Episode 100: Answers to Your Branding and Marketing Questions

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Private Practice Startup
Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Episode: 100: Answers to Your Branding and Marketing Questions
Date: August 25, 2018

To celebrate their milestone 100th episode, Kate and Katie answer listener-submitted questions focused on branding and marketing for therapists in private practice. Drawing from their own journey building successful practices and coaching others, they dive into branding alignment, marketing strategies, finding one's ideal client and niche, networking tips, avoiding overwhelm, and maintaining an abundance mindset. The episode is conversational, full of practical advice, personal stories, and memorable tips—perfect for both beginners and experienced therapists seeking to level up their marketing efforts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origin Story: Becoming Business Partners and Launching Private Practice Startup

Timestamps: [04:46]–[07:18]

• Kate and Katie met in 2006 during licensure supervision and became business collaborators by necessity (supervisor “twisted our arms” to lead their local association).
• Their initial business (K2 Visionaries) focused on teaching; this evolved into the Private Practice Startup after they realized how many clinicians struggle with practice-building, especially around marketing and branding.
• Quote:
  “We really fell head over heels in love with marketing and branding and also realized that that's the area that clinicians get stuck the most in and really need.” —Kate [06:46]

2. How to Choose a Coach or Marketing Mentor Without Overwhelm

Timestamps: [07:18]–[10:27]

• Strategy: Treat coach selection like therapy—fit and process matter most; avoid chasing “all the squirrels” or following too many experts at once.
• Quote:
  “Focus: Follow One Course Until Success.” —Katie [09:45]
• Analogy: “All diets work… because they're all a system and a process.” The key is consistency and choosing what fits your needs and personality.
• Caution: Consuming too much advice can lead to “Thanksgiving full”—info overload and lack of action.

3. The Role of Self-Care in Sustainable Branding and Practice Growth

Timestamps: [11:32]–[14:59]

• Self-care is deeply intertwined with business success; being an entrepreneur is not a sprint, but a marathon.
• Make space for reflection, travel, personal recharge (“me first rule”), and align practice with your desired lifestyle.
• Quote:
  “If I don't make myself a priority, no one else is. So really assuring that you are part of your schedule—that's essential and not letting your schedule run you.” —Katie [14:59]

4. Branding Alignment, Authenticity, and Credibility

Timestamps: [15:11]–[17:09]

• Your brand is a blend of professional and personal identity, especially for solopreneurs and small groups.
• Regularly ask colleagues, clients, and friends what one word they'd use to describe you to assess alignment.
• Authenticity improves both branding and client outcomes.

5. Affiliation and Credibility

Timestamps: [17:09]–[17:52]

• Displaying professional affiliations on your website is recommended; it builds trust and credibility, even if clients don’t know every organization.

6. Clarifying Your Practice Brand & Identity

Timestamps: [17:52]–[21:00]

• Get clear on your “why”—your passion is the heart of your vision and branding.
• Deeply understand your ideal client: their pains, desires, and how you specifically help them.
• Personal Story: Katie realized she felt more authentic and relaxed when she stopped dress-coding herself, which helped her connect better with clients.

7. Maintaining Your Voice and Values While Building a Practice

Timestamps: [21:08]–[22:32]

• Staying connected to your “why” keeps your marketing authentic and prevents your message from being lost in the pursuit of income.
• Quote:
  “When you stay connected to your why and you stay passionate about what you're doing... that really takes the money aspect out of it.” —Kate [22:18]

8. Defining Ideal Client, Target Market, and Niche

Timestamps: [22:32]–[29:26]

• Definitions:
  • Target Market: Broad population (e.g., children, couples).
  • Ideal Client: Intimate specifics (e.g., pregnant women with addiction).
  • Niche: The unique way you deliver services (e.g., in-home therapy, specific modalities).
• Identify your natural strengths and preferred strategies (presenting, networking, etc.).
• Quote:
  “What's most important is allowing yourself to stand out in the crowd.” —Katie [24:38]

9. Tracking and Measuring Marketing Efforts

Timestamps: [26:35]–[27:10]

• Commit to strategies for at least 3–6 months and track outcomes to invest in what works.
• Outsource what you dislike or aren’t skilled in (e.g., SEO, technology).

10. Narrowing a Niche After Years as a Generalist

Timestamps: [27:10]–[29:26]

• Review your last 5–7 energizing clients: what traits, needs, or challenges do they share?
• You can have multiple ideal clients, but you must define them clearly.
• Tip: Think about what client population or issue excites you most at social gatherings—follow your natural enthusiasm.

11. Networking: Standing Out and Building Real Relationships

Timestamps: [29:26]–[35:37]

• Networking isn’t about transactions but relationships; focus on the “gatekeeper” when visiting doctors’ offices, and offer sincere, memorable gestures (e.g., a homemade banana bread with a clever message like “Don’t go bananas!”).
• Value organic connections—collaborate with other providers via shared clients when appropriate.
• Quote:
  “Networking really should be about relationship building. Someone you care about, you genuinely care about...” —Katie [31:23]
• Go beyond trinkets; offer value and presence.

12. Shifting from Scarcity to Abundance Mindset in Practice-Building

Timestamps: [36:52]–[39:13]

• Scarcity is “fear-based”; abundance invites creativity and attracts the right clients without desperation.
• Find colleagues and groups that foster growth and positivity.
• Therapy is recession-proof; there are always clients in need.

