Therapist Clubhouse A Podcast For Private Practice Entrepreneurs With Annie Schuessler

Nick has created a workshop for Queer folks to go through a profound spiritual process, and he helps his clients make use of spiritual tools every day in his office. Now he’s expanding his work and has created a podcast to help more people. If you’ve ever felt like your work is too edgy, you’ll want to hear how Nick has stepped further and further into what he does best.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Allowing for spirituality into the therapy room Creating the podcast The Queer Spirit Being at the intersection of spirituality and queerness His feelings about being seen as a leader How he decided his business needed 2 websites Running workshops by both planning and being flexible Taking his workshop on the road How he fits his business into his life How The Superpower Method For Therapists® Program helped him grow Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/73

If you’ve ever felt called to be a leader beyond the therapy room, you’ll want to hear my conversation with Dara Hoffman-Fox, LPC. We dive into Dara’s journey to becoming an author and leader in serving gender questioning, transgender, and non-binary people. You’ll love Dara’s honesty and ability to stay humble and curious while also being a fierce leader.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: How Dara realized it was time to step into an expert role Writing their book: You And Your Gender Identity: A Guide To Discovery Creating Youtube videos Balancing family and entrepreneurship Learning from podcasts for entrepreneurs Helping therapists become more affirming and competent with transgender, non-binary and gender questioning people Creating a course for therapists Some tips for folks who want to be better allies Testing out ideas in their business Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/72

Jen Cross is a visionary and a healer who’s helped hundreds of survivors, but she still struggles with the business side. This episode is a rare opportunity to go behind the curtain and hear some honest talk about business. Jen talks about the difficulty of finding a balance between serving her community and sustaining herself financially. You’ll also hear me slip into some unrequested coaching. Oops.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Why she’s sometimes surprised she’s an entrepreneur Creating writing and healing workshops for survivors of sexual trauma Taking time off from the workshops she runs The difficulty of promoting her work Holding boundaries as a business owner Working through her desire to hide Working in a community that has an expectation of low-cost services Finding her business community Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/71

You started your own business so that you could work the way you want to work. You’ve got a vision of how you’d like your business to work, but it’s easy to veer off course and make the wrong compromises. Devona as been careful to make all of her business decisions with her vision in mind. She’s created a business that allows her to do the clinical work she’s most passionate about and engage in a full life outside of the office. Listen as she talks about the practices she uses to stay on track and in balance.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: How she arrived at her niches Referring clients out when they aren’t the right fit Making decisions to keep her business within her vision Her questions to help her stay on course (and one of mine) Supervising as a small part of her practice Scheduling one week a month to not work on her business Engaging in self-care practices Her fees and how and when she raises them Setting up systems to keep her practice full Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/70

Setting goals is easy, but sticking to a plan is freaking hard. Let me show you how to set a goal and make it happen.   This is the last in a 6-part series of minisodes. In each one, I’m geeking out about an aspect of your business that matters.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: The difference between setting goals and making projections (and why you need to set GOALS) How to create a flexible plan so you won’t give up when things change Why you must focus on ONE goal (and yes I know it’s hard) Why your goal should be uncomfortable and edgy Identifying obstacles ahead of time so they don’t take you down.   Enrollment closes for my 3-day program, Superpower Intensive, on Thursday, August 9th. The program happens from Friday, August 24th through Sunday, August 26th, in person, in Berkeley, California. We’ll be spending time on the 3rd day on goal setting and planning. What I don’t know is whether the program is already full, because I’m writing to you from the past, when the program was a little over half f

Marketing your therapy business might make you feel disgusting. That means you’re doing it wrong. WRONG.   This is the fifth in a 6-part series of minisodes. In each one, I’m geeking out about an aspect of your business that matters.   To market your therapy business, you need a framework to help you understand your unique business, and you need to do a few things really well. You do not have to do everything and in fact you CAN NOT do everything.   Topics discussed: Why you have to choose which marketing activities to do and let go of the rest A 2-part framework for understanding your unique business Part 1: Leveraging your Superpowers Part 2: Knowing your Right-Fit Client Questions to ask about any potential marketing activity so you’ll know whether it’s for you The 2 components you DO need in your marketing plan: a strong online presence and a solid networking plan Choosing the right additional activities to speed up your marketing   Why is this all such a big deal? When you’ve got clarity about your mar

