Podiatry Hive Member Profile – Darwin Podiatry

  • Member Profile

    Name: Sally Sunits

    Name of Clinic: Darwin Podiatry

    Where do you operate: Darwin, Northern Territory. Clinic provides satellite clinics to Katherine and Top End Indigenous communities as well.

  • How long have you been in business?

    13 years.

  • What attracted you to Podiatry?

    An interest in health, sport performance and injury prevention/treatment, a desire to work independently or as a part of teams, an interest in small business.

  • What are the 3 crucial elements to your success?

    1. Hard work and leading staff by example
    2. Organisation and planning especially when looking for future opportunities
    3. Committed to investing in the business through embracing changes and developments in the profession and in quality staff

  • What’s your philosophy on WHY you?re in business?

    I’m passionate about providing gold standard foot care for the NT. Keeping myself invigorated and motivating quality staff by constantly up-skilling and embracing new technologies and treatment modalities to ensure each patient we treat gets the very best care available. I’m motivated to succeed in business for my personal and family goals as well, building our future through ethical business practices in the place that we live.

  • What has been your biggest OOPS! moment?

    I have experienced misguided recruitment choices that have resulted in stress and energy wasted!

  • What has been your biggest A-HA! moment?

    • That I cannot do it all myself, and for longevity I have to have a healthy work/life balance.
    • That I need to invest in quality people and staff around me and excellent systems to ensure I can focus on being a clinician (in front of my patients), and a business manager when I have that hat on.
    • That I need to take time out of both roles to think strategically about the future and to use this vision to steer my life and the business in the direction I want.

  • Can you you share one or two marketing elements or methods you’ve used in your practice, that have been successful, and have provided growth?

    Investing in quality shoe lines and expanding our retail space to maximise the street traffic into the business, that has increased clinical appointments as well as increasing revenue through shoe sales.

    Quick, effective and humorous TV advertisements are a killer!

  • If you had your time over again, what would you do differently?

    Not much as it has all been a learning journey, but I think importantly I would have started in earlier years to divide business administration/ growth time and clinic time more effectively.

  • Other than being a fabulous Podiatrist, what do you do outside of Podiatry?

    Spend time with family and friends, play netball, cook, raise my incredible son, sleep (!!), travel when possible.

  • You are a Podiatry Hive Black Belt Mastermind Member, can you explain what you have learned from Black Belt and your 3 biggest achievements / wins since joining Black Belt?

    1. Importance of planning, goal setting and a clear vision

    2. The great need to engage and involve the team. You can’t do it all yourself!

    3. Activities that relate to business growth and tomorrow’s dollars are just as, if not more important then seeing patients all day every day to have a successful and strong business