WP 42 | Growing Your Practice in an Unexpected Way with Stephanie Korpal and Christy Pennison
Greetings, dear listeners of The Wise Practice Podcast! Welcome back to another captivating episode where we delve deep into the realm of expanding your practice in a manner that may catch you off guard. I am your host, Whitney Owens, and today we are joined by two extraordinary guests - Stephanie Korpal and Christy Pennison. Prepare yourself to uncover the untapped potential of collaboration as we embark on this journey through their shared wisdom.
About Our Special Guests
Stephanie Korpal and Christy Pennison are both group practice owners with multiple locations. Both women are passionate about their group practices, teams, and communities they serve--Stephanie in St. Louis and Chicago, Christy in central Louisiana (Alexandria and Natchichoes to be exact). That passion also extends to fellow group practice owners, a role they both know takes so much! Together, they have founded and launched a unique, special place for group practice bosses to connect, collaborate, and crush it. Their business, The Practice Collab, is designed to help practice owners work less, make more, and live most.
The Dynamic Duo: Cultivating Relationships and Thriving Together
Stephanie and Christy kickstart the conversation with a profound insight: "As Christie mentioned, one without the other will not lead you to where you can truly go." It's all about combining the enchantment of mentorships and collaborations. They emphasize the importance of nurturing both types of relationships in order to achieve a harmonious and successful practice. They underscore that while this journey is incredibly rewarding, it requires time, commitment, and a willingness to learn from our missteps.
Stephanie wisely acknowledges, "It takes a toll on you, and it takes a couple of years to reach that point...to discover more about yourself and how to overcome self-imposed obstacles." The key takeaway here? You don't have to navigate this path alone. Collaboration is the secret ingredient that transforms isolation into connection, and blunders into invaluable lessons.
ROI on Collaboration: Saving Time, Energy, and Resources
The duo delves into the ROI (Return on Investment) of collaboration, shedding light on how it can revolutionize your practice. Christy explains, "One aspect she's referring to is simply the return for your mental energy and emotional well-being." Collaborators become an invaluable support system that empowers you to navigate challenges with enhanced efficiency.
Christy beautifully articulates the value of collaboration: "It saves you time; it saves you money...the sharing of resources...can prove immensely cost-effective." Both Stephanie and Christy emphasize the importance of leveraging the experiences and knowledge of others, enabling you to accelerate your growth.
Combating Solitude and Overwhelming Decision-Making
As the conversation unfolds, they uncover yet another hidden gem of collaboration: combating loneliness. Christy shares, "Loneliness is a genuine experience because even within collaboration, one can still feel lonely. However, I do believe that collaboration helps alleviate that feeling of isolation." Stephanie adds an intriguing perspective: "Another aspect I appreciate about conversing with fellow practice owners is that they are the only ones who truly comprehend the nature of your profession." They emphasize that connecting with fellow practice owners provides a unique space for validation and understanding.
Taking the First Step: Discovering Your Tribe
Wondering how to dive into collaboration? Stephanie and Christy reassure us that taking the first step is paramount. Christy emphasizes, "You simply have to initiate it...most practice owners are quite open to engaging in conversations." They suggest reaching out through local community groups, social media platforms, or even joining existing communities. Stephanie eloquently summarizes it by stating,"You can never have too many friends who are also group practice owners." The power of connection and shared experiences can transform your journey from a solitary struggle into a collaborative adventure.
Investing in Yourself: The Path to Growth and Fulfillment
Transitioning into the realm of investment, Christy opens up about her personal journey:"I have invested an amount equivalent to purchasing a new vehicle in consulting and coaching...this investment has enabled me to learn how to grow in a sustainable manner." Both Stephanie and Christy echo the sentiment that investing in oneself yields immense rewards, leading to a more enriched and fulfilling life.
Unveiling The Practice Collab and Beyond
The conversation concludes with an exhilarating announcement - the birth of "The Practice Collab." Stephanie and Christy share their passion for creating spaces where collaboration, intentional work, and community thrive. Through virtual coworking weekends, in-person collaborations, and ongoing support, they are crafting a unique experience that assists you in navigating overwhelm and achieving your goals.
And, let us not forget to explore Christy's podcast, "Inspiring Possible," where you will discover tales of individuals who transformed their dreams into reality.
