Allied Health Business Brilliance

Simone Dudley, Co-Founder of Therapy Connect, joins the podcast once again, and what an exciting thing it is to hear about the growth in just a few years. We start off reflecting on her journey transitioning from clinician to business owner, developing the business as a dedicated telehealth provider, quickly diversifying the team, and revealing her key learnings and confronting moments. You’ll then hear us discuss what it was like being a telehealth provider during COVID, being inundated, and how they adapted and adjusted. Simone also chats about family and personal pursuits, and what she thinks telehealth will look like in the next five years – an interesting discussion around the microscopes emerging around engagement in telehealth, and understanding what it enables and the challenges it brings.Topics covered on transitioning from clinician to business owner and telehealth:  Key learnings and confronting moments Being an established telehealth practice during COVID The possibilities of telehealth Related Episodes  Episode 19 Season 2: Breaking Down Barriers and Borders with Sue Cameron and Simone Dudley Connect with Simone Dudley Visit Simone Dudley’s Website Connect with Simone Dudley on LinkedIn  Connect with Nacre Consulting:  Join the Accelerator Mastermind  Complete the Allied Health Biz Quiz  Let’s connect on Instagram  Follow us on Facebook  Let’s connect on LinkedIn  Join our Facebook Group online community  More about The Private Practice Made Perfect Show: The Private Practice Made Perfect podcast is a much loved conversation for those wanting to hear real life Australian Allied Health business stories, adventures and the occasional confession. The outstanding guest list includes business owners and wonderful small business supporters such as accountants, marketers, bookkeepers, IT wizards, virtual assistants, lawyers and more. As you know, it takes a village to run a business. Cathy gathers the tribe, captures the collective wisdom and conveniently delivers it to your earbuds. All episodes are chatty, honest and practical… warning… we often stray from the topic, talk of wine and laugh loudly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alyce Svensk wears many hats – Allied Health Business Mentor, Clinical Supervisor, and Director of Sensational Start OT. This week, she joins the podcast to discuss her journey, from bringing on her first employee, to now mentoring graduate OT’s left right and centre. You’ll hear how new graduates affect the existing team culture, Alyce’s insights for creating and maintaining a positive team culture, as well as how Allied Health Assistants (AHA) fit into the bigger picture. We also chat about identifying learning styles as a leader, the NDIS, and the rare positives that have come out of COVID for her business.Topics covered on mentoring graduate OT’s:  Creating and maintaining team culture Being purposeful about supporting the team The future of Allied Health Assistant Roles in the NDIS context Connect with Alyce Svensk:   Visit Alyce Svensk’s Website Follow Alyce Svensk on Instagram (@sensationalstartot)  Connect with Alyce Svensk on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sensationalstart https://www.facebook.com/Alycesvenskconsulting Connect with Alyce Svensk on LinkedIn  Connect with Nacre Consulting:  Join the Accelerator Mastermind  Complete the Allied Health Biz Quiz  Let’s connect on Instagram  Follow us on Facebook  Let’s connect on LinkedIn  Join our Facebook Group online community  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m joined by Chantelle Robards – Allied Health Subject Matter Specialist at Ernst & Young Global Consulting Services – to discuss several barriers that seem to be preventing many Allied Health business owners from stepping outside their comfort zone and doing things differently.We chat about the NDIS and its barriers, as well as the overall workforce including undergrad preparation, volume of students required to meet current needs, and the short and long-term impacts of more Allied Health professionals leaving the profession. You’ll also hear Chantelle’s thoughts on Allied Health Assistants (AHA’s) such as engaging in training, the commercial reality of making AHA’s work, and whether the NDIS will require for AHA’s to be qualified.Topics covered on the NDIS, workforce and Allied Health Assistants:  Barriers to doing business differently Undergrad preparations Delegating and releasing work to AHA’s Resources Mentioned  Human Services Skills Organisation for information regarding engaging with RTO’s Allied Health Assistant Network Australia NDIS Quarterly Reports (NDIS Plan underspend) Care and Support Sector Community of Practice Facebook group Connect with Chantelle Robards  Connect with Chantelle Robards on LinkedIn Email Chantelle Robards Connect with Nacre Consulting:  Join the Accelerator Mastermind  Complete the Allied Health Biz Quiz  Let’s connect on Instagram  Follow us on Facebook  Let’s connect on LinkedIn  Join our Facebook Group online community  More about The Private Practice Made Perfect Show: The Private Practice Made Perfect podcast is a much loved conversation for those wanting to hear real life Australian Allied Health business stories, adventures and the occasional confession. The outstanding guest list includes business owners and wonderful small business supporters such as accountants, marketers, bookkeepers, IT wizards, virtual assistants, lawyers and more. As you know, it takes a village to run a business. Cathy gathers the tribe, captures the collective wisdom and conveniently delivers it to your earbuds. All episodes are chatty, honest and practical… warning… we often stray from the topic, talk of wine and laugh loudly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you looking after yourself as well as you should be? This week I’m joined by Jo Muirhead – Founder and CEO of Purple Co. You’ll hear Jo share her journey starting Purple Co during the global financial crisis, to keeping the business afloat during her battle with cancer.As we discuss what it means to thrive in adversity, you’ll hear why Jo doesn’t like being referred to as an “inspiration”, as well as her thoughts on allied health professionals and tackling (or more-so preventing) burnout. We take a deep-dive into personal wellness and its importance, practising what you preach as a health professional, overcoming denial, and so much more. Topics covered on managing burnout:  Overcoming denial Taking control of your health Prevention vs. damage control  Connect with Jo Muirhead   Connect with Jo Muirhead on LinkedIn  Follow Jo Muirhead on Instagram @jo_muirhead Connect with Jo Muirhead on Facebook Visit Jo Muirhead’s website Connect with Nacre Consulting:  Join the Accelerator Mastermind  Complete the Allied Health Biz Quiz  Let’s connect on Instagram  Follow us on Facebook  Let’s connect on LinkedIn  Join our Facebook Group online community  More about The Private Practice Made Perfect Show: The Private Practice Made Perfect podcast is a much loved conversation for those wanting to hear real life Australian Allied Health business stories, adventures and the occasional confession. The outstanding guest list includes business owners and wonderful small business supporters such as accountants, marketers, bookkeepers, IT wizards, virtual assistants, lawyers and more. As you know, it takes a village to run a business. Cathy gathers the tribe, captures the collective wisdom and conveniently delivers it to your earbuds. All episodes are chatty, honest and practical… warning… we often stray from the topic, talk of wine and laugh loudly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re going in-house this episode with our very own Process Documentation Officer here at Nacre Consulting – Ben Reich. As he is also studying Atmospheric Science at Monash University, it only seemed fitting to have a chat with Ben about climate change, renewable energy, and carbon-neutral strategies.  You’ll hear exactly what Ben’s studying and how this gives him such an insight into climate change and what we must do as human beings to go more sustainable and make a positive impact. We discuss his thoughts on how Nacre can go more carbon-neutral, challenges of tracking your own carbon footprint, carbon offsetting, having personal responsibility, and the next big steps he envisions for Nacre in the upcoming 6 months. Topics covered on going carbon-neutral:   Climate change  Carbon offsetting  Tracking your carbon footprint  Resources Mentioned     https://www.systemology.com/     https://www.systemhub.com/     https://www.carbonneutral.com/    Related Episodes   Episode 235: How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Go Carbon Neutral in Your Organisation   Connect with Ben Reich    Connect with Ben Reich on LinkedIn   Connect with Nacre Consulting:   Join the Accelerator Mastermind   Complete the Allied Health Biz Quiz   Let’s connect on Instagram   Follow us on Facebook   Let’s connect on LinkedIn   Join our Facebook Group online community   More about The Private Practice Made Perfect Show:  The Private Practice Made Perfect podcast is a much loved conversation for those wanting to hear real life Australian Allied Health business stories, adventures and the occasional confession.  The outstanding guest list includes business owners and wonderful small business supporters such as accountants, marketers, bookkeepers, IT wizards, virtual assistants, lawyers and more.  As you know, it takes a village to run a business. Cathy gathers the tribe, captures the collective wisdom and conveniently delivers it to your earbuds.  