This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey friends, hey listeners. Welcome to "Sidoes from School." It's your host, Chris Guillebeau here. Welcome as well to "Throwback Thursday," also known as "Where Are They Now?" Where we take a look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them. We've had all kinds of updates over the years. Last week in particular, we heard from a semi-retired inventor who is now demystifying the patent process for new creators.
And he does this from a perspective of not being a patent lawyer, but being from someone who has actually gone through the process on the other side. So it was interesting to hear that perspective. Today, totally different situation. In this feature, we're gonna hear from a licensed therapist in I believe Washington State, Pacific Northwest of the United States, great area. Shout out to everybody in the Pacific Northwest.
We're gonna hear from a licensed therapist who diversifies her income by offering non-licensed coaching services to out-of-state clients. So she'll explain a bit about how this works in terms of she can't actually be a therapist to people outside of the region. She is licensed, but there are other services that she can provide. And you just have to be careful about making a distinction. Okay, this is not therapy.
Or if it's some other medical service, you're like, okay, I can't provide this service. It could be a legal service, anything that requires licensing. You're like, I can't do this, but maybe there's something else I can do. And as long as there's a clear distinction, then you're able to do that. And you can do that, not just legally, but also ethically.
And also profitably, because there can be a demand for your service or for your expertise delivered in a different fashion to people outside the jurisdiction that you are licensed in. So what's happened since, let's hear directly from her. I'm gonna come back at the end with a quick wrap-up, but we'll let the majority of the feature be on this business evolution. [Music]
As a licensed therapist in Washington state, I was well-versed in the intricacies of mental health support, but limited to whom and where I could offer these services. The leap into coaching was driven by a desire to extend my reach and impact while adhering to the legal constraints of my profession.
Coaching, unlike therapy, doesn't delve into mental health diagnosis or treatment, but focuses on personal and professional development. This distinction became the cornerstone of my new side business. For webinars, I turned to Zoom, a platform that not only facilitated interactive sessions, but also allowed me to record these meetings for those who couldn't attend live. These webinars, ranging from goal-setting strategies to work-life balance tips, attracted attendees from various backgrounds and locations, serving as a key marketing tool to introduce my coaching services. Pricing my services required careful consideration of the value I provided and what the market could bear.
For therapy, my rates were in line with industry standards in Washington, charging $150 per 50-minute session. However, coaching offered a different pricing flexibility. I set my coaching fees slightly lower at $120 per session to accommodate a broader client base and reflect the nature of the service. This pricing strategy also allowed me to package sessions, offering discounts for clients who committed to multiple sessions up front, encouraging long-term engagements. The transition to coaching significantly diversified my income streams.
While therapy provided a steady income, coaching opened up new revenue opportunities. Initially, coaching supplemented my income, adding an extra $2,000 to $3,000 per month as I built my clientele. However, as my reputation as a coach grew, so did my bookings. Within the first year, coaching became a substantial part of my practice. Contributing to an annual income that I project to reach approximately $125,000, blending both therapy and coaching revenues.
One of the biggest lessons I learned was the importance of clear communication about the scope of coaching versus therapy. This clarity helped manage client expectations and maintain professional integrity. For those in the therapeutic profession, considering a similar pivot, my advice is to leverage your existing skills and knowledge base while being mindful of the legal and ethical boundaries. Utilizing platforms like Zoom or Google Meetings can significantly boost your visibility. The thoughtful pricing strategy can make your services accessible to a wider audience.
Today, my practice not only satisfies my professional aspirations, but also fulfills my personal mission to help others achieve their goals. Coaching has enabled me to touch the lives of people nationwide, many of whom I could not have reached through my therapy practice alone. [Music]
All right, thanks to our therapist/coach for sharing those updates with us. Listeners, let me know who you'd like to see featured from our archives of more than 1,000 stories, more than 2,636 episodes. 2,637 is today's episode.
If you have a question or an update for us about your hustle, sidehustleschool.com, we always have notes for every episode and always looking to do some new things as well. So just let me know what's inspiring you, what's challenging you, so we can continue to keep the show fresh and bringing you new ideas and inspiration as the year rolls on. That's my quest. I'm so grateful for you being out there. New episode tomorrow.
My name's Chris Guillebeau. This is Side Hustle School. [Music]
From the Onward Project.
