Mind Your OT Business
Laura Park Figueroa
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Top 10 Mind Your OT Business Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Mind Your OT Business episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Mind Your OT Business for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Mind Your OT Business episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Episode 72: Insurance or Private Pay? (or Both?!): Choosing How to Get Paid in Your Therapy Practice in the US
Mind Your OT Business
02/25/22 • 72 min
Go cash-pay or accept insurance? It’s one of the toughest questions any therapy business owner has to ask themselves, and the answer isn’t always simple.
In this episode, I’m chatting with Brandon Seigel about the complexities of accepting payment in your therapy business. We’re digging into your options for accepting or not accepting insurance, explaining how to best advocate for your patients, and discussing how to balance acting as a therapist and a business owner.
Brandon Seigel is the owner of Wellness Works Management Partners, and provides coaching, consulting, & management solutions for therapy entrepreneurs in the areas of operations, digital marketing, revenue cycle management, and workforce analytics and empowerment. WWMP is a results-oriented team that brings a unique subset of expertise to Human Resources, Technology Innovation, Medical Billing, Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, & So Much More! Their website is wellnessworksmp.com.
[Disclaimer: The information in this episode is primarily applicable to therapy practices within the United States. It may not be applicable in your country of practice.]
We discuss:
- Why Brandon developed his own medical billing company
- How to get paid faster for your services while still advocating for your patients
- Why should you learn to work with insurance, not against it
- How to serve both in-network and out-of-network patients well
- Why some patients are more willing to pay in cash than others
- How licensure is changing to allow for more telehealth opportunities
- The benefits of charging more for your services, even when working with insurance
- How to create documentation to benefit your patients, their families, and the payers
- Understanding the mindset of both your patients and insurance companies
- How to balance working as a therapist and a business owner
Resources from this episode:
Listen to my first episode with Brandon
Explore Brandon's company: Wellness Work Management Partners
Check out Brandon’s book, The Private Practice Survival Guide
My favorite Electronic Medical Record: Therabyte
P. S. Are you a pediatric therapist interested in taking your work with children out into nature? The ConTiGO Approach Online Course will open for registration soon: visit www.contigoapproach.com to join the waitlist.
1 Listener
Episode 24: The Entrepreneur In All of Us — Reverse interview, hosted by Laura Joyce Davis, host of the Shelter in Place Podcast
Mind Your OT Business
05/22/20 • 33 min
This is the MOST nervous I have ever been about publishing an episode! 😳
Laura Joyce Davis is a dear friend, a talented author, and the creator and host of Shelter in Place- a podcast about “finding daily sanity in a world that feels increasingly insane.” (Great tagline, right?)
A few weeks ago, she interviewed ME for her podcast. Then she surprised me by suggesting I share it with all of YOU here on the MYOTBiz podcast. I was rather resistant to this idea but in the end, decided to lean into the discomfort and share it. You’ll hear why in my super-nervous intro...
We discuss occupational therapy, entrepreneurship, parenting, and lessons learned during this time of the Coronavirus pandemic. I hope you feel encouraged after listening to our conversation.
What were your takeaways? I would love to hear! Comment below or join us in the Mind Your OT Business Facebook group to discuss your thoughts. 💚
For more thought-provoking content about finding sanity in a world that feels increasingly insane, go to laurajoycedavis.com or listen to Shelter in Place wherever you get your podcast fix
1 Listener
Episode 21: Sarah Lyon on The Unlimited Potential in OT Entrepreneurship
Mind Your OT Business
03/21/20 • 64 min
The fabulous Sarah Lyon is an occupational therapist and founder of the OT Potential Club, an online membership site dedicated to helping all occupational therapists implement evidence-based practice.
Since Sarah and I recorded this episode only 2 short weeks ago, so much has changed. The COVID-19 virus pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the AOTA conference, followed by a “shelter in place” mandate in my area. At this time, we are only allowed to leave our homes for essentials (like groceries or medicine) or to recreate outdoors while practicing social distancing. There is just so much uncertainty, in our families and communities and especially in our businesses. If you are a business owner feeling uncertain and anxious - we are all in this together. Don’t do it alone! Reach out and find community- it is so important during this time!
I believe this episode is the positive boost you need right now. Sarah is such an optimistic person and it’s so interesting how serendipitous it is that this is the episode I had previously scheduled to release in the midst of all this. Sarah has so much optimism for our profession and for the potential of our profession to do such great things in the world. The world needs what we have to offer as occupational therapists. We will survive this and we will emerge stronger than ever!
