Are your holiday promotions falling flat?

Are you feeling frustrated about the low response to your holiday promotion emails to clients? Are your gift certificate sales lagging? Are you unsure how to connect with your clients during the busy holiday season?

Listen to this free mini-class about Using Technology to Care for your Clients during the Holidays and then find out how to get through to your clients by getting your copy of Joanna's Heart Centered Holiday Promotion mini-class for only $3.

This is the information you need to get through to your clients. Joanna explains how to use a personal touch and technology to transform your holiday promotions into client loyalty and referrals.

If your holiday promotions are falling flat, you need to know this information!

Get your copy of Heart Centered Holiday Promotions mini-class instantly right here.

Transform your practice into a profitable one.

With the new year just around the corner and many of us with high hopes for a better 2010, I'm inspired to share with you the important steps every practitioner needs to take to shift from being a student or volunteer into a professional, profitable practitioner.
As I've mentioned before, there's a transformation process that needs to happen after you finish your training and begin to step into the role of professional practitioner. You need to become someone who not only feels assured of your therapeutic skills but also has confidence that your practice can be filled with clients who pay what your time and expertise is worth.

Some schools are getting better at incorporating business concepts into their curriculums, but it's not enough. Any practitioner who steps out on his or her own into private practice has to learn the ropes of being an entrepreneur as well as a healer. I've seen too many practitioners struggle to start a practice, only to give up in frustration with a belief that it's not possible to earn a living doing this heart-centered, important work.

It is possible though, and over the next six weeks we'll take a look in depth at the key steps every emerging practitioner needs to take to avoid the frustrating pitfalls and roadblocks that keep them from success!

Transform your Practice - Step 1
Make a Decision

I reached a crossroads in 2007 where I had to make a choice - there simply was not enough time in the day to balance marriage & family, full-time volunteering and full-time work. The balance between how much I was giving and how much I was receiving was just not working out. Something had to give. I had been dabbling at having a private practice, for free, for a very long time, and it was time for me to take the leap to really become a profitable, professional practitioner. I had to make a serious Decision to stop dabbling and start doing this for real.

Making a Decision meant that I was making a commitment to doing what it takes to make it happen. A Decision like this is so important because hanging out a shingle as a practitioner opens you up to face all of your fears, limiting beliefs, doubts, and self-worth issues you didn't know you have. The only thing that's going to get you through the yucky and scary stuff is a commitment to see it through to the other side.

Making a Decision also meant that I had faith in myself and that things could and would work out. The Decision meant adopting an optimistic frame of mind that allowed me to perceive the inevitable roadblocks as temporary challenges and opportunities for growth instead of feeling frustrated and helpless about the things I didn't know yet.

Making a Decision motivated me to learn as much as possible about how the business aspect of my practice needed to work in order to be profitable. It gave me the drive to seek out experts and mentors who could show me the ropes and guide me through the things I didn't know.

Making a Decision helped me create momentum around my practice because I had come out of the closet about it. What I mean is that since I wanted to find clients to work with, I had to start talking about it! Nobody's going to know you're available and willing to help unless you tell them. It can be really scary at first to own what you're doing and proudly say to friends, family and the general public: "I'm a Practitioner".

Making a Decision also forced me to work out my issues around asking for payment for my services. If I was going to have a profitable practice, I had to learn how to get comfortable asking for and receiving payment. Hiding behind volunteer work doesn't truly serve anyone, least not you and your bank account!

Making a Decision to be a profitable practitioner is the most important step you need to take. It's essential to make this commitment to do what it takes, face your fears, come out of the closet (or wear the T-shirt ,as one of my Clearing your Path for Success clients joked about this week), adopt a positive, optimistic attitude and be open to learning new things about yourself and how to manage your practice.

Your Transformational Homework this week:

Write in your journal 100 times "I am a profitable practitioner" or some other affirmation that speaks to you. Well, ok you don't have to write it 100 times, but spend some time writing in your journal about how important it is to you to be a practitioner and make a living at it.

Say your affirmation out loud. Invite a friend who doesn't know yet about your intention out for coffee and tell her all about it.

Talk about it as if it were already happening. There's nothing wrong with "faking it till you make it", which really means pretending you have confidence until you do have confidence.

