Lactation Business Coaching With Annie And Leah

While there are always parts of running a business that some people will love more than others, most people can agree on one thing: tax season is a pain.But it doesn’t need to be. There are things that you can do to make tax season run much more smoothly for your practice.From setting up systems and accounts to choosing your business structure, to dealing with financial complexity, this episode is a primer for getting your practice through tax time with fewer headaches. “How can I keep as much of my money as possible, in the most ethical way possible?” In this episode, we will cover: How to have a profit-first mindset (04:50) The importance of professional guidance when determining your business structure (06:00) How to access our monthly Deeper Dives, where we learn great tips from top experts… and each other (10:20) The difference between “business expenses” and “the cost of doing business” — and what it means for your practice (11:42) What separate accounts and credit cards do you need (18:00)   Links and

Behind every great lactation consultant is an incredible administrative assistant.Our guest for this episode is Amanda Sherwin, the owner of The LC's Concierge, a virtual administrative business that provides services dedicated to meeting the needs of lactation professionals working in private practice.Amanda used skills acquired through her past careers as an elementary school teacher and camp director to help her build her business. She was drawn into the lactation world through her decision to breastfeed her two beautiful children – a choice that she made the moment she discovered that she was pregnant.She took prenatal and birthing classes and bought books, but still found breastfeeding her firstborn to be incredibly challenging. Amanda reached out to Beth Myler at Mahala, who diagnosed her baby with posterior tongue tie. Within a week of being treated, Amanda’s daughter gained 12 ounces.When Beth decided to return to school for her nurse practitioner’s degree, she asked Amanda if she’d be interested in p

It takes a village to run a thriving practice and hiring an administrative assistant is a crucial step toward building the business of your dreams.Hiring a great admin pays off financially but also emotionally, as you’re able to focus on the tasks within your skillset. This helps you feel less drained and more fulfilled and allows you to provide better care to your clients.Leah has worked with admins for nearly seven years, and they have handled all aspects of her business apart from the clinical work, including invoicing, bookkeeping, and project management.Annie hired her admin when she started getting too many appointment requests to keep up with and realized that in order to be able to help new clients, she’d need to free up more time. Her admin handles incoming requests, intake forms, customer service, patient charts, and so much more.“Ever since I’ve been able to shift out of having to do some of that stuff, my energy level and my passion for my work has increased as well.”In this episode, we will cover

Like this episode? Want more?The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters. Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member! All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!Show Notes: Launching Your Lactation Business (Bonus Rebroadcast) Turn downtime into marketing time with Leah’s Marketing Tip Starting a private practice as a lactation consultant is hard! But you can do this I hear you love being a breastfeeding volunteer! That’s awesome! Here’s how Leah make it work without impacting her private practice. Not feeling the volunteer vibe anymore? Annie shares how she came to the difficult decision to retire from her beloved volunteer work. Why you shouldn’t just put yourself out there and hope for the best. Your future self will be much happier if y

This episode is the second installment of our Business-Related Goals podcast exploration. In Episode 45: Setting Business-Related Goals, we unpacked the ways in which we can use the SMART goal setting strategy to create the light at the end of the tunnel. In this episode, we discuss the ways in which we build the tunnel to get to that light. Learn how Annie and Leah have used systematic thinking to break big goals into smaller, more palatable tasks and how this strategy has helped them feel more successful, less overwhelmed, and has ultimately led to greater achievements in their private practices and beyond.This episode will help you learn how small, manageable tasks will help propel you forward and boost your confidence by evoking progress. You will also learn the different platforms out there that can help keep you moving along with your eyes on the prize. This systematic thinking has roots in Backward Design, an instructional design method educators use. It involves the creation of an instructional goal a

We love Pinterest - we’ve used it as a way to keep those picture-perfect ideas for classroom parties, favorite outfits, and delectable recipes. It keeps everything neatly organized and easily accessible. What we did not realize is that some savvy consultants and business people are harnessing Pinterest on an entirely different level. Turns out, Pinterest isn’t just a useful virtual filing cabinet, it also holds the capability to create community, is a fantastic way to educate, and it can create traffic to your business. The bonus is it is FREE! On today’s show, Annie and Leah chat with Missy Campbell all about how to best utilize the magic of Pinterest in your business. Missy shares with us how it’s not just for recipes and outfit ideas but the powerful tool it is for our service-based businesses. We learn some of the ins and outs of Pinterest and how this search engine can help extend the life of our content so we don’t have to spend hours a day on social media. She breaks down for us how to get started usin

Most of us in private practice set out with the goal to help parents and babies breastfeed. All of a sudden, we find we have a private practice business in our hands. And just like those bundles of joy in the arms of the parents with which we work radiate endless potential, our business pulses with a similar potential for growth and a life of its own. Goals begin to ruminate and make their voices known. Which goal to grow? Which to hold on to until another date? This can be especially difficult when the potential seems equal for all of them. Where to begin? Setting business-related goals can be invigorating and daunting at the same time. This episode is the first part of a two-part installment on setting and reaching business goals. Our time together focuses on how we can harness the power of our internal tendencies and mesh them with the SMART goal-setting strategy. Tune in to grow with us!"And how can I set myself up to be able to execute these small tasks that are going to actually reach my big goal, you k

