Surviving to Serve: A Parallel Entrepreneur’s Comeback Ft Dr. Michael Sprintz
How do you launch a thriving medical practice, then pivot to a fast-scaling software startup—all while staying laser-focused on patient care, personal growth, and 24 years in recovery? In this episode, Mark Cleveland welcomes Dr. Michael Sprintz, an anesthesiologist-turned-tech-entrepreneur tackling chronic pain, addiction, and complicated billing structures in healthcare. Dr. Sprintz shares how resiliency, authentic leadership, and “flow” guide his parallel ventures.
Highlights:
• From OR to Revenue Tech – Why Michael traded the surgical suite for software code.
• 24 Years Sober – How recovery principles shape his resilience in business.
• Nail Compliance, Stop Revenue Bleed – The healthcare billing problem Michael solves.
• Mindset Hacks – Handling stress, negativity, and “the shadow self” with unshakable resolve.
• Chasing Flow – Moving from “hustle 24/7” to deeper creativity and real presence.
Chapters List:
00:00:00 The Journey of Dr. Michael Sprintz
00:01:45 Resilience and Tenacity in Recovery
00:04:27 The Intersection of Pain and Addiction
00:06:40 Lessons from Entrepreneurship
00:09:00 Aligning Vision and Values
00:10:39 The Birth of Solarian
00:13:21 Navigating the Software Landscape
00:14:08 The Role of AI in Healthcare
00:16:13 Market Response and Growth Strategies
00:18:14 The Art of Adaptation
00:20:07 Authenticity in Business
00:22:08 Future Aspirations and Innovations
00:24:48 Best Advice Received: What you sell your company is not what you created at first
00:28:52 Helping Others See Beyond Their Current Reality
00:29:53 Understanding the Opioid Crisis and Healthcare Misalignment
00:32:45 Balancing Stress and Personal Life as a CEO
00:34:13 Time Management and Effective Communication
00:35:56 Lessons from Life and Death Experiences
00:37:43 Finding Meaning and Making Ethical Decisions
00:39:37 Embracing Technology and Uncertainty in Healthcare
00:41:27 Reflecting on Past Accomplishments and Future Risks
00:42:55 Living Life with No Regrets
00:43:55 The Impact of Literature on Personal Growth
00:45:14 The Connection Between Humanity and Business
00:52:44 Art, Music, and the Flow of Life
00:57:13 Trusting the Process and Letting Go
Highlights:
• From OR to Revenue Tech – Why Michael traded the surgical suite for software code.
• 24 Years Sober – How recovery principles shape his resilience in business.
• Nail Compliance, Stop Revenue Bleed – The healthcare billing problem Michael solves.
• Mindset Hacks – Handling stress, negativity, and “the shadow self” with unshakable resolve.
• Chasing Flow – Moving from “hustle 24/7” to deeper creativity and real presence.
Chapters List:
00:00:00 The Journey of Dr. Michael Sprintz
00:01:45 Resilience and Tenacity in Recovery
00:04:27 The Intersection of Pain and Addiction
00:06:40 Lessons from Entrepreneurship
00:09:00 Aligning Vision and Values
00:10:39 The Birth of Solarian
00:13:21 Navigating the Software Landscape
00:14:08 The Role of AI in Healthcare
00:16:13 Market Response and Growth Strategies
00:18:14 The Art of Adaptation
00:20:07 Authenticity in Business
00:22:08 Future Aspirations and Innovations
00:24:48 Best Advice Received: What you sell your company is not what you created at first
00:28:52 Helping Others See Beyond Their Current Reality
00:29:53 Understanding the Opioid Crisis and Healthcare Misalignment
00:32:45 Balancing Stress and Personal Life as a CEO
00:34:13 Time Management and Effective Communication
00:35:56 Lessons from Life and Death Experiences
00:37:43 Finding Meaning and Making Ethical Decisions
00:39:37 Embracing Technology and Uncertainty in Healthcare
00:41:27 Reflecting on Past Accomplishments and Future Risks
00:42:55 Living Life with No Regrets
00:43:55 The Impact of Literature on Personal Growth
00:45:14 The Connection Between Humanity and Business
00:52:44 Art, Music, and the Flow of Life
00:57:13 Trusting the Process and Letting Go
Show Notes:
- Share and engage with this interview on LinkedIn: Click here
- Cellarian Inc., healthcare software that improves diagnosis, treatment, documentation and risk-management for substance use disorder and other diseases - https://www.cellarian.com/
- A Life of Meaning: Relocating Your Center of Spiritual Gravity by James Hollis - https://jameshollis.net/hollisBooks.html
- Living with Borrowed Dust: Reflections on Life, Love and Other Grievances by James Hollis - https://jameshollis.net/hollisBooks.html
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho – https://www.amazon.com/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho/dp/0062315005/
- Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss – https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805
- Mark’s 2025 Bhavana – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twS9UpeqeF0
