Selling the Couch

Latest Episodes:

ENCORE: How To Invest Intelligently: Top Tips From A Certified Financial Planner Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

I have to admit that the topic of personal finance excites the nerd in me. I love reading and learning more about all things around finance! Investing intelligently and planning for retirement are often intimidating areas in which we can always benefit from expert advice. Join us to learn how you can make solid investment decisions and better prepare for your future.

Our Featured Guest-Dave Frank, Certified Financial Planner

Dave Frank is the founder of Turning Point Financial Life Planning, which focuses on helping clinicians in private practice manage their retirement and finances. Dave has the heart to empower therapists around money and finances so they can be more present and centered in all areas of personal and professional life. In today’s show, we will begin by looking at the information and misinformation about investing that have come forward during the pandemic. Dave shares strategies for financial management, including why investing in the stock market is a good idea. Our conversation turns to retirement options for solo and group practitioners and a brief look at cryptocurrency.

Turning Point Financial Life Planning

Use the promo code “STC” for 20% off Dave’s Quick Start Coaching Intensive!

You’ll Learn

● Why most people don’t know the basics of sound investing

● Why “passively managed, low-cost, tax-efficient mutual funds” are the best tools for long-term investing---(Dave explains the terminology!)

● The difference between investing and gambling for long-term financial goals

● The important question about investing: What are my goals?

● The basics of mutual funds

● A sound and simple investing strategy that Dave recommends

● Why your allocations should shift to funds with less volatility and less return as you near retirement age

● Dave’s investment advice for beginners about getting started with target-date accounts and emergency savings

● Why solo practitioners should be careful not to overcontribute to a retirement account

● Dave’s opinion about investing in cryptocurrency--does it make sense for therapists?

I know that many of us want to launch a successful online course whether it's to share our message with a larger audience or to diversify our income beyond 1:1 work.

Speaking from personal experience, I also know that there are a ton of barriers to getting started: the tech, the mental hurdles, being unsure of whether our course will make money, or even how to market and grow our online course.

Online Course School is a live 8-week cohort-based experience where you'll gather with other therapist course creators to create your online course. It includes teaching workshops from Mel and the STC team, weekly assignments, and opportunities to work together to get things done.

By the end of our time together, you'll have your lessons and modules outlined, know what tech, software, and platform you need to record your online course, have a working sales page, and have a concrete growth plan for your online course.

We'll be launching our first cohort in Sept 2021 with six members. If this sounds like something you'd love to be a

part of, please check out my free A to Z Online Course Guide.

The guide will help you learn from my mistakes over the past 6+ years of being an online course creator and the lessons I've learned from moving the Healthcasters podcasting course from a $297 first sale to over 275 students and passing the $200k revenue mark in 2021.

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice. With Alma, you’ll get the tools and resources you need to navigate insurance with ease, connect with referrals that are the right fit for your style, and streamline those time-consuming administrative tasks. That means less time buried in the details and more time focused on delivering exceptional care to your clients. You support your clients. Alma supports you. Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE—an exclusive offer for STC listeners.

ENCORE: A Live vs. Pre-Recorded Online Course Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

Today’s show is a live coaching call regarding a topic that has been very relevant to me recently. We are talking about the many nuances of online courses. I hope this episode will be helpful to you and bring new ideas if an online course is on your radar.

Our Featured Guest-Kristen Boice, LMFT

Kristen Boice is a therapist in private practice and a fellow podcaster. She has realized the need among her listeners for an online course. Her podcast, Close the Chapter, is about closing the chapter on certain things in our lives so we can open ourselves up to new opportunities. In today’s coaching call, I’ll share some lessons I’ve learned along the way about online courses. We’ll talk about the rationale behind creating a live course vs. a pre-recorded one. We will wrap up with a pre-launch strategy to help get buyers for your course before you launch.

Pathways To Healing Counseling

Kristen Boice

You’ll Learn

● Why Kristen started her podcast about two years ago to provide another opportunity for deeper work for her clients

● How an online course can help you get more information out to curious people

● The options for your course and other services

● Why niching down is a big challenge for therapists

● How Kristen sees the epidemic of people feeling “not good enough” and being scared to speak up

● How a niche can help you offer value and find your sweet spot

● How the best courses take people from one place to another

● Why Kristen focuses on helping with the hard conversations

● How to use phraseology that appeals to people and addresses their need

● Step-by-step actions to build your email list and create effective opt-ins

● How to create value on the front end of your course by validating your content

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: A Slow, Intentional Transition To Full Time Private Practice Aug 10, 2023

Show notes

Staying true to our values is important in the work we do as clinicians. True business success for us is not based solely on the revenue we generate but on many other important aspects, such as working in a way that our genuine gifts and talents show forth in the meaningful and purposeful work that we do. Join us to learn more.

