From $5K to 3x in 6 Months: Interview With Dr. Caitlin Shea, ND [Ep #193]

On this episode of the profitable practice podcast, I’m bringing on one of the elite members students and her transformation in the past six months has been amazing. And I can’t wait for you to hear it. Stay tuned. 

Hey guys! Andrea Maxim here, welcome to another episode of the profitable practice podcast. I am thrilled to bring on one of our MPP; Maximized Practitioner Program slash elite level member students today. I love to show off my students, we are a small but mighty community of people that are just crushing it of students, of practitioners that are just doing amazing things. And Doctor Caitlin Shea, one of those students that we’ve worked with that was just a 100% coachable that was just a 100% open to the process that didn’t hesitate, didn’t question just made things happen. And what I love to say and this still comes from working with James Wedmore is just leaping and knowing that will appear. And I’m so grateful that she was able to come on and describe the whole experience with us. And throughout the interview, I feel like the power of what she actually accomplished isn’t there.  Because she’s just reflecting it on her own but it is just amazing to see the before and after transformation. Which is something I get to see time and time again with our students, time and time with the elite level members. And I’m especially proud of the elite level members because we actually have a hand in creating a lot of the things that they’ve been dreaming about. So without further ado, we’re going to jump with this interview with Caitlin. 

ANDREA: Hi Caitlin! Thank you so much for coming on to the podcast. I’ve actually been looking forward to this for probably a month or two now. So I’m really excited to dive into it, but before we get started, for those that don’t know who you are. Why don’t you give everyone a bit of a background on what kind of a practitioner you are and how your practitioner is all set-up? 

CAITLIN: Ok. Hi, yeah I’m super excited to be here. I am a naturopath and I’ve been in practice for 6 years and I’m focused on hormonal imbalances. So PMS, painful periods it’s kind of my go-to. I have a pretty bigger acupuncture practice as well and I practiced in Beamsville. And now I’m working for truly the consultations, which has been really nice since COVID started. 

ANDREA: Now we started working together quite abruptly, actually. I don’t think you’re on my email list. I think you might’ve seen a Facebook ad and then we started working together as an elite level member. So before you met me and we started working together, what was your business structure like? How would you say you’re running your practice? What was your mindset like as a practitioner back then and frigg, you probably want to remember. Because you’ve just like done leaps and back a rounds since then, but if you can just tell everyone where you were at. 

CAITLIN: Yes, so before we started working together, which I was starting to feel stagnant in my business. Like I had been working in groom’s beam for five years then l just moved my clinic just 10 min down the road to Beamsville, they’re pretty close so I didn’t lose many patients. And then the ones I did, I got the new ones with the new clinic. So it was a pretty transition, but I still had, I had a year were I hadn’t grown. And my growth was just a little bit each year. And I’m like ‘Oh my gosh, I need to do something else.’ So when that pandemic had started before we’d worked together. I read the book, you are a badass at making money. And it was like ‘get a coach and just do everything that they say.’ So I just called you and I had a new experience and I haven’t gone into this world of like business in naturopaths. I haven’t looked into anything now I know but so many more. 

And so I just knew you’d spoken at CC&M, so I’d seen you at the business course they were learning about like newspaper ads. So I just kind of saw your name and it was familiar and I’m like, I’m just going to do everything that you say and I did, and it works. So before I came in, I was frustrated that I hadn’t been able to grow too much and I was feeling burned out doing what we learned at school. The one on one and you know take everyone before I start niching down more and that was overwhelming and tiring. I didn’t know what I was doing with marketing and so I’d also hired someone to help me with marketing the same time that I worked with you. Which was like a lot happening at once but it was very helpful because everything they told me, your team put it into action really quickly. So it was like I just did a lot all at once. 

ANDREA: So the first question that I want to ask is what year were you in when we first started working together in practice? 

CAITLIN: My 5th year of practice. 

