How to Put Words to Your Niche: Behind the Scenes of a Coaching Call (Episode 49)

Written By Anna Walker

You know you need a niche. You might even *have* one. But if putting words to what you do still feels hard—or you’re worried your niche isn’t landing the way it should—this episode will feel deeply validating.

In this special episode, I’m sharing a live niche coaching session where I coached over ten therapists in real time on how to clarify who they serve, how they help, and what actually sets them apart in a saturated market. You’ll hear the real questions clinicians are asking, the sticking points they’re running into, and the “aha” moments that bring everything into focus.

This episode isn’t about finding the perfect niche statement. It’s about understanding how niches work, how to make yours client-centered, and how to talk about your work in a way that feels natural, confident, and easy for others to refer to.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

1️⃣ The four most effective ways to niche—and how to tell which one fits your work best

2️⃣ Why client-friendly language matters more than clinical accuracy in your niche statement

3️⃣ How to talk about your niche differently with clients vs. referral partners

4️⃣ What to do if you “like working with everyone” but still need a clear marketing message

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  • Hey, hey, this is a really special episode. Now. You've heard it around here on this podcast. You've heard it everywhere. You need a niche, and our state of the industry survey showed us that a lot of you have one, but many of you don't feel clear about it.

    In this market, I truly cannot overstate the need for being very, very clear about what it is that you do, who you serve, and what sets you apart, what makes you different in this crazy saturated market that we're in right now. I've also gotten a lot of questions about how I help people do that, because again, it's one thing to know you need one.

    Anna, I know I need a niche. I even sort of think I know what it is, but how do I put words to it? So a few weeks ago I hosted a live coaching event for free. I had done one other time before. It had been a ton of fun and honestly, I say in the replay you'll hear, I would niche coach until the cows come home.

    It's my favorite thing to do. So here in this episode, you're gonna get to hear me, coach. Over 10 different therapists on their niches. You're gonna hear them bring questions about what it is that they're struggling with, what it is about the individual work that they do, and I give them guidance, support, ideas about how best to niche themselves and ultimately infuse that into their marketing.

    You're gonna hear some of those stuck points related to niching that you yourself may identify with, and some really cool light bulb moments as people. Experience the aha of, I've never thought about it that way, or I've never said it that way. That can lead to so much clarity in the rest of their marketing.

    At the end of the day, there's a reason clients choose you. There's a reason the clients choose the clinicians you're gonna hear in this replay, and it's such a joy getting to workshop this with them and in real time, see those breakthroughs happen. This session is a wonderful taste of what happens in Confident Copy every single week.

    Niche guidance is a huge part of this program. We consider your niche, your North Star, and one of the best parts of my work is helping clinicians who have for so long felt limited by the idea of niching to become liberated using the framework that we provide.

    And to also break through those stuck points using our process, our coaching, to create a message they feel really, really excited about. And one they know and they feel confident is solid ground to build upon as they really start marketing that niche. So if this is something, as you're listening, you're like, this is the type of guidance that I'm needing, please know, confident copy doors are opening next week.

    They're opening early to our wait list on Tuesday the 20th, and publicly on Thursday the 22nd. You can join the wait list. Head over to walker strategy code.com/waitlist. If you're wondering what Confident Copy is all about, head to walker strategy code.com/cc. But this is the final chance until later this year to enroll in Confident Copy with live support.

    So if you're hearing this and you said, I want this exact type of experience, I want Anna and the Confident Copy teams. Guidance on my niche now is going to be the time to join. Whatever you do. I hope you enjoy this session. You find some good nuggets and takeaways and maybe there's something you can learn about your own niche as you tune in.

    Alright, enough for me. Let's get into it.

    Hey everyone. Come on in. I'm so happy you're here. Hello. Good to see all of you expecting, some more folks to join us as well. Feel free to join us on video. If you're not able to, that's okay too. The, the main thing is that you're here.. there's a ton of interest in this live event, which I'm thrilled about. Niching is the thing that if I had all more hours in the day, we would just sit around and do all the time.

    I absolutely love to coach on niching. I love watching the light bulb moments that happen when you finally kind of break through whatever has been holding you back. So whether you're here right now and you don't know what your niche is or you're pivoting or you feel kind of scared about the idea of a niche, whatever that is it's a great place to be.

    So here's what we're gonna do. Like I said, welcome to join us on video if you'd like. This is gonna be hot seat style coaching. So that means I just wanna get to as many of you as I possibly can. And so we're gonna keep our discussions to a, a limited period per person so that even if things keep going, we can find another way to chat there.

    We can get to as many people as possible. So my ask for you is that as we get into the coaching, you take what, what health you want around your niche, and you boil it down into some kind of question. One question, not the only question. I'm gonna ask you follow-up questions. I we're, I'm gonna get some context, but try and take everything you're wanting to know about your niche and boil it down into at least one question to start.

    So maybe take a minute to write it down if you need to. So start with that question. If you've got a question and you know you're ready to rock someone, hit raise hand and get us started.

    All right, Stacy, get us started. Nice to see you.

    Thanks for having us. I'm so excited to be here. Yeah,

    yeah, me too. What's your question, Stacy?

    Okay, my question, sorry, I'm gonna lower my hand. My question is, how do I best package my niche for the purposes of having other providers refer patients to me?

    Okay. Great. Tell me about the different types of clients that you are usually seeing in your practice.

    Um, so I'm a psychiatrist. Okay. Which I think makes it a little different because people have an idea of what a psychiatrist is gonna do for them.

    Sure.

    Um, so my practice is primarily focused on three groups of individuals.

    Um, I'm an integrative psychiatrist, so I don't focus on medication as the primary answer. Um, okay. It's rather part of the answer for many people, but not for everyone. Um, and I am also trained as a psychodynamic therapist, so a big part of my practice whether or not they're seeing me for therapy is therapeutic prescribing.

    Um, and I focus on high functioning professionals who feel complex, burned out and stuck.

    Okay. Um, how often are you doing med management or kind of traditional psychiatric support in addition to therapeutic or more holistic mental

    health? I would say, I would say 90 to 80 to 90% of the people who come to see me think that they want meds.

    Not everybody ends up actually needing meds prescribed. Um, but that's like the entry point for 80 to 90% of people. A handful of people that I see came to me just because, uh, physicians primarily. So I, I, I'm trying to niche to physicians in general. Okay. So that's your, your ideal point is therapy with me because I understand their lived experience.

    Interesting.

    Okay. As another physician like that, you know. The, the culture of medicine

    part. Yeah. Which makes sense. Uh, to sit down with someone who gets you. So what is your ideal, if you consider your ideal caseload mm-hmm. Uh, what's the breakdown between that high functioning, um, anxious professional or whatever that might be coming in thinking they need kind of traditional psychiatric or med management care mm-hmm.

    Versus therapy for physicians or other folks?

    Yeah. I would say 50 50 med management is easier to be honest with you.

    Yeah.

    Yeah. Um, so like 50 50, um Okay. Would be the ideal split for, for my energy.

    Okay. Um, why might someone choose you as their psychiatrist or or therapist and not someone else?

    Because I write on yourself

    a little.

    Yeah. No, I spend a lot of time with people. Um, I think that's the biggest piece is that I have kind of a concierge model. If you need to see me once a week, you can see me once a week, even if it's just because you're nervous about a baby dose of Prozac. Mm-hmm. And that, I think, goes a really long way.

    Mm-hmm. Um, and I wanna know everything about people, not, it's not just fitting into the box of 15 minutes, you know, to understand.

    Right. And here's a script.

    Yeah. So I think that's the biggest part, is the, is the time and genuine connection that I like build with people.

    Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Okay. So when we think about niches, um, when I think about niches and sort of the model that I've developed and seen work, there's kind of four buckets in which you can fall into.

    So one is, um, nicheing into a, a particular type of person.

    Mm-hmm.

    Which you've got a little bit of flavor of that. You've got potentially physicians. I would, I would call that, excuse me, a micro niche for you. Yeah. Yeah. It might not be your entire niche, but certainly a micro niche you could be tapping into.

    Um, then you have those kind of high function complex. Hmm. Professionals, then you can niche into a particular type of problem. So a presenting issue. Mm-hmm. If all you treated was, uh, perinatal depression, for instance Yeah. You could niche your entire practice around that.

    Yeah.

    That I don't think is the right fit for you.

    Then we have niching into a particular type of outcome. Something that people, when you consider all the different types of clients that you love to serve, they're all headed in the same direction.