13. Ethical Thank You Gifts for Referral Sources

Timestamps: [39:29]–[42:41]

• Avoid anything that could be considered a kickback.
• Give thoughtful, branded, or functional gifts (keychains, candles, plants, Starbucks cards) that show appreciation and are memorable.
• Quote:
  “Our friend Claudia Zaburski...delivered this beautiful personalized thank you gift...it was so thoughtful and so on brand for her.” —Kate [41:00]
• Pair the gift with a genuine card acknowledging the relationship, not just the referral.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Focus: Follow One Course Until Success.” — Katie [09:45]
• “Branding really is understanding yourself and your personality.” — Katie [19:28]
• “When you do what you love and you love what you do, it just transforms the whole experience.” — Kate [21:42]
• “You are your personal brand; you are your professional brand.” — Katie [15:28]
• “Networking really should be about relationship building. Someone you care about… Not just trying to get.” — Katie [31:23]
• “Scarcity mindset—there are plenty of clients to go around...it's a recession-proof industry.” — Kate [36:52, 39:13]

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Resource Highlights & Listener Actions

• Free Resource: A-Z Cheat Sheet Essentials for Building and Growing Your Practice (visit resources tab on their website) [02:28]
• Branding & Marketing eCourse: Mentioned as a hybrid course for deeper marketing help
• References to prior episodes: on specialty pages, networking, branding experts—listeners should check the show notes for direct links.

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Segment Timestamps at a Glance

| Segment | Start–End | Topic Summary | |------------------------------------|---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Introduction | 00:03–04:46 | Show background, episode 100 celebration, and context | | Becoming business partners | 04:46–07:18 | Kate & Katie’s origin story, passion for marketing | | How to pick a coach | 07:18–10:27 | Coaching overwhelm, narrowing focus, “Follow One Course” | | The importance of self-care | 11:31–14:59 | Entrepreneurial self-care and alignment with values | | Branding alignment & credibility | 15:11–17:09 | Brand as essence, alignment, authenticity | | Affiliation & identity | 17:09–17:52 | Affiliations for credibility | | Identifying branding questions | 17:52–21:00 | Getting clear on “why,” ideal client value | | Branding voice vs. making money | 21:08–22:32 | Staying authentic while running a business | | Defining ideal client, niche | 22:32–27:10 | Target market, ideal client, niche explained | | Tracking and strategy | 26:35–27:10 | Measuring marketing results, outsourcing weaknesses | | Niche challenges for generalists | 27:10–29:26 | How to clarify niche by reflecting on rewarding client work | | Networking & doctor referrals | 29:26–35:37 | Building relationships, memorable gestures, non-transactional | | Scarcity vs. abundance mindset | 36:52–39:13 | Importance of thinking abundantly in business | | Gift giving & ethical thank-yous | 39:29–42:41 | Personalized, on-brand, ethical gifts for referrals | | Closing remarks | 42:41–46:00 | Course promotion, episode close, mission reaffirmed |

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Conclusion

For therapists looking to build, grow, or refine their private practice, this episode is packed with practical advice and motivational insights. Kate and Katie emphasize knowing your “why,” prioritizing self-care, niching down with authenticity, building real relationships (not just networks), and choosing mentors and strategies that fit you — all through the lens of an abundance rather than a scarcity mentality. The advice is delivered in a warm, friendly, and sometimes playful manner, making complex topics approachable and actionable for listeners at any stage of their practice journey.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Private Practice Startup, where we inspire you from startup to mastery. We chat with entrepreneurs, experts in the mental health and business arenas, and successful private practitioners to give you the tools needed to make your dream practice a reality. Visit theprivatepracticestartup.com for awesome resources, free trainings, and so much more. Here are your hosts, Dr. Kate Campbell and Katie Lemieux.

[B]

Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the Private Practice Startup podcast. I am one of your hosts, Katie Lemieux.

[A]

Hey, everybody, it's Dr. Kate Campbell. Nice to be here again.

[B]

We hope you guys are doing well, and today is a big, huge day for us. We are hitting episode 100.

[A]

100.

[B]

Can you believe that?

[A]

We are on episode 100? We've been podcasting for over two years now.

[B]

We have, and we.

[A]

It's incredible.

[B]

What a journey. Learned quite a lot along the podcast journey.

[A]

Yes, we have.

[B]

So today, actually, because it is the 100th episode, it's a very special episode, and we decided we thought we would answer your branding and marketing questions. Over the time that we've owned the Private Practice startup, we've really fallen in love with marketing and really want to be of service to you guys and just talk about an area that we're super passionate about. And so we wanted to thank everyone who sent in their questions, and we'll be answering some of those today. But before we do that, last week we got to talk to Becky degrosa, all about three tips on writing specialty pages, which is so, so, so essential. Speaking of branding and marketing, as you really want to assure that your specialty pages are really capturing your ideal client, speaking right to them, and really converting them to giving you a call to seeing them. So that's really important. You guys want to make sure you check out that. Definitely.

[A]

Listen to that podcast episode. It's a really good episode. We were actually hanging out with Becky earlier today, having fun and on her Private practice university platform.

[B]

So that was really talking about marketing.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

And so if you're new here, we want to say welcome and we hope you are here to stay. We want to embrace you and give you a big virtual hug from our home to yours. Welcome to the Startup Nation family. We have a special gift for you. That is our A to Z cheat sheet essentials for building and growing your dream practice. Head over to Private PracticeStartup.com, head over to the resources tab, and there you will see the A to Z cheat sheet. And better yet, not only do you get the A to Z cheat sheet, which is a ton of fun. It was a fun, very fun for.

[A]

Us to make actually.

[B]

But you will actually get five days of practice building emails, tips, resources, information and just really action steps to get you into action around your private practice in regards to marketing. So you want to check out that and of course if you are a loyal listener and already part of Startup Nation superhero family. Welcome back. It's great to have you.

[A]

Yes, welcome back. So let's take a quick break from our sponsor. Today's sponsor for this episode, our special episode of 100 Woohoo is actually Therachat. Therachat is an app and website platform that makes it super easy for you to engage with your clients in between sessions. And clients and therapists really love using it. You can actually assign pre made homework assignments, you can create your own custom homework assignments and you can also transfer documents and send unlimited messages to all of your clients. It's, it's fully secure and HIPAA compliant and it's a really cool experience. We've actually had the opportunity to use it with our clients and we had Coris Kaligas. Did I say his name right? Coris is a really cool guy. He is the owner of Therachat. We had him on our podcast episode a while back. So if you go back and listen to that episode, we'll put it in the show notes so that way you'll be able to check out the information about therachat. And as our sponsor today, they give an amazing opportunity for you to be able to try Therachat now and experience all it entails yourself. Go to our show notes page, use the coupon code TPPs, as in the private practice startup and you'll be able to get one month for free. That's a total value of $40. And again the link will be in our show notes so you guys can check that out. So thank you therachat.

