Therapist Clubhouse A Podcast For Private Practice Entrepreneurs With Annie Schuessler

So why am I so sure your first step to creating a business beyond private practice is to create a pilot program? This podcast episode answers that question. First, here’s what I mean when I say “pilot program”: A high quality offer delivered live (usually online) to one person or a small group of people, which may or may not be offered at a lower price than it will be in the future. Some formats of pilot programs: 1:1 coaching programs Retreats Small group coaching programs Training or consulting packages for organizations Hybrids between 2 or more formats I’m not usually a one-size-fits-all kind of business coach, so why am I so convinced that this one thing is true for just about everyone? Here are 5 of my reasons why you should start with a pilot program: Creating a pilot program fights perfectionism. Perfectionism will get you stuck for months or years getting ready to create something perfect. It might just slow you down so much that you won't deliver ANYTHING. Excellence doesn't come from waiting. It

As you get ready to move beyond private practice and create your signature program, you might believe you’ll need to run many many programs in order to stay interested. I’m gonna tell you to start with one. Usually boredom is not what happens. If it does, you can add more! I’m on round twenty (!) of my core program right now, which had a few different names in the beginning. It’s been called Create Your Program for quite a few minutes now. I’m having fun making changes to improve it every single time. We just added a session with an attorney who answers legal questions and a systems expert to help with setting up tech. Of course I’m always fascinated by the participants and what they're creating. There’s just very little boredom happening around here. This week's Rebel Therapist podcast guest is positively obsessed* with her program as well. You’re about to hear from someone who loves fine-tuning her signature program. Therefore she’s created an outstanding program that her participants love. It’s called Mind

Do you love the idea of running a retreat? This week's guest hosted her first retreat this year, and she's about to talk us through her process, from getting the idea during a meditation to planning it, filling it, running the retreat, and all the way to announcing her next retreat which happens this fall. Meet Christa Harrison, founder of Healing For Queer Healers Retreats, where she holds space for fellow queer folx. Christa is a queer therapist in private practice in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma specializing in PTSD and trauma. She's a secular therapist in a sea of folx looking for someone they can feel safe with after religious trauma. Here's some of what we talked about: How Christa realized suddenly that she wanted to create a retreat for queer healers Clarifying her vision for the retreat Getting positive feedback and making plans for rounds 2 and 3 and beyond The most intimidating parts for Christa: following through with setting up all the systems Leaving plenty of free time in the schedule Helping every

This conversation might open up some new possibilities for you about what marketing looks like. Today's guest is going to tell you about how she uses a free monthly workshop as her main marketing activity. She'll explain how these monthly workshops accomplish a bunch of things at once: raising money for a different anti-racist organization every month selling her coaching program collaborating with guest presenters & growing her audience. Introducing Ariana Lloyd. Ariana is an LCSW and business consultant who helps therapists build liberation-oriented private practices. She proudly hails from the dry lands of Eastern Oregon, where she was raised along with her 9 siblings by her Mormon and Jew-”ish” parents. Ariana grew up farming and fighting and believes these strongly contribute to her approaches in both therapy and business. She now lives in Portland, OR with her two young children and her best friend, a golden retriever. Here's some of what we talked about: Creating her first workshop and deciding to

If you're a kind and gentle person, do you wonder if you can lean into those qualities AND grow your business? Or do you worry that you have to let those things go to be really successful? In other words, do you wonder if you have to be an asshole to have a really successful business? My guest today is committed to doing things gently and ethically. You'll hear some specific choices we've each made in the past that we wouldn't make again because they didn't feel right. You'll also hear what's actually working for her to grow her business and serve her clients. Introducing Sarah Santacroce. Sarah encourages people to bring more empathy and kindness to business and marketing. As a ‘Hippie turned Business Coach’, Sarah hosts the Gentle Business Revolution podcast and works with heart-centered entrepreneurs to question their assumptions when it comes to marketing and give them permission to market their business their way. Here's some of what we talked about: Creating a community or "circle" for business owners

