Writing Like a Doctor with Dr. Seth François
Dr. Seth François [01:00:06]
Well, you know, first of all, I just want to thank you for allowing me to be on your show.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:00:12]
Oh, you’re welcome. I’m sure the audience is thanking me for for having you. Because it’s been a great conversation.
Dr. Seth François [01:00:21]
I had I had a lot of fun today. And, you know, for me, I am you know, if there’s ever, ever a time that you may need me to talk to a student or something like that, I’d be more than happy to let you know the challenges for you. But it’s a lot of success. I mean, the best thing about finishing is that you finished. There is no better reward than just finishing and getting it done, want to put down your holster and keep walking proud?
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:01:05]
One of my students said when I asked him what the best thing about graduating was, he runs his own business. His business grew like crazy after he graduated because of that additional authority. And I asked him what the best part of graduating was and he said, Dr. Strickland, I got my life back, and that’s that’s how he put it. And I was like, man. Another students was like, hey, now that I defended, I’m going to go to the football game this weekend and I’m not going to feel guilty about it. Because there’s some things we do anyway. But you feel guilty if you’re not working on your dissertation.
Dr. Seth François [01:01:41]
There is a pocket of time that you’re going to have, it’s like sleeping in a bed in one spot, there’s going to be like an indentation in the bed and you have to figure out how to fill that void out because.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:02:00]
You have more time, you don’t know what to do with it… I should be worked on my dissertation right now. No, I shouldn’t. I graduated.
Dr. Seth François [01:02:06]
That’s right. That’s right. And, you know, sometimes sometimes, you know, I have these dreams and it’s like like, oh, you have to get to class. And I’m like, wait a minute. I wake up. I already finished, you know? So, yeah,.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:02:22]
It takes a little while to step into those shoes. Even after you’ve earned it. It takes a little while to own it.
Dr. Seth François [01:02:26]
So that’s it. And then trying to get used to people are like for me it was really difficult for people to come up to me and say, hey, how are you doing Dr. Seth or whatever. I mean, they don’t call me by my last name. They just say Dr. Seth, my first name, which I’m good with. And but it was it was an adjustment for me because it is it’s. You know, I’m so used to people call me by my first name or my last name, but it’s good I’m getting used to it.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:02:58]
I had this conversation, I think, on this podcast before. But those who know you when you’re still Seth.
Dr. Seth François [01:03:05]
That’s right.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:03:06]
But everybody else is now Dr. François . And that’s. It’s different for you a whole lot more so than it is for them, because they’ve always known you as Dr. François . You’re the one who grew up with Seth and and who’s just gotten to this point where you have this world title for the past few years. So, yeah, it’s a it’s a big transition for you as well. And one of the things I’ll say not to you specifically, but just for folks in general is because people are going to treat you differently when you have your doctoral degree. Make real sure. You know, Dr. Seth was saying, I know what I know and I know what I don’t know a little earlier. Make real sure about that, because people are going to believe what you say. That doctor credential carries a lot of weight. And if you say something, people are going to believe you. So make sure you’re being respectful and honoring that credential that you’ve earned by telling people what the things that, you know, go for it. But those things that you don’t know, be really, really careful, because even if you’re just guessing and working things out, a lot of times people won’t appreciate that. I don’t mean they’ll be mad at you. I mean, they won’t understand. But that’s what you’re doing. And and they’ll just think that what you’re saying is the gospel, because you a lot of folks don’t know a lot of people with Ph.D.s. There aren’t a lot of us out there.
Dr. Seth François [01:04:23]
You have a lot of responsibility as a doctor to really to present yourself in the right way and to give the right information and not to guess at things anymore. You can’t. You just can’t guess at things anymore. You have to know and and don’t be afraid to say, hey, look, I have to be back with you on that. I don’t have the answer right now.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:04:47]
And I’ll say it’s OK to guess that things are to work things out with people. Just be very, very clear that that’s what you’re doing. Say, I don’t know. Let’s think this through. Do you think you might work this way? Do you think it might work that way? I’m just talking this through with you. I don’t know, but I can help you think about it, because one of the things I learned as a doctor is how to think through some of these things.
Dr. Seth François [01:05:07]
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:05:08]
And it’s another skill that a lot of people don’t have. Trust me, that’s a skill that will have these days.
Dr. Seth François [01:05:13]
It’s probably one of the best skills that you can’t have. But, you know, it’s so funny. And this is my last story to you. But when I was a kid, I used to write if I had the worst penmanship. And everything from my teachers to friends and parents on say, you write like a doctor, you and I need to be a doctor and somehow that’s stuck with me. And so now when I write something really horrible and people can’t read it, I was like, I’m a doctor.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:05:43]
So, I had to fix my up my penmanship or I had to get my doctoral degree.
Dr. Seth François [01:05:51]
That’s right. That’s right.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:05:52]
And when you saw that booth, it was that was it. That was fate coming knocking on your door.
Dr. Seth François [01:05:57]
Problem solved. Right.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:05:59]
You’re handwriting still looks pretty bad.
