Episode Overview

Title: How to Create, Grow and Build a Network That Helps You Stay FULL in Private Practice
Podcast: Private Practice Startup Podcast, Episode 91
Date: June 23, 2018
Hosts: Katie Lemieux (solo for this episode; Dr. Kate Campbell absent)
Guest: Jo Muirhead, Rehabilitation Consultant and Networking Expert (Australia)

This episode explores the essentials of building an effective professional network for mental health practitioners, with tangible strategies to remain fully booked in private practice. Special guest Jo Muirhead shares her “Five Favorite People” system, offering insights into authentic networking, relationship-building, and sustaining practice growth without burnout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Problem with Traditional Networking for Therapists

• Networking Fatigue and Transaction Mentality

  • Katie shares her exhaustion from traditional networking events, feeling overextended and not receiving reciprocal referrals.
  • Jo critiques “transactional” networking: “People think that these business networking events are going to be a transaction. I turn up, I give you a business card, you're going to get clients through the door. And it never, ever works like that.” (08:26 - Jo)

• Finding Your Circle

  • Jo emphasizes that effective networking is about building genuine relationships with a select few rather than trying to connect with everyone:
    • “You don't want to be building relationships with hundreds of people. Which is why my program is called Five Favorite People.” (08:52 - Jo)

2. The ‘Five Favorite People’ Concept

• Relationship Over Transaction

  • Develop a small, meaningful network (ideally five people) who:
    • Enjoy collaborating with you and have access to your ideal clients
    • Will actively recommend and refer you to prospective clients
  • “If that's the only thing I do, then my practice is full.” (09:02 - Jo)

• Deepening Relationships

  • Focus on nurturing connections with those who share values and serve similar client populations.
  • Example: When Jo needs more clients, she directly calls her close network and receives referrals.

3. Identifying and Engaging Your Ideal Network

• Who Holds Your Ideal Clients?
  • Pinpoint professionals who encounter your target clients before they reach you (e.g., for couples therapists, not just divorce attorneys, but also faith-based leaders, trauma therapists, etc.).
    • “Who has the most of your ideal client?” (12:37 - Katie paraphrasing Jo)
  • Leverage ripple effects: “If those five people know ten people that have access to your ideal client...they’re effectively marketing you.” (13:28 - Jo)

4. Moving Away from the Sales Pitch

• Conversational & Service-Oriented Networking

  • Avoid handing out business cards for the sake of it; focus on genuine curiosity and service:
    • “Just ask people, ‘How can I be of help to you? What do you need?’” (18:36 - Katie)
    • “One of my favorite questions is, ‘What’s the thing that’s stressing you out the most at the moment?’” (21:15 - Jo)

• Practice and Authenticity

  • Therapeautic skills like open-ended questions and rapport-building are natural assets in marketing and networking.
  • “Stop trying to be this thing called a marketer and just be yourself.” (21:36 - Jo)

5. Overcoming Objections and Rejection

• Handling Resistance Gracefully
  • Practicing how to respond to objections (about money, time, trust) helps you support potential clients in getting the help they need (28:44 onwards).
  • Handling sales-like conversations ethically and compassionately, not “hard-nosed.”
    • “If you've ever had to get a small child to bed when they didn’t want to go to bed, then you know how to handle objections.” (30:53 - Jo)
  • Mentor or facilitate, rather than “close” in a pushy way.

6. Practical Course Insights (Jo’s “Five Favorite People” Course)

• Active Implementation

  • Course is action-driven with weekly accountability, coaching, and feedback.
  • Not mostly content, but about putting strategies into practice: “Don’t turn up to the course if you’re not prepared to take some action...the content is going to be useless to you unless you go implement.” (27:35 - Jo)

• Creating Comfortable Boundaries

  • Learn how to say “no” to draining or mismatched networking requests.
  • Select relationships that energize, not exhaust.

7. Building Confidence in Self-Presentation

• Simple Messaging
  • Ditch clinical jargon; describe what you do in terms clients and referrers understand:
    • “When clients come and see me, they are crap, awful, and horrible. We do some stuff together and they walk away feeling empowered, transformed and in control of their life.” (22:12 - Jo)
  • Focus messaging on outcomes and benefits, not methods or titles.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Transactional Networking:
  “The transaction mentality is the thing that I really teach against...We need to be building relationships with people and they take time and effort.” — Jo (08:26)

• On the Importance of Being Genuine:
  “Stop trying to be this thing called a marketer and just be yourself. Have a natural conversation with somebody.” — Jo (21:36)

• On Therapy’s Value:
  “We give people their lives back. What price can you put on that? It shouldn't be $60 a session.” — Jo (32:42)

• On Sales in Therapy:
  “You will never sell someone on something they don’t want to buy...If you have something of value, it’s your duty to sell.” — Katie (31:50-32:26 paraphrased)

• On Building a Network:
  “When I needed more clients, I had this very small pool of people that I enjoyed working with that had access to the clients that I enjoyed working with and who wanted to collaborate with me. So I found myself being able to pick up the phone...and go, hey, guess what? I've got space on my caseload. Is there anybody you would like some help with? Now, invariably, every time I do that...we get new clients.” — Jo (10:39)

Noteworthy Segment Timestamps

• 03:58: Jo Muirhead introduced, shares thoughts on equine-assisted therapy
• 06:10: Katie shares background on her networking struggles; Jo validates the exhaustion—beginning the problem-solution framework
• 08:26: The myth of transactional networking and why “Five Favorite People” works
• 12:37: Identifying who has access to your ideal client
• 18:36: Using therapist skills as natural marketing and networking tools
• 21:15 / 21:36: How to make networking more approachable and enjoyable
• 24:16: The value of practicing your networking and messaging skills
• 27:35: Overview and structure of Jo’s course, action focus
• 28:44: Live discussion on handling objections, the ethics of “closing” clients in therapy
• 30:53: “If you've ever had to get a small child to bed when they didn’t want to go to bed, then you know how to handle objections.”
• 32:42: The transformational value of therapy, advocating for charging appropriately
• 33:30: Jo offers a special free mini-training for listeners (how to prep for networking conversations)

Action Steps & Takeaways

• Start Small: Identify and nurture five key professional relationships that complement your services and client base.
• Be Authentic: Approach networking as relationship-building, not as a transaction or exchange of business cards.
• Use Therapist Superpowers: Your clinical skills—rapport, curiosity, open-ended questions—are potent networking assets.
• Elevate Your Message: Ditch technical jargon; communicate benefits and outcomes.
• Implement and Reflect: Practice networking, ask for feedback, and refine how you describe your work and value.
• Set Boundaries: Learn to say no to draining or off-target networking requests.
• Join Community: Seek out collaborative opportunities (e.g., group meetings with complementary professionals).

Free Resource & Course Opportunity

• Jo's Free Giveaway for Startup Nation:
  A five-part email and video training series on prepping for networking conversations (see show notes for link).

Final Thought

“We give people their lives back. What price can you put on that?” — Jo Muirhead (32:42)

This episode is a must-listen for practitioners wanting to create a thriving private practice built on genuine, sustainable relationships rather than quick fixes or overwhelming tactics.