Rebel Therapist Annie Schuessler

Having a list of subscribers who are into what you're doing is a HUGE game changer in your business.
If you're selling a course or membership or workshop series or really ANY kind of scaled offer, you want an email list.
I know my own email list needed to hit 600 people before I was making a significant income in my business. I still have a relatively small list, of just over 2000 people as I'm recording this. I say that to say that you don't need a HUGE list to make a good living, but you do need a list of people who want your stuff.
If you're working on getting your first 1000 subscribers or your next thousand, you're going to want to hear this.
My guest is Anya Manes, an educator and coach who helps parents have open communication with their kids so they can talk about sex and relationships.
She's grown an email list of 8000 people.
If you google how to grow an email list, you might find some helpful resources, but you'll also find some icky tactics there that don't really resonate.
An email list that was grown with those kinds of tactics is NOT the kind of email list you want. You want an email list you grew by offering value.
That's exactly what Anya Manes has done.
Here's some of what we talked about:
Why and how she helps parents get out of a rut of shaming around sex and sexuality Being called to do this work as a classroom teacher How she started building her email list 50 people at a time Using workshops and public speaking to build her list Creating an interview series about talking to kids about sex (and bringing 3000 people to her list) Bad summits vs. valuable summits How she nurtures her email list over time with valuable weekly content How she manages her time with parenting, business and the rest of her life Learning through discovery calls what she should create for her clients Why high pressure sales are never part of consent Show notes at http://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/130

How would you do things differently the second time around?
I've talked a lot about the stages of a rebel business, meaning a business beyond the treatment room. In episodes 118 and 119 in February, I walked us through the things you might go through as a business owner during those stages.
This week I'm talking to a business owner who's already got one thriving business, and one business that's just starting out.
I wanted to delve into what she's experiencing differently and what she's doing differently with the benefit of knowing so much more the second time around.
I'm talking to Karen Wolfe, a therapist who specializes in working with parents and children, and with a newer focus that we're going to delve into right.....NOW.
It's called embodiment and sexual polarity.
Here's some of what we talked about:
How she came to this work in a personal way Her own exploration and discoveries in her sexual relationship Why this work is sometimes triggering, especially to therapists Her fear around creating this new work and putting herself on the line Keeping her 2 businesses separate How she markets with webinars, articles, and email marketing Feeling nourished by both businesses in different ways How she manages time in her 2 businesses How people find her for this work Daily rituals that help her feel effective and grounded Show notes at http://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/129

As an entrepreneur creating a business beyond the treatment room, you're gonna have legal questions. I certainly can't answer them. I'm bringing you a podcast episode with someone who can: my own lawyer, Elizabeth Potts Weinstein.
Before we dived into her thoughts on your legal needs, I asked her about how she runs her own business: the systems she uses, the way she structures her time, and how she works with her team.
Then she shared some helpful and nuanced thoughts on what you need to take care of on the legal side.
Here's some of what we talked about:
How she helps micro business owners like you Why she avoids working by the hour The tech systems she uses (some of which you might want to try) How she manages her time and sets priorities What legal stuff you should work on first (contracts and agreements!) What a trademark is and when you might want or need one Some legal issues to keep in mind as you enter into work beyond your therapy license Show notes at http://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/128

I don't talk a lot about being a mom and an entrepreneur, and I've resisted identifying myself as a "mamapreneur." I've always worked with tons of business owners who are NOT parents, and I didn't want to pigeon hole myself in that particular way or to alienate folks who are not parents.
...But we are going there today in a big way. I'm talking to Narissa Harris, a therapist, writer, podcaster and cultural consultant. She and her husband Art cofounded Culture First, where they provide consultation and training around cultural awareness and sensitivity. Narissa and Art are the parents of a 1 year old. In this episode, we dive in and get real about what's working for her in building their company while also raising a tiny human together.
I've had my own experiences with parenting and running my company lately. As we're recording this, we're sheltering in place. I'm spending more time with my kids, and even when I'm not the one spending time with them, they're HERE.
This is reminding me of times when my kids were younger, and it was harder to get work done. I remember a particular moment with my youngest. He used to like to be held a lot and it was OK with him if I was talking on the phone for some of that time...then he hit a certain day and it was no longer OK. I was on the phone with the landlord of a potential therapy office. We were going to talk through a couple of details, and then my baby started yelling. He wasn't distressed. He was just yelling into the phone, like "I want to join in here!"
There was nothing I could do but excuse myself, and end the call.
That was the last time I talked on the phone while holding my baby. He was not having it.
Topics Discussed In This Episode:
Her sometimes difficult and very meaningful journey to becoming a parent Running her training and consulting business to help people be more culturally aware in working with Black clients Combining her business with her husband Art's business What is working and what is challenging as a parent building a company Ignoring some advice from other experts and parents Planning her tasks flexibly throughout the day Building self-care into every day Figuring out sharing parenting responsibilities with her husband Dealing with her daughter's changing needs week by week Gaining clarity around what her focus is in her company Feeling more raw and unapologetic than ever Being clear about who she will spend her limited time with Becoming a CEU provider Show notes at http://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/127

