🎯 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