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Thinking time - are you doing enough of it?  Getting into the habit of thinking about your thinking is going to be one of the most important things you do to round out the year. And what a year it’s been. But reflective thinking isn’t reserved for just 2020. Reflective thinking is important for business owners at every point, pandemic or not. Reflective thinking is all about the habit of granting yourself time to think thoughts all the way through to the end. How many times have you had a passing thought fly by as you work, but feel too busy to think about it? We often brush it off with a, “Oh, I’ll deal with that later.” But then, most times we never do. That’s why this week’s PPMP podcast centres around this idea of reflective thinking. Getting into the habit of thinking about your thinking brings consciousness to something - a question or event that has already occurred. Essentially, you’re giving yourself permission to explore this past event further, teaching yourself and confirming what you already know. In the episode, you’ll learn exactly what reflective thinking is, its benefits, and how to find time in your day to do it. Reflective thinking brings immense value to your team and business, which you’ll find out by listening to the Episode. So, what do I leave you with? This all-important question: How can you start making reflective thinking a habit?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever related to the term “imposter syndrome”?  Is the term “fake it ‘til you make it” really something we should live by? How can a business become even busier than before the pandemic hit? In this week’s brand new PPMP Podcast episode we’re answering all these questions and more with Madeleine Buchner: Founder and CEO of Little Dreamers, Australia’s leading Young Carer organisation working with young people who provide unpaid care for a family member with a serious illness. At just 27 years old, Maddy has 40 staff across three states in Australia and a growth rate at Little Dreamers of 155%. Among many things, Maddy’s story and the journey of Little Dreamers is truly a testament to the power of communities coming together within the allied health sector.  Not only does she reveal the ins-and-outs of how Little Dreamers works, but she gives some wonderful insights on her leadership style and learning moments as a young CEO. From crying in front of your team to spilling food down your top on a morning Zoom meeting, Maddy gives us some raw insights on the power of vulnerability as a leader. Leadership is messy. It’s confronting, glorious, and surprising. You can grow with it, you can grow around it, and it’s a day-by-day adventure.  One of the biggest points that stands out in this episode is the experience of growing pains during rapid business growth. As a self-proclaimed control freak, Maddy struggled to trust others with certain elements of the business as it began to flourish. It begs the question: Are there certain areas in your business that other people could be taking off your hands? What areas of your business have you been neglecting because you’re focusing on a task that could be done more efficiently by someone else?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As this crazy year rounds itself up, it’s time to start looking at strategies for effective team retention in your business.  Well, I’m sure there are plenty of things you’re looking forward to doing to finish off 2020. But why should Intentional Retention be at the top of your list? It's become pretty clear that team retention is a hot topic after speaking to many allied health business owners over the past several months. I’ve been hearing a lot about unsettled teams and things becoming a little unglued.  “What can I do to keep them onboard?” “What am I doing wrong?” If you’ve found yourself struggling with finding powerful strategies for effective team retention, then this week’s episode of the PPMP Podcast is here to help. I dive into all-things team retention, including the common trends and problems I’ve noticed when speaking to many other team leaders. Team retention is about looking at things in a strategic and intentional manner as well, rather than just in a hopeful kind of way. And that’s exactly where the term “Intentional Retention” comes into play in this week’s episode. Intentional Retention means that you are striving towards retention in a purposeful and strategic way. Get rid of the “I hope they like me” talk and the “fingers-crossed” attitude. Instead, think about what it’s going to take for your retention strategy to shift from hopeful to know-ful (there’s a brand-new word you can add to your business dictionary). Let’s get thinking: What can you be doing sooner rather than later to retain the people in your team?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Challenging yourself and taking risks in business may seem like a foreign concept. It’s a scary thought, one that we aren’t accustomed to since taking the easy road is...well...easy. But is “easy” allowing you to achieve the outcomes you want and need as a business owner? Stories like Holly Puckering’s are what many of us need in a time like this. COVID-19 has stripped away our plans, shifted the way we deliver services, and changed life as we know it in general. Holly is the Director of Mouth Works Therapy Centre in Tasmania. Her business has grown exponentially in the past two years, a lot of that even during the pandemic. Through taking some risks and challenging herself, Mouth Works has expanded both physically and financially.  