When I first started my Naturopathic practice about a decade ago, I was keen as anything to make it the best practice possible. What I noticed was that there was not a lot of information available out there about running a practice. I had a million questions and not many sources I could talk to about those questions. It is exactly for that reason that I came up with this list.
I wanted to open up the conversation and touch on the things I wish I had known when I first started my Naturopathic practice, and even during the time it was already running but still new.
These topics are dark, light, happy and sad, the whole range of being human. Because that is who we all are.
Have more to add to the list? Post a comment below. And please SHARE this post with your Natupreneur friends – they likely need to hear these too!
Important Things Naturopaths In Practice Often Don’t Talk About!
1. You have the capacity to change people’s lives in ways you can’t even conceive of.
Imagine the change you can create in someone’s life from just an hour-long conversation in your practice. Having the right conversation at the right moment may just be the catalyst someone needs.
2. You can in fact hurt people.
Even with your oath of do no harm, you can still harm them it happens. People may have a reaction to something you give them for a condition they came to see you with. When this happens, learn from it and make sure that everything gets back on track with your affected client.
3. You’re not an expert, you’re a practitioner.
If you’re positioning yourself as an expert, it changes the dynamic of the relationship between you and your client. It puts them in a position of being the one that needs to be fixed, a problem to be solved. It dis-empowers people and makes them feel like they are broken. Our job as a practitioner is to create the space where the person can heal their body and feel empowered.
4. Not everyone will like you.
This is something I’ve learnt about 3 years into my practice. Your vibes will not match with everybody’s. And that is totally OK! When you niche as a practitioner, people who need the kind of help that you specialise in will find you and will work with you. Those who are way out of your niche will more than likely find someone else to work with. And that’s OK too.
5. Getting fully booked is your goal until it isn’t.
When you start out you have all this enthusiasm and you work work work work work until you drop. You realise that you have burnt yourself out. You can no longer show up as the best version of yourself. Pushing yourself to this point you forget about how you need to be your own healer.
6. You can make heaps of money.
Money doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Learning how to be a Naturopath didn’t give me the skills to run a business and make money. After a while I realised that I needed to educate myself about business. Once I have done that, my income started grew as well. Everyone has the ability to make money and create abundance with their practice.
7. You can lose heaps of money too.
Don’t be scared to have the right conversation with the right people. If you’re not doing well in your business, talk to an expert. Knowing your numbers is empowering once you move through the fear of looking at them in the first place.
8. Cash flow is queen.
As long as you know when your next client is, you will have a cash flow. You also need to know what is coming in and going out in your business. Even if you resist it, get to know your cash flow.
9. Shoot for the moon and you’ll land amongst the stars.
You have big plans and big dreams. Don’t be scare to tell people about them. You will become known as the person who does “that thing”. Even if you fail, you will much more ahead than anyone who hadn’t even tried.
10. We are all just winging it.
Even those you look up to in the field. We are all in the same boat, doing the best we can with the tools we have.
11. There will be complaints.
They are often the reflection of the things happening inside us. I had to deal with an official complain once. It gave the opportunity to experience the process and better understand how to deal with complaints. It’s real and you won’t die when it happens. If you have the processes in place, you will be able to deal with it the right way.
12. You’ll never know it all and that’s OK.
I used to stress about a client coming in one day with a health issue that I wouldn’t recognise or know much about. I learnt over the years that it’s OK to not know everything. There are sources you can turn to on just about anything. There is no shame in saying, “I am going to research this and will get back to you” to your client.
13. You are exactly where you need to be.
Don’t compare yourself to anyone else’s journey. You are walking your own path. You are learning what you need to learn and in the pace you need to learn it. We all have these thoughts and feelings.
14. Confidence is key.
That is what sets you apart from others. You know you have the tools for whatever it is that you’re doing. Lean on that confidence when you’re dealing with your client and they will in turn place their confidence in you. Confidence is contagious.
15. Vulnerability is powerful.
Show it. Show your flaws, they are part of who you are – human. Sharing your experiences gives your clients the impetus to do the same.
16. You will forget people.
Their names, their ailments and it’s OK. When you see hundreds of people a year, it’s a tall order to remember everyone’s names. Don’t beat yourself up about it.
17. Burn out is real and it will happen to the best of us.
When you are putting a huge amount of energy to create your business, run your practice and get your clients better, you are using a lot of energy. Sooner or later burn out will happen. You are a better person and better practitioner when you look after yourself.
18. Discounting is throwing money away.
If their health is important, people will pay for your services. We have a tendency to worry if what we give with our services is value enough. We also worry whether our clients can afford out fees. Your time is valuable. Instead of discounting, add value.
19. You will make mistakes.
In your business, in your practice, it will happen. And it’s OK. Mistakes can be excellent experiences or valuable lessons. Or both even.
20. Learn to say no.
When you’re in your first few years of business, saying yes is important. The only way to learn to say no is by saying yes first. When you say yes to everything, eventually you will hit that burn-out stage I was talking about earlier. But this is how you learn your limits and create boundaries.
21. Sometimes you will feel like a drug dealer.
Some clients will only see you to get their supplements and that’s OK. That’s all some people might need.
22. Managing staff is way harder than you think.
You learn all about making people better. You will learn how to manage other people by actually doing it.
23. There is no such thing as passive income.
To start with, you will be focused on bringing in the money and that will not happen with passive income streams. Creating passive income takes a lot of time and work and that is time away from earning your income while you are establishing yourself. Once you are up and running, however, there is no reason why you shouldn’t consider it.
24. A million amazing things will happen but the one bad thing will suck you down like a drain.
This can happen when you are trudging along and life is good. Then all of a sudden you get a review or feedback that is not so good. Out of a million emails you get that are really positive, this can really pull you down. And that is OK.
25. Every single moment is either an incredible lesson or an amazing experience and you need them both.
You can’t just take all the good things and not acknowledge the bad stuff. It’s all part and parcel.
26. Everything is figure-outable.
Even worse case scenarios can be figured out. Find the right people to talk to about whatever issue you have.
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