Many of Rebel Therapist's program participants and listeners are brilliant folx who feel intimidated by the idea of consulting for organizations, and yet you're the ones who have the gifts those organizations need. It's part of my mission to help healers, especially those who have marginalized identities parachute into organizations, facilitate real change, make lots of money, and not lose themselves in the process. This is part three in a 3-part series on getting those corporate gigs. If you haven't listened to part one or two just make sure you also listen to my conversations with Femily and Kristen Meinzer. Now, I'm so thrilled to introduce Dr. Sand Chang. They're going to talk about how they've followed their interests and passions to create a robust consulting business which brings in about half of their overall revenue. You'll also hear how they take good care of themselves and stay true to their values in the process. Before we dive in, here's little more about Dr. Chang: Dr. Sand Chang (they/them) is

Many of Rebel Therapist's program participants and listeners are brilliant folx who feel intimidated by the idea of consulting for organizations, and yet they have the gifts those organizations need. I'm talking about you. It's part of my mission to help healers, especially those who are queer/trans and/or BIPOC to parachute into organizations, facilitate real change, make lots of money, and not lose themselves in the process. If you want in on this exploration, this is for you. I'm so excited to bring you one of my personal heroes, Kristen Meinzer. Kristen is an award-winning podcaster, culture critic, royal watcher, and author. She currently hosts Movie Therapy with Rafer & Kristen, a podcast in which listeners write in with their quandaries, and she and her cohost Rafer Guzman respond with a mix of advice and viewing recommendations. She also hosts By The Book, a podcast in which she and her cohost Jolenta Greenberg live by the rules of a different self-help book in each episode. Her book, So You Want

Let's go get that corporate money. Shall we? Many of Rebel Therapist's program participants and listeners are brilliant folx who feel intimidated by the idea of consulting with organizations, and yet they have the gifts those organizations need. Yeah, I'm talking about you. It's part of my mission to help healers, especially those who are queer/trans and/or BIPOC to parachute into organizations, facilitate real change, make lots of money, and not lose themselves in the process. If you want in on this exploration, make sure to listen to the next 3 episodes. I'm so excited to kick this exploration off with Femily. As a Gender/Cultural Studies MA with a big firm management consulting background Femily speaks at and advises Silicon Valley and other male-majority sectors and teams, like law, finance, and engineering – on gender, equity, and building an ally culture. Femily's popular, digital courses give ambitious women and nonbinary people concrete, evidence-based instruction on leading in today's male-majority w

Thinking about making the flip to coaching? You might be excited about the liberation that comes with expanding beyond private: Working from anywhere. Working with folks from everywhere. Breaking free of the limits of your therapy license (if you've got one). Getting to create and serve in new ways. If you're going to make that transition, should you do it quickly? Or slowly? When I was making a transition from private practice to this business, I did it pretty slowly. It wasn't until about 2015 that I fully put myself into what's now Rebel Therapist. In internet years 6 years is a long time. My guest this week, Dr. Lynyetta Willis, made the flip all at once. She had a thriving private practice, and for reasons you'll hear in this conversation, she decided to flip completely into coaching all at once. You're going to be taking notes not just on how she's built her coaching business, but also on how she sets up her time and creates harmony between her business and the rest of her life. Here's a little more abo

We're talking about building your team today. Have you experienced a nightmare with hiring or managing a team member? Or are you imagining a future nightmare because of what you've heard from your peers? Are you confused about what role you should be hiring for? Or whether it's time to hire? Our guest, Tara McMullin, leads 2 successful companies, and she's about to share her experiences building and managing both of those teams. A bonus treat for me is that she's an introvert, like me, so we get to lean into some particular challenges and solutions for introverted bosses. If you want to hear an earlier episode with Tara from 2 years ago, head to episode 102, which I'll link in the show notes. Tara McMullin is a business strategist, podcaster, writer, and producer. She's the founder & host of What Works, a platform for small business owners building stronger businesses. She's also the co-founder of YellowHouse.Media, a podcast production agency that helps small business owners produce standout podcasts to

