Explore every episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah
Dive into the complete episode list for Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Pub. Date
Title
Duration
22 Jun 2021
Rebroadcast | Setting Your Fees: Charge What You're Worth & Make Yourself Worth It
00:44:08
How do you set your fees so that they’re fair and compassionate to your clients… without undervaluing your worth? Money is an uncomfortable topic for many people, especially women. And it can be difficult to ask for what your work is actually worth (or even realize your worth in the first place). But you’re not truly serving anyone when you set a low bar for your pricing. To run a business, you need to have money.
When it comes to choosing a number for your pricing, nobody wants to be in a race to the bottom — including your clients! Undercharging not only prevents you from making the type of income that your work deserves, but it can hurt the profession as a whole… as well as your clients.
Charging too little can lead to demotivation, resentment, and “calling it in” during your client visits. Your fees and revenue goals should challenge and motivate you to be the best lactation consultant you can be, and provide you with a living.
It’s important to know your worth as a business owner and to represent that fairly within your specific market. For this reason, market research is a must when figuring out your fee system. The next step? Learning how to effectively communicate your incredible value through your marketing.
In this episode, we talk through the tough topic of setting your fees for your private lactation practice. Once you’ve set your rate, you can begin working towards long-term goals for your business as a whole. So, let’s get started.
“We’re talking about money — and money is scary to talk about.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How to overcome the fear of fee-setting (05:04)
The danger of underpricing (08:10)
How to come up with your fees — and what your fees say about your business (11:22)
Why a sliding scale system is the most ethical, professional way to offer lower rates (23:14)
How to communicate your value — and where to make your best client-attracting connections (26:28)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
Using your website to reach your ideal client [REBROADCAST]
00:39:08
We feel like we're updating our websites every other day as we add new services in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since so many of you may be doing the same, we thought we'd rebroadcast our episode all about website creation.
As a private practice IBCLC your website is usually the first contact your prospective clients will have with you and your business. Making your website easy to navigate and quickly get the necessary information is essential for a new and tired parent. In this episode, Leah and Annie share their resources for online scheduling, HIPAA compliance, website design, and more.
“Website - it’s the new business card”
In this episode, we will cover:
How to make an impression - Your website is the first source of contact with
your clients.
The importance of mobile compatibility - New moms are tired! Help
them by making your website navigable during 3AM feedings.
What do I include on my website? Annie and Leah share tips on what
you should and shouldn’t include on your website.
The Final Step - Contact & Booking are the most important parts of
your website. Annie and Leah talk about how to make this step easy
and efficient, as well as share resources to get this set up.
Not sure about the design? - Annie and Leah let you in on some helpful
design tips, as well as give advice on how to get meaningful photos
for your site.
Annie’s Tech Tip: How to keep clients from leaving your website when they click those helpful links
Leah’s Marketing Tip: How many doulas do you know?
Rebroadcast | What We Wish We Knew When We First Started Out
00:37:36
In this episode, we answer that age-old question: what did you wish you knew when you first started out?
When you’ve just launched your practice, you don’t know what you don’t know. Every entrepreneur learns valuable lessons along the way, and it’s helpful to think of mistakes as opportunities to learn.
We’re here to share what we wish we’d known when we started our journeys, what we implemented to solve the problems that came up along the way, and how our businesses have evolved. In this episode, we touch on three main areas that we feel are absolutely essential to building and growing your business. As always, our goal is to help you grow an amazing practice and make a living doing what you love!
From operations to organization, from communicating your value to cutting the paper from your practice, from HIPAA-compliant digital options to keeping your consult bag ready for anything, you’ll learn some great time- and headache-saving tips that will help you streamline and optimize your practice from day one!
“Learn from our journey! Skip all the hard stuff, and get to the good stuff!”
In this episode, we will cover:
Amazing digital options that can help you run an efficient and compliant paperless practice (06:38)
What we keep in our cars and consult bags to make sure each appointment runs smoothly (07:54)
How to market yourself (15:28)
The best ways to market yourself when you’re first starting out — and how to make a great first (or second) impression (21:11)
The importance of ongoing training (27:56)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Stocking Your Consult Bag." The episode was recorded prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, and things have changed since then, but as home visits will always be a part of the lactation private practice landscape this episode was deemed worth running.
Annie and Leah talk about their own home visit consult bags and how they have greatly shifted throughout the years to what they have now. They talk about how each of their vastly different commutes impacts the style of bag they can really have. They each share with us their systems for how they keep important items restocked and ready so they don’t have to go without.
Annie shares with us some helpful resources for IBCLC’s, about the legal and ethical side of accepting free samples from companies that we might end up giving away to our clients. Annie and Leah also share motivational and tech tips with us about how we can better care for ourselves throughout the day.
"Then the other thing is like how much walking around are you going to have to do? Because then you can't, you both have to have a bag that works really well for walking long distances, but then you also can't overstock it.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Motivation tip: Take mini-breaks throughout the day (01:16)
Finding the perfect bag for your commute style (05:24)
Creating an inventory list of what’s in our bag (11:43)
Creating monthly calendar alerts to restock items (13:18)
Ethical issues with accepting free samples (17:29)
As a lactation consultant, you’re keeping track of so much. Client care, running a business, keeping up with social media, and staying current with your clinical training can become overwhelming, and sometimes important things slip through the cracks.
Leah and Annie share the techniques they use to get organized and increase productivity to align their personal and business priorities to free up mental space and enjoy work and life.
“I do think it’s important for us to think about the things that we do want to have balance in our lives in and put that into our productivity too.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Time blocking is a great way to focus on one task at a time while allowing yourself some mental rest within the structure.
Bullet journaling is a freeform way to keep up with tasks and can take whatever form or function works best for you.
Using productivity techniques helps you maintain a good work-life balance and prioritize the important over the urgent.
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
Are you ready to stock up on all the office essentials for your lactation business?
Well, you're in luck because we are here to guide you through the must-haves for your workspace. In this episode, we are discussing everything from safety gear to nifty tools that will make your office life a breeze.
Supporting breastfeeding families is crucial, so we are dishing out the essential tools and information to make that happen.
“You can waste a whole lot of money buying all the gizmos and gadgets and props and things that people talk about.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The bare minimum items that your lactation office needs (2:02)
The importance of considering individual preferences and practices when choosing tools for the office (4:36)
Keeping alternative feeding tools, such as syringes and finger feeding supplies, for cases of immediate supplementation needs (17:42)
Ethical Considerations of Accepting Free Products (20:08)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Coordinating Referrals Virtually with Dr. Amy Schecter, MD, IBCLC [BONUS: ASK THE EXPERT]
00:22:32
Today Annie’s talking with breastfeeding medicine specialist Dr. Amy Schecter, MD, IBCLC about how we can be coordinating care for in-person services such as frenotomy while working with families virtually. She inspires us to remember that families are the decision makers, and that even virtually we can offer support and information that empowers them to meet their own goals.
Dr. Amy Schecter graduated from Brown University with a BS in psychology and MS and medical science and an MD. She began her training in general surgery, but after having her first child 13 years ago and navigating her own breastfeeding difficulties, she developed a passion for breastfeeding support.
Dr Schecter then shifted her career path to breastfeeding medicine in 2013. She started her lactation practice as an IB CLC doing home visits, then transitioned to working full time doing breastfeeding medicine. Dr Schecter has a private practice in Northern New Jersey where she specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of tethered oral tissues including tongue tie, lip tie and buccal ties. Dr Schecter is an experienced mother of four who successfully breastfed all of her children, including three with tongue ties.
"And I think I've been surprised at just how much I can actually accomplish without having to see the patients directly in person.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Being able to examine a baby virtually (03:51)
The patients are the ultimate decision-makers (14:10)
Most of the work is what happens at home (15:27)
Aligning with referrals who hold the same values (16:27)
A little support, even virtually, can go a long way (18:32)
Have you ever said I’m a terrible lactation consultant?
We have!
It doesn't matter how long you have been in your private practice, we all have those moments that make us feel like we don’t know what we are doing.
We want you to know that you are not alone in feeling this way so, in this episode, we are sharing what makes us feel like terrible lactation consultants and tips on how we deal with those negative thoughts.
“Everything that happens in your life, that seems to be a challenge or a mistake or feels like you’re a terrible lactation consultant, could possibly be something that we need to learn.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The challenging parts of being a lactation consultant (9:33)
How to challenge your negative thoughts (11:23)
The value of learning from your mistakes (19:08)
Why you should treat yourself like one of your clients (26:50)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Rebroadcast | Educating Families, Healthcare Providers, and Communities about Lactation
00:34:20
People don’t know what they don’t know about breastfeeding.
As a lactation consultant, you have the unique opportunity to educate families, other healthcare providers, and members of your community about the different feeding methods. By increasing awareness and understanding for breastfeeding, chestfeeding, formula feeding, and supplementation, you are making your job easier down the road when people feel more comfortable coming to you for help when they feel they need it.
“You’re building a community that values infant feeding and values continuing education about lactation…creating a connection that is fulfilling for everyone.”
In this episode, we will cover:
IBCLCs are the gold standard for lactation care because of the high expectations and great responsibilities that they have to their clients and communities, and part of this is being competent in educating.
You may find it helpful to offer classes such as Basics, Getting Started, Returning to Work, Starting Solids and Weaning, or other focused classes to the families in your community.
In online and in-person community groups, it is best to just stick to announcing your classes and not get sucked into responding to clinical questions or engaging in advocacy inside someone’s personal thread about their own experience
A great way to educate healthcare providers is to create informational resources that they can review and hand out to relevant patients.
Look into creating continuing education opportunities locally and at conferences to meet healthcare providers (and medical students) where they are.
Consider reaching out to local schools and groups to see if you could share with students about lactation consulting as a profession since many of them have never heard of it but might consider following that path in the future.
The more we talk about breastfeeding in the community, the more comfortable people will be breastfeeding and talking about breastfeeding, and the positive impacts on the community of a more healthy breastfeeding culture are too great to be measured.
This episode is sponsored by IntakeQ. Use IntakeQ to collect client information for the superbill, even if they are out of network. IntakeQ is offering Lactation Business Coaching podcast listeners a discount on their first 3 months using the service at this link.
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
15 | Care Plans Can Be the Heart and Soul of Your Lactation Private Practice
00:43:10
When you leave a lactation consult, you have no idea what will happen next, because it’s entirely up to that individual family. But by providing your clients with a clear, detailed, and rich care plan, you can guide them towards meeting their infant feeding goals, whatever those may be. A good lactation care plan increases client self-efficacy and improves health outcomes for parents and babies, and learning how to maximize this powerful tool is critical to the success of your private practice.
From choosing your resources to the most effective delivery methods, Annie and Leah share how they create care plans that work for their clients.
“I’m just a cheerleader for a miracle worker. You’re the miracle worker doing the hard work, I’m just cheering you on and giving you the tools.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Carefully vetted resources can amplify your care plan by educating
your clients and reinforcing your instructions
Instructing your clients on when and how to follow up is a critical component
Know how to adapt a care plan to meet your client’s needs
Working together: The care plan isn’t handed down by you, it’s created with the family
Structuring the care plan: How Annie & Leah decide what to include and how to present it to the family
Paperless or paper? When the delivery system matters and when it doesn’t.
This episode is sponsored by Practice Better. The all-in-one practice management platform that helps Health & Wellness Professionals automate and streamline their workflow. Use code CLEARDESK20 for 20% off your first 4 months.
We have all had those clients who seem to always need us and are always texting or emailing us (you know the ones we are talking about).
When you first start your lactation business you just want to help everyone even if that means your family and personal life suffer.
But as you take on more clients, you have to start setting those boundaries or it leads to frustration and burnout.
In this episode, we talk about the boundaries we have set in our private practices and how we enforce them with clients.
“I think some of our suffering comes from how hard we are on ourselves.”
In this episode, we will cover:
What our businesses looked like with no boundaries (3:55)
The types of boundaries we have set in our businesses (8:53)
Setting boundaries with yourself (12:38)
Trainings that have helped us in our private practices (23:17)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
While there are always parts of running a business that some people will love more than others, most people can agree on one thing: tax season is a pain.