Dr. Seth François [01:06:02]
Oh, probably worse, obviously, because when I write, I usually I type because when I write, sometimes I go back. I’m like, wait a minute.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:06:11]
I say, yeah, I know that the iPad has the pencil that you can write with. I will do that some particular way. I’m taking notes. I’ll do that some. But usually I don’t I don’t pick up a pen or pencil except to actually sign my signature. If I’m signing a check or something else like that, that’s it. Even contract. And you have to pick up a pen for that because my signature is already on the computer. But yeah, that’s handwriting is not as much a problem now, I guess, as it used to be.
Dr. Seth François [01:06:45]
Right. It’s interesting because cursive, right, and they don’t even exist anymore.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:06:51]
So my kids don’t know how you do. So my son was filling out a form so that he can try out for the swim team. And he writes his name like, you know, I don’t even know what to say. I would say something is going to insult someone, but it was not a signature. Suffice it to say that he’s like, you got to teach me to write a signature. Like, you just got to work on it so they can do it a few times, find something that works for you and then that’s your signature. But he was like not printing, but kind of they didn’t teach him cursive. So he was kind of printing, but trying to do it a little fancy.
Dr. Seth François [01:07:28]
Well, you know, I want to congratulate you and give you some kudos for working to get students through the doctoral program, because, again, it’s it’s it’s something that it really takes a community, even the family at home adjusting to what you’re trying to do, trying to get knowledge somewhere else, which which your organization comes and, you know, people to really understand what they’re doing. You know, that you’re not just spinning their wheels. And so I’ve got to give you kuddos for that.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:08:08]
Well, I do appreciate that. And it it does take a lot of support and I’m glad that we can provide some of that. I’ve talked to another episode about the different types of support that you need to be successful. So I’ll just use that as a shameless plug to go listen to other podcasts, if you’re interested in that. But it’s true. There’s a lot of different types of support that you need. And like I said, I’m I’m glad that we can provide some of that. And some of our students graduate a lot faster than they would otherwise. That’s that’s something I’m really happy about, because I truly believe that folks who are called to a doctoral degree are… They do that because they’re called to serve a higher purpose, serve at a higher level. And that doctoral degree is what enables them to do that. And so if I can get you out there making the world a better place in your own way, then I’m making it a better place in my own way. That’s really why I like to do this. There’s a lot of other things you can do to make money out there in the world. But this is something that I feel helps people do good things for other people.
Dr. Seth François [01:09:06]
So, yeah, yeah. Just seem like when you get to the doctor doctorate level, you know, there’s a sort of passion that you have for what you want to do.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:09:17]
That’s true.
Dr. Seth François [01:09:18]
And I guess the process helps you to understand that passion is something real or if it’s something that you need to really figure out if you really want to do it because of the time that you spend it on it. So, yeah, it is definitely a pleasure mine to to put you on on the path that you really want to be on so.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:09:41]
And so the important thing is, while you’re working through your dissertation, try to keep those passions in check, be professional, be detached, get the dissertation done, because Dr. Seth’s right. Once you’ve finished it, then all those things you’re passionate about, you need my permission anymore to pursue those things. Opportunities will come. Knocks on the door, seats at the table, all of that sort of thing. So just get it done.
Dr. Seth François [01:10:06]
Oh, absolutely. And again, thank you for having me on your show.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:10:12]
You’re welcome. It’s been great. I’ve enjoyed talking with you. I have enjoyed learning from you. I want to remind folks again, they can reach you at. It was DrSeth@Imaginetainment.org. Is that right? Yes. The website is Imaginetainment.org. You got the the radio shows where they reach out to you if they want to listen to the radio shows.
Dr. Seth François [01:10:36]
It’s live 105.5 mobile radio. And we are actually building some other stations right now. That’s going to be all talk, all talk radio also. And so we’re we’re looking at trying to do that and try to expand that. And we want know because of the direction of where people are utilizing their handheld units to do things. So we’re building production that people can have in there in the palm of their hand so they don’t have to sit down and watch TV. They can have it right there.
Dr. Russell Strickland [01:11:16]
Awesome. Well, once again, thank you so much for for joining me here today. I’ll remind folks once again that this episode has been brought to you by Dissertation Done. If you’re getting ready to work on your dissertation and you want to be proactive and get through it as quickly as possible, if you’re struggling through this dissertation and you want someone to help you push through and get you to graduation, check us out a DissertationDone.com/done. And if you want to take your expertise to the next level like Dr. Seth has done with his book, consider going to DissertationDone.com/book and join me where we take small groups of authors through the process from a blank page to being a published author. It happens a lot faster than you might think it would, and it will change your life. Being a published author and having that expertise and also having the first name Dr. For for the author byline. It’s amazing. So I hope we can help you one of those two ways. And in the meantime, Dr. Seth, thank you so much for joining me. I had a blast and for everybody else, go out and live your unconventional life. Have a great day.
Outro [01:12:29]
This has been An Unconventional Life. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed today’s episode, subscribe now to keep getting inspirational stories of unconventional lives as soon as they’re released. Until then, go out and live your best unconventional life.