ANDREA: Ok. So this confirms what I consider the practitioner pyramid or the practitioner code is. And tell me if this makes sense, typically the first 2-3 years is where you are doing see everyone, niche down, and kind of figure out what type of practitioner you want to be. You know where you want to stay stable, what you want your practice to look like, you have a bit more confidence by that point. And then the turning point there, the graduation point there is starting at year 4, 5, 6. I find in that realm is where you really want to dial in systems, you really want to go into the exact type of practice, attract the exact type of people. And that’s really where I find the elite level is the best place is at that year 4, 5, or 6 mark. Because that’s where then the solidify the systems, create the foundation and things like that. The other question that I want to ask you is and I remember this, as we’re working together; was where did you perceive your value to be? Because I know you were leaning into your own community. Your group of friends and asking for advice, and I feel like that was also a huge part in your hindrance towards the growth that you achieve. So talk about that a little bit more. 

CAITLIN: Yes, so one of the big things that working with you, I started with was just listening to your podcasts all the time. And just like putting all the information into my head and the big thing that I did was I changed the price of my initial consultation and just having like another naturopath to confirm things. You’re just like ‘yeah do it.’ There was no second thought at all but to friends and family who had their own money blocks and limiting beliefs, I realized that wasn’t helping to grow and so that wasn’t where I was going to go for business support. To go to someone who has more experience in the same world that I’m working in, so I did feel like I have to work on my own money blocks and value and I think hearing your podcast and you speak and then other naturopaths and other practitioners speak about the value that we bring. Just gave me confidence that now I have no trouble with my pricing and I hear myself talk to people and like a 15 min free call kind of thing. And I was like, no this is why I’m doing it, I know exactly why because they’re like oh, your price is different than. I’m very focused on this, I know I feel so confident and I’m excited about this. And I was starting to go off with the feeling that this is where I’m excited, where I’m going to put energy in and start off just doing like saying as to everything and like feeling that burnout. 

ANDREA: And there’s one other key P’s to this that we work together for 3 months, I didn’t even know. We just did the things and we’ll talk about them shortly, we did all of the work and we’re having our closing call. And this is what stood out to me the most, where I was like ‘oh so hopefully like we did everything, you feel good and you told me that you went from having 5 thousand dollar a month to 20 thousand dollar a month. Fairly, like early on in our work together I didn’t even know and that’s why I wanted you to be here because it just reconfirmed how when you start surrounding yourself with different people and you latch on to the mindset process so quickly. Like anytime I told you to do something, there was never a question, you didn’t hesitate, and you just did it. It was so easy to work with you and get the results that we did but where was that mind shift change from? Again, you said you weren’t growing 5 thousand dollars a month, I could be wrong and then you’re just quadrupling it, in just a short period of time. 

CAITLIN: Yeah, and the second that I booked in with you, I had 9 new patients. 

ANDREA: I remember that, manifested all the might. 

CAITLIN: Yeah, it was really good. I tripled my income since we started working together and I’m continuing to grow it and taking all these things. So I had to work through the value piece and the guilt around the money and like you normalizing it for me helped me a lot of just little things that you would say and how quickly we were doing it. We were doing a lot very quickly so I was like should I do this and you are like yes, it is. And something I’m thinking off I can’t remember what I was going to say—yeah just working through the big thing like you would say ‘put it out there, people don’t have to get it or do it. Just put it out there for them.’ and reinforcing that you’re doing something good for someone you’re helping them. And I could see that the more I practiced it and that’s what I say to people now and that’s helping me grow too. Like I’m seeing now that I’m helping more people and I’m providing more value of just saying this is my ideal treatment plan and this is what I’m really excited about and they can see that. Versus saying like oh this is really expensive, I’m sorry about the cost but no because you don’t believe in it. And the more you do it the more you see that it works, that they found value in it so there becomes less and less hesitation of anything with the money you know that they’re getting the results from it. 

ANDREA: And one of the big outcomes that we had, you are still the biggest launch with regards to customers that we’ve experienced even myself. I mean, you friggin’ crushed it, we created a very niche program. Describe how that experience was, because again, for me I’ve launched before, it’s no big deal, I know the pieces, I just execute kind of like a robot. But how was that for you like again it’s definitely outside your comfort zone. We created something from scratch and then you launched it for the very first time and the results that we got were amazing. Do you want to describe how that journey was for you mentally, physically what you’re going through. In my end, it was like ok, I’m just going to get this done and get it done. And you’re just like ok, sweet. 