But it doesn’t need to be. There are things that you can do to make tax season run much more smoothly for your practice.
From setting up systems and accounts to choosing your business structure, to dealing with financial complexity, this episode is a primer for getting your practice through tax time with fewer headaches.
“How can I keep as much of my money as possible, in the most ethical way possible?”
In this episode, we will cover:
How to have a profit-first mindset (04:50)
The importance of professional guidance when determining your business structure (06:00)
How to access our monthly Deeper Dives, where we learn great tips from top experts… and each other (10:20)
The difference between “business expenses” and “the cost of doing business” — and what it means for your practice (11:42)
What separate accounts and credit cards do you need (18:00)
You hear the word hustle a lot in the entrepreneur space.
But does the hustle actually help us as private practice lactation consultants?
In this episode, we’re talking about the messages about hustle we’re hearing from business gurus and on social media and whether they’re helpful for having a healthy and thriving private practice.
(Spoiler alert: we think naps might help us reach our goals, too.)
“Let's not think about buying into some dream of a future that may never come true but how can I scale what I'm doing or manage what I'm doing right now so that I am building in that intentional rest because I only have right now. I don't have that future I just have right now.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The internal pressure to do it all (4:11)
The curse of social media (11:38)
The importance of releasing what is no longer serving you (17:37)
What you can cultivate in your life to take some of the pressure off (20:43)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
You want your private practice to be sustainable but where do you begin?
We want to let you in on a little secret, nurturing your business is actually not just about your business. It’s also about nurturing yourself.
You have to pour into yourself because behind the business is a person. As a lactation consultant, you've been called to do something amazing in the world, and being able to come at that from a place of wholeness and strength, only happens when you take care of yourself first.
“We are not just businesses we’re people.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The importance of nurturing not only your business but also yourself (3:38)
How to start building that sustainable foundation in your business (8:47)
The reason you need to take care of your future self now (12:00)
The power of making connections (14:14)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Most of us in private practice set out with the goal to help parents and babies breastfeed. All of a sudden, we find we have a private practice business in our hands. And just like those bundles of joy in the arms of the parents with which we work radiate endless potential, our business pulses with a similar potential for growth and a life of its own. Goals begin to ruminate and make their voices known. Which goal to grow? Which to hold on to until another date? This can be especially difficult when the potential seems equal for all of them. Where to begin?
Setting business-related goals can be invigorating and daunting at the same time. This episode is the first part of a two-part installment on setting and reaching business goals. Our time together focuses on how we can harness the power of our internal tendencies and mesh them with the SMART goal-setting strategy. Tune in to grow with us!
"And how can I set myself up to be able to execute these small tasks that are going to actually reach my big goal, you know, to bring another example from their creative worlds.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why it’s important to set business related goals (03:26)
The difference between business and personal goals (07:35)
13 | What Do You Wish You Knew When You First Started Out?
00:37:36
Are you new to the independent IBCLC practice? This episode is for you!
Being an entrepreneur is tough work and it takes a brave soul. Go you for venturing out there! But how do you get things moving forward as a new business?
We’re here to share what we wish we’d known when we started in order to help you along in your own journey. We’re touching on three main areas that we feel are essential to building and growing your business.
“I would highly recommend to anyone who is starting out to go get in front of people face to face”
In this episode, we will cover:
How to get Organized
How to Market Yourself
How to Collaborate and Connect
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
Each month, Annie and I take a deeper dive into topics and information with an expert to give us more insights on things that we might be incorporating in our clinical practice as well as entrepreneurs and business owners. We're bringing you this snippet today to give you a taste of what these deeper dives are all about.
This month, we talked with Allison Alexander, LPN IBCLC about the contentious debate surrounding tongue tie. We explore the recent uproar ignited by a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which has set the lactation community abuzz. Concerned about the implications of these headlines on patient care, Allison and her partner decided to respond proactively. They crafted a letter addressed to local pediatricians, aiming to clarify their stance on the role of lactation consultants in the holistic care of breastfeeding families. The letter encapsulates their commitment to collaboration and outlines their approach to managing oral restrictions.
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
You know that the families who need us are using social media to find us, and having a presence is so important. But putting yourself out there on social media can feel so overwhelming. You're unsure where to start, especially with the million other daily professional tasks and personal responsibilities taking up so much time. We're right there with you!
That's why we're so excited about this podcast episode with lactation consultant, doula, and social media expert Tiara Caldwell LPN, IBCLC. She runs through the different social media platforms, the way in which they are useful, where to begin, how to get your feet wet, and how to be the genuine YOU through what you post and share. Her tried and true approach will put you at ease and make you feel capable of connecting on social media in an authentic way with other professionals, clients, and potential clients. Take a listen and grow with us!
Tiara Caldwell is a nurse, doula, and IBCLC in the DC metro area. She provides doula services, childbirth education, and lactation help to parents through her company Crowned & Cradled which she started in 2015. Early in her marketing endeavors, Tiara found the value in having a strong social media presence, and through that has explored different ways to engage her audience and speak to her ideal clients. As a mom of four, Tiara has learned ways to maximize the small windows of time in her day to make the biggest impact online. Her desire is to educate and encourage other professionals to throw out all the trendy influencer marketing techniques and be comfortable with their own unique voice.
"And also a lot of times it's free. So why not do something that will potentially expand your business, get you more comfortable with sharing about yourself and your business, and get seen?”
In this episode, we will cover:
The importance of having a social media presence (02:41)
How to know which platform will serve you the best (07:44)
Instagram vs Facebook and where to start (10:23)
Why we don’t need to be the expert on everything (16:44)
How to find your unique voice and stand out online (20:54)
Deeper Dive into Planning with Tenise N. Hordge MBA, IBCLC
00:05:05
Each month, Annie and I take a deeper dive into topics and information with an expert to give us more insights on things that we might be incorporating in our clinical practice as well as entrepreneurs and business owners. We're bringing you this snippet today to give you a taste of what these deeper dives are all about.
This month, we got to chat with Tenise N. Hordge MBA, IBCLC about planning. She dives into time blocking, setting priorities, learning to say no, and delegating.
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
21 | Growing Your Lactation Practice By Hiring Help
00:48:02
Many lactation consultants are used to working solo, and it can be hard to surrender certain aspects of your private practice to others. But if you feel like you’re spending too much time on tasks that take you away from the clinical work you love, it may be time to bring on people who can share the workload.
In this episode, Annie and Leah discuss when to recognize when you need help and where you can hire help in your business.
“When you’re pushing and trying to do everything yourself, there will be long-term health consequences that will cost you money down the road.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Realizing that time is just as finite as money helps you see that when you have more time for the things you want to do you might actually make more money
Writing down your weekly and monthly tasks outside of your IBCLC responsibilities and assess what tasks might be good to hire out
These tasks are likely things that someone else is more passionate about or proficient in
You can hire out work for your personal or business life: billing, scheduling, clinical assistance, taxes, cleaning, laundry, school pickups, childcare, elder care, etc.
It could be just as good for you to commit to brushing up on your proficiencies and then “hiring yourself” to do those extra tasks
Not being afraid to tweak things until everything is working the way you want it to
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
It’s the New year and with that comes making resolutions but this year we are not excited about it.
The idea of setting goals has become daunting. Plus we usually don’t keep them anyway. It’s time to take a more intentional approach and remember that good enough is good enough.
Listen in as we set a goal to not put so much pressure on ourselves and just realize that we are doing the best we can (just like everyone else).
”We don't want to bog ourselves down so much that we forget to enjoy what we're actually doing.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Setting intentions for the New Year (5:01)
Battling perfectionism in goal setting (13:02)
Navigating expectations (17:51)
Accepting that good enough is ok in 2025 (20:28)
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
Ep 49 | Amanda Sherwin on Working with a Virtual Assistant
00:29:50
Behind every great lactation consultant is an incredible administrative assistant.
Our guest for this episode is Amanda Sherwin, the owner of The LC's Concierge, a virtual administrative business that provides services dedicated to meeting the needs of lactation professionals working in private practice.
Amanda used skills acquired through her past careers as an elementary school teacher and camp director to help her build her business. She was drawn into the lactation world through her decision to breastfeed her two beautiful children – a choice that she made the moment she discovered that she was pregnant.
She took prenatal and birthing classes and bought books, but still found breastfeeding her firstborn to be incredibly challenging. Amanda reached out to Beth Myler at Mahala, who diagnosed her baby with posterior tongue tie. Within a week of being treated, Amanda’s daughter gained 12 ounces.
When Beth decided to return to school for her nurse practitioner’s degree, she asked Amanda if she’d be interested in providing administrative support for her practice – and Amanda jumped at the opportunity. Today, she handles scheduling systems, communications, social media management, and website management.
“My experience with breastfeeding my two children is what brought me into this world, and the amazing women and support that I had crowd-surfed me through that journey.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The work and values that a lactation administrative assistant does (05:16)
What the best parts of lactation administrative work are (10:54)
How to find the perfect administrative assistant for your lactation business – and exactly what to ask them (15:54)
Our best tips for working effectively with your administrative assistant (20:38)
The emotional rewards that all parties (including patients!) receive when your assistant is a great fit (24:18)
This episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Is an Office Right for Your Lactation Practice?" There are several options to move into an office setting as an IBCLC, from setting up in a physician's office to sharing an office space to building your own home office.
Of course, there are pros and cons to each office setting. It would be wise to evaluate on a quarterly basis to see which option is best for you or if an office setting is even the best fit for your business.
"So I think there's a lot of possibilities. It would be something, if you were going to look into having your own office, maybe finding your own space to take over to really sit down and do an official business plan and sit down maybe with your accountant or hire an accountant if you don't have one or get a business coach to really run the numbers and see what are the possibilities here?"
In this episode, we will cover:
Office setting 1: Working in a physician office
Office setting 2: Shared office setting
Office setting 3: Home office
Annie’s Tech Tip: Shared computers should have separate logins and passwords
Leah’s Marketing Tip: Reflect quarterly on the priorities of your business
As a lactation consultant, your role in goal-setting is to be a coach, cheering your clients on and pointing them in the direction of the path they want to take.
While you have the advantage of experience that they don’t, it would be counterproductive for you to dictate how they should do things and what their goals should be. Be someone who your clients can rely on to provide objective guidance and problem-solving while empowering them to build the family relationship they want.
“We are so dedicated to helping our families feel like they can trust and be honest with us and know that we are on their team.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Setting goals with your clients is a great opportunity for using your communication skills.
Starting with how you present yourself online and extends to the intake process, actually meeting with the client, and following up.
Even if you think you know the right answer or the right course of action, it is imperative for your client’s goals to be their idea based on your input and guidance.
Great questions to ask when meeting in person with the client are: “What do you want to work on during our time today?”, “Tell me more about…”, and “What do you want this to look like?”
When it comes to putting theory into practice, the process of determining the steps the client needs to take should allow them to be autonomous but with your objective voice helping them vocalize and structure their plan.
Thinking in terms of milestones rather than metrics.
Being sensitive about what they’ve been through already
Helping your clients take a look at what is hindering them or holding them back and see if you can provide a solution they hadn’t thought of.
Making sure your clients do not put too much pressure on themselves to be achievers but rather celebrate milestones and manage disappointments
Circle back at the end of the visit to talk about follow-up, especially with clients whose insurance might not cover recurring visits.
This podcast is sponsored by The Lactation Private Practice Toolkit. This toolkit provides resources, training, and tools for lactation consultants in private practice and includes lifetime upgrades to the latest industry news and resources. Click here and enter code “podcast” to receive 10% off the toolkit.
EP34 | Why We're Falling in Love With Virtual Visits
00:30:55
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Why We’re Falling in Love with Virtual Visits." They talk about some ideas for moving forward with your private practice, continuing to help families, even if you're doing something you've never done before if this is your first time doing virtual visits.
Annie and Leah also talk about how these virtual visits don’t have to be the reaction to what’s going on and something we're forced into doing. We can take this opportunity to start to seek out our strong points and see the benefits that virtual visits keep families and ourselves safe during this time.
“If we just changed our perspective of ourselves, it helps you the way you're going to come to your client, but it also helps how you're going to come to those that you want to promote your services to as well.”