    Mm-hmm.

    Um, and I think that probably is true for you. Most therapists can find some sort of similar outcome in their clients.

    Yeah. But for you, to me, your niche is really gonna shine in the fourth category, which is your approach.

    Okay.

    It's not just what you do, but it is how you do it that is going to lead me to choose you. So not only am I coming to you and won't necessarily be pushed meds, which is valuable, right? Because you have the integrative approach, but also 'cause you're gonna take time.

    This isn't a, I can, I legitimately have timed my ob GYN before she's been in the room with me for less than 60 seconds. Yeah. For an entire visit. That's not you. Right. That's not what Stacy's doing. Correct. So this is about the experience and the approach that I get from you. Mm-hmm. Um, so I would lean heavily into that part of how you work.

    Stacy, I'd be leaning into the integrative concierge. Um, I think we've actually written copy for a, a med management, uh, provider. I think she was a np.

    You did.

    You did. Um. There's a psychiatrist. I've got a couple, but I'm thinking of a, I'm thinking of a headline we wrote that I think of that was like, psych psychiatric care that cares.

    Like that's kind of what you do. You actually give a, you know what, right? Yeah, yeah. That is the niche that I would lean into most heavily with you. Okay. Because it is going to automatically distinguish you from the stereotype I likely have in my mind about providers. And when someone is referring to you, that gives them a very easy way to essentially sell you.

    Because when someone is referring to you as a networking resource, they're, they're having to put language to the work that you do. It makes you very easy to talk about.

    Okay. That's, how

    does that feel?

    No, that feels good. I appreciate that. Okay. Because I, I, I used your templates and everything to make mm-hmm.

    Remake my website, and I feel very good about that. That, yeah.

    Yeah.

    But my challenge is how do I, I think it resonates with my potential patients. Mm-hmm. But how do I get them to that website? From my colleagues and things in the area who are just like, oh, you're a psychiatrist. Like you can take care of people, but wait, you don't take insurance, nevermind.

    Mm-hmm. And I need to have a way for people to understand why

    Exactly. Exactly. A patient of theirs

    would wanna come see me.

    Yes. And I think what you're hitting on something really critical for everyone listening right now mm-hmm. To think about that your niche is partially in service of your clients. It is hugely in service to your networking because you will only reser receive referrals through networking if you are easy to talk to and you act, talk about and you actually come to mind.

    And so how can we be making you memorable and easy to talk about? And I think leaning into this piece is like, if you want someone who actually listens to you, go see Stacy. If you want someone who's just gonna write you a script, here's this other person I automatically have a decision to make and the right person is gonna choose you.

    Okay. Yeah. Thank you.

    That's amazing. You're so welcome. Absolutely.

    Awesome.

    Absolutely. Yeah. My pleasure. Genevieve. Take it from there.

    Hello, how are you?

    Hi. It's nice to meet you. I'm good. Yeah,

    it's nice to meet you. Happy New Year. Happy New Year. I don't know if this is too on the nose, but I wanted to know if my niche is a good one.

    I have a niche statement. Okay.

    Alright.

    Kick us with it. So it's compassionate identity affirming sex therapy for adults, navigating life, transitions that reshape identity, authenticity, sexuality, and intimacy.

    What are some of those life transitions usually?

    Right. So they're all the life transitions that impact sexuality or a sense of self.

    Mm-hmm.

    Pregnancy, postpartum, divorce, menopause, all very empty, nest, productive, empty nest

    those. Yeah.

    Yes.

    Mm-hmm. Okay.

    And I think that's what's difficult about sex therapy 'cause they really don't wanna talk about kink fo some of the other concepts out there. Mm-hmm. That are more pleasure focused.

    Mm-hmm.

    I'm much more identity and philosophically focused. But that's very academic.

    Mm-hmm.

    And that's my struggle.

    Okay. Um, one note, if you guys want coaching, feel free to put your hand up and I'll just call you, call on you in order. Um, compassionate identity focused sex therapy. Compassionate is nice. Um, sex therapy is no doubt your differentiator.

    Mm-hmm. Um, you know, if I'm, if that, that's the beautiful thing. Honestly, I love working with sex therapists 'cause I'm like, we can market the heck out of you so easily. Um, the identity focused piece, I, I hear from you and I can understand implicitly the value of identity focused work. Are your clients coming to you saying, I'm looking to do some identity focused work, or I I'm really looking for someone that's gonna work in an identity focused way.

    Like do they use that language?

    Yes and no. Like I have done some beta testing with my current clients that I've confirmed. Mm-hmm. Oh, you know, I'm rebranding Slack. I am using, um, updating my PT. Profile. Mm-hmm. Does this resonate? And when I ask them is, does the following resonate? Did you come to me because your life was in flux.

    You were going through a major life transition. There's something about your sexuality, your identity, your sense of self that seemed confusing to you.

    Yeah.

    And they've also, yes. And every single one of them have in common, basically the same age bracket. Although I have quite a few older adults, but they're not my primary.

    Mm-hmm. And it's a lot of L-G-B-T-Q, menopause, pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, difficulty with partners because a partner decided they no longer wanna have children. They still wanna have children of that nature.

    Okay. So I totally agree. And I mean, yeah, you've got, like you said, you did the market research, you know, your clients are doing, but I dunno if they're saying that

    language to your,

    that work.

    Right. So I think that's where it's, it's more of just a rework of your statement. So rather than leading with compassionate, identity focused sex therapy, 'cause I'm kind of like. Do I know what that means? Mm-hmm. It like raises some questions. I think what you do compassionate, you can decide whether or not you keep a descriptor, you do sex therapy for people, um, you know, at, at a crossroads in their life or experiencing a change that has caused them to question their identity and their, you know, I don't know, we wanna say sexuality 'cause that could, you know, lean in a couple different ways.

    But I think you are, we were just talking about the four types of niches, right? So there's person, problem, outcome, approach. You are approach in that you are sex therapy for people in trans in, in a state of transition. Yeah. So I would, I would lean away from, uh, calling yourself identity focused and instead speaking to where they find themselves.

    Because that, to me sounds like the crux of, of what's leading them to decide to seek out therapy. Yes. And therefore you're meeting them at that, at that very, very, um, deeply felt point of need.

    Yes.

    Does that make sense?

    Very helpful. I think that is, and I imagine my colleagues on the call in general. Find themselves in this sticky point where we, how many times does somebody comment into presenting problem?

    And it's like, that's totally unrelated to the real problem. Totally. So it's like we totally, we have to like reverse engineer what they are thinking they need.

    Yep.

    Well then we're also translating, oh yeah. You think you're anxious about your mother-in-law. That's not really the problem.

    Yep.

    But that's what brought you to me.

    Yep. And I think sex therapy, that is the, the

    mystery of marketing.

    It's particularly sex therapy. Difficult. 'cause it's very academic and it's a content expertise. It's not a modality.

    Right.

    And so that could be just as general as general therapy. Mm-hmm. And that's what I find to be a little challenging because sex therapy is so broad.

    It's like, I thought that was a good differentiator. In many ways it is. Mm-hmm. But it's not nearly as narrow as I thought.

    Exactly. And so I think further narrowing it into this person who has, has faced something that is now causing them to, to experience this tension, that's where you'll really shine.

    Yes.

    Thank you. Yeah. Awesome. You're welcome. Thanks Genevieve. Brooke, you're up next.

    Hi everyone. Thank you Anna, for

    Hello.

    Um, I have a similar question kind of mix of Stacy's and Genevieve's, so I have an Okay. Um, and I'm curious around marketing for it if it's trash or not trash.

    Sounds good. Hit us with it.

    So I'm an anxiety and trauma therapist that helps adults overcome the guilt of a over responsibility loop that's often paired with numbness or exhaustion or both, um, to help 'em come back to themselves and live more with choice, connection, and ease. Okay.

    Did you say over responsibility loop?

    Yeah.

    Okay.

    Um, tell me what that looks like in day to day.

    So it's a lot of over-functioning in their relationships, so whether that's work, family, um, yeah. Friendships, whatnot. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. A lot of my clients have complex PTSD, so a lot of attachment wounds.

    Yep.

    Very burnt out professionals. Mm-hmm. Or nonprofessional.

    Mm-hmm. So, mm-hmm.

    Okay. Um, Genevieve was just hitting on a concept that is just so, I mean all of you, I saw you guys nodding. Um, I, I refer to it to point A and point Z where your client has complex trauma, but she thinks she's just anxious or has, you know, relationship issues or whatever. So, Brooke, when your clients come to you, what do they think is wrong?