All episodes are chatty, honest and practical… warning… we often stray from the topic, talk of wine and laugh loudly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I am yet to meet an allied health business owner who doesn’t want to understand their numbers better, have them all in one place, and know how to use them.But for those who aren’t too sure about where to start, it can be fairly intimidating (to say the least).Ever thought to yourself, “Oh, that’s good enough for now.” Sure, that bulky Excel spreadsheet might be “good enough” in theory, but at what cost? This episode is an important reminder to have those conversations with the experts, because you probably don’t realise how much easier and more valuable streamlining your numbers and processes can be. As I always say: you just don’t know what you don’t know.That’s why we’ve got the wonderful Cullen Brugman in for this week’s PPMP episode. Cullen is the Managing Director of Dashboard Magic. Dashboard Magic builds dashboards to help you see how well your business is performing.There are countless golden nuggets in this conversation, starting with the concept of making data more meaningful, the critical numbers you should have as a business owner, and how to avoid inconsistent data tracking.We also discuss overcoming the challenge of getting the relevant numbers to look at, Cullen’s observations on manual data manipulation (find out what you could be missing), and how it all comes back to opportunity cost of time, and cost of mental space.You’ll even hear what it’s like working with Dashboard Magic, including how the entire process. If you want to get started on simplifying your data, download the free business metrics provided by Cullen himself by clicking here. Or if you’re ready to get some help, book a 30-minute Zoom call now with Cullen by clicking here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever come out of a therapy session or meeting, only to check your phone or computer and be faced with 20 new emails? It’s one of the most stressful feelings, leaving you with the overwhelming task of sitting down and sifting through each and every one. And it doesn’t stop there – without the right support systems, this email-tsunami is a never-ending battle…The good news is that there’s a solution, and it’s a lot more streamlined than you might think. That solution is admin support.Here to cover all-things admin is Karina Follent – Founding Director of Pro-Assist Virtual Administration. Pro-Assist helps allied health business owners with flexible admin and NDIS support to make practices run smarter and smoother.For Karina, Pro-Assist isn’t just about the admin – it’s about fostering meaningful flexibility for business owners. From the start, she’s always had a passion for helping allied health business owners regain time, so that they can focus more on their loved ones.Karina’s passion is a great reminder of the importance of spending precious time with family and friends, where the business doesn’t claim your entire life. Is it time for you to get some admin support? What are you doing in the admin-space that you could be handing off to the pros? Never be afraid to ask for help – it’s an investment.In this episode, Karina runs us through the various admin tasks she does to help busy business owners, including the benefits of practice management software. You’ll also hear why you should have your systems set up first before hiring new staff, how to avoid burnout, NDIS opinions, and why you should be keeping your waitlists small and compact.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you could change anything about the NDIS right now, what would it be?This week’s guest on the PPMP Podcast is none other than Kerri Weaver – Owner of Eyes and Independence and Educational Disability Specialist.Kerri shares some great insights this week about being an allied health business owner – challenges and all. You’ll hear Kerri open up about losing her original role due to government cuts, as well as how that experience gave her the drive and motivation to start her own business.She shares what she first learnt about business as a whole in the first few years as a business owner, which included plenty of getting used to socials and website navigation. Her experience with networking and admin are also two important pieces for every business owner, particularly those just starting out. Kerri also discusses her experience knowing when to take a step back from the business – a friendly reminder for all business owners that taking time for yourself is part of the job. Where a lot of you will probably also relate in this episode is Kerri’s thoughts on the NDIS – there’s no holding back here. She gets right into how she would change it up, including what she’d do if she was the boss of the price guide.Don’t forget to listen to the end of the episode for Kerri’s insights on what she wants to achieve for her business in the next 12 months – something we should all set out to do once in a while to get clear on our long-term goals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is your definition of wealth? For me, wealth is a form of energy. It has to move through you, your business, and around the planet, and it’s ultimately about what you want to have forward in your lifestyle.There’s really no one more perfect than our guest on this week’s episode to discuss all-things wealth, and that person is Jackson Millan – Managing Director of Aureus Financial, an award-winning wealth coaching, strategic advice and lending business.In this episode, you’ll hear Jackson deep-dive into countless topics surrounding turning your business profit into personal wealth, where having a momentum-based approach to money, wealth and profit is crucial. You’ll hear us discuss Jackson’s own definition of wealth, his observations about business owners and money mindsets, key stages of money memories, and so much more.One particular golden nugget is Jackson’s view on self-limiting beliefs surrounding wealth. In his own words, “You’ll never outgrow the invisible ceiling that is your mindset.”He shares the importance of having a reason to “lift” that invisible ceiling in order to allow you to step into strategies and tactics that let you create financial freedom.Another important talking point is the difference between profit and cash flow, and why profit isn’t your end game.So, what is your money mindset? Is it in need of a shift?On a separate note, did you hear about our Practice Managers Academy coming back with a bang?! Click here to find out more or follow this link here to listen to the podcast about it!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Does your practice manager have the skills and support they need to really flourish? After plenty of research, we’ve uncovered that there are many practice managers out there who don’t have the right support. It often feels isolating and lonely, and they feel that their remarkable responsibilities and huge demands aren’t being recognised as they should be.At Nacre Consulting, we’ve been extra busy (as always) in creating a platform for practice managers to be heard, understood, and give them that opportunity to really hone their craft.Practice Managers Academy is back!We couldn’t be more excited to offer this wonderful event once again to any and all practice managers at allied health businesses. Practice Managers Academy (PMA) is all about helping upskill practice managers, so that they can differently support the business, business owner, and entire team. And this time around, we’ve made some changes – listen to the episode to find out all about them.Whether they’re feeling overwhelmed in your role, or simply want to boost their skills, PMA is designed for all practice managers to help save on time and energy, creating more certainty in the role with a valuable experience learning with others.Now more than ever before, it’s time for practice managers to shine and be empowered in their roles. PMA is about fulfilling their personal needs, as well as positioning the business for absolute awesomeness moving forward. Use this event as a training-ground for industry-specific skills, as well as a chance to hear how other practice managers are running their ship.PMA is facilitated by Cathy Love, members of the Nacre Consulting team, and other subject-matter experts. For ALL the details on this event, listen to the episode now!Or to sign up right now and secure a spot for your practice manager, click here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever thought about selling your business? Or looking to explore the concept a little further?Here to give you the opportunity to dip your toes into the water is Michael Kerr – Founding Director of Kerr Capital. Kerr Capital advises business owners on whether it’s the right time to sell, and what their business is really worth.Michael shares his insights on when and why an allied health business owner would reach out and engage Kerr Capital to get their business valued.You’ll hear all-things business value, Michael’s philosophy on valuing businesses, as well as the process of evaluations – including the art and science of your actual net profits.I’ve heard it all – allied health business owners not thinking that their business is too small, or thinking, “Would anyone even want to buy it?” (Something that honestly makes my business heart break). Then there’s the owner that just limps along until they have to make that tough decision about which way it’s going to go.That’s what makes Michael’s insights so valuable, as he gets into the nitty-gritty of the main reasons people come to him to get their business valued, and what “exit” really looks like.At the end of the day, it’s all about reclaiming your time and lifestyle if you’re going to sell-up. You could even be increasing the value of your business because you’re proving that it can run on less of your input.But if you’re not ready to sell, that’s okay too. It’s just about being fully aware of where your business is at, and also be aware of the risks on both sides.Practice Managers Academy starts in July! It is now back with a bang and more intensive than ever! Sign up for our 12-weeks Practice Managers Academy here! Or just click on the link anyway to know more…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you feel when you hear about the future of therapy? Does the idea of new, innovative tech scare you? Here to calm your fears this week is Laura Simmons – CEO and Founder of Theratrak and Paediatric Occupational Therapist.Theratrak has digitised allied healthcare as a platform that allows multidisciplinary teams to bridge the gap between therapy sessions and create a more inclusive model of healthcare.  