Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Private Practice Startup Podcast
Episode: 177 A: Andrew’s Success Story – Leveling Up and Creating a Training Business
Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Dr. Andrew Dobo
Date: March 14, 2020

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features Dr. Andrew (Andy) Dobo, an alum of the Private Practice Startup coaching program, who shares his journey of evolving from a thriving therapy practice into launching successful EMDR training workshops. The discussion focuses on “leveling up” as a mental health entrepreneur—adding new revenue streams, stepping into the role of educator, and overcoming the learning curve of branding, marketing, and course delivery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Andy’s Unconventional Journey to Therapy and Training

• Origins as a Composer and Teacher:
  Andy started as a musician and found he naturally built rapport with people, even while teaching piano, igniting his interest in meaningful conversations and dreams (03:36).
• Influence of Jungian Thought:
  Inspired by Jung’s idea of “making your place in the world” before entering therapy, Andy kept the path in mind through his early career (03:36).
• Transition to Private Practice:
  EMDR became a key differentiator; his early adoption and expertise attracted clients, leading to word-of-mouth growth (08:27, 10:16).

Steps to Building a Thriving Practice

• Finding a Niche: EMDR success “niche’d out” Andy in the local therapy market, fueling long-lasting referral relationships (10:16).
• Advice to Young Therapists:
  “I think young therapists have to try out different things until they sort of find a thing that fits for them” (11:11).

Motivation to Level Up: Moving from Practice to Training

• Catalyst Event:
  A serendipitous invitation to assist an EMDR training revealed his accumulated expertise and the impact he could make, leading him to launch his own trainings (14:42).
  “I realized I know a lot, and I didn’t realize I knew a lot. I just thought everybody knew what I knew” (14:42).

• Desire for Diversification:
  Andy noticed his own pattern of needing new challenges every 12-15 years to avoid stagnation (14:42).

Working with the Private Practice Startup: Learning Business Foundations

• "I want to know how to take people's money so easily and quickly!"
  Andy humorously shares how he first encountered Kate & Katie through a seamless online sign-up and realized he needed to understand these systems for his own business (05:44).
• Coaching Takeaways:
  • Foundations of marketing, email collection, lead magnets, branding, and culture statement
  • Redesigning his logo and branding using resources like 99designs (17:56)
  • Writing a clear, succinct vision and mission (“teach, help, and heal”) (23:42)
  • Learning to craft marketing messages that speak to pain points and solutions (22:40)
  • “People don’t buy what’s best, they just buy what they understand” (16:48)

Navigating Growing Pains and Successes

• Trial and Error with Marketing & Tech:
  Finding the right help for tech and marketing was challenging, but essential; “The mistakes, I think, are just kind of part of learning” (20:10).
• Results of Improved Marketing:
  Using the marketing formula taught in coaching increased training sign-ups—from a handful to a dozen per university outreach (22:40).

Expanding Impact and Professional Growth

• Regular EMDR Training Schedule:
  Now runs one to two five-day trainings per month, with 10 hours of follow-up consultation per attendee, effectively creating recurring revenue streams (27:48).
• Personal and Professional Benefits:
  • Keeps therapy work engaging and avoids burnout
  • Creates flexibility—can work from home regularly
  • Reignited passion and curiosity; “It just keeps me, I think, engaged and creative… I just look forward to every day” (29:04)

Brand and Identity

• Vision Statement:
  "Teach, help, and heal" (23:42)
• Defining the ‘Why’:
  Inspired by Simon Sinek's “Start With Why”—Andy's why is “to transform lives,” not just for clients, but for therapists (25:06).
• Marketing Insights:
  Andy learned to spot the power of emotional appeals and pain points in all advertising, reflecting on how emotional connection drives engagement (26:19).

Advice for Therapists Considering Leveling Up

• On the Value of Coaching:
  “If I had access to you guys when I was starting… I'd be a fool not to take your advice because it takes a lot longer [on your own]” (31:46).
• Leverage Resources:
  Highlights the abundance of free and paid resources, and the continued utility of skills learned in coaching (31:46).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We’re supposed to change, and the change is kind of our truth… Most of us resist change, but it’s how we get to continue to live our truth.”
  —Dr. Andrew Dobo quoting Jung (04:58)
• “I want to know how to take people’s money so easily and quickly!”
  —Dr. Andrew Dobo, on his motivation to work with the hosts (05:44)
• “You just want to have a message that people understand… People don’t buy what’s best, they buy what they understand.”
  —Dr. Andrew Dobo, on branding and marketing (16:48)
• “My vision is to teach, help, and heal.”
  —Dr. Andrew Dobo, on his personal and business vision (23:42)
• “I lead with why. My why is to transform lives.”
  —Dr. Andrew Dobo (25:06)
• “It keeps me engaged and creative, and I just look forward to every day.”
  —Dr. Andrew Dobo, reflecting on added revenue streams and teaching (29:04)
• “If I had access to you guys when I was starting my private practice, I’d be a fool not to take your advice.”
  —Dr. Andrew Dobo, on the value of coaching (31:46)

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Key Point | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:36 | Andy shares his path from music to therapy, influence of Jung | | 04:58 | Importance of embracing change ("all true things change…") | | 05:44 | How Andy discovered the hosts and his desire to learn business systems | | 10:16 | Discussion on EMDR as a practice differentiator & finding a niche | | 14:42 | Pivoting into EMDR training—discovering the depth of his expertise | | 16:48 | Lessons from coaching: branding, marketing, culture, and “the why” | | 20:10 | Growing pains—finding effective tech and marketing help | | 22:40 | Marketing breakthrough: pain-focused messaging drives sign-ups | | 23:42 | Andy’s concise vision statement | | 25:06 | Andy’s “why” and the ripple effect of training therapists | | 27:48 | Details of Andy’s current EMDR training schedule | | 29:04 | Personal and professional impact of diversified work | | 31:46 | Advice to therapists: “I’d be a fool not to take your advice…” | | 33:40 | Details of Andy’s discount offer for his training |

Resources & Offers Mentioned

• Andy’s EMDR Book:
  Unburdening Souls at the Speed of Thought by Dr. Andrew Dobo
• Training Offer:
  $100 off Andy’s EMDR training (use code EMDR100 at registration at emdreducatorsofflorida.com)
• Branding Resource:
  99designs for logo creation
• Book Recommended:
  Simon Sinek’s Start With Why
• Private Practice Startup Free Resources:
  A-Z Practice Building Cheat Sheet, podcast episodes, and more at privatepracticestartup.com

Summary

This episode offers a candid, often entertaining look at how clinicians can evolve from “just doing therapy” to becoming entrepreneurial educators. Dr. Andrew Dobo’s story is full of practical insights for practitioners looking to add revenue streams, brand authentically, and build systems that allow their expertise to scale. The conversation highlights the value of coaching, the inevitability of mistakes, the impact of strong branding, and the importance of continually reconnecting to both your “why” and your community as you grow your business.