Sarah and I discuss:
● Sarah shares how OT Potential started and how it looks today.
● Starting her blog and monetizing it.
● The resources that are available in the OT Potential Club.
● Surprises she has found out in her research.
● How OTs will be more valued in the future.
● Sarah shares the critical things she did to replace her clinical income with her website in a span of 5 years.
● Why affiliate marketing is not passive income.
● Why it’s important to use evidence-based practice.
○ Recommended Video: OT Potential Club
● Why being a business owner is not for everyone
● The importance of being members of our state and national (AOTA) professional organizations.
● The biggest failure she has had in her business and her advice about working with contractors.
● Things that are going well in her business and what she recommends for others to have the same success.
Connect with Sarah and all her resources at:
Want to discuss this episode? Join us on the new Mind Your OT Business Group on Facebook for discussion on topics from this episode! Let’s support one another through these unprecedented times.
Episode 13: Rafael Salazar on Creating the Ultimate Customer Experience
Mind Your OT Business
10/10/19 • 85 min
In this action-step filled episode of MYOTBiz, we learn SO MUCH from Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L about his consulting work and his business Rehab U Practice Solutions. Rafael is a true OT, a fount of wisdom about entrepreneurship, and an expert on how to make your business truly serve and KEEP your customers. Plus how your business should serve YOU!
“For any business owner...just be clear what you want your business to do for you, rather than what you are going to do for your business. Because that’s what it’s all about. That’s why we go into entrepreneurship: to build the life we want.” — Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/LWe talk about:
- How he saw a need in the market to start his current business, then listened to the market to adjust as he went.
- How being open to new opportunities and networking on LinkedIn created a whole new side of his consulting work...and introduced him to his current business partners on a new endeavor.
- Creating a self-hosted learning platform for online courses that his business is developing. (I ask a bunch of questions about specifics of this...)
- How to make decisions about spending early in your business.
- How to KEEP customers (patients/clients/whoever you serve in your business!) and why that is EASIER than finding NEW ones!
- Why relationships are central to our lives as business owners.
- Process of care...what happens when a person enters your practice (or a customer engages with your business)?
- How to create conversations during your customer inquiry calls that actually transfer to paying customers)
- The 4 conversations happening on an inquiry call: probitive, qualifying, value, closing.
- Why you should have conversations with customers about their “desired future state.”
- Working with a team of people when starting a business...start-up funding, collaboration, etc.
- Why ALL business owners should be considering online revenue streams!!!
- How you can create your business to serve YOU and the life you want as an entrepreneur. (Rather than the opposite: being a slave to your business.)
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson
The Business of Expertise by David C. Baker
Win Without Pitching by Blair Enns
(Amazon affiliate links...I’ll get like 50 cents or something if you buy through that link, at no extra cost to you.) 😂
Want to connect with Rafael? He has created special resources just for MYOTBiz listeners! Click here to get free resources & downloads plus Rafael’s best articles about patient relationships and engagement. Best of all, there's also a link to a free 30-minute consult call with Rafael! These offers are only available through December 31, 2019!
Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us Rafael, for your generosity to our MYOTBiz listeners, and for all you are doing for our occupational therapy profession!
Here’s how to connect with Rafi. Business website: https://rehabupracticesolutions.com Twitter handle: @RafaelSalazarII Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RehabUSolutions/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafaelsalazarii/
Check out Rafi’s company’s PODCAST launching mid-October! The Brighter Futures Podcast will be all about how to build brighter futures for people with developmental disabilities.
Episode 69: Sandi York: Being Boss of Your Business TAXES!
Mind Your OT Business
01/28/22 • 106 min
It’s that time of year that, frankly, many business owners have come to dread: tax season. It can be overwhelming, but know that you’re not alone. You don’t need to have stress around taxes. It is in your best interest to outsource tasks that are not in your wheelhouse so you can run your business effectively and focus on your expertise.
Enter, Sandi York, my wonderful CPA. She’s on the podcast today to talk about all the things taxes, and to remind us that it doesn’t have to be a stressful situation. We’re breaking down common tax concepts and situations as well as tips for staying financially savvy as a business owner. You’re going to want to take notes.
