Starting a Business as a CPhT | Bridget Hanna, CPhT, Independent Edge Consulting

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[00:00:12] Mike Koelzer, Host: Well, hello, Bridget. Thanks for joining us. 

[00:00:14] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: Hello. Thank you so much for having, 

[00:00:15] Mike Koelzer, Host: You've got a lot of tenacity because we had some, uh, technical difficulties, but, but you and I both hung in there and got it and got our connection. 

[00:00:25] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: That's right. That's right. Always have to keep going until we win. 

[00:00:29] Mike Koelzer, Host: For those that haven't seen you on social media, introduce yourself and what is going on hot in your life right now, professionally that has you on the show.

[00:00:42] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: So my name is Bridget Hannah. I own independent edge consulting, which I help independent pharmacies grow their practice, whether that be retail or in compounding. I specialize in helping compounding pharmacies just because that's really, um, a big passion of mine. Right now with independent pharmacies, as we all know, it's a little rough right now.

And, um, my goal is to be able to help in any way I can with marketing and being able to grow their practice. Um, so right now I'm just doing everything possible to make sure that we're growing, we're thriving. And, um, we are making sure that we're staying on top, um, with what we can control. Um, since, you know, we have that other side of things.

Retail and PBMs and all of that jazz going on. Um, I'm just trying to focus on what we can control and how we can go. 

[00:01:37] Mike Koelzer, Host: Yeah. There's so much that we can't control in the industry. You're probably a sight for sore eyes for people though, to give them some hope still. So, Bridgette, I imagine you started doing your thing in a pharmacy and how did you decide to branch out and what was your then.

Move in branching out to other pharmacies. So I 

[00:02:02] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: started out, um, I've been in pharmacy a little over 10 years. Um, I started with my first independent pharmacy and I first started learning about compounding and I fell in love with it, and I just realized how many opportunities there were and how many people didn't know about it.

So I wanted to start marking. And last, my boss at that time, his heart, um, I was a very, very quiet person, very reserved. And I told him that and he looked at me like I was absolutely crazy, which he had every right to, but I was, I was so passionate about what I loved with compounding that, that passion really overcame my kind of fear of, you know, stepping out like that.

So that propelled me to just really overcome that. Um, I started my, you know, started my marketing journey there. I created everything from, from scratch. I didn't have any marketing, um, you know, allowance or budget or anything. So I had to be super creative. I, um, anything came out of my pocket. So I had to really dig deep and I had to figure out what worked, what wasn't working.

And I taught myself all the way and it's been six years. Since that day I started marketing and I have found that. You know, not the most, you know, when people think of marketing, I do things a little differently, but it's very successful and I saw it work and I saw I've overcome so many struggles learning how to do that.

And, um, I want to be able to help other pharmacies. I see, you know, all the pharmacies struggling with their marketing. And I was like, you know what? I have made it. I have figured this out. I have persevered and I have taken the pharmacy. Didn't have a marketing program and I grew it into something that has been amazing, so amazing that they got to build onto their pharmacy and build a whole new lab.

They're all USP 800. Now I'm ready to go. And I want to be able to take that and help others kind of put them on the fast track to finding the right marketing for their pharmacy, without having to, you know, go through the struggles I went through. Learning, um, you know, learning what worked, what didn't, and being able to help others and help the independent pharmacies be able to keep going.

[00:04:15] Mike Koelzer, Host: And the fast track is important now because of, uh, you know, the current conditions. Have you been successful in having other pharmacies come on board? Have you been able to make some moves for other pharmacies or. Close to the beginning of your reaching out with your service. 

[00:04:34] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: We've had some really good success.

Um, it's still in, like I said, it's still relatively new. I started back in 2018, so I'm still relatively new, but, um, we are moving and I'm, I'm very, very excited. Very happy with where we're at. Um, so I'm helping pharmacies, um, not only with, just with, you know, getting in with doctors and talking with them and building a marketing plan that way, but we're also looking at different avenues.

A lot of pharmacies don't look at their Facebook page as a marketing tool, but it's a free platform. And I love to be able to show people, you know, how to really utilize that tool and new, not be throwing money away and other things that aren't serving them. So I'm, I'm looking at different ways for people, you know, to be able to get the most effective marketing results without having to break the bank without having to, you know, really, because it's tight right now.

I mean, It's really hard right now. And so we want to make sure that we are effectively marketing and we are using the tools that are available to us where we're not, you know, really having to stretch that dollar out of. 

[00:05:40] Mike Koelzer, Host: What ways are you personally marketing your marketing business? Are you doing it exclusively online or do you have to visit some pharmacies to make that impact?

Or what would you say your, your mix of that? 

[00:05:58] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: So right now I'm using just a lot of different platforms online, you know, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, that kind of thing. Um, I'm always networking if I go to any events or anything like that, always talking with people. 

[00:06:09] Mike Koelzer, Host: How do you record that when you're talking to a pharmacy?

