Abundant Practice Podcast: Episode #665 - Scaling Beyond 1:1 (Without Losing 1:1) featuring Jenn Fredette

Host: Allison Puryear
Guest: Jenn Fredette
Release Date: July 9, 2025

Introduction

In Episode #665 of the Abundant Practice Podcast, host Allison Puryear engages in a profound discussion with marketing expert Jenn Fredette about scaling a private therapy practice beyond traditional one-on-one sessions without compromising the personal touch that therapists value. The conversation navigates through the misconceptions surrounding passive income, explores sustainable scaling strategies, and offers actionable insights for therapists aiming to expand their impact and income.

Debunking the Myth of Passive Income

Allison Puryear initiates the conversation by challenging the conventional notion of passive income within the therapeutic practice framework. She draws a parallel between passive income and her daughter’s idea of obtaining desired items effortlessly, highlighting that true passive income requires active effort in creating and maintaining revenue streams.

“Passive income is more about putting your intellectual property in something that somebody can access at almost any time. But part of what starts to get tricky is there are different ways to deliver passive products.”
— Allison Puryear [05:43]

Jenn Fredette echoes this sentiment by asserting that passive income, especially in a business context, is often overstated. She emphasizes the continuous effort required in marketing and maintaining digital products, thereby questioning the feasibility of truly passive income streams.

“I just don't think it exists. I think it's a really good sales angle... their back end is really intense.”
— Jenn Fredette [05:22]

Scaling Strategies for Private Practice

The podcast delves into three primary pathways for therapists to scale their practices:

1. Group Practice

Allison discusses group practices as the most traditional and arguably safest method to scale. She highlights the importance of strategic hiring and marketing to ensure a steady influx of clients, thereby maintaining the quality and sustainability of the practice.

“Group practice is the architect of safety. It is, I think, in a lot of ways, the safest way to scale.”
— Allison Puryear [15:55]

She emphasizes avoiding the replication of oneself among associates, advocating for diversity in therapeutic styles to enrich the practice’s offerings.

2. Digital Products and Self-Liquidating Funnels (Path Three: Disruptor of Empire)

Switching to digital avenues, Allison introduces the concept of monetizing marketing efforts through products like self-liquidating funnels (SLOs). This strategy involves creating low-priced offers that can later be upsold, thereby generating additional income without significantly increasing overhead.

“Create what's called a self liquidating funnel. So we have a low priced offer with an order bump with like a one time offer.”
— Allison Puryear [25:12]

Jenn expands on this by explaining how digital products can serve as supplementary income streams, enabling therapists to maintain their one-on-one sessions while reaching a broader audience.

“Once people are in that offer, we can help them know that they can ascend into your one on one if they like meet the criteria.”
— Allison Puryear [26:19]

3. Disrupting the Empire

Disruptor of Empire represents a blend of leveraging existing successful practices while expanding into new, often unrelated, business ventures. This path requires a different skill set, particularly in marketing and technology, which Allison admits can be challenging but ultimately rewarding.

“You have to actually be passionate about it or you're not going to get it off the ground because it's the passion that makes it go.”
— Jenn Fredette [20:25]

Balancing Intimacy and Scalability

A critical theme throughout the episode is maintaining the intimate, personal connection inherent in therapeutic work while scaling. Allison expresses her struggle with the impersonal nature of larger, scaled operations but acknowledges the necessity of adapting to broader business models to enhance reach and impact.

“This is not as intimate as practices. Right. And it just never will be.”
— Allison Puryear [21:04]

Jenn supports this by highlighting that while scaling may dilute the depth of individual interactions, it significantly increases the overall impact and accessibility of therapeutic services.

“By putting our intellectual property in different accessible containers, it's increasing our impact.”
— Allison Puryear [13:56]

Marketing and Technical Considerations

The discussion underscores the importance of robust marketing strategies and technical infrastructure in scaling practices. Allison shares her experience in rearranging her schedule to accommodate marketing tasks, emphasizing the balance required between client service and business development.

“I've actually had to rearrange my calendar that I'm like, I can't see clients and do the marketing thing on the same day because it's too much task shifting for me.”
— Allison Puryear [21:04]

Jenn adds that effective marketing is never entirely passive and requires continuous optimization and engagement. She advises therapists to view marketing as an integral part of their practice growth rather than a one-time effort.

“Marketing is never passive. Yeah.”
— Allison Puryear [07:41]

Conclusion

The episode concludes with actionable advice for therapists contemplating scaling their practices. Allison introduces the "Attune to Millions Calculator", a tool designed to help therapists evaluate different scaling options and develop a tailored strategy. She encourages listeners to engage with the free resources available and reach out for personalized feedback.

“If people go through and do this and then take screenshots and DM them to me at a thinkers guide, I will make them a quick three or four minute video and be like, this is what you should do.”
— Allison Puryear [28:02]

Jenn reiterates the importance of thoughtful scaling, ensuring that therapists maintain their passion and commitment to their clients even as they expand their business models.

“I just don't think it works as well when it's business to customer versus business to business.”
— Allison Puryear [09:33]

Key Takeaways

• Passive Income Myth: True passive income in therapy practices requires active creation and maintenance, challenging the notion of effortless earnings.

• Scaling Paths: Therapists can scale through group practices, digital products like self-liquidating funnels, or diversifying into new business ventures.

• Maintaining Intimacy: Scaling should aim to increase impact without significantly diminishing the personal connections crucial to therapeutic work.

• Marketing is Active: Effective scaling demands ongoing marketing efforts and strategic planning to sustain and grow the practice.

• Resource Utilization: Tools like the Attune to Millions Calculator can aid therapists in evaluating and implementing scalable business strategies.

Notable Quotes

• Allison Puryear [05:43]: “Passive income is more about putting your intellectual property in something that somebody can access at almost any time.”

• Jenn Fredette [05:22]: “I just don't think it exists. I think it's a really good sales angle...”

• Allison Puryear [15:55]: “Group practice is the architect of safety. It is, I think, in a lot of ways, the safest way to scale.”

• Allison Puryear [21:04]: “I've actually had to rearrange my calendar that I'm like, I can't see clients and do the marketing thing on the same day because it's too much task shifting for me.”

• Allison Puryear [28:02]: “If people go through and do this and then take screenshots and DM them to me at a thinkers guide, I will make them a quick three or four minute video and be like, this is what you should do.”

For therapists eager to explore scaling their practices, Abundant Practice Podcast offers invaluable insights and practical tools. To embark on your journey toward a more abundant and impactful practice, visit www.abundancepracticebuilding.com for free resources and support.