    They think that they have an issue with perfectionism.

    Okay.

    And that they're super stressed out and they don't understand why they can't just get through it.

    Okay. Okay. That's insightful. And similar to the question I asked Stacy, why might someone choose you as their therapist and not someone else who maybe also works with anxiety or perfectionism or something?

    Mm-hmm. I take a very relational, um, pattern, approach as I like to say it. Mm-hmm. So I like to use a lot of humor, um, but also look at it from a timeline perspective. Um, so it's very, a lot slower. I get into it, a lot of details.

    Mm-hmm.

    I care a lot more than I, I think a lot of, uh, other people have. Me. So that's, I'm still trying to figure out my, like edge, I would say.

    Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

    But so far that's the feedback I've gotten thus far.

    Okay. Okay. Okay. One more question. Who's not a good fit to work with you?

    Mm, that's a great question. I think people that want strictly CBT. Uh, so people that are just trying to change the mindset mm-hmm. Doing a lot of deeper work. Okay.

    Okay. So there's a level of, um, like self-awareness or motivation for, to like in, in your client, whether or not, again, they know that they have complex trauma, like there's a curiosity about like, what's going on under, under the surface here.

    Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

    Yeah. Okay. So I think, I think what you, what you shared with us is, is, uh, is strong.

    I think the, the over responsibility loop, was that the language again?

    Yeah.

    I wonder if that's language your clients would a hundred percent be like, yep, that's me. I'm, I, I'm in that loop, so I might revisit the language there. If the first thing you said was perfectionism, like that came right to your head, um, that maybe you specialize in therapy for people who want to get to the root of their perfectionism and their anxiety in order to live X, Y, Z.

    So maybe more. I, I, I, I brought in that getting to the root piece because that does hint at the depth, right? This isn't just like band-aid solution, you know, CBT skill, but instead the kind of that deeper work, but then lands on that perfectionism, that anxiety, whatever, you know, other words might, might be more immediately relevant to your clients.

    So, like I said, I think your first, your first draft there was good. I wonder if we can make it more client friendly and emphasize a little bit more your approach there.

    Yeah.

    How does that feel?

    That feels great. I appreciate

    you. Okay, awesome. You're so welcome. Absolutely. My pleasure. Hey Jesse, nice to meet you.

    Hey there. It's so interesting I'm going after Brooke because we have like almost word for word some of the same clients in each,

    Hey, look at that. Isn't that fun? Yeah.

    So I kind have my North star and my current niche statement that is, uh, it needs some development. I'm switching over to primarily private pay and trying to hold myself really accountable to actually do the thing instead of overthink the thing.

    So my North Star right now is specializing in long-term therapy for high functioning women, 24 to 45, whose anxiety and burnout are rooted in emotional responsibility from their past ready to stop. Wow.

    You're not kidding. You and Brooke do have a lot of overlap.

    Oh yeah. So that's my north start. My niche statement is I help high functioning women, 24 to 45, who grew up taking care of others and are now struggling with anxiety, burnout, or constant sense of pressure.

    Let's, let's, let's get that better.

    Hey, I mean, I know who you're talking to. Like there's, there's no doubt about it. What question do you have for me about improving or changing it?

    Uh, you know, some of this I think is my own overthinking, and that's actually one of the ways that I tend to sell myself to my clients is like, not only am I gonna help you out of this, I get this.

    I'm not gonna throw at you like you did. You need to make a schedule and I wanna move, I wanna actually make a movement instead of getting stuck. So if there is something in my marketing statement, 'cause I'm targeting my SEO, I am targeting this, but I wanna make sure that I'm not getting stuck in how I would conceptualize this problem and be client focused.

    Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. One thing that stands out to me, anytime I see words like high functioning, even overachieving, my first question is, does your client know that about themselves? Mm-hmm. Many high functioning people just think everyone else is that way. Some people know it, some people recognize over functioning and high functioning.

    A lot of people are like, wait, not everyone does this. So what about your, your clients? Does she know that she's. High functioning, over functioning.

    She knows she's stressed out. She knows that she is always relied on and she is tired and she is tired of being tired. She knows that she's doing too much.

    Yeah. And she wants to stop, but she can't because the anxiety and the guilt get in the way.

    Yeah. You have so much insight. I can as you, the confidence with which you are answering these questions tells me you know exactly who you're talking to. Um, right now we're just playing a little bit of wordsmithing.

    Um,

    the other piece around, um, that grew up taking care of others, is that the language you used?

    Mm-hmm. Again, does

    she know that about herself?

    She doesn't. Sometimes she does. She's like, they loved me. It wasn't that bad.

    Yeah. Yeah. That's another thing. I actually just got off a kickoff call, uh, earlier today with a clinician who specialize in the eldest daughters, you know, parentified, millennial women, that kind of thing.

    So we talked quite a bit about this, and there's a job. There's, there's the job of your niche statement, what we're talking about here, and then there's the job of your marketing, of the rest of your copy, right? And your niche statement just, it can't do it all. We cannot pack the nuance and the depth of the work that you do over months or years into a single statement.

    It's just, it's just not possible. And so that's why a lot of the questions you're hearing me ask today are, do your clients use that language? Do they know that about themselves? If they don't know it yet, if it takes a little bit of pointing out or exploration to get there, then that's the job of your copy.

    And so I would take out probably that piece of grew up taking, you know, taking care of others. And that's a absolutely a, a concept I would use in your marketing and in your website copy and things like that. But at the end of the day, she's here, she doesn't know if maybe she knows her. Her childhood wasn't great.

    Maybe she thinks it was amazing and you're gonna rock her world when she learns it wasn't. But I think we need to be meeting your client a little bit more at her point of need. So you specialize in working with busy, maybe women, maybe not high functioning, because again, she might not use that language.

    Busy women who are tired and realizing they're caught in a cycle of self-doubt and second guessing and their relationships in life are starting to show the effects of it. Something like that. So I think, like I said, you know, your client, I think this is just about making sure this statement is where she would find herself today.

    Does that make sense?

    So if I, yeah. If I kind of read that back, you're tired of doing things for everyone else, you're ready to not be so stressed out with self-doubt, second guessing and perfectionism. Like, does that

    speak

    to that client better?

    Yep. That feels way more client friendly and, and again, at that kind of point, a versus point Z thing, that's point A for sure.

    Perfect. Thank you so

    much. Mm-hmm.

    That's really

    helpful. Absolutely. Thank you Jesse. Really, really wonderful. Danielle, hello? What's your question?

    Hi, I am pivoting, um, my niche and hey. Was doing adult healing from narcissistic relationships. I found that that was attracting clients, um, who were mostly wanting psychoeducation around narcissism, more wanting talk therapy.

    But I have become an IFS and an EMDR provider in the last year, and I am wanting to do more of the somatic trauma deeper healing work. Okay. Um, so what I've, I'm pivoting to, hopefully this is where I'm needing the coaching, is, um, I specialize in helping empathetic, high achieving women who feel stuck in shame, people pleasing, emotionally immature relationships and cycles of trauma.

    Okay. And I'm wondering, basically, if I'm trying to get more people who want IFS and EMDR.

    Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. IFS and EMDR are the two modalities that we're, I, I am seeing, and I think we're all seeing kind of come more and more into the lay person's awareness, right? Miley Cyrus did EMDR, and all of a sudden everyone's knocking on EMDR therapist doors, right?

    Um, IFSI think is, is increasing in many ways in that way, in that regard too. So, um, first question, Danielle, and I know you're pivoting, so your an your answer might be not yet. Is your hope that people come to you seeking EMVR or IFS explicitly Yes. Asking for that modality?

    Yes.

    Okay. Okay. Um, that's helpful to know because that can.

    I don't always recommend, and none of the niche statements we've talked about here today, um, emphasized approach or emphasized modality. Um, so I don't always recommend including your modality in your niche statement. However, if, uh, you have one or two primary ones and or you want to or already get inquiries asking for that explicitly, that can be good criteria to, like, I, I do EMDR and IFS for X, y, Z, right?

    Because the, the statement that you just shared is, is strong. I know who we're talking to, right? There's that, there's definitely a market for that. But it's, it isn't necessarily hinting at how you do the work. And it sounds like how you do the work is really what you want to be changing as you make this pivot.

    Is that accurate?

    That's so accurate, yes.