Shondra Mattos, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert, IBCLC, LLL Leader, Owner of Mattos Lactation, and all around amazing person joins us to drop some helpful tips about using SEOs to drive traffic to your sites and put your hypothetical neon sign out there in the world. Shondra Mattos is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, LLL Leader, and Owner of Mattos Lactation, a location-independent Lactation Practice. She also owns and operates SM Business + Marketing consulting- helping lactation professionals build a strong business foundation and develop strategies that lead to success. In addition to serving families and helping business owners, she helps established and aspiring LC's gain a deeper understanding of complicated topics relevant to the lactation field and offers one-on-one and group tutoring to lactation students. When she is not nerding out on boob-related science, she spends her time hanging out with her husband and daughter, watching Youtube, and eating cookies.Learn how her

On today’s episode, Annie and Leah break down for us what their follow-up strategies look like and how they’ve gotten to places where it works for them and their business. They discuss pricing, how to set the expectations with your clients, and how work/life balance comes into play. Annie shares with us how she has worked through her pricing model to include follow-up care with different types of clients. We also learn about some of the systems Leah uses and how she has made those work for her daily client follow-ups. Pull the curtain back and learn how Annie and Leah follow up with clients outside of their in-person or virtual lactation visits. Discover how your EHR and messaging platforms can help set and keep boundaries that are good for clients and help you maintain a healthy work/life balance so that you can caretake you and give care to your clients. When you strike this balance, you will be sending the ultimate love-filled message to your clients, “I believe in you.” Take a listen and grow with us! “Th

You know that the families who need us are using social media to find us, and having a presence is so important. But putting yourself out there on social media can feel so overwhelming. You're unsure where to start, especially with the million other daily professional tasks and personal responsibilities taking up so much time. We're right there with you!That's why we're so excited about this podcast episode with lactation consultant, doula, and social media expert Tiara Caldwell LPN, IBCLC. She runs through the different social media platforms, the way in which they are useful, where to begin, how to get your feet wet, and how to be the genuine YOU through what you post and share. Her tried and true approach will put you at ease and make you feel capable of connecting on social media in an authentic way with other professionals, clients, and potential clients. Take a listen and grow with us!Tiara Caldwell is a nurse, doula, and IBCLC in the DC metro area. She provides doula services, childbirth education, and

Few of us could have foreseen how the landscape of our practices would change so abruptly last spring. Many of us found ourselves scrambling to develop new protocols and explore the nuances of telehealth while also managing massive changes in our personal lives. It's been more than half a year, and we thought it was time for us to sit and reflect with all of you about how we can combine virtual tools with the tried and true in-person visits most of us love. We'll dig into time management, pricing, usage of each type of visit in the continuum of care, scheduling aspects, and much more. Annie and Leah talk in today’s episode about how the industry is shifting for IBCLC’s, and what it could look like to potentially offer a combination of both virtual visits and in-person care. There are so many things that go into deciding what is best for yourself and your client when shifting in your business. They cover why a combination might be helpful, different variations for structuring the costs of your visits, and how

You know that kismet moment when you start talking to someone and the brimming over of idea sharing makes you feel like you are on to something? Something that hasn’t been created yet and there is a big need for it in the world. Like you and this person can literally come together and give birth to something unique and extraordinary, just like the one-of-a-kind tiny humans with which we work.That is exactly what happened when we met and decided to collaborate on LBC. Here’s the thing, we are not the only ones connecting with colleagues and germinating ideas that can help to create the IBCLC world in which we all want to live. That is why we were SO excited to welcome Nikki Greenaway, IBCLC, aka Nurse Nikki, and Nekisha Killings MPH, IBCLC, RLC - the dynamic duo that makes Nikki & Nikki - to our most recent podcast episode - The Power of Collaboration. Their collaboration grew from identifying gaps and disparities in the pathway system and a deep desire to demystify and open up the process for black and br

Have you always dreamed of helping families with breastfeeding? In today’s episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie & Leah, we talk about how we became International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, also known as IBCLCs. We discuss the different pathways to becoming eligible to sit for the board exam and break down the biggest things we have learned in the years since we first certified.Annie and Leah break down what it looks like logistically to become certified and bust some myths on what some people might think it takes to become an IBCLC. They share with us their biggest takeaways now that they have both been certified for many years and some eye-opening experiences they’ve had. We get a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to become an IBCLC and who this might be a great path for."The piece of advice that I got and so grateful for was kind of like, Hey, heads up, you're going to have to always be learning.” In this episode, we will cover: Defining what IBCLC even stands for (

Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Stocking Your Consult Bag." The episode was recorded prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, and things have changed since then, but as home visits will always be a part of the lactation private practice landscape this episode was deemed worth running. Annie and Leah talk about their own home visit consult bags and how they have greatly shifted throughout the years to what they have now. They talk about how each of their vastly different commutes impacts the style of bag they can really have. They each share with us their systems for how they keep important items restocked and ready so they don’t have to go without.Annie shares with us some helpful resources for IBCLC’s, about the legal and ethical side of accepting free samples from companies that we might end up giving away to our clients. Annie and Leah also share motivational and tech tips with us about how we can better care for ourselves throughout the day."Then the other thing is lik

In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Annie & Leah interview lactation consultant, doula, and educator Bryna Sampey IBCLC about her policies and safety procedures for in-person consults. Bryna shares with us how she protects her clients and team, as well as the role telehealth plays in caring for families and working with lactation interns. We cover sanitization, personal protective equipment (PPE), and managing all of the complicated emotions that come up when thinking about in-person services when the world feels so scary.Bryna Sampey is an educator, mentor, lactation consultant, and doula. She has been working with families since 2006, becoming IBCLC certified in 2010, and organizing professional education opportunities since 2012. She has undertaken additional training and continuing education in the areas of oral restriction management, Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT), Primitive Reflexes in infants, TummyTime™, cultural congruency and competency, and counseling strategies. Bryna is also certified

In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Annie & Leah interview Rachel O’Brien, IBCLC about blogging, and how she uses it to complement her private practice. Rachel shares her process of creating blog posts and how that has changed over the years. We learn how we can make blogging work for us and our businesses, and why it’s not as intimidating as we might think.Rachel O’Brien is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who earned her Master of Arts degree in human lactation in 2015. Rachel prides herself on providing real-life, guilt-free breastfeeding help and specializes in low milk supply, latch difficulty, tongue tie and lip tie, and LGBTQIA+ lactation. When she isn’t doing in-home visits for breastfeeding help or working as a lactation consultant at UMASS Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Rachel is often blogging about lactation or contributing as a breastfeeding expert on multiple websites. She uses her expertise, warmth, and sense of humor to help families to meet their breastfe

Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Prenatal Visits". Annie and Leah dive into what prenatal visits mean to them and if either of them offers it as a service. Leah shares her motivation tip for us today around not feeling the pressure and guilt of offering every service under the sun as lactation consultants. They talk about how offering prenatal classes in your community could be a great way to market your business and develop rapport with clients before the baby even arrives. We learn some of the ways that getting that time and connection with the client before the baby arrives, could set the stage for a better experience overall.We also find out why prenatals aren’t Annie’s favorite but recognize that we don’t need to feel the pressure to offer every service in our business."And I'm way more excited by troubleshooting someone's actual situation than by educating them on a potential situation.” In this episode, we will cover: Motivation tip: Don’t feel like you need

In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Annie & Leah interview Rob Scheerbarth of Podcast Rocket about his journey of starting a podcast agency with his wife, and how they help brands share their stories and expand their marketing efforts to a world where your ideal clients are already listening.  Rob Scheerbarth is the Creative Director at Podcast Rocket, the podcasting agency he started with his wife. He’s always loved telling stories and that’s why he originally got involved with video games, because the idea of being able to tell an interactive story was really appealing to him.Rob first was attempting to create his own video game company, but he then realized that the biggest challenges these brands of businesses were facing, came down to awareness and marketing. So he and his wife ended up as the owners of Podcast Rocket, and they're helping brands tell their stories and reach out to their audience. As Rob is a storyteller at heart, he simplifies it for us and asks: What kind of story do you want t

Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Our Favorite Books for Business, Entrepreneurship & Private Practice". Annie and Leah uncover some of the top books they have been loving related to having a private practice, and other business and entrepreneurial style topics. They talk about which books they go back to time and time again, and which ones have been on their “to-read” list for a while. They also talk about the best and easiest ways to realistically bring more reading into our everyday lives and how to get the most out of them even when reading might be a challenge for us.Some of these titles are well-known lactation books, but a few of their picks might just surprise you!“So organize your books, they sit around too long, read them and then when you're done, pass them on and get those great messages out into the world.” In this episode, we will cover: The book you might always refer back to (08:32) Books that are better consumed post exams (09:18) A book you can

Today Annie’s talking with breastfeeding medicine specialist Dr. Amy Schecter, MD, IBCLC about how we can be coordinating care for in-person services such as frenotomy while working with families virtually. She inspires us to remember that families are the decision makers, and that even virtually we can offer support and information that empowers them to meet their own goals.Dr. Amy Schecter graduated from Brown University with a BS in psychology and MS and medical science and an MD. She began her training in general surgery, but after having her first child 13 years ago and navigating her own breastfeeding difficulties, she developed a passion for breastfeeding support. Dr Schecter then shifted her career path to breastfeeding medicine in 2013. She started her lactation practice as an IB CLC doing home visits, then transitioned to working full time doing breastfeeding medicine. Dr Schecter has a private practice in Northern New Jersey where she specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of tethered oral tiss