Action Steps: Your Path to Thriving Collaboration
Feeling inspired and ready to take action? Here are a few steps to get started:
Reach Out: Don't hesitate to initiate conversations with fellow practice owners and therapists in your community.
Invest in Yourself: Consider consulting, coaching, or collaborative experiences as an investment in your growth and well-being.
Create Connection: Whether through existing communities or new ventures, seek out spaces that foster collaboration and intentional work.
Mark Your Calendar: Stay informed about upcoming events, like the Wise Practice Summit, where you can learn from experts like Stephanie and further your practice journey.
Show Sponsor
Green Oak Accounting: GreenOak Accounting is a firm that specializes in helping mental health practices like yours better understand their business finances!
Join Profit First Academy: The Fall enrollment for the Profit First Academy opens on August 25th and closes at midnight on Labor Day! And the first 50 people to enroll will receive a free Instant Assessment video review from one of the GreenOak Profit First experts! You don’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity!
Links and Resources
Podcast Production and Show Notes by Course Creation Studio
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WP 42 | Growing Your Practice in an Unexpected Way with Stephanie Korpal and Christy Pennison
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Whitney Owens: Hello friends and welcome back to The Wise Practice Podcast. I hope you're having a awesome summer. It is hot here in Savannah. Actually, I was walking around outside today thinking it feels cooler than it did last week, and today the high is 91, so, but I also know that you might be in an even hotter place, and so I hope you're staying cool.
Whitney Owens: And that your summer's going awesome. So today you're gonna hear from my good friends Christie Pennon and Stephanie Corporal this interview. I did this interview last week, and it just brought so much joy to my heart. And I will just be honest. I had no idea that they were going to become so vulnerable and so kind to me.
Whitney Owens: And by the end, there are some tears being shed, which is not something that you have on every podcast interview. And so I am a huge proponent of community. In fact, I would say, someone asked me actually last week in my mastermind group, like, why do you do what you do? And I was like, well, I do it because I wanna see faith-based practice owners, find community and like money.
Whitney Owens: Sure, that's fine. But to tell you the honest truth, I just wanna see practice owners go to their full potential, help more clients and connect with one another. And I love that kind of work that I get to do. And so on the interview, Christie and Stephanie share about kind of their interactions with me and how they met each other and the impact that God allowed me to make in their lives.
Whitney Owens: And I was super humbled and encouraged because even, you know, as a practice owner, sometimes we get down and out on ourselves and we feel like we're not going anywhere or does our work really matter? And I've really been actually questioning and praying through what are my next steps with, um, this consulting business and where do I wanna go next?
Whitney Owens: And, Sometimes I get discouraged and wonder what kind of difference it makes. And then you hear these stories and you're just like, wow. Like this is why we do what we do. And I'm sure you can point to stories within your own practice and people who've found healing and counseling and you're like, wow, this is why I do what I do.
Whitney Owens: And so I'm excited for you to hear from them. Hear their stories, but also see the success that they've had in their own private practices and within their special business that they run together, which they're gonna talk about today. But as I was thinking about the interview and doing your intro today, I just want you to know that I'm here for you.
Whitney Owens: And if you are wanting to know how to start a group practice, or maybe you're wanting to know how to add profit, maybe you're wanting to know how to integrate faith, all the things. I love this work, please reach out to me. My email's Easy. whitney@whitneyowens.com. I wanna know what's going on in your practice.
Whitney Owens: How can I help you? And if you're looking for a sense of community, maybe you're feeling lonely and running your private practice, I have that for you too. It's the Wise Practice Membership Community. Um, I do usually only open the door certain times of the year, but if you send me an email, I'd be happy to jump on a call and talk about that community with you.
Whitney Owens: Because the truth is I don't want you to be lonely running your practice. I wanna help equip you for the things that you need and you'll honestly help equip others like we all work together to do this important work that we're doing. So wise, practice membership, community. If you wanna know more, you can go to my website, whitney owens.com or shoot me an email atWhitney@whitneyowens.com and I would love to hang out and talk with you about that, and I'm just really excited to be able to share my friends, Christie and Stephanie with you.
Whitney Owens: They are awesome. And they have so much to offer and I'm just really honored and proud to watch their journey and what they're doing for the mental health community and for private practice owners. And so you're gonna benefit a lot from this interview. So we're gonna jump in here to episode number 42 on growing your practice in an unexpected way.