    Yeah. So, um. Whether or not, it's like all I do is IFS and EMDR or it's, it's a little bit softer. You could say something like, I specialize in depth therapy including EMDR and IFS for women who x, y, Z. So I, I do think that here it sounds like Danielle, it would be a good idea to lean more heavily into your approach as part of your niche and your modalities.

    Um, especially as we're seeing and DR and IFS increase in, in popularity, um, people are actually seeking that out. So we know there's a market for it. You're not just throwing yourself out into the ether and hoping someone knows what those are.

    Perfect.

    Okay. Is that helpful?

    Yeah, thank you. I'll

    just

    add that.

    Awesome.

    Thanks.

    Yeah. Perfect. You're very welcome. Yeah, my pleasure. Marisol. Hello.

    Hi, how are you?

    Good, how are you?

    Good, thank you. So I do have a statement and I just, I guess, feel like I need some clarity of just maybe feedback, just some feedback. So I specialize in helping professional women who are carrying the weight of grief, loss, and emotional overwhelm.

    Together we'll work to the, uh, together we'll work, uh, to process what feels heavy, move through intense emotions and rediscover hope for the future.

    Okay. This is, uh, really strong. Again, um, try and try and couch the feedback that you want into a question. Where, where might, where does it feel like there might be a weak point or, or, um, a, you know, a lackluster area of what you've just shared with us

    as, as far as what?

    In my niche?

    Yeah, just ask me a question to sort of guide the, the, the feedback. Where does your mind go when it comes to what might need to be strengthened here?

    Um,

    again, maybe, uh, in the sense of. Do they quite understand what I am trying to capture, because I had a lot of trauma heavy. Mm-hmm. And now I've, I'm really more grief, but I've incorporated both. Right. Obviously there can, there can be a tie to both. Yeah.

    I'm

    also really just trying to make sure I'm capturing more grief.

    I'm doing longer session, the 90 minute to two hour. Okay. Uh, a lot more intensive therapy. I do wanna do work with women, so,

    yeah. Okay. I

    know if this is tailored or I didn't know if it's still too broad.

    Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That's helpful context. Um, I, I definitely got the grief emphasis here. Um, so the fact that that's something that you're wanting to focus on, I'm very much hearing and you know, trauma is one of those things that's, it's kinda always there.

    Um, right. There's, there's trauma as a result of the grief. You mentioned the emotional overwhelm, which can sort of catch those who may or may not identify with grief in particular. Um. So, so that part I'm, I'm very much getting, um, the professional women is, um, descriptive. Um, anytime you're gonna be speaking to someone's, um, you know, job or career status in your niche, that's, that's great.

    'cause, uh, you might really enjoy, you know, Stacey Life's positions, for instance. Um, that's akay to do. The one, um, sort of criteria I recommend, uh, just sitting on there is whether or not that identity is influencing why they're in therapy or why they're choosing you. So you might like professional women because they're usually high functioning or they have the resources to pay your fee, that's okay, but it might not be.

    Her identity as a professional that makes her a good fit for you? If on the flip side, she's a professional woman and she also leads a business and because she's grieving the loss of her husband, she can't function, you know, the work in is informed by her work. Um, you know, the, her career is coming into the, the therapy room.

    Then I think emphasizing that is wise. Um, so what, what about professional women in particular do you appreciate or, or enjoy?

    Well, just like you mentioned, more of the higher functioning and these were, were the people that would definitely, uh, you know, pay the higher, the higher fee. Um

    mm-hmm.

    Of course busy.

    I put busy because, uh, I, I try to make it a little bit more like, um, sometimes I do intensives, but sometimes I do just longer sessions

    mm-hmm.

    Where they're extended for, uh, a longer period of time.

    Mm-hmm.

    Out may be weekly or biweekly, so they may be

    Yeah. Not

    with me for, for years on end.

    Yeah. Yeah.

    So that's

    absolutely.

    Pinpoint that.

    Absolutely. Marisol, I'll, I'll say I think that what you've shared with us is really quite strong as is. Um, again, like we were talking about, your niche can only do so much. Um, and I do whether or not you do it in the niche statement formally or not. 'cause really what is a niche statement, you know, we can all get all existential about that.

    It does sound like your model with extended sessions and things like that is also a key part of how you work. Um, now we have supported clinicians who are exclusively intensivess. That's all they do is, you know, three plus hour, multi-day whatever. And then we've also worked with clinicians who do regular, weekly, ongoing and then also have that option.

    Um, so just something to continue to sit with. But honestly, I think what you've shared with us is quite strong. I know who you're talking to, um, and, and it feels quite client friendly to me.

    Okay, perfect. And will this be recorded so that we can go back and review your

    feedback? It will be recorded, yes. It was supposed to be streaming into our Facebook group, and it's not, it will be, uh, posted onto the marketing therapy podcast.

    Um, and I will, um, it's also uploading to the cloud, so I'll be able to share a link.

    Great. Thank you so much. I appreciate your

    time. You're welcome. Yeah. Nice to meet you, Kevin. Hello.

    Hello. Big fan of the podcast and my new website. Nice to connect you.

    Awesome. Yeah, nice to connect with you too.

    I'm looking at tips on kind of how to shorten translate my keywords into something that speaks to providers, but I'm in Brooklyn, very competitive environment.

    I'm also thinking about, you know, people sending out requests to listservs or getting 30 mm-hmm 40 people responding to that same request. I'm also thinking about like networking cocktail hour. We're standing there and I'm trying to give them that niche sort of quickly rather than I can go on. As we're saying for long sentences.

    So I've tried to squeeze it into, I specialize in substance use and relationship challenges for queer men. Mm-hmm. Um, there's a lot more to that, but I'm trying to think of

    course,

    that, um, that quickfire option almost.

    That's pretty good. Quick fire. If you ask me if I'm at a cocktail party, I'm like, Kevin, what do you do when you say that?

    I'm like, say more. I wanna, like, I wanna keep chatting with you. You know? Um, so I, I think that's quite good. Um, what, what stands out to you as maybe what, what, what is that lacking? Of course. Like we talked about your niche can't do everything, but when you say that, what do you feel like you wanna say and also.

    Or addition,

    if I could say everything. I would say like the relationship trauma, we, I'm trained psychodynamically, we do a lot of deep insight work. We work a lot of embodiment. Um, I am a professor that I teach queer theory and psychodynamic theory too. So I bring that into the room and I bring that into the space.

    So I think there's some stuff that makes me unique as a provider and I'm trying to like sneak that into the short niche statement to try to, whoever I'm talking to almost, I hate to use the word like sell, like I think I'm the right person for you to think about here. Sure. I offer here. Um, and I'm worried some of the keywords I'm using now, they can maybe think of 10 other therapists in the space for sure, but also do that.

    Sure. So a lot of what you just shared as far as like your credentials and your approach and that kind of thing, is that why a. A queer man might choose you and not another therapist or what, what would lead him to say, huh, I wanna work with Kevin instead of this, this other one who says they specialize in a similar niche?

    The feedback I've gotten is about humor in my copy that I've worked on before. Um, but they also named a lot of the identity stuff. Like, I saw that you were another queer man in New York. Uh, there's youth that they mentioned too. They wanted to speak to someone who might get it. Um, and then people cite my teaching stuff too, as they, um, we're interested in someone who has experience talking about these topics too.

    Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Okay. So I'm hearing from you. Yeah. Like someone who gets it, like there's, there's shared or lived experience mm-hmm. And there's a deep level of actual expertise and specialization. You don't just say, you do this, you live it and you've studied it. Right. Right. Um, so I think those are some, some elements you can be bringing in here.

    Now you're hitting on something really, really important and something I've been talking with some clinicians on lately, which is who? What we're talking about here with your niche is designed to be your North star. Something that informs the, all of your marketing, but your niche is a little bit of a chameleon because Kevin, if you are talking to a fellow clinician, uh, who also specializes in psychodynamic theory, what you're gonna say to them about your niche is a lot different than what you're gonna say at your friend's, you know, birthday party with a bunch of people who aren't therapists.

    And so try, and I, I, I say this because I think your initial boilerplate is actually incredibly strong, super short, no doubt, but very, very strong. You get to decide based on who you're talking to, what else might matter to this person, right? What other thing might actually differentiate me? Because if you start telling the person at your friend's birthday party that you specialize in psychodynamic theory and you do a lot of embodiment work, his eyes might glaze over, right?