Yeah, as you talk to different pharmacies, some of that can start mixing together 

[00:06:17] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: a lot of information. Um, I keep that all together. I have a kind of profile on each of these pharmacies. I really want to make sure that I really have those details. I really understand exactly what they're going through.

At their pharmacy, um, you know, are they going for USP 800? Are they not? Are they compounding? How many are they, you know, compounds? So they're doing a day. That kind of thing. I want to really understand and know exactly where they're at because I personally have, have been, you know, Compounded I've I work, I've worked in the pharmacy.

I did a lot of different things. And so I know exactly, you know, all the emotions, all of the situations that they've been in, where, you know, they're struggling here or they're struggling in this department. I know that, I understand that. I feel it and I get it and I know where they're at and I want to be able to really understand and help them exactly where they need that support.

[00:07:13] Mike Koelzer, Host: Author Harvey Mackay. He wrote a book about how to swim with sharks. Um, I think maybe without being eaten alive, something like that, but he sold, um, paper products for his career and he always had a list and it was called Mackay 66, where he would, himself. Then he would make salespeople always fill out this list of 66 things about people.

So it was, you know, their favorite college and their. Food and all this stuff, and it would go on and on because of all the, um, preferences or things that made a person who they are, I guess. But I always found it comical that sometimes it went too far. Like we'd have salespeople that would come into the pharmacy and they would be like, Hey, how was your, how was your.

Son's first communion, you know, and it was like a year and a half ago and I'm like, that's kind of a, you know, I know they wrote it down and I I'm happy. They were trying, but it was kind of like a topic a long time ago, but, but they were, they were doing their homework. Doing any of this for them, or is it mainly just the consulting to teach them to carry on their own campaigns?

[00:08:25] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: So most of it is teaching them because I really, really feel strongly that as an independent pharmacy, Their staff, everyone there needs to be the face of their pharmacy. They need to make those connections with their doctor, the face-to-face meetings, all of that, that needs to be built, that needs to, that loyalty needs to be there.

Um, that relationship, that connection. So I help with that and help teach that so that they can build out on their own and they can have that relationship and build on it. Um, I do help with a lot of, um, Social media. So Facebook's, I do run, um, Facebook pages for pharmacies. That's something that I do, but, um, I do want to make sure that they really, you know, are able to build that relationship with those staff members, with that pharmacist, you know, with those technicians, whatever that may be, that needs to be a foundation made in their community with their staff is part 

[00:09:23] Mike Koelzer, Host: of that.

You had mentioned face-to-face with doctors and so on. Is that part of the. The necessary. Component. Do you feel? Yes. 

[00:09:33] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: So when we're, when we're wanting to grow our pharmacy, when we're wanting to get more scripts and we're wanting to get our compounding going, we want to have that relationship with those prescribers.

That is key because. They can send those scripts wherever they want to go. But if you have a relationship with them, if you have that connection and that loyalty, it's going to be a lot harder for them to send something somewhere else. And they're going to want to be able to have that, that, um, relationship with you where they know.

This pharmacy takes care of me. They take care of my patients and that's who I trust and trust is huge in the industry, you know, with pharmacy that's, they're sending their patients to you. So you need to have that trust with that prescriber. And the only way to get that is going to be building a relationship with them.

Um, and building that loyalty 

[00:10:23] Mike Koelzer, Host: face-to-face. Yes. All right. So you're an attractive young lady. I'm old fashioned. How well does that go over getting, you know, meetings with the doctors and so on? How do you go about that? 

[00:10:40] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: If you 

I want to be able to have that meeting and get that meeting, get that relationship going.

It's going to be about how you understand them, how you understand their practice, you know, what their needs are. You know what they're looking for. It's about, you know, they have drug reps walking in and out all the time. They're used to that. They're not used to someone coming in and understanding what their needs are and being able to provide solutions to them.

And that's what your purpose is there not to sell them something, but to be able to provide a solution to them, for their patients and be able to just provide a solution to their, you know, their staff, their office, that's what you're there for when they see that. And they understand that you truly care and you truly want to help them and not just sell them something and leave your business card and walk away.

That's when they are going to take time out of their day. I want to spend some time with you. 

[00:11:30] Mike Koelzer, Host: And so it goes beyond just the front staff, eventually your, that might be part of that, but, but you're, um, you're then talking to the doctors of that. 

[00:11:39] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: Yeah. So every person in that office is very important from the time you walk in that door, um, you know, you better be making a great impression.

You better be standing out, um, from the receptionist to, you know, the, um, assistance to the doctor, to everybody that you make contact with or connection with they're super important. So that's one thing that I make sure that, you know, we are addressing. It's not just about, oh, I want to see the doctor, every single person in there is important.

And if you don't show that importance, you're not going to get to the doctor. 

[00:12:10] Mike Koelzer, Host: So it probably hasn't been a good idea for me to go in over the years and call all the office staff, the little people. 

