Dr. Jacob Kendall, former tenure-track professor turned healthcare consultant and patient advocate, shares a deeply personal and powerful story about health crises, academic life, and building a mission-driven business. His story is one of resilience, reinvention, and redefining what success looks like outside the ivory tower.
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Facing mortality as a PhD student
For most, the PhD journey is a marathon. For Jacob Kendall, it was that and heart surgery.
Diagnosed with aortic stenosis, a congenital heart condition, Jacob underwent his first open-heart surgery during his PhD program. That experience, which could have derailed any academic trajectory, instead became a turning point. He navigated both recovery and a rigid university leave policy that required a minimum six-month medical leave—more than he needed. Forced to make tough decisions about his stipend, graduation timeline, and future, Jacob pressed forward.
His health challenges weren’t over. Years later, as a tenure-track professor of global health, he faced a second heart surgery. This time, however, it triggered deeper questions about the path he was on and lead him to quit academia.
Academia was supposed to be the Dream…
Jacob initially believed that earning tenure would grant him academic freedom. But in reality, he says, “It felt like staring down the barrel of the tenure gun.” Observing the stress of colleagues, limited compensation, and systemic constraints, he realized he wanted more freedom—professionally, financially, and personally.
Add to that a desire to relocate with his then-fiancée (now wife), and Jacob made the bold leap out of academia.
Before he quit academia, Jacob had built a rich academic background:
- Bachelor’s in biology
- Dual master’s in social work and public health from Tulane University
- PhD in interdisciplinary aging studies (gerontology)
He’s now adding theology to his academic mix. “I prefer broad rather than deep,” he says—a mantra that reflects his multi-passionate identity and cross-disciplinary expertise.
Building a mission-driven business
Today, Jacob is a healthcare advocate and consultant. His work helps:
- Patients and caregivers navigate a broken healthcare system
- Organizations understand systemic inefficiencies
- Professionals and PhDs transition into impactful careers outside of academia
His main site, TheSmartPatient.com, focuses on empowering patients with knowledge, strategies, and “healthcare hacks” that come from both his personal and professional experience.
“You don’t have to go through much in the healthcare system to see how inefficient it is,” he says.
Jacob is especially passionate about shifting from individual support to systemic influence, aiming to work with hospitals, government agencies, and nonprofits to improve patient care delivery.
Turning a PhD into a consulting business
Jacob offers several pieces of advice for PhDs who quit academia and are considering a leap into consulting:
- Pick a starting point: Choose one skill or topic you could speak about for an hour with no prep.
- Solve real problems: Your intellectual curiosity needs to translate to a real-world impact or bottom-line benefit.
- Market yourself: Jacob built a strong presence on LinkedIn, where he shares thought leadership that has attracted clients and speaking engagements.
- Build a brand: “You’re selling yourself more than anything else,” he reminds aspiring consultants.
- Network relentlessly: Especially on platforms like LinkedIn
He also co-founded several businesses—some successful, some not—but insists that failure is part of the process. “Most successful business owners fail the first six times,” he says.
Patient advocacy from a personal lens
Jacob’s healthcare consulting draws heavily from his lived experience. He challenges older adults and caregivers to:
- Ask questions during appointments
- Use patient portals
- Join Facebook support groups
- Advocate for themselves, rather than relying solely on doctors’ authority
“Don’t just take what you’re told at face value. Your doctor isn’t a deity. You have to speak up.”
He’s candid about his frustrations—not with doctors, but with insurance companies, which he believes often undermine patient care. “They’re violating human rights daily,” he says. But rather than attempting to overhaul the entire system, Jacob focuses on where he can make the biggest impact: empowering patients and influencing institutional stakeholders.
Tools & resources
Jacob recommends:
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- Guerilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson
- 📘 Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge by E.O. Wilson – for intellectual inspiration
Final thoughts
Jacob Kendall’s journey is a reminder that:
- You can walk away from the tenure track and still thrive
- Your personal challenges can fuel meaningful business ideas and
- The best consulting businesses solve real-world problems using your unique expertise.
Jacob’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobevanskendall/
Jacob’s website: TheSmartPatient.com