Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | Email | RSS | More
What is the key to steady business growth? How do you strengthen any vulnerable spots in your business? Have you clarified your intentions?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok speaks with Ashley Mielke about becoming unstoppable and how to grow your practice consistently.
Podcast Sponsor: Slow Down School
Meet Ashley Mielke
Ashley Mielke is a Registered Psychologist, Founder and CEO of a large group private practice in Alberta, Canada called The Grief and Trauma Healing Centre Inc. She is passionate about supporting heart-centered practice owners in starting, growing, and scaling their businesses.
Ashley was called to start her company after the tragic death of her father by suicide in 2010. It was the purpose she found through her healing that inspired the ‘WHY’ that drives her 7-figure company today. It brings Ashley great joy to support other heart-centered leaders in building successful practices that are aligned with both their business goals and their deepest calling.
Visit The Grief and Trauma Healing Centre and connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Connect with Ashley Mielke on Instagram and LinkedIn.
In This Podcast
- The foundations of starting a successful practice
- When do you start hiring clinicians?
- How to grow your practice consistently
- How to find weak spots and strengthen them
- Clarify your intentions
- Ashley’s advice to private practitioners
The foundations of starting a successful practice
There are many important aspects to starting a group practice, and many foundations to initially lay in place to help you hit the ground running.
Ashley focused on these three to start her group practice:
1 – Creating a great website that had SEO
2 – Signing a lease for an office space
3 – Networking in the local community
I worked hard to get my name out there as a starting point to build the practice, [including] the small but important things … [but] that was my focus in the beginning. (Ashely Mielke)
When do you start hiring clinicians?
A common query that many aspiring group practice owners have is trying to figure out when to start hiring employees and other clinicians.
Keep an eye on intake, because once your intake is consistent and you start getting full, then you should consider hiring someone.
When I was full and could no longer take on new clients, and we now had a waitlist, that’s when I knew we were ready. (Ashley Mielke)
Once Ashley had a stable team of three, they moved into a bigger office with more space to grow, and hired their first office administrator.
How to grow your practice consistently
Every step of growth brings forth unique challenges no matter how small or big you are, and I think every step feels scary. (Ashley Mielke)
When you are working to build and grow your practice, every next step can seem unattainable until it is done.
If you are ever nervous about making the next move, look back over your progress to remind yourself of how far you have come, and that even in the past when you were nervous, you were still able to do it.
What has been really key [for my business] this last year to year and a half has been getting our processes clear. (Ashley Mielke)
Smooth out and be clear on your:
- Standard operating procedures
- Administrative processes
- Delegating roles of who does what in the business
How to find weak spots and strengthen them
Every business has weak spots here and there that can be worked on.
A great way to find out how you can improve and boost the business from the inside out is to send a poll out to your employees.
[Have] your team share some feedback on what is working well, and what they wish could be better, different, or more. (Ashley Mielke)
Clarify your intentions
- What is the purpose that drives you to do this work?
- What are your vision, mission, and values that are going to sustain you long-term?
- Can you use your successes and failures to set up your systems for consistent success?
Ashley’s advice to private practitioners
Growth is difficult, and stepping into discomfort as an entrepreneur can be challenging and even lonely.
However, what is key in helping you through every stage is to stay clear on your “why” – what is the purpose that drives you? Stay committed to the why, and your drive for your business, and you will be unstoppable.
Useful Links mentioned in this episode:
- Visit The Grief and Trauma Healing Centre and connect with them on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Connect with Ashley Mielke on Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Check out Therapy Sites
- Find out more about Slow Down School and purchase Your Ticket or Email Joe at joe@practiceofthepractice.com to see if Slow Down School is a fit for you!
- Email Alison for consulting at alison@practiceofthepractice.com
Check out these additional resources:
- Create A Business Personality and Connect with Your Clients with Keshia White | PoP 718
- Apply to work together
- Sign up for Next Level Practice — Cohort Open!
- Events – click on the event’s dropdown
- Sign up to join the free webinars and events here
- Podcast Launch School
- Practice of the Practice Podcast Network
- Free resources to help you start, grow, and scale
- Apply to work with us — a decision-making matrix for your next steps
Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners that are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
Thanks For Listening!
Feel free to leave a comment below or share this podcast on social media by clicking on one of the social media links below! Alternatively, leave a review on iTunes and subscribe!
