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Rebel Therapist

Author: Annie Schuessler

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Rebel Therapist is the podcast where you'll get support in being a therapist entrepreneur. I'm Annie Schuessler, therapist and business coach and strategist for therapists. I'll support you in taking your work beyond the therapy room to make an even bigger impact. I interview Rebel Therapists who are already doing work beyond the therapy room, from running workshops to writing books to creating online courses. You'll hear about how they created their unique businesses, the mindset work they've done, and the mistakes they've made along the way. Get the inspiration and information you need to be a Rebel Therapist, starting now.
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I’ve had a hard time figuring out how to talk to you about this. I never want to be a dream killer. Or a bummer. If you’re thinking of creating and launching a signature program, I want you to do it. AND I’m gonna talk about one of the hardest parts of that today. Then I’ll talk about how to handle this hard part. I promise. In Create Your Program, I help a small group of therapists create their high quality, high touch, niched programs. And then I help them launch those programs so that they can actually start making money. Those programs bring these entrepreneurs significant ongoing incomes. Some folks choose to shrink or close their therapy practices or leave their agency jobs once their programs are established. AND…one really hard part of that whole process is launching the program, especially for the first time. Launching basically means sharing your program with people. Launching involves two really hard things: being more visible and asking for help. You have to be visible when you launch because you need to share your program with people so that they can sign up to work with you. You have to ask for help because you need other people to help you spread the word. Launching isn’t the hardest part of the process at all in terms of skills and it’s not the most time consuming part either. But emotionally it can be really hard, especially for sensitive souls. We feel vulnerable and exposed when we launch, and we might even worry that we’re bugging people. On top of that, most of the people in Create Your Program haven’t launched this kind of program before, so these are new muscles they’re using. Launching can even give them queasy feelings. And when something is emotionally hard, and makes one feel queasy, one finds a way to avoid it. In Create Your Program, up until now I always walked people all the way up to that launching finish line. Participants got training and structure from me to create their launch plan. I encouraged them to take the brave final steps and even asked people to take some of that action on the final day of our program. And some people did that! I ask participants to share their announcement emails with me, which are the emails they send out to their colleagues and communities. I always received some on the final day of the program, and a bunch more in the following couple of weeks. Lots of people would use the momentum of the program to follow through and continue implementing. But some others would put it off. They’d say they weren’t quite ready. They’d say they started reconsidering their niche. They’d say life started getting in the way so they didn’t get around to it yet. Or many other valid things. Side note: As a very direct coach, I’ll tell you that these are people who really wanted to launch! They were ready enough, and they had already done enough work on their niches. They had indeed done everything they needed to do in order to launch their pilot programs. When I was describing this issue to my former business coach Claire Pelletreau, she said: “You have to walk them all the way over the finish line.” And I knew she was right. Immediately I made a change to Create Your Program. And I’ll describe that in a minute. Let’s talk about HOW we get ourselves over the finish line to accomplishing hard things in our businesses and lives in general. Well, there’s accountability and support. Those help. But you know what else helps? A Hard Ass Deadline. Accountability buddies usually don’t cut it for the really hard stuff. They’re helpful for getting focused, but not necessarily for getting over the finish line with the very hardest things. Now I’ve got 2 short examples for you: Taxes and Art. This just came up for me around my taxes. I get intimidated by the process of my taxes every single year. I’ve been trying to get my documents toghether to give my accountant for a while now. My accountant has a policy that once you turn in all your documents to her, THEN you can schedule an appointment. I called the office and begged them to please give me an appointment first and promised I’d get the docs turned in 2 weeks before that appointment. And they agreed. Phew. Now I have a Hard Ass Deadline. As you’re listening to or reading this on or after March 19th, I promise you I’ve already handed in my documents to my accountant. My partner is a neon artist. They’re also a neon sign maker. Most days they make and repair neon signs for people and businesses, or they create the neon aspects of art pieces for other artists. But they make incredible art themself. AND almost all of the art they create happens when they’ve got a show coming up. Because being part of a show means having a deadline. They sometimes say: “I SHOULD make more art. I WANT to make more art.” They talk to their artist friends about making art. They get inspired thinking about what they’d like to make. But it’s the deadline that gets them past all the hard parts and forces them to create wonderful pieces, some of which I won’t let them sell because I need to see them in our house every day. Back to how we changed Create Your Program: We’ve added an 11th week. After meeting weekly for 10 weeks, we amp it up in the final week with more meetings and more support. Here’s the Hard Ass Deadline: You have to submit the registration page for your pilot program in order to attend week 11. During week 11, you take steps to launch your program while we are together. You walk over the finish line with me and your cohort in real time. It’s called Nausea Week. That’s because getting visible and asking for help are really hard to do. And during nausea week, you’ll be doing both of those things. It’s worth it. When you actually launch your program, you’re WAY closer to creating the business you want. And you get to start serving the people you made your program for. I would LOVE to have you join me for Create Your Program. We’re enrolling right now and the last day to sign up is March 26th. We’re already half full, so please register now. I can’t wait to help you walk over the finish line and launch your signature program! Register at https://rebeltherapist.me/create Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/221
