You all know me, I’m Joe Sanok, the guy that runs Practice of the Practice. I also know a bunch of you. But you don’t know one another.

After three years of blogging, podcasting, and growing this community, I wanted to introduce you to some of you.

Everyday, I get emails from people talking about amazing steps they are taking based on what they have discovered through Practice of the Practice. I invited a number of people to tell us about their private practice journey.

Today I want to introduce you to Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, Parent Coach.  I met her at The Most Awesome Conference in person but we go back quite a bit. SHe actually one the Private Practice of the Year for 2015!

Name: Mercedes Samudio, LCSW, Parent Coach

Practice: http://theparentingskill.com

Follow Mercedes on Twitter

What’s something you learned from Practice of the Practice?

I have learned that building a practice is a multi-step process. Practice of the Practice has shown me that even with multiple plates spinning as a business owner you can narrow down your focus and get specific about where you want your practice to grow.

What is your therapeutic specialty?

I specialize in family systems and parenting skills development. My focus is on building the relationships between the parent and the child through the use of empathy, nonviolent communication, emotional literacy, and human development.

• I also bring in attachment strategies to build the foundation for healthy relationship in the family.
• I work with families to be a safe space for each member.
• I help families develop healthy habits around social media and technology in their home.

What is an action you took to grow your private practice?

I began to be more specific and strategic about my social media presence. For my ideal client, they are constantly looking online for solutions to their parenting concerns. In getting specific about what I post to social media, I am alerting them to answers to their common issues and showing them that I can help.

Complete this sentence: When I first started a private practice, I…

…thought that it would be easier than it has proven to be.

How have you grown your income and influence?

I have used my online presence to grow my income and influence. As I got more strategic about my online presence, I was able to reach my ideal client more purposefully and in that obtained more calls.

I have also learned that, even online, people want to feel like you know what you are doing and that you know how to help them. So, in posting and sharing things online, I also answer questions, reply to comments, and interact with those that take the time to share their opinion on my online posts.

What’s next for you?

That’s a great question. I have a lot of ideas. But, I think the next thing for me is to bring my #EndParentShaming campaign into the forefront of my business and message in the form of a podcast and in the media.

And, I want to grow my practice beyond 1-on-1 session to having more workshops where I can change lives in a bigger group!

What is one specific podcast or article that helped you grow quickly?

I have two, sorry! But, I would say that ZynnyMe’s blog posts are so straight forward and honest about the process of building a business that I was able to use a lot of what they said without much direction. I also feel that the Practice of the Practice podcast has the same vibe – honesty and relatable tips that I can use immediately after listening.

If every counselor in the world was reading this, what would you want them to know?

What every counselor should know is this:

You are the only one who can make your practice dreams come true.

• There are so many ways to share your message with the world and you do not have to conform to a psychotherapist, weekly 1-on-1 clients model to change the world.
• Don’t let others tell you how to spread your message of healing and don’t give up when it gets tough!
• It’s hard to build a practice the traditional way, and it’s hard to build a practice your way, ask yourself which path you want to give your energy too.

What are 2-3 resources you love? How do you use them to grow your practice?

I use Hootsuite to post to my social media platforms. In getting specific about what I post, I look at times of the year, holidays, special events so that I can provide support and help during those times through my posts.

I use my business coach’s online community more than anything to help me process business ideas, for support, and for accountability. I think we sometimes forget how important support is for growing a practice, and that no matter how many ideas you have you can’t move forward with the support of a solid community.

Joseph R. Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC

Joe Sanok is an ambitious results expert. He is a private practice business consultant and counselor that helps small businesses and counselors in private practice to increase revenue and have more fun! He helps owners with website design, vision, growth, and using their time to create income through being a private practice consultant.

Joe was frustrated with his lack of business and marketing skills when he left graduate school. He loved helping people through counseling, but felt that often people couldn’t find him. Over the past few years he has grown his skills, income, and ability to lead others, while still maintaining an active private practice in Traverse City, MI.

To link to Joe’s Google+ .