Some of the most valuable lessons about running a practice aren’t found in textbooks or training programs. They’re shared between practitioners who have learned them firsthand, often in small groups, behind closed doors, with others who have been through the same things.
The purpose behind Radio Front Desk, Jane’s podcast for allied health and wellness practitioners, was to bring those conversations to a wider audience.
This month, Radio Front Desk was honoured with three Awards of Distinction at the 32nd Annual Communicator Awards: one for B2B Podcast Series and two for the episode Can ChatGPT Be a Therapist?, which was recognized in both the B2B and Interview categories.
Conversations worth having
Hosted by Denzil Ford, Director of Marketing at Jane, Radio Front Desk explores the realities of running a health and wellness business through conversations with practitioners, clinic owners, and industry experts.
“In my conversations with practitioners and clinic owners, I’ve learned that they are having these conversations, but they tend to be in close groups,” Denzil says. “What we’re trying to do is create a place where more people have access to the wisdom of clinic owners who have been there and done it, share new ideas across clinic types, and set people who will be starting their businesses up for success.”
Denzil Ford, Director of Marketing at Jane and Host of Radio Front Desk Podcast
For Denzil, the most important part of the conversation isn’t always the success story. “Our customers are just really wonderful humans. And sometimes, we learn just as much when they tell us what didn’t work. I feel honoured they choose to spend their limited time talking to me and our listeners about what makes their businesses run.”
Exploring what goes unsaid
As AI becomes a more common presence in health care and wellness, practitioners are asking important questions about trust, ethics, patient relationships, and professional responsibility. The questions are less about whether AI is good or bad, and more about where it belongs, where it doesn’t, and what role it should play in care.
Those questions became the foundation for one of Radio Front Desk’s most-listened-to episodes, Can ChatGPT Be a Therapist?, which explored the difference between helpful support and clinical care. At the centre of that conversation is a growing recognition that while AI can support people in meaningful ways, it can’t replace the understanding, boundaries, and human connection that remain at the heart of therapeutic care.
Denzil with psychotherapist Roxanne Francis, whose conversation about AI and therapeutic care has become one of Radio Front Desk’s most-listened-to episodes
The story first appeared as a Front Desk magazine feature written by Managing Editor Vasiliki Marapas before Denzil brought it to life as a podcast episode. Denzil says the audio format created an opportunity for practitioners to sit with the conversation a little longer.
“I think the podcast episode allowed us to bring new insights,” she says. “We spent a lot of time thinking about how we could add more value. Sometimes it’s about over-stating what might seem obvious, and I think that episode really explores what tends to go unsaid.”
The episode being recognized with two separate Awards of Distinction in the B2B and Interview categories reflects both the timeliness of the topic and the way the conversation was told.
The people behind the podcast
Like everything in the Front Desk universe, Radio Front Desk is a collaborative effort, and Denzil is quick to point out that the recognition belongs to the entire team.
The Radio Front Desk team (from left to right: Georgina Abella, Vasiliki Marapas, Denzil Ford, Leah Bens, Alex Hamilton, Alyssa Robertson)
“I am so proud of the team who make these projects happen. None of this is easy. The things we make are infused with delight, but the process of making it is much more complex. I think the team is just a remarkable group of humans who are willing to go on this wild journey with me making unexpected things. And they really are living our company values of supporting our customers with everything we do. I feel lucky to be a part of this.” For a podcast that began as an extension of a print magazine, being recognized by one of the industry’s most established communications awards programs feels like an important milestone. More importantly, it’s a reminder that practitioners value thoughtful conversations about the challenges, opportunities, and questions shaping their work every day.
Jane is a practice management platform for allied health and wellness practitioners, built to make the day-to-day work of running a practice a little easier. Radio Front Desk is one of the ways we try to do that beyond the software, creating space for conversations, ideas, and shared experiences that help practitioners feel supported in their work.
Jane is a practice management platform for allied health and wellness practitioners, built to make the day-to-day work of running a practice a little easier. Radio Front Desk is one of the ways we try to do that beyond the software, creating space for conversations, ideas, and shared experiences that help practitioners feel supported in their work.
The Communicator Awards are among the largest and most competitive programs recognizing excellence in communications and creative work, receiving more than 3,000 entries this year and judged by a panel of over 1,100 industry leaders.