Lea had been helping people with self-compassion for years, but when she started using art journaling in her program, it came together in a more powerful way. Now she teaches art journaling in every session of her signature program, Everyday Self-Compassion. Once she integrated this practice into her program, she fell even more in love with her work. She’s got a feeling of presence, joy and even goofiness. I deeply resonate with the need to feel like my full self as I do my work. How about you? You’re about to hear how she transformed her program over the last several years, why she loves running it, and why she’s got fewer therapy sessions in her schedule. Lea Seigen Shinraku is an artist, teacher, licensed therapist and founder of the Center for Creative Self-Compassion. Through her transformative program ~ Everyday Self-Compassion ~ she helps people who struggle with self-judgment connect with their innate creativity and joy, so they can feel more calm, connected, confident and playful in meeting the uncertainty of being alive. Here's some of what we talked about: Working with people who are finally ready to really learn how to do self-compassion An example of how Lea teaches art journaling How Lea designed her program Why including art in her program made her feel more joyful and present Creating a follow up program to Everyday Self-Compassion How she fills her program How she draws people to her work with free offers and events A tip from Annie (via Claire Pelletreau) on tracking your Meta ads Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/220
Do you ever dream of creating a program you’ll love running over and over again? My guest Amy has run her program, Grief Medicine, at least 9 times now. Sometimes people wonder if focusing on grief brings her down, but you’re going to hear why working with folks around their grief brings her inspiration and joy. As you listen to this conversation, one thing I want you to notice is how much Amy enjoys running this program and never seems to experience it as a grind. You’ll hear how she created her program and how she continues to fill it after so many iterations. And by the way, it’s mostly NOT through social media. Meet Amy Hyun Swart, a therapist, writer, children's book illustrator, and entrepreneur who has been leading grief gatherings, rituals, and courses since 2015, both in-person and online. She was introduced to the healing power of grief work by way of her own life experience, the traumatic loss of a parent at an early age. As a grief activist, Amy views grief as a critical ingredient to move through these collectively heartbreaking times without losing our shared sense of humanity. Here's some of what we talked about: Why her program went from 6 to 10 to 8 weeks long How grief is handled SO badly in our culture Co-hosting local grief gatherings Co-facilititating BIPOC Art of Grief courses Creating safety and connection in her program How she fills her program each time How her program has changed over time Why she’s still feeling inspired by her program after 9 iterations Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/219
Today I’m gonna talk about one of the fastest and least stressful ways to start a group program. Let’s say you’re excited to run a signature program beyond your private practice, and you know you want it to be a small group. I relate. I LOVE running groups. Just a few reasons you might be in love with the idea of creating a group program: Participants benefit from each other’s wisdom and feel less alone. You make more money. A sense of accountability is often bigger in a group. Groups give you energy. You’re gifted at running groups. In a group, you get the richness of discussion. Let’s imagine this is you. You’ve written up a sales page or registration page for your program. You’ve told everyone you know all about it. You’ve sent out emails to your small but growing email list. You’ve posted on instagram, in FB groups and anywhere else where it’s appropriate to post. You’ve reached out to every single colleague who might make a referral. You’ve even reached out directly to a handful of people who you think would be great participants with a no pressure invitation to check it out. All your friends and colleagues are excited for you. You keep hearing: “People will want this!” You’ve got the outline ready. You’ve got the zoom link ready to share. The group calls are on your calendar. You’ve figured out how to accept payments. You are just SO ready. You offer a free consultation to anyone who has questions about the program and might want to sign up. And then the consultations start… You talk to one person who might be interested but not right now and is wondering when you’ll run it again. You talk to another person who might be interested and will let you know. You talk to a third person who decides to sign up. Yay! You talk to a fourth person who says they want to do it but then realize they’ll be away for the first 3 weeks of your program. And then…no more consultations. No more sign ups. And your start date is next week. Arg! Did you do something wrong? Is your group not meant to be? First of all, you are not alone. This has happened to me. This has happened to many people who run successful group programs now. This often happens when you’re transitioning to a new kind of business. Even if you already had a full therapy practice, this can easily happen when you step into selling a program for the first time. Perhaps your mistake (if you made one) was to start with a group program. Perhaps you should have started with a 1:1 structured, niched and outcome based program. What?! We just talked about why you really prefer to run a group. But you STILL might be better off starting your pilot program 1:1 and then turning that offer into a group when your business is ready. Listen to the episode in which I break down why starting with a 1:1 structured, niched and outcome based program might be your fastest, least stressful way to create a group program. Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/218
