February Recap #happylittlepractice

Hi Friend,

In case you missed something, here’s what I sent you in February.

• Free Q&A - It's tomorrow! This Wed, March 2nd at 12pm ET.

Bring your marketing, messaging and mindset questions and I’ll do my best to pitch in the Happy Little Practice Way. If you haven't already, here's how you can reserve your spot and receive the replay. 

• Article - When Nothing Else Works (Try This) Read on the blog here.

• Article - 3 Random But Useful Tips Read on the blog here.

• Article - Snippets of Inspiration & Focus Read on the blog here.

More Updates

• Mindset Club - I started the Happy Little Practice Mindset Club at the end of November 2021. Here’s the latest...

I have been quietly giving access to my Great Little Talks program to any member of the Club who decides that giving a signature talk as their primary marketing strategy is for them.

You can learn more about this marketing strategy at GreatLittleTalks.com.

Please note, I have not updated the Club the info page about this bonus. So consider yourself on the early notification.😊

If you want the details of joining the club, it’s here.

Of course, please get in touch if you have any Qs about this. 

• What I’m mulling over — Thinking about starting a wildly imperfect, not at all polished Youtube Channel for Happy Little Practice, Happy Little Life with a less is more perspective.

• What I’m watching — Just finished season 2 of the latest remake of "All Creatures Great and Small" on PBS Masterpiece. It was my soothing, Sunday night mom-time.

• What I’m reading — Read this novel on mid-winter break: When We Meet Again by Kristin Harmel. Swept away and cried poolside like a big baby in front of the kids. Ha!

• What I’m using - Asana.com, a free project management tool. I use this to keep my business projects (AKA all the ideas swirling in my head) organized by category: current project (only 1 at a time for me), in progress/waiting (what I’m working on with someone else like my website designer), next-in-line (what I may choose to do next), someday (sounds good, maybe later) and completed (hurrah!).

Here are two podcasts that explain using Asana in business: Here is 1 for a broad overview and 6 min into this episode shows you a similar version of what I do with the "board view" in Asana for projects. (A piece of paper for each category and a pencil works great too.) 

• What I’m thinking - How does one stay in business and contribute to what matters when there seems to be so many challenges - The Ukraine crisis and so much more?

It is not by asking myself "is this the right time for being in business?"

It is by asking myself "what kind of business do my clients need from me at this time?"

As always  - all in and in this with you,

Karin

Creator of the Happy Little Practice Method

PS - Want help? Three ways I can help: The Happy Little Practice Club, private coaching and bring me in to speak to your group. 

PPS - Watch this class to see if the Happy Little Practice Method is for you.

Thanks for reading! 

Snippets of Inspiration and Focus

Hi Friend!
I hope you're enjoying your weekend.

Here are a few snippets from my Happy Little Practice and I hope it helps you too. 

1 - Marketing is pretty simple when you recognize all you need to do is talk to new people regularly + tell them how you can help  + give them an experience of helping them before they are your client.

Now use your creativity and desire to help others to find a way you enjoy doing this consistently. 

2 - In Happy Little Practice, all of your marketing (see #1) must point to your enrollment conversation and nothing else.

This is the thing to figure out, as all coaching is sold through conversation.

You have to do this.

The longer you put off the vulnerability and incredible learning that happens when you lead enrollment conversations, the further away you get from success as a coach.

The way I see people put this off is selling small things and/or marketing in such a way that requires no commitment and very little vulnerability on the part of the coach or client. 

Get into it and figure out how to be with people in the enrollment conversation, learn from it, fail a lot (I STILL do) so that you can regularly create clients from that conversation.

Yes, you’ll see bigger or more mature businesses selling through their website, the stage, or a prospectus, but you can do that after you filled your practice and you know how to sell the most essential thing. 

3- Stop telling yourself you don’t know your message.

Try this instead. 

Health pro? I help people get better results in their health. Done. 

Relationship coach? I help people create better, happier relationships. 

Finance coach? I help people get really good with money even if they think they can’t. Done.

Career or business coach, I help people get better results in their business (or career). 

Life coach? I help people get better results in their life.

Of course, I help people sort this out even more specifically, but these examples are more than good enough to get going with. 

They create conversation. 

See snippet #2 as to what to do next. 

4 – Be a Working Coach

Once you have #3, here’s a super simple way to clarify your services. 

Work with me for 90 days, every week, and let’s fast track this.

Work with me for 90 days, twice per month, sure and steady style.