Our Featured Guest-Jennifer Kasey, PsyD

Jennifer Kasey is a good friend, mentor, and sister in the Christian faith. She and I met way back in 2009 in Nashville, and I’m thrilled that she’s joining us today. She’ll share her perspective on making a slow and intentional transition to full-time private practice. She started as a psychologist at Vanderbilt’s University Counseling Center and then transitioned to a large healthcare system with a small private practice on the side. Over this decade of transitional change, Jennifer has learned many valuable lessons. She will share the logical steps she took in her transition to full-time private practice, the hard moments in the journey, and what she has cherished most about the process.

Redirection

Counseling

You’ll Learn

●Why the first logical step toward private practice for Jennifer was a whiteboard with color-coded short-term and long-term goals

●How she took the next steps of applying for her LLC, creating her website, setting up her business account, downloading bookkeeping software, updating her Psychology Today profile, and more

●A breakdown of Jennifer’s items included on her whiteboard--and why she still looks at it every day in her office

●How Jennifer’s mindset has changed as she gained confidence and let go of fear

●How the hard moments in private practice showed her to learn from the NOs

●How Jennifer learned to stay true to herself, her goals, and values and not live in the “shoulds”

●How Jennifer finds contentment in being herself and staying with her “true North”

●Why you can’t follow after someone else’s definition of success

●What Jennifer cherishes most about building her practice slowly and intentionally: freedom, creativity, and a sense of empowerment

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: How To Overcome The Crippling Fear Of Launching A New Product Or Service Aug 03, 2023

Show notes

In any solo episode, I love to be transparent in sharing the behind-the-scenes processes in the entrepreneurial journey. On social media, we see highlights and the finished product, but we rarely see the struggle and obstacles in getting there.

Today’s focus is on confronting and overcoming fear as I go through the process of building a new product. My hope is that this episode will give you encouragement and inspiration to keep going in whatever new endeavors you undertake.

You’ll Learn

Three ways to combat the voices of doubt and fear:

Work on showing the imperfect side of building something vs. just the finished product

Learning and growing “in the open” helps others learn from both your failures and successes. (From Show Your Work, see Resources)

Bringing what you fear will be judged by others can help dissipate the fear and bring encouragement and support.

Realize that the first version of anything will not be the final version.
Putting out beta versions during the development process reduces the pressure to “get it perfect.”
Getting feedback on beta versions is not an indictment of my expertise. (Use Survey Monkey, see Resources)
Create an emotional and brainstorming safety net.
Using layers of family, friends, and colleagues will create a support circle for you.
Getting emotional, practical, and technical support will vary according to the stages in which you find yourself.

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in the show:

Show Your Work by Austin Kleon

Survey Monkey

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: Building A Personal Brand On Social Media Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

If the topic of building your personal brand on social media brings feelings of anxiety and insecurity, then today’s show is for you. As clinicians, we know it makes sense to have a digital footprint in the online world, but it’s difficult to know just how to establish yourself with authenticity and transparency. There are so many nuances to the intimidating world of social media! Today’s conversation will give you valuable insight and practical tips to help people get to know, like, and trust you. Join us to learn more.

Our Featured Guest-Lisa Mustard, LMFT

Lisa Mustard is a personal brand coach, psychoeducator, therapist, podcaster, and self-described personal development junkie in South Carolina. This mom of two has created an awe-inspiring presence on social media around topics like fitness, health, mindset, and goals. Recording with her phone, Lisa proves that a high-quality, high-dollar studio is not a requirement for building your personal brand, and she does it in very unique and authentic ways. Lisa joins us to talk about what personal branding is, how much to share, and that all-important line between OK and TMI. We’ll wrap up with the most common mistake people make in personal branding and three tips that you can utilize today to start building your personal brand on social media.

