Therapist Clubhouse A Podcast For Private Practice Entrepreneurs With Annie Schuessler

I got something wrong this year. In August I said that to be right for my programs, you have to want to make at least 20k in the next year from your new business beyond the therapy room. I said that this should be your goal. Here’s why that didn’t work: Your biggest reasons for leveling up are not about money. When you’re in touch with your big reasons (again, not money), you tend to make money. Focusing on 20K sometimes puts Rebels in negative mindset spaces: grasping, comparison, or scarcity. Rebel Therapists need to lean into a mindset space of curiosity, experimentation and creativity. That’s how you’ll get through the times when your current experiment fails. We look at two examples of entrepreneurs who don’t focus primarily on short-term financial goals. They focus on creating value, following what matters most to them, and serving people who are the most engaged with what they have to offer. Kim Restivo Lange, our guest from episode 114, talked about why she ended a profitable program to start a mem

This week I’m talking to Kim Restivo Lange, a therapist and entrepreneur in Wilmington, North Carolina. Listen as we talk about how and why she created the Growing Up Confident Collective, a membership for parents who want to help their kids with social and emotional learning. Kim tuned out the most common advice and conventions about what she SHOULD be doing in her business in order to create the vision for her collective. In this conversation we get into how she made the rebellious decision to start her community before some people would have said she had a big enough audience. For me this brings up the question of how you decide what to create. You can get advice from colleagues and coaches and consultants about what you SHOULD create, but if you don't create what really fascinates you and brings you joy week after week and month after month, what's the point? As you create your signature program, how can you let JOY have a seat at the table from the very beginning? As you listen to Kim talking about her p

THIS WEEK: This week I’m talking to Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a financial therapist and entrepreneur. Lindsay describes herself as being at the very beginning of her journey of scaling her services beyond 1:1 or 1:2. We dive into how she's creating a group workshop and a 6-month course to help couples with personal finance. You'll hear how she is using all of her experiences in the therapy room to create thoughtful programs that encourage deep transformation. As I listen to Linsday, I hear a really important combination. She's got her personal reasons for wanting to scale up beyond the therapy room AND she's got a bigger mission. She wants to help as many couples as possible to strengthen their relationships by making peace around money. She noticed that most of the personal finance resources out there were shame-based or overly restrictive. She's got a different perspective. I see that combination of having personal reasons AND a bigger mission in myself and in my colleagues and clients who are able to create su

In this episode we're talking about productivity, time & energy management, and getting important shit done. I'm also going to invite you to a free planning session. Every year, I host a 90-minute planning session for all of my clients. This year I'm also hosting one for free for YOU my listeners. I'll tell you more about it in just a little bit. I have gotten way more productive over the past few years. I've always been able to get a lot done, but I've gotten more efficient and more effective. I've noticed that for me, it's NOT that I'm working more. In fact, I'm working less hours. I've been taking the resources of time and energy really seriously in my life. I've been having a very intimate relationship with my calendar, using my calendar to block out every single task, and then actually sticking with those appointments. I've been tracking my time using an app so that I can analyze what I'm spending my time on. Breanne and I use notion to keep track of all the tasks, templates and processes in my busin

This week I’m talking to Dr. Holly Sawyer, a psychotherapist, teacher, and author in Philadelphia. She shares the process of writing and releasing her new book It's Time To Talk About Trauma. As I talked to Dr. Holly, I noticed her commitment to taking steps, doing the important stuff and never giving up. You'll hear the steps she took to clarify the book she needed to write, write, edit, publish and promote it. If you're thinking of writing a book, this conversation will probably make you feel more ready to get started. You'll also hear behind the scenes stuff about her support system, daily rituals, how she manages her time, and how she stays organized. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Becoming a therapist to provide what she needed when she was looking for one. Helping professional women of color in her therapy practice. Why she wrote her book about trauma and how she choose the workbook format. Creating a "Personal Bill Of Rights" in the book. The myth we all hear about how a book gets written and Dr. H