Today’s rant is about setting your fees. You’re probably doing it wrong now, and I want to help you get it right.   This is the fourth minisode in a 6-part series of minisodes. In each one, I’m geeking out about an aspect of your business that matters.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Why your “full fee” is failing you Three missing pieces to your fee-setting process Missing piece #1: When you set your fees, you didn't accurately account for your sliding scale Missing piece #2: You underestimated the interruptions in your schedule Missing piece #3: You're not allowing for savings Why your worth is NOT directly related to your fee An excellent listener question about the difficulty of raising fees and my answer   If you want to work with me in person in a small group, here’s a unique opportunity to do that. Check out Superpower Intensive, a program in Berkeley from Friday, August 24th to Sunday, August 26th. Learn all about it and apply. Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/67

Let’s talk about your business model. What’s a business model? It’s simply the collection of services you offer in your business. It’s how you make money. Let’s take a look at YOUR business model and see if it’s a good fit for you, or if it’s time to make some changes.   This is the third in a 6-part series of minisodes. In each one, I’m geeking out about an aspect of your business that matters.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Why NOT to choose your business model by default Myths about your (lack of) choices as a therapist in business Tons of options to expand your business model Some bad news about passive income Some great news about adding offers to your therapy business How to get started with adding services to your business   Do you want to make some significant changes in your business, both to make more money AND to feel more aligned and fulfilled? What is stopping you? Is it hard to set aside the time or to actually do the work? Is it hard to prioritize figuring out the most important stuff be

Today’s rant is about embracing your Superpowers and using them to grow your business. This is the second minisode of a 6-part series of minisodes. In each one, I’m geeking out about an aspect of your business that matters. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Why what works for others will not work for you What I mean by “Superpowers” Being different is BETTER than being better. An example of what happened when someone tapped into her Superpowers How to begin discovering your Superpowers Why does this matter so much? The more you embrace your Superpowers, the stronger your business will become, the bigger your impact, and the less likely you are to burn out. I’m here to help visionary entrepreneurs create awesome businesses. If you want to go deeper and build your whole business around your Superpowers, one way to do that is through The Superpower Method for Therapists® Program. I’ve got a 3-day Superpower Intensive coming up on August 24th, 25th, and 26th in Berkeley CA. As I’m recording this, we’ve got spot

How you take a vacation from your business matters, and I’ve got tips to help you do it better. This is the first in a 6-part series of minisodes. In each one, I’m geeking out about an aspect of your business that matters. Tips for taking vacations right: Build vacation into your overall financial plan. Base your overall earning goals on 40 weeks a year or 45 weeks. Give yourself weeks off for sickness, emergencies, AND vacation. Don’t apologize for taking a vacation. Your clients suffer when you do. Get coverage early Don’t double up on clients the week before you go or the week you return. Notice what your best vacation rhythm is. If it’s a few days off more often or if it’s a full month off once a year and fewer other vacations throughout the year. Create a to-do list for the day you return. You won’t remember exactly where you left things. Imagine yourself on the day you’ll return and give yourself a list of what’s most important. Decide what you’re going to do about email ahead of time. If you don’t wan

Casey Truffo is my favorite group practice guru. Whether you’re expanding your practice or just want to soak up business wisdom from a master therapist business coach, you’ll grab a lot of gems. Casey shares her biggest lessons learned in creating her therapy center, The Orange County Relationship Center, and how to know if owning a group practice is right for you. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Signs that you’re a good candidate (or not) for running a group practice A typical day and week in Casey’s life Productivity hacks to get the important stuff done Advice about setting up effective systems Being the CEO of your therapy practice (group practice OR solo practice) How to get started with running a group practice How she figures out who to hire in her center Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/63

Katie May is a change maker. She created a therapy center that serves vulnerable, high-risk teens AND creates a living for herself and the seven clinicians who work for her. Listen as she dives into how she decides which ideas to follow and which ones to let go. You’ll love her honesty and her contagious enthusiasm. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Why she’s a boss with purple hair How she grew her therapy center Creating new services for teens, including a therapeutic summer camp Hiring employees who share her vision Making life decisions with her husband Her take on being an entrepreneur How she balances her life inside and outside of work Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/62

Quandra Chaffers created Sexual Abuse and Sex Solutions less than a year ago. She’s surrounded herself with people she can grow with and moved away from those who might have held her back. Listen as she dives into her thoughts on reaching her right fit clients, networking, marketing, and money mindset.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: How she wrote her About page Reaching out to clients who are marginalized Why she loved writing her copy Why she almost didn’t continue in this profession a year ago Working through money mindset issues in order to embrace earning Getting advice from many different sources to start her business Stepping into networking with “nerdy” curiosity. Taking steps to create a future business model that can run even when she isn’t working Her fees (real numbers as usual) Public speaking and writing about consent   Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/61