[B]

And as always, don't forget we're on Facebook, so come hang out with us there. So we want to kind of just jump, I guess right into the topic.

[A]

Yes, let's dive right in. We wanted to be able to really answer Startup Nation's questions, so we sent out a couple of different opportunities for you guys to actually send us your questions. So we've got some great questions compiled here and Katie and I just kind of organized them so it would make sense in the flow. But we really haven't thought how we're going to answer them or this is not pre prepared. So we're just kind of going off the cusp and you'll see our spontaneous answers. You're burning branding and marketing questions, so let's dive in.

[B]

So Jo Muirhead from purpleco and jomearhead.com I believe. Our Aussie friend. Our awesome Aussie friend.

[A]

Our awesome Aussie friend. We love Jo. Jo is just fantastic.

[B]

She's fabulous. So Jo actually asked, and I thought this was really just a good place to start was how did the two of you become business partners and what made us decide to start the private practice startup? And of course, what have we learned about ourselves since we started and what are some of the things that we would do differently and why? So that's a great, great question. I know that we've talked a little bit about our journey, but I don't think we've like talked about, like the story of our journey. So interestingly enough, Kate and I actually met back in 2006 and licensed her supervision with Dr. Analyn Schooley. Kate and I loved our supervisor so much we didn't want to give her up, that we had both decided to do AAMFT approved supervision of supervision. And then our paths continued to cross as our supervisor, as Kate says, twisted our arms.

[A]

She twisted our arms. She didn't have to twist too hard to become the president and vice president of the Broward association for Marriage and Family Therapy down here in sunny South Florida. And the chapter was actually really like six feet under at the time. We resurrected the chapter and discovered that we worked really well together in business. And I went to a supervision course that I had to take across the state in Florida and I came back that weekend and I was like, oh, Katie, that was the hardest two days getting through this course. I really want to do something that's going to be inspiring and I'd like to be able to teach this course across the state of Florida. And Katie loves to present, she loves training. And so she obviously was like, yes, let's do it. So that's the first actual event that we had as K2 visionaries before we had rebranded ourselves, becoming the private practice startup. And so we were, we still teach the course today. I guess it's kind of our signature for first course and we'll actually be teaching it down here in South Florida in September. So that's how K2 Visionaries was started. And then Katie and I were both doing a lot of private practice coaching and really wanted to hone in on the private practice niche, not just for mental health professionals altogether. So we really narrowed down further and became the private practice startup. And then we really fell head over heels in love with marketing and branding and also realized that that's the area that clinicians get stuck the most in and really need. So we wanted to be able to marry our passions with the needs of Startup Nation. And so that's how we fell in love with the services that we provide. And really making a difference for you guys.

[B]

Yeah. So thanks for that, Jo. So our next question comes from Montoya McGowan from stopping the Chase. That is an interesting practice name. I'd love to know more about that. And Montoya asked a little bit about how do you pick a coach? So she says, with so many awesome branding and marketing consultants and wizards out there, it's hard to narrow down all the chatter. And how do I choose? I get overwhelmed at times because I tend to follow too many at once. So we call that running after the squirrels. We have definitely named that. And we, too, in the beginning of private practice, would chase after squirrels. So really, here's the thing, and this is kind of my spontaneous suggestion is, you know what? All diets work. You know, whether it's a vegan diet or an Atkins diet or a keto diet, they all work because they're all a system and a process. And so really, what I would suggest for you and for anyone else who's listening that might have the same question is really to identify who you fit with. Right. It's kind of like therapy. You want to find a coach or a mentor or a system or process that really fits you. And most often, as you'll find, there's a lot of similarities between what they teach. One thing I will say is you really want to work with someone who has a system or a process system. And processes sell. And that's really important. We all buy that. We all do those things. If it's kind of ambiguous out there, you're not really sure if you're going to get the results that you need, then you might not want to buy it. But going in and understanding what results that you want, what it is that you're looking for, and really how you jive with the coach and the mentor on the process, I would. That would be my recommendation. Want to add anything to that?

[A]

Yeah. It's an amazing problem to have because when we first started out way back in the day, there weren't a lot of practice building resources out there. And so we were forced to really learn a lot of things in our journey the hard way. And it's a wonderful thing that there's so many different private practices. Coaches and business coaches out there, you definitely want to follow. Trust your intuition. You want to follow the people that you get the most value from, that you feel the most aligned with. And their style of coaching, their style of teaching. It can get to the point where it's kind of like information overload. If you're listening to too many and you're just consuming, consuming, consuming. It's like binging, right? You get Thanksgiving full, and then you just get really unmotivated. So you don't want to. You don't want to get.

[B]

You've never said that before. That was a good one.

[A]

I know. Yeah. Well, I don't know. We went with. We had lunch, so maybe that's why I know.

[B]

And I'm thinking to myself, I'm like, I went with tacos and a smoothie and a part of a cookie and an espresso.

[A]

I kind of feel Thanksgiving full right now. Not that full, but maybe like halfway there.

[B]

And as you say, that's one of my favorite acronyms that has been this way for like the last year and a half is focus. Follow one course until success. And so as we've actually niched down in here in the private practice startup and we offer the paperwork as well as creating our E course and the marketing profits have gone up substantially as well as time and energy have been really aligned and streamlined. So following one course is really important. So narrowing down the chatter for yourself and just getting really directive on what it is that you're doing.

[A]

So, yes, I'm so glad you said that.