With so many of us struggling through these times, it’s motivating to hear Holly’s journey. From her practice’s agility to adapt to COVID, to reimagining clinical pathways to clients, Holly tells-all in the latest PPMP Podcast episode. Take risks and do it knowing your own reservations...knowing why you’re feeling those reservations. Now, I’m sure many of you are flooded with the thought of COVID when it comes to even so much as thinking about challenging yourselves and taking risks. “Isn’t COVID unpredictable enough as it is?” But that’s exactly why Holly’s story is so inspiring. In her own words: “Even if we’re not getting it right, we are rising to the challenge.” Holly asks us to challenge yourself on the reasons why you’re putting things on hold.  What core values are you holding onto that are stopping you from really pushing what you’re doing into new domains?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s focus is on the power of honest conversations and self-care in business. Those are truly two of the most powerful, impactful things you can do right now to further your life both professionally and personally. As business owners, many of us forget the other side of it all. There are many pieces to the puzzle, and taking care of ourselves makes up a big chunk of those pieces. I’m joined by Cate Schreck, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lightbulb Training Solutions. Our conversation is really...well...a good old-fashioned conversation! This episode feels like you’re right in the room with us (or rooms since we’re chatting over Zoom, of course), so feel free to get comfy and have a laugh with us. We talk all-things online shopping, Netflix recommendations, COVID fatigue, self-care routines, staycation ideas, and, of course, my famous Frog Coffin Pancakes (you’ll have to listen to the episode for the recipe). Naturally, though, there are some glowing business gems scattered throughout this episode - one of them being to know when it’s time to recharge those business batteries. So, take a little time to relax and sit back - and I’m talking about relaxing both your body and your mind.  When was the last time you had a real good chat with someone? No planning, no scheduling, no dot-points, no expectations. Just a good ol’ honest chat.   Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee 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.

When was the last time you had a think about your summer programs? Summer revenue? Business during summer in general? Summer business activity is something you really need to start thinking about in September, and now that it’s October, what better time to get started?    There seems to be a lot of resignation about summer. Business owners appear to experience a combination of low expectations, a lack of planning, and patchy motivation all round. Why is it that our energy is so depleted by the end of the year that we are so desperate for a break? What will it take for business owners to pace through the year to avoid a massive crash by the end? It’s time to shift your expectations on what a successful summer cash flow means. It can be such a productive time for team performance, profitability, and can truly have a sizeable impact on the whole financial year.  Have a listen to the newest PPMP Podcast Episode to hear all my ideas and tips for optimising your summer cash flow.   Now it’s time for the EXCITING NEWS!   We are running a FREE webinar on the 22nd of October at 7:00 PM all about how to Summer Proof Your Business Cash Flow. Learn more and secure your spot by clicking here. I want to help you all get sorted and well-positioned for this upcoming summer season.  If you join our webinar live, you’ll not only be able to ask me questions and interact with the rest of the crowd, but you’ll also receive a special bonus that you can’t get on the post-recording! Here are some topics we’ll cover that you’ll need for summer cash flow success: Dancing through the numbers that your business needs Getting creative with summersational services, programs and packages that offer exactly what your current and future clients want Enticing and effective outcomes-based marketing and messaging How you can get clients committed and pre-booking to help you with cash flow forecasting Plus much more It’s going to be pacey, it’s going to be practical, and perhaps you’ll join us with a glass of wine in hand.  Thursday, October 22nd 7:00 PM (Melb time). Can’t wait to see you all there!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is very much an exploration of my ramblings on Stoicism and its Four Main Virtues, the notion of the locus of control, and how it all applies to you as a business owner.   