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ANISHA SHAH ON BUILDING SELF CONFIDENCE WHEN STARTING A PRACTICE
POP 308

[Are you starting or growing a private practice? I want you to join Next Level Practice. This is an ecosystem to help you succeed. It’s so much more than a membership community. We have 3 big components to it. We have our community. We have teaching and we have tools of the trade. With our community, we have small groups that meet monthly. We have accountability partners. And then, you also get to be a part of our private Facebook group. Around training, we have live Q&As with me where’s it’s one on one consulting with the group of people. Allison and Kasey also do Q&As. We do several webinars a month. As well, I do trainings that are all within our hub in Teachable so that we can walk you through things like “How do you blog to rank in Google?”, “How do you name a practice?”, and everything that it takes to start and grow a practice. Then, the last portion is all about tools of the trade. We give you things like a logo, paperwork, everything you need to be successful in a phased-out manner, so you know exactly what to do next so that you save time and you save money. To sign up, go over to practiceofthepractice.com/invite. It’s a $100 a month but when we’re launching our cohort, it drops down to $77 per month. So, you got to jump in during that couple days when we launch our next cohort. Head on over the practiceofthepractice.com/invite and request to join today.]

This is the Practice of the Practice podcast with Joe Sanok – Session Number 308.
Welcome. We are continuing our series in people starting practices and what helped them get to the next level. I’m so excited. Today, we have Anisha Shah on the podcast. And, it’s just been so exciting to chat with all these people that are a part of next level practice and to see what they are doing, how they rock it out. They’re just killing it and they’re growing so much faster than even I expected when we started doing this training.
So, without any further ado, I give you Anisha Shah.

INTRODUCTION

[JOE]
Well, today on the Practice of the Practice podcast, we have Anisha Shah. Anisha has been passionate about the field of psychology since 1990. She got her Bachelor’s in Child Development and Master’s in Human Development from India, and Master’s in Clinical Counselling Psychology from SMU Dallas, Texas. She’s the owner of Collin County Counselling and has been in private practice since 2008. Welcome to the Practice of the Practice podcast!
[ANISHA]
Thank you, Joe.
[JOE]
I’m so glad that you’re here. So, tell me a little bit about when you were first starting your practice. Take us through that journey of deciding to start a practice.
[ANISHA]
Well, ever since I graduated in 2004, I mean, I started school in 2004 and I graduated 2006. And, I landed with my first internship with my LPC license at a private practice. So, I was an intern there. So, right from the get-go, I was in a private practice setting so I was very much exposed to that and that helped me create my own vision of where I wanted to see myself someday. And, right now, I’m of course in private practice as a solo, just the owner of the practice where I do everything. But, my goal is to kind of expand to group practice and get my forting out there and establish more in a group setting. So, that’s where I met you and I found your services. Here I am part of the Next Level group.
[JOE]
Yeah. So, you joined next level practice and you’ve been growing your practice. Tell me a little bit about maybe in the last year. So, what are some actions that you’ve taken to really build up the practice?

ACTIONS TAKEN

[ANISHA]
You know, before I met you, Joe, and your team, I have been in the mindset to grow and market but that is the side of me that has been just very shy, a little bit conservative. I have over the years, definitely, built my self-confidence with the services that I offer, with the work I do that has grown tremendously. I think.
I had a website before to answer your question. I did some marketing here and there, met with some people, doctors, but it was more like okay I did it once and then okay let’s wait and watch and kind of see what happens. I have a marketing company that I work with who does my website, so I have met with them. I changed like 3 or 4 vendors for marketing or website folks. So now, I finally have this 1 company that I’ve been for a little while and I’m happy with their service, with their follow-through. That was kind of the only pieces that I was doing over the past year in terms of marketing. But, I knew I wanted to… because my weekly clients have ranged anywhere between like 15 clients a week, 18, but my goal has always been to bring it up to 25, 30 because I am a mom in between, in the middle of they day. So, I can’t work anymore than 30 hours.
With that 1 year, I’ve been really struggling with just having most ability and the influx of those clients and the work that I wanted to do. So, that’s where I was looking online, and I came across your podcast. I really started tuning to it more sincerely. I felt like just the work that you were suggesting for people to doing really put yourself in my shoes. I felt I could really sense that connection right away. I just like that practical approaches and just went about the how-to. Because even with the work that I do with my clients is okay we get it that the depression is there, the anxiety is there, the stress, etc. whatever. But, what I wanted to take away is how to help a client and my client also wants the same, so I got a lot of the how-to. That 2 broken up and simplified into more of the doable steps just through your general podcast that really have inspired me like, “Hmm maybe I should try what he’s suggesting.” So, that’s how I kind of got into enrolling in you’re the Next Level Practice group. And now, here we are.
[JOE]
Yeah, that’s great. You said that you struggled with self-confidence before and I’m sure for all of us, we all struggle with different things. What helped you get through that?