[B]

Maybe you'll do some coaching with us.

[A]

I'm so glad you said that. That is really important to really try. Don't try to have too many things. Focus on one thing. I love that.

[B]

Yeah. And I really took that. That message was like, really driven home when we went to Funnel Hackers in March this year, 2018. And so Russell talks about Russell Brunson, if any of you follow him. We definitely do. He talks about one funnel till you reach a million. And then Tony Robbins was there that day. And he also said Elton John has sang the Same song for 41 years. So it's like, wow, if Elton John can sing one. I mean, obviously he said more, but he could sing the same song for 41 years. I can sure as heck stay on track until I really perfected. And now that we're in it, right, it's continuing to work and tweak and perfect systems. So I hope that was helpful in regarding to how to choose a coach. So thank you for that. Montoya. The next question comes to us from Katie Ziskind. Like kindergarten. She said, it's funny because I actually, I knew that I was going to mispronounce people's names and look, I did it already. So I actually asked people to give me the phonetic spelling and a lot of people wrote all these little cute things in there like how to pronounce her name. So Katie from Wisdom Within Counseling.

[A]

That's awesome.

[B]

So what's interesting is Katie, Katie asked us a few questions, but one really stuck out for us and this is actually about self care. And you're probably wondering like, well, how does self care relate to marketing? Well, when Kate and I teach marketing and branding, it's really important we take a step back and we really take a really wide view and we look very macro at why did you even decide to open a private practice?

[A]

Why did you become a therapist?

[B]

What kind of lifestyle do you want to live? Because again, one of the mistakes that we made was head down first hitting the pavement and running after all the shiny objects and how exhausting that was. And so part of becoming a business owner is really mindset. And Katie asked us a question of what do we do for self care that's free, low cost, supports your mind, body and spirit so you can feel restored. And that's really important because being an entrepreneur and being a private practice owner, number one, you are a business owner. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. And most often for those of you who want to continue on and grow and diversify, it's really a lifelong journey. So you're really going to have to practice a lot of different things. And to me, one of the things I love about being an entrepreneur is I always talk about it as a mirror in front of your face. It's just a complete reflection of what's working and what's not working for you and your life and your business and you get to be 100% responsible for those changes. And I think it's really cool. So a self care practice is so essential. And you know, Kate and I just went away for marketing E course retreat, creating the E course and if I just kind of like think about and take a step back and think about my life this year. I think I've been on like, I don't know, seven different trips already this year and we're just in July and you know, I only work 3/2 days seeing clients. Obviously Kate and I do a lot of work in the private practice startup and a lot of times I have three day weekends. So I'm really starting to live that dream lifestyle. So that's really important. And the self care aspect is extremely important. And again, I think that's just aligning to yourself whether it could be as easy as reading a book, it could be going to Starbucks and people watching while you sip coffee. So it's really what brings you that personal joy. And we really recommend having a daily practice of that, whether it's exercise, reading. Yeah, we posted a question recently about that. Like apple cider vinegar, drinking apple cider vinegar in the morning, meditating, just really having a self care practice is essential.

[A]

And in my mind it's twofold. It's both sides. You want to look at self care as a practitioner in your business life and are you working with the clients that you feel most energized by, most rewarded by, and are you really staying true to yourself and your passions in that way or are you finding yourself accepting clients and working with clients who are, you know, they're not really your passion? You leave session feeling drained or exhausted or just you, you leave the office at the end of the day and you feel like you have nothing left to give. That's probably, you know, you're probably not in alignment and not taking as good of care of yourself in the professional sense. And then of course, when you look at the lifestyle side of things and making sure that you're taking good care of yourself, you know, you shared a lot of great ideas. I know for me, if I'm at going to Pilates twice a week or if I'm not getting out in the sunshine or being outdoors in the South Florida weather, enjoying the pool or putting my toes in the sand or something like that. It's just, you know, there's something that's so grounding about that and rebalancing so you want to make sure you're looking at it on both sides. Just wanted to add that, yeah, I.

[B]

Have a rule, I call it the me first rule because if I don't make myself a priority, no one else is so really assuring that you are part of your schedule that's essential and not letting your schedule run you.

[A]

Great question.

[B]

Thank you so much, Katie. So our next question comes from Laura Zuvalny and her question is a little bit about branding, alignment and credibility. And Laura owns Copper Bridge Counseling and the question is how much does alignment with relative business play into branding? So we just kind of want to talk about that and how we understand. The question is, you know, how does branding and business kind of Marry itself. And, you know, our view on that is because most therapists are solopreneurs or they're gonna create a group practice or something like that. We're not these, like, big mega companies is that, you know, you are your personal brand, you are your professional brand. And really taking your personal and professional joy and infusing it, that's kind of branding. So being in alignment is so, so important. What would you say?

[A]

Yeah, I mean, everything you do for your business, every touch point that you have with potential clients that become clients or referral sources or past clients, all of that, it's all about a relationship. And we really see branding as it's like the essence of you and your business. And so you want to be clear on what that essence is and are you portraying is the energy that you're giving off and the experience that other people are having with you when they come in contact with your brand, Is that the experience that you want them to have? So if you think about, if you were to ask people, and this is an exercise that we do, is we ask people to ask others in their lives, ask past clients, ask colleagues, ask family members. When they think of you, what is the one word that they would use to describe you? And that's a really good way to get clear on what is the experience that people have when they come in contact with you? And are the words that you're hearing back from them? Is that feedback in alignment with how you really want to portray yourself and with. With your brand values and really the essence of. Of you and your business?

[B]

Great question, Great question. And the other part of that question was talking about, like, affiliation, showing your affiliation. So we definitely recommend showing affiliations on your website. And if you're showing a lot of therapist affiliations, therapists might know that. I don't know that. Clients always know that. But it's definitely good to show affiliations because does help with credibility. So I hope that helps answer your question. Our next question comes from Elizabeth Dunville from Family Psychological Services of Lakeland. And Elizabeth's question is also on branding. So what are the important questions to ask when attempting to gain insight into your practice, branding and marketing identity? Great question. We have probably a ton of, oh.