Ep 51 | Ask the Expert: Joselyn Martinez, Bookkeeper
00:20:21
A skilled bookkeeper not only inputs your transactions, but can help you cut costs, improve cash flow, and unlock opportunities for growth.
A bookkeeper with experience in your industry will know the regulations and standards that need to be followed and will actually be able to save you money at tax time. Your tax accountant will charge you a lot of money to fix inaccurate books – often more than it would cost to hire a part-time bookkeeper!
Bookkeeper Joselyn Martinez is a self-proclaimed numbers nerd. Four years ago, she started her own company, Balance Financial Solutions, which is dedicated to supporting small businesses and helping them build financial success. She has expertise in private and public accounting and managed an acquisition that converted a private company to a public company. She earned her Masters of Accounting with the distinction of Summa Cum Laude and is an Adjunct Instructor for her alma mater. Her passion led her to open her own business so that she can help small businesses achieve their dreams.
As Joselyn points out, an ongoing relationship with a talented bookkeeper is invaluable. Once you’ve worked with your bookkeeper for a while, they’ll understand your business and be able to pinpoint money leaks and unnecessary expenses!
“I wanted to help small business owners. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help them understand their books.”
In this episode, we will cover:
What sets bookkeepers apart from accountants and DIY financials – and why they’re a great investment (02:35)
Joselyn’s best financial tips for lactation coaching practices – including how to handle multiple streams of income (07:19)
What skills does a bookkeeper bring to your business (11:02)
Is hiring a bookkeeper worth it? (13:25)
How bookkeepers can help you save money at tax time and year-round (15:35)
On today’s episode, Annie and Leah break down for us what their follow-up strategies look like and how they’ve gotten to places where it works for them and their business. They discuss pricing, how to set the expectations with your clients, and how work/life balance comes into play.
Annie shares with us how she has worked through her pricing model to include follow-up care with different types of clients. We also learn about some of the systems Leah uses and how she has made those work for her daily client follow-ups.
Pull the curtain back and learn how Annie and Leah follow up with clients outside of their in-person or virtual lactation visits. Discover how your EHR and messaging platforms can help set and keep boundaries that are good for clients and help you maintain a healthy work/life balance so that you can caretake you and give care to your clients. When you strike this balance, you will be sending the ultimate love-filled message to your clients, “I believe in you.” Take a listen and grow with us!
“There's no one way, right way to do it, but there's a right way to keep your clients informed about what you do offer as follow up, which helps both the client and you in the long run.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why follow-ups are important with lactation consultants (02:58)
Annie’s strategy for follow-ups with her clients (09:45)
Pricing follow-ups for insurance vs self-pay (10:20)
How Leah approaches follow-ups in her business (13:07)
Developing a strategy to maintain a work/life balance (24:40)
Links and Resources
Check out the Lactation Private Practice Essential Course for 50+ hours of training including Follow Up and Client Boundaries taught by Shelly Taft LPN, IBCLC, CBE, ISE learn.anniefrisbie.com/course
EP36 | Our Favorite Books for Business, Entrepreneurship & Private Practice
00:27:13
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Our Favorite Books for Business, Entrepreneurship & Private Practice".
Annie and Leah uncover some of the top books they have been loving related to having a private practice, and other business and entrepreneurial style topics. They talk about which books they go back to time and time again, and which ones have been on their “to-read” list for a while.
They also talk about the best and easiest ways to realistically bring more reading into our everyday lives and how to get the most out of them even when reading might be a challenge for us.
Some of these titles are well-known lactation books, but a few of their picks might just surprise you!
“So organize your books, they sit around too long, read them and then when you're done, pass them on and get those great messages out into the world.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The book you might always refer back to (08:32)
Books that are better consumed post exams (09:18)
A book you can return to time and again for motivation (18:53)
Tips for how to make reading work in your life (20:44)
14 | Financial Real Talk: When You’re An IBCLC And Business Owner
00:46:27
Annie and Leah got into this business because they love caring for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. That skill doesn’t always coincide with business and financial savvy. If you can relate, they’ve got you covered.
In this episode, they share their advice, tips, and experiences for creating a successful business and staying on top of your finances. From business expenses to taxes, Annie and Leah are diving in deep for this Financial Real Talk.
“You CAN grow a sustainable business with sustainable income”
In this episode, we will cover:
Cost of Doing Business vs. Business Expenses
Pay Yourself, Pay Your Taxes
How do you get through the Ups and Downs
This episode is sponsored by MilkNotes. MilkNotes is an all-in-one lactation charting tool that helps you better manage your LC practice.
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
If you’re interested in increasing access for aspiring IBCLCs of color, please check out:
70 | Are online courses for business and marketing worth it?
00:25:34
Have you ever gotten swept up in the marketing tactics of online courses and purchased one only to realize that it won’t actually work for your business?
We are both guilty of falling prey to the “you have to buy this course in order to grow your business” marketing tactics and it doesn’t feel good.
The thing is that most of these online courses aren’t right for lactation consultants or the way we run our private practices. Our clients are already vulnerable and we definitely don’t want to use high-pressure strategies on them during this time.
In this episode, we are sharing how to know when an online course is right for you and why marketing strategies don’t work for our business.
“The thing is these courses are not necessarily a good fit for what we're doing in private practice.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why most marketing courses don’t work for lactation consultants (4:10)
Using marketing in the healthcare field (9:59)
What online courses were helpful for our business (12:15)
How different courses appeal to different people (14:08)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Have you always dreamed of helping families with breastfeeding? In today’s episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie & Leah, we talk about how we became International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, also known as IBCLCs. We discuss the different pathways to becoming eligible to sit for the board exam and break down the biggest things we have learned in the years since we first certified.
Annie and Leah break down what it looks like logistically to become certified and bust some myths on what some people might think it takes to become an IBCLC. They share with us their biggest takeaways now that they have both been certified for many years and some eye-opening experiences they’ve had. We get a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to become an IBCLC and who this might be a great path for.
"The piece of advice that I got and so grateful for was kind of like, Hey, heads up, you're going to have to always be learning.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Defining what IBCLC even stands for (02:32)
The 3 pathways to becoming an IBCLC (03:48)
The truth around the complex work as an IBCLC (11:44)
Learning never stops even after your exam (17:28)
Annie & Leah’s biggest surprises when becoming IBCLCs (16:49)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
67 | Bouncing Back when Life Issues Impact your Private Practice
00:32:38
Sometimes events or issues in our personal lives affect our lives as business owners and IBCLCs. Today we are discussing how to bounce back when these things happen.
Let’s be honest, life happens and we can’t always prepare for things that happen but there are some things we can do ahead of time to make sure that our private practices and our clients are taken care of.
We are not always in the right mindset to handle these situations when we have an emergency going on or when we are sick so doing this now before an event happens will help not only your business but your peace of mind.
In this episode, we are sharing our stories of how we had to step back in our businesses along with all the mistakes we made.
“Life happens and we have to be very gentle with ourselves.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why you should create policies and procedures for if you needed to step back from work (5:22)
The importance of networking with other local lactation consultants (8:33)
Focusing on yourself and your needs and trying to release the pressures around the clients' needs or business needs (11:56)
How to handle when you are ready to go back to work (21:22)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Where do you see your lactation private practice in ten years?
If you haven't thought about it don't worry, in the beginning sometimes just focusing on the newness of your practice fills you up. But there may come a day where you start to daydream about the potential and possibilities of your private practice.
In this episode, we are giving you our top tips on how you can dream of where you want your business to be and what to do with all those ideas in your brain. (Hint, it involves something sparkly.)
“The next million-dollar idea might be sitting inside of your brain right now because you made a connection between a need and an innovation, a way to solve a problem. It could be in your head right this second but we don't give ourselves a chance to think about that.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Looking at your business ten years in the future (3:35)
The first question you should ask yourself when dreaming about the future (9:24)
How you might have the next million-dollar idea in your brain right now (16;33)
The importance of creating blank spaces in your life (20:06)
The best way to get all those ideas out of your head (25:10)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
16 | Coffee, Social Media, Working with Referrals, and Handling Payments: Listener Questions!
00:41:42
Do you bring your coffee inside? What do you do when someone tags you on social media? What happens when the doctor disagrees with you? And finally—when is the best moment in the visit to take payment?
Annie and Leah respond to some truly great listener questions about things that only lactation consultants will relate to.
“We don't diagnose, we say what we see and explain what we're seeing.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How not to be a jerk: Learn from Annie’s coffee mistakes
Toilet paper and soap bars: Bring your own?
Hashtag what do I do: Navigating social media fears
Assessment dismissed: Supporting your clients when disagreement
happens
Before or after: When is the best time to take payment?
This episode is sponsored by Practice Better. The all-in-one practice management platform that helps Health & Wellness Professionals automate and streamline their workflow. Use code CLEARDESK20 for 20% off your first 4 months.
Safety Policies for In-Person Visits with Bryna Sampey, IBCLC [BONUS: ASK THE EXPERT]
00:28:46
In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Annie & Leah interview lactation consultant, doula, and educator Bryna Sampey IBCLC about her policies and safety procedures for in-person consults. Bryna shares with us how she protects her clients and team, as well as the role telehealth plays in caring for families and working with lactation interns. We cover sanitization, personal protective equipment (PPE), and managing all of the complicated emotions that come up when thinking about in-person services when the world feels so scary.
Bryna Sampey is an educator, mentor, lactation consultant, and doula. She has been working with families since 2006, becoming IBCLC certified in 2010, and organizing professional education opportunities since 2012. She has undertaken additional training and continuing education in the areas of oral restriction management, Rhythmic Movement Training (RMT), Primitive Reflexes in infants, TummyTime™, cultural congruency and competency, and counseling strategies.
Bryna is also certified in Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers (infant and adult). In her doula work, she specializes in high-risk and surgical births. Bryna is a member of the queer community and holds a special love for LGBTQIA+ families facing lactation puzzles in their family lives.
"It just feels really good to say this is a proactive choice that I'm making. And not just like a fear based, I don't know what to do, decision.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Working in a team setting vs solo (03:05)
Utilizing telehealth as much as possible first (06:12)
Sanitizing procedures between visits (07:48)
Why starting home visits will be different for everyone (15:10)
Having policies on paper for staff and clients to see (21:54)
Round Up: COVID-19 Resources for Outpatient and Private Practice Lactation Care: https://paperlesslactation.com/the-blog/round-up-covid-19-resources-for-outpatient-and-private-practice-clinical-lactation-care
PPE for lactation support in a community setting: https://www.lactationtraining.com/images/web/c19/LER-PPE-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Have you ever felt guilty or like a bad lactation consultant when your patients don’t get the outcome you desired?
We have been there and it’s a horrible feeling.
In this episode, we discussed how to manage our own expectations when we can't control the outcome and how to provide validation to parents that they have done everything they can.
Lastly, we discussed the power of messaging and how it can help to bring in the right clients and help to communicate our commitment to the journey and not just the outcome.
“Our clients are the ones who are gonna determine the path that we're taking, not us.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How to let go of the outcome when providing guidance to clients (3:26)
Reasons the outcome didn’t happen as you wanted it to (6:03)
Parenting as a metaphor for letting go of the outcome (10:45)
The power of messaging in attracting the right clients (15:06)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Links and Resources
If you like what you heard today, please check out our Lactation Business Coaching Deeper Dive Memberships:
In today’s episode, we are talking about something super important - connecting with babies and treating them like the little bosses they are.
We've got some awesome tips on how to make those genuine connections during exams, and how it’s all about consent and involving the baby in the conversation.
It's all about teamwork, baby!
We also dive into the importance of understanding babies and helping parents bond with their precious bundles of joy so they can create those magical moments and build that unbreakable bond.
“Recognizing that this baby is another human in front of you and we need to honor them just like we would our neighbor or our best friend. That they have their own autonomy and needs and personality.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How to make that first connection with a baby (4:23)
Our approach to obtaining consent from a baby (7:49)
The role of healthcare professionals in helping parents build a deeper connection with their baby (15:19)
The magic baby hold that helps them relax (18:55)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
7 | Setting your fees: Charge what you’re worth, and make yourself worth it
00:43:44
In this episode, Annie and Leah talk about the tough topic of setting your fees for your private lactation practice.