Work with me for 6 weeks and let’s focus on one small thing that would help you so much and have you believing you can do the next thing.

30 min or 60 min sessions. Decide. 

Pick a fee, any fee that you would be happy enough with for now. Work up to high-end pricing. Decide on a rate just for the next 3 clients. 

Get used to deciding, learning from the decision and perfecting as you go.

It’s more important to be a working coach than a thinking about coaching coach.

Decide, move on, start working. 

Now see Snippet #1. 

5 – When are you going to stop trying to avoid feeling vulnerable or uncertain?

It's just part of the journey.

My clients who transform their business see their work as a profession, not a lifestyle.

I notice this gives them the gumption to bring me their mess, what they’re struggling with and what they’re afraid of ... because their profession is on the line.

This also helps them to be willing. 

Willing to try out the advice they pay me to offer them, to tweak things and to keep going even when they're really nervous. 

Learning new things and trying different things is humbling. It’s full of uncertainty, doubt and vulnerability.

Be willing to suck at things for a while and ask for help instead of doing slightly different versions of the same thing over and over again.

Then gently, steadily bring that vulnerability into the world to share your ideas by constantly, and I mean constantly, keeping your focus on helping the end user of your service – the client.

Want my help with this?

Is coaching, consulting or private practice your profession, or do you want it to be?

The Happy Little Practice Mindset Club – All of the above is achievable in the Club. Whether you’ve been at it for some time and want to keep it simple and keep it going (like me) or you’re adding coaching to your existing career, you are welcome to join us. Get on the wait list here. 

Private Coaching – Private coaching is best for working professionals, practitioners and creative women with a business. Learn more about this here. 

Free Q&A Class Wed, Jan 26th – Come get inspired, ask questions and be in the fierce but funny, cozy but wildly encouraging Happy Little Practice Community. Register if you haven't already. You only need to register once and you're in.

Small Practice, Big Results - Have you watched my signature class that introduces the Happy Little Practice method? Go here. 

Thanks for reading and keep going,  
Karin 

PS - A personal note and extra tip...

In this email, there are several pearls of wisdom that I gleaned from Steve Chandler. He’s my favorite author about the coaching life and creating for a living. I recently found out he’s in semi-retirement and in his mid to late 70s and it’s made me appreciate his work all the more. (I want to be doing cool coaching work in my late 70s too!) So, I’ve been re-reading his books, and listening to his interviews all over again. Get on YouTube or podcast player and search for his name and just take in his wisdom. They will help you, and it’s free. 

---

Karin Rozell
Author, Speaker and Small Business Coach for Companies of One

Creator of the Happy Little Practice Method

5 Things to Do During the Holiday Season

1. Take a Break All work and no play makes for negative client attraction.

2. Declutter to Get Ready for 2012

Start small. A drawer, a corner of your desk, your closet, your email inbox, etc...

Do a little each day or a few times a week over the holidays (while listening to fun music!).

You'll feel instantly "together" and ready for the New Year.

3. Take Time to Reflect  on Your Progress

Make a list. Leave it out. Add to it over the next week or so until January 1st. Keep adding to it. All manner of successes, big and small. You'll remember more and more.

This will help you focus on what worked, the progress you've made and sends out a powerful energetic signal that says "Thanks! I'll have some more of that!"

And it will do wonders for your confidence.

4. Finish Unfinished Business

Your website half done? Your ezine written but not sent? You made some calls but didn't follow up?

No biggie, everyone does it from time to time. Pick one thing that feels unfinished and complete it by January 1st.

Even better, go to Elance.com and you'll find people from all over the world who will happily, eagerily and affordably get it done for you.

(No job is too small or too big.)

And hiring people to help you is an essential skill set you'll want to master as a self-employed wellness pro.

Elance.com is a great place to start doing that.

5. Block Off Some Time to Think 

Sometime in the next few weeks, block off  time to consciously plan you're next steps.

(I actually hire a coach to spend a day with me do to this, otherwise, it's too easy to spin circles in my mind.)

It doesn't have to be the grand master plan for your life and business.

Start with the year ahead and then work backward, chunking it down to what you'll focus on for the first 30, 60 or 90 days.

If it helps, start with what you don't want.

Then write down the opposite.

If you're at a loss for how to get there, plan to hire a coach or mentor or invest in a program or product that will help you honor your vision.

The trick is to be flexible about how you get "there."