We discuss:
- Sandi’s experience as a tax professional
- Breakdown of basic categories of types of taxes
- Sole proprietor vs. LLC vs. S-Corp (which is best for you depends on many factors)
- The importance of hiring finance professionals (bookkeepers, accountants, payroll companies)
- Making sure you hire someone that you trust who is attentive to your needs
- The ins and outs of self-employment taxes
- Getting familiar with your state’s website for taxes and employers
- Independent contractor vs. employee (rules vary by state)
- Keeping a positive mindset around finances
- How even a base financial understanding helps you sustain and grow your business
- Getting your systems in place while you’re still small
Resources from this episode:
Robert Kiyosakai - Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Tom Wheelright - Tax-Free Wealth Podcast
My Contigo Approach online course, which is the nature-based approach to pediatric therapy that I developed, is now open for enrollment. I’m also offering a free 1-hour masterclass for anyone interested in nature-based pediatric therapy, called The 5-Step Framework To Be An Effective and Confident Nature-Based Pediatric Therapist. It includes tons of resources, whether you’re just getting started or you want to deepen your work. In that masterclass, you have the opportunity to enroll in the Contigo Approach online course if you want to dive deeper. Visit naturemasterclass.com to register for the free masterclass.
Episode 75: The Final Episode! (Reflections on 75 Episodes, 3 Years of Podcasting, and My Entrepreneurial Journey + What’s Next)
Mind Your OT Business
03/22/22 • 22 min
Hi Dear Listeners,
I want to say a HUGE thank you for listening to this podcast for the past 3 years.
YOU have helped get the message out into the world about how awesome OT entrepreneurs are!
In this episode, I share from my heart about why I've decided to end the podcast with this 75th episode, on the 3rd birthday of the Mind Your OT Business Podcast.
I share:
- The lessons I learned from my podcasting journey
- My main goal when starting the Mind Your OT Business podcast
- How I'm learning to focus & niche to simplify my business (why it is OK to do less...or just enough in your business!)
- Why I decided to give up moderation of the OT Entrepreneurs Facebook group and end the Mind Your OT Business Podcast
- Encouragement for you if you're thinking about making big changes or a pivot in your business
- The total number of downloads as of the date I recorded this last episode! :) (Hint: it is MORE than 6-figures!!) THANKS TO YOU FOR LISTENING!!!
I can't express how much sharing my entrepreneurial journey in this public forum has helped me...and I hope that it has helped YOU.
The 75 episodes of this podcast will stay up for the indefinite future so you can continue to leave reviews and share with friends who may need any of the information here. You'll continue to find Mind Your OT Business listed wherever you listen to podcasts.
Always remember: take a small step, because small steps make great gains over time.
So until next time, mind your OT business!
xoxo
Laura
Resources from this episode:
OT Entrepreneurs Facebook Group
If you're a pediatric practitioner who loves nature, you might want my free e-book: The Nature-Based Practice Roadmap: A Guide to Help You Focus (& Avoid Costly Mistakes) as You Start or Grow Your Nature-Based Practice. Go to: bit.ly/natureroadmap to get your free copy.
Episode 8: Serving Others by Starting a Podcast and Membership Site- Interview with Mandy Chamberlain!
Mind Your OT Business
07/05/19 • 73 min
OT Entrepreneurs! This was the BEST interview. Sooooo many great business tips from Mandy Chamberlain of Seniors Flourish and the Learning Lab! I simply can’t list how much I learned from this rock-star online OT business owner.
Here’s a run-down of what we discussed:
5:00 The start-up story of Seniors Flourish
6:20 Mandy dispels the online business myth of “if you build it, they will come!”
7:10 How building a relationship online and supporting others can boost your business...and possibly make you start podcasting. Don’t be afraid to just try! Everyone has doubt in new endeavors!
10:45 Why you must figure out who your audience is, speak to them, and know where they hang out on social media.
13:40 Amy Porterfield’s trainings were helpful.
16:50 How Mandy started the membership site by focusing on connections, building an email list, and SERVING OTHERS. LISTEN to the questions your customers are asking when you are first starting out! Be open to feedback, growth, and change.
23:40 Pricing- why she decided to price her membership site at a low rate for the extremely high value it offers her customers. [Laura oohs and aahs over the site at this point and encourages everyone to go check it out. Crazy deal for the value she offers. Unbelievable!]
29:00 She built her own website!!!!!!! Mapped it out on paper first and then taught herself to code and used Wordpress plug-ins to design what she wanted.
31:09 “The Membership Guys” podcast was helpful.
32:20 How you can build your business by thinking about who you’re serving and what THEY want.
35:00 Why doing online business is STILL WORK (ie, not “passive” income).