Our guest is Kelly Pratt, the founder of SO DO IT! A community helping creative women take action on what matters to them. Listen as we talk about how she created her in-person So Do It! Salons and her online So Do It! Society. You'll also hear about what she's creating next. For those of us who have (or want to have) online programs, it's important to figure out how to create high-quality experiences for our participants. We strive to figure out how to hold on to what works well in person while also taking advantage of what the internet makes possible. We also want to avoid the things that can make being online feel toxic or distracting. In our conversation, we talk about the choices Kelly's made about what online platform she uses for her programs, and how she brings some of the best aspects of in-person work to the online space. We also talk about how Kelly networks both online and in person. It's her #1 marketing strategy, and she does it with authenticity and without attachment to the outcome. Topics Dis

Our guest is Sonalee Rashatwar, a social worker, activist, and public speaker based in Philadelphia who works primarily with sexual trauma, internalized fatphobia, and immigrant kid guilt. I was so excited to talk to Sonalee because I've been learning from them and inspired by them for a while, and I knew she would have wisdom to share about being public with views that are seen as radical and edgy. As many of the therapists and other healers I work with step into work that is anti-oppression or even just work that is outside the mainstream, they are feeling the fear. These therapists and other healers fear judgment from their peers and their potential clients, and from that unknown "they." They also fear loss of income. Sonalee has been through real measurable loss of income, and has come through it. She shares that story with us. As you're getting ready to grow your following and put yourself out there in a bigger and even braver way, it's helpful to hear the truth from someone who's been there. Another top

This week I’m talking to Dr. Erin Griffiths, a holistic psychiatrist in San Francisco and the owner of Beyond Psychiatry. Listen as we talk about why she made a pivot from more traditional psychiatry and what that change has been like for her business so far. We stop working for others and create our own businesses partly because we want the freedom to work in the ways we want and the ways we really believe help our people the most. Then we can accidentally replicate the things we didn't love about wherever we were working before. Erin was brave enough to look at her business and acknowledge that it wasn't using all the best parts of her and she wasn't yet serving at her highest level. It was already a great business, but she wanted more for her and for her clients. Can you relate to this? I know I can. I know every single year I see things in my business that I've replicated unconsciously. And then I'm able to consciously change them. As you listen to Erin's story about creating beyond psychiatry, think abou

Sarah Argenal is on a mission to eradicate the burnout epidemic that is crushing working parents. She offers programs to individuals and organizations to integrate mental and emotional support for parents in the workplace. She walks parents through a 4 step framework to craft a life. I see a theme here that I want you to pay close attention to. Sarah's 4 part framework is something that she has created and nurtured, and it's something she is becoming known for. Having a framework you can use to help you describe your work AND help people is a huge asset. It's your message AND it's your way of serving. Sarah didn't just stumble on this 4 part framework. She discovered and created it through observing herself and the thousands of parents she talked to. Now she's able to use that framework everywhere. She talks about it in podcast episodes. She talks about it in public speaking. She teaches it in workshops. She uses it in all of her content. She goes deep into one of the steps at times, and she sometimes gives a

THIS WEEK: This week I’m featuring Jacquette Timmons, a financial behaviorist in New York City. We focused on two areas: how she prices her offerings and how she builds and nurtures her audience. If you're working on expanding your business beyond the therapy room, those are two areas you know require a lot of thought and attention. If you don't pay attention to them, your business can't thrive, even if your work is amazing. As we get into pricing, listen for how Jacquette combines trial and error with a careful process. She factors in everything including her expenses, what the outcomes are that she's providing, the value her clients place on that outcome, the time and energy the offer requires, and more. AND like I said, she allows for trial and error. You may think being methodical and using trial and error are mutually exclusive. Nope. Like Jacquette, I always leave room for experimentation. The first time I ran what is now Rebel Therapist, the cost was 1400, it happened over 8 sessions, and I had 3 amazi