    Um, whereas if you say that to, to someone else, then that might be a better fit. So, responding to Listservs is a great example because you're up against the 40 other responses people are offering, right? So take a minute while everyone else is just firing off their website, URL, take a minute to think, what am I hearing from this person that I might be able to highlight or speak to, or like, what else could I be bringing in here?

    So you're, I think, Kevin, you're a good example of like, all right, I got, I got my basic, and then I have all kind of the, you know, the, the cherries on top or the sprinkles, like which am I choosing to sprinkle on top to really resonate with who I'm talking to now? So I don't think it's that your niche has to be the same all you know, all, all the time, but instead it can morph based on who's gonna get the most value out of what you're saying.

    Does that make sense to you?

    Yeah. Like adapted to the audience or who, who went,

    right. A hundred percent. That's, that's what I was trying to say is adapted to the audience. That's exactly right, Kevin. Yeah. So honestly, I mean, you're right. You're in a very competitive market, no doubt about it in Brooklyn, but you have a good understanding of your base, and then it's like how do you customize that based on who you're talking to?

    I think you've got a lot of things to pull from.

    Awesome. Thank you so much.

    You're welcome. You're welcome. It's nice to meet you. I don't wanna say her name wrong. Vel. Vel. Come off mute and correct me

    Tiar. That's perfect. I knew it was me once you Oh

    yeah. You're like, oh, that happens. It's nice to meet you.

    What's your question?

    It's so nice to meet you as well. Thank you. Um, I feel like I got my niche, um, and I just did the Psychology Today with your success pack. Great. But I wanna make sure it's solid. And then as I was listening to you respond to everyone else, I'm thinking of how, you know. Making sure it's solid, not just for clients through marketing, but also other therapists, because I've been historically most successful in getting referrals like warm handoffs.

    Yeah. So that's kind of what I'm hoping for,

    if that makes sense. Okay. Awesome. Share with us what you've got.

    So what I have now is I help high achieving millennial and Gen Z women who have done everything right, yet feel constantly on edge, overwhelmed and unrecognizable to themselves. Um, and so helping them before burnout costs them their job, their relationships, or their sense of self.

    Ooh, I like that last part. Before it costs them, um, burnout. Does your, I your ideal client, almost universally identify with that word?

    Yeah. Because they're, they are the eldest daughters That's mm-hmm. How I got here. They are the eldest daughters. Mm-hmm. Also, there's usually a cultural aspect to Okay.

    Showing up. So you put yourself last. Mm-hmm. Um, so that's usually where they end up, and then they give a call.

    Okay. Awesome. Will you read that first part of the statement to me again?

    Sure. I help high achieving millennial and Gen Z women who have done everything right.

    Who've done everything right, but still okay.

    Mm-hmm. Um, similar word around, I mean, my, my ears always perk up around high achieving. Does your client say, if you said, describe yourself, would high achieving be one of the first things she said?

    I think so. Maybe not those words, but we went to school, we did all the things. Mm-hmm. Like, that's who I'm thinking of, that person who did all the things that was expected of them.

    Right. Right. And I think you kind of, um, convey that in that latter part, like, uh, so high achieving millennial and Gen Z women who've done everything Right. Okay. You know, I think you could just say probably millennial and Gen Z women, or, or busy. Again, bringing in maybe a more client friendly term for that descriptor.

    Okay. 'cause I think you're, you're accomplishing that high standards for herself over achiever with that kind of more client friendly descriptor later on in that statement.

    Okay.

    Um, and then what was after that?

    Sure. So what was after that is? Um, yes. They've done everything right yet feel constantly on edge, overwhelmed and unrecognizable to themselves.

    Nice. And then, yeah, helping them before burnout costs them. Mm-hmm. I quite like that. Um, you know, the first question I asked you around burnout, that that is like, the crux of the statement that you've shared is like helping them before burnout costs them. And so burnout has to be the thing where she's like, that's what I, you're speaking to, this felt need right now.

    Mm-hmm. And I think as long as that is true of your clients, that she would identify that way, I, I absolutely know who you're speaking to for sure. Yeah.

    Okay. Okay, perfect. So we got that off the list.

    Yeah. Good job. Good job. That was excellent. Thank you. Thanks for sharing it with us.

    Thank you. And so, do you think there's anything I need to change if I'm going to a therapist event or something where a therapist is like, Hey, I think you would be helpful for someone.

    Mm-hmm.

    Mm-hmm.

    You know,

    yeah. So that's where I think kind of what we were just talking about with Kevin, like we might adapt it a little bit for, for more of like a clinical audience. Okay. That you might say. I, a lot of my clients are eldest daughters who are super over functioning and, you know, struggling with burnout.

    Okay. So it's, I, I, you could almost write a client facing and a clinician facing version of the same thing. Okay. Um, because you know, a clinician is gonna be like, oh yeah, okay. I know exactly what you're, you know what you're talking about. Whereas a client may not.

    Okay. Perfect. Yeah. Thank you so much.

    You're so welcome. It was nice to meet you.

    Nice to meet you,

    Allie. Hello. My fellow Nashvillian.

    Hello. Hi. Um, thanks so much for your time and this opportunity. Okay. So I started out years ago in private practice with a niche of individual therapy for adults navigating life transitions, coping with health challenges, and desiring to live more fully.

    Okay. I am currently desperately needing to pivot and find the language that is way more aligned and speaks to like where I'm at now. Okay. And I'm really struggling to like bring it down because Okay. There's so many different ways that I could talk about it.

    Okay.

    So I'm really thinking about, maybe leaning into what's the approach that I offer, which might be, um, relational.

    Um, I work with people more long term. I have a tendency to, um, kind of cover a variety of issues. Like people come in for one specific thing and then I get to know their story, and we really walk through like depth seasons of people's lives. Mm-hmm. Um, I am often someone who works better with not first timers to therapy.

    Not that I don't ever work with first time, but like Sure. Someone who's maybe already gotten that first introduction, maybe that like first pass of trauma, that first psycho ed. I'm a little more of that. Like, let's get in there and explore and wander and see what emerges. Um, I care deeply.

    Yeah.

    I show up for people and Okay.

    Um, really invite people to be creative in their own self-expression. People who are centering themselves in their life, maybe for the first time ever.

    Okay.

    And so like, okay. How, yeah. How the heck

    do you do that?

    Yeah.

    Um, here's my first question for you, Allie. Yeah. What about that initial niche that you just shared?

    Yeah. No longer fits.

    It feels so flat and like not alive.

    Okay.

    Why is someone, the question I've asked a couple people so far, why is someone choosing you today, the version of Ally today and not someone else in Nashville that could help them?

    Yeah, so I'm gonna think outside the box, we're gonna go a lot of different directions. Nothing's off limits, and we're gonna explore things a lot of different ways.

    Like if you can't talk about it, can you play a song? Can we create something like, so that experiential piece maybe? Yep.

    Yep. Yep. Absolutely. Okay. And then, um, while it sounds like you can treat, uh, I'm sure you can, a wide range of presenting issues and challenges, we all still experience, uh, a tipping point that leads us into therapy, right?

    I can live in a state of discomfort or distress for weeks, months, years, and something happens that leads me to decide, I've got to, I've got to speak to someone too. Right. So what's your, what is often your current client, this new, you know, new version of you? Uh, what's this current client's tipping point that realize where they realize I gotta do something different?

    Hmm. That's what I'm having a hard time. I'm really stuck in sort of the old, which was a catalyzing event. Mm-hmm. And that still might be true. Like there's one event that tips it, that they just can't do it anymore.

    Yeah.

    And what was working isn't working anymore.

    Mm-hmm.

    Another kind of, if I go to sort of the end point, the outcome for a lot of people working with me is they feel equipped to navigate their lives.

    Hmm. That's that's a, that's a good one. We're onto something there. What I'm trying to suss out is whether Yeah, you know, which, which, if any, presenting issues or focus areas belong in your niche. Yeah. You know, like if you asked your clients like, what, what is wrong? And she, and they had to give you a word or two, what words would they say?

    Are they saying things like anxious? Are they saying things like trauma? Are they saying things like, I don't know. Uh, what awareness do they have of their issues?

    They're like, something's not working. I feel stuck. Um, I want more in my life. And I think it's also I'm starting to move with more creatives, more multi-passionate people mm-hmm.

    Who have for so long felt like I've gotta be a smaller version of myself. And so part of, I think what I offer is the invitation, the like. Unfold. Yeah. Be more of who you are without apology.

    Yeah. Love that. Okay. I hear from you, I think you fit really nicely in those two latter, uh, categories of niching, which are outcome and approach.

