Hi there! I’m so glad you’re interested in pursuing similar work! The world needs holistic, whole-person care.
Because I run a busy private practice, I have to prioritize my clients, and I cannot respond to requests for free career or clinical advice. Thank you for understanding.
If you explore the resources below and still have questions, I welcome you to consider working with me as a client. I often support fellow holistic wellness professionals.
I have put together an extremely comprehensive resource that is divided by the following topics: Mindset, Practice Building, Websites and Digital Tools, Education and Certifications, Mental Health Nutrition, and The Hard Truth. Please scroll down to find the topic you are looking for.
Mindset
Mindset comes first, because hands-down, this is the most important thing when it comes to starting a business and building a practice. The main reason I am successful is because I work on my mindset every single day.
Just like you, I have doubts and fears, and I struggle with imposter syndrome. Before I started, my brain gave me a million reasons why I would never be successful. But I decided to feel the fear and do it anyway.
It’s cliche as hell, but whether you believe you can, or believe you can’t, you’re right.
This is why so many wanna-be practitioners fall into the trap of pursuing multiple certifications. They end up with 20 letters after their names, but zero clients. What they don’t know is they could have a PhD, and they would still feel like a fraud. They would still be afraid to put themselves out there. They are looking for validation outside of themselves, rather than trusting what they already know.
Before you try chasing another certification, invest in personal development. Here is what has made the most difference for me:
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
If you like swear words and self-help makes you roll your eyes, start here.
Big Magic by Liz Gilbert
An essential read. Feel the fear, get over yourself, and do it anyway.
The Life Coach School Podcast by Brooke Castillo
Brooke’s work has changed my life in profound ways.
The Quote of the Day Show with Sean Croxton
Get familiar with everything Sean has to offer, not just his podcast.
The 5-Second Rule by Mel Robbins
Stop procrastinating. Start getting shit done.
You might think this is fluffy and cute, but if you ignore this stuff, you will get nowhere. Your brain is your biggest asset and your biggest enemy. If it is running on autopilot, and you are not deliberate with your thoughts, nothing else on this page is going to help you.
Practice Building
After I graduated from NTA, I took Margaret Floyd’s NTP Business Class, which is now retired. This is where I learned the basics of practice management and marketing. However, I highly recommend these resources:
The PEACE Process: Create a Thriving Holistic Practice
This book is required reading in the NTA program. I used many of the principles to build a full-time practice.
Career Development Course from NTA
If you are a graduate of the Nutritional Therapy Association, I highly recommend their new Career Development Course. I’ve heard rave reviews from colleagues.
Health Coach Power Community
This is a Facebook group run by Michelle Pfenninghaus, a very successful health coach. She runs free business-building trainings that are quite helpful. She also offers 1-1 mentoring.
Rebelle Nutrition (Online Business Building for Holistic Health Professionals)
If you want to build an online business (like I have!), Amie is a great person to learn from. I have never taken any of her courses, but I have attended many of her free trainings. Everything she talks about aligns with how I built my business. Highly recommended.
Build a Badass Business Podcast by Diane Sanfilippo
Listen to every single episode of this podcast. I did. While Diane is not actively recording it anymore, it’s full of gold.
Wellpreneur Podcast
A podcast all about digital marketing and business for holistic health professionals. Extremely valuable.
Websites and Digital Tools
My Website
This website is built on the WordPress platform, and I use Bluehost as my web host. It is designed with the base theme of Divi, via Elegant Themes. However, I custom-designed it myself. I have a background in graphic design and copywriting, so I DIY’d it all, including my logo. Any graphics that you see on my website or Instagram are likely custom-designed by me using Adobe Illustrator, but if you don’t have a design background, try Canva. At this time, I do not offer graphic design, web design, or copywriting services. My branding photos are by Rachel Noel.
Acuity Scheduling
I use Acuity Scheduling to book all of my client appointments. It’s super easy, I have never had a problem, and I LOVE it. Clients can self-schedule, which is a huge bonus.
Google Forms
I use Google Forms for most of my client intake items (contracts, health history, questionnaires, etc.). This makes life so freaking easy.
ActiveCampaign
I use this to manage my email list and subscribers. I prefer it over MailChimp.
PayPal
I process the majority of my clients’ payments through PayPal invoicing. If someone is on a payment plan, I use the subscriber functionality in Acuity Scheduling to bill them automatically on a monthly basis.
Zoom
I use Zoom video (it’s kind of like Skype) to host sessions with my clients.
My Education and Certifications
Nutritional Therapy Association
I am a proud graduate of the Nutritional Therapy Association. This is where I gained the majority of my clinical nutrition knowledge. Please read my in-depth review of the NTA if you are curious about the program. It’s the only nutrition program I can recommend with complete confidence.
Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapy (RTT)
I am trained in Rapid Transformational Hypnotherapy (RTT), a unique and powerful modality that combines hypnosis, NLP, CBT, and other frameworks. I studied intensively with RTT’s creator, Marisa Peer, who has been voted Britain’s top therapist many times over. I have never seen anything that comes close to the effectiveness of RTT for emotional and physical issues, and I’ve tried everything in the book.
Reiki Master Practitioner
I am trained in Reiki energy healing. My mentor is Lisa Guyman. This has been very influential in my own spiritual development and my work as a healing professional.
Mental Health Nutrition
If you are interested in the connection between mental health and nutrition, start with the resources below. They will lead you down many great rabbit holes if you are interested in studying the topic further.
A Mind of Your Own by Dr. Kelly Brogan
Integrative Therapies for Depression by Dr. Kelly Brogan and James Greenblatt
The Antianxiety Food Solution by Trudy Scott
Nutrition Essentials for Mental Health by Leslie Korn
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
The Hard Truth
I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “Little by little, a little becomes a lot.”
I did not build a successful practice overnight. I stayed in my corporate job two years longer than I wanted to. I used minimalism to pay off debt and build a savings cushion. I trusted my heart and took a big, scary leap. For four years, I spent every ounce of my free time studying nutrition and business. I poured my heart and soul into this, and I worked my ass off. That is what it took to do this full-time. I did not enroll in a bright and shiny online course that unlocked the door for me.
(Actually, I enrolled in several bright and shiny online courses, some of which were total crap, and I pieced together the parts that worked for me. The point I’m trying to make is that nobody is going to hand you this opportunity.)
Just like your clients can’t expect to lose 30 pounds in two weeks (though boy, wouldn’t they like to?!), you can’t expect to build a business overnight. If you’re a good practitioner, you will know that health and wellness is a journey that takes time and dedication. The same is true for nourishing a business.
Don’t be the person who gets frustrated one month into business and decides to call it quits. Just keep going. Hold the vision. Keep fighting for what you want, even if it feels like you’re barely making progress.
Little by little, a little becomes a lot.
Go get ’em, and don’t let anybody stop you.
—Holly Higgins, RTT, NTP