Show Notes

Kayla: Welcome back to the Designer Practice Podcast, and I’m your host, Kayla Das.

Have you ever struggled to start and grow your private practice because you’ve been caring for a loved one? Whether it’s an aging parent, an ill spouse, or maybe you’re a new mom navigating life with a new infant, going after your own passions when unexpected challenges arise can be difficult and sometimes even feel selfish.

However, in this episode, we’re going to discuss how you don’t have to choose one or the other.

In today’s episode, Melissa Miller, Caregiver and Business Coach, will share how she built her business despite expected challenges and how you can do so as well.

Hi, Melissa, welcome to the show. I’m so glad to have you here and happy holidays.

Melissa: Happy holidays to you. Merry Christmas. I am so excited that we get to share and chat with you doing this holiday season. I hope it’s really being a time just for you to rest and recharge. Because it’s been every year’s crazy. I know we say that, but it is. It’s busy, and we need time to rest and recharge. So, I hope that you get that little encouragement from our conversation today for sure.

Kayla: I agree, and I think this episode is very timely because, you know, through the holidays, a lot of us, especially if you have new infants like myself. Sometimes you don’t have daycare, your kids are not in school, you’re still navigating working, if you can’t take some time off. So, I think that this particular episode is very timely.

So, Melissa, before we dive in, please introduce yourself, where you’re from, and tell us a little bit about you and what you do and how you started your business.

Melissa: Absolutely. Well, hello everyone. My name is Melissa Miller. I currently live in southern Idaho in the U.S. And it gets cold here during the winter so if you ever visit bring your mittens bring your winter jacket because it gets cold because we do get snow and ice. I am a former certified nursing assistant. I practiced mainly in long term care facilities for 15 years. I did do a little bit of home health where I worked for a home health agency.

And my business journey started in July of 2020 when we were in the pandemic. And that was because my husband had been diagnosed with epilepsy unexpectedly. And we had a one-year-old daughter at the time. So, I was trying to find a new means of income to help support my family and replace my income. And the only things I could find were Really were stuff that would not work. I found remote positions, but they didn’t work because I didn’t have the proper training, certification, degrees, experience in that field. And they didn’t really allow a lot of flexibility, which is what I needed as a new mother and a spousal caregiver.

So, I initially started with blogging, obviously where I’m at today is way different. But starting my own business was the best thing that I could do to give me the flexibility. So, if I needed to drop something to take care of my daughter or more importantly, triage my husband, I could do so. So that’s really my journey in a nutshell.

Kayla: Wow. So, what brought you to business?

Melissa: Well, it’s interesting. When I started my business, I was initially targeting only family caregivers. I went through a big evolutionary process to be quite honest, targeting, young moms, stay at home moms, spousal caregivers, family caregivers. But it just didn’t feel right. I wasn’t connecting with people. But as I was building my business, one thing that became really apparent is that there’s a lot of parallels with entrepreneurship and caregiving in terms of the skills, like with time management, productivity, having systems. Self-care is a big one because you can burn out with either role.

And I had a unique perspective. it’s been interesting. I’ve had such a unique perspective of building a business from scratch with no prior experience in the business and coaching industry. And I could bring a lot of skills to entrepreneurs, which is who I work with today. Who’s first skill set is their business, but when they’re thrust into caring for an aging parent, maybe a spouse themselves or an aging grandparents, they’re starting at ground zero, just like what I did. It’s reversed in terms of when I started my business. And so helping people create systems, in their business. And also create systems for managing their loved one. It’s just my heart and soul. Because I want to make it easy for them to be able to pursue both of these passions.

Because they’re both important. Neither one is more important than the other. And I firmly believe if I can do it and I don’t have to choose, then I don’t want someone else to feel that they have to choose. They can do both. It’s possible.

Kayla: I love that. And although I didn’t start my business due to caregiving, I have mentioned on the podcast that I added passive income streams into my business. And at the time, my grandmother was sick, although she has since passed. When she was alive, I had to take three weeks off just to go home and spend time with her because we thought she was going to pass at that point. But at that point, I was like, how can I take time off doing one to one services, right? Because that’s three weeks of no income.