    Yeah. I think, uh, your language, language around out of the box therapy is a great descriptor. Um, out of the box therapy is not going to speak to the brand new baby client who's never been to therapy before and is really intimidated by it. Right? It's gonna speak to the person who has a desire and an openness and a, a, you know, kind of a curiosity to do something different, likely having done therapy before.

    And it sounds like you, you're taking a, a wide, vast number of approaches. Are we gonna make something right? Um, excuse me. So I would lean into out of the box therapy, uh, for people who, um, are, and that's where honestly you should go back and listen to this recording 'cause you yourself just had a bunch of great language.

    But this idea of, um, no longer having to place small. Know that something isn't working anymore and know they need to do something different and feeling equipped to actually handle their life. So I think you do out of the box therapy for a certain type of outcome or set of outcomes. I think that is gonna be the most client friendly and compelling way to language this niche.

    Um, so that, 'cause when, whenever you're wanting to, to ex you're like wanting to expand the work that you do, but you're also wanting to narrow it. You know, we can end up getting so clinical in Yeah. What you do and don't do that it doesn't resonate with people. Um, so I think, I think that would be a really nice way to pair it together that would honor the type of work you want to be doing now, but also meet a client at a point of view, be like, oh yeah, that is something that I'm actually seeking.

    Yes. Does that make sense to you?

    Yes. Thank you. It feels great. Um, two questions. One, where do we find the recording afterwards? Because you're right, I'm like, I don't remember everything I said. So if you'll just speak to that, that'd be great. Yes. Yeah. And the second thing is how might I language this for fellow colleagues to stand out?

    Because some of these things feel like we should all be doing that. Like listening, well, caring, like

    Sure.

    Being creative, individualizing therapy. And so what might help me stand out to Yeah. A colleague.

    Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Where to get the recording? This will be live on the marketing therapy podcast next week.

    It will be available in the cloud and a link that I can share by the end of the day today. And I will put it in the Facebook event. Uh, for this, for this, um, you can also email us, uh, hello. Great. At walker strategy code.com if you need that. Thanks. That link. Um, okay. How do you message this to colleagues?

    That's an interesting theme we're seeing here today is how do I, how do I share this, this niche with, with my, you know, fellow providers and things like that? You're right. There are things that hopefully your colleagues are also doing where they're like, fool ally, I also do that. There are things you do that they're not.

    And so I would really sit with, what are you doing differently right now? Or what do you have a unique point of view on that can make you, again, memorable and easy to talk about? That's the goal of networking. Memorable, easy to talk about. Um, so talking about things like your, um, like the experiential work that you do, the creative work that you do, um, anything somatic, those are gonna be types of things you can share with a provider where they're like, I don't do that, so I know who to send to that person too.

    So anytime, I mean, anytime you're talking to a provider, you can lean more into your clinical approach. Um, and I would invite you prior to that to really explore what are you offering that maybe your colleagues are not right now.

    Great. Thank you. This is so helpful.

    You're welcome.

    Awesome.

    Yeah. Nice to meet you, Allie.

    Thank you for this to meet

    you too. Yeah.

    Ellie, happy New Year. It's nice to see you.

    Happy New Year. Um, so obviously I don't need a lot of help on my niche itself. Um, it's more so how to communicate it in a clear and concise way. Okay. I love Kevin's boilerplate and I don't have one of those, so I need help with that boilerplate.

    Okay. What, I mean, I, I, for, for those of you that dunno, I know Ellie quite well, um, and have had the pleasure of working with her. So Ellie, I have a sense certainly of who you're talking to. Mm-hmm. If I asked you right now, what's your niche, what's your answer?

    Um, that's a good question. I mean, I can read my niche statement, but that's, uh, not, that's okay.

    You can read that. That's, that gives us a good starting point.

    Um, I specialize in working with women who have put off therapy and who are now ready to make changes in their lives, to work through what has happened to 'em in the past and let go of their family baggage to be able to improve current relationships.

    Stop resorting to the use of anger to protect themselves or keep their walls up and feel more authentic and become and begin to learn to love themselves so they can see their value in relationships.

    Hmm. Pretty dang good. Um, I think if you had to boilerplate that, like you said, Kevin's boiler plate, we can all aspire to have something quite as short and concise as that to me.

    Ellie, really, uh, what I know of you and what I've also heard from you has worked well in your marketing is leading with who this woman is. Therapy for women who have traditionally always had their walls up. Are ready to stop letting anger get in the way. Like that I think speaks to the, the first felt need of your client.

    And then, you know, the rest of your niche statement is really talking about how you get there and what you do in that sort of thing. Right? But if I had to boil down your niche into something more concise, I would lean into who she is. Um, and, and what she's, you know, tried to do or not do that is keeping her from where she wants to go.

    Is that helpful?

    Yeah. And how do I fit in the lack of being a touchy-feely therapist? Yeah. I think that's

    really good. Um, I, right, that is, we know that that's been a selling point for you. Um, what does Ellie do? What do you do? You're at a, you're at a cocktail party. I do not, I do therapy that is not touchy feely for women who have traditionally had their guards up and are tired of anger getting in the way of their relationships.

    Okay. Like, I think you're kind of that approach, not touchy feely, and then who that woman is. To me, those two things together is like. Boil down. That's Ellie. Does that feel good to you?

    Yeah, I just, I was trying to find a different way to say, not touchy feely, but

    I honestly think that's it. I think it's the, we could play with different ways to do it, but I think we say that and everyone knows immediately what you mean, which is at the end of the day, the goal.

    You know, and I, we know it lands, why fix what ain't broken?

    Yeah, true. Okay, thanks.

    You're welcome Ella. Good to see you, Dominique. Hello.

    Hi. Hello. Thanks for meeting. Hi everyone.

    Yeah, nice to meet you.

    Nice to meet you too. So my, um, my ideal client is a, um, a mom who is busy. Um, so I would just read off my niche.

    So my Isha formulated is I work with busy moms experiencing burnout, overstimulation and identity confusion, who want to reclaim their lives and rediscover the woman they were before becoming a mom to make motherhood more manageable. So the outcome is that I work with clients to create systems in their life to help them, um, reclaim who they are, their identity, and to just make motherhood more manageable, less pressure, and like a better experience.

    Um, especially if I was experiencing like postpartum concerns.

    Okay. All right. I mean, that was incredibly descriptive. Dominique, I know who you're talking to. I personally identify with her in a lot of ways. Um, I am, uh, one my ears perked up at identity confusion. What I, I think I know what you mean by that.

    What do you mean by identity confusion there?

    So what I mean by that is like a mom who puts just their whole life and livelihood into motherhood that they don't know who they are outside of mother. Mm-hmm. Um, they don't know what their likes are. They don't know what their preferences are. Um, they're trying to, you know, like they're not going to go back to the same person they were before becoming a mom, but just rediscovering who they are post motherhood.

    Yeah. Yeah. It sounds like she's lost herself.

    Yes.

    In motherhood.

    Yes.

    Yeah. So I, I might, um, I might lead with that a little bit more heavily. So, you specialize in therapy for moms who have lost themselves in motherhood to navigate and build systems for improving burnout, overcoming overstimulation and rediscovering who they are outside of just mom.

    Hmm.

    How does that feel?

    I like that. I really do. It really is like straight, concise to the point. Yeah. It, it kind of like hits on those like, um, pressure points and things like that. Yeah. So, yeah. Yeah. And, and I like how it kind of like, um, just conveys like, you know, kind of like the outcome of, you know,

    right.

    Therapy.

    Right. I, I think, I think there's a lot of, of good things. Like I said, I think your first one was really, really good. Um, I would imagine. Losing herself and motherhood and kind of that identity piece, but saying it just in a bit more of a client friendly way would be like, yeah, that's me. And then I love your mention in your initial one of like burnout and overstimulation 'cause hello too deeply felt things by a busy mom as well.

    Yeah. Um, but like you said, ultimately ending with that outcome of who am I beyond just this role that opens you up to being able to enjoy such a wide variety of work with your clients. Um, so I think you're, I think it's incredibly strong.

    Alright. Sounds good. Thank you.

    Awesome. Yeah, you're welcome. My pleasure.

    Julie. Hello? Oh, you're on mute there.

    There we go. Sorry about that. Okay. Um, thank you for this. Um, I You're welcome. I have been practicing for a lot of years in a hospital outpatient setting, but I'm just launching my private practice, so congratulations, this thing. Thank you. This niche thing is really. Been the death of me trying to sort this out.