36:15 How Mandy organizes her time and tasks each week.
37:14 Why entrepreneurs truly love working and have a tendency to over-work.
39:00 Mandy spills the beans that she hates marketing. [Laura’s comment: What?? But she’s SO good at it!]
40:00 Mandy’s marketing: email lists, free webinar with an offer at the end, FB lives, “challenges”, Instagram. (Focus on connection!)
42:15 The webinar that didn’t go as planned...and what Mandy learned from it.
45:06 Discussion about email funnels
48:15 Mandy gives tips for doing Facebook Live.
50:25 Why you should let people see behind the scenes of your business on social media. Get outside of your comfort zone!
51:45 Tips for scheduling Facebook Live [Laura’s comment: I gotta start doing these!]
53:45 Why you may not need a super pretty logo and website...
56:40 Why you should take one small step and just do it!
57:45 Why you should listen to your customer and hold your own ideas loosely.
59:45 The one thing that most improved Mandy’s effectiveness as a business owner.
My favorite quote from the interview: “It’s those connections with people that get lost sometimes because we’re in business mode...it really comes down to serving from the heart...really trying to be a good businesswoman...serving my clients...and being true to myself.”
I love Mandy. I was a fan of hers before this interview but now I just feel connected to the heart behind her business. Don’t you?! After the interview I found out she has like 13,000 followers on Instagram. So now I feel like I need to have her back on to do another episode JUST about Instagram and OT business!
Connect with Mandy at www.seniorsflourish.com and check out the Learning Lab! You can also find her on Instagram @seniorsflourish and Facebook.
Pick an action item from this episode! I’m going to try a FB Live (am terrified but I’m going to do it!)...what small step are you going to take? Comment below in one sentence or less!
P.S. If you’re looking for information about the Therapy in the Great Outdoors retreat that I announced at the end of this episode, click here.
Episode 7: My $10,000 Mistake (a.k.a. What NOT To Do When Starting Your Business)
Mind Your OT Business
06/21/19 • 21 min
You know that old show “What NOT To Wear”? Well this episode of MYOTBiz is the OT business podcast version of that show. Here’s my list of what NOT to do when starting your business. A few of these I learned from experience (you’ll hear about my 10K mistake...I’m SO embarrassed to admit this one...and honestly, thought about editing it out of the recorded podcast more than once. But I kept it in to stick by my promise to always be honest with you all, even if it makes me not look good.)
(Links are Amazon affiliate links- MYOTBiz is not monetized right now- it is a labor of love, so if you purchase any of these books, please go through the link! Gives me a tiny bit of income at no additional cost to you. Thanks!)
Drum roll please.....the 9 Things NOT To Do When Starting Your Business:
- Don’t offer too many types of services. The riches are in the niches, folks...and so is your sanity. Start by offering ONE really good service and DON’T start another until that one is successful (or totally bombs).
- Don’t hire quickly. Sometimes we are growing (a good thing!) and get desperate for help. Hiring quickly just to fill the opening will usually be twice as much work in the long run. Slow growth is not bad.
- Don’t think you can do your books on your own. YOU CAN’T. Run, do not walk, to hire the nearest bookkeeper or accountant who can help manage your finances.
- Don’t price your services too low. People value what they pay for. We are all helpers by nature and want to help people. If you want to give away services, offer scholarships...but keep your prices high so people will value your services.
- Don’t pay for an expensive website or logo. I spent way too much on mine and almost immediately regretted it, even though I love it. There is no way to tell if it was helpful to my business, but in retrospect, I think learning good copywriting is MUCH more beneficial than a pretty website or logo. Read “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller and “This Book Will Teach You How to Write Better” by Neville Medhora. DIY website builders work great. I recommend Squarespace for aesthetics and for ease of use.
- Don’t wait to manage your cash flow. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: read Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. WISH I had done this when starting out!!
- Don’t buy expensive equipment you don’t truly need. Constraints make us more creative. Ask yourself: “Do I really NEED this?” before every business purchase. (Which, you might notice, I SHOULD have done before paying designers for a fancy website and logo.) :)
- Don’t be afraid to consult a lawyer. You must ask a lawyer if you’re in doubt about any legal issue. Get a good referral to an honest lawyer, ask your question(s), cough up the $300/hour, and move on with confidence that you’re legally in the clear. Here’s the NOLO Press book I used to set up my California corporation.