It’s so important to know your worth as a business owner and to represent that fairly within your specific market. Once you’ve set your rate, you can begin working towards long-term goals for your business as a whole.
"You are literally changing the world! If you can’t own your worth, no one will"
In this episode, we will cover:
How do you come up with your fees? And what your fees say about your business
How low is too low? Nobody wants to be in a race to the bottom—including our clients
Discounts and sliding scales: The ethical, professional way to offer lower rates
Where do I begin? How to figure out your number
Communicating your value: How to market your worth
The big picture: Growing your business and your long term goals
Be your own motivation: Always improving, never settling
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
This episode is the second installment of our Business-Related Goals podcast exploration. In Episode 45: Setting Business-Related Goals, we unpacked the ways in which we can use the SMART goal setting strategy to create the light at the end of the tunnel. In this episode, we discuss the ways in which we build the tunnel to get to that light. Learn how Annie and Leah have used systematic thinking to break big goals into smaller, more palatable tasks and how this strategy has helped them feel more successful, less overwhelmed, and has ultimately led to greater achievements in their private practices and beyond.
This episode will help you learn how small, manageable tasks will help propel you forward and boost your confidence by evoking progress. You will also learn the different platforms out there that can help keep you moving along with your eyes on the prize.
This systematic thinking has roots in Backward Design, an instructional design method educators use. It involves the creation of an instructional goal and once that goal is established, the professional works backwards to create the steps to lead to that outcome. You can use this systematic mindset to establish business goals so that you can identify the key steps you need to take to begin the necessary forward motion that will ultimately lead to the accomplishment of those goals. Join us and grow with us!
"You need to have a way to kind of track your progress and know what things are working, what things aren't working and that you're actually making steps because I feel like the tracking is one of the things that gives me the best motivation for the next thing."
In this episode, we will cover:
Recap of setting our business-related goals (01:01)
Breaking down big goals into bite-sized pieces (05:10)
Planning out for the week ahead (08:58)
Softwares and systems for your business (13:18)
Tracking the results of your actions regularly (16:09)
Links and Resources
If your goal includes creating the Private Practice of your dreams that is rooted in ethical care, check out the Lactation Private Practice Essential Course for 50+ hours https://learn.anniefrisbie.com/course
Today we are sharing one of our very first Deep Dives. We are going to dive into what makes a care plan truly amazing. We're all about keeping things flexible and personalized, but we'll also give you some handy guidelines to follow.
One thing we can't stress enough is the importance of involving the family in creating the care plan. We want to make sure everyone is on the same page, so using language that makes sense to them is key. We'll also chat about how to transmit those care plans, whether it's through fancy technology or good old-fashioned physical brochures.
In this episode, we'll spill the beans on our workflow and how we manage those care plans like pros. Templates and standardized protocols are our secret weapons, but we'll also touch on the power of personalized messages and getting the family involved in the process.
“Care plans are not one size fits all.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The importance of a general and adaptable care plan (00:41)
Differentiating between care plans and protocols (2:00)
The various methods of follow-up policies (16:01)
Creating personalized messages in your care plan (30:57)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
It's so important for IBCLCs to be seen as part of the care team for the breastfeeding families we serve. One way we can impact our presence in the care team is to communicate with the other providers working with the breastfeeding family.
Today we will discuss what we need to send to the other providers on the care team as well as strategies to make this process effective and efficient. So if you struggle with motivating yourself to write and send pediatrician reports, or if you’re wondering if anyone even reads them, you are not alone. Leah and Annie have both been there and been frustrated by that, and they’ve got some ideas for you on how to get them done and get them read. We’re talking about what to write, how to send, and why they’re so important.
“We need to be the bridge to make sure our exact message is portrayed correctly”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why we’re supposed to be sending pediatrician reports (hint: IBLCE
Code of Professional Conduct)
What if those pediatrician reports are sitting in that fax tray, never to be read? Why you should send them anyway
25 | Educating Families, Healthcare Providers, and Communities about Lactation
00:34:32
People don’t know what they don’t know about breastfeeding.
As a lactation consultant, you have the unique opportunity to educate families, other healthcare providers, and members of your community about the different feeding methods. By increasing awareness and understanding for breastfeeding, chestfeeding, formula feeding, and supplementation, you are making your job easier down the road when people feel more comfortable coming to you for help when they feel they need it.
“You’re building a community that values infant feeding and values continuing education about lactation…creating a connection that is fulfilling for everyone.”
In this episode, we will cover:
IBCLCs are the gold standard for lactation care because of the high expectations and great responsibilities that they have to their clients and communities, and part of this is being competent in educating.
You may find it helpful to offer classes such as Basics, Getting Started, Returning to Work, Starting Solids and Weaning, or other focused classes to the families in your community.
In online and in-person community groups, it is best to just stick to announcing your classes and not get sucked into responding to clinical questions or engaging in advocacy inside someone’s personal thread about their own experience
A great way to educate healthcare providers is to create informational resources that they can review and hand out to relevant patients.
Look into creating continuing education opportunities locally and at conferences to meet healthcare providers (and medical students) where they are.
Consider reaching out to local schools and groups to see if you could share with students about lactation consulting as a profession since many of them have never heard of it but might consider following that path in the future.
The more we talk about breastfeeding in the community, the more comfortable people will be breastfeeding and talking about breastfeeding, and the positive impacts on the community of a more healthy breastfeeding culture are too great to be measured.
This episode is sponsored by IntakeQ. Use IntakeQ to collect client information for the superbill, even if they are out of network. IntakeQ is offering Lactation Business Coaching podcast listeners a discount on their first 3 months using the service at this link.
10 | The Delicate Balance: Personal and Professional Time
00:53:40
When you have a private practice, it’s so easy for your work life to bleed into your home life. Finding a rhythm for your days can help prevent you from working all the time.
In today’s episode, Annie & Leah share their own schedules and give ideas for finding the right time for all the personal and professional things you need to do.
“Don’t forget about the power of a little bit of white space”
In this episode, we will cover:
A Day in the Life of Leah: An inside peek at how Leah organizes her schedule
Annie in the City: Annie Shares her daily schedule as a busy NYC IBCLC and homeschool mom
What works and what doesn’t: Review your schedule to see what is successful and what can be adjusted
Efficient Time management: These tips will help you manage your schedule more efficiently and keep your sanity
Are you a risk taker or do you tend to overthink before taking action?
In this episode, we dive into the nuanced world of risk-taking, particularly in the context of growing a private practice.
Leah shares her tendency to be risk-averse and the overthinking spiral that can result from facing risky decisions. Annie, on the other hand, describes herself as someone who jumps into ideas quickly, often figuring things out as she goes.
We explore the idea that both cautious planning and spontaneous action require their own forms of bravery and confidence.
“It’s worth it to take risks in your business sometimes.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Learning from different approaches to risk (5:23)
The importance of balance in risk-taking (7:03)
Saying No to Protect Time and Energy (11:39)
The Role of Planning in Risk Management (15:20)
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
Rebroadcast | Financial Real Talk: When You're an IBCLC & Business Owner
00:46:51
What does it mean to be a small business owner and a compassionate lactation consultant?
We got into this business because we love caring for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. But excellent clinical skills don’t always coincide with business and financial savvy. If you can relate, we’ve got you covered.
Money can be a really personal and intimidating topic, and many of us grow up without learning how to talk about money or deal with our own personal finances, let alone business finances. But understanding your business numbers is vital to creating a sustainable, profitable private practice.
In this episode of Lactation Business Coaching, we share our advice, tips, and experiences for creating a successful business and staying on top of your finances. From business expenses to liability insurance to tax planning and what it means to pay yourself a living wage, we’re diving in deep for this Financial Real Talk.
“As a small business owner, you’re both the employer and the employee.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The mindset issue that will cause you to undervalue your worth and undercharge yo
How to plan for taxes and automate your preparation so that you avoid unpleasant surprises (10:57)ur clients (09:15)
The major difference between the ‘cost of doing business’ v. ‘business expenses’ (14:55)
The benefits of hiring a CPS or bookkeeper (24:19)
How to overcome the fear of spending (32:04)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
27 | Finding Confidence, Not Putting Classes to Sleep, and Tech Challenges - Listener Questions
00:40:26
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah features three interesting and practical questions that were asked by the podcast's listeners.
From actionable tips to becoming an IBLC, to learning your audience for the best teaching strategies, to fixing processes when switching to a new EHR, this episode is dedicated to improving your experience as a current and future IBCLC.
"I am telling you, it is so hard to move from one (EHR) that you're already using to another one. That can be for many different reasons. Sometimes it's pricing, sometimes it's about features. And if you're happy with your platform, just stick with it because there is no perfect platform is the main thing that I've learned while doing this."
In this episode, we will cover:
Becoming an IBCLC: Finding a mentor & shadowing
Teaching strategies
Switching your EHR
This podcast is sponsored by The Lactation Private Practice Toolkit. This toolkit provides resources, training, and tools for lactation consultants in private practice and includes lifetime upgrades to the latest industry news and resources. Click here and enter code “podcast” to receive 10% off the toolkit.
Shondra Mattos, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert, IBCLC, LLL Leader, Owner of Mattos Lactation, and all around amazing person joins us to drop some helpful tips about using SEOs to drive traffic to your sites and put your hypothetical neon sign out there in the world.
Shondra Mattos is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, LLL Leader, and Owner of Mattos Lactation, a location-independent Lactation Practice. She also owns and operates SM Business + Marketing consulting- helping lactation professionals build a strong business foundation and develop strategies that lead to success. In addition to serving families and helping business owners, she helps established and aspiring LC's gain a deeper understanding of complicated topics relevant to the lactation field and offers one-on-one and group tutoring to lactation students. When she is not nerding out on boob-related science, she spends her time hanging out with her husband and daughter, watching Youtube, and eating cookies.
Learn how her I-think-I-can determination helped her build her SEO expertise. She will run through common mistakes made when creating content, offer key tips to empower you, and teach you time-efficient ways to stay relevant without recreating the wheel. Join us! Grow with us!
"SEO is like the strategies and the tactics that one can use to let Google know that your website or content is relevant towards your, like for your target market.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How Shondra got started doing SEO (03:02)
A realistic timeline for ranking on Google (06:55)
Optimizing pictures for SEO on our website (13:28)
Three common mistakes we make with our websites (14:28)
Updating content to stay relevant for marketing (22:11)
Links and Resources
Check out the Lactation Private Practice Essential Course for 50+ hours of training including Designing a HIPAA compliant website that stands out | Shondra Mattos IBCLC and Website AMA (Live) | Shondra Mattos IBCLClearn.anniefrisbie.com/course
Bonus Rebroadcast | Launching Your Lactation Business
00:36:00
In this rebroadcast of our first episode of Lactation Business Coaching, hosts Annie Frisbie IBCLC and Leah Jolly IBCLC talk about the unique challenges of starting a business as a private practice lactation consultant.
They go into how hard it is to charge money for something you’d do for free and how to make peace with the inevitable expenses involved in starting a business. Leah and Annie know how much you want to be both compassionate and financially viable because they face this tension in their own private practices.
“No one is going to take you as seriously in your business as you take yourself”
In this episode, we will cover:
How starting a business has challenges, especially when you’re coming from a volunteer background, but they’re nothing you can’t handle, with the right guidance and resources.
The importance of investing the time and the money now to create a solid foundation because that’s what’s going to bring you financial viability and joy.
How you can have it all: a business that works and the deep satisfaction that comes from helping families meet their breastfeeding goals.
How to turn downtime into marketing time
Why you shouldn’t just put yourself out there and hope for the best. Your future self will be much happier if you take the time now to lay a firm foundation.
EP57 | Nurture Your Private Practice, Expand the Circle of Care (part 2)
00:28:04
What does expanding your circle of care mean? What does it look it?
Treating your practice as a business is not just good for you, but it’s good for the families you take care of. This includes finding support so the burden of nurturing your business is not solely on you.
There’s no way to be a hundred percent independent in your business so building that foundation of support at the beginning of your business is important. The goal is to have a compassionate and sustainable private practice that takes care of you.