Innovation and change are two focal points in this episode, as Laura gives valuable insights into how Theratrak works, and how it’s making an impact on the industry. You’ll hear her journey evolving Theratrak, as well as what inspired her to get into the entrepreneurial tech space, and the steep learning curve she’s overcome in understanding software development.  Other fabulous insights include how she figures out what the next improvements are going to be in the business (which includes the importance of watching and listening when gaining feedback from clients), and leveraging tech and data for things like NDIS reports. What really stands out in this episode is Laura’s exploration of change and innovation in allied health. We all know how scary change can be, but instead, try think of yourself as a change champion. Look at the positives that tech can bring to everyone’s lives in the allied health industry – and Theratrak is a perfect example of that. Laura shares her advice for allied health professionals who are cautious about investing in something like Theratrak, as well as overcoming tech-fear. And if you’re already keen to know what’s set for the future of Theratrak and what they’re bringing to the allied health table, sign up to their newsletter to be the first to know about exciting new releases coming soon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carbon neutral – what does it mean and why should all businesses be moving towards it? This week we’re doing things a little differently and shifting our focus onto somewhere we all call home – the Earth. Here to give us all the insights, tips and advice we need is Jason from Cliniko. His role is, as he describes it, “a little bit of everything”, and there couldn’t be anyone more perfect to walk us through sustainability and all it entails. First and foremost, Jason knows how intimidating it can seem for business owners to understand their carbon footprint and learn how to be more sustainable. What he’s here to talk about is how every little bit counts, and that you can start from an individual perspective rather than an organisation-wide perspective at first. Jason shares how to lead an organisation towards being carbon neutral, why he’s so passionate about the topic, as well as the definitions behind carbon neutral and carbon footprint. You’ll also hear his experience leading the carbon-crusade at Cliniko – which included getting companies like Carbon Neutral on board to guide and support them to implement changes. Jason explores some interesting insights they discovered from an initial energy-use audit at Cliniko, revealing the highlights and lowlights across all team members. (The results will definitely shock you.) For Cliniko users and beyond, you can discover all of Jason’s findings in his blog post, Cliniko is now carbon neutral! Remember: it’s not all doom and gloom. If we all just make some changes (no matter how small they may be) we can save our Earth and keep her going for years to come. Find out more about global progress by heading to Global Goals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week I’ve got the absolute pleasure of speaking with the Managing Director Team from Everyday Independence – Ingrid Cole, Mal Healey and Leanne Healey.Everyday Independence is a team of 600 people offering a diverse range of evidence-based therapy services to support all Australians to build skills and confidence. Their teams span across Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.It’s been quite a while since our last chat way back in 2018, which is why it’s so exciting to hear their progress during the last few years, including where they’ve expanded their reach and impact.We start off by exploring their team and core values. In particular, they dive into why they find it important to have defined roles and career pathways, as it helps people know what they need to do and where they can go to get the support they need.We chat about how they’ve found that sweet spot as leaders of freedom and clarity, where they know that their people want to be autonomous in their roles. This approach helps them know exactly what they have to deliver, but there also needs to be room for them to grow and develop.One part of this episode that particularly stands out is what they’ve learned from the pandemic, especially when it comes to their team. We explore what they call the “employee satisfaction loop”, coping with rules, and how they’ve managed to give everyone the input and support they need without purely relying on face-to-face contact.  It certainly encourages many allied health business owners to sit down and ask themselves:What has the pandemic taught me? What are some positives that I can pull from the experience amongst all the challenges?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are you making sure you’re constantly improving? For us at Nacre Consulting, we’re putting ourselves under the microscope on a pretty continuous basis. Why? Because we want to make sure that we’re not only doing things differently, but also that we’re making changes based on your feedback. This week’s PPMP episode is a Solo one with me-myself-and-I. It’s a quickie, but a goodie, as you’ll hear me talk about some very exciting news… Our webinars are getting a facelift! We’ve decided to change-up the structure and function of our webinars, all based on your feedback. This new webinar concept will be based around providing Masterclasses each month, where we’ll get specific on certain topics and support you to take action easier than ever. In this episode, you’ll hear me explain why we’re making this change, as well as all the exciting details you need to know about these upcoming Masterclasses and how they work. I also share what’s coming up and what you’ve got to look forward to all the way to December – you’ll hear each monthly topic for the rest of 2022. And don’t forget to stay to the end of the episode – you’ll hear all about the amazing feedback and success of our Allied Health Biz Quiz, and how you can get involved. So what are you waiting for? Listen now to the episode and find out more about the topics and how to register your spot for all the upcoming Masterclasses on our brand-new website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good systems are your ticket to freedom. Here to ignite your inner systems-flame is none other than David Jenyns - Author of SYSTEMology and Chief Visionary Officer at SystemHUB. This episode is all about getting you excited about systems - and who better to do that than David himself? David gives us an overview of SYSTEMology, which he created to solve the problem for business owners who are trying to build momentum, but feel that they’re more of a blockage in the bottleneck known as their business. If you’re feeling overworked and that you can’t step away from the business without it falling apart, then it’s time to turn to systems and better understand how they work. If there was ever an unexpected page-turner of a book, it would have to be SYSTEMology by David. He makes systems interesting and simplifies the complexities, which isn’t easy when talking about systems in the first place. If you’re a business owner feeling intimidated or overwhelmed by it all, then I can’t recommend this book enough. David walks us through the story behind what inspired him to write the book, and you’ll also hear him discuss the 7 Stages of SYSTEMology. You’ll also get some insights into myths debunked, where David reveals the truth behind systems and patterns he’s discovered since working with many business owners. Other great topics include why email is horrible for tasks, comparing SYSTEMology to other methodologies, and why systems are like business insurance. Interested in getting started with SYSTEMology? Explore these links: https://www.systemology.com/  https://www.systemhub.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/systemHUB/featured  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is your “why”? In other words, why do you do what you do?This certainly isn’t the first time I’ve posed this question to you, but there’s a reason for that. Just as this week’s PPMP guest emphasises, knowing your “why” is integral to giving you that motivation and drive to keep going every day – no matter what is thrown your way.What a pleasure it was to have Sarah Poissant in the studio for this episode. Sarah is the Clinical Director and Owner of The Rainbow Clinic.This week’s episode is certainly a reminder of the importance of opening up and the power in vulnerability. Sarah takes us back to the beginning of her journey, from the first few years as a business owner on an intense upwards-slope, to how she made the decision to ask for help when she needed it.Sarah then opens up about her deep personal motivators, her “why”, for being a business owner, reminding us to keep track of our own North Star on our own business journeys.Other wonderful topics you’ll hear us discuss include knowing your limitations as a leader, culture and values in the workplace, and why it’s so crucial to be proud of your own achievements.You’ll also hear Sarah open up about her own personal mental health issues, sharing some touching experiences and how she practices self-care and juggles all the roles in her life – parenting and all.