Show Notes: Ali Psiuk is a therapist and digital nomad. She runs her therapy practice from all over the world. This conversation might make you question your assumptions about what's possible in your business and life. As Ali talked about the freedom she's experiencing, and the awareness she has of her choices, I felt my own awareness expand. For a while now I've been planning a long travel adventure for the summer of 2020, and I kept saying "this is just a maybe. we'll see if it works out." Right after this interview, I told Ali: now I see that I've got to stop saying that. I've got to decide it's happening and then work out all the pieces. by waiting to see whether or not it will all fall into place I'm pretty much assuring that it won't happen. obstacles always come up. Ali agreed. Maybe you want to do more online work and you're not sure how to make it happen. Maybe there's another change you're getting ready to make. Maybe it's a travel adventure, launching a second business, radically shifting your hour

This week I’m talking to Heather Gray, a mindset consultant who works with entrepreneurs all over the world. Listen to what Heather is doing in her business that’s working for her. It's totally different from what most other therapists and coaches are doing. Listen to how she’s using ONE form of marketing to make her business thrive. Listen also to how she’s providing service to her clients on demand rather than in regularly scheduled sessions. Of course, you’ll hear some of the mindset work she’s moved through herself, which she now helps her clients move through. I left this conversation with new ideas for my own business and I think you will too! Topics Discussed In This Episode: Permission to want more from your business Maintaining a DAILY podcast Giving up her therapy license Leaning into vulnerability to make a bigger impact Her life-changing time-management hack the difference between a goal and a decision Providing her coaching on demand through vox Using podcasting as her ONE lead generator Staying

This week I’m talking to Jamie Marich a therapist, author, speaker, and teacher who specializes in trauma. Listen as we talk about how she created a multi-faceted business, what her daily rituals look like, and how she’s made decisions to protect her energy and her vision. Topics Discussed In This Episode: How she gives energy to all of the various roles she's in: consulting, teaching, writing, clinical work and more. Realizing that training clinicians and NOT teaching in academia is the right fit. The best advice she ever got: when you take on something, give up something else. How she takes care of herself energetically with an "iron-clad self-care plan." Her first hire, and how she's grown her team. Her company's extensive EMDR training component and how she makes it work. Getting help with everything outside of her most important work. Her writing practices: rituals and habits that have helped her write several books and articles. What sets aside good writing in our field. How she has chosen and hired th

This week I’m talking to Tara McMullin, a powerhouse in the realm of serving small business owners. She’s the founder of the What Works Network and host of the What Works podcast. Listen as we talk about the transitions Tara has been through in her business. You’ll hear how starting with a VERY narrow niche helped to accelerate her growth. We also talk about how her ROLE has changed, and how and why she’s shifted away from advice-giving. You’ll also hear what’s been working extremely well for Tara in communicating on social media. It’s all about storytelling. As soon as you hear her experience with human-sized stories, you'll start using social media differently. Tara believes in sharing experience rather than advice, and you’re in for a treat as she shares some key parts of her own experiences in business. Topics Discussed In This Episode: The very narrow nice she started with (Makers in PA) How she built trust and credibility QUICKLY in that first niche Shifting her focus and growing her audience exponenti

I brought in the branding goddess who's helped me with Rebel Therapist, Jenny Ambrose of Puree Fantastico. She's here to tell you that branding is not what you think it is. Branding is a way to express who you are, what you do, and even what it FEELS like to work with you. Yep, good branding goes deep. Good branding integrates everything in your business. In this conversation, we talk about my experience working with Jenny and how my own ideas about branding evolved with her help. She also gives us ideas about how to get started with branding on your own and how to know whether it might be a good time to hire a pro. Topics Discussed In This Episode: How good branding can level up your business Sad mistakes people make with their branding Branding is NOT just about logos, rather it is all over your business How to start exploring branding on your own Why you should look in your closet when you're working on branding Who's ready to hire a branding pro and who isn't How much good branding costs Using archetypes

This is episode 100! I wanted to do something special and different this week. The theme today is lessons learned in expanding your business. I’ve been focusing more and more on my own lessons learned as I’m sharing on social media and especially with my email list. I’ve been talking about how as entrepreneurs, we find ourselves learning in public. We can either acknowledge what we’re learning, or we can try to seem as if we know everything. I’m much more interested in telling you what I’m learning and even acknowledging my mistakes. I think it’s WAY more useful to you and it also allows me to be myself, which makes my life better. I’ve been running this program, Rebel Mastermind, where therapists level up their businesses and serve in new ways beyond the therapy room. I invited some folks who are in the middle of that program to bravely share with you. I asked each of them to tell us one surprising thing they’ve learned or are learning in the process of expanding their businesses, and how that lesson is play

This week I’m talking to Jessica Jones, a registered dietician and co-founder of the very popular podcast Food Heaven Made Easy. Listen as we talk about how Jessica and Wendy Lopez developed their podcast, exactly how they plan and create each episode, and how they maintain a healthy business partnership and close friendship. I’m really into bringing you amazing people like Jessica. It’s helpful to hear from people in our field, but it’s also SO helpful to hear from people in adjacent fields. Sometimes that’s where I’ve gotten my best ideas and practices, and that’s been true for the Rebels in my masterminds as well. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Identifying their ideal audience member/target person, “Chrisette” and what they learn from her Starting out on public access television in NYC and then expanding to Youtube Creating their podcast, Food Heaven Made Easy in 2015 and then growing and monetizing it The smartest move they made in their business: starting an email list early Doubling their income ye

Do you have a healthy relationship with your business? Or is it sometimes toxic and abusive? Have you recreated old unhealthy patterns into your business? Nicole Lewis-Keeber is an expert on how trauma impacts business and how to heal it. When I looked at my own business through this lens, I realized I had been unconsciously setting up some damaging habits. For example, I was sometimes setting myself up to try to please everyone. Even though I would never tell others to do this. I was sometimes doing things I no longer wanted to because...who was I to say I wanted to make a change. Listen as we talk about how and why Nicole created a VIP one-on-one service for entrepreneurs and how she’s getting her message out to entrepreneurs everywhere. She’s opening up a very important conversation and I’m glad to share it with you.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: How trauma impacts our businesses Discovering that trauma was showing up in her own business The “invisible they” mindset trap Creating high touch one-on-o

How do you sell a program? Make a dream list. Make a list of the people you’d love to work with and invite them. Meet Maddi Rundle, a master yoga instructor, therapist, and entrepreneur in Ontario, Canada.  In this conversation, we talk about how Maddi co-created a training program for yoga instructors and a year-long online course. You’ll hear how Maddi has grown her programs without doing all the stuff she saw other people doing online. She has pushed past fear and other people’s rules to create a business she’s in love with.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Starting a yoga teacher training program Creating a year-long online course called “Pure Love” Becoming a therapist after being a yoga teacher Finding flow and alignment in her business Bringing in clients and participants her way Her ambivalence about being online Pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a therapist   Using invitations rather than funnels to fill her online program Incorporating interaction into her online course Show notes

Ali Shapiro is the host of the podcast Insatiable and the founder of the program Truce with Food. She created a unique framework for helping people transform their relationships with food and life. Listen to Ali developed her framework and built her thriving business. You’ll hear that Ali is committed to helping her clients achieve radical and lasting change and that the decisions she makes in her business are all aimed in that direction.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: The far-reaching positive side effects of her program How she created 3 coaching programs at different investment levels Her journey as a childhood cancer survivor Creating a framework to help people step into a self-authoring mindset How she identifies and markets to her right-fit people Creating the podcast Insatiable Finding her leadership style in the roles of teacher/coach/consultant Her approach to social media How her clients find her (her podcast is a HUGE part of it) Creating a marketing system that nurtures rather than prays on