The Muse For My Marketing Consultation Program

I spent over ten grand on mentors, group programs, managers, and all the tools and resources necessary to enhance my business beyond one year. It was almost worth all of the money. Here’s what I learned.

Even though no one said running a business was easy, no one warns you of the bumps in the road you will face, either. When I started my business, I was weary of the “get-rich schemes” and knew that if I invested in my business, I would do my research first. Before working with anyone, I looked extensively into them. Before I write in my card info, I ensure I think the decision over. For the most part, this system doesn’t failed me.

I have worked with a handful of real a**, boss a**, business girlies. They knew their stuff, were on top of the game, and were professional yet personable. It wasn’t until I decided to transition my business into its focus on Social Media and Marketing Strategy for therapists and wellness brands that I ran into the lousy apple 🍎 of business.

As therapists in the wellness space, I know you are always on the lookout for red flags 🚩 but sometimes you’ll get a client that doesn’t align with you, or you partner with a therapist in your private practice, and they’re not as they seemed.

How could this have slipped past you? They seemed like the perfect fit on paper?! In this case, we may have judged a book by its cover. Who would have thought this old phrase would play us like THIS?

I am describing precisely what I experienced when I worked with my last “coach.” This person was in the business of what I was aiming to be; she had binge-able (and valuable) content, excellent credentials, and seemed a great fit for me—until she wasn’t.

*Pause to grab your popcorn* don’t worry about a drink- I got the tea covered.

Before I continue, I am not here to bash anyone or expose some crazy scandal. I will also admit I was part of the problem.* Pause for applause because I am taking accountability.* I want to share this story because I know it will provide valuable insight to what to look for when hiring a Marketing Strategist, and what I learned from this situation that led to my 1:1 Program. Let’s get into it.

“Then I found her”

As we covered, and as you know if you follow my Instagram journey, I transitioned into the role of Social Media and Marketing Strategist in September 2023. Before my new role, I started researching business coaches. Someone who has worked in the field. Someone who knew their stuff. A person goal-oriented, and ready call me out on my s*** when needed. I had fell in love with marketing, and I wanted to indulge in all of its sweetness. I wanted to run Email Campaigns, become a well known name in the industry, and be the go-to marketing girlie. I thought that if I worked with someone who’s been in my shoes, someone who’s not swapped with a bunch of clients. A CEO mindset business gal that could show me the ropes, then I’d be set. Because honestly, I had no idea where to start, what I was doing, or how to achieve the goals I was aiming for. Then I found her.

She was perfect on paper. She knew her stuff. She wasn’t a huge platform, but she still had reputable resources. She even came from the Marketing Strategist world. Perfect.

Or so I thought.

When we had our initial call, she seemed nice. She answered my questions with ease, but she appeared to stand-off ish. (red flag one) I thought maybe she was just an introvert. GIRL WHAT. I don’t know. I didn’t see it as a problem until I looked back at it later. That’s when she offered me a spot in her group program(red flag two). At first I was hesitant because I specifically wanted a one to one spot. I figured, you know what, when I was a Virtual Assistant and worked with my mentor, I did her group program, and it completely paid off. I thought since this seemed pretty similar it would be a great gate-way, and if we aligned and I made my investment back, I’d sign on as a 1:1 client. Really, I should have RAN. Then again, that’s only two red flags.. that’s not even enough to get someone out in baseball…so what’s the worst that could happen?

This is where my people-pleasing and anxiety play a role- I didn’t want the “confrontation,” and I made excuses. Against my better judgment, I signed.

I won’t get into the semantics of it, as that could take us on a novel-length blog 😂 Let’s just go through the rundown and what I learned.

Once I started working with this person, a few things didn’t sit well with me.

1. She was uncommunicative. As a business owner, I know immediate responses aren’t realistic; hello! Boundaries!! But when you go DAYS without responding, that’s a bit much. Especially as someone who was looking for a one to one, mentor/ close relationship model. This is where I fell short. I knew she had other clients, and I am not a main priority. I think that when I would get on calls and see old courses, there were a lot of clients that made it seem like she was very hands on, super supportive, and easily (enough) accessible. This was not the case for me at all.