Stoicism provides a sense of rationality through being able to take an objective view of problems. Another fabulous talking point is that of visualisation - negative visualisation, to be exact. The saying “face your fears” often feels like it’s lost a bit of its meaning, which is why the work of Tim Ferris is so promising. In this episode, I also discuss the world of Fear Setting, and how it can provide just as much (if not more) insight into the inner-workings of your business than Goal Setting does. So, have a think about where you are building resilience in your business right now.    Are there elements of wisdom, self-discipline, justice, and courage showing up in the way you do life and business? Are you bringing calm objectivity to complex situations?  If you’re interested in this kind of work, jump into my calendar and let me know.  We won't get too philosophical - we’ll always bring things back to application to business.  But there truly is excellent learning sitting outside our allied health world and in the minds of some of those incredible ancient thinkers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If we choose to see the good, we will always see silver linings despite the circumstances. This is what Stephanie Schlencker has proven to us in running her business Spread the Word Services and current side hustle. You see, COVID did not stop this go getter from pursuing her goals. Aside from running her clinic, she extended her services to her home office, and has also started a side hustle delivering PODD services to other speech pathologists like her. The impact that her business and new home office has made in her professional and personal life has been so positive and she generously shares this with us in today’s PPMP podcast episode. Episode highlights: Stephanie tells us more about what she’s been busy with in 2020. Current people in her awesome team. Having time and choice flexibility despite and because of the business. Silver linings of COVID-19. The impact her new home office has made for her personal and professional life. Delivering PODD services to other speech pathologists. How she entered the world of PODD services. Developing her new website. Things she has learned about her business in writing her new website. Stephanie’s plans for the next 12 months. Useful Links: Stephanie Schlencker LinkedIn Chris Mc Carroll. Allied Health Marketing Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support for your clients should continue and strengthen especially during tough times.  But how do you lead your team in situations such as a pandemic to give their 100% to support your clients?  In this episode of the PPMP Podcast, I’ve invited Carly Treloar, Occupational Therapist and owner of Living Without Boundaries, to talk about how she is managing her team and business through the COVID-19 pandemic.  There’s so much to learn from her experience in growing her business, leading her team and embracing business ownership. I invite you to listen in on our conversation and learn more about dealing with running a clinic in these trying times. Episode highlights: Carly talks about the status of her business a few years ago. Working through her first transition in business. Juggling through business, family and everything that was happening in her life. The impact of Clinico on her business. Clinico features she loves using. Working with her team at Living Without Boundaries. Delegating work to one of her team members in the business. The things her team does really well. Describing the culture of their organisation. Her experience of ramping up her leadership skills in the last 12 months. Next leadership skill she wants to master. Leading her team through COVID-19. Client support through the pandemic. How she sees her business growing in the next 12 months. Carly shares how she’s embracing business ownership. Useful Links: Living Without Boundaries Website Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COVID-19 has made such impacts in our businesses - both negative and positive. It has been such a journey as we all acclimate to this business as new usual.  In this episode of the PPMP podcast, I’ve invited Lisa Hues, Founding Director of Occupational Therapy Helping Children in Sydney. She will be sharing her experience and how she and her team navigated through COVID-19, coming out wiser, stronger and more hopeful. Lisa is also sharing details with us on her upcoming New PossibilOTs workshop so do watch out for details on that. Episode highlights: An update on Lisa’s clinic operations. The current team and business status. Benefits of becoming business and team facing. How her business fared through COVID-19. Her experience using telehealth. Positive outcomes of the pandemic to their business. Describing the changes in her leadership style. Lisa talks about her great customer service team. Delegating to her growing customer service team. Her vision and plans for her business in the next 6 months. Lisa tells us more about the OT Course she offers. Pros and cons of running her course online. Feedback she received on her online program. Her upcoming New PossibilOTs Course on 10-11 October. Talking about her awesome website and automated workshop experience. Available resources on Lisa’s website. Lisa shares her thoughts on prosperity and things to look forward to. Useful Links: New PossibilOTs Course on 10-11 October Occupational Therapy Helping Children Website Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recruitment is one of the most interesting and hardest parts of running an allied health business because so many business factors depend on it. I’m sure you’ll agree with me on this. All of us have tried one too many ways of recruitment, but it still remains a tough ball game. In this episode of the PPMP podcast, I share how you can learn a different but successful way to help you get that creative cut through approach in recruiting. If you want to be more strategic and systemised in your recruitment role, you’ll want to listen to this. Episode highlights: What works well for recruitment Recruitment affects so many factors in business How it helps refocusing and reusing your time Details on my upcoming complimentary webinar: How to Recruit Like a Rockstar Topics we’ll be covering in the webinar. Thinking of your business plans and goals across 2021. Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Recruitment is one of the most interesting and hardest parts of running an allied health business because so many business factors depend on it. I’m sure you’ll agree with me on this. All of us have tried one too many ways of recruitment, but it still remains a tough ball game. In this episode of the PPMP podcast, I share how you can learn a different but successful way to help you get that creative cut through approach in recruiting. If you want to be more strategic and systemised in your recruitment role, you’ll want to listen to this. Episode highlights: What works well for recruitment Recruitment affects so many factors in business How it helps refocusing and reusing your time Details on my upcoming complimentary webinar: How to Recruit Like a Rockstar Topics we’ll be covering in the webinar. Thinking of your business plans and goals across 2021. Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are you marketing your business in the time of COVID? In episode 155 of the PPMP Podcast, I have a conversation with Chris McCarroll, the Founding Director of Allied Health Marketing. He shares his expertise in creating content and messaging that connects with your audience, especially during this time. We also tackle the different platforms we can use to publish our content, how we can make our messages engaging and sincere, the value of working with agencies, and so much more. If you are struggling or want to improve your business marketing, this episode is for you. Episode highlights: A backgrounder on Allied Health Marketing. The reason why allied health professionals don’t like marketing. Newsletter marketing during COVID. Useful messaging that can best communicate with your clients and audience. Posting Facebook content that people can engage with quickly. The work that Allied Health Marketing does with allied health businesses. Facebook versus website marketing. The value of creating evergreen content. Essential features that allied health businesses need on their website. Creating videos for marketing. Business outcomes you can have when you work with Allied Health Marketing. The Allied Health Magazine. Useful Links: Allied Health Marketing Website Allied Health Marketing Facebook Allied Health Marketing Instagram Allied Health Magazine Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many business owners will agree with me when I say that one of the hardest things in business is finding the best team members. When we successfully hire people we like and love working with, we need to take care of them to keep them in our team.  So my question to you today is - do you have a care plan for your team?  Setting up a team care plan is so important and you’re going to find out what it is, why you need one and how you can start your own plan in this episode of the PPMP Podcast. Episode highlights: Challenges for business owners during COVID. The idea of team togetherness. Benefits of a team care plan. Leading yourself before leading others through a personal development plan. Setting up a leadership development plan. Coming up with your team vision, values and organisation culture statements. Strategizing your team care plan. The importance of taking breaks from work. Having mental health and wellness across the team. Forward planning your social calendar. What is a BHAG and why it is good for teams. Having necessary conversations with your team members. Making gifts, recognitions and rewards a part of your team care plan. Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the PPMP Podcast, I am so excited to bring on our guest Narelle Hypatidis who I’ve wanted to have on the show for so long. Narelle is the owner of Macarthur Paediatric Occupational Therapy in Sydney, Australia. She proudly describes herself as an accidental business owner. We talk about so much private practice goodness in this conversation.  