- Don’t be afraid to spend money on a business coach when you are just starting out. This was extremely helpful to me in the early years (and NOW...just did a session last week with a business consultant to advise me about scaling and expanding my business to multiple locations in different states.)
Episode 63: Dairian Roberts & Marissa Yahill: Creating a Profitable Online Learning Platform in a Niche Market
Mind Your OT Business
09/10/21 • 65 min
Want to learn how 2 occupational therapists partnered together to create an online business? Tune into this episode of Mind Your OT Business with co-founders of The Lactation OT, Dairian Roberts & Marissa Yahill. Dairian is the founder of Humbled By Motherhood and Marissa is the founder of Lactation & Development Resources. Together, the duo joined forces to form this online learning community in the niche market of lactation and breastfeeding. You’ll hear all about their experience launching their online platform. We talk about everything from marketing strategy to tools used to how they formed this partnership. Plus, you’ll learn how to focus on your own zone of genius to fuel the growth and success of a joint venture.
We discuss:
- How Dairian and Marissa started their own businesses
- What the IBCLC certification is
- Specialty areas that lactation professionals can have
- How they started this partnership together after identifying a gap in the market
- Why they launched a free summit to kick off their Lactation OT business
- The progression of their online platform and failing to plan for growth
- How they use Kajabi’s tools
- How they created a revenue split program to reward course creators
- Their marketing strategy for bringing in new clients
- How they’ve created their revenue streams for this online learning business
- How Dairian and Marissa hone in on their specific zones of genius
- The complexity of hiring employees and growth
- How to charge based on the value of your services
- Why you need to take energetic rests to enhance your vision for the future
Resources from this episode:The Lactation OTThe Lactation OT FacebookThe Lactation OT InstagramThe Lactation OT CommunityLactation & Development ResourcesLactation & Development FacebookLactation & Development InstagramHumbled By MotherhoodHumbled By Motherhood InstagramIBCLEKajabiFiverr
The OT Entrepreneur Summit LIVE is happening in-person at the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel in Boca Raton, Florida from Nov. 12-14, 2021. JOIN THE WAITLIST now to be notified when early-bird tickets go on sale!
Episode 16: Meg Proctor on Launching a Successful Online Course
Mind Your OT Business
12/20/19 • 66 min
[I’m trying a new thing this episode and produced a full transcript. It is NOT perfectly edited but I am hoping to make the podcast accessible to more people through this format. Please tell me if you use it!]
*****FULL TRANSCRIPT HERE*****
Online business ownership is rapidly expanding opportunities for OTs to share our expertise with the world. Meg Proctor, MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and autism specialist who has taken her passions and formed a successful online business: Learn Play Thrive. The Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism helps occupational therapy practitioners (and others!) understand the unique learning styles of autistic people. (Listen to the podcast to learn why we say “autistic people” and not “people with autism” now! This is new language widely preferred by the autistic community to illustrate that being autistic is NOT a negative thing.)
Besides that, Meg and I discuss:
- How she got started and tested her ideas.
- The set-up and platform for offering online courses.
- Potential ways to structure your online course.
- Why freebies may be realistic to offer at first launch of a course.
- Why working with a business coach is essential (even at significant cost!).
- How she decides how to price her consultative services for therapists
- Social media management
- Working as a mother of 2 young children
- How becoming an expert in a specific niche will give you the ability to meet other practitioners’ needs in your online course.
- How you can start small without breaking the bank or wasting a lot of time.
I loved this conversation with Meg and am so thankful for all she is doing for our profession!
You can find her business on Facebook
Or her FREE Facebook group.
Or follow her on Instagram: @learnplaythrive
She also has a special gift for you MYOTB listeners! Use code MYOTB35 to get $35 off her online course The Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism during open enrollment in January 2020!
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FAQ
How many episodes does Mind Your OT Business have?
Mind Your OT Business currently has 76 episodes available.
What topics does Mind Your OT Business cover?
The podcast is about Podcasts and Business.
What is the most popular episode on Mind Your OT Business?
The episode title 'Episode 72: Insurance or Private Pay? (or Both?!): Choosing How to Get Paid in Your Therapy Practice in the US' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Mind Your OT Business?
The average episode length on Mind Your OT Business is 39 minutes.
How often are episodes of Mind Your OT Business released?
Episodes of Mind Your OT Business are typically released every 13 days, 23 hours.
When was the first episode of Mind Your OT Business?
The first episode of Mind Your OT Business was released on Mar 22, 2019.
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