2. She lacked presences– I know I signed on for a group program. She has to split her attention, that is ALL well and good. Yet, she was barely on calls- which made me fall off from attending the calls, because what am I gaining from this??? I wasn’t. For reference, I also had a mentor for my Virtual Assistant business. My Virtual Assistant mentor DID have a group program, and 1:1 clients, and running other businesses, but her response time was CRAZY and she was VERY hands on. She wasn’t handing off her work to others. She was always on the calls , and talking to her was like talking to a close girl friend. Maybe that’s high expectations, and I can’t put that on someone else. Then again, I paid them both the same amount. Take that with what you will.

The Marketing Strategist “coach” was barely on calls, she would have someone else run them. She also told me they weren’t mandatory, but when I started they became mandatory. All of the work I would hand in, she NEVER reviewed it. She handed that off to someone else(where I had to remind them to review it). Again, from a business stand point- delegation is important, but if I am not getting the hands on experience from the expert- why am I paying expert prices?

3. She never took accountability– Listen, I get it. We all mess up sometimes. THAT’S COOL. No one’s judging you, but you take responsibility when you f*** up. I will sum up the story quick. I booked my second 1:1 call with her (you only get two 1:1 calls in the 4 month program) I noticed after I booked that the time for my time zone was late, and if it were late for me, it’s the middle of the night for her. SO, I reach out I am extremely detailed. I even add my time zone (EST) to make sure we’re clear and on the same page. She eventually gets back to me, tells me that the time says 11am EST that was correct. It must have shown up wrong. I said OK COOL. Clarified that if it were at 11AM EST!!!!! Then the time works for me. Then I get a reminder that my call is coming up and the time given is NOT at the time we agreed on. I reach out again. She then proceeds to tell me, “oh yeah it’s in my time zone. The call is 11am my time” GIRL 🤯 She then goes on to gaslight me, and tell me it’s my fault, and I can reschedule. I WAS PISSED. As business owners, I think we can all collectively agree why this was wrong. For me, it wasn’t just the lack of accountability, it was the lack of principle. This is delulu on a negative level.

What did I learn from this?

I learned to ALWAYS trust my gut. If something doesn’t fully align with me, ditch it. I also realized that 1:1 settings were best for me. I do well working directly with someone. It helps me build rapport, feel comfortable, and overall helps when it comes to things like asking for help. I also find that the attention to detail that comes from working so close to someone can really enhance the whole experience. I learned that body language on a call is still prevalent, and you can learn a lot about someone by the way they portray themselves. I gathered that having an empathetic approach is key when working with someone so closely. You have to really put yourself in their shoes to understand their goals, to know their target audience, and to see their private practice for more than just a business. Know WHY they are working on the things they are, know where they’re coming from, and allow room for questions. You want your clients to feel secure enough to ask questions. You want your clients to align with your values. You want your clients to feel seen and heard. They are trusting you to help them. How can you do that if you don’t really know them.

Once you can do this, you will know how to align your message to your brand.

Getting to The 1:1 Marketing Consultation Program

This negative experience taught me who NOT to be as a Social Media and Marketing Strategist and what my business should be. It was the muse for my 1:1 Marketing Consultation Program.

I wanted to create a three-month program that WAS worth every cent. I wanted to make Marketing Consultation an empathetic place for my clients. I want to allow my clients the space to ask questions, feel seen, and want to dabble more into Marketing. For the wellness industry and mental health professionals, marketing is SCARY, confusing, and overwhelming. There is a sense of shame for those in the wellness space who scale their business. I want to change that. I want the CEO lifestyle to appeal to every private practice owner. I want you to see your worth, to not give into the trolls. I want you to thrive.

Allow me to show you the way.

As always, thank you for being a part of my journey. Start your marketing journey with me- comment “CONSULT” below to inquire.

What makes my program different:

In my 1:1 Marketing Consultation Program, I am alongside you every step of the way. We meet for 1:1 calls on a bi-weekly basis, where I open the door to comfortable communication and questions. I provide countless resources like my Content Planner, Social Media Audit, and Engagement Checklist. You also have endless tech support through Voxer, where you can reach me within my business hours and response times no later than 24 hours. The one thing outside my expertise and empathetic approach that sets this program above the rest is my one-month check-in call! Yes, one month after we conclude our three month time period together, you will have one extra, 15-minute check in call with me to see how things are going, ask further questions, and make sure you are set up for success! My consultation program is my pride and joy- I would love nothing more than to have you be a part of it.

#marketingstrategy #therapistprivatepractice #wellnesscoaches #workfromhometips