We cover her business journey with her awesome team of 10, growing her practice despite the pandemic and flourishing as a CEO in her own way. Narelle generously shares her awesome experience with us and I can’t wait for you to pick up some ideas and tips along the way. Episode highlights: The story of how she got into the world of private practice. Her experience in becoming an accidental business owner. Growing to her current team. Leadership skills that Narelle has developed in the last couple of years. How she created a team that is connected and care about each other. Navigating COVID in the last few months. Learning more about the business during the pandemic. The improvement of the business even through COVID. Becoming more aware of the business through the audit process, developing risk assessments, and strengthening policies and procedures. A glimpse of Narelle’s workweek. The advantage of a great client and finance team. The positive difference of having a remarkable senior clinician on her team. Enjoying the business side of things. Developing her team in all aspects of the business. Her plans for the next few weeks. Looking forward to the rest of 2020. Staycation and leave plans for their whole team. Narelle’s activities for recharging herself. Useful Links: Macarthur Paediatric Occupational Therapy Website Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are you constantly being asked questions by your team? Are you becoming a human encyclopedia? Most business owners see this as an everyday occurrence. Once you know it, so many minutes of your day have been taken away from the activities on your schedule that you have to complete on that day.  Every business owner aspires to have a high performing team who can think and make decisions for themselves. On this solo episode of the PPMP podcast, I will be giving you some tips and strategies on how to stop building your team’s dependency on you. If you are looking to create a strong and independent team, you won’t want to miss this. Episode highlights: Top reasons why your team members are asking you so many questions. Recording questions you are asked. Strategies to stop building dependency on you as a business owner. Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How are you? In my conversations with allied health business owners throughout June and July, I have seen that most of them are generally tired and fatigued. So I want to ask you today, have you already booked your annual leave? As allied health business owners, we need to manage the fullness of our own cup in order to serve others. During these times, many of us have been working on sprint pace. But we should remember that business is a marathon, not a sprint. It is so important for us to take a break for ourselves and this is what we’re going to tackle in this solo episode of the PPMP podcast today. Episode highlights: The importance of booking your annual leave. Improving systems to be able to step out of the business. The usual work done 2-4 weeks before a business owner plans a  leave. Having a strategic flight plan approach. Taking a staycation even at home. Tips for working from home. The phase of returning to work Nacre Links:  Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the PPMP Podcast, I’ve invited Lisa and Ross Archer, founding directors of Strong Mind Psychology. Their practice provides psychology services to children, adolescents, and adults across their lifespan. There are heaps of gold nuggets throughout this conversation as we talk about starting their business and growing their team despite being rurally-based. They have a strong commitment to their profession and their community which you’ll learn more about in this episode. We also touch on how the current pandemic has challenged them and given them opportunities in business. Episode highlights: The story of starting their business. Being a solopreneur for 6 years before bringing in a team. Growing their team as a rurally-based business. Finding a way to recruit people to their team. Their commitment to teaching and the program they have in place. The team benefits from having a fresh student vibe in their building. Growing their financial confidence. What they’re most proud of about their team. Things they do to promote their team values and culture. Their unwavering commitment to serving their community. Sharing gold nuggets amid the pandemic. Navigating being business and life partners at the same time. Their future plans for the next few months. Words of wisdom from Lisa and Ross. Useful Links: Strong Minds Psychology Website Nacre Links:  Private Practice Conference 2020: Accelerating Business Prosperity Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the PPMP Podcast, I talk about critical thinking and why you need it in your business. I’ll be drawing on the incredible wisdom of Mr. Keith Cunningham and his book The Road Less Stupid. Critical thinking is a very strong and important concept that I’ve brought into my business. It is also one that I highly suggest to many business owners I work with. We’ll be talking about why you need it, how to develop it and make it a habit. I invite you to listen in and learn more to help develop and grow your business. Episode highlights: Typical challenges that owners experience in their businesses. The power of “Stop starting and start finishing.” Critical thinking as taught in university versus what you need in business. What it takes to run a business and lead a team. The importance of having the ability to ask great questions. Exploring the flow of the consequences in your business thinking. What should your critical thinking time look like? My challenge for you: bring critical thinking into your week. Nacre Links:  Private Practice Conference 2020: Accelerating Business Prosperity Website LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Instagram PinterestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.