Now, at this point, I already had some passive income streams into my business. So, I was able to get some income that way. And it made me realize that, wow, if we incorporated more business structures into our business, specifically passive income, that can help when these emergency situations arise.

And now fast forward, I now have almost a one-year-old, and my one year old, just changed my world. I so much appreciate her. But in saying that, now you have another person that you need to look after and to care for, and making sure that income is coming in. And I also want to be there for her as she grows up. Entrepreneurship can help you with that.

Melissa: Absolutely. And it’s interesting. When we’re having this conversation, we’re reversed. I mean, my daughter is almost six now. But it’s full circle to where we were in your journey. It is a huge life change for you when you’re not having to worry about supporting your spouse or your partner. That’s something huge too. But to really have to also incorporate caring for your children. That’s a huge responsibility and a huge weight, that we feel as mothers and as human beings.

But at the same time with going back to that flexibility piece, whether you’re a parent or you’re a caregiver, same thing. You want to be present. Like with my husband, I obviously want to just be able to drop everything, go to every appointment. Give him the proper care that I know he needs whenever he does have an episode, so we don’t miss something and he doesn’t have more complications of his health moving forward.

And same thing with my daughter as well. She’s a little older than yours, but she’s at that age where she is starting to participate and other things too. And even just as simple as being able to drop her off for school every day and pick her up, those things.

And in terms of freeing up time, that’s where systems for automation can really come in and give you that cash flow. So yes. I personally have a practice where I’m trying to scale to where I do a lot of one on one or a small group coaching. But also, to I’m making sure that I have some stuff in my funnels for cash coming in that are more hands off to where they can still get interaction and help from me, maybe in a different way, but it’s automated to where they get the email, they sign up. They buy that money comes to me and then. But I’m still being able to focus my attention with my actual in person clients and also time with my family.

What are some creative ways you could maybe just tweak things on the back end to give you a little bit more automation help. And the more that you can have set up on the background from the get go, the better and easier it’s going to be to scale, the better and easier it’s going to allow you that freedom to pursue other things that you need to do in your life. Again, whether it’s your marriage or your relationship with your partner, your children. Or maybe any other passions.

Kayla: I love that. One challenge that sometimes arises for a therapist when wanting to start and grow a practice is navigating life outside the business. Those unexpected situations such as having to care for an elderly parent, caring for children, and so on. Is it realistic to start a practice at this time?

Melissa: I think you can do it. I have more time now, now that my husband’s more stable than he was, and my daughter is older. And she’s in all day school, so I have more time, but if you’re in a season, like I was in 2020, where I only probably got maybe two hours in the morning. That’s okay.

And I was getting up early before my family woke up because we were in this two bedroom, one and a half bath apartment, and my office was basically half in the living room, half in the dining room, half in the kitchen. That’s the way the layout was. So, I had no walls, I had no door to shut, which I’m very thankful for having now.

But in that season, what worked best was getting up before my family did and working for a few hours. And I did get kind of tired because I had a one-year-old at the time and I was tired and getting up early to work, but if you really want it, you’ll make the time for it. I would say don’t do it to the extent where you’re going to burn yourself out.

Just start. And you can always tweak your office hours and your time that you have to invest in your business later. Decisions aren’t life sentences, so you can certainly start slow now, focus on maybe just one thing, and then you can add on to it as you go, and as you scale, and as your family journey evolves, okay?

So, it doesn’t mean that you can never start, it just means that you might start in a different way for this season that you’re in, where it is only a smaller amount of time. So, you just have to decide if you want it and then what is a realistic amount of time that you can invest working on your business and then later on you can. Tweak there’s no harm in starting

Kayla: So, from your experience, how does someone practically and emotionally move towards starting and growing their business while caregiving?

Melissa: That’s a tough question, because it’s hard. In the beginning, it was more stressful, because it’s like, Oh, gosh, I quit my career, which I don’t regret. I left my job because we were in the pandemic. I did not want strangers in my house.