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How would you define professional resilience? Is it something you’ve ever thought about and how it affects your role? Here to discuss all-things professional resilience and so much more is Sarah Teoh – Director of Look Who’s Talking. First off, Sarah catches us all up to speed on what’s been going on in the clinic, before getting into a jam-packed conversation about several intriguing topics. Team spirit and culture is at the forefront of our discussion in this episode, with Sarah sharing advice on how to create such a wonderful energy in your team, including the kind of people she looks for when hiring. She shares how an increasing team impacts operations and culture, the importance of getting everyone involved, and how she maintains work-style and lifestyle flexibility within her team. You’ll even hear Sarah’s thoughts on why she thinks the allied health industry hasn’t done well with retention as a whole. This piece on professional resilience, though, is where this episode shines. It’s such an important and interesting topic, asking many of us to question what we consider to be professional resilience and why it’s one of the biggest missing skills in our industry. Sarah dives deep into learning how to establish professional boundaries, why workplace culture plays such a huge role, and why it’s so well-worth the time and investment. To round out the episode, Sarah shares her insights into projections for the future of allied health. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever wished you could get a bird’s-eye perspective on the allied health industry as a whole? Do you think about whether other business owners and practitioners are experiencing the same challenges as you? Sometimes, getting a fresh perspective on things can open our minds and hearts to new possibilities, and help us form new ideas on how to get past issues we face in our daily business lives.Making her podcast debut this week is Kate Hunter from Cliniko. Cliniko makes practice management software for clinics and allied health practitioners. This software includes telehealth, booking and scheduling, health records, finance management, business management, in addition to reporting and tracking.Kate first opens up by sharing how she got into working at Cliniko, having interestingly started out as a photographer.She then gives us an insight into what it’s like working with a fully-remote team – a team that is constantly expanding and that involves many different continents, languages and lifestyles. You’ll hear why Cliniko is more open than the average workplace, and how they leverage their remoteness to their advantage.We also discuss how the pandemic rapidly changed things for Cliniko, including the need to quickly incorporate telehealth into their software.What most of you will also love hearing about in this episode is Cliniko’s massive allied health survey conducted in 2021. You’ll hear the process of releasing the results including the importance of making it practical, functional and easy to read. Kate also walks you through some of the key results she noticed through this study.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you someone that feels scared or intimidated by the thought of getting legal advice? You’re certainly not alone, but perhaps it’s time to change that narrative? Facing the legal side of business isn’t as frightening as it might seem, and to help affirm that is this week’s PPMP guest.Jeremy Streten is back on the podcast to share his always useful insights on legalities in business. Jeremy is the CEO at Business Legal Lifecycle – a handbook for existing and new business owners that provides a practical pathway to build a successful business. For Jeremy, it’s all about changing the stereotypical perception a lot of people have about dealing with the law and lawyers in general, and thus making advice accessible for everyone.It’s a must-have tool that is designed to help business owners get more comfortable with their role and responsibilities, rather than putting out fires and crisis management. This time around, Jeremy and I discuss legal trends he’s noticed over the last 6 months, how business owners can keep their mojo going, and he also runs you through the legal needs of a business from start to finish.On top of all this wonderful advice from Jeremy, you’ll be excited to know that all PPMP listeners are getting an exclusive legal gem for themselves. Jeremy has created a special offer for PPMP listeners, giving you a free Business Legal Lifecycle Risk Assessment, so that you can see where your business is at and any possible legal risks. Click here to get access now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you remember the exact moment you decided to start your own business?  This episode, I get to speak with the wonderful Bronwyn Gell - Occupational Therapist and Director of Driven By You Therapy Services. She shares her story stepping into a directorial role after working as an OT, and eventually becoming a CEO in the future. What makes Bronwyn’s story so unique is her connection with baseball. As a decade-long pro, Bronwyn talks about how her business and baseball line up, in terms of discipline, teamwork, and ensuring a healthy work-life balance. Her story certainly encourages us to think about what we can take from our personal lives and apply to our business.  Perhaps there’s a lesson you’ve learned that you can incorporate into your everyday business life. Even if it’s as simple as something you’ve learned from a hobby, such as having patience when knitting, which teaches you to have patience with clients and your team. You’ll hear Bronwyn’s journey towards starting her business, starting from working in her car to the moment she realised she needed a brick-and-mortar headquarters. You’ll also hear how she got through Covid, the importance of taking opportunities, the value of allied health assistants, and the benefits of delegating.  Hearing about Bronwyn’s biggest motivations for starting her own business serves as an important way to think about what motivates you. Even if you’ve already started your business, take some time to write down your motivations. What gets you up every morning to continue doing what you do?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would you say is your biggest pain point when it comes to practice management? When was the last time you reviewed your systems?  Here to help you step-by-step with all your software management systems are General Manager at Be Software International, Leon Chay and CEO and Founder Renato Parletta from IINSIGHT Practice Management Software. I would have to say one of the most frequent pain points I hear about from allied health business owners is knowing why and when to change up their systems. “I don’t have any time!” “It’s going to be such a huge deal to migrate any existing software.” “Is it really that necessary?”  If you relate to any of the above statements, then you don’t want to miss out on this PPMP episode. Having Leon and Renato in the studio is like getting a crash course on everything you need to know about cloud-based practice and case management systems, giving you all the insights on what you can expect from IINSIGHT. You’ll hear what makes IINSIGHT stand out from the crowd, how they help allied health business owners, trends they’ve noticed in the last 5 years, and what they envisage for the next 12 months. Cybersecurity and privacy are two main topics for this episode – quite fitting seeing as this has been a hot topic for a while now. Leon and Renato give peace-of-mind to those concerned by cyber safety, including the key points to look out for in software companies who offer cybersecurity. It’s also inspiring to hear Leon and Renato open up about their business mentalities, from the importance of being open to new opportunities, to the reason behind why they maintain a “start-up mentality”. Listen to the full episode for all their insights and tips on management software, as well as being leaders themselves.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hearing about the clinician-to-practice-manager journey will never get old. You can learn so much from someone’s personal experience, no matter if their story is similar to yours or not. For this PPMP episode, I’m delighted to have Dora Chan in the studio. As Director and Speech Pathologist at Happy Chatter, Dora is here to share her career ventures in the last couple of years. You may be surprised to learn that she built Happy Chatter in the middle of the pandemic – no easy feat, considering what a difficult time it has been.  If you have transitioned from clinician to business owner, at what point did you realise that you can’t do it all? Dora shares that lightbulb moment for her, and eventually getting to a point of wanting the clinic to run autonomously without the need for her to be there at every waking moment. You’ll also hear her insights on being a leader, including the importance of learning to let go. Like “taking the weight off my shoulders,” she says. We also get onto the topic of team culture – something of utmost importance for Dora and Happy Chatter. She shares how she fosters positivity and open communication, as well as how she instils business values within the team. With such a vibrant culture and high recruitment and retention rates, it’s only normal that I ask Dora what’s her big secret. Listen to the episode to find out. Other must-listen topics include having the courage to get help when you need it, why Dora loves the Accelerator Mastermind so much, how she gets motivated, and learning to love the numbers. She also opens up about building a leadership team, as well as the importance of forming strong personal and professional networks. Who is in your support network? Is it time to reach out for help? Remember: You can’t do it all, and no one expects you to.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Too often, many of us can forget the human side to business. We are humans first, before anything else, and it’s so important to always remember that.Here to discuss being human among many other things are Carlien Parahi, Paediatric Occupational Therapist, and partner Jesse Parahi, Australian Rugby Sevens Olympian. You might also know them as the Founders of Sense Rugby – a wonderful rugby-based occupational therapy program helping kids become part of a team and develop various skills.Carlien and Jesse immediately open up about leadership and running a business as parents, giving insight into what it’s like day-to-day.You’ll also hear them share what they’ve learnt from their business journey, incorporating the culture focus that comes from sport, being blue-sky-thinkers, as well as their key moments, learnings, fears and opportunities.What really stands out this episode is a piece on burnout and self-care. Carlien and Jesse discuss what they bring to their team regarding sustainability and self-care, exploring the fact that it isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. Are you creating a safe space for your team?How are you leading by example?Your business is only as good as you are, which is why it’s so crucial to know when to take a step back and practice your own self-care routine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I’m too disorganised to get a VA.”  “I’m too busy.”  “Our business is too small.” Any of these sound familiar? Admin support for allied health businesses is one of the most vital parts of running a smooth, well-oiled machine. But funnily enough, it’s not always taken seriously by business owners - particularly those who are just starting out. To give you a fresh perspective on just how important admin is to allied health, we’ve got Jenny Pither in the studio. As the Founder of Allied Health Admin Services (AHAS) - an award-winning business supporting allied health practitioners with all their admin needs - Jenny is here to shed light on the relationship between administration and allied health businesses. Jenny shares a mountain of insights, including what she’s noticed on the NDIS front as NDIS specialists (spoiler alert: she’s leaning towards a complete overhaul), her experience with imposter syndrome, and why Insight Software is their preferred practice management platform at AHAS. As well as these wonderful insights, this episode is worth a listen just for Jenny’s open and honest discussions on fears, what the next 12 months will bring for her business, stepping out of her comfort zone, and how she leads a hybrid team. If there’s one thing you can get from this episode (on top of all the other golden nuggets of info), it’s that you should never be afraid to reach out for help. You’ll never know just how much external support like AHAS can do for your business if you never take that step to reach out, and how much time you’ll regain for other things in your life. What are you doing to streamline admin processes and make things easier for yourself and your team? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How would your team members describe you as a leader?This week we’re focusing on all-things leadership, with Kathryn Torney joining me for this wonderful episode.Kathryn is on track to CEO of her amazing business, Sensational Healing Occupational Therapy, up in Queensland.What a treat to hear Kathryn’s journey from clinician to CEO, learning how she balanced managing rapid business growth and developing her own new leadership team along the way.From how she set up her leadership team for success, to sharing how she built up her customer service team, this episode is packed with golden insights that any and every business owner can learn from.What stands out the most in our conversation, though, is her experience accelerating her own leadership skills and boosting confidence. No matter where you are in your own leadership journey, you should always be wanting to constantly improve and grow.You’ll discover her best tips and tactics around the repositioning and messaging of making the move from clinician to CEO, helping her team transition. She gives insight into finding her comfort zone, the importance of investing time into supporting relationships, and what she would have done differently. We also discuss her Wealth Dynamic Profile, and how that comes into play for her role.And if you’re a business owner tuning in, wondering whether to stay small or go big, you won’t want to miss Kathryn’s advice. Hint: Don’t be afraid to look within.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you first embarked on your venture as an allied health business owner, what can you look back on and realised you underestimated about the process? Were there some aspects you thought, “Ah, it’ll be right,” but ended up causing a lot more blood, sweat and tears? With this theme of overcoming underestimating, as well as understanding how to manage rapid growth, we couldn’t have more of a perfect guest than that of Louise Whitton from Focus on Function. There’s nothing better than getting a glimpse into fellow business owner’s worlds, and getting insight into their journey.  We can learn so much about ourselves and have our minds opened to things we may not have thought of before, like Louise’s experience navigating rapid growth and admission of underestimating certain factors of the business. We also take a dive into the importance of bringing in the right advisors as the business grows, insights into HR and admin, as well as developing team goals for billable impacts. Something else that is certainly food for thought is what you would have done differently when you look back on your time as a business owner. From there, you can adapt your current practices to continuously improve yourself and your business, every step of the way.  As Louise puts it, “Just give it a go. Embrace it. And get the right support crew where you can.”  Listen to the episode for more of her wise words. 

In another one of our “Where Are They Now” episodes, I’m excited to say we’ve got Emily Hayles from Move and Play Paediatric Therapy back on the podcast.  We start off by having a chat about the rapid growth of her business, as well as the growth pains associated with that. Our main focus this episode, though, is on Emily’s wonderful book, Braver Than You Think: How to Help Your Child with a Disability Live Their Best Lifei. Emily dives into what went on behind the scenes creating this book, from her motivation to write, the hidden meaning behind the BRAVE acronym, to her thoughts on the tension and expectations associated with the NDIS. What you might not expect is how important this book is not only for parents of children with a disability, but also therapists themselves. For Emily, it’s all about empowering parents and therapists to remember the joyful parts of life, our lifestyles, and how crucial those moments are. “What a fantastic thing if we can give parents the tools, skills and knowledge they need so they can do things they need for their child.” As well as her book, you’ll hear Emily share the ins-and-outs of her upcoming workshops. These workshops are aimed at opening up thinking and mindset for therapists, and what the future could look like for them if they implement certain changes.  You also don’t want to miss Emily’s predictions for this year, which explore the underlying dissatisfaction with the status quo of our society, allowing us to hopefully spend more time reflecting on how we can all do things better. 

How is your business culture? Is it better than usual? Perhaps a little fatigued?  I’ve been asked quite a bit lately about culture and the role it plays in recruitment and retention, as well as in business performance. After all, culture plays such a crucial role in all of those aspects. After hearing this feedback, I’m pleased to say you can look forward to another of our wonderful webinars. This time, our upcoming March Webinar is about Boosting Team Culture for Business Performance. This webinar is all about giving you guidance and insight on how to create a super vibrant, self-sustaining culture you want your business to have. And even if you think your culture is going strong, there’s always room for some questioning and thinking about what it’s going to take to keep it as shiny and bright in the long term.  It’s about figuring out what it’s going to take for you to be that business that has a renowned, vibrant culture that attracts people, and sustains those that are already part of it. In this PPMP episode, I’ll walk you through what you can expect from our Boosting Team Culture for Business Performance Webinar. More specifically, the role culture has in recruitment and retention. The webinar will cover: Management elements and what it takes to boost culture - how to have a strategic approach. Leading by example and using the tools in your leadership toolbox to reset and refresh your team culture. Reviewing how you’re executing and setting up your operations to smoothly move through any roadblocks. Amplifying yourself and your skill set to boost culture and team performance - personal sustainability. And much more! If you’re still not sure whether this webinar is for you, ask yourself: What do I already know that I might need to change with regard to culture?  What do I wish I was doing more of? What role am I playing in creating and growing my organisation's culture?  Come along and join us at the webinar no matter where you are in your journey with your team’s culture. There is always room to grow and improve.

It’s time to switch things up! This week’s episode is flipped on its head with an interview with Cathy Love. Nataleigh Elzein, our very own Marketing Coordinator at Nacre, is here to help you get to know a little more about Nacre’s Founding Director. Nataleigh gets right into quizzing Cathy about her career journey, starting way-back-when as a kid when she would sell bookmarks, organise play shops, craft stalls, and pocket money negotiations. It’s clear that Cathy’s had that entrepreneurial zest well before she started her own business. You’ll get some wonderful insights into Cathy’s life. Discussion points include where Cathy got her first crumb of inspiration, how she got into allied health, and key differences she found between running her own private practice and now Nacre Consulting. You’ll also hear insights into how she supports team members, three things that can help you get out of a rut, and what success looks like to her. A running theme that certainly stands out in this episode is the notion of mentors, and extending on from that, never being afraid to get help from others no matter where you are in your career. You’ll hear Cathy open up about her experience reaching out to mentors, as well as Nataleigh share how Cathy represents that mentor role for her own business ventures. To finish it off, you won’t want to miss Cathy’s goals for 2022. 

