Justin Osmond 00:00:00 At the end of the day, your greatest limitation isn't your circumstance. It's the story that you choose to believe.

Austin Luttrell 00:00:18 Welcome to Off the Chart A Business and Medicine podcast, featuring lively and informative conversations with healthcare experts, opinion leaders and practicing physicians about the challenges facing doctors and medical practices. My name is Austin Littrell. I'm the assistant editor of Medical Economics, and I'd like to thank you for joining us today. In this episode, Keith Reynolds, editor of Physicians Practice, sits down with Justin Osmond, international motivational speaker, bestselling author, producer, and humanitarian and keynote presenter at the HCLA Virginia 2025 Fall Conference. His talk title, Don't Limit Your Challenges, Challenge Your Limits, draws from his personal journey of growing up with 90% hearing loss and learning to turn barriers into opportunities. You'll hear more of his story, including his insights on breaking through self-imposed limitations, building supportive teams, and cultivating the mindset needed to thrive in leadership and in life. Justin, thank you so much for joining us. And now let's get into the episode.

Keith Reynolds 00:01:15 How are you doing today, Justin?

Justin Osmond 00:01:17 I'm doing great, Keith. Doing great. Thank you. I hope I'm doing good if you're doing good.

Keith Reynolds 00:01:21 Oh, I'm doing great, brother. I'm absolutely feeling it today. so let's jump right in. so what are some of the most common self-imposed limitations you see in professionals, and how can people begin breaking through them?

Justin Osmond 00:01:35 You know, one of the biggest self-imposed limitations that I see, from experience in professional, is the story that we tell ourselves about what we can't do. You know, growing up with that very profound hearing loss, I was told all the things that I'd never be able to do or to achieve. And so with my hearing loss, I had every reason to feel limited. Like I didn't belong. I didn't have a voice and I couldn't fit in. And the people treated me differently. I carried those voices in my head until. Until I decided to rewrite the script. breaking through those barriers and breaking through those limits, I believe, starts with a mind, a mind shift, a mind shift, or the mindset shift.

Justin Osmond 00:02:27 And, you know, choosing courage over comfort. seeing challenges as opportunities. you know, those are those are mindset changes and shift. but for the healthcare leaders in this industry, that means leading yourself with the same belief and resilience, that you want to inspire in your team. Right. Because at the end of the day, your greatest limitation isn't your circumstance. It's the story that you choose to believe.

Keith Reynolds 00:03:01 So what does living below your capacities look like in everyday life? And why do you think so many people settle there?

Justin Osmond 00:03:09 That's a great question, Keith. Living below our capacities often looked like, you know, we pretend that we're okay, that we're fine with staying comfortable and playing it safe. Right? we've heard we've all heard that phrase, that one outline that said, oh, just fake it til you make it. but I don't believe in that. I think that's a lie. I, I believe in faith in it til you make it. Don't fake it til you make it.

Justin Osmond 00:03:37 Face it til you make it. That that basically means facing your fears, facing your weaknesses and your challenges and not hiding from them. when I again, when I grew up with a profound hearing loss, I spent years trying to blend in, you know, trying to pretend, that that I didn't struggle. but but the turning point, came when I stopped faking it. you know, and I started faking it head on. that that when that's when I got really started to happen, that's when I really started to grow. For example, I remember growing up wrestling with my deaf accent, if you haven't noticed already, I have a different accent. That's because I was born at the very severe hearing loss and had over 13 years of speech therapy. But I remember growing up, feeling socially awkward and embarrassed. I hated the sound of my own voice. I remember growing up wishing I could. I had the golden throat like my dad, who's the lead singer of the Ivan family. I remember wishing I could sound like my Uncle Donny, and I.