[A]

My gosh, we could talk about this for days.

[B]

We could talk about this for days.

[A]

So with the branding piece, let's start there. What comes to mind for me is getting really clear on your why. So why is it that you're passionate about doing what you're doing, working with a population that you're called to serve. What is it about that that really is so moving for you and to get really clear on your why, and that's really going to be your vision for your company and for your brand. And when you're clear on what that is and you assure that you follow that, then the business decisions that you make in the future, the marketing decisions that you make, you'll be able to see, am I in alignment with my vision, am I following my vision, and am I staying true to that? And when you're clear on your why and you know why it is that you do what you do and you're clear on who it is that you're called to serve, and you get really clear on your ideal clients. And really, we like Startup Nation to get really intimate with their ideal clients and really get to know them on a deep level and what they're struggling with and what they desire most in life and how it is that you can help them. Then you can really craft the marketing messages that are going to be able to attract them, which makes marketing so much easier because then it's not this hard sell where you're trying to really convince someone to work with you. Instead, you end up attracting the people that you're really called to serve, the people that you do your best work with that are most rewarded when seeing you, and you're most rewarded seeing them. You just end up attracting them to your office through your marketing messages. And it becomes. It all kind of works together. What would you say?

[B]

Yeah, it totally does. And branding really is understanding yourself and your personality. I remember, I think it was like, January two years ago, or maybe this year. Like, I just finally, like, felt the freedom to be like, screw it, I'm wearing jeans to the office if I want to. Because, you know, I had this whole Persona of what professional looked like in my own mind. But at the same time, like, I don't always love to dress up, so it was very funny. In the freedom of allowing myself to wear jeans, I felt more open and free to be me, which can sometimes be funny. Very directive. I make a lot of, like, animated hand motions, and it just felt more in alignment to me. So it's really kind of understanding who you are. But most importantly, like, Kate was talking about your ideal client. I know I worked with a coachee and we totally joked about this, but she was so excited to tell me what she wanted to put on her website because she wanted to put, like, paws in the sand or something like that because she loves animals. And I was like, that's not. No, that's not about. That's about you, not your ideal client. Like, do they care? And we said that in a jokey manner and laughed and she's like, yeah, yeah, you're probably right. So you really need to understand your ideal client and what works for them. You know, if you're into, I don't know why I have flames in my mind. I don't know, maybe you love Harley Davidsons or something like that and flames and stuff like that. And I don't know, you're working with business women who are attorneys. I don't know, maybe they don't like flames. So that wouldn't just. That wouldn't be good. Anyway, so thank you so much for that question. I hope that answered your question, Elizabeth. I don't know where I went off on that. Maybe that's the espresso now.

[A]

That's the espresso. It's hitting you. You're flaming with espresso. Okay, let's keep moving on to the next question.

[B]

So our next question comes from Dr. Battle of Enhancing Wellness Counseling and Consulting. And this question is based off branding, again, in regards to your branding message and money. So how do you make sure your voice is captured in every part of your marketing and branding, that your message does not get lost in attempting to make money? What a great question.

[A]

And for me, it comes back to your why again. Because when you stay connected to your why and you, you're able to keep that passion alive inside of you, it's very clear that you love what you do. And when you do what you love and you love what you do, it just transforms the whole experience. And people who are coming in contact with you when you're connected to your passion and why you do what you do and how you're called on this planet to help a certain population with something, it really just transfers into how they experience you and how. And that's what branding is. It's other people's perceptions of you. It's their experience when they come in contact with you. And so when you're connected to your why, it transfers into every part of your brand, into your marketing. And it's very clear it's not about money. Yes. Private practice is a business, and you need to make sure that you're making a living doing what you love. So when you stay connected to your why and you stay passionate about what you're doing, you know, that that really takes the money aspect out of it.

[B]

And I guess I would add, like, authenticity. That's really important. You know, we're taught in school to you. Sure. We have professional boundaries, we do a lot of academic writing, blah, blah, blah, boring. Anyways, that's why I never got a PhD research. But anyways, in regards to marketing and branding and your voice is, your voice has a personality and so doesn't your brand. And that really needs to come through your marketing messages. One of the things that we talk about is that a lot of times either you are or were your ideal client or you're very closely related to your ideal client. This is where Kate's talking about like your why there was probably a reason that you got into therapy. I don't know, maybe you're a foster kid and you want to help foster kids or you know, maybe you had a mother in law that dealt with addiction. So there's some form of connection. And you know your ideal client very intimately. And it's, it's important to do what we do best as therapists is empathize. And that's when we empathize and validate through our marketing messages and talk about the pain that people are experiencing. You really stay true to that. And that feels good, right? Like it feels good when someone knows me, feels good when they're reaching out to me or know that I can help them, vice versa, you know what I'm saying? And so, you know, then value people will want to work with you because they know that you're the one to provide them value. Cool. Great question. I love these questions. Our next question comes from Michelle Sobin. And this is a little bit more about ideal client and niche. And Michelle is from the Chicago Psychological Health Center. So Michelle had a ton of questions actually for us and we really wanted to focus more specifically on identifying, working with your ideal client. But talking a little bit more about strategy here. So Kate and I talk about target market, ideal client and niche. And so your target market is the overall general population or area that you're focusing on, whether it's addictions, whether it's couples, whether it's children, whether it's men in a certain age range. And your ideal client is really more the intimate, knowing that person of that subset. Right. So really looking at maybe it's pregnant women who have an addiction, right. So that would be the ideal client and really understanding them intimately and then moving on to your niches, how you provide that service for them. Maybe you provide that in a halfway house setting, maybe you do in home therapy. So it's really what makes you unique. And so a lot of times what we hear and again, we totally did. This was running after all the shiny objects trying to figure out what works and strategies work as long as they have a really clear system. Some of the non negotiables we talk about is website SEO. Those are non negotiables to have. We definitely recommend getting on a Psychology Today profile for sure. That usually generates a decent amount of referrals for folks. But also you really want to identify what your natural talents are in regards to what you do well. Do you love presenting? Do you love training? Do you love networking? Do you absolutely hate networking and just trying to figure out where you fit. But what's most important is allowing yourself to stand out in the crowd, right? So even if you just work with children and adolescents, that's the target market. But what's the ideal client in that children and adolescents who do what that are affected by trauma, children, adolescents who you know, have academic issues is you need to continue to narrow down that area to really help your marketing and help you stand out and then really talk about that unique service delivery.