Websites are homes of businesses online. And as we do in our real homes, we need to also secure our online homes. It’s one thing that we sometimes forget but is very important that we put time and effort into.In this episode of the PPMP Podcast, Ingrid Moyle, the Founding Director of Heart Harmony Communications joins us to talk all about websites. This is a very interesting topic for allied health business owners as this is, more often than not, not in our zone of genius. So, we really need to be well informed about it so that we can make the right decisions for our online home and business moving forward.Episode highlights:Ingrid’s work in the website world.Examples of things that hackers do on websites.The problem of websites not being updated.Ten website unmentionablesGDPR and how is it relevant to securing websites.The services they offer to allied health business owners to secure their websites.Useful LinksUpdating Your Wordpress SiteNDIS Support Worker Agency ManualHeart Harmony Communications WebsiteHeart Harmony Communications FacebookHeart Harmony Communications TwitterHeart Harmony Communications LinkedInHeart Harmony Communications YouTubeNacre Links: WebsiteLinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagramPinterest

Knowing your numbers is essential for running a successful business but it seems many allied health business owners don’t know how to manage their books properly.To learn more about how to gain more control of the books, I chatted with Allison Joyce, Managing Director of Efficiency Partners, a financial management consulting and education company. The company offers high-level bookkeeping, education and management accounting services for SMEs in a range of industries, but specialises in allied health and medical industries.Allison founded the company in 2004, when she was working as an accountant and consultant and noticed a large number of SMEs with poor bookkeeping.Although the company is based on the Sunshine Coast, the team of seven works virtually with business throughout Australia providing “clarity, consistency and confidence”.Episode Highlights:When and why Allison founded Efficiency PartnersHas being a business owner been everything Allison thought it would be?What Allison has learned from being a business ownerGetting a professional bookkeeper for your business can give you more controlWhy are businesses cautious of engaging a bookkeeper?What Allison likes about Xero softwareAllison’s thoughts on DIY vs experienced advisor Xero setupThe best way to engage a bookkeeperThe future of bookkeeping - working virtuallyBenefits of virtual bookkeepersWhat services Efficiency Partners offers - 3 different packagesFalling in love with the numbers and what that can do for your businessWhat a bookkeeper brings to the mental health of a business ownerFinding your way with the NDISAllison’s tips on managing your summer cash flowAllison’s everyday tips for running a business - regular invoicing and remove paper from your businessUseful Links:Efficiency Partners WebsiteEfficiency Partners LinkedInAllison Joyce LinkedIn

How do you approach your day at work? Do you plan everything or do you work as you go? Donna McGeorge, author of The First 2 Hours - the book I’ve been raving about for some time now, might help you change the way you make use of the most valuable hours of your day. Her book is life-changing and it has definitely made a big impact in my life personally and professionally. Donna’s wonderful tips will help you power through your day with efficiency and avoid productivity traps. If you are wanting to improve your days and increase your productivity, then listening to this episode is a total must!Episode highlights:Donna’s motivation behind writing her book, The First 2 Hours, and what it’s all about.The reason behind the title of her book.The core activities you need to do in the first 2 hours of your day.Being reactive in the next 2 hours.People’s lunch habits.Focusing on low impact, low intensity work in the 3rd 2 hours.The things you can do in the last 2 hours of your day.Donna’s theory on meetingsThe study behind the 25-minute meeting.Applying the pomodoro technique in her everyday life.Using post it notes for visual planning.Suggestions for busy self-employed people regarding their energy time and tasks.Useful LinksDonna McGeorge WebsiteDonna McGeorge Facebook PageDonna McGeorge TwitterDonna McGeorge YouTubeDonna McGeorge LinkedInDonna McGeorge Books - The First 2 Hours & 25-Minute MeetingThe 25-Minute Meeting Facebook PageBooks Mentioned:Francesco Cirillo - The Pomodoro TechniqueJames Clear - Atomic Habits Charles Duhigg - The Power of HabitDr Jason Fox - The Game ChangerJim Benson - Personal KanbanNacre Links: WebsiteLinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagramPinterest

Do you ever get the sinking feeling that so many other businesses around you are growing and growing? Like larger organisations are getting larger by the hour, and other private practices just keep popping up? Behind the scenes here at Nacre, there has been quite a lot going on, but something that’s definitely stood out is the notion of how we can help Allied Health business owners track their progress - and it just so happens to be the topic for the latest PPMP episode. For many business owners, this feeling of rising competitiveness can take a toll. But the key is to acknowledge that you can’t control how much others grow or flourish.  Learn to let that go. Instead, what you can control is setting your own targets. Measuring your own progress. Think of Allied Health Businesses as a competitive sport. Or rather, as a solo sport. Think about how you’re competing on your own terms - competing against yourself. What kinds of standards are you setting for yourself? What tools do you use? What questions do you ask yourself? Every business on the planet should be embracing improvement, but not all of them know quite how.  That’s why we’ve created the Allied Health Biz Quiz. You’ll hear all the details in the latest episode, including why you should be completing the quiz, how to complete it, and how it will benefit you and your team. So, stop waiting and watching on the sidelines, and get into the game.  The Allied Health Biz Quiz is all about helping you get what you want out of it so that the business works for you, not you working for the business. 

When did you last look over your business website? Is it as up to date as it should be? Or could it really use some much-needed importance? In this week’s episode, I’m sharing our experience creating a brand-new website for Nacre. It’s been a journey (to say the least), but I knew I had to share my tips and tricks to help all of you awesome people who want to revamp their website. Think of your website like your online real estate. It’s quite literally your shopfront for people to discover what you do and what you’re all about.  Another way to think of it is like a garden. You could have all the bees and birds in the world exploring your garden, but if it’s not well maintained, they won’t stay there very long. Essentially, your website isn’t going to maintain itself. It needs just as much care and attention as you would put into your brick-and-mortar. You’ll hear in this episode our experience with Webbies and their guidance, being prepared for a fair amount of mental work, why you shouldn’t compromise on headshots, the importance of your home page, and all about the draft phase of ‘change-your-mind phase’. A new, updated website will not only look great, but it will essentially refresh and refine your brand. And when potential customers and clients explore it, they’ll take note of how much care you’re putting into your site. 