CAITLIN: Yeah. It’s fun, I was just seeing more and more people purchase the program; I did a stress program, the 3 by 3 stress relief program and it’s a 2 week challenge type of program. I was like Oh my gosh, seeing like the first year like don’t worry no one really signs up right away because I kind of talked about it on Instagram and I had 1 person interested but then it went out to my email list and that’s when I got a good chunk of people that wanted it. And then you’re like no one usually gets it to the last minute and by the last minute a lot of the people had signed up. And I was like I was on my manifesting stage with just kind of eminems, and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, imagine if I manifested 50 people.’ I’m like I don’t even know if… but I was like no that’s too many and more and more. I wasn’t expecting that many, so that was really good and it was definitely my first program there was this trusting you too which was good to follow that you’ve done it. Because I was like ‘oh my gosh this is like the best program.’ there was still this part of me like I’m never done a program, I think it’s going to be good but you don’t know and now that I would see so many like comments of how great that was for people and I was like ‘ok, the programs are great, it’s so helpful for people.’ But there was like being a new program like I’ve never done it before. It was good that you just helped me with that, you guys were so fast. Every time I would write a little piece of content, you have it so pretty. Even on the cookbook, I’m like oh my god, I have 10 cookbooks now and you’re just like instantly doing all these things, and that was really cool and I wouldn’t have done that on my own. Like I wouldn’t have started and then be like oh my gosh… do other things and so I would’ve lost motivation so that was really cool of you guys were fast. 

ANDREA: One of my favorite parts of working with you like with any elite member is when you are thinking of a program, you want to execute a program normally we do what most practitioners do and create generalized programs. Where we want to throw all the things and it was no different for your 3 by 3 program. You’re like ok I want to put together; stress program and I want to do digestion and nutrition, and sleep, etc. and I really honed it in and what I’m asking now is how did you feel about your program in the end when we created something that was really specific, really simple. It was clear what the transformation was from where your initial vision was. So if we hadn’t done that work where we’re like really teased it out and really made it something unique like the 3 by 3 stress relief program that’s so cool, so novel. It’s like one of my favorite things that I created with you, how you did it your way which is again, a common mistake that practitioner’s make. How do you think the process would have been? What do you think the outcome would have been the same? Do you think the confidence level would’ve been the same versus what we ended up creating together? 

CAITLIN: No I think it was good to have that roadmap that you created and just like targeted things is definitely better and I would’ve gotten way too overwhelmed and try to put too many things together so you kept me on track and even with the name. I was like ‘what about this?’ and you’re like ‘no.’ it was immediately something like this and just like all the marketing forces that you’ve done over the years, you were able to just efficiently say yes or no and we could move on it right away. And it worked out well and I’ve taken that kind of strategy and protocol into my practice then. So now I just say I have a 3 by 3 hormone protocol and just keeps simplifying things and keep going with that. 

ANDREA: And that’s exactly where I wanted to take this is where things are at now? So our job is not to run your business, there’s no mindset to work with it, we just do the execution, we create the foundations. And it’s been probably 3 months-ish since we worked together. Where have you taken your business now that you have the foundations done, you are a totally different person. What’s the outcome been like over the past year now?

CAITLIN: Ok so now I have a subcontractor coming to do an acupuncture and cupping day. Because I want to work at home more often and do hormone consultations so that’s where I really want my practice to grow. I’ve increased my prices so that I can do less consultations and just focus more on the hormone piece and then I’ve gotten my own virtual assistant office manager. So I’ve taken all those tasks off my plate that I don’t like doing, I hardly do things that I don’t want to do anymore. It was just really nice. And yeah, so I’m trying to just reduce the acupuncture practice but still have not lost income from that. And I’m creating a PMS program because I’d like to sell a program and work on the educational materials and what I wanted, I change my mind all the time. I’m thinking I want to ask the public rather than programs and stuff but I’ve learned and introduced so many people to you in the podcast too. I’ve met with Sylvia Martin that helps with the regulations because a lot of things like my limiting beliefs were around co-know and what was allowed to do and what I am allowed to say and that was like a huge thing stopping me. So whenever I’m fearful, I’ll set-up a consultation with it, am I worth it? Is it better than therapy? It’s just like you can say this. And then it actually opens up to so many things, because she’s like you can try to do this type of group experience as long as you put this and this in place. So I’m like oh my gosh there’s so many more things that we could be doing. So I’d like to change the structure of my business to fewer consults and work on more promoting the program and getting the program ready to have that in place and really just focusing on PMS and hormones and moving in that direction. 