But it was tough. It was tough too, because in the beginning stages of the business, it’s like with anything, you’re trying to establish your new skills because there’s so many copywriting, marketing, deciding what you want to do. Do you want to coach? Do you want to mentor? Do you want to do video? Do you want to do podcasting, social media? There’s so many outlets to grow your business. So that’s overwhelming.

And then when you add on the stress of, okay, I got to make money, I got to make money. That takes the joy out of it. I think the biggest thing is to lean into something that you’re good at. And for me, the whole brainchild for my business was just taking what I already know. It’s just like what you would tell an author. Authors say all the time, write what you know. You don’t write about something you don’t know. You write about experiences you do know. Same thing with your business.

Share about what you know. And for me, I was in the healthcare industry for 15 years as a CNA. I personally cared for my grandmother in the last two years of her life, as well as my father. And then I’ve done my husband. All three of them had very different health issues. The skills are still there, like during vital signs or even just teaching people to do progress notes. When I’m telling my clientele, okay, create your medical binder, which is essentially progress notes where you’re documenting every time they have a hospitalization, notes about follow up appointments, about what was discussed, about where we’re taking your loved one’s treatment. Even just day to day, any new symptoms or changes in behavior that might be an indicator that Oh, is it related to their medication or treatment or therapies, or is it related to their illness, we don’t know but write it down so that we don’t forget. You can refer back to that information when you’re having a follow up appointment with your loved one’s medical professional.

So, the skills can overlap whether you’re a business owner or a caregiver. The idea here is just realized that it doesn’t have to be as foreign as you think it will because I think that’s what scares a lot of people’s like, oh gosh If I’m going to start a business, I have to totally reinvent the wheel and do something I don’t know anything about that is not true. The most successful business owners are the ones that are doing something that they’re passionate about that they love, and also have some experience with.

Kayla: I agree with you 100%. And, as we know, people listening to this podcast episode or therapists. And they are the most nurturing people out there. So as a result, caregiving and supporting your clients overlaps with each other.

You are setting up a therapy practice or adding passive income streams that has to do with the helping profession because that’s what you know. You became a therapist to help people, right? That’s the number one reason why therapists become therapists is to help people. And however you help people, you already know all that information. And if you’re caregiving, those go hand in hand.

Melissa: Yeah, the big one that you mentioned right there that just was a lightbulb in my mind was communication and listening. As a medical professional, whether you were a nurse, a doctor, or specialist, or a CNA like I was, or you’re a therapist like your listeners.

You have to listen to information about what people are telling you, because that’s how you’re going to know how to help them. Same thing is true as a caregiver, a business coach or whatever business title you want to give yourself, same thing. You have to listen to your clientele to hear what’s going on, what’s the problem. Because that dictates what kind of content you make. What kind of programs you make. How you even just have a conversation with them to help them. It all is the same thing. It’s a similar skill so listening, communicating, confidentiality, it all ties in together so it’s not so foreign as you think.

Kayla: so, do you have any tips or strategies for organizing or creating systems that would help listeners have more time for business and supporting their loved one along the way?

Melissa: I would say the first tool to definitely get on your bandwagon, both on your computer and your phone, would be Google Calendar. And create a color code system, because here’s the thing, as a caregiver, you’re going to have a lot on your plate in terms of medical appointments, follow up appointments, and just tracking medications. Google Calendar can be huge for that. Now, I don’t use it so much for medications, but just my schedule. Because I have my daughter’s schedule.

And then anything that’s business related, I color coded red. And then, anything that’s say medical is like a different color, and then anything else is a different color. And then the cool thing about that if you don’t want to use a tool like say Asana, notion, or air table. I love them. They’re awesome. But if that’s too much of a bandwidth for you. Definitely leverage Google calendars task list.

Another thing I love about Google Calendar is you can have things repeat. You can set a custom due date. And you can have multiple reminders. So I personally like to set mine to a day in advance. I like to know what’s coming up a day before. So, like, for example, this podcast we had today, an alert reminded me yesterday, going to be recording on this date at this time. So that way I just mentally prepared for what’s coming up on my plate. So that would be the first tool I would recommend and play around with it. And Google calendar is free.

