| At this juncture, the inflection point COVID caused for our industry is behind us. No more rear-view mirror talk to see whether you are back to 2019 levels. No one should want to go back to business as usual, when you can aim for better and more. The need for our services still exists and always will. What I think is more exciting is the new ways we can insert our services, our knowledge base, and what we offer the consumer and other industries. Attitudinal and regulatory barriers that came down during COVID are sticking as the industry moves forward in how we deliver care. We are starting to be able to practice across jurisdictional and state line boundaries with minimal barriers as compact agreements in many states come to fruition. I see mass scaling opportunities for many private practices and the real abilities to treat beyond the confines of a brick and mortar and traditional settings and share our expertise. Beyond being direct service providers, more and more therapists are being recognized as inventors, educators, innovators, vendors, consultants, and industry disruptors.
Practitioners are seeing that technology is not replacing us but complementing and extending what we do. It helps us position ourselves as experts in how healthcare interacts with the environment and lets us stay truly connected with our clients. We need to continue to innovate service provision by incorporating more healthcare technology into our practices. The question is not “is there an app or program for that?” but “how can I use it or how can I make it better?”
The staffing shortage predicted long before COVID remains the #1 problem to address and solve. Innovative hiring programs, incentives, and retention initiatives should continue to be in the forefront of your day-to-day operations. Alternative service provision so no one stays unserved on a wait list should happen as much as possible.
Personally, I will look back only for a moment. This was a monumental year for my consulting services. I consulted 1:1 with over 267 therapists across the country, some of you new and many of you long time and long-term clients. Whether we talked once or many times during the year does not matter; what matters is that I felt like I made an impact, imparted knowledge and advice that you were able to use to grow, prosper and make informed decisions. Wyoming is the only state where I have yet to work – now it’s a goal for 2023. To the 12 therapists whose practice sales happened in 2022, you already know how happy I am for you, and how happy you are. Zero seller remorse and yes, zero buyer remorse too. 2023 already has a deal due to close in the first two weeks and will set the stage for another big year for acquisitions. I hosted over 10 webinars attended or purchased by 5,000 plus therapists. This year I look forward to expanding my reach by turning some of my material into online courses. And all of my material is being updated as I write this.
Thank you for your ongoing vote of confidence. You can still count on me not to pitch affiliate links, click funnels, long contracts and upsell you. Your benefit, not mine, and the future of our great professions is always at the forefront of what I do. Happy new year to you and your families! xo Iris |