060_Business Coaching for Health Coaches: Strategies to Grow Your Practice with Ellen Smalley

Send us a text Host: Jarvis T. Gray Guest: Ellen Smalley, Owner of Creekside Health Coaching Episode Summary: Jarvis T. Gray sits down with Ellen Smalley of Creekside Health Coaching to explore best practices for growing a mission-driven health coaching business. Ellen shares her journey from exercise physiology and cardiac rehab to becoming a national board certified health coach. The conversation covers the unique value of health coaching, actionable strategies for business growth, and Ellen’s personal motivation rooted in family and caregiving. Key Topics & Takeaways Ellen’s Origin Story & Motivation Lifelong passion for health and service. Personal experiences (family loss to heart disease) shaped her drive to support clients in lifestyle changes. Client Experience: Ellen’s Approach Starts with a vision of the client’s desired life six months out. Incremental weekly tasks, regular check-ins, ongoing tweaks. Programs typically span 3–6 months, emphasizing sustainable change. Alignment of Personal and Professional Values Focus on stress management and support for parents/caregivers, especially those with neurodivergent children. Ellen’s personal story as a working mom resonates with her clientele. Business Goals & Strategies Ellen’s recent emphasis on business growth (post-board certification). Key business goal: Networking with clinics, therapists, and referral partners. Website improvements (adding referral forms) to streamline collaborations. Importance of setting quarterly, written goals for business focus (finance, faith, family, fitness suggested by Jarvis). Lead Generation & Conversion Networking via platforms like Alignable, local events, and direct outreach. Workshop/webinar strategy: Hosting regular events to establish expertise and build traction. Create a detailed client avatar to target marketing and partnership efforts. Joint ventures with relevant service providers (e.g., therapists, diet services, interior organizers). Use of automated systems (CRM/Square) for appointment reminders and touchpoints. The power of personal follow-up calls for conversions—human connection trumps automation. Quarterly Goal Setting Structure goals around business growth, lead gen, conversion, and service delivery. Adjust strategies to fit around work and life commitments. Actions & Advice for Health Coaching Entrepreneurs Set clear, quarterly business goals. Build repeatable workshop/webinar processes. Leverage personal stories—value-driven follow-up is key for conversion. Build referral networks across complementary professions. Use CRM tools to automate, but always prioritize genuine human connections. Develop a detailed client avatar for clarity in marketing and partnerships. Connect with Ellen Smalley Website: Is your healthcare organization ready for excellence? Take the Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment and find out! Evaluate your leadership, strategy, and operations. Start now: Healthcare Excellence Readiness Assessment Thank you for tuning in! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast for more insights into achieving healthcare excellence. New episodes of the "Excellence In Healthcare" podcast are released every Tuesday at 02:00 a.m. (est). Don't miss out on the latest insights and strategies for Mastering Healthcare Excellence.

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