[A]

The goal is really to be visible. You want to create a strong presence in the community and you also want to create a strong presence online and being visible in a way that you're easily searchable and findable. And you, your ideal clients can really connect with you or the referral sources that are going to be referring. Your ideal clients can connect with you. So you really do want to have that strong, really great website and online presence and then also connecting with people. If you're more of an introverted person and you don't love big networking events and you want to do something more one on one, that's always an option for that. There's a lot of different strategies for going about that.

[B]

Another important thing, we probably don't like to talk about math too much as therapists unless. Unless we love math. One essential thing is tracking and measuring is you need to do something for three, more than more than three months, usually is like six months and track and measure what's working, what's not working. And the only way you can tell that is your numbers. So it's important to understand like where your referrals are coming from, what's working, what's not working. So you can decide where to put your time, energy and money and then also outsource things that you don't enjoy. You're not an expert in. Like for me, it's totally technology and SEO. That is no secret.

[A]

Yes, definitely.

[B]

So we hope that answers your question. Our next question Comes from Dale Latte. And Dale's question is focused a little bit on niche, and Dale's from Lotte Psychological Associates. So I've been practicing as a generalist, a clinical psychologist for 21 years, and having a hard time narrowing my focus and picking out a niche and specialty. Any suggestions? Get unstuck. And I've narrowed my practice down to age 17 plus, but I can't seem to pick a niche. Cool. So I know we're kind of tackling this, and I'll let you offer your perspective.

[A]

Yeah. So I would. Well, what other clinicians that we've coached have found to be really helpful is to sit down and to really think in your mind, what are the last five to seven clients that you've seen within the age range that you're referring to here around age 17, that what did they have in common when you left your sessions and you were feeling energized and excited and, oh, wow, that was an amazing session, or that, you know, you just leave feeling excited and rewarded and fulfilled, and you feel like you're doing your best work with that particular client? What are the commonalities between those clients when you sit down and you have their charts in front of you or you have their images in your mind? What are the commonalities? What are the themes that are running? Are there similar presenting problems and pain points? Are there certain goals that they have in common that they're working towards? What is it about those clients that you love working with the most? And then what is it that you bring that's unique to those clients in terms of the services you provide, in terms of your strengths as a clinician and how you connect with them to really get clear on both who your ideal clients are and then your niche and what you bring to meet the needs of those ideal clients? You can have more than one ideal client. You don't have to just have one ideal client. You can have several. If you want to have two to three ideal clients, that's totally awesome. You just want to get really clear about who they are, what their pain points are, what they're longing for most in life, and what the results and the transformation or the goals that they're working towards so that you can really think about how it is that your services can help them get what they really want in life.

[B]

And the niche part is really how you deliver that service that's unique to you, and that's really important, whether it's, you know, creative therapies, art therapy, painting, sculpting, whether it's equine assisted psychotherapy. You do online therapy. You do, you speak several languages. Those are really important things. And I would say even getting a little bit more clear on your ideal client. Seventeen plus is really broad. So when you're trying to reach too many, you're not reaching anybody at time. The. The same time. And I guess I would have some further questions is I would ask yourself if you were at a party and someone asked you about something about that you do or something specific about what you do, and you, like, could talk for like an hour and a half and you get so excited and people are captivated by what you're talking about. Think about that population. Think about that maybe issue or problem that you help people with that's probably really in alignment to who that ideal client is. And just really doing some research. Also maybe check out the books that you're reading. You know, if you come to my house, you'll probably notice all the business, entrepreneur books, marketing and money. I love talking about those things. And so obviously we help people with a lot of that stuff. So, you know, check out the books that you're. You're reading. What are you always talking about? What is it you could talk about for hours? So that might also help you kind of identify where to go in finding your ideal client. And then your niche, that really cool specialty that you offer. Awesome, Dale, I hope that answers your question. Thanks so much. So the next question comes from Beth Rosenchier. I'm hoping I pronounced that correctly. And this question is focused more on the networking, specifically, like how to get doctor referrals. So, you know, what we help people do is really go through that vision, mission, culture, that dream lifestyle, the ideal client, the branding, the niche, and everything like that. And then we kind of get into strategy. So strategy is really important. But we also recommend you do all the stuff that we talked about first before you get into strategy. A lot of times people go to strategy first first. It's a logical step. I totally get it. Makes sense, totally been there, done that, made that mistake. But without really identifying all the things that we're talking about, it doesn't make you stand apart from others. You might just be another person stopping by the doctor's office hoping to get referrals, and you really don't want to do that. And in our friend Jo Muirhead's words, and I took her five favorite people networking course, which was amazing. So if you guys really want to know how to network effectively, I definitely recommend that. And we'll also put her Podcast on networking in the Show Notes page. So you can listen to us talk to her about that. But you know, Jo talks about really identifying people, number one, that you want to hang out with, that you want to build a relationship with. Because networking really should be about relationship building. Someone you care about, you genuinely care about, you, you're wondering about them. You maybe have their birth date in your calendar because you want to wish them happy birthday. Not just because. And also people who hold your ideal client so assuring that, and this is why it's so important to know your ideal client first, is you're not going to go to doctor's office, right? I don't know, maybe you're an infertility specialist, right? Well, then that would help you identify what doctors to seek out, but also doctors in regards to the ones that you want to build a relationship with. And really, interestingly enough, with doctor's office, you're actually usually building the relationship with the gatekeeper, and the gatekeeper is usually the front desk person. So when you have a brand, brand really makes you stand out. I know that I, I did some. This woman was my business coaching, and she had this really cool thing where she actually, you know, I'm going to talk about your smile.

