The proof of concept
is the professor.
Dr. Laster-Butler didn’t take a course on how to build an independent bariatric endoscopy practice. She had to figure it out herself — from licensing and legal structure to branding, marketing, and opening a Quad-A certified surgery center.
OWN IT is everything she built, distilled into a 6-month roadmap for you.
4×Board-certified
Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Obesity Medicine, Physician Nutrition Specialist
1 of 2 providers
Within 25 miles of Washington, DC offering endoscopic weight loss procedures
2024
Published peer-reviewed guide “How to Build an Endobariatric Practice” in GI Endoscopy Clinics of North America
Quad-A
Certified Surgery Center — built from scratch at Gut Theory Total Digestive Care, Washington DC
You belong here if…
You’re employed and restless
You’re a GI or IM physician working in a hospital or group practice and know you want more — more autonomy, more income, more alignment with your vision.
You want to add endobariatrics
You have GI training but want to integrate ESG, balloons, and obesity medicine — and don’t know how to build the business case or clinical infrastructure.
You’re finishing fellowship
You’re in your final GI fellowship year and want to enter your career owning something — not building someone else’s practice.
You’ve started but are stuck
You’ve made the leap to independence but lack the marketing, business planning, or operational knowledge to scale and sustain your practice.
You want to incorporate Obesity medicine in your practice
You are interested in obesity medicine, but want a clearer roadmap for how to introduce it successfully into your practice.
You want to start a membership model practice
You want to build a sustainable, patient-centered practice with recurring revenue and a care model that gives you more flexibility and control.
The Curriculum
Vision & Self-Assessment: Is This Right for You?
Mindset shift from employee to owner. Vision mapping — your ideal practice, schedule, and income. Self-assessment of risk tolerance and financial readiness. Types of practices and how to choose.
Market Research & Business Planning
Using SBA resources. Competitor analysis. Identifying your referral network. Business plan structure with financial projections. Revenue modeling for ESG, balloons, obesity visits, and memberships.
Legal, Licensing & Business Structure
Entity types (PLLC, S-Corp, PC). Healthcare law firms. State medical licensing and DEA. Malpractice insurance. Non-competes. Hospital privileges and ASC credentialing.
Operations: Building Your Infrastructure
EMR selection. Credit card processing. HIPAA compliance. Hiring your first staff. Virtual assistants and outsourced services. Device procurement. Billing, coding, and cash-pay pricing.
Branding, Marketing & Advertising
Building a brand identity. Naming your practice. Website essentials and SEO. Social media strategy. Physician referral marketing. Paid ads. PR strategy and media positioning.
Capital, Launch Strategy & Long-Term Growth
SBA loans, practice financing, and investors. 90-day launch timeline. Membership model creation. Future growth: surgery centers, physician training, curriculum licensing. Your 1-year roadmap.
What’s Included
6 Live Monthly Sessions
Two-hour live group sessions — interactive, not pre-recorded. Real questions, real answers, in real time.
3 One-on-One Coaching Calls
Private 45-minute sessions with Dr. Laster-Butler at Months 1, 3, and 6 for personalized strategy and direct feedback.
Templates & Resource Library
Business plan templates, fee schedule frameworks, EMR comparison guides, staff hiring checklists, marketing calendars, and more.
6 Monthly Worksheets
Pre-session prep and post-session application worksheets to keep you implementing — not just learning.
Private Physician Community
Connect with cohort peers, share resources, and build a lasting network of physician entrepreneurs who actually get it.
Published Research Access
Dr. Laster-Butler’s co-authored 2024 GIE Clinics article and a curated reading list of the best resources in the field.
Beyond bariatrics. Any physician.
Any specialty.
The second OWN IT. cohort expands the roadmap to serve any physician who is done with the hamster wheel of employed medicine — regardless of specialty.
If you know the medicine but were never taught the business of medicine, Cohort 2 was built for you.
Join the Cohort 2 WaitlistHow to Start a Solo Practice & Get Off the Hamster Wheel
- For any physician ready to leave employment — not just GI
- Building a lean, profitable solo practice from zero
- Negotiating your exit: severance, non-competes, tail coverage
- Direct-pay, hybrid, and cash-pay models across specialties
- Specialty-specific revenue beyond insurance billing
- Creating the life you actually went to medical school for
Choose your path
Founding Member
- All 6 live group sessions
- 3 private 1:1 coaching calls
- Full worksheet & PDF library
- Templates & resource vault
- Private cohort community
- Session recordings for life
- Shape the course directly
Live Cohort
- All 6 live group sessions
- 3 private 1:1 coaching calls
- Full worksheet & PDF library
- Templates & resource vault
- Private cohort community
- Session recordings for life
Self-Paced
- All 6 recorded sessions
- Full worksheet & PDF library
- Templates & resource vault
- Lifetime access to materials
- Live group sessions
- 1:1 coaching calls
- Cohort community
Join Us Today
“I built Gut Theory from scratch — the practice, the surgery center, all of it. I made every mistake in the book so you don’t have to. This is the course I wish existed when I started. Seven seats. One price. Don’t let someone else take yours.”