Whitney Owens: Well today I have some great friends here on the podcast. I'll just say that I love interviewing people, but if I can interview two people, that's like double amazing. So I'm excited to introduce you guys to some friends that I have had for years, um, here on the show. And I wanna tell you a little bit about both of them.
Whitney Owens: And then we're gonna jump into the episode. I have Stephanie Corporal here and I love. Bios when people give me their Enneagram number. So Stephanie is a one on the Enneagram, so that means that she gets lost in the fine details and making all things work. Um, but she's got her partner here, Christie Peterson, who's a second foot on the Enneagram.
Whitney Owens: Yeah. Who brings all. All right. I love it. Okay. Who helps take leaps off the cliff, um, and helps bring everything together. So the two of them are a duo that's unleashed. Um, but to tell you a little about each of them, both of them are group practice owners. Stephanie has Marble Wellness that has two locations in St.
Whitney Owens: Louis and in Chicago. And then Christia is located in Alexandria, Louisiana, and her practice is called Be Inspired Counseling and Consulting. So I'm happy to have both
Christy Pennison: of you here on the show today. Yeah. Thanks for, thanks for having us. Having us. You know what? And it just warms my heart, Whitney, that you said we are your friends.
Christy Pennison: 'cause I feel that way too. But for so long you are our mentor. So let's like, go ahead and get a history of our relationship in here. Mm-hmm. So, yay.
Whitney Owens: Yay. Yeah. Well, you know, mom, people tell you sometimes not to make friendships and work relationships intermingled. Yeah, I don't do that very well. Yeah. I think that everyone I work with is still my friend.
Whitney Owens: Mm-hmm.
Stephanie Korpal: At any point in the journey, just business, I mean, there's so much need for friendship in our roles, and so when you find people, you hit it off with it just, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you cut them as a strictly
Christy Pennison: professional relationship. Yeah, that's right. Totally. And it makes doing it funner and funner, that's a word by the way.
Stephanie Korpal: You know, we're at the end of the week. I just think that this, it's gonna be one of those days.
Whitney Owens: That's awesome. Alright, so today we're going to kind of talk through this idea of like growing your business. I think people have all these ideas, right? They come to us and they're like, how do I grow my business?
Whitney Owens: And you're like, we gotta do your marketing, you gotta hire people, you gotta do yada, yada, yada. All the things. But you two have something to present that's unexpected in the way that we grow our business.
Christy Pennison: Very unexpected. And I guess it starts with our story of how we actually got to know each other.
Christy Pennison: Mind you, while we were sitting in some consulting with Whitney. So Stephanie, I'll let you tell a little bit about the story of how things got started and how it's helped us in an unexpected way.
Stephanie Korpal: Yeah, you know, Whitney, even you just talking about the things that you needed to grow a business, had like a checklist appear in my brain and I've even got like a little bit of like tight again, just kind of thinking about back in those days because like you need a checklist, but there isn't a really, actually, I remember just wanting somebody to
Christy Pennison: tell me what kind of printer I needed for a group practice.
Christy Pennison: Like that's, that's getting
Stephanie Korpal: stuck
Whitney Owens: on
Stephanie Korpal: in the midst of everything else, but it does play into the story so. Christie and I were in a small accountability group together, um, that I joined at the beginning of 2020. She had been
Christy Pennison: in the group for I think only
Stephanie Korpal: a couple months longer than that. So beginning of 2020, around February is when I joined, and then pandemic hit as we all remember.
Christy Pennison: And so Christie missed a
Stephanie Korpal: couple meetings around like May or June, and then I missed a couple in July and maybe August. And so. We had spent maybe 5, 6, 8 hours together. And then in September we were both back in the group and a couple weeks later I messaged her on, in the
Christy Pennison: Zoom chat on the side. This is probably a group that you were leading, Whitney, that she was messaging me on the side when you're probably trying to teach us something.
Christy Pennison: Okay. I am gonna call out my friend over here. Okay. Go ahead, Stephanie. No, this would,
Stephanie Korpal: no, we're more respectful
Christy Pennison: most of the time in our learning. We are, we are. I'm really just joking. Um,
Stephanie Korpal: and she and I were both getting ready to hire our first therapist to go from solo practice to group practice. And I was just kind of as, as we know for those who knows me, know me like this is not hard to imagine, but I was starting to get a little wild about having everything ready to go ahead of having this first hire's first day.