    So what I have so far is, uh, I'm a pediatric psychologist who uses proven goal-oriented approaches to help kids and families with chronic health issues and sleep problems.

    Hmm. I

    feel like I'm missing a bunch of things I have to figure out. So I, I, I like the people I like to work with are kids, um, who have chronic health issues, like GI problems or

    mm-hmm.

    Uh, cancer or, you know, any, any kind of health concern. But I also have this real specialty in sleep and it feels like they're not really quite meshing. And I also need something to speak to the parents because they're the ones that bring in the kid and, you know, sort of when something's wrong with your child, nothing's right in the world.

    Yep.

    And they're exhausted. They're worried about their kid. I need. I need, I need something.

    Um, you're our first child, uh, provider here in this niche coaching call, which is kind of surprising 'cause um, often we, we encounter a lot of them, but you're hitting on an, an incredibly important nuance when you are marketing to child-focused work that you're, the parent is also part of that, that is who you're marketing to is the parent, right?

    Um, but you also have to honor the challenges of, of the child as well. So it's a, it's an interesting balance. Um, Julie, tell me, do you work ever exclusively with parents only or is it always involving their child?

    No, sometimes I work exclusively with parents, especially with parents of young children.

    Okay. And what are those parents struggling with or, or getting out of their work with you?

    Um, they are, you know, it, they are either working with me on parenting issues, like helping their child to adhere to a medical regimen or helping their child to learn how to sleep on their own or mm-hmm. You know, I do a lot of sleep training, things like that.

    Yeah.

    Yeah. Um, yeah.

    Okay. Okay. Um, I can understand how looking at the medical or like, you know, chronic or health issues and the sleep might feel disparate under the umbrella of. Children and parenting to me, they don't feel so distinct that you need to like, do a lot of finagling to bring them together.

    Okay. Um, so I, I think you, I think you're, you're already onto something because you have two super compelling, you know, niches and specialties there in, in the, the, um, health conditions and sleep. Um, I, if I were you, I would lead with therapy for children, parents, and families. Okay. Um, that's how I would sort of couch your services based on what I've understood from you.

    Um, so, you know, I specialize in, or I work with, um, children, um, parents and families to navigate, you know, the, the challenges or to overcome the challenges related to, um, health conditions. Um, you can say chronic if often they are, um, sleep issues. And then I would include. Uh, for lack of a better term, a catchall in that list.

    Um,

    okay.

    Because it sounds like you're also open to working with, you know, the overwhelmed parent who just needs some support, right? Yeah. That, that might also potentially be a good fit for you. Um, and so that could be, um, you know, maybe you say, um, chronic health conditions, sleep and, um, other challenges, um, related to young family life or something.

    Mm-hmm. Um, to x, y, z to experience more, um, health and happiness at home, or something like that. Okay. Okay. Um, so the, the fact that you're a pediatric psychologist is so valuable and people are going to value that. I don't know that I would lead with that necessarily in your niche statement.

    Okay. Okay.

    Mm-hmm. Um, that belongs in the copy, but I would keep the focus really on, again, those focus areas and making sure that, uh, there's something there that they're like, oh, that's what I needed.

    Gotcha.

    Is that helpful?

    Super helpful. Thank you so much. Okay.

    Amazing. You're so welcome. You're so welcome. I know a couple people are having to get going.

    We are coming to the top of the hour. We've got three more hands raised. I'm gonna stick around and answer those, um, hands for sure. Um, if you need to drop at the, at the end of the time though, thank you for being here today. This is so much fun. Like I said, I could just niche, niche coach until the cows come home.

    Um, if you're finding that you want this type of support in your marketing, if you wanna continue working on your niche, and if you're also wondering, what the heck do I do with my niche? Now when it comes to infusing it into your marketing, we are reopening the doors to confident copy later this month.

    And if you sign up for the wait list, you do qualify for an extra discount. So if that is even a little bit interesting to you, I encourage you to join the wait list. There's no obligation walker strategy co.com/waitlist, um, because we're doing this kind of thing for 16 straight weeks. Um, so if that's something you're interested in, please do take a look.

    Uh, but Maggie, let's get into your niche.

    Hi. Okay, well,

    hello.

    My issue is I don't really have one. Um, I've tried That's okay.

    And

    anything really seems to land Okay. And I've, I've used a lot of different methods. I'm like, what? Mm-hmm. What's your favorite client? What would you wanna work with every time? Um, I really, I, I like people.

    I like all issues. I really, mm-hmm.

    Okay. Sounds good. We can, we can work with that. Do you work with all ages?

    No. Mostly adults. Okay. Few adolescents, but,

    okay. So mostly a or mostly adults? Maybe a couple of adolescents. Mm-hmm. What types of things are they often coming in wanting treatment or support with?

    Um, relationships are kind of rise to the top. General anxiety, um, things like that.

    Okay.

    Sometimes little transgender issues, things like that.

    Okay. That's, I mean, there's a specialty in there. Okay. Um, I've asked this question a couple of times, uh, in this hour because it's a good one and one I think every clinician should, should sit with.

    But Maggie, especially if you don't have some really specific specialty, and that's okay. Why is someone choosing you as their therapist and not someone else? Mm.

    I think it's, um, WI think they really picked me because like my website, I'm pretty real. Like I, I have swear language on my website. I'm pretty transparent.

    It's, it's just me. Um, actually when somebody said that, she was like, oh, you see, know, like she swears, um, so I mean, I think that first part they just really see me. I don't try to flower it up or anything like that.

    Okay.

    And I That's the same way in sessions.

    Yeah. Which is good. We would hope that how you present in your marketing is how I can expect you in session.

    Right. Um. I want you to imagine you just left a session that just went so good, like one of those ones where you're like, I love my job. Right? What did you do well in that session?

    I feel like it's been a long time. Um, I think, I think kind of just ask good questions and got them to think. Got that a little bit more introspection.

    Mm-hmm.

    Mm-hmm. Okay. Um, I think I have two more questions and then we'll workshop a little bit. Um, you know, in your intake, either on the forms or in your, your first discussion or two, you're likely asking your clients about what they wanna get out of therapy, right?

    Um, what their goals are and that kind of thing. What are some of the goals you often hear from your clients?

    Um, more self-confidence. I just had this the other day. And what, um, being more like self-compassionate take, um, things like that. Yeah.

    Okay. Okay.

    Confidence.

    Um, a client is reflecting on working with you, so maybe they've moved on or maybe they're, you know, a couple, you know, multiple months in and it's, it's been good.

    Um, or perhaps they've terminated 'cause they're, they're doing really well and they're reflecting back on working with you. Working with Maggie was great. She, what, what do you hope they say?

    What I hope they say?

    Mm-hmm. Or what do they say if you've gotten that feedback?

    Um, I would say they, like, she got me, she, or like, she, she got me at a level that no one, that not other people did.

    Um, again, just really genuine, authentic. So kind of showing up as, as me?

    Yeah. Awesome. Alrighty. Um, like I said, we can, we can work with this. You don't have to enjoy only one population or one presenting issue in order to have an effective niche. Um, but it does require that you know yourself quite well, which it sounds like you do, you have a, you know, like you said, you're swearing in your copy like you're, you know, you know who you are and that's one of the reasons people like you so much.

    So, um, in this case, Maggie, I really encourage clinicians like you to lean into that, that last, um, bucket of, of niche types around approach or experience. Um, because that allows you to do the work that you like to do for anyone that resonates with that. Right? And so I, it sounds like if I had to reflect back to you, some of the descriptors I might consider for you for, for that niche would be down to earth.

    Um, genuine. Real therapy, um, excuse me, you know, therapy with someone who actually understands or, or gets it. Um, but so like you could say something like, um, down to earth therapy to help you or, you know, to, to help my clients, um, increase their self-confidence and feel more empowered to face their everyday life.

    Um, okay. Because that gives you a point of view. Does that feel true when I say that? Of, of the work that you like to do?

    Yeah. Yeah. It really does.

    Okay, awesome. So that's what I would sit with. You know, maybe down to earth feels good, maybe you, maybe you explore some other terminology. But what this is doing for you is it is calling in people that are seeking a particular type of experience out of their therapy.

    So it might not be, I need someone who's going to treat my OCD, but it's like, I want someone who's gonna like, just be real.

    Okay.

    That's what you are being, that's what this allows you to do in your marketing.

