% of Naturopaths, LAcs, LMTs, health coaches with 2nd jobs

I was talking to a VIP Practice Makeover client of mine who shared that she attended a professional association meeting in Washington and couldn’t believe her ears about the statistics of acupuncture graduates who graduate and aren’t practicing full-time.

Do you know the statistics of acupuncturists, naturopaths, massage therapists, and health coaches who graduate and aren’t practicing full-time in their profession?

After speaking with my client, I did some quick research on my own to look up the stats.  While I was unable to find current stats (and couldn’t find any for ie, health coaches), I found studies that showed only 57% of trained acupuncturists and 35% of trained naturopaths were working in their practice full-time.  What do you think the stats are like today? Comment below on what you’ve seen or heard.

Just this Friday, I was talking to an acupuncturist and health coach who were working 2^nd jobs.  One was working a a part-time job waitressing  and the other was working a full-time job in a pharmacy while doing what he/she really wanted to do on the side.  They both told me they preferred to be doing what they went to school for full-time.

There is nothing shameful about working another job while transitioning into building a successful practice.  How is it that you are to go to school with so much to learn about your practice and little business training, but come out expecting to know how to run a business?

The thing is–—do you have a transition plan that you know will work so that the 2^nd job thing doesn’t become a forever thing?

Many holistic practitioners who call me have tried to figure things out on their own and are frustrated that it’s not working.  Some of them decide to do something different about it and get help with it.  Others choose to continue to figure it out themselves (sometimes I talk to people a year later and they are still stuck in the same place).

The truth is that successful business people do not become successful in their businesses without having had guidance or training along the way.  They either went to get their MBA (which often teaches you how to be a good business person for someone else vs. being an entrepreneur), paid for other kinds of business training, or had a family member who’s successful in business guide them.  That’s the advantage of being born in a Donald Trump or Bill Gates family—it’s not necessarily being born to a lot of money and inheriting it, it’s Donald or Bill teaching his kids how to fish.

And that’s why you see successful business owners come in to a profession they know nothing about, and turn it around into a successful business.  It’s because of their business skills.  It’s not getting another certificate in your modality—it’s straight up business skills.

There is one profession of holistic practitioners I see being better equipped to build their practices than other professions:  the chiropractic profession.  Although not much chiropractic-building business training is provided in school, chiropractors seem to realize the importance of getting the training beyond school to build their practices.  But even so, I see the value each chiropractor puts in getting the business guidance differs based on how open they are to “surrendering” to the fact that they’ve gone as far as they could on their own.  It’s disappointing for me to see holistic practitioners give up their dreams, because they aren’t able to make it running a successful practice.

Are you growing your practice in the way you’d like to be, and is it fast enough for you?  Are you helping the people you’re meant to help and making the money you deserve?  If not, maybe you need to do something differently.  You don’t need to be a statistic!

I’m excited to be teaching students/alumni of a couple of colleges this coming week about how to grow their practices.  It’s a good thing their school recognizes its importance.  For those of you who are not a part of the exclusive training for those colleges, but are ready to do something differently, listen to the next Double Your Practice call (SORRY, THIS EVENT IS NOW OVER) coming up and get started with the foundation to doubling your practice.

Comment below on whether you know any of your classmates are juggling 2nd jobs, or aren’t practicing.   If you know of the current statistics, share it below.

What do you wish naturopathic medical school, chiropractic, acupuncture or massage therapy school, or your health coach training taught you  about growing your practice?  Share your thoughts or insights.