🎯 What if everything you’ve heard about “following your passion” is holding you back?

📌 In this episode of All Things LOCS, we sit down with Derek Ting, founder of Little Dings Cafe, to unpack why waiting for the perfect moment ruins leaders and entrepreneurs. Derek reveals how he pivoted from engineering to food entrepreneurship, scaling his business from small pop-ups to large festivals such as Coachella by focusing on systems, organizational culture, and financial strategies instead of passion. We dive into leadership lessons, risk-taking, and curiosity-driven growth that every healthcare leader, entrepreneur, or business owner can apply right now.

✅ Key Takeaways

🔹 How to recognize when your career path no longer aligns with your values—and what to do about it

🔹 Why waiting for the “perfect passion” keeps so many people stuck in place

🔹 Actionable steps for testing ideas quickly and reducing fear when starting something new

🔹 Dan and Antonio’s take on leveraging your existing skills (like engineering) to stand out in a completely different industry

🔹 How to systemize processes for sustainable growth—even in high-pressure environments like Coachella and EDC

Want help implementing these strategies in your clinic? 💬

Book a free strategy call: calendly.com/dan-dpt/strategy-call

Access free resources and training: tbpstrategies.com

⏱️ Chapter Markers

00:00 – Welcome & Guest Introduction

00:27 – From Engineering to Food Dreams

01:14 – The Street Food Inspiration

02:03 – First Taste of Engineering Reality

03:04 – Monotony, Boredom, and a Career Pivot

05:09 – Advice for Those Feeling Stuck

07:26 – Exploring Interests Beyond Passion

09:12 – Risk vs. Comfort: The Hidden Cost of Staying Put

11:07 – The Passion Myth vs. Following Curiosity

13:19 – Leveraging Strengths in a New Industry

14:30 – Applying Engineering Systems to Food

16:42 – First Pop-Up Event Challenges

18:16 – Overcoming Fear & Pressure to Launch

20:14 – Setting Big Goals with Short Timelines

23:15 – Lessons from Compressed Growth

25:20 – Breakthroughs at Major Festivals (Coachella, EDC, Comic-Con)

27:51 – Funny Festival & Rave Stories

31:09 – Handling Customer Chaos & Team Training

33:48 – Optimizing Systems for Speed and Efficiency

38:04 – Balancing Quality with Scalability

39:29 – Building Consistent Recipes for Franchise Growth

42:17 – Lessons Learned & What to Do Differently

44:44 – How to Connect with Derek Ting

#HealthcareLeadership #ClinicOperations #PrivatePracticeGrowth #AllThingsLOCS #HealthcareBusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #CareerPivot