Dr. Janelle Thompson went from the neurosurgical trauma ICU to founding the 144K Collective — a movement turning $1 a day into large-scale impact for underserved communities. In this conversation with Robin Ayoub, she tackles the systemic roots of healthcare burnout, redefines what true leadership looks like, and shares why caring for yourself is not optional when your job is caring for others.
Dr. Janelle Thompson started her career in one of the most high-pressure
environments in medicine — the neurosurgical trauma ICU — and went on to
become a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice. But what drove her wasn't
just patient care. It was what she kept witnessing around her: colleagues
burning out with no system in place to catch them.
In this episode, Robin Ayoub sits down with Dr. Thompson to unpack the
systemic roots of healthcare burnout, what real leadership looks like
from the inside of a hospital, and how she co-founded the 144K Collective
— a for-profit company built around a simple but powerful idea:
$1 a day can change the world.
What we cover:
- Why burnout in healthcare is a staffing and systems problem — not a
personal failure
- The difference between being a boss and being a leader people follow
- How the 144K Collective is redefining philanthropy
- Self-care strategies for people who spend their lives caring for others
- Her rapid-fire answers on books, habits, and the best advice she ever received
"You don't have to be large by yourself. Find your collective."
────────────────────────────
Connect with Dr. Janelle Thompson:
144K Collective: [link]
LinkedIn: [link]
Hosted by Robin Ayoub
📖 Blog recap: robinayoub.blog
🎥 YouTube: https://youtu.be/jlgRSIM3-3A