Most of the consulting I’ve done has fallen into two columns. The first is shovel-work: churning out copy, tearing apart sales paths, hands on stuff. The second column is high-level analysis. What works about what you’re doing, how you’re presenting yourself, your corporate voice. But the overwhelming majority of the work I’ve done has been for Companies, with the capital letter. Some were on the small size, eight employees, others had thousands.

Working with Ben Utley has been a different kind of work. Ben is a high-end financial consultant specializing in top-flight medical professionals, doctors and surgeons. Ben is a Professional, in other words. The great part of working with him, other than the fact that he was born to blog, having a great eye for the illustrative moment and a smart but conversational writing style, is the fact that there are no barriers to implementation. I would ask, directly, what he’s after and he would tell me. I would suggest specific approaches and he was capable of instantly implementing those suggestions. He didn’t have to consult a boss or a board.

The result is Ben’s blog, LoDoTo.com. The title comes from an approach to adding medical skills: Learn one, do one, teach one. That’s how you get good at something. And Ben certainly subscribes to this. Although young, his blog is readable and full of specialist knowledge that anyone with an interest in financial issues would find valuable. He’s written on college savings plans, the Oregon tax-rebate “kicker,” adjustable rate mortgages and more. If you’re a doctor, or just interested in approaches to savings and investment, visit or subscribe to LoDoTo.com’s feed.

I look forward to working with more Professionals. The pay-off, for both parties, is high.