Dr. Linda Shanti McCabe sees her roles as a parent and business owner as interconnected and always in motion. In this conversation we walk through some of the most challenging things about wearing both of those hats. We talk about finances, child care, time management, identity, and more. You’ll love how down to earth and honest Linda is about all of it.   Topics Discussed In This Episode: Writing her book Returning to work after maternity leave Paying for child care Finding her entrepreneur tribe Marketing by sharing her message The best compliment she’s ever gotten The impact of parenting on her business Her fee (real numbers as usual) Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/60

If you think you’ve got to sacrifice your values in order to make a profit, listen up! Kerrie Thompson Mohr has expanded her therapy business thoughtfully and ethically. Listen as she talks about how she decided to bring clinicians into her practice and how she balances her various roles within the business. It’s not what you usually hear. Kerrie is honest about working more right now than she plans to in the future.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she decided to hire employees How she looks out for her team and encourages self-care Moving into a new, larger, and more costly physical space Balancing her roles as boss, CEO, and clinician Working a lot during a time of growth Holding boundaries around her hours How her center handles inquiries The fees her center charges (real numbers as usual) The factors they use to adjust fees Starting a chapter of Sidewalk Talk   Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/59

Renee Beck didn’t waste any time in her therapy business watering down her. Right out the gate, she put her more alternative work front and center and built a practice working with alternative healers and artists. Listen as she shares the steps she takes to bring in her right-fit clients and how she handles the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Using dreamwork and tarot in her sessions Managing the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur Online networking How she learned to do her own SEO Her fees and how she thinks about money Co-creating rituals for her clients What she wants newer therapists to know about private practice Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/58

Thien Pham says she never imagined she’d be here. In this conversation, she shares her journey of moving to a new city, transitioning into private practice, and working through all of the money issues that came up. Listen as she shares how she took the leap of faith and built the business she has now.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Working with 1st and 2nd generation immigrant women in tech Negotiating career and location with her partner Working with the Vietnamese community Transitioning out of agency work Transitioning to a group practice and then to her own business What it’s like when you make more than your parents do Securing a full-time office Building a network in her new city Creating her schedule and boundaries in private practice Her fees (real numbers as usual) Supporting other therapists rather than competing The ebb and flow of clients Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/57

This is a minisode of Therapist Clubhouse. I wanted to give you this as an extra Mother’s Day present. I was on my friend Rebecca Wong’s podcast a little while ago. On her podcast, The Practice Of Being Seen, she takes deep dives with change makers. We took a dive into motherhood. I’m going to give you a little snippet of the conversation now, and if you want to hear the whole conversation and check out Rebecca’s other wonderful episodes, you can find them all wherever you’re listening to this. It’s called The Practice Of Being Seen. This segment starts right when I’m talking about whether I need to produce this podcast every week or not, which is really about the rhythms of life. After this we go into race and privilege, creating a business, and finding time and energy for what matters.

When you find your niche and your calling, bringing the right clients into your business becomes pretty much inevitable. Lily Sun is fascinated with what it means to be single today, and she helps her single clients embrace vibrant and full lives. Listen as she dives into how she filled her practice and why self-care is integral to creating the business she loves running.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   Finding her niche of “singlehood and relatability” Being a single person herself and identifying the issues single folks struggle with Networking as a joyful activity Building her business slowly and consciously Why she ends up giving away so many business cards How massages and other self-care activities fit into her life Starting out private pay Her fees (real numbers as usual) How she thinks about fees The way she’s built a robust professional community Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/56

Filling your practice quickly takes a combination of creating a good strategy and working your butt off. Niketa Kumar did both and filled her practice in five months. Listen to how she did it and why she’s taking a moment before she strives for the next thing. You’ll enjoy our dive into fees and mindset around money.   Topics Discussed In This Episode:   How she wrote the copy for her website to speak directly to her clients Why she stayed away from professional jargon when creating her site. Filling her practice in 5 months Breaking the habit of always striving for the next thing. What might be next for her: creating a mentorship program for therapists of color How her clients are finding her Her fees (real numbers as usual) Mindset around fees Talking to clients about money Show notes at http://coachingwithannie.com/podcast/55