[A]

Don't go bananas.

[B]

Don't go bananas.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So she did. I think her area was like assisted living facilities. But what she did is she would make these little mini banana breads, and on the back of them it said, don't go bananas, contact me and I'll, like, help you, or something like that. And so that really made her stand out. And so when you're working with gatekeepers and things like that, you're building relationship with, with the person at the front desk. And it's probably just dropping by to see how they're doing. Or maybe you had a conversation with them or you overheard them talking about, I don't know, they love homemade apple pie. I'm not really sure. And you just happen to know a best bakery in town that makes awesome pie. And maybe you buy a pie and you drop it off and be like, hey, it's assistance day or secretary's day, and I was just thinking about you, and they'll just be really touched. So it's important. But again, it's about nurturing the relationship. It's not just about trying to get. A lot of times people see networking as a transaction. All right, I'm coming to you. I have something to offer you. Please take it. And I don't know if you guys have ever had that feeling where people are trying to, like, offer you something, and you're like, but I don't want that. I'm good. Or it's like the people at the mall, at the kiosks, right? Like, they chase you down. Oh, do you want your hair curled? You're like, I don't. My hair is 2 inches. No, it's not gonna happen here. Well, my hair is not 2 inches, but, yeah, like, you're trying to fit, you know, a square peg in a round hole. And so, again, really looking at networking as relationship building.

[A]

Yeah. One of our coaches recently, she was telling me a story. She is a psychologist who does psychological evaluations and testing and works a lot with kids in schools. And she showed up to one of the schools that she had had a child, that she was doing a full battery of testing and everything. And she had reached out to the school and collaborated with them, kind of went through the back door, which is the best way to go organically at building the relationships with. Of course, you have to have your clients sign a release of information for you to collaborate with them, but that's a really organic, kind of, like, in the back door way of building relationships with potential treatment stakeholders in the community. So she had gone through the back door. She nurtured this relationship with the guidance counselor at the school. And she recently went by the school and dropped off a whole nice little pastry presentation and just dropped it off and said, hope you have a sweet summer with her business card and little thank you card for a recent referral that they had sent. And they called and they were blown away and just said, oh, we'd love to have you come present to all of our teachers at the school. And we also want to do a parenting presentation as well. So she's really nurturing that relationship and getting her foot in the door and providing value and just helping herself to be memorable. Yeah.

[B]

And that's really important. It's funny, this morning I was listening to BiggerPockets podcast, which is a real estate podcast, and Grant Cardone. So I knew you, and no real estate. He's, like, big in the real estate business. But he said that he was going for this, like, 1100 unit, like, rental property, and there was, like, 39 people going after it. And the broker knew everyone except him. And so what he did is he actually did a video of himself and sent the video with the proposal. And, you know, with technology and stuff like that, he could tell the 18 people, or they watched the video at least 18, 18 times. Well, that Gave him the in. Right. So he made himself memorable and stuck out even when people didn't know him. So when you're thinking about like marketing to a saturated market or, well, you know, there's 10 other people going to the doctor's office, again, like Kate said, is how do you stand out even when they don't know you? So great question, Beth. We hope that was helpful. Farrah Van Gendren asked us more about networking and partnering with others, and this one is in. Farrah is from Reconnections. So this question is a little bit more about mindset. So I'd like to learn more about marketing or partnering with other agencies. So definitely all the stuff that we just answered for Beth, I would definitely refer to that question. How do you get past other people's limiting mindset that says there isn't enough to go around?

[A]

Oh, scarcity, dun, dun, dun, Scarcity mindset. Yeah. You know, if your mindset is all off or if you're tapped into any of this fear based stuff, it's really going to seep in and influence every aspect of your marketing and of your experience with business and other people's experience of you as well. Let me tell you something. There are plenty of clients to go around, plenty of clients to go around, and there's certainly no shortage of people who are needing your help in this world. And so we really want to invite you to shift into that perspective of abundance. And when you're really tapped into that, it changes your experience. Because when people call, it's not this pressure, oh my gosh, I have to, I have to sell myself. I have to, I have to do this hard sell. I have to get them to book a session with me. I have to, you know, get them in. And of course you need money to run a business, but if you're running your business and you're chasing after the money, you're so worried about it that that is going to come across and how people experience you and it's going to be a big turn off. So when you're really passionate about what you do and you're attracting your ideal clients, you're putting the marketing messages out there that are really attracting the people that you love working with and you do your best work with, then you're going to be attracting more of that abundance and there won't be that pressure to have to convert calls into clients and you get to really work with people that you love most and it just, it really changes the experience.

[B]

Right. And so sometimes when we're in a Certain place around that mindset, it might be because others are thinking that and it kind of seeps in. And so I definitely recommend finding some new friends or colleagues or plugging yourself in places where, you know, people do have an abundance mindset, where people are growing and advancing. You know, I used to work for a woman who always said, I always hire people smarter than me because, you know, when you hire people smarter than you is collectively you guys can grow. So really just kind of tapping in. Number one, I would do some of my own inner work. What's going on for me around this, you know, what are the pressures? What am I feeling? Is it a money mindset? Thing is that I'm scared about being a business owner, but I also tap into just like feeding off the collective energy of others who are really in the abundance mindset. And that can help you shift that aspect. But like Kate said, there's plenty of folks having problems. I don't think therapy will ever go out of style.

[A]

I mean, it's really, it's a recession proof industry. Even, even during the recession, there's never a shortage of people. Even more so during the recession, people needing therapy.

