In this episode, I sit down with Yanan Kim, one of our upcoming presenters at the Business of Practice Conference, for a conversation that explores a question many practitioners quietly wrestle with:

If our medicine is so powerful, why are so many practitioners struggling to thrive?

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why so many practitioners struggle despite having excellent clinical skills 
• The hidden challenges of running a successful clinic 
• Burnout, resentment, and the pressures that clinic owners often carry alone 
• The gap between learning Chinese medicine and learning how to build a business 
• How Taoist philosophy can guide more sustainable decision-making 
• Why reconnecting with your own medicine is essential for long-term success 

Drawing on her experience as a clinic owner, mentor, and founder of ProjectDAO, Yanan shares her journey from building a successful multi-practitioner clinic to confronting the realities of burnout, blurred boundaries, and the challenges that many clinic owners face behind the scenes.

This conversation goes beyond business strategy.

It explores the relationship between personal growth, practitioner development, and the ability to create a sustainable practice that allows both the practitioner and the medicine to flourish.

Throughout the conversation, Yanan challenges practitioners to look beyond external solutions and ask a deeper question:

What is getting in the way of your medicine reaching the people who need it most?

This episode is both practical and reflective, offering insights for practitioners at every stage of their journey.
 
 🔑 Key Takeaways

• Clinical excellence alone does not guarantee a thriving practice 
• Many practitioner struggles stem from unclear structures, boundaries, and expectations 
• Sustainable practices require both business skills and personal development 
• Burnout often begins long before practitioners recognise it 
• Taoist principles can provide valuable guidance for modern practice ownership 
• The answers we seek are often closer than we think 

🎤 About the Guest

Yanan Kim is a classical acupuncture practitioner and founder of Project DAO in Sydney. She built a thriving clinic, stepped away from it for a year, and rebuilt it — learning that the first person she had to heal was herself. She now mentors practitioners through the inner work that no business course teaches: the beliefs, patterns, and stories that quietly keep a practice small. Her work draws on classical Chinese medicine, Daoist philosophy, and Compassionate Inquiry. She is the creator of The Roadmap to a Thriving Practice and the Business of DAO community.

• Website: https://projectdao.com.au/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projectdao/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hello.projectdao/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hello.projectdao

🔗 Connect + Conference

Yanan Kim will be presenting at the upcoming Business of Practice Conference, where she’ll share practical frameworks and hard-won lessons from building, leading, and ultimately reimagining a successful clinic.

Her session will explore how practitioners can create healthier professional relationships, stronger business foundations, and more sustainable careers while staying connected to the heart of Chinese medicine.

Want more?

• Conference tickets: Conference 2026
• Need support in your clinic business: www.acubizhub.com.au
• Follow on Instagram: @AcupuncturistsBizHub
• Connect on Facebook: Acupuncturists Biz Hub
• Wanna stay in the loop for all things Biz Hub? Sign up to mailing list here: Acupuncturists Biz Hub