And also google itself has a whole suite of other Business tools that you can use they have obviously Gmail, google docs, google sheets, if you’re a podcaster or a blog writer like we are you can use that for spreadsheets. You could create spreadsheets and that stuff for like your scripts, blog posts, having maybe a spreadsheet with your lists like what I use Airtable for this where I have all my applications for like when people come on my podcast where they have set questions for their contact information, stuff about their business. The topic for that episode, you could do the same thing, like maybe with your clientele, just do a spreadsheet, keeping it all there. And there’s a whole bunch of other things. So, but that’s just one thing and it’s free.

Kayla: We love free and discounts on this podcast. I like to call myself the discount lady, trying to give all the free or discounts we can. And another resource that I talk about here on the podcast quite often as well is practice management systems for your private practice. So navigating charting, online booking, getting client intakes. And I use Jane app and I’m an ambassador for Jane app. And if anybody wants a coupon code where you get your first month free from Jane app, you can use EVASPARE1MO and you’ll get a one-month grace period.

But, with that, these practice management softwares can also help with taking your client payments, having online booking so you don’t have to be calling people back and forth. You can have them directly book on your practice management software. Obviously, you got to write your own case notes. But a lot of softwares like Jane App actually have templates and assessments and all these types of things built into the platform.

So, these type of systems, even though yes, they cost a little bit of money in the long run, they’re saving you so much more time that you can spend with your loved one, away from your business. You want to be able to make that money, help that client and then move on.

Melissa: Yeah. I’d love all in one platforms. Back in the day I had my blog on one site. I was doing social media. My email wasn’t something else. I was like, Oh, I can’t do it. So that’s when I started researching. There’s a lot more than there was three years ago. There’s a lot of other all in one softwares that are free too, but there’s some parameters like, pay to play if you want more features, but there’s lots of options. And if you want to see it sign up for a free trial. Any places will obviously try to get you to upsell, but you don’t need it. You don’t need it. You can just run your business on the free plans just fine, and they work.

I agree with that. And there’s one free platform that I use, especially if you’re scheduling social media I use buffer. By signing up for a free plan with Buffer, you can schedule up to three platforms, so like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn is the three that I use. And you can have up to three platforms, and you can schedule up to ten posts per platform. So, if you even just want to schedule like a month or two in advance, you can use the free platform, so you have your content scheduled. And it’s so wonderful to be able to just have it all scheduled and not have to worry about it. So, I totally recommend that as well.

Melissa: Yeah. Later has a free plan. I did use their paid feature for a while. It wasn’t too bad. I’ve recently went to, cause another business friend of mine recommended, she uses the free version of Metricool and loves it. So, I have Metricool. I honestly don’t use it as much though, because I’m kind of segwaying back from social media and doing a lot more bundles and collaborating and email marketing is kind of where my heart and soul is. social media it’s just not for me.

And that’s another thing too. You will try lots of things and you will have a lot of people speaking to you about, Oh, you should do this. You should try this. You should do this. Clear out the noise, try things, take and run with what works for you. What brings you success. What helps you feel less stress and more calm and ditch what doesn’t serve you.

And that’s on the caregiving side and the business side. It’s okay to try things and it not work. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad caregiver. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad business owner. It just means you haven’t found the right thing.

And even just with building your practice. I’ve been doing it for four years. Have I had as many sales as I’d like, or really gotten the success that I need. Not yet, but that’s okay. Everyone’s different. Building an online business takes time and it’s a lot different than doing say a brick-and-mortar business. But the benefit about doing an online business is you don’t have so much overhead compared to a brick-and-mortar business.

So, it’s a marathon. It’s not a sprint. Caregiving is very much the same thing, especially if you’re dealing with chronic illness, one day there’ll be fine. Another day they won’t be. There’s no one size fits all approach. Keep learning, keep trying, and be open and receptive to what the universe has for you.

Kayla: I agree with that a hundred percent. One of the biggest pieces of advice if I could give listeners is to test things out. Be willing to make errors and mistakes and learn from them. If you don’t make those mistakes, you can’t learn from them.