In this episode, we are discussing how your circle of care has one center - your business and how to envision what your business needs.
“When we feel taken care of, and when we are tangibly actually taken care of, we will have what it takes to take care of other people.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How nurturing our business actually nurtures our clients (3:06)
Why self-care feels like another job (6:06)
The importance of checking in with your business (14:12)
The idea of treating your business like a baby (19:28)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Rebroadcast | Intentional Time Off with Brandie Mitchell RN, NC-BC
00:28:55
Brandie Mitchell, RN, NC-BC was a recent speaker for our USLCA workshop, which was such a success, so we're excited to rebroadcast this episode with her.
Do you find time to rest, like truly rest?
Because we hate to break it to you but having reality TV on in the background while writing emails doesn’t count as real rest!
In this episode, we are talking to Brandie Mitchell, RN, NC-BC about actually taking intentional time off from your business by looking at the cycles in our lives.
Brandie is a Board Certified Nurse Coach specializing in holistic, personalized health coaching for women ready to reclaim their health from autoimmune disease, anxiety, depression, pain, insomnia, and fatigue. She also supports women during pregnancy and postpartum for a healthy and empowered transition into motherhood. Brandie empowers women and families to take ownership of their health, overcome anxiety and overwhelm, and move from where you are to where you want to be in your body, health, and life.
“There are principles that can guide us in a different way of living our lives that is actually so much more sustainable and so much more life-giving.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why rest is so important (3:45)
The different types of cycles in our lives (08:00)
The importance of setting boundaries (10:08)
How to plan for your energy levels (22:13)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
By diversifying – opening up multiple channels of income within – your lactation consulting business, you are building yourself a sturdy foundation to prepare for lean market times while connecting with more families. This could include accepting both insurance and self-pay clients, writing a course or book, creating a resource or piece of merchandise for others to purchase, or developing continuing education. The sky’s the limit!
“We can use our passions for more things.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Diversification in business essentially means opening up multiple channels of income
Having multiple income streams can help sustain your business during lean times because you will not be relying on any one thing and you will be competitive in the market
In the lactation consulting industry, one of the main forms of diversification is accepting insurance and self-pay clients
Annie and Leah also advise people to set up opportunities for passive income such as creating a continuing education course, handouts, YouTube content, and writing books that are all accessible through a paywall that you write once but continue to earn from as people access the content
Consider what other topics you are interested or talented in and start integrating those things into your lactation business. Ideas include QuickBooks, courses, engineering, research, writing, graphic design, merchandise, etc.
When venturing into the world of renting and selling pumps, try to remain as impartial towards all of the companies as possible by not accepting any “free gifts” they want to give you
There is often a fine ethical line when combining two of your business elements, so it is always best to disclose your status to the client ahead of time
Remember to stay up-to-date on the applicable laws and insurance regulations, particularly if you are doing business with people in countries outside the U.S.
Keep in mind the strategies about time management previously shared on this podcast and be smart about the ideas you decide to pursue
This episode is sponsored by Acuity Scheduling for forms and payments – They are providing LBC podcast listeners with a 45-day free trial at this link.
24 | Creating Safe Spaces for You and Your Clients During Lactation Home Visits
00:48:51
When a family reaches out to you for a home visit to help them with breastfeeding/chestfeeding or other lactation-related concerns, it’s natural to want to take some precautions to protect your own safety in an unfamiliar situation with someone you’ve never met before.
Our clients also need to feel safe with us because if they don’t trust us, we can’t help them. You are coming to them at a raw and vulnerable time and you want to come across as someone who is understanding and accepting of them without judgment. At the same time, you should communicate your expectations ahead of time about the visit and have a plan in place to alert someone if you ever feel unsafe.
“I felt from the very beginning that it was important for me to set some expectations for both sides.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Your intake process is a great way to set expectations from the start
Consider sharing your location with your spouse, partner, or other trusted friend so someone always knows where you are
Have procedures in place for physical safety and digital privacy
Know when and how to refer out if anyone in the family is unsafe
Do work ahead of time on your own biases
Be cautious in your use of social media
This episode is sponsored by IntakeQ. Use IntakeQ to collect client information for the superbill, even if they are out of network. IntakeQ is offering Lactation Business Coaching podcast listeners a discount on their first 3 months using the service at this link.
Do you feel that as the CEO of your lactation business, you are wearing way too many hats?
As a private practice owner, you have to manage everything from administrative tasks to the marketing of your business. It can be difficult to balance all of these tasks.
In today’s episode, we dive into how we juggle the many roles we have to take on in our private practices and how we are managing some better than others.
“I get to show up to lactation work as my authentic self working in the way that I feel gives me the chance to give the best service that I can give.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The many roles that CEOs have to fill in their businesses (3:31)
Trying to implement systems into your business (8:08)
Keeping up with social media and new trends (15:13)
The power of learning from experts to grow (26:37)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Links and Resources
If you like what you heard today, please check out our Lactation Business Coaching Deeper Dive Memberships:
It takes a village to run a thriving practice and hiring an administrative assistant is a crucial step toward building the business of your dreams.
Hiring a great admin pays off financially but also emotionally, as you’re able to focus on the tasks within your skillset. This helps you feel less drained and more fulfilled and allows you to provide better care to your clients.
Leah has worked with admins for nearly seven years, and they have handled all aspects of her business apart from the clinical work, including invoicing, bookkeeping, and project management.
Annie hired her admin when she started getting too many appointment requests to keep up with and realized that in order to be able to help new clients, she’d need to free up more time. Her admin handles incoming requests, intake forms, customer service, patient charts, and so much more.
“Ever since I’ve been able to shift out of having to do some of that stuff, my energy level and my passion for my work has increased as well.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How to free up more time to focus on your clients (04:00)
The importance of focusing on your own expertise (09:13)
The key traits that make for an incredible administrative assistant (14:34)
What to have in place in order to make your relationship with your admin run smoothly (17:21)
Where to download critical templates for administrative assistant and sub-contractor contracts (18:48)
Coordinating and Planning a Virtual Event Online with Chanelle Andrews, CBS [BONUS: ASK THE EXPERT]
00:30:21
In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Annie & Leah interview Chanelle Andrews CBS about her experience working with a dream team of non-local lactation colleagues to sponsor a virtual screening of Death by Delivery as an advocacy event for Black Maternal Health Week. Spoiler alert: it was a big success.
Chanelle Andrews owns and operates her own practice, Hey Mama Lactation and Perinatal Care, while also interning as a breastfeeding peer counselor at WIC. During her experience as a new mother, while struggling to figure out all the things including breastfeeding, Chanelle longed for a community of women who were dealing with the same things.
Throughout her own journey, she realized she didn’t look like or share the same experiences as most of the other women around her. Chanelle is a strong advocate for bringing to light the black maternal mortality crisis in the US. While her plans to run a community event around this topic had to be changed, that didn’t stop her and other lactation professionals from holding an incredible event online instead.
“There are people who are just there and they're listening and they're taking it all in, but they don't really want the interaction component. And I said, okay, I'll accept that. You know, cause that actually is true.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Coordinating and planning a virtual event online
Enabling virtual networking during event
Establishing housekeeping and general respect
Educating dominant culture individuals on censorship
The benefits of virtual events over in person events
Remember the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears and how she found the perfect porridge and chair? It seemed it was made just for her.
That got us thinking about what is our perfect amount of work cases to be taking on at a time in our private practice.
We soon came to realize that this is a very hard thing to figure out. Being a lactation consultant is an emotional rollercoaster then add running your own business into it and the ups and downs get even crazier.
In this episode, we give you a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes of our businesses and how we make sure we don’t get overloaded with work cases so we can try to find the right balance.
“It's so important to recognize that there are always gonna be those cases that are gonna go outside of our normal care. I just feel like you have to be prepared for that.”
In this episode, we will cover:
What the pandemic taught us about burnout (5:30)
Trying to find the balance between not taking on too many clients but also having enough to support you and your family (7:32)
Ways to prioritize clients (10:29)
Factoring in different stages of your life (15:06)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
“Organized” can mean a range of things. You could have everything in your office down to your pens organized by type, color, and function. You could have a perfectly organized filing system and a chaotic decorating scheme. Or you could have a gorgeously minimalist office aesthetic… and messy desk drawers.
What’s important is that the systems and setups you put in place work for you. When organizing your office, you should have one major goal in mind: making it easier for you to do your very best work in that space.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to organizing your home office. Depending on your space and budget, setting up your perfect home office may involve purchasing new organizational furniture or just thinking outside the box to optimize your current setup.
In this episode, we explain how we’ve set up our own home offices – everything from the furniture we use to the way we handle incoming documents.
“Outer order brings inner calm… I can totally sense that when I look around my workspace.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why outer order can create inner calm – which is especially important when you’re running a business! (02:16)
The difference between having a home office vs an office space (05:26)
How to set up systems to help you with processes such as dealing with paper documents or scheduling (06:07)
How to organize your calendar and scheduling (09:49)
How to navigate setting up a workspace in a smaller home – and the importance of keeping your gear organized (11:33)
In this episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah talk about all those moments when things do not go as planned and how to work around them.
From minor issues like calling a baby by the wrong name to more major problems like wrecking your scale during a consult, Annie and Leah share some real life disasters that they had to deal with and, by the end of it, the solutions they came up with right at that moment.
They also explore another important life lesson in all this which is learning to give a genuine apology when you find yourself at fault.
"I just have to overcome that feeling that I have to be perfect and that's something that is an ongoing process. I mean, I do know that when I'm the one who makes the mistake that there's a lot of shame involved for me. I get embarrassed. I don't want to admit it. I want to pretend like it never happened. And recognizing when I take the step to just apologize if I'm in the wrong, and I say I'm sorry, and then usually that leads to someplace good."
In this episode, we will cover:
Getting pooped on
Finding an emergency scale
Forgetting your bag
Showing up at the wrong house
Curious dogs & NogginStiks
Calling your client the wrong name
Apologizing and having the right mindset
Annie’s Tech Tip: Turn off notifications when driving
We can not believe that it has been 10 years since we became IBCLCs!
No matter how long you’ve been in business, it’s important to always reflect on what you’ve learned and how you will keep growing.
In this episode, we are doing just that!
We are talking about how our businesses have grown, what we would have done differently, and the danger of thinking you have learned it all.
“I wish I'd recognized that the only person I needed to prove something to was myself”
In this episode, we will cover:
Studying while also running a business (2:05)
The importance of reevaluating your goals (6:36)
How sometimes your plans don’t happen how you think they will (12:12)
Why you should always be learning (19:14)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Why IBCLCs Need Therapy." There are so many layers of challenges, from staying ahead at the clinical level to compassion fatigue to conflict with third parties, that self-care has become a primary concern.
The good news is that there are many healthy coping mechanisms and strategies, such as leaning on a trusted support team to seeking therapy from mental health professionals. Getting the help we need improves our stress levels and, by default, makes us more effective in providing help to our clients too.
"If you feel like you might want therapy, just get therapy. There's no harm in getting it. And even having the feeling that it might be helpful to you is probably a sign that it will be."
In this episode, we will cover:
The various layers of challenges of an IBCLC
Coping strategies
Getting therapy and recommending it to families too
Annie’s Tech Tip: Use a camera not your phone to take photos
Leah’s Marketing Tip: List down 5 people who are your support team
Ep 54 | Supporting self care and boundaries in your practice
00:26:52
Life is stressful enough. As you may know, life as a business owner is even more stressful.
While many people think of self-care as spa days or long yoga classes, effective self-care doesn’t have to take up an entire afternoon or cost you any money. There are many small things that you can fit into your schedule each day to maintain a healthy balance and keep you calm and centered.
This episode is all about reducing (and preventing) stress through easy-to-implement self-care hacks. We share our top tips and habits for stress reduction and prevention — we talk about how to set and maintain effective boundaries, the importance of honoring your energy levels, how to tap into what your mind and body truly need, and the vital role of your community in self-care.
As a bonus, you’ll get a sneak preview of the topic of our upcoming Deeper Dive — see the link below to learn how to register.