[B]

So our last question comes from Renee Lapin, who's actually a local therapist. So that's really cool.

[A]

Hey, Renee.

[B]

Hey. And Renee asked question about personalized thank you gifts. So this is really cool. So what are some ethical thank you gifts that we can give our referral sources besides providing excellent service? Something other than trinkets with your business name printed on it. So like that Renee talks about like ethical gifts.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So we have to be very cautious of the whole what am I thinking? Kickbacks, rebates, bonuses and things like that is that we don't want to provide like referral fees and things like that. And sometimes gift giving can be seen like that. Again, I just, you know, my answers a lot of times go back to branding and being memorable. So it's really important. I mean, personally, I don't like a lot of the cheap promo stuff like a pen or a pad of paper just really wouldn't do it for me. I like to be known by people and people really understand me and then kind of get me a specialized gift. One of the things that I have done for one year or a year and a half, people whoever had referred to me, I got these really cool keychains. They were really nice keychains from Vaudeville.

[A]

So Vaudeville is actually a place that.

[B]

We get our stuff, our inspiration toolbox. And the keychain was thank you for making a difference and still today, I'll run into people who I had sent the keychain with a nice little card, and they still have their keychain with them. And so that's a reminder of me.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And a thank you to them.

[A]

Yeah, that's a great thank you. There was actually a story that popped into my mind, and then I got captivated by your story, and I can't remember what the story was. Oh, it came back to me. Our friend Claudia Zaburski, she is a branding strategist and expert. She was actually on an earlier podcast. We'll link to that podcast so you guys can listen to that episode as well. There was a knock at my door at the office maybe a couple months ago, and someone delivered this beautiful personalized thank you gift for me. And it had a candle that had her logo on it and this beautiful arrangement of flowers and a little card, and she had something very cute and clever on the outside. And it was so thoughtful and it was so on brand for her. And it totally made my day and made me think of her. And we referred a lot of people to her for the branding expertise, and it was just a way of her saying thank you for that. So it was really a very touching thing that totally made my day just to be able to get that. And it was very on brand and just reminded me about why I really love to collaborate with her and how awesome she is at what she does. So when you're thinking about what to give, you would want to give something that would be on brand and then something that would be value by the person that you're giving it to. So it could be that you drop off, like, a beautiful orchid arrangement for their office that they get to. It's kind of the gift that keeps on giving. Even after all the flowers fall off, it blooms again. Or maybe you're dropping off a little thank you note with a little Starbucks gift card. Just something small, but just something to let them know that you're thinking of them and that you appreciate the relationship that you have with them. And it's not just for, hey, thanks for the referrals. It's hey, thanks for. Thanks for doing what you do. Thanks for making a difference. Thanks for being in my life and collaborating.

[B]

Yeah. So again, just making it really personal and specific to that person. And I thought of a little saying as you were talking about, like, the Starbucks gift card. It'd be like something like, hey, I love your energy. Stay caffeinated. Here's a Starbucks gift card. So just things like that things that are personal of you, they're on brand, but also personal to them. So guys, this has been really fun to be able to connect with you guys and answer your questions. We so appreciate you guys taking the time to write us and ask us about branding and marketing. And don't forget, we have our branding marketing E course. Either it's almost ready by the time you hear this podcast, or it's already ready and we're already doing it and it's live and it's happening. But it's really been our passion, our baby, for like the last year and a half. So you can check that out@private practicestartup.com I believe that's on the Events tab, but we'll also put it on the Show Notes for sure.

[A]

And we'll make sure to link the the actual page where you can see all about the our E course and coaching. We're doing a little bit of a hybrid model, so we'll make sure to put that link in the Show Notes page so that you can easily access it and you can listen to the episode that we did all about our branding and marketing E course.

[B]

That's exciting and hopefully you'll be joining us for that if that resonates with you and you're really wanting some helping with branding and marketing. It's just been a joy and we're amazed by the results that people are getting. So that's just so exciting for us. I call it the chill factor. So thanks guys for hanging out with us today. It's been a special episode. Thank you so much for celebrating our 100th episode with us and we look forward to another 100 episodes. Plus plus plus. So I guess, well, you have to write us and tell us what we should be doing for our 200th or 150. I'm not really sure. So next week we have Pia Arendelle on the podcast where she talks about how to pass your audits, your insurance audit. So for those of you who are on insurance panels and might be freaked out about getting audited, she will help you. Very cool as a cucumber. Learn how to pass that. And don't forget we talked a lot about different things, different podcasts, other resources. Make sure you check out the Show Notes page for all of those information, hyperlinks and all that great stuff and we'd love for you to show us some love. So if you really enjoyed this podcast or you're enjoying this podcast, if you want to review us on itunes or Facebook or Google, we just Love that. Because when we hear that stuff from you, it just keeps us going. So we really appreciate that.

[A]

That's our why, right?

[B]

That is our why. That is our why. Well, you know, I really became present to, well, my why for our why or our mission. Because when we were at Russell Brunson, I remember I turned to you and I said, I really got it. Like, you know, we have to help other therapists do what they do because if we don't, we're failing people for the opportunity to have someone's life changed by this person. Because we know that 80% of of business owners after five years don't make it right. And so that's really why we do what we do, because we know that there's some amazing, talented therapists out there and if they're not out there in the world of private practice because they struggled, we want you out there. We want you doing the work that you do. People need you. Yeah, Kate just simplified it for me.

[A]

Thanks. People need you.

[B]

So also, we'd love for you to share this with your close friends and colleagues who want to know more about branding and marketing and just, just about how to build a private practice overall. So thank you for allowing us to inspire you from startup to mastery. Check us out on Facebook. We'll hang out and see you there. Have a fantastic day, everybody.

[A]

Bye, everybody. Thanks for joining us on the private practice startup. Visit theprivatepracticestartup.com for awesome resources, free training, attorney approved private practice paperwork, and so much more.