Justin Osmond 00:04:46 And that's kind of funny, but I. I remember wishing I could sound like Justin Timberlake, but. Okay. Who doesn't? Right. But I just wanted to fit in. I just wanted to blend in. I wanted to sound normal. And then one day it hit me. Why do I want to sound like Justin Timberlake when I can sound like Justin? Argument. At that moment, I realized that my deaf accent isn't a flaw. It's a future, right? This voice. My voice. It's me. It's not just an accent. It's a badge. It's a brand. It's my signature. It's my logo. It's my label, it's my identity. It's my story. Wrapped up in every syllable. And so the day I stopped, apologizing for how I sounded and started owning up to it. That was the day I found true freedom. And the day I stopped worrying about how others thought about me, how the world looked at me, and I just started embracing who I truly was, embracing my limitations.

Justin Osmond 00:05:47 That's when I felt indescribable joy and a sense of happiness, and that freedom and that freedom is waiting for everybody else as well. So we got to stop trying to be a remix of someone else that will not just be you. Let people get to know that imperfect, quirky, real, fantastic you. Because the world doesn't need another someone else. It needs you in full, brilliant color. So. So to answer the question again, too many people settle below their potential because it feels safer to avoid discomfort. but the breakthrough happened on the other side of what we fear. And so true success isn't about looking strong. It's about being brave enough to face what's holding you back.

Multiple Speakers 00:06:46 Say, Keith, this is all well and good, but what if someone is looking for more clinical information?

Keith Reynolds 00:06:51 Oh.

Multiple Speakers 00:06:52 Then they want to check out our sister site, Patient Care online.com, the leading clinical resource for primary care physicians. Again, that's patient care online. Com. So on the flip side.

Keith Reynolds 00:07:05 You're encouraging people to live above their abilities.

Keith Reynolds 00:07:09 What does that mean in practice. And how can teams, you know, safely push past their perceived limitations without burning themselves out?

Justin Osmond 00:07:17 Right. You know, it seems like we live in a society today with everybody just getting burned out. But but living above your ability isn't about grinding harder, working harder until you burn out. It's about realizing that you're not meant to run the race alone. You're not meant to be alone. Right. We need each other. not too long ago, I ran 250 miles. I did it. Not, you know, to say, hey, look what I've done. I did it to help, make a difference for 25 deaf children. But I only made it because I had a pit crew. I had a pit crew right there with me. They kept me fueled. they kept me bandaged and hydrated. And they kept me mentally strong when I. When I was ready to quit. But for later and for other teams out there, pushing past your limits safely mean building that same culture of support.

Justin Osmond 00:08:15 and and to encourage people to, to lean on each other, to rely on each other because we can't do it alone and to step in. when someone is running low, and to celebrate every milestone together. Not by yourself, but high performance teams in an industry like this are not made of superheroes. They're made of individuals who know when to push and when to pause and to take a break, of course. And who and and to trust in their pit crew to help them to keep going. That's how you break barriers and without breaking people and without getting burnt out.

Keith Reynolds 00:08:53 All right. So how can leaders, you know, reframe challenges or, you know, setbacks so their teams see them as opportunities for growth rather than roadblocks?

Justin Osmond 00:09:04 Yeah, that's a great question. There seem to be so many roadblocks in our lives, and we tend to just, you know, when we get that roadblock, we just give up. Right. But great leaders help their team. She challenges not a dead end, but as a as a detour to growth, to expand.

Justin Osmond 00:09:24 the key is reframing setbacks. Kind of like a classroom, a place where resilience and innovation and character are built. when I was a kid, I again, you know, having a hearing loss was so hard. Many times it felt like a roadblock. and it did. It felt like a roadblock and that it would define me forever. Right. but it became my greatest strength because I chose to see it as a gift that shaped my grit and my empathy, and so little can do the same thing for their team. By modeling optimism and asking, what can we learn from this situation? What can we learn from this? From the challenge of the setback? Instead of why me? Right. Kind of getting that pessimistic, poor me scenario and celebrating growth through adversity. a challenge doesn't have to, to shrink you. It can shape you into something better and stronger and bigger. So growing up with a hearing loss again, I had every reason to feel limited. like I didn't belong and I didn't have a voice, and that people made fun of me and they treated me differently.