“I know that my mood and my energy and my sleep and everything is improved when I’m exercising.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Our top 6 self-care hacks for achieving a healthier work-life balance especially in a pandemic (00:59)
The topic of our upcoming Deeper Dive and how you can join the community (01:51)
How scheduling and goal-setting can help you fit self-care into the busiest schedule (10:48)
The importance of setting boundaries (13:01)
The importance of listening to your mind and body to figure out what you actually need on any given day (17:45)
Using Podcasts to Tell Your Story with Rob Scheerbarth from Podcast Rocket [BONUS: ASK THE EXPERT]
00:20:04
In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Annie & Leah interview Rob Scheerbarth of Podcast Rocket about his journey of starting a podcast agency with his wife, and how they help brands share their stories and expand their marketing efforts to a world where your ideal clients are already listening.
Rob Scheerbarth is the Creative Director at Podcast Rocket, the podcasting agency he started with his wife. He’s always loved telling stories and that’s why he originally got involved with video games, because the idea of being able to tell an interactive story was really appealing to him.
Rob first was attempting to create his own video game company, but he then realized that the biggest challenges these brands of businesses were facing, came down to awareness and marketing. So he and his wife ended up as the owners of Podcast Rocket, and they're helping brands tell their stories and reach out to their audience. As Rob is a storyteller at heart, he simplifies it for us and asks: What kind of story do you want to tell?
"The main point to consider is that podcasting is part of the marketing efforts that your business or brand is trying to do. And the way that you have to present it is by telling your story and just being real and authentic.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How marketing has shifted over the years (03:59)
Understanding the steps of a customer journey (05:05)
The competing market of blogs vs podcasts (06:25)
Getting ideas from your clients’ questions (09:32)
When someone asks what you want for the holiday, does your mind go blink?
No need to worry, we got you covered!
In this episode, we are talking about all the things that we have and love from fun boob stuff to clinical tools that only make sense to carry around if you are an IBCLC.
“It's kind of fun to mix it up sometimes, I love all the boob stuff. It's so fun and it just makes it fun to have these statements that we can put out there and promote our profession day in and day out even if we get some crazy looks.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Some gifts that only IBCLC can wear (4:27)
Why scrubs are a good gift (14:15)
The life-changing aspect of a second screen (16:21)
Masks that make a huge difference in your interaction with babies (18:54)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is all about life hacks. For IBCLC's, being able to do things faster and with less stress translates to a better job done.
As an IBCLC, there are several key aspects where life hacks shine—from taking care of your body to managing your business logistics to nurturing your emotional and spiritual needs, there are ways to get around the overwhelm and make sure you tick off everything from that list.
"What's the next right move that I can do? What's right here in front of me? What can I accomplish at this minute, not the 5,000 things that are on the list that you're never going to get to. You know, just stay really, really present. That helps so much with overwhelm."
In this episode, we will cover:
Packing some lunch and staying hydrated
Bathroom breaks and rest - how to incorporate this in your day
Exercise
Logistics: Replying, scheduling & driving around
Emotional and spiritual needs
Annie’s Tech Tip: Using G-Suite for managing and scheduling appointments
Leah’s Marketing Tip: How to avoid feeling overwhelmed
EP 56 | Nurture Your Private Practice: Expand the Circle of Care (part 1)
00:26:43
You are passionate about the clinical work you do but sometimes you can get so focused on your clients that you forget you need to nurture your business also. You didn’t become a lactation consultant because you wanted to be an entrepreneur - but here you are!
We didn’t start out with a business mindset, both of us were just excited about the opportunity to help more families. It was a hard lesson to learn that we can’t just serve our clients, but that we also need to run a business.
Treating your business and yourself as the business owner the same way you’d treat your clients means that your whole focus is on providing care. That energy builds and grows and radiates outward. You can’t care for someone else unless you are being cared for yourself.
That’s where the circle of care comes in. Listen in as we discuss how to build and maintain a strong business so that you can bring your full-self to your clients’ care.
“What I put into my business, my business is going to give back to me”
In this episode, we will cover:
How looking at your business as something that needs to be cared for shifts your focus from thinking of your business as just a bank account (3:00)
The importance of treating your business and yourself as the business owner the same way you’d treat your clients (9:48)
Why treating your practice as a business is not just good for you but for the clients you serve (16:50)
How as a lactation consultant you are the beginning of the circle of care for your clients (19:33)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
As a lactation consultant, it is important to set boundaries in order to prevent burnout.
Burnout can creep up on you as we found out and it’s not fun!
When it comes to boundaries, it is important to set clear limits for yourself. This means being mindful of how much time you are spending on work-related tasks, and how much time you are dedicating to yourself, your family, and your other interests.
In this episode, we discuss some ways to set boundaries in your private practice and ways to avoid burning yourself out.
“When you don't have boundaries, everything feels really chaotic.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How we experienced burnout (2:56)
Managing burnout by setting boundaries(7:46)
The first step to recovering from burnout (11:04)
Why your clients benefit from you setting boundaries (12:53)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Links and Resources
If you like what you heard today, please check out our Lactation Business Coaching Deeper Dive Memberships:
As a lactation consultant, you keep track of so many things on a daily, weekly, and even hourly basis. Client care, business operations, keeping up with social media, and staying current with your clinical training can become overwhelming… and sometimes important things can slip through the cracks, both in terms of your professional practice and your family life.
Tasks you hate and projects you love can both pose challenges to productivity, but implementing the right productivity hacks can help you stay on track, prioritize effectively, and maintain a healthier work-life balance.
Time blocking is a great way to focus on one task at a time while allowing yourself some mental rest within the structure, and it’s especially useful for content creation. Bullet journaling is a freeform way to keep up with tasks — and it can take whatever form or function works best for you.
In this episode, we dig into these and other productivity techniques that allow us to keep organized, increase productivity, and get everything done… with breathing room to spare. Hop in and be ready to take some notes!
“We really want to have the space, energy, attention, and compassion for our clients. When our brains are clogged up… that eats into our ability to give to our clients what we want to give to them.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Time blocking techniques to improve focus and reduce interruptions (03:57)
How to prioritize urgent tasks vs important tasks (10:00)
What is the Pomodoro technique (12:50)
Bullet journaling tips to stay on top of daily, weekly, and monthly goals (19:01)
How identifying your strengths and your areas of struggle can help you choose the best productivity strategies (29:14)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
23 | Making Sense of Insurance Coverage for Lactation Care
00:38:03
Your goal as a lactation consultant is to provide the best care you can to the families you serve, but far too often, insurance companies make this easier said than done.
The Affordable Care Act did some good in stating that lactation services would be covered, but because of the vagueness of the phrasing, there is no clear consensus among insurance companies and providers about what this should look like in reality.
Annie and Leah provide some tips for listeners who want some help navigating this topic in order to focus on serving their families better.
“Everybody needs help.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The Affordable Care Act says that “lactation services are covered” but doesn’t specify who the providers should be, what the timing should be, or who should determine if the services are needed
Insurance companies only want to cover the lactation consulting services at the hospital immediately after birth and at the pediatrician’s office, so they are quick to deny coverage for anything outside of those instances
The National Women’s Law Center, however, provides scripts for families to use when talking with their insurance companies to ensure coverage of lactation consulting services
Typically, the consultant handles in-network insurance claims and agrees to the insurance company’s prices for their services and the consultant provides a superbill to clients who are out-of-network for the client to submit to their insurance company
The providers feel obligated to provide services to clients regardless of their insurance status because it is a right
Sometimes out-of-network insurance companies will call or write to argue with your billing amounts
It is unclear whether it is more successful for the provider or the client to submit the superbill to an out-of-network insurance company
Leah talks about the benefit of looking at your average payout versus your per-consult payout to assess how your business is working with insurance and self-paid clients
Annie recommends the diagnosis code of Z39.1 and the procedure code of either S9443 or S99404 because these are the most conservative and hardest for the companies to argue with
It is important to ethically bill your clients and seek information from a variety of sources
This episode is sponsored by Acuity Scheduling for forms and payments – They are providing LBC podcast listeners with a 45-day free trial at this link.
Ep 40 | The Power of Collaboration with Nikki & Nikki
00:45:01
You know that kismet moment when you start talking to someone and the brimming over of idea sharing makes you feel like you are on to something? Something that hasn’t been created yet and there is a big need for it in the world. Like you and this person can literally come together and give birth to something unique and extraordinary, just like the one-of-a-kind tiny humans with which we work.
That is exactly what happened when we met and decided to collaborate on LBC. Here’s the thing, we are not the only ones connecting with colleagues and germinating ideas that can help to create the IBCLC world in which we all want to live. That is why we were SO excited to welcome Nikki Greenaway, IBCLC, aka Nurse Nikki, and Nekisha Killings MPH, IBCLC, RLC - the dynamic duo that makes Nikki & Nikki - to our most recent podcast episode - The Power of Collaboration. Their collaboration grew from identifying gaps and disparities in the pathway system and a deep desire to demystify and open up the process for black and brown people who want to affect change in the breastfeeding world.
Nikki Greenaway, aka Nurse Nikki, is a wife, mother of three, Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She is one half of Nikki and Nikki Lactation Career Consultants where she assists black lactation specialists to register for the IBCLC exam. In addition to co-founding the New Orleans Breastfeeding Center and Cafe au Lait Breastfeeding Circle for Families of Color, she is also the proud owner of a maternal-child health mobile clinic and a health consulting firm providing maternal-child health training and resources to community organizations.
Nekisha Killings MPH, IBCLC, RLC is an equity strategist, international board-certified lactation consultant, and maternal and child health advocate. Her life’s work is focused on advancing equity in the field of lactation. Nekisha authored the chapter titled Cultural Humility in the latest Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care. She acts as Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging at Lactation Education Resources, and consults organizations on creating and implementing strategies to better support marginalized communities. She is co-founder of Nikki & Nikki: Lactation Career Consultants, which is dedicated to equipping aspirants of color to sit the IBCLC exam.
In addition to being a spouse to an active-duty servicemember, Nekisha also homeschools four little future world changers and enjoys writing and researching on the impact of historical trauma on Black families’ breastfeeding experiences today.
They have set the stage and continue to find ways to help develop the IBCLC landscape to better reflect the diverse world in which we live, opening up doors and breaking down barriers. You will definitely want to carve out the time to listen and learn about how these two amazing IBCLCs balance their passions for bettering the world for all while putting family first, managing their private practices, and carving out time for themselves. Because if you’re anything like us when an idea starts to germinate, it can be hard to slow the train. Tune in and grow with us!
"It's like a switch comes on when someone really gives you confidence that you can accomplish anything. You start to believe in yourself. And it makes all the difference in the world.”
In this episode, we will cover:
How Nikki and Nikki first came to be (11:10)
Demystifying the process for others (16:10)
Using support to keep you on track and focused (20:18)
What they would change about the lactation industry (29:16)
The importance of serving while also being compensated (37:46)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Many thanks to Stephanie Granade for her production assistance, and to Silas Wade for creating our theme music
Thanks to our monthly supporters
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07 Nov 2023
84 | 5 Year Anniversary Episode!
00:27:08
Today we are celebrating our five year podcast anniversary.
So, we're taking a trip down memory lane and reminiscing about how we first met and started this incredible podcast.
It's been quite the journey!
We can't thank our listeners enough for sticking with us throughout the years. You make this podcast so much fun and we couldn't do it without you. You guys rock!
“We always need to keep learning but it always feels like it's never enough”
In this episode, we will cover:
How we got the idea to start a podcast (1:10)
The importance of listener feedback (7:53)
The impact of the pandemic on the podcast (12:59)
Why we started the Deeper Dives (15:36)
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
Promo: Deeper Dive in Private Practice With Shelly Taft, LPN, IBCLC, ISE, CBE
00:12:30
The Lactation Business Coaching Deeper Dives feature experts from inside and outside of lactation sharing their wisdom, insight, and practical hands-on tips. Enjoy this free 10-minute sample with our June guest, Shelly Taft LPN, IBCLC, CBE, ISE.
Shelly runs a busy practice just outside Boston, MA. She created and is the host of The Baby Pro Podcast and founder of The Baby Pro Bistro, a unique membership site for new and expecting parents.
Shelly also crawls through mud under barb wire for fun and I bet she'll answer questions about that, too.