Cultivate an optimistic attitude that sees roadblocks as opportunities and be open to learning new things. Pick one thing you know you need to learn more about and take a step towards learning it like signing up for a free class at the Enterprise Center or checking a book out of the library.

Decide that your dreams are important enough to do what it takes to make it happen. Write your decision in your journal or keep it in your wallet as a reminder.

Do you know an emerging practitioner who needs to know these steps? Invite her to register here so she won't miss any of the articles: http://tinyurl.com/joinjoannaslist

How to Thrive during the holiday season.

It's that time of year again where our bodies want to slow down and sleep more, but our schedules and to-do lists get bigger and bigger. Here are my top ten tips for surviving the holiday season in your best physical, emotional and mental shape possible.
Enjoy and be well!
Eat a Balanced Breakfast every day during the busy holiday season to manage your appetite and keep your energy up.
Sleep Enough each night so you'll be sure to make good decisions about what you're eating and how you're spending your time and money.
Put Your Well-being First by making self-care a priority. Make time daily to relax and rejuvenate so you look and feel your best.
Say No to commitments, events (and foods) that don't nourish you or enrich your life.
Go With The Flow when things don't turn out how you expect. Don't let hassles become roadblocks.
Cherish The Moment. Remember when you were a child and delighted in small and unexpected magical moments?
Smile Freely at everyone you encounter. Never underestimate the power you have to change a situation with warmth and friendliness.
Take A Break. There are only so many hours in the day, so put non-essentials on hold while you ramp up for the festivities.
Ask For Help when you need it, and return the favor when you can. That's what friends and family are for.
Indulge A Little. The holidays only come once a year, so give yourself permission to be joyful and have fun instead of letting old resentments get to you or letting yourself feel bogged down with details and commitments.

Clear your path to success

I spent many years observing and working in the wellness industry before I wound up enough courage to launch my own practice helping others. For a long time, I found it more comfortable to help others on a volunteer basis and to be the support person in a wellness office instead of stepping into the confident shoes of a practitioner who trusts in his or her own knowledge and skills to help others in exchange for money.

For years, since the mid-1990's, I had volunteered as a mentor for other women with non-profit organizations, and on the side, I offered holistic health coaching and Reiki healing to friends and family. This was in addition to working, often full-time for others in the health and wellness industry. This volunteer practice was no hobby. I devoted many hours per week to helping, guiding and facilitating healing and growth of others to the point where my "real" job became an impediment to the very important healing work I was doing.

I reached a crossroads in 2007 where I had to make a choice - there simply was not enough time in my life to balance marriage & family, full-time volunteering and full-time work. Nobody in my household was happy with how overbooked I was, so with the support of my husband (at the time), I left my full-time job to launch a practice that both served others and brought in the income that my household needed. I didn't consciously know it at the time, but hanging up a shingle as a real mentor, practitioner or coach meant that I had to face and clean out societal conditioning and self-worth issues.

With each step I took towards "legitimizing" my practice, another fear, limiting belief, or doubt would pop up. The first six months were mostly full of trial and error, facing fears and limiting beliefs and my own personal growth into the role of practitioner. In addition to the inner work that I had to go through in order to confidently offer my services to others, I had to learn how to run a business too.

There are so many authorities on how to run a business out there - it was confusing and overwhelming. I listened to what the experts said, and I tried this or that technique, bought client attraction and marketing systems from "experts", and doubted that I really had what it takes to practice in a way that served others and myself. I was able to build my practice quickly in comparison to statistics about how many clients practitioners usually line up the first year. But, after injuring myself towards the end of the first year with overwork and poor body mechanics at the Reiki table, I realized that the only way this business was going to really work for me and support my life was if it was built on my values and aligned with what was healthy for me.

With the help of my mentor, I was able to go within to find my own Inner Voice of Authority and start making decisions and taking actions that truly aligned my practice with my beliefs and values. When some of my Reiki students were ready to start practices of their own, I found a deeper calling than I had heard before. I realized that I could assist them in the process of becoming a practitioner and business owner by showing them how to listen to their Inner Voice of Authority and make each decision along the way from a place of personal health and empowerment instead of spending months, maybe years, listening to all the experts about what they should be doing to become a successful practitioner.

