May 2021 mentoring update: disclosure
How is 2021 unfolding for you?
I hope the uncertainties of the past year are receding and your business is thriving.
New mentoring resources
There’s a lot I’d like to share with you in this mentoring update, starting with the problem most of us didn’t know we had. A recent study found more than half our naturopathic and herbal clients don’t tell us about their medicines! What’s the root of the problem and how do we change this?
If you do nothing else today take a look at these strategies to gain the trust needed for full disclosure.
Another new resource on my website is an interview with an inspiring business owner, who has gone against the flow. The magic happens when we build a business totally in alignment with our values, even if it means turning potential clients away. Watch my interview with Anna Hearn about body positivity, super-niching and community building.
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Image Madison Agardi via Unsplash
Get your head around website legalities
Did you take your consults and bookings online in response to lockdown? For some practitioners who made time-pressured decisions, there wasn’t the headspace to consider our legal obligations. If you’ve not done so already, it’s time to digitally dot your i’s and cross your t’s around things like online privacy, terms and conditions and client agreements. It’s not as scary as it sounds, and lawyer Michelle Whitehead has created affordable DIY packs on these issues, that include a personal check in with her during the process.
Commercial leases and contractor agreements
Recently I’ve been assisting practitioners wanting help negotiating commercial leases or reviewing contractor agreements. I learned a lot running my multidisciplinary clinic in Melbourne for over 20 year and know how daunting this can be. Not only negotiating with property managers but knowing what to look for in a space to make sure it’s suitable for our type of work. Likewise subcontractor agreements. What’s reasonable for a clinic owner to ask of a practitioner and vice versa? It’s an eye opening process that’s rarely discussed in our profession. If you’d like help navigating agreements, make the leap to create your own clinic or want an expert eye to look over a contracting agreement, please book an exploratory mentoring session.
Personal update: self-care and diversification
Since the last update, I moved back to Sydney after five months of sorting through the family home in New Zealand. There’s been a lot to emotionally digest, in the wake of grief.
In the name of ‘physician heal thyself’, I gave myself permission to take it easy through the first half of 2021. My naturopathy practice has ‘cruised’, focusing on taking care of my existing clients (many relationships go back over two decades) and some new oncology clients who found me via organic referrals.
But the work I’ve most enjoyed through this time is mentoring and professional supervision. In a way, caring for the profession is an extension of self-care. I love getting to know you and watching your businesses grow. I share the thrill when you overcome blocks and find the courage to become the type of practitioner you’ve always wanted to be.
In the past 18 months, my mentoring has diversified to work with a wider cross section of health practitioners, from yoga therapists to osteopaths and even health coaches. There are so many commonalities in our business and patient management challenges. Whatever the tools, we all want the same things for our clients – to be well and thrive.
How I fell into mentoring over 20 years ago