When I say, “Imposter Syndrome”, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? This is such a fascinating subject, and one that I’m keen to bring to your business owner ears. Did you know that up to 70% of individuals have experienced imposter syndrome at some point in their lives? Imposter syndrome can rear its ugly head in many ways. Those who feel this type of self-doubt often find it more difficult to accept their accomplishments. They also don’t feel deserving of accolades, whether that be personally or professionally. It’s described as a psychological pattern of doubting, where success is attributed to luck…and luck alone. Deep down, we all know that’s not the case. You’re hardworking, passionate, and have come so far no matter where you are in your journey. But imposter syndrome is very real, and there’s no point in trying to deny that it’s there. Learning to acknowledge those ugly imposter thoughts when they pop up in your mind is the first step to getting past this thinking pattern. In this episode, I take a deep dive into this interesting phenomenon. You’ll hear me discuss common patterns to look out for (such as anxiety and repetitive thoughts), where and how it can start, and how to live with and manage imposter syndrome. So, in what ways can you be taming your inner critic? And how can you be shining a light on your inner cheer squad as well? It’s time to reframe those thoughts and learn to curate your beliefs and language a little more strategically and assertively.  While exterior perceptions might view you as an overnight success, only you really know the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into the success that you are experiencing and have experienced.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The idea of psychological safety in a company, big or small, is such a vital component for the business and its employees to thrive. It is the number 1 criteria for any high performing team. But are we giving much thought and action to it?Michelle Bihary, a People Leadership, Self-Leadership and Workplace Resilience Expert, joins me in this episode as we chat about her business, services, and how psychological safety fits into all of this.Episode highlights:Michelle tells us about the Delta Centre.The practitioners that work at the Delta Centre.An explanation on Employee Assistance Services / Programs.Things that surprise her about being in business.How marketing, finances and nitty-gritty stuff resonated with her.The reason why she set up her own personal brand.Michelle’s typical work week.Challenges across resilience, emerging leadership, and psychological safety.How Michelle measures the level of safety and how she works with business owners to promote it.A business’s organizational culture being defined inside out.Future plans of Michelle.A vital trait needed for allied health business owners.Useful LinksMichelle Bihary WebsiteMichelle Bihary LinkedInNacre Links: WebsiteLinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagramPinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyday Independence is an allied health business that supports people with disability to reach their full potential and to enjoy an everyday life. They build on what is working and create changes in areas that are not by doing OT, physio and speech pathology.In this episode of the Private Practice Made Perfect Podcast, the Everyday Independence team - Ingrid Cole, Mal Healey and Leanne Healey - share their experience on how using a social model of disability and becoming a people-centered practice has helped them improve their team, participants, and business.Episode highlights:The roles of Ingrid, Mal and Leanne in Everyday Independence.What Everyday Independence is all about.The locations where their services are offered.Growth of Everyday Independence in the last 12 months.The changes needed to deliver services to participants under the NDIS.Where they got information on progressing towards a social model of disability.Impressions and comments of therapists who have shifted from medical type practices to more contemporary and person-centered practices.What a person-centered organisation looks like.The employee value proposition of Everyday Independence.Recruitment, workforce, and development training.The good bits they love about the NDIS.Challenges they have with the NDIS.The future of the NDIS and Everyday Independence.Career pathways in their organisation.Sharing learnings through their business journeyUseful LinksEveryday Independence WebsiteNacre Links: WebsiteLinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagramPinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If there was ever a time to get out a pen and paper to jot some notes down, it’s right now. So before you keep reading or listening to this episode, get ready for some good old-fashioned note-taking. There isn’t enough celebration going on. Even though 2021 has had its own challenges, I want you to think about how you acknowledge what you’ve achieved, and how you celebrate what you’ve achieved. Where do you dig and harvest inspiration? Are you building in enough time to ponder and actively reflect? What will you be celebrating in 2021? Think about your small, medium, and large memories. Activate those memories and mine for those gold nuggets that were brought to us in 2021. Next let’s think about the power of the pause. Often times, we have to schedule our pauses. When do you build in a pause across the day? Sometimes you have to stop in order to start again. Across the last 12 months, who are the people, events, places that have inspired you? Identify those sources of inspiration. Now let’s check in on the events that have activated you. Whether that be international, national, local - what has motivated you? We also consider any places that energise. Where do you go to feel refreshed and revitalised?  Another important element is about capturing powerful insights. Whether they’re positive, negative, or interesting. What have been your biggest personal insights, triumphs, learnings, or learnings that you’ve had across this year? What have been your steepest business learnings this year? In what ways have you contributed to your local community?  Lastly, let’s celebrate remarkable impact. How have you had a positive impact on those around you this year? Kudos to each and every one of you for all the hard work you’ve put in this year. Let’s see what 2022 has in store. By my calculations, the best is yet to come. “Celebrate what you want to see more of.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What have you learned about leadership in the time you’ve been a business owner? How has your leadership style changed since you first began? This week, Caitline Breheny joins me on the podcast for an in-depth episode on leadership, among other gold nugget topics. From leading self-first, to organisational whiplash, Caitlin takes us along her journey discovering her own leadership style and adapting to leading a large team.  As you’ll hear in the episode, Caitlin opens up about learning from her mistakes, and enrolling in leadership training in order to truly know herself and lead others. It’s certainly an eye-opener in terms of understanding what drives you, your values, and your vision. She describes loving the chaos and fast-pace of it all, but acknowledging the importance of giving yourself permission to pull back when things were taking their toll. For her, it’s been a case of learning to delegate. As an allied health business owner, it’s important to remember that you’re not going to do it all.  Do you know when it’s time to pull back in order to maintain a sustainable business? Caitlin also discusses business sustainability, and the value of being an NDIA registered provider. You’ll also get an insight into her thoughts on organisational whiplash, the implications of delivering services in a remote environment, and the amazing team growth she’s had in just a few years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a topic with some of the highest volume of questions I receive, and it’s certainly a hot conversation at the moment amongst our clients. But have you thought about your approach? I’m talking about career opportunities. “How do I sort out salaries across my team?” “How do I get clear on what I can offer?” “How do I get these people into some sort of career system?” Sound familiar? If so, you won’t want to miss the latest PPMP episode. It’s a solo episode where I’m diving into how you can get organised when developing career opportunities for clinicians. (Spoiler alert: It’s more than a series of sticky notes on the wall.) Many allied health business owners are wanting to build that dream team. They want to keep people for the right reasons and the right roles.  Developing career opportunities is complex and requires considerable guidance and planning. But it does all start back at the basics, which I cover in the episode. Tension arises for business owners when they pay people in an unstructured way, with various roles and responsibilities, and vague position descriptions. Listen to the episode for my insights on how to approach your organisation chart (current and future), referencing the Award, and working through core duties, measurable performance KPI’s, and more. Without great coaching and business mentoring, you don’t know what you don’t know. And in that case, you don’t always know what a sophisticated, effective career framework looks like. Yes, it can be complex, but it does really make a difference when you organise and get clear on career opportunities that you can offer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many allied health professionals don’t know about this secret resource..but I’m pleased to say that it is now the prime focus for this week’s new PPMP episode. Ben Turnbull is my special guest this time around. He is a committee member of the Allied Health Assistant Network Australia (A.H.A.N.A for short), which is that secret resource I’m so excited to share with you all. A.H.A.N.A is a national network for Allied Health Assistants (AHAs). It is designed to support them to improve the output, quality, and efficiency of allied health professionals, and services provided publicly and privately. Being an AHA is an old, established profession, but it is still finding its feet. It’s certainly an exciting career pathway for many people, which is why A.H.A.N.A is such an important platform to help connect AHA’s with relevant resources and information. This then helps them work independently or with an allied health professional, who can then connect with A.H.A.N.A, so they can assist them to better support AHA’s in their workplace. We cover a vast amount of territory on the AHA topic. You’ll hear Ben’s thoughts on where it’s going as a profession, current latest-and-greatest formal training and whether it’s changing, the differences between a support worker and AHA, and trends that Ben is seeing about AHA’s going off alone and setting up their own businesses.  We also discuss the changes Ben has seen in the last five years, as well as his visions for where the A.H.A.N.A network is going in the future. If you are hesitant about AHA’s and their role, listen to the episode to hear Ben break down any common pain points. You also don’t want to miss his pro-tips on where to find AHA’s and recruit them. Head to the website to explore more about A.H.A.N.A, including a job opportunity section. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining me this episode is none other than one of my favourite leadership experts, Jan Terkelsen. Jan is one-half of an unstoppable team with her twin sister Michelle, who unfortunately couldn’t make it this episode, and they are both Directors of People Leaders. People Leaders is a leadership development company that runs leadership development programs for companies of all sizes. This episode is a goldmine for all-things leadership.  