Maybe you plan to double or significantly increase your income this year. If you’re in private practice, you might look at the numbers and think you should double your sessions. And you totally could. People are out there looking for a therapist exactly like you. You might feel like adding sessions is your ONLY option to increase your revenue. That’s not true. You’ve got other options. Check in and be honest with yourself. Will adding to your client load exhaust you or head you towards burnout? If you’re already seeing 12 clients or 15 clients and you’re starting to feel a bit of dread around sessions…do not double your sessions. On the other hand, If your’e excited about filling up your private practice further, follow that excitement and do it. Like I said, there are plenty of people who need a therapist like you. If you’re like SO many therapists I know, you might have the time in your schedule to add more sessions, but you don’t have the capacity in other ways. You don’t have the energy, the self-care practices, attention or focus capacity to add even more sessions. I want to invite you to take a step back and look at your business model. Your business model is basically the way your business is set up to make you money. It’s the combination of the things you get paid for. If your business model is built on 1:1 private practice sessions, and that isn’t sustainable for you…you are in good company! There’s nothing wrong with you. A full private practice might not be the right fit for your nervous system or your particular gifts. There are other business models. For years I thought I should be happy to have 25 or more therapy sessions a week. I had worked so hard to build that business. I was helping people and making good money so I thought I should just be grateful. But that business model wasn’t right for me long-term. Then I started helping therapists build their private practices and I talked to tons of therapists privately about what really works for them. I discovered that LOTS of therapists don’t find it sustainable to have 25 or more sessions each week. Like me, they built their private practices and then discovered it wasn’t right for them. And they felt guilt or shame like they SHOULD want the full private practice they worked so hard for. They started to feel drained and overwhelmed. Either their work or their life outside of work or both began to suffer. Therapists often don’t want to tell people they feel overwhelmed by a full private practice. So they think they’re alone. If working in a different way at least some of the time would be a better fit for you and for your nervous system and your gifts, now is the time to start building a different business model. I know that it’s really hard to carve out time and space to do something different. But it is SO important to start building a business you’ll be more fulfilled by. The business model I help people create is based on running your own high-touch, niched, outcome-based signature program. If you’re someone who loves teaching or facilitating and you’d love to really focus in on a topic you’re passionate about, a signature program might be a great fit for you. If this resonates with you…but you’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea of getting started…mostly because you’re not even sure HOW to get started, do not let that stop you. I end up hearing from grads of my program that they just wish they had realized sooner that it was possible to grow a signature program. They are so relieved to have another income source and another place to direct their creative energy. They’re happy that they no longer have all their eggs in the private practice basket. If you think you want to run a signature program, don’t wait. Don’t set yourself up to stumble along exhausted trying to build something AFTER you’ve burnt out. AND Don’t just make little tweaks to a business model that is showing itself to be unsustainable for you. Start building your signature program. If you want to make a lot LESS mistakes and get there a LOT faster, with a step-by-step process, join me in Create Your Program. That’s where I help a small group of therapists and healers to create signature programs they’re really excited to run and then start selling them. This is exactly the process I needed when I was ready to build a business beyond private practice. Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/217
As this episode goes live, registration for Create Your Program is open. This is my process to help you create and launch your signature program beyond private practice. If you’d like to start growing another part of your business and make money in a new way, this is the best time to jump into Create Your Program. If you register by Sunday, January 7th, you’re going to get lifetime access to a bonus training that has helped grads of CYP to fill their programs. Go to https://rebeltherapist.me/create now to register. I can’t wait to see you inside. Today I want to talk about a few really important things that set apart the people who launch programs and succeed from those who wish they had. Here are 3 things people who succeed with their programs are WILLING to do. 1: Be willing to work through discomfort in your marketing. My last guest, Samantha Fox, is great at this. Just like most people who sign up to work with me, Samantha was really nervous about getting more visible and sharing her work with large audiences. Her program is called Unbox Your Sexuality. She helps women all over the world who are realizing they are not as straight as they thought they were. She had to work through her discomfort with being known as a queer thought leader. A few years later, she’s so glad she did! She’s constantly creating content, including videos, and sharing it with people all over the world. She’s guested on about 20 podcasts and gotten comfortable using her voice in that way. She gets to hear from people she's never met about how much her work has changed their lives. So even though she is an introvert and she used to be afraid of visibility, she’s now a very public leader who feels abundant love and energy for the people who find her from all over the planet. 