There are 3 spots left in my Rockstars of Wellness program that begins January 27th, 2012 with a Branding Breakthrough Retreat in Saratoga Springs, NY. 

We'll kick off the program with 3 days devoted to you and your fellow Rockstars to start the New Year off RIGHT. (No need to worry when you'll make time to focus on YOUR biz or WHAT to do first!)

Now is the time to take a few moments for yourself and fax in your application. (Applications are here for download: http://www.RockstarsofWellness.com)

Go ahead and have fun with the fun plans you have in place. 

It will be even MORE fun knowing you have a 2012 plan in place for making your dreams a reality.

Happy Holidays,

Karin

–

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners.

She is the founder of Wellness Professional Network, the go-to place for practitioners to learn the real-life business skills they didn’t teach in wellness school.

Karin is the author of The Fast Start to Clients Program and Karin lives in Upstate New York and enjoys working from home with her husband and son.

Get in the Water: How Being in Biz for Yourself is Like Jumping in a Lake

My work with wellness pros is a lot like gettinginto the lake for a swim.

Some people, like me, need to put their toes in, sit on the side of the dock and let their feet adjust to the water for awhile, and then they get in.

My husband jumps right in, trusting that his body will adjust to the temperature and the temporary discomfort of the chilly water is well worth the fun he will have.

The problem is, this “sitting on the dock and thinking about getting in the water” often starts to paralyze me.

My mind starts telling me things like…

“I think it’s too cold for me…”

“Drew has a different body type, that’s why he can jump right in…”

“I don’t want to be cold…”

“I hate being cold…”

“I’m going to wait until it gets warmer…”

“Maybe I’ll go in tomorrow…”

“Maybe it’s fine if I just hang out on the dock… yeah, that’s what’ll I do…”

And it just gets worse and worse and I get more and more nervous that everyone is in the water but me, having a great time and until finally, I can’t stand the emotional roller coaster I put myself on, and so I jump in.

I screech for 30 seconds and then I have a blast too.

This summer, I decided to do things differently.

I remembered what one of my first mentors, Joshua Rosenthal, told me.

He said, “When you’re spinning wheels, up there in your mind, try doing the opposite of what you brain tells you to do.”

So this year, I started jumping right into the lake.

(We rented a lake house over the summer – a dream come true! And I didn’t want to stress over getting in the water each day. I know, so lame.)

As it turns out, jumping right in, was WAY MORE FUN.

Like, INFINITELY MORE FUN.

And I started thinking, where else do I allow my nerves to hold me hostage?

This is a lot like being a wellness pro and taking your biz seriously.

You can sit on the sidelines telling yourself all the reasons why you should maintain status quo.

Why you should wait another year…

Why now is not the right time to invest in yourself…

And the more you think about it, the more reasons you come up for not going for it.

Basically, instead of getting really good at the business skills you need to thrive, you become quite adept at building a case for your limitations.

This is your invitation to get in the water.

I’m not going to goad you to get in.

You either want to or you don’t.

(I work best with people who are willing to jump in and start swimming.)

I’ll show you what to do, how to do it and what to do next, once you’re in the water.

But if you don’t get in, I can’t help you and your business thrive in the year ahead.

Get in the water.

(Or I might splash you a bit.)

:)

6 spots left in Rockstars 2012

We start in January.

If you need to download the info and application again, go here:

http://www.RockstarsofWellness.com

Your swim instructor, :)

Karin

PS – Remember, this program is by application only.

Why? I want to make sure you’re going to get into the water once I start working with you.

It’s cool if you’re nervous about it. I’ll coach you through it. But you gotta get wet.

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners.

She is the founder of Wellness Professional Network, the go-to place for practitioners to learn the real-life business skills they didn’t teach in wellness school.

Karin is the author of The Fast Start to Clients Program and Karin lives in Upstate New York and enjoys working from home with her husband and son.

Instead of Trying to Convince People...

Summer Biz Audio Tip: How to get focused for the fall

Part 4 in a series of inspiring food-for-thought posts for when you’re focused on enjoying summer AND having a successful practice. Listen to this 1-minute audio tip on what I do every summer to bring focus, momentum and results to my business.

Perfect to wrap up the end of the season.

To your success,

Karin

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners.

She is the founder of Wellness Professional Network, the go-to place for practitioners to learn the real-life business skills they didn’t teach in wellness school.

Karin is the author of The Fast Start to Clients Program and Karin lives in Upstate New York and enjoys working from home with her husband and son.