GETTING THROUGH SELF-CONFIDENCE

[ANISHA]
I think that with practice, working with different clientele. I worked with families. I worked with children, teenagers, couples. So, that really has continuously opened my comfort level in working with people from different walks of life. Since I am a self-agent, I hear a lot of families reaching out. That helps me a lot with my confidence level too and not only reaching to one set of communities but the rest of communities also in the neighbourhood. That is very humbling. I have worked with abused clients, victim clients, divorced families, troubled teens. That allows me to kind of pull into a lot of information from different growths and get creative when it actually comes to tools and strategies for these kids because sometimes I work with a kid. And, the work that I do kind of reminds me what I could do with these adults that I’m working with.
I share a lot of clients’ testaments, no names. But, that has boost a lot of confidence. Hey, this particular client was helped in this particular way. Why not I share their testament and see what happens, what they do with it, and a lot of times, clients have really felt that it was very helpful. It was very timely. So, I get feedback a lot from my clients with the work that I do. That has also helped boost my confidence. Then, when I hear strategies and tips from a marketing standpoint, that has helped me boost my self-confidence. I know we had spoken a little while ago, just private consultation session about increasing my rates. I know how hard it is the first time.
[JOE]
How’s that going?
[ANISHA]
Oh my, gosh, Joe. It has been great. A lot of my clients coming in there are very comfortable with the new rates like no questions asked. One of them kind of said, “Well, I can’t afford so I’m just going to do insurance.” I’m an insurance fan. So, she decided to go insurance. There’s one client that most of my other couple of clients who have come in, they have been okay. This is the first time, Joe. I guess the longest track record where I’ve had most self-care clients versus insurance. I’ve had a few cash pay here in the past, but I guess since March, I think, February onwards is when I really felt the cash flow. Cash pay clients picked up for me.
[JOE]
Wow. So, since trying Next Level practice, how many more clients do you think you’re seeing per week and you also raise your rates? Is there a way that you can say, “Wow, I’m making this much more per week as a result of all this work?”

RAISING THE RATES

[ANISHA]
I wouldn’t say I have had… So, a couple of things that you had suggested in our Next Level group was to do Google My Business page, kind of get more reviews. You know, it’s still been ongoing. I like that my website shows up more in the searches. I definitely have more calls coming in so I would say, as a result of the Next Level participation, I think, I have an increase of at least 5 more appointments per sessions. Because sometimes I see a couple of clients and individuals, they need more than one time to come in to therapy, just the severity of their situation. So, I counted more as a client but it’s more of like how many sessions I’m doing. Sometimes, I have a couple that comes in but then the sessions that I do are like a 2-hour session or an hour and a half. So, all that, I calculated as the dollar amount that is coming in.
That has definitely increased. Now, I have to track how many more. Definitely, at the top of my head, I think it’s definitely 5 sessions more than what I used to before I started. I keep saying “Master Level” but “Next Level.”
[JOE]
That’s okay. You know that’s great. So, you have 5 extra sessions per week. I mean that’s amazing. When I think about all that you’re putting into it, the structure, and putting your time into it really where you should be spending your time, I imagine you saving a bunch of time. If there’s somebody listening right now that’s just starting a practice, what would you suggest for them and also things that they should do to get to the point that you’re at?
[ANISHA]
Well, I see myself still work in progress. Definitely, I’m headed in the right direction. Just recently, I was sitting and thinking. I was like, “Gosh, I wish I had met you and known you before.” I started my practice, you know, in 2008, even as an intern. So, then on, I wish I would have known or I would have consulted who would have walked me through right from the conception to the getting started and then following through just like you’re working us through now, Joe. That would be my recommendation.
Everybody feels a connection with someone but if they find that connection with you, particularly, or with Practice of the Practice, I would definitely encourage them to participate because one thing that’s there, Joe, that I did want your listeners know is your services are so affordable and they have quality. That’s what I really appreciate. That’s what I was looking for. Because I was looking to hire a consulting service for a long time, but I would just shy away with the hefty tags that it came with. I’m sure that they deserved every bit of it.
That time in my practice I could just not afford that at all, so I just shied away. And then, when I came across your services, I found out in all aspects that it just jelled right away with me. It was a no-brainer. So, that would be highly, highly… something that I would recommend that people seek consulting services from forms like yours who have very down to earth, very sincere, and you know, in the best interest. I would definitely recommend all people listening to the doubt and hesitation to get into your next level group right away. There’s definitely so much more you can get out of it with the investment of service that you offer.
[JOE]
Sure, thank you so much for sharing that. What would be some things that you’d say… Say, someone didn’t signup for Next Level practice? They just wanted to say. Okay, Anisha give me just like 3 things that I should be doing that would help me grow my practice. What would you tell them to do?