Stephanie Korpal: And I just knew that if I was at home
Christy Pennison: trying to get all of
Stephanie Korpal: this together, I wouldn't be as productive as I could be if I was out of no laundry, grocery
Christy Pennison: shopping, somebody texting you to go to dinner. Um,
Stephanie Korpal: it's easier to kind of separate yourself from clients when you're in a different space. So I had decided to spend a weekend in Nashville to just hammer it all out, and I kid you not.
Stephanie Korpal: She and I had spent no more than 12 hours together, probably closer to
Christy Pennison: nine or 10. I
Stephanie Korpal: missed a from the side of this Zoom meeting and just said, I'm going to Nashville for a weekend. I have an Airbnb. Do you wanna meet me there? And also work to put together the things that you need in place to hire your first therapist?
Whitney Owens: And
Stephanie Korpal: she said, I'll check my calendar and get back to you. And three or four hours later messaged me and
Whitney Owens: said, I'm free that weekend.
Stephanie Korpal: I'll see you there. So, I knew this person hardly at all, and I can underscore that point by telling you that when I went to pick her up at the airport in Nashville, we were using Facebook Messenger to communicate with each other because we didn't even have each other's phone numbers.
Stephanie Korpal: Um, but that weekend we just hammered out the work, sat at these dining room tables and just went for it and just got. Got so much done and really were able to use each other's brains and just talk things out and just be in a space where other people understood where you were and what you were trying to do.
Stephanie Korpal: And I could look up in the middle of typing in employee handbook and say, you know, are you gonna do it? Do it this way or this way, or do I even need that policy yet, or, Things like
Christy Pennison: that and, and those sorts of live working
Stephanie Korpal: moments are what helped me at least. And I think most other people actually cross the finish line instead of getting to a place where you're finally working on something, but then there is a stuck point.
Stephanie Korpal: But then it takes a couple of days to set up a meeting or a phone call with a friend who can help you talk it through. But by then you've already moved on to something else on your to-do list. And so it just takes so many start and stop iterations before you can actually finish something. And so that's what I really value about weekends like that and other types of working environment.
Stephanie Korpal: She and I now set up to be able to take things across the finish line,
Christy Pennison: but back to the friendship. So that's how
Stephanie Korpal: we met. That's how we became friends. Um, and now she's one of my best friends
Christy Pennison: and we go on vacation together. We leave the country together. We
Stephanie Korpal: talk in some form almost every day.
Christy Pennison: Um,
Stephanie Korpal: all from just being able to collaborate somebody who gets it.
Stephanie Korpal: Hmm,
Whitney Owens: I love it. Just warms my heart
Christy Pennison: to hear your story. I know. Well, and you are a part of it too. Like seriously, I can remember during this coworking the first time we ever did this, and so then we started doing it on repeat and realized, wow, this is really helping us. But the first time we sat down, Winnie, I can remember we had Water's edge counseling employee manual up on the screen and Stephanie's real being modest about like asking question, I was probably, she'd probably be in a workflow and I'd be like, oh, what about this and this?
Christy Pennison: And then like, she probably was at one point, like, Christie, will you just. Be quiet and let me get this thing done. But we, we really did, we, we found that through collaboration. What the unexpected thing for us and has been over the past several years is that it really has allowed us to have spaces where we were able to get way more done than we ever thought possible because we had people in the space with us giving real time feedback over an extended period of time, which, you know, Whitney, like a lot of times you can learn a lot of stuff and you're like, okay, I'm gonna go and do this thing.
Christy Pennison: Mm-hmm. And then it's like two months later. That thing is still on your list of things to implement. Oh yeah. That you just haven't had time to do.
Whitney Owens: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, even sitting and listening to you guys, I'm thinking of all the times I sat across the dining room table from somebody in an Airbnb or at a retreat or you know, and I remember those were when the big things happened.
Whitney Owens: I mean, I launched my summit tickets. Sitting across from other practice owners. You know, and this is where I got some of my best ideas. I mean, my mastermind group, we're out on a boat together, you know, talking through like our next steps in our business. And so I totally am in line with you guys. Um, and now I am also gonna brag on Stephanie for a second.