2: Be willing to talk about your program with a lot of enthusiasm, and ask people to help you share it. Thing is something that the prior guest, Sonya Brewer, knows how to do! This one sounds obvious, but asking for help is NOT natural or easy for many folks who sign up to work with me. Sonya said that she shared the news about her program, badass boundaries for trauma survivors, with everyone she knows. She asked people: “Who do you have for me?” Sonya was able to do this because she knows her program is excellent. She sees the transformations her participants are able to make, and so she’s willing to spread the word. Many people start to shrink or hide or even apologize when it’s time to sell their programs. Even if this doesn’t come easily to you, I know that you CAN learn to ask for referrals with enthusiasm! I used to shrink when it was time to talk about my work, and now I ask for referrals with ease. I no longer feel like hiding how awesome I know Create Your Program is. I’ve iterated it over 28 times. I’ve worked over 200 therapists through it. I’ve worked with a curriculum designer. We’ve got the best expert guest teachers who come in and teach particular vital things. CYP has grads like Sonya and Samantha and so many others who have created SO much value. Now when I talk about Create Your Program, I exude a lot of enthusiasm. I also don’t care any longer if some folks don't like me because of my confidence. For every person who feels annoyed at my confidence, there are a few people who are encouraged to be a bit more confident themselves. So follow Sonya’s lead and shout your program from the rooftops. 🎉 3: Be willing to show up and work directly with your participants. That means being willing to create a high touch program. NOT a program that’s self-led. This one might freak some of you out. Maybe you’re burned out, you want less contact with clients, and you dream of having passive income and not dealing with clients at all. I want to encourage you to reconsider that approach. Showing up in your program and leading your participants through it does NOT mean you’re constantly working. You still get to have boundaries. You still get to set things up in a way that feels good to your body. AND…at least for the first several iterations of your program…and maybe forever…show up live for your participants. People will get WAY more out of it. Self led programs have a very low completion and implementation rate, something like 5-15%. Cohort based, live programs tend to have completion rates that are as high as 80% and higher. One person who talks about this Deb Benfield from episode 213. I recently went through Deb’s program as a participant so I got to experience first hand what a difference it makes to have access to her! Now that her program is up and running, she continues to make small tweaks to it, but she isn’t pouring TONS of time and energy in every single time. She knows how to show up and walk participants through the process. Even though it is far from passive, it’s fulfilling and easeful for her. So if you’re feeling tempted to create and launch a “passive” self-led course, please reconsider. If you’re burnt out on clients, you might need a little rest before you create your program. Like me and SO many of the grads of CYP, you might find that working with participants in your signature program feels very different from therapy sessions. If you’re burnt out on being a therapist, you might still feel energized by running your signature program. Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/216
Samantha has shrunk her therapy practice way down and is no longer taking new therapy clients. She’s delighted that her business has transitioned to mostly her coaching programs. She’s found that she’s got abundant energy and love for serving in this way. AND…Samantha has discovered that even the free stuff she provides on social media and on her site helps many queer women live truer lives. That’s just ONE of the ways that the work she’s doing now is a much better fit for her life than a full time therapy practice was. As a sexuality coach, Samantha Fox works with women worldwide to support them as they discover that they are not as straight as they might have thought. She’s developed an experiential method called Unbox Your Sexuality that creates a monumental transformation. The method helps women in unpacking, unlearning, and relearning schemas and narratives that we carry with us due to being born into a patriarchal society. Here's some of what we talked about: Why Samantha is happy she’s shrunk her therapy practice and transitioned her business mostly to coaching Choosing the niche of women who are curious and coming out as queer Creating her signature program: Unbox Your Sexuality Why she feels great about being visible in her work (even though she used to be afraid) How she fills her program using podcast guesting How she creates and repurposes her videos and the apps she recommends Creating lead magnets that attract the right people Dealing with trolls on social media How Rebel Therapist helped her build this program Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/215
