In this episode of Life of Flow, Courtney Johnson returns for a wide-ranging conversation on why personal brand is not optional, regardless of role, title, or career path, and how visibility, influence, and professional identity are shaped both inside and outside medicine. The discussion explores how repetition builds trust, why people become top of mind through exposure rather than intention, and how professionals who allow institutions to define them relinquish long-term agency. For physicians in particular, the episode draws a clear distinction between expertise and influence, and why visibility determines who is remembered, referred to, and trusted over time. 🎧 This episode builds on the conversation around physician identity and visibility, examining how personal brand shapes trust, recognition, and long-term agency in medical careers. 01:40 Top-of-mind awareness and why repetition predicts behavior 02:44 Why propaganda and programming are neutral tools 07:43 Association as a shortcut to trust and credibility 11:02 Why 99% of long-term leverage comes from personal brand 11:45 Why humans connect faster with people than organizations 16:12 The lie of “put your head down and work hard” 16:47 Why no one will find you unless you put yourself out first 22:12 Finding purpose through what people ask you for Who Should Listen This episode is for physicians, surgeons, and healthcare professionals navigating hospital systems, private practice, or career transitions. It is especially relevant for doctors thinking about referrals, reputation, visibility, and long-term autonomy within medicine. About Courtney Johnson Courtney Johnson is a personal brand strategist, host of Slay The Gatekeeper Podcast, and content creator whose work centers on visibility, influence, and personal brand development. She helps professionals understand how perception is formed over time, how trust is built through repetition, and why personal brand is a long-term asset that extends beyond any single role, company, or institution. Through her work, Courtney focuses on helping individuals take ownership of their professional identity, particularly in environments where hierarchy and systems often define visibility by default. Her approach emphasizes intentional messaging, consistency, and human connection, with a strong belief that influence is shaped through presence and clarity rather than credentials alone. Courtney’s perspective is rooted in self-authorship, agency, and the idea that personal brand is not about promotion, but about being recognizable, trusted, and remembered for the value you provide. Connect with Courtney 📧 Contact: courtney@smoothmedia.co 👍 Instagram: @slaythegatekeeper 🎙️ Podcast: Slay The Gatekeeper 👍 Instagram: @courtlynnjohnson 💼 LinkedIn: Courtney Johnson 🎶 TikTok: @courtney..johnson Follow Life of Flow 📲 Instagram: @LifeofFlowPodcast 👍 Facebook: Life of Flow Podcast 💼 LinkedIn: Life of Flow Podcast 🐦 X: @VascularPodcast If this episode sharpened how you think about personal brand and visibility in medicine, share it with someone who would benefit from the conversation. And if you’re enjoying Life of Flow, a quick review helps others find these discussions.

This week's collaborative episode features a conversation between BackTable and us, exploring how no-option limb-threatening ischemia has pushed clinicians to rethink clinical decision-making and how they learn from one another in practice. We join Dr. Sabeen Dhand to discuss the origins of BackTable, the loss of physician voice within institutional medicine, and why peer-driven platforms have become essential for advancing complex peripheral and limb salvage care. The conversation then moves into a detailed, experience-driven discussion of deep venous arterialization, including how early failures, unintended outcomes, repetition, and long-term follow-up shaped modern DVA techniques. Throughout the episode, the focus remains on responsibility to no-option patients, international collaboration, and how practical advances in limb salvage have emerged through shared clinical experience. 04:20 Losing professional voice inside institutional medicine 09:43 How BackTable and Life of Flow were built around peer learning 13:05 Why deep venous arterialization became necessary 14:12 Hitting the limits of conventional revascularization 18:32 The unintended anastomosis that changed everything 20:11 Long-term patient outcomes that reshaped clinical direction 25:06 Community-driven innovation and shared problem solving 33:00 How repetition and follow-up refined technique and outcomes 51:36 Defining poor candidates and the limits of DVA Who Should Listen This episode is relevant for vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and clinicians managing advanced limb-threatening ischemia, as well as physicians interested in how peer-led platforms, informal collaboration, and real-world iteration influence modern procedural innovation. About Dr. Sabeen Dhand .Dr. Sabeen Dhand is an interventional radiologist who completed his fellowship at Northwestern and currently practices at PIH Health in Los Angeles. His clinical work focuses on limb salvage, aortic aneurysms, and neurovascular disease, including stroke. In this episode, Dr. Dhand shares why he built BackTable, the challenges of maintaining professional autonomy within institutions, and how physician-led platforms support practical learning and collaboration across specialties. Connect with Sabeen 📲 Instagram: @thebeenx About BackTable BackTable is a physician-led podcast platform created to help practicing clinicians stay current as the medical repertoire continues to expand. The platform focuses on sharing practical insight on conditions, procedures, and practice-building topics through peer-to-peer discussion rather than institutional filters. BackTable provides a space where physicians learn directly from colleagues and experts actively working in the field, reflecting how clinical knowledge is often exchanged in real practice. Explore BackTable 🌐 Website: backtable.com 📲 Instagram: @backtableind 🐦 X: @backtable ▶️ YouTube: @_backtable Follow Life of Flow 📲 Instagram: @LifeofFlowPodcast 👍 Facebook: Life of Flow Podcast 💼 LinkedIn: Life of Flow Podcast 🐦 X: @VascularPodcast If this episode helped clarify how no-option patients are reshaping limb salvage and procedural innovation, consider sharing it with a colleague. A review also helps others find conversations grounded in real-world clinical practice.