[00:12:21] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: No, probably not the best life choice. 

[00:12:25] Mike Koelzer, Host: That's probably why I haven't been able to see the doctor. 

[00:12:30] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: I'll help you out.

[00:12:33] Mike Koelzer, Host: Rigid what business goals. And I know that certainly the goal is to serve the customer and help them and so on. But what kind of business goals or dreams do you have on the personal side with this endeavor of yours? One of 

[00:12:51] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: my, one of my biggest things that I had to overcome as, um, with staff members and stuff before is no one really believed that I could do what I'm doing.

No one really believed when I first started marketing that I would be successful. Um, and one thing I'm very proud of is yes, I'm a technician. I'm not a pharmacist. But I know my compounding, I know my marketing and for a technician to be able to not only market for their pharmacy, but have their own business and be able to show others how to do that and be darn proud of being a compounding technician and marketer.

What, 

[00:13:28] Mike Koelzer, Host: what kind of things do you do, as you're continuing your marketing company, what kind of worries or. Doubts plague you, if any, 

[00:13:43] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: um, you know, I'm, I'm very proud and I think that everything is, you know, there's, there's a big future and, and, but the things that worry me a little bit is, um, Like you said in the beginning of, you know, our talk today, like a lot of people really don't see a way out of a lot of the situations that independent pharmacies are in right now.

Um, and making sure that I can really provide. That inspiration and that hope for a lot of them, a lot of them are, you know, just kind of cutting ties and, and letting go of their pharmacy. And so I want to make sure that, um, that they see that there's, there's still, you know, if you really, really want this, then you can really market and you can really, you know, stay on top.

And like I said, control what you can control in your pharmacy and grow with that. 

[00:14:31] Mike Koelzer, Host: All right. So let's say that. Really take off on this marketing side for you and you get to hire all, all the little people. I'll say you get to, you get to hire anybody you want to hire. And so on. How would you be spending your week in your marketing company?

What's your favorite thing to do? If you didn't have to do everything? What's your favorite part to 

[00:14:59] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: do? My favorite part is getting to talk with people, getting to know, to build those relationships and begin, you know, be able to really just speak with them, talk with them, see what their pharmacy is about. See, see what their goals are, see what they really want to accomplish.

You know, what the, where they see their pharmacy going with. You'd be doing 

[00:15:17] Mike Koelzer, Host: less of the, you know, maybe setting that appointment up and, and the technical stuff on that. And just actually being in those conversations through, through most of the 

[00:15:27] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: day. Exactly. That's what I really love to be able to do. 

[00:15:31] Mike Koelzer, Host: Now, what happens?

This, your company is so successful and you don't get to work for a year. You're not allowed to work or do anything and you have to take a sabbatical. What do you do in life? I dunno, either for pleasure or whatever, if it wasn't this. And it wasn't a pharmacy. You can't do anything in pharmacy for a year. What do you do?

[00:15:54] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: Oh my goodness. Um, so it would definitely be my family, my little girl, um, she's my world. And so I would be spending a lot of time where we live. We live in a gorgeous place here in Idaho, and I would definitely be enjoying that, that aspect of things and, and getting to enjoy family and friends time. But at the same time, even if it wasn't a pharmacy, I would still try to make sure of that.

You know, educating myself in any way I can. And, um, if I couldn't use pharmacy, I'd still be educating myself on, um, you know, the business side of things and staying on, on top of that kind of stuff. And just enjoying, enjoying where I 

[00:16:33] Mike Koelzer, Host: live. I was just listening to it. Last night, Jordan Peterson, but he was saying how the climb is really the, the fun, the fun part, you know, the learning and stuff.

And sometimes once you hit, once you hit the destination, you may be happy for a day, but then you want to find something else to learn about and that, so that's a good quality to have. Well, Bridget, tell, um, tell our listeners again, how they get in touch with you and what their next step is. Uh, should they want to read.

[00:17:02] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: You guys are ready to grow your, your practice or your, you feel like you're stuck, you know, with your marketing, you're not getting what you are wanting to get. You're not seeing the results with what you're using, or, um, you want to take another avenue with your marketing. If you want to reach out to me, my website, um, independent edge consulting.com.

You can reach out to me there. There's some more information on me. Um, some of my consulting packages I'm on Facebook, Instagram. I also have a closed Facebook group where I do free training. Um, and I also run courses through that. That's marketing the mortar and PESTLE. So any of those avenues, you can email me as well.

That's on my website and I would love to hear from you love to talk to you and that's how you can get in contact with 

[00:17:45] Mike Koelzer, Host: me. Well, that sounds great, Bridgette. I wish you all the best. I look forward to seeing more of your stuff online. And I'll be keeping 

[00:17:53] Bridget Hanna, CPhT: tabs on you. Thank you. I appreciate that. And thank you so much for having me 

[00:17:57] Mike Koelzer, Host: on.

Yes, it was a pleasure. Thank you, Bridget. We'll talk again.