Hello Rebel listener. I've decided to not release a new episode this week. I stand in solidarity with Black listeners, podcasters, healers, therapists, entrepreneurs, friends and family.
I want to recommend something right now that's been so helpful to me as a white person who owns a business. Wherever you're listening to this right now, head to the podcast called That's Not How That Works. Hit play on their episode released on May 28th, 2020.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thats-not-how-that-works/id1358150402
The podcast That's Not How That Works is always all about justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in the world of coaching and personal development. It's by two JEDI masters (meaning justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) who are also very close friends. This particular episode gives you a whole guide to some of their most important episodes.
This is an excellent time for me as a white person to look at how my business supports or stands against white supremacy, and to make long term commitments.
Now real quick, I'll recommend some podcasts by our Black colleagues. There are business coaches, healers, & other entrepreneurs in here. This list really barely scratches the surface. Check them out if you haven't already.
Authentic Wednesday with Bianca Hughes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/authentic-wednesday-podcast/id148096971 (A podcast about embracing your imperfections and being authentically you.)
Level Up Your Course with Janelle Allen https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/level-up-your-course-podcast-janelle-allen-create-online/id1045235303 (A podcast about course creation.)
Minding My Black Business with JaNaè Taylor https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/minding-my-black-business/id1276308195 (A podcast for Black entrepreneurs.)
The Money Sessions with Tiffany McLain https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-money-sessions/id1454957630 (A podcast for therapists who are leaning in to raise their fees and make bank.)
More Than Money with Jacquette Timmons https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/more-than-money-with-jacquette-timmons/id1463285733 (A podcast about money, psychology and choices.)
Racism Recovery Podcast with April Dawn Harter https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/racism-recovery-podcast/id1507043474 (A podcast to help white people prepare for racism recovery.)
Therapy For Black Girls with Joy Harden Bradford https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/therapy-for-black-girls/id1223803641. (A podcast about mental health and personal development.)
Walk A Day In My Culture with Narissa Harris https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/walk-a-day-in-my-culture/id1479616651 (A podcast that helps you keep your cultural antenna raised.)
Like I said , that just starts to scratch the surface.
If you like what you hear, or learn from what you hear, please subscribe to those podcasts, give them 5 star reviews, and share them with your colleagues and friends.
I'll be back with an episode of Rebel Therapist next time.

This here podcast has changed a lot since I started it in the spring of 2017.
My business has grown a lot, largely thanks to this podcast.
I started this podcast as a way to reach more therapist entrepreneurs and give you inspiration and information about growing your business.
I've found my voice more and more over the last 3 years. I've learned a ton about podcasting and I have discovered that I LOVE it. Since then I've gotten to support some of my clients in creating their own podcasts.
Here are a few things I've learned about podcasting:
You have to love your podcast. It can't just be for marketing purposes. If it is, you'll be bored. You won't grow an audience and you won't stick with it. You have to have a specific listener in mind. Even though your podcast is free, it helps to think of it as an offer within your business that offers real value to the listener. If your podcast is part of your business, you need a clear connection between what the podcast offers and what people can pay you for. The more clear and logical that connection is, the better. Your podcast has to be unique. That means you need to find your voice and provide value in a unique way. I realized right away that I'd need to figure out how to create something different. For me, that difference has come from interviewing folks about their own businesses, rather than interviewing business experts who will tell us what to do. If someone's not open to talking about what's happening behind the scenes in their own business, they're not a fit for this show.
I myself am a business expert who tells people what to do at times. I'm not against that. For this podcast, however, I love giving you examples of folks who have created their own innovative and successful businesses. When you want to hear from business experts, I know you've got no shortage of other shows to listen to.
OK, enough about me for today! I'll share more about my own lessons learned, but now I want you to hear from some other wonderful entrepreneurs.
You're going to hear from 5 Rebel Therapists who dare to podcast. They're all leaders in creating unique and valuable podcasts.
Introducing Asher Pandjiris, Bianca Hughes, Dr. Kelsey Harper, Marielle Berg, and Nick Venegoni.
Each of them is sharing with us who their show is for, what it gives the listener, one thing they've learned in the process of creating their show, and how their podcast supports their business.
Asher Pandjiris is the host of Living In This Queer Body, a podcast about barriers to embodiment and how our collective body stories can bring us back to ourselves.
Bianca Hughes is the host of Authentic Wednesday, a podcast where she and her guests share their vulnerable, behind the scenes stories of giving themselves permission to take off their masks, let go of expectations, and embrace their own paths of freedom and authentic connection.
Dr. Kelsey Harper is the host of Warrior Grrrl, which is still in development. It's podcast for survivors of sexual assault. It brings a candid and authentic conversation about all the different things that are impact survivors.
Marielle Berg is the host of 2 podcasts: The Skillful Podcast, focusing on DBT skills, and It's Just A Cookie, for people struggling with food and body image issues, using a HAES and intuitive eating lens to help people heal from eating disorders, disordered eating, and food and body angst.
Nick Venegoni is the host of Queer Spirit Podcast, a show for spiritually minded queer folks on a path of personal healing and transformation.
Show notes at http://rebeltherapist.me/podcast/126