We’re sharing one of our favorite episodes as an encore this week. How do you create and fill a group program? How do you navigate a full therapy practice at the same time? We’re about to go behind the scenes and find out exactly how my guest has done it. Meet Sonya Brewer, a trauma specialist and relationship expert who specializes in creative life and relationship design for overachieving trauma survivors and their partners. She created Badass Boundaries, a 12-week group mentorship program for overachieving trauma survivors. Here's some of what we talked about: Sonya’s framework to help trauma survivors transform their relationship to boundaries Creating Badass Boundaries, her 12-week group mentorship program for overachieving trauma survivors How Sonya helps people befriend their bodies as they do boundary work The benefits of offering 1:1 asynchronous coaching in the program How she filled her program Sonya’s advice about running valuable and joyful free workshops (engage with your participants!) How and why Sonya runs her discovery calls Navigating building this program while also running a full private practice Leaning what works for her as a socially motivated person, including having a coach and scheduling co-working sessions Her weekly planning ritual Why she chose “mentor” as the name for her role in this program rather than “coach” The anxiety provoking process of keeping her two businesses separate Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/214
How can you create a business if you’re a disruptor in your field? If you’ve got a unique voice and you’re finding yourself pushing back against most others in your field, that could actually be a wonderful thing for your business. Today’s guest has carved out an important space right at the intersection of the Body Liberation and Pro-Aging movements. And she’s pretty much on her own as a leader there. Meet Deb Benfield, a Nutrition and Body Relationship Coach with over 35 years of experience working with women to heal their relationships with food, eating and their bodies. You’ll hear why Deb created a program for women in mid-life and beyond, how she designed her program and grew her audience, and what works to fill her program. Here's some of what we talked about: Why she’s alone at intersection of the Pro-Aging and Body Liberation movements How she designed her program Streamlining her program and leaving more room for integration How she grounds herself when stepping into her work Pivoting her niche and feeling the stress of losing some audience members (but gaining others) Where most of her participants find her How she collaborates with other creators Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/213
I’m grateful to be running a tiny and simple business right now. I have no plans to grow this business up to 7 figures. I was a bit hesitant to tell you that! I feel some fear that you won’t think I’m a badass, or you’ll think I have upper limit problems or limited beliefs. Maybe you won’t want to hire me because I’m not as ambitious as you hoped. Or if you’re my friend who runs a larger and more complicated business, maybe you’ll think I’m judging you when you hear what I have to say about running a tiny business. (I’m not. I promise!) But since I have the desire to be radically honest and I think this serves you, I’m sharing it anyway. I trust you to identify the parts of this that fit for you and the parts that don’t. Note: I’m talking about service based businesses, because that’s what I know best. Capitalism tends to point us towards one vision of what it means to be a successful business owner. And that’s being a business owner who always makes and does MORE. Capitalism tends to pull us AWAY from noticing when we have enough, or even considering what enough might be. Us feeling enoughness or satisfaction is NOT helpful to capitalism. Here’s the default vision of a successful business owner: They’ve got a company bringing in revenue of 7 figures or more. They’ve hired a big team. They expand their business to serve more people year over year. These numbers are all as big as possible: total revenue, number of team members, number of followers, and number of people served. This person might be a coach who runs a course or membership with hundreds or thousands of members at a time. Perhaps they also have many many other offers at many price points. But when I look around at my colleagues and friends who are having a good time and feeling fairly stable financially, I tend to see a people with tiny and simple businesses. Here’s the vision of that (tiny) business owner: They’ve got a tiny team, like zero or one employees. They’ve got smaller revenue, like under 500k, but they get to keep more than half of that money. Their tech is simple. They don’t have much overhead. They have one or two high-touch offers. Sometimes people come work with me hoping to create huge empires. I’m delighted to help them because the first phase in creating an empire should be to create a really solid small business. And that is what I help with. When you start with a tiny, strong and simple business, you focus on creating value. And that’s where every business needs to start. Listen to the episode to hear 2 stories of folks who scaled big, hated it, and decided to simplify and shrink their businesses How I keep Rebel Therapist simple How you can still serve more people with a tiny business Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/212
How do you discover the work you’re meant to create? Today’s episode is a master class on how to allow the collective and your spirit to pull you in that direction. Judy Hu created a framework for boundary healing. Then she wrote a bestselling book: The Boundary Revolution: Decolonize Your Relationships and Discover A New Path To Joy. She’s a Licensed Mental Health Counselor turned Boundary Coach based in Massachusetts. You’ll hear the intensely personal and brave process Judy went through to develop and share her work. Here's some of what we talked about: Creating a group program for BIPoC folks around boundaries in summer of 2020 Discovering that work can be fun, exciting and enjoyable Bringing together many lineages to create her method Hiring a social media team to get more visible Losing relationships as she stepped into being unapologetically herself Writing her book and changing the topic halfway through the first draft Why it’s terrifying to launch her book How she’s struggling and growing with the tech and administrative parts of running her business Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/211