ANDREA: So if I can summarize the transformation myself, and you can clarify if I left off track. You came from a place of being overwhelmed, knowing what you wanted, knowing that something more was possible but feeling very stuck to now really commanding your space. You are commanding your value, you are getting rid of the SHIT just to keep this not explicit, that you don’t want to do and you’re like ‘I will find people that can do the stuff I don’t want to do.’ And you’re executing fast because you are finding help when you don’t know the answers or just throwing things out there. What advice do you have to practitioners because this all happened in like a 6 month period. Let’s be honest, it has been a huge transformation in a very short period of time. What would you say to practitioners that were where you were and want to be where you are now? What are some of the big takeaways if you can even remember just often when we live it, we don’t see it until somebody else brings it up? What are some of the sayings of your takeaways, the big light bulb moments, the big shifts that you had to make to allow this amazing lifestyle that you’ve now created? It is amazing business to happen like you created all of this, you did it all and I don’t want to discount that. 

CAITLIN: I think just invest in yourself and invest in the coaching, get a coach and then get someone to walk you through it. It’s really the mindset and challenging the limiting beliefs but I think having someone who’s gone ahead of you and can just reassure you and keep you on track is the way to go and I’m all about that. I think my initial hesitation was around the financial investment and I just had to work through that mindset block then you kind of like guided me through that and it was successful. So that was not an issue later, I think just like you’re not ready to make a big financial investment and not knowing that it’s going to be all like taking more risk. My business has been beneficial that I wasn’t really taking the risk and I wasn’t seeing the payoff which is suddenly growing. So I think working through the limiting beliefs but then also have a coach and someone keeping you on track like you think of athletes and that are on the top of their game and their coaches that are getting them through. 

ANDREA: And if anybody wants to reach out to you and talk about what you’re doing or get some insight from you as to little nuggets that they need to take. What are some great ways for people to reach out?

CAITLIN: My website is beamsvillenaturopaths.com and my Instagram is Beamsville Naturopath. 

ANDREA: Awesome. Thank you so much Caitlin, I am so proud of you, I’m so proud of everything you’ve accomplished and I just feel like this limitless energy from you. Where you just like to throw anything at me, I’m going to do it, nothing can stop me now and it just makes me so proud that I had just a small piece in breaking open that glass ceiling. That you were constantly banging your head against. So thank you so much for your time and thank you so much for being part of our community. 

CAITLIN: No, thank you so much that was very helpful so I appreciate you and everything that you’re doing from naturopaths, because I wouldn’t have done this if it weren’t for you breaking me through this. So thank you.

ANDREA: Awesome. I mean that was just so great wasn’t it? She will always be one of those students that stands out for me, for all of the reasons that we talked about and I’m just so proud and so grateful to have been a part of her journey and to see how she basically lifted it on like a rocket now with her business and not letting anybody stop him. So if you’re interested in learning a little bit more about the elite level member program, I have an entire page. You can go check it out, plus, a behind the scenes video on what it is that we do, and how we do what we do @maximizedbusiness.ca/elitelevel and if you’re not yet ready to take that leap, you just want to learn more about me, about my teaching style, about our MPP program. Then I’m going to put a link for a free video training all about how you can merge your practice online but in that training I talk about the 3 mistakes that most practitioners are making with regards to going online, merging online and showing up online with regards to social, with their messaging and marketing. So go check that out, the link is in the show notes. If you want to reach out to me, I’m always available in my DMs @andreamaximnd but I’ll see you on the next episode. I’m Andrea Maxim, and I’m out.