By: By: Sabrina Schleicher, PhD, PCC, BCC

Just the other day, I had another one of “those” conversations. I was talking to a burned out therapist. She was tired of working with clients who don’t have motivation to improve. She was tired of hassling with insurance companies to get paid. She was tired of getting paid a lot less than the value of the service delivered. She was tired of working a part-time job to supplement her income. Her energy was low. I could tell she was in a dark place. I had a hunch she had a dream she was not pursuing, so I asked what she really wanted to be doing.

As she spoke, her voice became light. I could feel her smiling through the phone as she shared her dream with me, tentatively at first. The more I listened and asked her to tell me more, the more her energy increased. Her dream is precious to her. Then abruptly she stopped...mid-sentence. She began telling me about a conversation with one of her colleagues. This colleague had told her she’d never be able to make it, doing what she really wanted to be doing--helping healthy people live more fulfilling lives. I just wanted to scream, “Seriously?!!!”

You see, I heard plenty of that kind of discouragement when I started my business as a coach, transitioning from delivering therapy in a community mental health center to coaching in private practice. Colleagues told me, “Good luck!,” but not in a cheerful, encouraging way. There was sarcasm in their tone. To this day, when I attend meetings with other private practitioners in our state, I get funny looks. People just can’t believe it’s possible to do what I’m doing.

How did I get to where I am with a successful coaching practice, getting to do what I love, day in, day out, serving my Ideal Clients, working part-time, and making a very good income?

First, follow your passion and don’t share your dreams with the “nay-sayers” in your life. They don’t share your same passion. How can they possibly know all that you are capable of?

Also know that passion is not enough to build a successful practice.Here’s what you need to know about creating a successful private practice: It’s hard. It’s like marrying the person with whom you are head over heals in love. Passion propels you to the alter, but after the honeymoon is over, there is work to be done to make your relationship grow.

Your passion will get you out there, taking a risk, starting a practice as a coach and putting a J-O-B behind you once and for all. And, there are new skills to be learned--business and marketing skills. It doesn’t matter how good your coaching skills are, if you don’t know how to get clients and how to charge what you are worth services, your practice will flounder.

Plan to invest your time, energy and money in learning business and marketing skills, as you are learning coaching skills. Just as in marriage, passion will get you to the alter, but passion isn’t enough to keep you married. In business, passion will get you into business, but it won’t keep you there.

Dr. Sabrina Schleicher specializes in training coaches and therapists to double their Ideal Clients so they can build thriving, lucrative practices working part-time. Get her free audio training, "3 Secrets to Doubling Your Ideal Clients in 90 Days," plus script to discover exactly what your Ideal Clients want from you at www.tapthepotentialcoaching.com

Do you have a burning question about marketing or growing your coaching practice? Send it to me at admin@tapthepotential.comwith “ILCT Blog” in the Subject Line and I may answer it in an upcoming blog post.