Lisa Mustard

You’ll Learn

● What is a personal brand? Your reputation, what people say about you, and what you’re known for

● The best way to narrow your brand down to three specific things is to identify your top values and priorities

● Why you have to be clear and specific about how you want to move forward on social media

● How to decide how much to share online

● The most common mistake people make is----not taking the time to build a personal brand

● Three tips for a clinician who wants to build a personal brand:

○ Identify your strengths, uniqueness, and how you help people

○ Know your values and what you stand for

○ Know where you want to go and what you want to accomplish

● Why you should realize that not everyone will resonate with your message---and that’s OK

● Why social media is the best place to build your personal brand

Resources

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: Comparing Yourself to Others in the Field: Avoiding The Pitfalls Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

Today’s show is about a topic that has been a struggle for much of my life and career.

I’ve fallen victim to comparing myself to others and feeling like I’m not measuring up.

It’s taken a lot of personal work for me to learn to compare in healthy ways that don’t cripple and stifle my creativity and purpose.

Are you in the same boat? Join us to learn more!

Our Featured Guest - Supriya Blair, PsyD

Dr. Supriya Blair is a psychologist in Albany, NY. We have connected through the STC community, and I wanted to get her input on the topic of comparing ourselves to others.

We’ll start by discussing how comparison comes too easily for many of us and how Supriya noticed this

comparison impacting her life until she was able to reframe her perspective.

We will consider an all-too-familiar scenario in which a colleague’s success triggers insecurity in our lives, along with helpful tips and resources to navigate the tricky field of comparison to others.

Dr. Supriya

You’ll Learn

● Why comparison is so prevalent in the helping professions

● Three ways we compare ourselves to our colleagues:

○ Seeing someone else’s path and journey as THE template for success

○ Not recognizing my authenticity as a source of empowerment

○ Not allowing for different business models in finding my unique path

● How to handle the pushback when we launch into our own path

● Navigating the difficult moments when someone else experiences success or achieves the milestone that we want

● Why the ability to serve is the most important thing

● Practical help in the area of comparison to others:

○ Brene՛ Brown’s book, I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough"

○ Don Miguel Ruiz’s book, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)

○ Meditation practice

Resources

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: 3 Powerful Reasons Every Entrepreneur Needs A Daily Hike (Backed By Science) Jul 13, 2023

Show notes

What if I told you that there is something simple and free that most of us can do daily for an hour or less that yields amazing physical and mental benefits? Would you want to know what it is? Since the pandemic has forced us to take a closer look at our habits and make some changes, I want to share this life-changing activity that has become an almost daily habit for me. It’s hiking!

Incorporating a midday hike several times each week helps me sleep better at night and stay centered for daily tasks. My inner “research nerd” got curious and took a deeper look at the intersection of hiking, mental health, and entrepreneurship, and I want to share with you what I’ve found.

You’ll Learn

● Why hike? What are the benefits?

○ Hiking helps keep our minds sharp and agile.

○ Hiking helps us to focus better.

○ HIking can spark serious creativity.

● If you’re a hiker, please share with the STC Community what benefits you’re seeing in your personal and professional life. I’m very interested to hear about your results!

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Also mentioned: Successful Aging by Daniel Levitin

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

ENCORE: Creating Authentic "Win-Win" Relationships With Colleagues Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

Many of us find the concept of networking to be an intimidating endeavor. Even though it’s a vital element of business success, it can feel scary and shady, and a little too sales-y. Join us to learn more about what you should be focusing on in your networking relationships.

Our Featured Guest

Patrick Casale, MA, LCMHC, LCAS

Patrick Casale is a clinician in Asheville, NC. He provides coaching for clinicians who are transitioning from a group practice or agency to a solo practice. He’s here to talk about networking in authentic ways. We’ll discuss what authentic networking means to Patrick and how to make your networking relationships count. We will also examine different scenarios that might be a win-loss situation, a win-win situation, and the most common mistakes that happen in the networking space.

Casale Coaching

Resilient Mind Counseling

You’ll Learn

● How clinicians aren’t taught to use collaborative communication to support each other’s businesses in reciprocal ways

● What is networking? Getting to know people as people and learning about their lives and passions

● Why networking can feel artificial, very “surface level,” and inauthentic

● Some authentic questions to ask in networking situations include questions about family, passions, how they ended up here, fears of entrepreneurship, etc.