The recording will be available a few days after the event.
In this episode, we will cover:
Balancing growing Baby Pro while juggling a busy client load + working in the hospital
Shelly's strategy behind creating and repurposing social media content
How she's using podcasting to reach families
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
Links and Resources
Register at https://learn.anniefrisbie.com/shelly21
In this bonus episode, we dive deep into the topic of imposter syndrome and share our own fears and anxieties surrounding it.
Oh boy, do we know how tough it can be for lactation consultants!
The expectations and pressures can be sky-high. And let's not forget about the impact imposter syndrome can have on our professional growth and confidence. It's a real bummer, but don't worry, we've got some great advice coming your way.
“When you're connected and things are flowing out of you, that is your true self, that is you showing up as who you authentically are.”
In this episode, we will cover:
What exactly is imposter syndrome (2:55)
How your gender and race also impact imposter syndrome (7:45)
The high expectations we put on ourselves (20:33)
The pressure to prove your value (25:37)
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
Today we are chatting about the wild world of breastfeeding advice on social media.
Let me tell you, it's a jungle out there!
We were getting pretty frustrated with all the bogus info floating around and how hard it is to set the record straight for our clients.
It's super important to seek out reliable sources of information and to be careful about how much you let social media influence your beliefs and decisions.
That's why in this episode, we are stressing the importance of critical thinking and skepticism when we're bombarded with too much info.
“Just follow the money and you will find where all this information, quote-unquote, is coming from.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why social media influencers hold so much power on the decision your clients make (4:18)
The importance of evidence-based information (12:29)
Challenges of finding current updated information on Google (15:09)
Understanding the level of evidence behind recommendations (17:31)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Few of us could have foreseen how the landscape of our practices would change so abruptly last spring. Many of us found ourselves scrambling to develop new protocols and explore the nuances of telehealth while also managing massive changes in our personal lives. It's been more than half a year, and we thought it was time for us to sit and reflect with all of you about how we can combine virtual tools with the tried and true in-person visits most of us love. We'll dig into time management, pricing, usage of each type of visit in the continuum of care, scheduling aspects, and much more.
Annie and Leah talk in today’s episode about how the industry is shifting for IBCLC’s, and what it could look like to potentially offer a combination of both virtual visits and in-person care. There are so many things that go into deciding what is best for yourself and your client when shifting in your business. They cover why a combination might be helpful, different variations for structuring the costs of your visits, and how you could plan out your week to best match your working style.
This episode is sure to have you take pause and shift your lactation practice. Join us!
"There are some really big advantages, but right now we're thinking safety and really trying to promote the best safest care that we can give.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Offering virtual visits to even those close to you (04:33)
What can be in person vs handled virtually (07:19)
Creating packages and pricing the new style (09:50)
Explaining the value of a combination to your clients (12:30)
How to schedule your week to balance both styles (15:17)
79 | What makes Lactation Consultants Different from Other Perinatal Providers
00:33:56
As more and more parents seek lactation support, it is important to understand the unique role that lactation consultants play in providing care to families.
We know that lactation consultants are different from other healthcare professionals in many ways but how do you convey what we do to others?
In this episode, we are discussing how our relationships with patients are very different from other providers and how we can provide a unique perspective to the care of families.
“I think that our role is so powerful and has such a huge value for the healthcare team that I think it's worth it.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why lactation consults are multifaceted clinicians (4:58)
Ways that lactation consultant view the whole picture (6:40)
How trust builds confidence (20:03)
The importance of investing in relationships to create impact (26:04)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
It's so important for IBCLCs to be seen as part of the care team for the breastfeeding families we serve. One way we can impact our presence in the care team is to communicate with the other providers working with the breastfeeding family.
Today we will discuss what we need to send to the other providers on the care team as well as strategies to make this process effective and efficient. So if you struggle with motivating yourself to write and send pediatrician reports, or if you’re wondering if anyone even reads them, you are not alone. Leah and Annie have both been there and been frustrated by that, and they’ve got some ideas for you on how to get them done and get them read. We’re talking about what to write, how to send, and why they’re so important.
“We need to be the bridge to make sure our exact message is portrayed correctly”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why we’re supposed to be sending pediatrician reports (hint: IBLCE Code of Professional Conduct)
What if those pediatrician reports are sitting in that fax tray, never to be read? Why you should send them anyway
Essential elements of the pediatrician report
How to share the info clearly and effectively
When NOT to send a report
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
‘Sparking joy’ became a nationwide sensation after clutter consultant Marie Kondo’s show Tidying Up landed on Netflix in 2019. Her de-cluttering KonMari method is based on the idea that you should throw away anything that doesn’t bring you joy —and this method isn’t just effective for de-cluttering your home, but your private practice workflow as well!
Are there aspects of your private practice that don’t bring you joy? Do they leave you feeling overwhelmed or burnt out? Are they taking up space that could create room for exciting new opportunities? Is there literal clutter in your office that distracting you from staying focused?
It’s important to regularly take a moment to reflect on what we have and what we use in our private practice, whether that’s our tools, our software subscriptions, our systems, our commitments – even down to the language in our intake forms!
If your plate or your consult bag is too full, you need to stop and consider what sparks joy… and what you should consider setting aside.
“I’m often in the situation where I’m trying to stop myself from letting go of something in order to replace it with something else… I get that shiny object syndrome.”
In this episode, we will cover:
The KonMari Method and how it can help your private practice (02:00)
How to figure out what’s serving you in your business and what’s weighing you down (03:10)
Creating space for new opportunities (08:13)
The right and wrong way to set up systems in your business – illustrated by a practical example (10:49)
The importance of reaching outside of your business to get a new perspective (14:18)
69 | Different Stresses Families Face and Creative Ways We Can Help
00:21:18
Nobody is immune from stress. (If you are, then please tell us your secrets).
Everyone experiences life in different ways so everyone has things that stress them that may not be obvious or logical to you.
As lactation consultants, sometimes we have to get creative in how we communicate with families.
In this episode, we're talking about ways families might be stressed and how can we help them work through that stress.
We are giving you our tips and tricks that we use in our private practice so you can have a better connection with the families you work with.
“We do have to be creative in modifying how we're communicating with families to recognize when what we're saying isn't landing with them.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Getting creative with how you communicate with families (6:18)
The importance of having an attitude of agreement with your clients (10:38)
Why getting curious can help the families you work with (13:09)
Using yes and language (15:38)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
In our lactation businesses, we want to plan long-term while also remaining open to new challenges and opportunities.
None of us can predict the future, but having a plan in place is a great way to know what you want your business to look like as it grows.
In this episode, we are diving headfirst into the wild ride that is running your own lactation private practice and letting you in on the things we wished we knew when starting out.
"Even if you put down your best plans, just know they might not always go as planned."
In this episode, we will cover:
Planning and the importance of aligning values with vision for private practice (1:41)
The challenges of creating an ideal client avatar and marketing strategies that may not align with lactation work (6:58)
Why flexibility and adaptability are important for your business (14:30)
Considerations and reflections on expanding the practice (17:51)
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
74 | The Lactation Client Journey Inside Private Practice
00:34:04
Are you just starting out in private practice (or maybe you are just curious and want a sneak peek behind the scenes of our business)?
Well, either way, we are going to explain how our client journey unfolds.
Running a lactation private practice is stressful and challenging but it’s also joyful and fulfilling. You can’t have the good without the bad.
In this episode, we discuss how we handle our first client interaction, how we set expectations, and how we deal with those challenging clients.
“Whether you imagine the worst case scenario or the best case scenario, both of them are your imagination”
In this episode, we will cover:
Managing client expectations (5:09)
Setting your clients up for success in the very first session (6:48)
Taking a client-centered approach (14:07)
How to handle when things don’t go as expected (19:42)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Working with Referral Sources." Having referrals works both ways: it is a priority to service your clients when you are not available and it is also important to cultivate a relationship with others to become a trusted referral for their own business.
Annie and Leah share their own personal strategies to gain referral sources, as well as help colleagues to position themselves to become the go-to referral of their area. They also discuss the ethics of a referral relationship and how easy it is to become unethical because of the freebies that some people give you.
"When we go and meet with referral sources or we're putting ourselves out there, I know sometimes it's intimidating so we might just kind of tense up and not really be ourselves and kind of be very stiff and maybe just give the answers you that you think the other person might want to hear. And there really is a lot of drawbacks to that because one, I think people read that. You know, they can tell when you're not being authentically yourself.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Receiving and sending referrals (colleagues, birth workers, physicians, hospitals, NYLCA)
Cultivating relationships with new referrals
Maintaining ethics with referrals
Keeping communication open
Annie’s Tech Tip: Schedule your emails
Leah’s Marketing Tip: Be who you authentically are to referral sources
Rebroadcast | Growing Your Lactation Practice by Hiring Help
00:48:02
Many lactation consultants are used to working solo, and it can be hard to surrender certain aspects of your private practice to others. When you wear many hats, like most private practitioners, it can be hard to recognize when you need to delegate a task to someone else who has more time or expertise in the area.
But if you’re spending too much energy on tasks that you’re not proficient in or passionate about and they take you away from the clinical work you love, it may be time to bring on people who can share the workload.
Time is just as finite as money… and when you have more time for the things you’re passionate about, you might actually make more money! Finding support for clinical, administrative, or even personal tasks can free you up to focus on serving your clients and expanding your private practice to fit your goals.
You can start by writing down your weekly and monthly tasks outside of your IBCLC responsibilities and then assessing which tasks might be a good fit for outsourcing. You can hire out work for your personal or business life: billing, scheduling, clinical assistance, taxes, cleaning, laundry, school pickups, childcare, elder care — these are all great areas where you can free up more time for you to work within your own zone of genius and take better care of your clients.
“Identify your own zone of genius and stay there.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why social media is a great place to start when you’re looking to delegate — and where to find a great social manager (11:28)
When it’s fine to brush up on your proficiencies and do it yourself, and when you should take the leap and outsource (14:13)
What are some low-cost options for outsourcing (29:36)
How time-tracking apps can help you figure out where your capacity issues lie (31:16)
The importance of taking inventory of your time (37:28)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!
Charting Tips and Strategies for IBCLCs [REBROADCAST]
00:40:52
We're all taking a second look at our charting and documentation strategies as we pivot to virtual to meet the needs of families at a time when home and office visits have to be limited.
Documenting what happens at a lactation consult is super important for so many reasons, but figuring out just want to say and how to say it can be challenging.
In this episode, Annie and Leah will explain their approaches to charting and offer you tips and strategies for making this critical task less overwhelming. Whether you’re paperless or love your clipboard and folders, this episode will help you streamline your charting workflow and feel confident in your documentation.
“It didn’t happen unless you write it down”
In this episode, we will cover:
What is lactation charting? Get a clear, concise idea of what charting should be
Why do we have to chart our lactation consults? There are important medical and legal reasons for charting
What are the biggest challenges and time sucks when it comes to charting?
Charting can get in the way of life outside of your practice
So, how can we do it better? There are some strategies for making charting more efficient
What to include and what to leave out? Not everything needs to go into your reports - Learn what should and shouldn’t be represented
Annie’s Tech Tip: Use voice memos to capture consultation notes that you don’t need to include in your reports
Leah’s Marketing Tip: Remember that your documentation is a marketing tool for you.
For a downloadable pdf of Charting Shortcuts, click here
Whether you’re in solo private practice or feeling ready to expand into a group practice, making local connections with other IBCLCs and lactation helpers is good for you and good for the families you serve.
Why go it alone when community and collaboration can strengthen your skills and combat compassion fatigue?
In this episode of the Lactation Business Coaching podcast, Annie & Leah share three ways you can grow your local connections and create more opportunities for all of you. From informal to formal, there’s something in here for everyone.
“I want all of us to make a living. How can we do that for each other?”
In this episode, we will cover:
Show up and offer help. Volunteering with local lactation groups can
boost your visibility and offer much-needed help
Not available? Informal referral networks connect separate private
practice lactation consultants without any legal agreements.