3 THINGS TO HELP GROW MY PRACTICE

[ANISHA]
Well, first thing is to get a website because in today’s day and age, online presence is vital. And then, getting a Google My Business page which is also free. And, setting that up shouldn’t take time. You can have friends and colleagues. You may not have any clients but at least you can have friends or colleagues to write some reviews and get your name out there because Google likes that. I hear that from you, Joe. Perhaps, the third thing is with just starting off, I guess, things on the social media… Because all I’m thinking right now is marketing that you would do is creating a free Facebook page and getting your information out there on all these other social media portals.
Get your name out there in the community so that people can know you and they can start referring because people are just always looking in their network. Networking would be another fourth thing that I would suggest you do with the doctors or the professionals. And then, start having them refer clients to you. Those would be at the top of my… something quick, not very expensive. You can pick and choose the mediums of how extensive you wanted to be, but you also have inexpensive ways like Square and some of the portals I don’t recall right now. You, of course, the expert. Those would be just my general recommendations for somebody to get started right away.
[JOE]
Oh, that’s great. I love it. So, one question I always ask people is if every private practice owner in the world were listening right now, what would you want them to know?
[ANISHA]
Do not hesitate to ask for help. Do not hesitate because in school, you’re not taught the business side of things and you know, I wen to SMU and it’s a private school in Dallas. It’s very well-known, reputed. I get all of that. But when I came out of this school, yes, I was very well equipped on the clinical side, but I wasn’t on the business side of things. It was all that I have learned all along the way. That was a good thing, but I wish I had this kind of support or practical education and the services kind of what you offer, Joe, in the Practice of the Practice. I would recommend people seek that because that’s where your expertise lies. You want an expert to guide you. That’s why clients come through you and me where they see us as an expert to help them navigate their mental health issues. I would see that you helped with the marketing side of navigating us through those waters. So, seek help and get a professional on your side to really help you from your start to end. Process and continue to grow, not just the starting of it. So definitely, don’t hesitate to hire a consultant and I would highly, highly recommend Practice of the Practice because I genuinely mean it. I’m not saying it just for the sake of… Definitely, that would be my one thing. It’s okay to ask for help and have a plan because I didn’t have a plan per se. So, Joe, with your services, I’m definitely learning more strategies and having a plan to actually grow and scale. So, thank you so much for being a part of my practice and I’m excited to be a part of yours as well.
[JOE]
Yeah, it’s awesome to see you to the next level. So, if they want to connect with you, how do they connect with you?
[ANISHA]
They can connect with me on my website. It’s collincountycounseling.com. They can also email me at mailto:[email protected].
[JOE]
Awesome. Thank you for being at the Practice of the Practice.
[ANISHA]
Thank you so much, Joe.

[So, if you’re really ready to take your practice to the next level, if you’re making less than $50,000 a year and you’re in that start-up phase where you’re just thinking about getting a practice going, all the way up to just starting to add a couple clinicians, Next Level Practice is the best ecosystem for you to jump into. We’re giving you training, community, and the tools of the trade. We’d love for you to join the next cohort. Usually, it’s a $100 a month but when the cohort’s launched, it drops to $77 a month. So, if you want to join that. Anytime, you can go over to practiceofthepractice.com/invite but if you specifically want to get invited when those cohorts lunched, you have to sign up for that list. So excited to have you do this. This community continues to grow. Thanks for letting us into your ears and into your brain. Have an awesome day.]

[Special thanks to the band Silent is Sexy. And, this podcast is designed to provide accurate and intuitive information in the subject matter covered. It’s given to the understanding that neither the host, the publisher, the guests are rendering legal, accounting, clinic, or other professional information. If you need a professional, you should find one.]