We start off by discussing the two fundamental components of leadership, where part of that is understanding what type of ‘leadership shadow’ you cast as a business owner.  Listen to the episode as Jan explores all four essential elements of this concept. Other gold-plated subjects we cover include leadership elements that business owners have required to navigate the pandemic, how to build blue-sky-thinking-time into your busy day, setting a culture of feedback, and having difficult and necessary conversations. If there’s anything you can take away from this jam-packed episode, it’s understanding the importance of facilitating an environment where others are invited to give feedback, have the capacity to lead themselves, and are supplied the tools and resources to do so.  As leaders, it’s up to us to be creating that safe space.  Trusted relationships should be able to grow, clear goals and roles should be set, and robust processes should be in place. As leaders, we must remember that everyone is here to do their best. So, what type of leadership shadow do you cast? How can you work on that?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I’m a firm believer that a clean space translates to a clear mind. When was the last time you had some “thinking time”? I’m talking about real thinking time, where you can sit down with a calm, clear mind and reflect on many working parts within your business.Offload all the heaviness you’ve been carrying. Give your brain time to recalibrate. It truly begs the question: Are you segmenting your time effectively? During my recent conversation on the PPMP Podcast with Evett Lattouf, we started off with acknowledging the importance of all those good things - cleansing your environment, getting some fresh air flowing your mind, and stopping to reflect what’s really going on.That’s just the start of it all, though, because our conversation takes a real deep dive into transforming leadership and ownership across many topics. From learning about how to navigate a husband and wife business team, to controlling your time, to the positives of COVID-19, we cover stacks of must-have tips and insights for every business owner.As the Director and Senior Speech Pathologist at Speech in Focus, Speech Pathology Services, Evett takes us through a journey of operating a small business - something I’m sure many of you can relate to. Evett’s story can be a big eye-opener for many business owners out there who perhaps feel as though their leadership skills and sense of ownership need a little TLC. Her words of wisdom are encouraging to say the least.So, here are a few parting questions I leave you to ponder over throughout the rest of the week:Have you set clear expectations?What are your plans for the next 12 months?How are your leadership skills impacting your team and business?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is your relationship with LinkedIn? How do you utilise the platform? This week’s PPMP episode is an exciting one as I speak with Adam Houlahan - LinkedIn Expert at Prominence Global and Author of three Amazon Best Selling books on the subject. Prominence Global is one of the world’s leading LinkedIn personal branding agencies supporting the world’s scaling entrepreneurs to become prominent and highly influential in their industry. Our conversation stretches far and wide on everything to do with the world of LinkedIn. We discuss how it has changed how we use content, why having a content strategy helps, typical misconceptions, and mistakes people make and how to avoid them. Did you also realise how valuable LinkedIn is in the recruitment process? Adam explores recruitment and the importance of amplifying your personal authority and brand. After hearing our conversation, you’ll probably wonder why you ever held back in the first place. If you never even attempted something because of fear or reservation, Adam has the perfect answer: “Done is better than perfect.” Just get started.  If you never take that first step, how will you ever know the possibilities on the other side? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business planning. I’ll be honest with you - I’m not a fan of those mammoth 30-page documents packed to the brim with charts and spreadsheets. What I do love about business planning is the actual process. It’s even better than the actual one-page plan. It’s your chance to work not just on your business, but actually above your business.  You’re standing up on that rock, gazing out into the future, basking in some of that good old blue sky thinking time. But what is the “right” way to create your business plan? Do you even know where to start? To help all those who might feel a little stuck, I’m announcing in this week’s PPMP episode about our exciting upcoming webinar: Accelerate Business Planning for Next Year’s Brilliance. We’ll be covering each of the three primary keys you need to know: how to properly optimise your systems, how to elevate your team, and how to love your numbers. Listen to the episode as I break down each primary key for business plan success. Something most people also don’t realise is that business planning really isn’t a seasonal thing. You don’t have to wait for January or June to roll around. Business planning is an everyday kind of thing. By joining in on our webinar, you’re giving you and your business the best chance to succeed.  We’re all about spirited improvement at Nacre, and now you can learn how to get more excited, more efficient, and more effective in the way you go about your business planning. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you count yourself as lucky? Do you also acknowledge how far you’ve come to get where you are in your business today? At the end of the day, everything you’ve done comes down to much more than just a bit of luck. Our newest PPMP episode features Director and Principal Psychologist at Mind Body Well, Janet Lowndes. She shares her own business adventure with you all, diving into the story behind her business name, her amazing team, managing your energy, and the relationships between personal and business growth and gratitude and hard work. When looking at personal development and business growth, many business owners can feel reluctant to take the time to explore that relationship. Do you remember to slow things down once in a while? It’s important to pull back and look out how far you’ve come personally and professionally, and how they intertwine. Janet’s views on gratitude vs. luck are certainly worth thinking about.  We should always be grateful for our opportunities, but never forget your personal drive and commitment. You know, all that blood, sweat and tears? Another great point is to recognise that you don’t have to do it all. You’re not expected to. What you are expected to do as a business owner is to never stop learning.  As Janet expresses in the episode, “I’ve learned that I’m learning. I’m a work in progress, and I don’t have to do everything myself. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you stay true to your business values on a daily basis? Our values are the foundation of our everyday lives - no matter if that’s personally or professionally.  For Jessica Young, Speech Pathologist and Director at Young Speech, it’s about understanding and being aware that our attitudes can really shape the lives of others.  It was a pleasure having Jessica on the newest PPMP episode, as she shares her journey shifting from clinician to CEO, having a 2020 pandemic plan, and framing the NDIS registration audit as a positive business-strengthening activity for her and her team. Jessica even gives her best pro-tip for those who might feel easily discouraged when comparing themselves to other businesses. But what especially stands out are Jessica’s learnings as a leader along the way. Sometimes we forget to take a moment to remember how far we’ve come, and fully acknowledge what the business has taught us both personally and professionally.  What do your core business values reflect? We can learn from Jessica’s experience that it’s important to enforce a team culture that has an expectation of being able to grow and continuously improve.  Maintaining a positive mindset and regarding your values as a tangible part of the business are essentially the threads that run right through from the first moment to the last. How are you incorporating your business values? What is your business vision, and does your team know it too? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you measure growth in your business? Did you know there are different ways to measure it? Here to give you some insight this week is CEO and Co-Founder of Umbo, Weh Yeoh. Umbo is a social purpose company that provides speech and occupational therapy online, particularly to those who can’t access those services is rural areas.Weh walks you through what it means to run a social enterprise, including how he integrates it into all aspects of his team. Other golden bits in this episode include shifting perception of online therapy, wealth dynamics profiling, the nature of informed choice, and Weh’s future global predictions.It’s interesting to hear Weh’s approach to growth, where he believes it all comes down to timing and focusing what you have in front of you. What’s important to you when you measure growth? Is it your bottom line? Maybe there are times when your bottom-line won’t grow, but those can actually be the most productive periods because you’re setting up your foundation to do things that will result in future growth.Self-awareness is also a focus this episode - or in Weh’s words, “probably the number one skill you need to have as a leader.”Along with many other takeaways, one of the best this episode is Weh’s reminder that self-awareness helps you recognise where your strengths and limitations are, which allows you to surround yourself with the right people for your business. And of course, this all circles back to growth, because we all know that you’ll never grow if you don’t learn from your mistakes (AKA: flearning).Are you able to admit your faults and weaknesses as a leader?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What were your early days of business like? Plenty of finding-your-feet kind of days? Networking with mutually supportive people?Whatever your experience was like, I’m sure you (like many fellow allied health business owners) struggled to find your way with time management.Perhaps it’s even still something you’re working on today. For Claire Welshe, Founding Director of Echelon Edge Occupational Therapy, she’s been on a disciplined journey to get into those deep zones of concentration. You know, those zones where you can truly focus on your business.Discipline is something we need in many areas in life. But, as business owners, it’s more than that. It’s about using discipline as a part of creating lasting habits.There are endless learning opportunities from Claire in this week’s PPMP episode. She demystifies OT and medico legal work, explores how the business started, using technology better, recruitment, falling in love with numbers, and her Virtual Assistant Unicorn. Claire even walks us through how she leverages flexibility across an average week, ensuring she has time for what matters most to her.Time management and tracking your time can be confronting. But if you sit back and reimagine your time, you can do things more productively and efficiently.Here’s a great nugget to leave you with before listening to the episode:Until you start changing the way you use your time, often, nothing else will change.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.