Summer Biz Tip: Reconnecting to Your Email List

Part 3 in a series of inspiring food-for-thought posts for when you’re focused on enjoying summer AND having a successful practice.

Ever let a few missed issues turn into months of no contact to your newsletter list?

And then the next thing you know, you’re feeling embarrassed about writing.

And the time just keeps going by??

I’ve been there.

Before you can expect your readership to invest in your services, they’ll need to feel connected with you.

No one likes to receive email with only offers and promotion.

People sign up for your ezine because they want to hear from you.

They want to relate with you, learn from you and be supported by you.

Getting in touch and staying in touch is the first step to reactivating your list.

(And essential to having a successful autumn!)

However, here is one thing you should NEVER do when you’ve missed a few issues:

Never start off with an apology.

“Hi, Sorry I haven’t written in awhile…”

UGH. Who wants to open an email and feel that kind of low-energy?

It’s the equivalent of meeting someone at a party and they start off telling you what’s wrong with their life. Bummer.

Instead of apologizing, share something new and good in your life.

Anything! Even if it’s the weather in your hometown or something you enjoyed in the past week relevant to your ezine’s theme.

This is the equivalent of meeting someone fun and cool at a party.

It’s a pleasure to be around them.

What’s the antidote for being out of touch with your list?

Like any relationship, just start connecting.

And, like any relationship that’s been a little “cool” – start slowly and give a lot of value.

Then figure out a way to keep in touch twice per month that works for you.

Here are a few examples for getting back in touch with your list that you can borrow or adapt to your modality…

Nutrition Pro

- It’s hot and sticky in New York so I thought to share my favorite breakfast smoothie. It’s cooling, naturally low-fat and takes 2-minutes flat! Then share the recipe in your “tip section”. End with your contact info and an invitation.

Relationship Coach

- I just watched last Wednesday’s Oprah episode about two women who can’t find love no matter what they do. Get my take on why these women keep making the same mistakes with men. And then add your 2 cents as if you were invited to comment on the Oprah show. You could even have fun with it and make it look like a magazine interview between you and Oprah. End with your contact info and an invitation.

Herbalist

- It’s hot and humid here in Southern Vermont and I thought to share my favorite DIY herbal elixir for staying cool all summer for less than $5. Then share how to purchase mint, plant it and watch it grow wild and how to make homemade iced mint tea that tastes better than any store bought version. End with your contact info and an invitation.

See what I mean?

Make it short and sweet.

Start adding value to your reader’s life and they’ll love you for it.

And that’s the first step to getting them to consider working with you.

To your success,

Karin

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners.

She is the founder of Wellness Professional Network, the go-to place for practitioners to learn the real-life business skills they didn’t teach in wellness school.

Karin is the author of The Fast Start to Clients Program and Karin lives in Upstate New York and enjoys working from home with her husband and son.

Summer Biz Tip: Facing the Fear of Being Seen

Part 1 in a series of inspiring food-for-thought posts for when you're focused on enjoying summer AND having a successful practice.

After a long week, my husband Drew and I decided to visit family for a little nurturing R&R.

Our first stop, visiting "Da Nuns." Drew's Aunts, two wildly independent nuns who started their own ministry helping children of migrant farm workers, truly walk their talk of living a life of faith.

They provide a safe haven for children who would otherwise not have a childhood, offering summer camps, day trips, education, and endless low-no fee services to hard working families. Suffice it to say it's an amazing place. You can't be in their presence without feeling loved up, cared for, and reconnected to your own faith in this thing called life.

Another reason we came to visit them was to share our ideas about expanding their impact and income stream by creating a website, blog, and offering online donation options to their charitable donors. You see, we get their twice annual print newsletters and attend their annual picnic. Each time we visit, either by newsletter update or in person, we hear amazing stories of real people trying to make it in this country. It's inspiring, humbling, and calls you to action. By creating a medium to share their work and success stories via a simple website and blog, we knew that others would be called to support their work too.

When we presented our ideas to their financial board for taking their stories online and automating their donation system, there came a moment in the conversation that I feel every wellness or "change your life" practitioner faces.

"What if we get negative feedback? What if people lash out at us? We've been underground for years, and not everyone is going to like what we do here, helping migrant familes. What if the world at large isn't ready for what we're doing? We're not familiar with the technology of the internet, how will ever make this work for us?"

Translation: The fear of being seen.

This is where many wellness practitioners stumble in this phase of business growth. The fear of "what ifs." And sadly, many freeze up, consciously or not, and decide the risks are too high to be truly seen.