    Gotcha. Yeah. Yeah. That's really helpful.

    Awesome. Okay. Awesome.

    Thank you.

    Good. Yeah, my pleasure.

    Absolutely. It's, we always love, we'll have a tough nut to crack around here Maggie. Thank you for that. Denise.

    Hello.

    Hi. Nice to meet you.

    Nice to meet you too. Um, so my niche is I help professionals who are also caregivers achieve balance and peace so that as they face transitions to care for the needs of aging parents, they're able to balance expectations and needs without feeling overwhelmed or having a loss of self.

    Okay. Awesome. I know who you're talking to. What question do you have for me to guide our feedback here?

    What about that maybe doesn't feel as strong as it could be? Or where are you second guessing yourself? Perhaps

    what I'm second guessing is how to. Pull in people with that statement.

    Mm-hmm. Okay.

    Yeah.

    Where to, where to find them and how to get them to agree.

    Sure, sure, sure. Um, it's a big question. Um, are your clients always, um, caring for aging parents or almost exclusively ca aging, caring for aging parents?

    Um, what I have been coming across with a lot is yes, there, um, parents who are a step away from hospice or maybe in hospice, um, okay. And having to kind of change their lives to take care of their parents.

    Yep. Yep. I think that's the crux of, of what makes your marketing especially compelling. Um, so I, if I had to re, you know, kind of retool what, what you just shared with us, I think you specialize in therapy for, um.

    You know, professionals or, or children of aging parents who are, um,

    who are dealing with the very real, um, questions and challenges related to what's next for their parents and what's next for them. And have, like you said, sort of this having to, um,

    having to uproot their entire lives, you know, to to, for the sake of their parents. So here, Denise, I think what I would do is I would lean into caring for aging parents explicitly. So not just professionals who are also caregivers. 'cause that could mean so many things. I'm a, technically I'm professional and a caregiver.

    I have two dogs and two kids, you know. So I would really lean into the, um, caring for aging parents and then really hitting on that point of. Essentially have losing themselves, um, and having to forsake their own needs in, in favor of their parents. And, and all of that, that brings up along with, of course, the grief and everything else that comes with that stage.

    So I think being more explicit about that is actually gonna be very, very, um, helpful and compelling for you.

    Okay.

    Is that useful?

    Yes, absolutely.

    Awesome. Yeah. And you know, and then when it comes to how to find those folks, I mean, that's a big, that's a big marketing question. We can answer that question in a lot of ways.

    Um. This is a fairly specific niche. I don't think it's so specific that, um, there's a market for it. There are absolutely people out there that are looking for that exact type of support. It does allow you some creative, um, kind of networking and outreach opportunities. Um, you know, for you to get in with a, um, you know, hospice manager for them to be able to say, Hey, this, you know, this professional who's coming in after he just put in a 12 hour workday to see his mom.

    Here's, you know, here's the, the business card of someone. I think there's some interesting and creative outreach opportunities for you in this niche.

    Okay.

    Yeah. Is that helpful?

    Thank you.

    Awesome. You're so welcome, Denise. Alright. Gabriela, close us out here.

    Yeah, thank you. Um, I'm actually calling from the UK and Oh, wonderful.

    I'm happy you're here.

    Thank you. Uh, so this is way out of my comfort zone because we, I've not found anybody like yourself in the UK also. Uh, so I'm a counselor and mm-hmm. Um, coach. So things are slightly different in the uk as you probably know. Yeah. Anyway. Um, so if I read you what I have and, and I guess, uh, I'm looking for a little bit of reassurance as to how does it sound to you?

    Is it kind of capturing the idea of what I'm trying to come across? Okay. Yeah. If that's okay. So, um. This is far as far as I've got. Using some of your videos and things. Yeah. But because I, I guess because the market is maybe slightly different here, I it is different. I have to Yeah, it's different. Sure.

    Use slightly different language, so.

    Mm-hmm.

    Um, so my mission is to help motivate adults navigate their transition into the next stage of life on their own terms. Whether you are experiencing a life transition by choice or necessity, I offer an individually tailored counseling or therapeutic coaching approach that provides you with an opportunity to better understand why you are feeling the way you are and supports you with moving forward in a way that works for you.

    Hmm.

    Okay. It's broad, but it kind of captures hope. So I wanna say who I'm, but also kind of the scenario that they're facing.

    Yeah. Yeah. Um, so your ideal client is no doubt facing some, you know, kind of larger change in their life it sounds like. Is that accurate?

    Yeah. So, um, so as I've been listening to the last hour, 'cause I think I came in late, um, it sounds like a lot of people are really.

    Focusing on the individual, like, uh, you know, motivated adults who like professional women who are Yeah, facing redundancy and trying to work out their next career move, which would feel like the sort of thing I should be saying. But I'm not sure whether the UK is ready for that. '

    cause it's so specific.

    It's almost too specific. And is it closing down my market?

    Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. No, I hear you. Um, I've worked with a handful of, of UK clinicians, we've had a couple come through, confident Copy, and the market is different and there's just, there's no doubt about it. And I, I do agree with you that staying slightly more broad than I might recommend if you were in Brooklyn, New York City, like Kevin, we were just talking to earlier, you know, that's, I think that's strategically wise.

    Um, I, and I think I, I know who you're talking to, like I said, I'm, I'm getting that they're in a state of change. They're needing to make decisions about what's, what's, um, what's next for them. Um, motivated, is one of those other words kind of similar to high achieving where I'm like, do they know they're motivated?

    Because sometimes they wouldn't actually identify that way, and because you've led with that, they automatically disqualify themselves when actually they might be. So sometimes motivation is something you see in your clients and sometimes it's something they know about themselves. What's true of yours?

    Hmm. I guess what I was trying to say, so because I'm also a counselor and because, um, coaching is still a bit iffy here. Um, so it's, so a lot of, um, clients come with wanting to revisit the past and kind of not really wanting to take a lot of action. They just wanna. Interesting. And obviously, yeah, just review, um, you know, do some trauma work, that kind of thing.

    What I was hoping to say was motivated is that actually somebody wants to take some action here. They're here not just to go over and over and weeks and weeks of sitting.

    Yeah. And

    wallowing. I'm looking for motivator, motivated people who are actually like, you are here and like you've probably done a lot of the hard work.

    You've

    Yeah.

    Unpacked the suitcase and repacked it and you're now ready just to kind of carry it, to

    take the suitcase somewhere.

    Yeah.

    Yeah. Okay. That's

    been what you're saying, that actually that's not how that comes across. Yeah.

    Yeah. Well, but that's such good insight. I'm glad we explored that. I think you could, you could couch that a couple different ways.

    You could action oriented, you know, counseling and therapeutic coaching for people who find themselves at a crossroads in their life. I think that's still, you know, kind of communicating what it is that you're hoping for, but it's leading with that desire to actually do something. 'cause that's such good insight.

    I think you could also describe your client in your niche in, in the way you've just shared with me. So I specialize in working with adults who are ready to start making changes at the crossroads they find themselves in their life. So they can make decisions and step into the future, feeling good about what's next, or something like that.

    So I think, I think that's where we've just found an opportunity to sharpen this statement without narrowing it in. Really looking for those folks who actually wanna do something.

    Yeah.

    Is that helpful, Gabriela?

    Yeah. Super helpful.

    Okay.

    And that's, that's really valuable. Thank you so

    much for your time. I appreciate it.

    You're welcome. Absolutely. Yeah. Thanks for being here. Uh, you definitely traveled the furthest, so I'm happy we got to, we got to chat.

    Thank

    you. All righty. All this has been so wonderful. Um, I wish we could just keep going, although I was, I'm thrilled I was able to get to everyone. So if you're still here, I hope it was useful for you that you're taking away some good nuggets, whether I was able to coach you directly or not.

    Um, like I said, I will share the replay of this in the Facebook event. It'll also be available on our marketing therapy podcast. And if you would like this type of support moving forward, we would love to get to support you in, uh, confident copy. You're always welcome to send us an email if you'd like to chat more about, if that's a good fit for you.

    So thanks so much everyone. Have a wonderful rest of your week. I'm so glad you're able to be here.

    Thank you. Bye.

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Marketing Therapy is the podcast where therapists learn how to market their private practices without burnout, self-doubt, or sleazy tactics. Hosted by Anna Walker—marketing coach, strategist, and founder of Walker Strategy Co—each episode brings you clear, grounded advice to help you attract the right-fit, full-fee clients and grow a practice you feel proud of.

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