And I’m going to share one of my biggest mistakes, and I can’t even remember if I’ve ever shared this on the podcast, so this might be new information. When I first started business coaching, not as much when I started my practice, but I thought I had to be salesy. I was writing these very salesy posts. I’ve even had comments from some friends saying, Kayla, what are you doing? Why are you so salesy about this? But I also realized that I wasn’t getting clients either. It wasn’t helping me to be salesy. So, I’m like, well, what do I got to do? I could have just said, Oh, you know what? I got to throw in the towel, give up my business, never do it again. And then I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Now, I actually am on the complete opposite side. I give as much free content as I can, hence the podcast, blogs. Obviously, I monetize them, so that’s how I make my money. But in saying that, I am a giver now. I think I always was a giver, but I just thought in my mind that I had to be salesy because that’s what we think. We think we have to be salesy. But the truth is, the more you give, the more you help people. And the more you just are willing to make those mistakes, And then learn from them. Don’t give up with the mistakes. Learn from them.

Melissa: Yeah. You know we’re talking to therapists here as your audience, tons of therapists, but you’re all unique. You’re all gifted. You’re all talented. You have something new and fresh and interesting to bring to the table. So stand in your truth and figure it out. And whether you’re a rookie, business owner, or you’re a seasoned entrepreneur, just keep trying things. Like Kayla said, just keep showing up, be human, make mistakes. Tomorrow’s a new day. Decisions aren’t like sentences, and I can keep moving on.

Kayla: And more times than not, your biggest fears are never going to come true. If fear stops you, you’re never going to see the beauty of what you can do in this world.

Melissa: And you do not have to do this alone. And that goes both ways with being a caregiver that goes both ways with being a business owner, find your support network, build your support network of people that can help you and be in your corner.

So, whether it’s entrepreneurized. Have coaches, have mentors, and also be a part of communities. Have some business besties. Same thing with caregiving. Get into support groups. Facebook is actually awesome. I personally haven’t found a group that works for me, but that doesn’t mean it can’t work for you. Look on Facebook for support groups that are for your age demographic, for your illness specifically. And also find support for yourself too, that maybe is in the realm of like a therapist.

Kayla: I love that. Melissa, I know you have a free resource that you’d like to share with listeners. Can you tell us a little bit about what it is and how it can help therapists?

Melissa: So, if you are a caregiver, obviously I know you’re a therapist, but if you are new to caregiving and you’re like, I am clueless. I have no idea what I’m doing. I have my free workbook called mapping out your needs for caregivers workbook is essentially in a nutshell is just my prompt framework that I teach in my coaching practice, where I help you prepare, reach out for support, get organized around your home and biz, manage your busy schedule, and prioritize your mind, body, and soul, self-care, and then tell your story to heal and inspire. Because that’s what you’re doing essentially as a business owner, but also, I want to make sure you’re telling your story to heal and inspire, again, with your support group. Whether that’s an actual caregiver support group, or maybe some close friends. Making sure that you’re telling your story to validate an honor and realize I’ve been through something or maybe another therapist, it’s okay for therapists to see therapists, we need that support.

The workbook also includes some podcasts by some amazing guests that I’ve had over the last couple of years that are for each framework. And then there’s also other free resources I have as well.

Kayla: Sign up for Melissa’s Mapping Out Your Need workbook for caregivers, check out kayladas.com/melissamillerfreebie.

Or you can simply scroll down to the show notes and click on the link.

Melissa, thank you so much for joining us on the podcast today and sharing your story and how caregiving and entrepreneurship showed up in your life. And also, how we don’t have to choose between caregiving for a loved one and our dream business or practice.

Melissa: Absolutely. It’s been an honor to be here. I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a New Year for 2025. And I just hope that you know that. You’re not alone. Okay. Kayla’s got you. If you choose to work with me for caregiving or want to know more about me, I’m here for you. I got you. And we just want to see you thrive in 2025.

Kayla: Thank you everyone for tuning into today’s episode. And I hope you join me again soon on the Designer Practice Podcast. And I hope you have a lovely holiday.

Until next time. Bye for now.

Credits & Disclaimers

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