Justin Osmond 00:10:38 But what changed everything? Were the leaders who invested in me anyway. They didn't see what I lacked. They saw what I could become, and that made all the difference. and and so for this, I believe that this is how the leader can reframe and take those roadblocks and check them out of the way and see them as an opportunity for growth.

Keith Reynolds 00:11:04 So in your experience, you know, what role does mindset play in unlocking, you know, individual and team potential? How can people start cultivating that positivity when facing adversity in their own lives and careers?

Justin Osmond 00:11:19 You know, mindset is everything. It's the difference between seeing adversity as a dead end or as a doorway. growing up again with the profound hearing loss, I had every reason to feel defeated. But she's in a mindset of possibility that changed my life. positivity isn't pretending that everything's okay. That everything is fine. It's choosing hope when it's hard, if defined in my case. It's not a lack of hearing. It's a lack of hope.

Justin Osmond 00:11:51 And for teams,, that start with leaders that are modeling gratitude, celebrating small wins, and reminding people of their wide and their purpose. when you shift your mindset like that, you don't just unlock your own potential. You give your you give your whole team, your entire team permission to ride higher as well. Again, leading by example. But but your mindset. Like I said, it's everything. It's your greatest and your strongest muscle. For example, I've been telling you I have a hearing loss and that just happened to be my story. But everybody had a story. And but in my case, my hearing loss, honestly, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world because it taught me to. It taught me to adapt. you know, when, the world wasn't built for me, it taught me to persevere when others doubted me. And it taught me to believe in myself when others couldn't see or hear the dream that I was trying to change. So. But we got to get real.

Justin Osmond 00:12:53 Everybody has obstacle, whether it's physically, emotionally, mentally or circumstantial. Some are very loud and obvious and some are very quiet and hidden. But no matter what form they shape that they take, there's one universal truth. Limitation. Do not stop it. Mindsets do so with that. What if we were to flip the script and say what if? What if we stop seeing limitations as a red light? But we started seeing them as a launch pad, something that propels them forward and empowers it and makes it better. So that that mindset had taught me perspective, that we can control the quality of our lives just by how we think and act towards those challenges. In fact, that same mindset led me to my personal motto I may have a hearing loss, but my hearing loss did not have me. And that same same mindset can help everybody out. You may have a challenge, but that challenge did not have to have you, own you, control you, or even define you.

Multiple Speakers 00:14:04 Hey there, Keith Reynolds here, and welcome to the P2 Management Minute.

Multiple Speakers 00:14:08 In just 60s, we deliver proven real world tactics you can plug into your practice today. Whether that means speeding up check in, lifting staff morale, or nudging patient satisfaction north. No theory, no fluff, just the kind of guidance that fits between appointments and moves the needle before launch. But the best ideas don't all come from our newsroom. They come from you got a clever workflow hack and employee engagement win, or a lesson learned the hard way. I want to feature it. Shoot me an email at Kay reynolds@lifesciences.com with your topic, quick outline or even a smartphone clip. We'll handle the rest and get your insights in front of your peers nationwide. Let's make every minute count together. Thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next P2 management minute. Wow.

Keith Reynolds 00:14:54 That's. That is a that is an interesting and good turn of phrase there. I like that a lot. so could you share an example of a time, you know, when challenging your own limits, you know, completely reshaped your perspective or the outcomes you were you were seeing?

Justin Osmond 00:15:10 Yeah.

Justin Osmond 00:15:11 Try to think of an example. There was one event in my life that completely changed. Changed my life. It was one of the biggest, mindset and perspective shift. it happened when I decided to run 250 mile, in just seven days. across my my state of Utah. to raise awareness for deaf children. And I raised money to help them get them brand new hearing aid. for that. on paper, it was impossible. Like, I'm not a runner. So on paper, it was impossible. But I'm not. And I'm not built for that kind of difference. Different and I have my own autoimmune challenges as well. I'm diabetic and, you know, so I have a lot of other physical challenges too. but mile after mile, through pain and exhaustion and doubt, I discovered that our limits are often just the starting line. It's just the starting time and the starting line and decide, that run, that 250 mile run didn't just change my body. It was shaped my mindset. It taught me that strength isn't about it's not about avoiding struggle.