As I've described about my own journey to become a practitioner, there's a transformation process that every practitioner has to go through, like a caterpiller becoming a butterfly. Most practitioners are motivated to do this good work out of an altruistic desire to help others, and it is very easy to find people willing to let you help them for free. The transformation from volunteer work to paid, professional work requires a shift in perspective and understanding on the deepest level so that her energy as a practitioner attracts paying clients who love to work with her.

My new program Clearing your Path for Success takes new practitioners as well as established practitioners who are stuck or blocked in some way through a step by step process to identify their true calling, find their Inner Voice of Authority, identify the Roadblocks (fears, limiting beliefs, external pressure) and work through them to Clear their Path for Success. I want my clients to have the courage and confidence to do the work they love and feel called to do in a way that not only serves others but supports their own lives as well.

In the first run of this program over the summer, we uncovered some very deep insights into how to make decisions from your Core authentic self and be in business from a heart and soul centered place. In addition, we've experienced the incredible power of shared creativity to break through limiting beliefs and habits via the collaborative model of the mastermind.

One of the most powerful aspects we explored and shifted was the prevalent limiting belief about wellness practitioners from all modalities - that being of service to others in a beautiful, spirit centered way is only possible if you sacrifice your financial wellbeing or rely on someone else or a "real job" to take care of your financial responsibilities. This belief does not serve practitioners, and it does not serve their clients. Hiding behind volunteer work prevents practitioners from truly blossoming into their fully empowered powerful selves. I'm working with my clients and my mentor to create a new model of working from your authentic self that allows you to be of service to others and to yourself.

The teleclass Clearing Your Path for Success, will take you step by step through this transformation so that you can start building momentum and attracting energy and clientele you need in your practice. The best part about the program, in my opinion, is that it empowers you to find and overcome your Roadblocks, access your Inner Voice, and make Decisions from your heart.

We've extended the registration for this class for an additional week. It will begin on November 17, 2009 at 7pm. If you are struggling with your practice, I urge you to take this class. All the details and link to the registration form are here: Clearing your Path for Success.

Who is supporting you?

Yesterday, I met with a supporter of mine so we could work on some strategy for growing our businesses and find new ways to deal with obstacles that keep popping up. With my help, she clarified the mission and vision for her business, and with her help, I uncovered a crucial characteristic of my ideal client that I hadn't noticed before. By the end of the afternoon, we both felt excited and ready to get back to our businesses with fresh perspective and ideas on how to better serve our clients and help them achieve their goals.

When you're undertaking a venture, whether it's a business, a spiritual path, having a baby or graduate school, having supporters is crucial to getting you through the tough times and having people cheering with you during the good times doesn't hurt. Images of your mom or your best friend might come to mind when you think about who supports you, but when it comes a business or a career, having professional supporters can make a significant difference. Friends and family love you, and they want the best for you. The thing is that they may not understand the ins and outs of what's important to your career, especially if you are self-employed.

This is where trusted professional supporters come into play. A mentor who's been through it before can help you navigate tricky situations or give you a perspective that you hadn't considered before. My mentor's help has been invaluable in re-visioning my life and business, and with her support I've been able to accomplish things much faster and more gracefully than I would have on my own.

A mentor isn't the only kind of professional supporter out there though. Colleagues can serve as supporters too, especially if you both share a spirit of collaboration instead of competition. Who can know better what challenges you are facing than someone who's right there in it with you? Especially when you're self-employed, finding others like yourself to brainstorm, creatively collaborate, and share techniques with can keep you inspired and motivated, even on the most trying of days.

Supporters can become trusted resources that you can turn to for help dealing with a difficult client, ideas for moving forward when you're stuck, and simply forming a community that will celebrate your successes with you and rally around you when times are tough.

Who are your supporters? Take a moment now and see if there's anyone in your network who could become a supporter. Don't be shy about asking, I bet that most people you approach would be flattered rather than put off by a sincere offer to reciprocate support.

If you're a practitioner in a wellness or mind-body-spirit field in Eastern MA, the Heart Centered Practitioner's Meetup in Salem is a place where collaborative community is being built. You're welcome to join us!

And no matter where you're located, if you're feeling stuck about getting your wellness or mind-body-spirit practice to the next level, the Clearing your Path for Success Virtual Mastermind starting on November 10th may be just what you need to get through those Roadblocks and back on the path to Success.