● How to have reciprocity in relationships by making the other person the priority and supporting them

● Why you should ask, “How can I help this person be successful? And not, how can this person help me?”

● Why Patrick says, “A lot of networking opportunities feel like awkward first dates.”

● Why a win-lose scenario would be talking too much about yourself and not listening actively; a win-win scenario means talking and getting to know each other with connection and trust

The most common mistakes in networking:

○ Not having clear strategy and intention

○ Scheduling too many networking events in one day

○ Making networking one-sided in your requests

● Why your networking strategy should include colleagues who don’t work with the same client population, those who do work with the same, and client groups, and psychiatric providers

● The best action step for you to take in applying the wisdom of today’s episode

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

342: My $2k Pro Podcasting Tech Stack Jun 29, 2023

Show notes

Overwhelmed. That’s the best word to describe how most podcasters feel as they take the leap and start on their podcasting journey. Perhaps the biggest source of overwhelm is confusion about the gear needed to get going, and I remember this well from my beginning in 2015. I didn’t have a pro-level setup when I began, and I wondered and worried about how I would be perceived in this new world. In all honesty, I had about $100 in gear, the biggest part of that being a $60 mic.

Things have changed since those early days, and STC has blossomed from nine downloads initially to over 1 million today. The tech-junkie part of me has enjoyed being able to upgrade my gear, and those upgrades have been a process of learning and experimenting. Even though your gear IS important for podcasting, I believe strongly that the most important keys are consistency and personality–and you don’t have to spend a fortune to have those elements. In today’s episode, I’m discussing my tech stack, what I use now, and what I recommend to other podcasters. Join me!

You’ll Learn:

The three-prong fork in the road on the podcasting journey: the basic starter set of gear, incremental upgrades as the budget allows, and the decision to “go all in” with podcasting
Why I invested about $2K into gear upgrades in 2021–and how I made this decision
My current tech stack:
The Shure SM7B mic
Many podcasting pros use this mic because it is top-notch quality; it runs about $400 on Amazon.
The RODECaster Pro all-in-one podcasting studio
It gives more nuanced control of the mic and headphone sound levels. The Pro I runs around $400, and the Pro II is about $700. A less expensive starter piece that I recommend is the Samson Q2U, for about $60.
The Cloudlifter CL-1 signal booster
This elevates the signal from your mic to give quality sound, and it costs about $150.
Mogami Gold XLR cables
These are about $60 each and are top-quality cables.
The Gator Frameworks tabletop mic stand
I pair this with the Rode PSA1 mic arm. It’s worth it to spend more for quality because it stays in place and doesn’t shift or droop.
Audio-Technica ATH-M50x studio headphones
These connect to the RODECaster Pro and give consistent sound; they cost about $190.

Resources:

Want to launch your online course?

Please check out our free 7-Day Course Creator Starter Kit For Therapists: https://sellingthecouch.com/coursekit

Looking to launch a successful podcast?

Please check out our free "Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business" workshop for therapists:

https://sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

341: 11 No-Code Tools I’m Using as a Six-Figure Course Creator Jun 22, 2023

Show notes

Today I’m sharing what I’m using for no-code tools and my tech stack as an online course creator. Believe me, I’ve experimented with a lot of different things, and I’m always willing to share what I’ve learned and what I recommend to others. If you aren’t familiar with the term “no-code,” it simply refers to tools that don’t require a code or advanced programming to use. I hope this information is helpful to anyone who is creating a course or thinking about this endeavor in the future. Join me to learn more!

You’ll Learn:

11 no-code tools I’m using to create online courses:

Kartra is an all-in-one platform with features that fit our needs.
Circle provides a place for community outside mainstream social media.
Stripe allows us to take payments within Kartra.
Loom is great for recording online course videos because there are many recording options.
Notion helps with lesson planning because there are lesson and template options that make it easy to repurpose content later.
Testimonial.to makes it easy to gather testimonials from students; a downside is that it is expensive.
Smarter Queue helps with social media management because it integrates with Facebook groups and LinkedIn, and it recycles posts.
Canva is amazing because there are many clean and modern slide templates with animation and graphics.
Headline Studios helps create engaging course titles with built-in AI and feedback.
Captivate is great for podcast hosting because of dynamic ads insertion.
Easy Webinar makes the webinar sign-up process easy for students.