Every year, physicians gather around Thanksgiving tables across the country and brace themselves for the same ritual: the check-in. How’s work? Are you still doing those long shifts? Do you get paid more now that you’re “senior”? Have you thought about specializing? And the most dreaded version of all, delivered with innocent curiosity and complete lack of context: “So… what exactly is that new thing you’re doing?”
In an era where more physicians than ever are building side ventures (coaching, writing, digital courses, consulting, innovation projects, influencer partnerships, membership communities, and start-ups – just take a look at our own Side Venture Directories and you’ll see! – one of the greatest tests of clarity arrives not in the boardroom, not on social media, and not during investor pitches. It arrives at the Thanksgiving table, from an aunt who still believes you work at “the hospital,” even though your role has pivoted five times since the pandemic. Or from a cousin who genuinely tries to understand, but whose mental model of your career froze in 1998. Or from the relative who hears “online venture” and immediately assumes you’re selling essential oils.
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The Thanksgiving table is the great equalizer. It demands that physicians translate the complexity of their professional evolution into something digestible for people who don’t inhabit the healthcare world, the entrepreneurship world, or the wild intersection of both. Doctors today aren’t merely clinicians; many are creators, connectors, strategists, educators, founders, and thought leaders. They are carving paths that didn’t exist a decade ago, taking seriously the idea that physicians can shape conversations, build businesses, and reach audiences far beyond exam rooms. Yet even the most articulate among them often find themselves tongue-tied when a family member asks, “Wait, so you’re not just seeing patients anymore? You do… what?”
This disconnect isn’t because physicians don’t know what they’re doing. It’s because the work they’re doing is often new, multidisciplinary, and evolving faster than traditional language allows. A physician who advises start-ups may also teach at a medical school, write articles on healthcare policy, run a podcast, speak at conferences, serve as an organizational consultant, and lead a thriving online community. Which of these is the “main” thing? How do you explain the purpose of each to someone who hasn’t spent time in the modern healthcare ecosystem? And how do you frame your side venture in a way that feels both true and compelling without slipping into jargon or diluting the nuance?
That is the humor and challenge of the Thanksgiving Table Test: If you can describe your side venture in one sentence that makes sense to someone who still prints out MapQuest directions, you are ready for the world.
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The deeper truth, of course, is that this challenge mirrors a broader communication gap between physicians and the public. Clinicians are increasingly stepping into spaces (digital, entrepreneurial, or creative), where clarity is currency. Whether they’re pitching a media outlet, writing a social post, drafting an “About” page, creating a course description, or speaking on camera, the ability to explain “what you do” efficiently and impactfully has become essential. This isn’t about dumbing down your work; it’s about aligning language with the listener’s frame of reference. If your venture is to help physicians build better online brands, saying “I run a platform that helps healthcare professionals amplify their expertise and presence” is far more effective than a five-minute explanation of algorithms, reach, and niche positioning. If your venture is a consulting practice focused on improving hospital workflows, a simple version (“I help hospitals run more smoothly so clinicians and patients have a better experience”) transmits the mission instantly.
The Thanksgiving environment forces a kind of narrative discipline that physicians often don’t realize they need. Family members interrupt. They ask follow-ups that don’t track. They misinterpret. Their attention wanders when the stuffing arrives. They are your toughest audience. Not because they’re critical, but because they’re unfiltered. If your explanation can survive this crowd, it can survive any audience.
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Yet this isn’t just about branding or messaging; it’s also about identity. For many physicians, the side venture represents a part of themselves that has long been neglected or undervalued. Creativity. Innovation. Autonomy. Agency. Visibility. Meaning beyond metrics or RVUs. When a family member asks, “Why are you doing this side project? Aren’t you busy enough?” the question can pierce deeper. It’s not merely a request for clarity, but a moment of self-recognition. Why are you doing this? What void is it filling? What future are you shaping? Somewhere between the mashed potatoes and the pie, you might find yourself articulating not just what your venture is, but why it matters.
This is the part that often surprises people: as physicians clarify their outward description of their work, they also clarify their internal sense of purpose. The Thanksgiving Table Test becomes a mirror. It reveals what aspects of the venture feel strongest, what language feels natural, and what direction the project is truly heading. It exposes the pieces that feel muddy and encourages refinement. It reminds physicians that visibility is not merely external—it’s also about aligning your work with your identity in a way that feels coherent and authentic.
So this Thanksgiving, as the inevitable question approaches (“And what are you working on these days?”) consider embracing it as a rehearsal. Not for your relatives, but for yourself. The goal isn’t to impress them or convince them. It’s to know, in one clear sentence, who you are becoming and what you are building. The clarity you gain at that table will echo in every pitch, post, article, and conversation that follows.
And if anyone still doesn’t get it, just smile, pass the cranberry sauce, and keep building. Your venture doesn’t need universal understanding to be meaningful. Sometimes it only needs you.
That is the humor and challenge of the Thanksgiving Table Test: If you can describe your side venture in one sentence that makes sense to someone who still prints out MapQuest directions, you are ready for the world.