Ready to make it official? Formal group practices have legal
agreements in place and can be profitable for everyone
This episode is sponsored by Acuity. Never ask “what time works for you?” again. Clients can quickly view your real-time availability and self-book their own appointments—and even pay online, reschedule with a click. You can even handle all of your forms and payments before your appointments so you can get right down to business. For a FREE 45 day trial, visit this LINK.
Links and Resources
Visit this link at Acuity for a 45 day free trial.
EP33 | Policies and Procedures for Lactation Private Practice
00:25:28
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Policies and Procedures for Lactation Private Practice". They talk about its importance, from training new hires to ensuring your own well-being to render the best service possible.
Annie and Leah also talk about the most efficient tools they use to share procedures and organize: Loom videos and Annie's Workbook. If you are feeling stress or anxiety about your private practice, this might be the best time to review which of your policies actually work for you.
"Really try to find processes and procedures and policies that bring peace of mind. I know this kind of brings me back to a lot of people have very firm boundaries around follow up care or around how you're going to do your intakes."
In this episode, we will cover:
Policies and procedures explained
Creating policies and procedures:
Using Loom, Spruce & Annie's Workbook
Annie’s Tech Tips: Use headings to create a table of contents
Leah’s Marketing Tips: Be mindful of your policies and procedures
Ep 53 | Intentional Time Off with Brandie Mitchell RN, NC-BC
00:28:55
Small business owners are at especially high risk for burnout, as we often take on multiple roles and feel we need to be driving our businesses forward all the time. But constant productivity actually hurts us in the long run. When we reach the point of burnout, we no longer perform at our best, and it can take weeks (or longer!) to fully recover.
Brandie Mitchell, RN, NC-BC is a Board Certified Nurse Coach specializing in holistic, personalized health coaching for women ready to reclaim their health from autoimmune disease, anxiety, depression, pain, insomnia, and fatigue. She also supports women during pregnancy and postpartum for a healthy and empowered transition into motherhood. Brandie empowers women and families to take ownership of their health, overcome anxiety and overwhelm, and move from where you are to where you want to be in your body, health, and life.
Brandie looks to natural and energetic cycles as inspiration for creating a way of life that’s healthier, more productive, and more sustainable. Over the last few years, Brandie has found that cyclical living has improved the way she shows up in her business, as well as her overall satisfaction with her life.
Now, it’s your turn!
“There are principles that can guide us in a different way of living our lives that is actually so much more sustainable and so much more life-giving.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Why having reality TV on in the background while writing emails doesn’t count as real rest! (03:21)
How to develop your own daily, monthly, or seasonal cycles that tap into your body’s energetic needs (04:07)
The different types of cycles in our lives (08:00)
The importance of setting boundaries during quarantine — and the science behind the benefits (10:08)
How to plan for your energy levels (22:13)
Like this episode? Want more?
The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters.
Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member!
Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is called "Prenatal Visits". Annie and Leah dive into what prenatal visits mean to them and if either of them offers it as a service. Leah shares her motivation tip for us today around not feeling the pressure and guilt of offering every service under the sun as lactation consultants.
They talk about how offering prenatal classes in your community could be a great way to market your business and develop rapport with clients before the baby even arrives. We learn some of the ways that getting that time and connection with the client before the baby arrives, could set the stage for a better experience overall.
We also find out why prenatals aren’t Annie’s favorite but recognize that we don’t need to feel the pressure to offer every service in our business.
"And I'm way more excited by troubleshooting someone's actual situation than by educating them on a potential situation.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Motivation tip: Don’t feel like you need to offer everything (01:02)
Logistically making prenatal visits work (03:51)
Deep diving into why it’s important for your client (07:15)
Ways prenatal session can market your practice (18:08)
Tech tip: Using G sites for client resources (19:07)
In today’s episode, we're tackling a subject that can make hearts pound and palms sweat: raising your rates in your business.
We open up about the challenges of pricing our services, sharing personal experiences and insights into the uncomfortable yet necessary discussions about when and how to raise rates.
Listen in as we unravel the complexities of money mindset, emphasizing the significance of charging what you're worth to avoid burnout and maintain the financial health of your business.
“So much of it really comes down to our mindset around money and how we view money. How we feel comfortable or not comfortable with the idea of talking about money and knowing that we deserve money.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Having the uncomfortable money talks (1:48)
Valuing your services and what you provide to your clients (3:28)
Finding the middle ground in pricing your services (6:33)
How to raise your insurance rates (18:53)
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
3 | Too Busy, Too Slow: The Goldilocks Paradox of Lactation Consultants in Private Practice
00:38:47
In this episode, Leah and Annie are talking about the ever-present swinging pendulum of busy-ness as the owner of your private practice. They open up about the emotional and financial implications of both the busy and the lean times and how important it is to know that you’re not alone in this struggle.
Leah and Annie both share their own perspectives and unique ways of tackling this trend and how to make the most of your downtime so you are continuing to grow your business.
“You’re not experiencing anything that any other business owner hasn’t”
In this episode, we will cover:
During busy times, make sure to have awareness of your personal
limits. Incorporating flex time into your regular schedule can make
sure you don’t exceed them.
How to make a plan for how to handle the lean times both financially and for your business as a whole
The importance of taking note of how the year trends as a whole. Knowing when the lean and busy times are is helpful for planning and perspective.
How to plan consistency in your social media content
How to approach downtime to make it useful, not wasted.
We are reconnecting after a summer break where Leah was recovering from major back surgery, a significant event that shifted not just her physical circumstances but profoundly affected her approach to both life and business.
Also, Annie reveals her previous mindset regarding health issues and the unrealistic standards she sets for herself, which led to detrimental consequences. The painful truth is that, too often, we delay seeking medical attention until our conditions require urgent action.
“It’s so hard taking care of ourselves.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Reflections on recovery (2:24)
Speaking up for yourself in healthcare situations (5:40)
Taking time off as a business owner (12:29)
What’s coming up for Lactation Business Coaching (16:07)
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
Today we are diving into the crazy world of scheduling. From juggling multiple locations to dealing with holiday madness, we are sharing our secrets and survival tactics.
Leah explains her scheduling system, which involves multiple providers and locations, and the crucial role that her administrative assistant, Amanda, plays in orchestrating the chaos (and why she should get a raise).
Annie explains how she navigates the nuances of handling interns and a recently expanded office schedule by implementing a more automated system to minimize the back-and-forth with her clients.
There isn’t a one-size-fits all solution to scheduling but we hope hearing how we handle scheduling will help you with recreating your own.
“When it feels crazy stressful and I'm like, we're never going to figure this out. I always just tell myself it always works out.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Managing complicated schedules (2:19)
The importance of having clear communication with your team (6:08)
Creating waitlists to help with meeting client needs (12:05)
Handling cancellations (25:17)
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
Lactation consultants are especially prone to burnout because our work is so intense. It can be hard to disconnect from your clients and from your business, but it’s essential to recognize the importance of taking regular breaks.
In this episode of the Lactation Business Coaching Podcast, Leah and Annie offer practical steps to take when you’re prepping for your vacation.
“Burnout affects the families that we’re caring for.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Burnout is real. It’s just not physically or emotionally possible to work without taking regular breaks.
Our work is hard. We’re always thinking about our clients and it can be hard to turn that off.
Our clients’ problems can drain our energy. When situations are complex, or when we’re faced with the same kinds of issues over and over again, it can wear us out.
Scared that your business will die. Your private practice is not a shark, it doesn’t have to keep moving to live.
How to set your practice up for a break. From organizing your tech to managing your communications, learn specific steps to take the break you need.
This episode is sponsored by Acuity. Never ask “what time works for you?” again. Clients can quickly view your real-time availability and self-book their own appointments—and even pay online, reschedule with a click. You can even handle all of your forms and payments before your appointments so you can get right down to business. For a FREE 45 day trial, visit this LINK.
Links and Resources
Visit this link at Acuity for a 45 day free trial.
Blogging for IBCLC’s with Rachel O'Brien, IBCLC [BONUS: ASK THE EXPERT]
00:21:39
In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Annie & Leah interview Rachel O’Brien, IBCLC about blogging, and how she uses it to complement her private practice. Rachel shares her process of creating blog posts and how that has changed over the years. We learn how we can make blogging work for us and our businesses, and why it’s not as intimidating as we might think.
Rachel O’Brien is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who earned her Master of Arts degree in human lactation in 2015. Rachel prides herself on providing real-life, guilt-free breastfeeding help and specializes in low milk supply, latch difficulty, tongue tie and lip tie, and LGBTQIA+ lactation.
When she isn’t doing in-home visits for breastfeeding help or working as a lactation consultant at UMASS Memorial Hospital in Worcester, Rachel is often blogging about lactation or contributing as a breastfeeding expert on multiple websites. She uses her expertise, warmth, and sense of humor to help families to meet their breastfeeding and chestfeeding goals.
One thing that might surprise you is that Rachel explains to us that it’s not usually what you write about, just that it's YOU who’s writing it.
"I didn't need to prove to anyone that I knew every single thing that there could be about that particular subject. I just had to know enough to make it make sense to somebody else.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Blogging for depth rather than quantity (04:28)
Rachel’s blog post creation process (05:25)
Creating posts that are easy to understand (07:49)
Using your unique voice to share information (11:12)
Leading readers further into your business (13:31)
As a private practice IBCLC your website is usually the first contact your prospective clients will have with you and your business. Making your website easy to navigate and quickly get the necessary information is essential for a new and tired parent. In this episode, Leah and Annie share their resources for online scheduling, HIPAA compliance, website design, and more.
“You never want people leaving your website while they’re still deciding if they want to work with you”
In this episode, we will cover:
How to make an impression - Your website is the first source of contact with
your clients.
The importance of mobile compatibility - New moms are tired! Help
them by making your website navigable during 3AM feedings.
What do I include on my website? Annie and Leah share tips on what
you should and shouldn’t include on your website.
The Final Step - Contact & Booking are the most important parts of
your website. Annie and Leah talk about how to make this step easy
and efficient, as well as share resources to get this set up.
Not sure about the design? - Annie and Leah let you in on some helpful
design tips, as well as give advice on how to get meaningful photos
Caring for Yourself While Pivoting Your Business with Brandie Mitchell, RN [BONUS: ASK THE EXPERT]
00:24:59
You started out with one business model, but for one reason or another, you’ve had to make a shift. Maybe you’re adding a new service, or maybe you’re pivoting in an entirely different direction. Either way, transition is a challenge, and you need to make sure you’re giving yourself extra love to get it all done.
In this bonus episode of Ask the Expert, Leah interviews Brandie Mitchell, RN about her experience of pursuing a career and field she never thought she would see herself in - nurse coaching. She talks about what it has been like with pivoting her business to support her clients better in a more of a coaching capacity, as what was once a majority of her business with massage therapy has been put on hold.
She breaks down for us some of the simplest ways to get back to the basics with our self-care. We almost couldn’t even believe how accessible she makes it feel for all of us!
"It takes time and it takes support and accountability and really uncovering deeper roots of limiting beliefs and things that get in the way of us actually doing the things that we know are good for us.”
In this episode, we will cover:
Being called to pursue a different path (02:38)
Gaining support and uncovering limiting beliefs (06:22)
Dialing back to the most basic self-care (10:18)
Turning awareness into action (10:47)
Pivoting to support others during uncertainty (20:02)
Promo | Deeper Dive into Reflux with Cathy Watson Genna
00:04:43
Each month, Annie and I take a deeper dive into topics and information with an expert to give us more insights on things that we might be incorporating in our clinical practice as well as entrepreneurs and business owners. We're bringing you this snippet today to give you a taste of what these deeper dives are all about.
This month, we got to chat with Cathy Watson Genna about reflux. She dives into what reflux is, the causes of reflux, and strategies for IBCLCs to support families when dealing with reflux.
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
Promo | Deeper Dive into Allergies with Hope Lima, PhD, RDN, IBCLC
00:04:24
Each month, we host a Deeper Dive, which is a live Q& A with an expert in the field of lactation, business, or personal development. The following snippet is from our most recent Deeper Dive.
This month, we got to meet with Hope Lima and we talked about all things allergies. Hope helped us understand what an IBCLC needs to know about allergies, the difference between intolerance and allergies, and symptoms to look for in infants. We hope you enjoy!
Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!
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