Justin Osmond 00:16:27 It's found in the struggle. And I didn't do this run to impress people, but to impress upon others that they can do the same, that they too can do hard things. We could all do her thing despite the challenges that we're facing in life. And so. So when life throws at me, challenge it, right? Whatever they may be, I see them as opportunity to grow. To grow good. To deepen faith and to inspire others. And that perspective has transformed every area of my life. And it can do the same for everybody else as well.

Keith Reynolds 00:17:04 All right. So for for people who feel stuck in cycles of doubt or fear, you know, what's the first small, actionable step they can take to begin challenging their own limits?

Justin Osmond 00:17:15 I believe that by the small and the simple thing, a great thing brought to pass at that first step. It's small, but it's powerful. You take one bold action today. You got to take one bold action today that fear did not approve of.

Justin Osmond 00:17:30 Right? doubt, that thrives in silence and not doing anything in inaction, but courage that grows when you move, when you are active. Right? And even if it's just one inch forward, that being active. for me, that started, as a small young boy with a hearing loss. Right. I remember as a young boy in class, in school, raising my hand in class, even when I was terrified or embarrassed that I would get it wrong. But that was my that was my action. I had to overcome that. That felt that small, simple step helped build confidence in me throughout my life and over time. So for leaders and for team, leaders of team, it's about breaking fear into small, bite sized pieces. You make the call, right? You ask the question, you try the idea, you experimented. but progress be perfection every single time. Once you take that first step, the momentum did the rest.

Keith Reynolds 00:18:41 All right, so, if attendees remember just one message from your keynote, what do you want it to be? And you know, what do you.

Keith Reynolds 00:18:49 What do you want it to be?

Justin Osmond 00:18:52 If you can remember just one, one thing. Let it be this. Your barrier and your limitation do not define you. How you respond to them does. Growth doesn't come from avoiding struggle. It comes from leaning into the struggle to come, from being in it right and not avoiding it. And that that develops our faith and our codes. And are we doing it and are good? We and you and everybody is so far more capable of more than you think. the wall in front of it isn't there to stop it. It's there to show us how strong we really are and how we are, and how strong we can become on our own. When you climb it, we can either limit our challenges or we can challenge our limits. We can let our challenges define us, or we can let it refine it motive and purchase and empower it and propel it to much greater heights. we can either see our limitations as a red light, or we can see them as launchpad that propelled it forward.

Justin Osmond 00:20:04 we all have limitations, but we've also got amazing potential and a million dream just waiting for it. But never give up. you're way more capable than than you think.

Keith Reynolds 00:20:16 Justin, it was an absolute pleasure talking to you.

Multiple Speakers 00:20:19 thank you so much.

Austin Luttrell 00:20:30 Once again, that was a conversation between Physicians Practice editor Keith Reynolds and Justin Osmond, international motivational speaker and keynote presenter at the HCLA Virginia 2025 Fall Conference. My name is Austin Littrell, and on behalf of the whole medical economics and physicians practice teams, I'd like to thank you for listening to the show and ask that you please to subscribe so you don't miss the next episode. Be sure to check back on Monday and Thursday mornings for the latest conversations with healthcare experts, sharing strategies, stories, and solutions for your practice. You can find us by searching off the chart wherever you get your podcasts. Also, if you like the best stories that Medical Economics and physicians practice, publish delivered straight to your email six days of the week, subscribe to our newsletter.

Austin Luttrell 00:21:07 So that medical economics calm and physicians practice off the chart visits a medicine podcast is executive produced by Chris Maslany and Keith Reynolds and produced by Austin Littrell. Medical economics, Physicians Practice and Patient Care Online are all members of the MJD life Sciences family. Thank you.