I got this question recently from someone getting ready to expand their business to beyond private practice. They want to start offering a non-therapy program within their own business. “Should I create my own program from scratch, or should I just deliver an established method from a well-known person?” For example, although it’s not the example this person gave: Brene Brown’s Dare To Lead method. Here’s my answer without knowing any of the particulars. First of all…nothing is new under the sun. Whatever program you offer will be influenced by your learning lineages and your mentors… So the REAL question is: will you create something new by bringing together many influences, giving them all credit, and blending them in a unique way? OR Will you primarily use one established method from a mentor and jump through the hoops of getting that license or certification or purchasing that curriculum, so that you can use it in its entirety and put their name on it? To figure this out, ask yourself: What is the truest, most high quality and aligned offering you can make right now? Which choice will be of the highest service to your participants? A good reason to use someone else’s method is that you feel clear that it is the most aligned choice. A misguided reason to use someone else’s method is that you think it will be easier to create and sell it. Since you’re creating this program within your business, you will likely be working just as hard with either choice. Whether you sell someone else’s method or create your own, you will… Identify who it’s for (your niche) Create or adapt the program Do messaging and marketing work to bring in participants In the business I’m running now, I’ve created my own method while giving a ton of credit to the people I’ve learn from. You can’t get through my program without hearing about Tara McMullin, the business strategist who has had the biggest influence on me. And you hear about many other folks whose influences are woven into my programs. At this point I’m so hooked on creating my own processes and weaving together many influences, I can’t imagine I’ll ever teach someone else’s entire method ever again. But once I did! In this week’s episode, I share a story about running a couples workshop using someone else’s method with permission. Listen to learn from my experience so you can skip my mistakes. Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/210
Even if you already work with the niche you want to work with in your private practice, you might ALSO love having an innovative signature program as an additional way to serve them. Danika Maddocks is a parent coach who's passionate about supporting parents of gifted and twice-exceptional kids. She's been partnering with bright kids and their families for over a dozen years as a teacher and therapist. You’re going to hear why she created a signature program for twice exceptional kids, and you’ll hear how she grows her business without becoming a full-time marketer. Here's some of what we talked about: Why she wanted to create a group program for parents of twice exceptional kids (kids who are both gifted AND neurodivergent) How she designed her 8-week program Using asynchronous coaching between live calls The simple and effective ways she grows an engaged audience and gets referrals The system she uses to sell her program each time she launches Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/209
“Has it been extra challenging to sell group programs lately?” “How do I figure out what niche to choose and what program to create?” “When is it the right time for Facebook or Instagram ads?” I ran a free and open coaching call recently for everyone in our audience, including podcast listeners, clients, and email subscribers. A record number of folks submitted questions, and I spent over an hour riffing on a bunch of them. We had such a great response from the attendees that I decided to share the entire call recording with you. You’ll hear my answers to the questions above and more, including: My program isn’t selling. Is it priced too high? How do I take a break from my business for a big life circumstance? Is it OK to post or send emails sporadically? Or should I do it consistently or not at all? How much of an expert do I have to be in my topic area? How much of an ROI do you get from social media? Is it a good idea to start a program with a friend? Do I have to get my private practice stable before I start a program? What if some things in my program were influenced by the work of others? How do I carve out time for following through with creative ideas if I’m overwhelmed and exhausted by my caseload? Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/208
Can you REALLY make great money running a program that you love and that’s based on what you do best? Rebecca Lee does. And she’s got a year-long waitlist. As a social worker and supervisor for social workers, she felt a pull to create something totally different, something that wouldn’t fit into the box of supervision or therapy or even coaching as we know it. At first, she struggled with giving herself permission to do it. In this episode, you’ll hear how she created something that only she could create and why her family’s farm is part of it. If you’ve wondered if your idea is too out there, this is going to give you a big dose of permission to create your program. Rebecca Lee is a Clinical Supervisor and Eco therapist who works with therapists, wellness professionals and healers to tap into their own rhythm, health and vision so they can create an impactful and joyful professional lives for themselves. Her work is centered around how we can re-connect with our authentic landscape through social justice, anti-oppression, seasonal landscape relationship, Yoga and Ayerveda practices. Here's some of what we talked about: Creating a group program for social workers and other givers who want to find a new way of working and living Helping her participants step into their natural rhythms and give themselves permission to do what they really want to How she built the year-long program, Becoming Home and her other program, Supervision Circle Running in-person retreats on her family farm Providing asynchronous 1:1 support in her programs Using mostly word-of-mouth to fill her programs with a year-long waitlist! Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/207