Drew, a superb coach, shared this bit of wisdom with the group. "There comes a time in your work, when you must make a decision whether to open up and share your heart and message with the world or not. But here's the catch. You can't just open up a little. You have to open completely and be willing to be seen. In this willingness, you open yourself up to receiving the gifts the universe has to offer you in return for your good works."

In response, it took one phrase to bring the heart of the matter back on the table. My Aunt-in-Law, Sister Pam, followed with this.

"You either live your life in faith or in fear."

There's no middle ground. You may momentarily forget, after all, we are human. But you've gotta choose one or the other.

They quickly reconnected with their faith and purpose of their work and made the decision to follow their faith rather than let their fear lead the way.

So they didn't let the unknown factors of world wide web stop them. They asked questions, clarified any confusing points, and immediately (and wisely) outsourced this project to someone who loved the idea of taking it on.

The question naturally arises….

Are you leading your business in faith or in fear?

It's an edge. It can be scary. You may take some criticism.

Oh, but what a ride it will be.

To your continuous professionale expansion,

Karin

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners.

She is the founder of Wellness Professional Network, the go-to place for practitioners to learn the real-life business skills they didn't teach in wellness school.

Karin is the author of The Fast Start to Clients Program and Karin lives in Upstate New York and enjoys working from home with her husband and son.

Audio Tip: On Making Better Biz Decisions

Could how you make decisions affect your results in private practice? You betcha.

Check out this short audio tip on how to make business growing decisions.

To your success,

Karin

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners using the power of authentic marketing strategies. In 2009, she expanded her private practice and launched The Wellness Professional Network as the go-to place for practitioners to learn about making more money doing what they love.  Karin lives in Upstate New York and works from home with her husband and baby boy.

One Way to Inspire Consistent Referrals

Do you know what kind of clients you most enjoy working with? Don’t say, “But, I can help everyone!” That may be true, but it doesn’t make it easy for the people you know to send you business if you don't articulate who you work with a bit more concretely.

 Here's a simple solution to help the people you know send you referrals.

 

Write a ONE PAGE guide on how to send you referrals. Call it "How to Refer YOUR NAME." In it write the following things:

 

 Start the document with someone like this (I lifted this off my own referral guide sheet - feel free to use it or adapt it to your liking):

I treasure your referrals. If they are anything like you, I would love to work with them, and are most likely the people I would work well with.

 

I have found that a prospective client who is referred to me is more prepared to appreciate the value that I can offer and is very satisfied with the results I provide. Because of that, I will happily offer you a special thank you gift (You can describe your referral gift here if you prefer, such as two movie tickets, dinner for two, etc…. I don't because I customize my gift for each person) for every qualified referral you send my way.

 

Please use this hand out as a guide when you refer me to your colleagues and friends.

• Then describe three easy-to-remember types of CLIENT SITUATIONS (problems and challenges) which you can solve and that your referral partners can easily identify.
• Tell them the most effective way to refer you clients: IE - send them to your website, call you directly, sign up for your monthly class or whatever works best for you and your business.
• Include how you’ll follow-up with their referrals so they can rest assured that you will take good care of their friends and colleagues.
• Also consider adding that you're available for speaking engagments as an alternative way to refer you and your services and list one or two of your favorite topics to speak on, if this is appropriate to your business model, as another way to introduce you to their network.
• And don't forget to include your contact information

Give this to people who have expressed interest in supporting your business growth - past clients, current clients, friends and colleagues. Don't send them out in a mass mailing. Hand them out as you go along when the time is right. I give them to clients as we wrap up our work together, when a friend or colleague asks me what's new in my business or when meeting with a potential networking partner. 

This is a very simple, low-tech marketing material piece but it really works to make it easier for others to help you grow your business. When people like your work they want you to succeed and will be grateful for a step-by-step guideline for how they can best do this.

To your success,

Karin

About the Author and WellProNet.org: Karin Witzig Rozell has been teaching health and wellness professionals how to grow their business since 2003. She started as a nutrition counselor who knew a lot about nutrition, but not a whole lot about business and marketing. After learning some tough lessons she cracked the code and now her passion is transforming practitioners into profitable business owners using the power of authentic marketing strategies. In 2009, she expanded her private practice and launched The Wellness Professional Network as the go-to place for practitioners to learn about making more money doing what they love.  Karin lives in Upstate New York and works from home with her husband and baby boy.