Yes. And then real estate. I thought in the beginning I was like, oh gosh, I don't know.

Like what am I what? Like this is just so far off what I do. I don't know. And it was so. Good to hear advice from other business owners that had nothing to do with the medical field, nothing to do with physical therapy. 'cause I realized there's just some interesting things within our field that there's expectations and I, and they're like, what?

We were just so, we still are and we still get together and everybody would just listen so well and pour in and give such good advice. And also, you know, challenge back. It wasn't just like, you know, lip service of like, oh yeah, you should do this. It was. Challenging conversations.[00:30:00]

Mm. So,

Audra Dinell: yeah, that's great. And I think those are so important amongst entrepreneurs, but I do love how so often we think we have to have a certain sort of support. Mm-hmm. But it turns out to be support that doesn't necessarily fit into like our circle bubble of, oh, well I work in healthcare. Yeah. So I need healthcare.

Entrepreneurs around me. Yes. That's great. Yeah. There's nothing wrong with that. Yeah. But it's also really cool when I know nothing about your industry and can just ask questions. Mm-hmm. To you entrepreneur to entrepreneur. And help shift. Paradigms, I think, yeah,

Dr. Megan Bengsten: I've shifted. I mean, yes, I still have my mentors within in the healthcare space, but I here in the last six months have learned more from just general business mentors and that sort of approach than I had.

And I actually prefer, I mean, right now I'm like preferring that because I just, I just wanna know business. Like I'm just interested in like all the different ways you can do it.

Audra Dinell: Mm. That's so fun.

Top Skills for Entrepreneurs
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Audra Dinell: Okay, so as [00:31:00] we wrap up this episode, tell us what top three skills you have leaned on or grown over the course of growing your business that you would recommend.

Aspiring entrepreneurs or new entrepreneurs focus on as they are building up their entrepreneurial skills and muscles.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Okay, so I was thinking about, these. So I would say number one is resilience and adaptability. Growth comes from the discomfort. It's okay to make mistakes and it's also okay to change your mind.

You've gotta learn to delegate and you just have to be okay with change. If you're somebody who's not okay with change, which I really wasn't, I didn't like transitions, I was that person, I still, it's like, Ooh, it kinda makes me like shiver. But then I get, now I'm like, much better. I'm like, okay, it's.

Good. It's all good. Because there's so much beauty that can come on the other side of that. And so resilience and adaptability is number one. Number two is clear communication and leadership. So again, kindness first. Nice. Like looking into that and what your definition is of that. Because I realized, I was like, [00:32:00] oh, that's my problem.

And I think that. Kind of our, our kind of word as a team for the second half of the year is communication because there is, there's so, so much value and it's so important. I mean, there are lessons and programs just on communication. I mean, there's, I just listened to a podcast about it and it's fascinating to me.

Now I'm getting really in, it's just interesting to me. So I would say clear communication and leadership is number two and number three is strategic thinking. So for me that is like finding your mission and your why and staying true to it also for us, that means making decisions based off of purpose and not on profit.

Mm-hmm. There's a lot of decisions within our business where if somebody just in business looked at it, they'd be like, well, why did you do that? 'cause that's not gonna make you X, Y, Z. And that's not really what it's about for us. But being able to cast your vision and see it kind of big picture and [00:33:00] then focusing in on, you know, for us, like what serves our patients and our team and community best, but, yeah, I, we, we work with a business consultant and when she says things like what are your KPIs and what are your, like what, what number do you have on this goal? I'm like, I don't know. You're like, that's what you're here for. I'm just my patients. That's all I wanna do. Yeah. Make them better.

So, those are probably my top three things.

Audra Dinell: Well, and you're like so many other entrepreneurs who started a business not Yeah. Because of their love of business. Mm-hmm. Or because of their passion for numbers per se. You started a business based on your craft. Mm-hmm. Your expertise and your passion.

And now you're learning the business side of it, and that's becoming your passion too. Yeah. Which is exciting.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yeah, definitely.

Embracing the Role of a Business Owner
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: I mean, my number one calling I know is to is to be a physical therapist, specialize in pelvic health. I know that ultimately, like the role I'm in is as more of like a healer, and so that's where [00:34:00] my, that's where my cup gets full from.

But that transition where I realized one day. Well, and actually it was at a weeba event and I had to pitch my business and I stood up there for two minutes and I was terrified and I re-watched that video and I said, that is the last time that I will ever say that I went to school as a physical therapist and not as a business owner because I really stepped into that.

I am an entrepreneur and once I start identifying myself as that as well has changed the game for me also. Mm-hmm. So. Yeah, there's so

Audra Dinell: much. That could be a whole podcast episode too. I know. We're gonna write that down. Okay. Thank you for coming. Thank you for having me. This is so much fun. I've enjoyed the conversation.

Yes. Tell our listeners where they can follow you. Yes. See your social, hear your podcast.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Okay. So our clinic, you can follow us on Instagram at at Kansas Pelvic Health. The podcast is at the, I think it's underscore pelvis underscore project. And then not, I don't [00:35:00] have it up yet, but my, my personal Instagram, I will start transitioning soon, hopefully into kind of some fun thing on my own type.

Little, like just sharing more behind the scenes of entrepreneurship. So right now that's at Meg Bengston, but I'll, hopefully I'll be changing that. That's on my short list of things, hopefully next quarter to do so. But yeah, you can visit our website. It's kansas pelvic health.com to read more about everything that we treat and beyond and everything we do.

Mm. So thank you.

Final Thoughts and Farewell
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Dr. Megan Bengsten: Thank you so much. I have enjoyed so much getting to know you. I know could talk forever. I know.

Audra Dinell: In the cohort and on the podcast. Yes. And we'll have you back. Okay. Thank you. Sounds you.

Dr. Megan Bengsten: Yep. Thank you.