In the last episode of Rebel Therapist Podcast, talked to Claire Pelletreau about switching roles with her husband so that she’s no longer the default parent. That change made a REALLY big difference in her business. Because she made that change she’s able to take on big projects, and make more money. And that got me thinking about what boundaries help me take on the big stuff that really makes me happy, makes a big impact and sometimes makes my business lots of money. In that exploration I realized that I go through two steps when I’m creating a new boundary: I realize that I need the boundary. I decide I’m going to insist on protecting that boundary. Until I’ve really made the decision that I’m going to insist on the boundary, it’s pretty hopeless. TRYING to hold a boundary before I’ve fully decided doesn’t do it. That’s a half-assed boundary. In this episode I walk through a couple of examples of boundaries I’ve created recently that are helping increase my joy and capacity. Both of these are about finally having my own home office. This episode is NOT about me giving you advice that you need to a quiet home office too…or that you have to do what Claire did and switch roles with your spouse. I don’t know what you need or what’s possible for you right now. Rather, it’s about each of us figuring out what we want and need, and then when we can, claiming those boundaries for ourselves. Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/206
It’s really fucking hard to be a mother entrepreneur with young kids, especially if you’re the default or primary parent. My guest this week has a robust business and she makes good money. She realized last year that she was afraid to take on big projects in her business because as the primary parent of 2 young kids, she didn’t consistently have the capacity she’d need to carry them through. She and her husband decided to switch roles. In this conversation she talks about what’s changed since they made that switch. We also talk about how we each navigate the complicated and ever changing terrain of co-parenting and doing life with our spouses. Claire Pelletreau is a Facebook and Instagram ads expert and conversion optimization expert. Her mission is to actually help people see a return on the money they’re putting into the Zuckerberg machine without the expensive help of an outside ad consultant. Claire is also the host of The Get Paid Podcast where she asks her guests everything about their businesses, including how much they charge - and how much they earn. Annie was a guest in May of 2022. She’s also my coach. Here’s some of what we talked about: The conversation with her husband that led to switching roles The resentment Claire used to feel about holding the family to-do list Dealing with the cultural expectations of what a mother is supposed to do How she feels different from most moms she meets The joy of sometimes traveling alone Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/205
  I used to ask every podcast guest: “What productivity or time management hacks do you use as an entrepreneur?” I’ve stopped asking that. I’m no longer lit up by trying to make my habits atomic or maximize my time. The work of Tricia Hersey, Ebony Janice Moore, Tara McMullin and others has helped me (along with everyone I know) to question whether productivity is the measure to focus on and strive for. We’re here to heal, play, love and rest and BE, and when we do more of those things, we make it more possible to create the world we want. When we’re talking about running a small business, which is my lane, I find that to create something new like a new business or a new program, we need something different than productivity or time management. We need to nurture our creative energy. How do I know time management and productivity alone are not the answer? When suddenly given a huge amount of time, we don’t usually make as much progress as we had hoped to. We might use that time scrolling or spinning our wheels. Lots of folks discovered this during lock down. So when a person asks me how many hours a week it takes to build a program beyond private practice, I could say…at least 3, better 5, and better yet 10. But really, I find that nurturing your creative energy for an entrepreneurial project is more important than how many hours you give it. Side note for folks running private practices: Running a private practice might be a bit different… It’s a terrible idea, and I don’t recommend it, but you may have noticed that you CAN run a private practice with scraps of energy, at least for a while. You probably know how to scrape together those scraps or energy to show up for your clients. Here’s what Katherine Eastlake says. She runs a private practice and has a program for therapists wanting to deepen embodied practice. “I can be fairly dysregulated and settle quickly when a client walks into my room/pops up on Zoom. But when I am writing my newsletter or designing a training, I feel like I need more time and space to ground myself and orient to the process. It is a different energy with different requirements of my mind and body.” To move beyond private practice and create something new, like a signature program, you can’t just add time and productivity hacks. Pomodoro timers and to-do lists are not going to get you there. You need to access your creative energy, and that means devoting yourself to replenishing that energy. Here are five ways I nurture my creative energy:      1. Devote myself to the things that make me feel expansive. I get creative energy when I devote myself to all the things that make me feel more expansive. I need to play, feeling my feelings, talk to people who inspire me, listen to podcasts and music that move me, go on walks, sing, and dance.       2. Set deadlines that people know about. There’s a sweet spot for each of us between having deadlines and having the freedom to move at our own pace. I crave more freedom when I’m facing too many deadlines, but when completely lack deadlines, I’m not creating a lot. Even this episode would not necessarily be here if I had no deadline for it. I used to be so internally motivated that I could set my own deadlines that no one knew about and I’d meet them. Um…hypervigilant much? You spotted that? Yes I was. Now I find that I need to share my deadlines with others.      