David Beckham retired from football the year I graduated from medical school.

In that time, I've spent thousands of hours building expertise in medicine. Beckham spent those same years building an ecosystem around football.

Today, he's expected to earn around £19 million from World Cup endorsements despite not kicking a ball.

That’s got me thinking...

How does someone make millions from the World Cup without actually playing in it?

The answer has very little to do with football, and everything to do with careers.

If you’re not familiar with David Beckham he is a household name in the UK and played for one of the biggest clubs Manchester United, but he fell out with his manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but it wasn’t over football..

It was an argument about identity.

Ferguson wanted Beckham focused on being the best footballer in the world and nothing else.

Beckham wanted something else and wanted to do more.

He was married to Posh Spice of the Spice Girls, the biggest girl group in the UK at the time and they both wanted to develop into a brand, business, media property and global celebrities.

Now it depends on who you ask, but that was either a distraction or a masterstroke.

From Ferguson's perspective, Manchester United didn't need David Beckham the brand.

They needed David Beckham the footballer.

Focused.

Committed.

Dedicated to the club.

And to be fair, that's how most institutions think.

Hospitals want doctors focused on medicine.

Law firms want lawyers focused on law.

Companies want employees focused on the company.

Commitment and dedication to the institutions mission.

I actually understand Ferguson's position.

If I were managing Manchester United, I'd want Beckham focused entirely on football too, that's what managers do. Their job is to get the best possible outcome for the institution.

There's nothing wrong with that.

But here's the mistake.

Expecting the institution to prioritise your optionality as much as you do.

That's your responsibility.

In my experience, the majority professionals spend years becoming more valuable to the system.

Very few of us spend time becoming less dependent on it.

Those are two very different things.

Because you’re going to get good at your job, David Beckham is among the top 10 midfielders that ever played for United.

But, eventually like Sir Beckham you start to ask,

"What else can I build around the skills I already have?"

This is why I think David Beckham has been genius with his brand.

Most people only see the player.

or just the doctor, the lawyer, the musician.

Essentially an employee.

But in every industry there is an ecosystem around you

The people creating value around the profession, not just within it.

That's what Beckham understood.

Football was his expertise.

But it didn't have to be his entire world.

He didn't stop being a footballer.

He built an ecosystem around football.

that's why he's still creating opportunities long after his final game.

The same principle applies to medicine.

You can spend years becoming an exceptional clinician and still find yourself dependent on a single employer, a single income source and a single career path.

There is wider healthcare ecosystem around us.

Education.

Consulting.

Technology. Research.

Media. Entrepreneurship.

Sports. Investing.

The opportunities aren't always outside healthcare.

They're often hiding in plain sight around it.

What if we spent some more time asking

That's where the gold sits.

Expanding the number of ways you can participate in your industry.

That's exactly why I created The Blueprint.

It's designed to help doctors identify where they fit within the wider healthcare ecosystem and uncover opportunities aligned with their skills, interests and experience.

If you'd like to explore yours, you can access it below:

As part of The World Cup Series, I've just released a new video breaking down all the different people making money from football and why the same opportunities exist in medicine.

From players and broadcasters to agents, creators and platform owners.

More importantly, I show how doctors can identify their equivalent of the broadcaster, agent, creator or platform owner and begin building around their expertise rather than relying solely on it.

One final thought

Most professionals spend their careers trying to become a better player.

The people with the most options often spend their careers understanding the game around the game.

Speak soon,

Dr Niks

P.S. The Summer Sprint is now open. Over 12 weeks, I'll help a small group of doctors identify their highest-value skills, uncover aligned opportunities and build a roadmap for income, impact and options beyond their current role. If you've been feeling increasingly dependent on a single path, this is where we start creating alternatives.

You can apply here