Podcast Summary

Podcast: Private Practice Startup Podcast
Episode: #190: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Launching an Online Product or Service
Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Laura Long (Your Badass Therapy Practice)
Date: June 13, 2020

Overview: Episode Theme & Purpose

This episode dives deep into the realities of launching an online product or service as a mental health entrepreneur. Dr. Kate Campbell, Katie Lemieux, and returning guest Laura Long candidly share their experiences—discussing the highs, lows, and unpredictable challenges—of building, launching, and growing online offerings for therapists and private practice owners.

The purpose is to demystify the process, validate the emotional rollercoaster, provide actionable insights for therapists considering the leap into the online business world, and offer reassurance that even seasoned professionals encounter setbacks and surprises.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Launch Online? The Motivation Behind the Madness

• Financial Freedom
  • Laura Long shares her catalyst: massive student debt.

    “I had a crap ton of student loans to pay off… That was my ‘why’... After maybe 10 years, looked and I actually owed more than I did originally. After paying like a thousand dollars a month for 10 years.” (05:02)

  • Inspired to find a new income stream, Laura was able to pay off $88,000 in 18 months through her online business.

    “I was able to pay off $88,000 in 18 months.” (05:56)

• Expanding Reach & Passive Income
  • Kate & Katie started with face-to-face trainings, recognized the limits, and shifted to online products (like their attorney-approved paperwork and marketing e-course) to impact more people and generate income beyond the therapy room.

    “Online you can reach so many more people… And once you have a couple launches under your belt and you have it all systemized, it's really easy… and then watch the sales come in.” (07:10)

2. The Good: Wins, Joys, and Fulfillment

• Life-Changing Impact

  • Achieved major financial and personal milestones, from paying off loans to buying dream homes, sending kids to good schools, and making once-primary practices “side gigs.”

    “I never thought this would happen, but my therapy practice is now my side hustle...” (08:21)

  • Scale and impact: Helping hundreds of therapists means indirectly helping thousands of clients.

    “If I help 200 therapists and they end up getting full caseloads... then I'm essentially helping thousands or tens of thousands of people every single month.” (15:25)

• Freedom and Flexibility

  • More time to spend on passion projects, creativity, and the parts of the business they love.
  • Ability to travel, cut back on client hours, and keep business running even during life events (e.g., Kate prepping for maternity leave).

    “At this point I'm not seeing any more clients. I'm able to focus on the bigger side of growing the business… [and] spend pretty much all my time on the private startup.” (09:43)

• Meaningful Relationships & Community

  • Strong, collaborative relationships with alumni, clients, and even perceived “competitors” in the field.

    “Those relationships are long lasting… it's really exciting… It's not like they buy a product from you and it's over. Like, that's just the beginning.” (13:09)

  • Collaboration over competition: “We play in the same sandbox… We completely support each other. And it's always collaboration, never competition.” (40:17)

• Process Mastery

  • When systems are finally ironed out, launches become smoother and more enjoyable.

    “When you have something and it becomes systemized and it works well… you can kind of show up and do the work that you love.” (12:30)

  • Using different sides of your “brain” is refreshing—switching between clinical, business, and creative modes.

3. The Bad & The Ugly: Real-World Obstacles and Stressors

(This section is merged, as discussed on the show)

• Tech Fiascos & Launch Disasters

  • Tech fails always happen; it’s almost a rite of passage.

    “It's not a good launch unless there's some tech fiasco.” (17:51)

  • Laura recounts her worst blunder: choosing a webinar platform that let only 100 out of 500 registrants join.

    “I sign off at the end and I check my email and I have 80 emails of angry people who couldn’t get in... I was mortified.” (20:34)

  • Katie tells of a spreadsheet mishap that nearly gave away paid paperwork for free—panic, sweat, and swift teamwork ensued.

    “I went to move the list into another list… basically everyone who registered for our webinar was about to get our paperwork for free... I just felt, like, sweat coming over me. Like, panic.” (21:56)

• Physical & Emotional Exhaustion

  • Life doesn’t pause for launches—illness (the flu), natural disasters (Hurricanes!), and personal emergencies crash into carefully-laid plans.

