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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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 unmentionables GDPR and how is it relevant to securing websites. The services they offer to allied health business owners to secure their websites. Useful Links Updating Your Wordpress Site NDIS Support Worker Agency Manual Heart Harmony Communications Website Heart Harmony Communications Facebook Heart Harmony Communications Twitter Heart Harmony Communications LinkedIn Heart Harmony Communications YouTube Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram Pinterest See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.