The Dilemma of Health & Wellness Entrepreneurs

I consider myself something of an expert about the needs of the independent health & wellness professional after meeting with hundreds worldwide over the past 15+ years so - with this experience - I'm going to share the dilemma they face and how to overcome it. However, before I jump into the heart of this article, let me describe who I'm talking about.

The independent health & wellness professional I'm talking about...

• More likely than not had to find their own path through a health crisis for themselves or a loved one;
• Having been through hell and back, or so impressed with their results they want to share the way through with others, they decide to launch a business... I mean, come on, there isn't exactly a corporate market for what they do, right? So self-employment is the way to go PLUS they can work they way they want.
• With a great deal of enthusiasm and gusto, they set up their offerings, website, and Facebook page, order business cards and with a crescendo of excitement they announce to all that they are now in business! Stand aside everyone and let the line come through!

< Silence >

Hmmm... with an air of disbelief they start joining networking and Facebook groups, sit for endless cups of coffee with an acquaintance intent on making THEM a customer, and open their wallet when they see posts promising to help them make five-figures in 30 days.

Ready for the dilemma?

The dilemma is no amount of passion for the work you put out will make up for a lack of business and marketing skills.

< Sigh >

I believe this is one of the reasons network marketing / MLM companies are so successful. With them, everything is packaged in one place: community, connections, collaboration, the platform, and marketing ideas.

When you are truly independent - it's your concept, your product, your service - it's all up to you.

< Heavy sigh >

So how does an entrepreneur who doesn't have business or marketing skills supposed to do?

GET EDUCATED!

I wrote a white paper not long ago called, "Casinos aren't built by winners: Beware the hype and other business advice for health & wellness professionals." In it I talk about how to interview business coaches, being seen as an expert, and - of course - to beware the hype of those who are more intent on parting you with your money than they are your success. You can get a copy here.

The white paper is a start, but is nowhere complete... so let's dive deeper with four more tips to help you out.

• Get into one or more communities! Having a place where you can get support, make connections, and collaborate with like-minded professionals is essential! I recommend checking out The YOU Brand and - of course - You Define Wellness. You can try out one of The YOU Brand's monthly coaching calls on the last Thursday of every month... and check out the events calendar at You Define Wellness for our Town Hall meetings with business experts to support you.
• Check out the really affordable business building tool Pillar Five from iDo Systems. Their revolutionary program to build your business one step at a time will give you the roadmap to ensuring your business is solid.
• Are you wanting to do public speaking in front of groups or on podcasts? Are you comfortable talking in front of groups? Do you have a speaker sheet? At You Define Wellness, we host Confident Communicators several times a year and it's open to the general public; our next classes begin in January, 2022. This is a 4-week intensive speaking course to up your game and improve your delivery. Here's what one person said after our October, 2021 class:

• Create streams of passive income by authoring e-learning courses. It's expected that the e-learning industry annual revenue will exceed $325 BILLION by 2025... doesn't it make sense to be part of that?! An e-learning course can provide you with on-going revenue AND provide an asset for your business when you eventually decide to sell. There are many e-learning platforms out there to choose from including ours at You Define Wellness* although no other platform provides the hands-on support we offer through our private Facebook group Health & Wellness Course Creators (open to anyone) with training on how to build a workbook, create videos, and more.

*The You Define Wellness e-learning platform is an included benefit for our network providers only. Officially launching 1/1/2022, we will be promoting our providers courses as an employee benefit option for companies to adopt.

If you include the three ideas in the white paper mentioned above, I've now shared seven strategies you can put into practice immediately for your business! They are pro-active solutions to the dilemma of how you can attract clients and kick off 2022 with a bang!!

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Denise O'Malley is a reformed insurance agent turned healthy living maestro.

After 3 decades in the employee benefits/insurance industry as an executive, national sales director and agency owner, she said ENOUGH! and set out to create the program that thousands of employees in companies had asked for: an employee benefit plan for HEALTHY LIVING... and a platform to support independent health & wellness professionals.

You Define Wellness was created in 2015 and at the heart of the company is a vetted international network of independent health and wellness professionals representing more than 130 modalities. Their core mission is to deliver healthy living education and employer subsidized access to services of choice.

Married since 1997 to a massage therapist, Denise understands both the needs of the independent practitioner and the clients they serve.

www.YouDefineWellness.com