    “The last launch… I got the flu during launch week… I just had to cancel everything.” (23:15) “There was… a massive Category 5 hurricane that’s… beelining for us… So it became like a three week long launch. It was the never ending launch…” (25:06)

• Emotional Swings: Waiting & Uncertainty

  • Sales patterns follow a “reverse U”—big burst at open, a soul-crushing lull, then a last-minute rush.

    “By Wednesday, I have zero sales. Like, there's nothing coming in. It's just complete crickets…” (29:17)

  • The anxiety of constant “refresh” checking and internalized self-doubt creeps in.

    “If you don't know that, you're constantly going through email. Like, does someone purchase, oh, maybe, maybe I'm not refreshed. Let me refresh again, let me refresh again.” (27:20)

• Goal Setting vs. Reality

  • Having “pie in the sky” revenue goals often leads to disappointment; it’s important to detach from numbers and return to purpose—making an impact.

    “I get disappointed with the numbers… then I have to remove myself from the numbers and just get really present to what we're up to.” (33:00)

• Flexibility: Being Ready to Ditch the Plan

  • Sometimes strategies must change mid-launch—pivoting from webinars to phone consults if that's what is needed.

    “We had to like abandon Our whole marketing strategy right in the middle of the launch, and we had to switch into consultation calls because that's really what people were needing.” (34:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Working Through Tech Disasters

  “I check my email and I have 80 emails of angry people who couldn't get in... I spent a day trying to figure out... what the heck to do to make it right. So I re-recorded the webinar by myself… and people were grateful and gracious about it.”
  Laura Long, 20:34

• Big Picture Impact

  “If I help 200 therapists and they end up getting full caseloads... then I'm essentially helping thousands or tens of thousands of people every single month. That's just amazing.”
  Laura Long, 15:25

• Surviving Launch Lulls

  “There's pretty much a reverse U curve for all launches… Sunday night through Monday night, awesome… By Wednesday, I have zero sales. It’s just like complete crickets... the last 24 hours is when the bulk of people buy.”
  Laura Long, 28:48

• Restoring Perspective

  “At the end of the day it’s less about the number. Those numbers will come as long as we are doing things that really help the people who we serve. Once you lose sight of that, then the numbers will never come.”
  Laura Long, 33:12

• On Collaboration

  “We play in the same sandbox. We reach out to each other the most... We completely support each other. And it’s always collaboration, never competition.”
  Katie Lemieux, 40:17

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [04:39] – Deciding to become online entrepreneurs: Laura’s origin story
• [05:49] – Paying off $88,000 in student loans via online products
• [07:10] – Shifting from face-to-face to online for bigger reach
• [12:30-14:23] – Systemizing launches and building lasting alumni relationships
• [15:25] – The ripple effect of helping therapists at scale
• [17:51] – Tech fails: webinar meltdown story
• [21:56] – Near-miss: almost giving away products for free
• [23:15] – Launching through illness and life stressors
• [25:06] – Hurricane Dorian: The “never ending launch”
• [27:20] – The agony of the “refresh” button and sales lulls
• [33:12] – Getting perspective beyond revenue numbers
• [34:32] – Pivoting mid-launch to meet customer needs
• [35:35] – Final words: The importance of actually taking action and serving others with your ideas

Takeaways & Actionable Advice

• Get Out of Research Overwhelm:
  "It’s not until you’re actually just doing it that you learn stuff… find a problem you really want to solve and come up with creative solutions." (35:35)
• Expect Surprises:
  Tech fails, hurricanes, illness, and “ugly” moments will happen. Build in buffers, clear your schedule, and have a support system.
• Focus on Service Over Numbers:
  Financial growth comes from genuinely serving your audience—numbers are important, but don’t lose sight of your “why.”
• Collaboration Over Competition:
  Even in the same niche, mutual support accelerates growth and lessens isolation and stress.

Episode Tone & Language

The atmosphere is conversational, honest, vulnerable, and warm. There’s a sense of camaraderie between the hosts and Laura, with an emphasis on authenticity, growth, humor (especially around personal mishaps), and a deep desire to authentically empower fellow therapists.

In sum:
This episode is both a pep talk and a reality check for therapists eyeing digital entrepreneurship. With candid stories, hard-won wisdom, and encouragement to collaborate rather than compete, it’s a must-listen for anyone dreaming of launching their first—or next—online product or service.