I've been paying attention to my guest's work for probably about 10 years. As soon as I heard her talking about following energy in your life, I was intrigued. It felt deeply right to me. And I also felt like.....well.....I wasn't ready for it yet. I wasn't ready to fully take in her ideas because I was a bit more in push, hustle and suffer mode. I think part of me believed that "following energy" would mean not getting my shit done. I thought maybe following energy would lead me to laziness. As the breadwinner, a sometimes depressed person, and someone with a huge vision, I thought following energy could be risky. But I kept reading her emails and listening to what she had to say. I've been noticing that I'm making a bigger impact, including more money, NOT by hustling but by getting into alignment and focusing on the most important things. Lots of my guests, colleagues and clients have been noticing in their businesses too. And now I'm totally ready for Staci's message. It's right on time. Staci Boden is a

You're about to hear how EbonyJanice Moore has dreamed herself free in life and business. You'll be different after you hear from her. You'll hear the 80/20 rule that she lives by (and no, it's not the one you've probably heard of before). You'll also hear how she identifies her trusted collaborators, why making millions of dollars is where she's headed very quickly, and how she builds and manages her team in a truly caring way. Here's a little more about EbonyJanice Moore: EbonyJanice is a dynamic lecturer, transformational speaker, and passionate multi-faith preacher focused on Decolonizing Authority, Hip Hop Scholarship, Womanism as a Political and Spiritual/Religious tool for Liberation, Blackness as Religion, Dialogue as central to professional development and personal growth, and Women and Gender Studies focused on black girlhood. EbonyJanice has a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and Political Science, and a Master of Arts in Social Change with a concentration in Spiritual Leadership, Womanist Theology, a

How do you build a team within a joy centered and decolonized business? To answer this question, I've brought you none other than Thea Monyeé! I’m gonna ask listeners who haven’t already discovered Thea Monyeé's work to go listen to the Shaping The Shift Podcast and explore MarleyAyo and The Blacker The Brain and the Free Joy Experience. So go do all that and then come back. The way Thea Monyeé runs her company is so brilliant. The part I want to focus on today is how she builds her team. In episode 27 of Shaping The Shift, she invited her team on to talk openly about how the company works. It’s a glimpse into what is possible with a team. Before I dive in, let me share a little more about her: Thea Monyeé is a licensed therapist and Oya priestess in the Ifa tradition, committed to creating healing opportunities to Black/Marginalized bodies through decolonization of joy, mental health, and pleasure. In addition to appearances on HBO, OWN, Fox Soul, and The Red Table Talks, she is the host of Shaping The Shift

How do you move towards healing and liberation while creating the business of your dreams? I wanted to explore this question with someone who centers these values in their work. Asher Pandjiris is a white, queer, non-binary psychotherapist, parent to a human and two rescue pups, group facilitator and host of the Living in this Queer Body podcast. They live and work on stolen Nipmuc and Pocomtuc land. Here's some of what we talked about: Always Coming Home, Asher's 8-week Group Program Embodied Testimony, Asher's 3-month Intensive How they create safety within their group programs Using different pacing in their podcast, workshops and more intimate group programs How Asher likes to work in different ways to use many parts of themselves How the podcast allows in Asher's artist self How Asher's participants find them Approaching well-known guests like adrienne maree brown and Jenna Wortham Finding rest and allowing themselves to do less Here are some takeaways that particularly stand out to me. Takeaway #1: As

I invited someone who has created a sacred and beautiful business to share her journey with us. Get ready to slow down and listen to a thoughtful visionary who will help you think in new ways about your own business. You may decide to increase your joy and embodiment practices after you listen! I know I did. Introducing Dra. Rocío Rosales Meza, a Xicana/Mexicana muxer & mother. She is a Seer, energy worker, and healer. She has a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, though she has chosen not to pursue licensure as a Psychologist because she is not aligned with the colonial field. Her path is that of a medicine woman in an apprenticeship with the Q’ero Inca Nation, learning with Don Alejandro Apaza and Marilu Shinn. Dra. Rocio’s work is intended to help folx, particularly, Black, Indigenous Womxn and Femmes of Color, decolonize their mind, to liberate their spirit. This is with the intention of bringing us back to the times of harmony, balance, and right relationship with all of humanity and our Mother Earth. Dr

