ABOUT MANUELA

I used to take out tumors. Now I take out the guesswork.

Former surgical oncologist, now the person women physicians call when their business is stuck somewhere between idea and launch.

Manuela Powell
MY STORY

My coaching business started with a Facebook post.

I spent a couple of years at Memorial Sloan Kettering, 13 years running my own practice, and I was at the peak of my career as a breast cancer surgeon when I made the hardest decision of my life: I walked away. Not because I didn't love my work. I did. My surgeries were often curative, and there was nothing more fulfilling than helping my patients. But after having kids at 42 and 44, I realized I wanted to actually raise them. And being a surgeon, with its grueling hours and complete lack of control over my own time, made that impossible.

I looked into non-clinical careers (admin, pharma, UM), but my soul withered just by considering them. I wanted to be hands-on helping people, but in a way that allowed me to own my time, and that didn't make me want to immediately yawn and feel like I'd sold my soul to The Man.

That's how I found coaching. I started with a Facebook post offering 10 free sessions, and my first paying client paid me $100 an hour. I loved coaching from day one. Becoming an entrepreneur was a different story. Suddenly, I had to learn an entirely new language: marketing, email funnels, websites, branding. I felt like I had to be not only a coach, but a graphic designer, an influencer, a website specialist, and a marketing expert. I made a ton of mistakes, spent wayyyyy too much money on things I didn't need, and wasted an insane amount of time. What I really needed was someone to tell me what I actually needed, in what order, and even better, build it for me.

That's exactly why I created The Doctor's Pivot. I can build the whole thing for you, or teach you to build it yourself, and either way, you skip the part where you lose a year and a small fortune figuring it out.

HOW I WORK

Straightforward. Even fun.

What working with me is like, whichever path you choose.

You always know what's next

Every step comes when you need it, so you're never building something you won't use for another 2 years. And when you get stuck, a real person answers, during business hours, because good businesses have boundaries (like yours will).

Coaching the whole way

I'm a certified executive coach with hundreds of hours of experience, so when the hard part isn't the tech, like naming your price or the voice saying you should have figured this out by now, we work on that too.

We laugh a lot

I'm obsessed with comedy, I've done improv for years, and laughter is one of my top values. Building a business is hard enough, so we're going to have a good time doing it, even while we set up your payment page.

THE RECEIPTS

For those of us who like numbers.

20
years as a surgical oncologist
13
years running my own practice
7
years coaching
5
languages I speak
(2 I coach in)

"The hardest thing about entrepreneurship is that, unlike medicine, there are no rules. The best thing about entrepreneurship is that, unlike medicine, there are no rules."

MANUELA, WHO LOVES A GOOD SYMPLOCE

A LITTLE PERSONALITY

Totally random and unnecessary facts about me.

None of this will help you build a business. I just wanted you to know.

  • 01I've never eaten a donut in my life. 
  • 02I'm absolutely addicted to dancing West Coast Swing. It's the one place my brain can shut up for a second.
  • 03I once met Arnold Schwarzenegger, like actually met him, and had a full-on conversation. He's funny.
  • 04I'm from Rio, lived in Hawai'i, and now live in Austin, but I hate hot weather. From May to October, you'll find me inside with the AC on or in a body of cold water.
  • 05I can whistle in every possible way, including perfectly imitating a chick or being loud enough to be heard 2 neighborhoods over.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE DONUT

Enough about me. Let's talk about your business.

If you want it built for you, book a consult. If you'd rather build it yourself, 

join the waitlist for the Academy, opening January 2027.