3. Make room for discomfort in the creative process. Expect really itchy moments when you have to keep trying/writing/talking/moving your pen so that the work actually happens. Expect a 3 hour task to take 10 hours sometimes. Expect to feel like you can’t do this and know that doesn’t mean you can’t do this. Expect to feel like leaving. Let your frustration tolerance build. All of that discomfort is part of opening up to creative energy.      4. Avoid certain things. In order to access creative energy, I avoid… Social media Comparison Expecting myself to get other things done as much or as well New tech platforms or tools      5. Find or build a community so we’re mutually supporting each other in accessing our creative energy. Build or find a Community of other creators who commit to creating when the world wouldn’t say they have to. Entrepreneurs are a good bet because they’ve signed up for the tricky thing you’ve signed up for: They’re creating what they want to create AND they’re finding a way to make good money with it. That’s a different challenge than creating only for the sake of creating. And speaking of community, I have an assignment ready for you, if you choose to accept it. Choose someone you trust who believes in you and will give you a loving kick in the pants and send them an email. Here’s your loose script: “I’m planning on doing something brave. (Here’s what it is). I may try to talk myself out of it. Will you please support me and encourage me in doing it?” Please bcc me if you like at info@coachingwithannie.com. I’d LOVE to know that you did this assignment. Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/204
Show Notes: I love to help you make more money. AND…For some of you, the biggest reasons you have for creating your own signature programs are not financial. You want to create programs to tap into your purpose, to express your love for your communities, to experience and share joy, to resist oppressive forces, and on and on. Our guest created a program for his community because he loves his community. Dr. Damon Constantinides is a trans and queer sex coach, trainer, and writer offering services nationally. He is trained as a clinical social worker, sex therapist, and sexuality educator. He created The Trans Masc Sexual Pleasure Group Coaching Program and he’s recently launched the second cohort. In this conversation he shares how he created the program, how he brings in participants, and how he’s finding the energy and time to make it all happen in addition to running his private practice. Here's some of what we talked about: Why creating this program was a reaction to attacks on trans folks Unhooking his ego from the business numbers How he makes his program accessible Specific ways he created safety for the participants and the group How he created the outline for the program and also keeps it flexible Marketing his program in a way that feels authentic and fun Working with folks from all over the US and beyond Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/203
Everyone is scared to launch their first program. Someone asked recently: what if I’m REALLY scared to launch my program. Like…what if there are powerful individuals and structures out there who might want to do me harm? What if putting myself out there associated with this work might actually be dangerous to me or my family? GREAT question. Let’s agree NOT to give it the usual online marketing answer: “Just do the mindset work.” This visibility stuff comes up for ALL of us. I have it. Everyone I’ve ever worked with has had work come up around their childhood, their upper limits, self esteem, or imposter syndrome. We all need and deserve to do some important work around getting visible, using our voices, and taking up space. AND…it’s gaslighting to say it’s the same for everyone. When you are deciding to get more visible and you’ve got a marginalized identity or you’re sharing messages that oppose our power structures, your visibility work is not just about getting out of your own way. For example, if you’re speaking out against anti-black racism or you’re talking about fat liberation or trans liberation, you’re being brave in a significant ADDITIONAL way. My niche is not as risky. I’m a business coach & strategist. Yes, I’m queer and I’m a woman. AND I have lots of privilege: having money, being white, being cis-gendered… and on and on. Even with all of that privilege, I absolutely need and deserve to have colleagues I can get really vulnerable with and feel through my own visibility and exposure fears. We all do. In terms of this question: “What should I do if I’m REALLY afraid to launch my program? Should I switch niches? Should I move forward?” I do not have the right answer for you. I don’t think there is one. Here are a couple things I’m pretty sure I DO know so that you can figure out your path. ONE: Find people who really understand what you have at stake and can support you emotionally and spiritually. If you’re part of a marginalized group and/or if your work is related to opposing a power structure, you cannot do this alone. What if those people who you need to go to for support as an entrepreneur are also afraid? That doesn't mean that they can't support you and that you can't support them. We need to give up on the idea that we must be totally through the woods before we can help others. It's just not true. We can actually have mutual support while we're figuring this stuff out. Asking for help might mean saying: “Please stay on the phone with me while I work through what to do in this scary moment.” Or “Please sit on my couch while I press send on this email.” TWO: Don’t rush through your fear. Feel the feelings that are coming up, and let the fear speak. Don’t rush it to go away. Fear isn’t the only force making decisions, but you can listen to it and allow it to have a seat at the table. I’ve got a great example coming up on the podcast. Next time we’ll be hearing from Dr. Damon Constantinides. He created a Trans Masc Sexual Pleasure group. That’s brave. Trans folks are always under attack, and especially right now. Damon talks in the episode about his decisions about creating his program and making his work visible. Show notes at https://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/202
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