Are you a therapist thinking about making the switch to coaching? Maybe you want to be known for something you care deeply about and get to help people all over the world with that thing. Switching to coaching can be part of making that possible. How do you start? What does that transition look and feel like? If you make that switch, what will people think? Don't people think coaches are flakey? Will they think that about you? This week I'm talking to someone who did all that and built a profitable and joyful business over the past five years. My guest is Megan Hale, Profit First®️ Business Strategist, Former Psychotherapist, and Money Mentor for equity driven entrepreneurs. Here's some of what we talked about: Realizing she wanted to switch from a therapy practice to a coaching practice Dealing with people who didn't understand her decision to leave therapy behind Getting started with her first coaching offer The questions she asked herself to get clear on her vision of success. Choosing money as her niche

How do you create an incredibly valuable and thriving membership community? As you're about to hear, it takes planning, intention, care and the willingness to experiment. You're about to get a masterclass on creating a community from Erica Courdae, co-founder along with India Jackson of the Pause On the Play Community: a hub of entrepreneurs and change-makers connecting at the intersection of values and visibility. Meet Erica Courdae. She's dedicated her life to expanding how others interact with the world through powerful conversations. As an entrepreneur and certified coach, her work is focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), imperfect allyship, and imposter syndrome. This work has taken her into communities and onto national stages as a speaker and educator at events like AltSummit, ShePodcasts Live, and Being Boss. Erica is also the owner of an inclusive beauty salon, Silver Immersion, and the host of Pause on the Play, a podcast that features open dialogue on topics like company culture, visib

Are you giving yourself permission to create the biz you really want to run? Are you giving yourself permission to work in the ways you want to work? My guest today made a move that opened the floodgates and helped her give herself permission to get more creative, honest, and courageous in her work. That move was expanding from only having a therapy practice into also starting a coaching business. As you're listening, ask yourself what you're longing to give yourself permission to step into. I encourage you to take that longing seriously. My guest is Caitlin Olsen, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as well as a coach. Caitlin is also working on a mental health memoir while building her online course library. Here's some of what we talked about: Why she stepped into coaching and what she was most worried as a rule follower Steps she took to protect her license Using Marco Polo as a coaching tool Creating multiple offers in her coaching business, including two online courses Posting about her personal o

Show Notes: What do you do to package yourself up and make yourself acceptable or popular? What would it be like to be more yourself in every single place you show up? How would it impact your business to move further in this direction? In this week's podcast episode, I dive into those questions with Michelle Markwart Deveaux. Michelle works with voice professionals to become the people they need to be in order to run the businesses they want to create. Michelle runs a thriving business with a lot of clients and a large audience. When she was just a year in, she ran a 30-day experiment. She tried showing up 100% as herself everywhere. Here's some of what Michelle shares: The rules of her 30-day experiment (includes: stop filtering, start swearing!) The difference between packaged Michelle and the real Michelle How her fear of losing approval came up right away in this experiment A moment when she felt herself choosing a more controversial and truer statement during a Facebook Live The positive side effect of

It's just you and me again today. I've already talked to some of you about this episode. You've probably already seen the title. Burn your therapy license. Let me explain. Before you decide I've taken this all WAY too far. I'm talking about symbolically burning your therapy license. As an exercise. It may seem extreme, but over these years of helping therapists expand beyond private practice, I've discovered that THIS is sometimes your biggest obstacle. If you're not a licensed therapist, you may wonder what the hell I'm talking about. You're about to dip into the internal world of the licensed therapist. (Or you may decide to skip this one because it's luckily one obstacle you don't have. ) In fact, now that I've got a good number of non-therapists in my groups, I find that they really help us therapists see how we're holding ourselves back. When I talk to therapists about their most liberated and exciting vision for their businesses, what they want to accomplish and how they want to work, they talk about: