Get the support you need for your practice

Why building your practice is a lot more like Fixer Upper than you think.

Something that you may not know about me is that I love renovating and fixing up living spaces.

My treatment room and office are attached to my home, in what used to be our carport. When we bought our house, it was a 3 BR, 1.5 BA, and now it has 4 bedrooms and 2 and a half bathrooms. And I totally renovated our teeny tiny place at the beach! Chip and Joanna, watch out!

I love the work -- transforming old spaces and making them perfect for us and the way we live -- it's a wonderful creative outlet for me, and also lets me flex my problem-solving muscles.

So I know my way around a mitre saw, I can caulk a mean line, and I even have my own (hot pink!) toolbelt {as you can see by the glamorous pic here -- keeping it real, people!}.

And the most important thing I've learned through my renovating years is that I need to know when to ask for help.

It's the same in your bodywork business. You may be at the point when you realize that you've taken your practice as far as you can on your own, but what should you do next?

It all depends on where you are and where you want your practice to be.

You could read books, or go online and search for answers. Or maybe you could sign up for a 1-day seminar at your local Chamber of Commerce.

Or you could get someone to help you cut through all that and guide you where you need to go. It depends on whether you need help with a task, or a project. Here's what I mean...

In the early days, whenever I used to work on a renovation project, I'd try to do everything myself. I'm pretty darned independent and I'm a DOUBLE Virgo (read: stubborn), so I always think I can do everything on my own.

I remember when I was renovating our bathroom. I went down to Lowe's and bought a new sink that I loved. Then I went online and watched YouTube videos about how to install a sink, and joined DIY renovation forums. I figured it out, and I had a plan.

When I began to implement my plan of replacing the sink, the first thing that went wrong is that the old water pipes were rusted. So I had to head back to Lowe's to get new ones. I got back home, and realized they were the wrong size. Back to Lowe's.

When I finally had the correct size, I couldn't get them installed because I didn't have the proper tools. So, I just fudged it with what I had, and spent about 3 hours on what should have been a 15 minute job. Then I had to stop the whole project because I realized that I needed to paint BEFORE I installed the new sink. Back to Lowe's for paint brushes...

In the end, the project got done, but it took 3x as long, and cost twice as much as I thought it would. And here's the thing: it wasn't fun. I didn't enjoy it because it turned into such a huge ORDEAL.

I had a much better experience the next time I installed a sink because I called a contractor to come out and help me plan the reno. Because he had a TON of experience and expertise, he was able to tell me, "Mindy, first do this, then do this. Then I'll come in and do xyz, and then you can finish the job by doing this."

WHAT A RELIEF!

Another time, I wanted to change out our light-switch covers. So I got a book on basic home repairs, bought the covers, and easily switched them out, based on what I had read.

The key is to know what kind of support you need and when you need it. Are you working on a task? Or a project?

It's the same with your bodywork business.

If you're trying to figure out how to file the papers to get a business license in your state, you can look it up online, take the appropriate steps, and boom! You're done. This is a task, just like changing out light-switch covers, and you can easily get the support you need from a book or online.

But if you're trying to map out a plan for your business to succeed, you probably don't even know where to begin.

It won't do you any good to string a whole bunch of little tasks together to try to make it work, because you don't yet have the experience or expertise to see how the whole picture fits together... Just like me and my sink.

You'll spend more time, energy, and money than you need to, and you likely won't get the results you're looking for.

You need someone to help you with the plan -- someone who has been where you want to go, and who can teach you what you need to know. Someone who can see your business as the project that it is.

Don't sell yourself short by trying to use task support when you really need project support. Find a person or program that can give you the big-picture answers you need and who can help guide you on your way.

Your business may look like a fixer upper, but with the proper support and guidance, you can start creating the practice of your dreams much sooner than you think.

If you're ready to stop winging it and start really having a powerful plan for your practice, I invite you to check out The Bodywork Project. In this masterclass-meets-mastermind, you'll have access not only to outstanding business and lifestyle-building lessons, but you'll also receive support and accountability from a wonderful group of big-hearted, like-minded therapists...

…Oh, and from me, too. I'll be there to support you every step of the way.

Happy Renovating!