Whitney Owens: 'cause now I'm thinking about things. So that would've been when we were working together individually, right? Mm-hmm. And I was helping you start your group practice. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, and I'll say when you look back at your rock stars, Of consulting. Stephanie is one of the rock stars. I mean, you, you did like a, yeah, you did like a six month package and I think you had two people hired and an admin by the end, if I remember
Christy Pennison: correctly.
Christy Pennison: And look, that's so funny. We need, 'cause I can remember 'cause we didn't know each other. Right. And I remember in that first time we did this like collaboration experience is what we're calling it nowadays. But um, I remember her had just signed up. With you. Mm-hmm. Because she's like, I'm gonna get consulting from Whitney.
Christy Pennison: Yes. That is that. That's right. Timeline Whitney. You gotta go. Yeah.
Whitney Owens: And, and I think it just, I think that speaks not only to how incredible you are, Stephanie, but it also speaks to this idea of what we're talking about is collaboration. And so you were getting the consulting, which is really beneficial. Of course.
Whitney Owens: Huge.
Christy Pennison: Of huge,
Whitney Owens: right? Yeah, yeah. And but you're also like getting that comradery. And so you can't, like, I think sometimes people wanna separate one from the other, but you really need the whole package.
Christy Pennison: You really do. Yeah. Ahead, Christine. No, and that, and that is so true because I think, you know, whenever you are starting a practice, whether it be from solo or whether you're a group practice, I mean, you can feel a lot of feelings from like overwhelm, juggling all the things, feeling lonely and having to make decisions.
Christy Pennison: Worrying about if you do get employees about them, navigating your personal feelings. I mean, all the things, wanting to level up and not knowing how to do it. Do I have time? Do what? You know, and I think that you. Definitely benefit. I know me and Stephanie would not be here without the consultants that have poured into us, including, and you're one of those, Whitney, like we would not be at the level of where our practices are without the fact that we had consulting, but we would've not been at the level of our practices are either, without the collaboration that we've had with other practice owners that are going through the same things as us and having different perspectives to be able to speak into us and then help with that decision making.
Christy Pennison: We wouldn't, yeah. Definitely.
Stephanie Korpal: Yeah. 'cause there's so much to be said about receiving wisdom from those ahead of you and learning from their expertise and their journey. And then to really aid that learning is the processing with someone at the same time, right? Mm-hmm. And symbiotic relationship of both of those.
Stephanie Korpal: Like Christie said, one without the other will not get you. To where you can go, but both in tandem and nurturing both of those types of relationships, mentorships. Collaborations really can get you to the point in the business that you have figured out how to work less. You have figured out how to be making more, and you have figured out how to be living your life in a way that you actually dreamed about when you got into this.
Stephanie Korpal: But that takes a lot. It takes a lot out of you, and it takes a couple years to get there and
Christy Pennison: takes a
Stephanie Korpal: lot of mistakes and hardships and man learning about yourself and how to get out of your own way or. Things like that, and you just cannot do it. By yourself, even though so often. So many people
Christy Pennison: do. Yeah, and I think if you do do it by yourself, you do run the risk of, unless you are just like, you know, really good self-reflective, have amazing support system, and maybe spend hours in therapy.
Christy Pennison: I don't know, maybe if you have that combination, but I would do think that you can do it by yourself, but it doesn't mean that you're gonna feel really lonely and isolated. And I think. We even have had this experience talking to other practice owners that we meet for the first time that haven't had the same experience as us, where we've, they've maybe have had the consulting and then they've maybe missed the piece, or maybe they've had the consulting and not had the collaborative piece and.
Christy Pennison: What I have found is that sometimes they feel really at a place of burnout or just loneliness in the decision making. Because the more your business grows, the more you know you do get disconnected from, you know, what your day-to-day operations in a business versus like when you started, you know, 'cause I can remember when I started, you know, we used to.
Christy Pennison: Meet in the waiting area with my team and you know, we would like eat, we'd, everybody would order their own food for their staff meeting and it would be only a few of us, and we'd sit and talk about where we wanna go things now. But then as it grows, it's like you can no longer do that anymore. So you do have almost a disconnection, even though you're still trying to be connected to your team in meaningful ways, which is why I think it's even more important that you have connection with other people that are in the same space or similar spaces to you to help you navigate all of that.
Christy Pennison: Other decision making and just life helping you refocus on prioritizing your life when you get away from that.
Whitney Owens: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the more your business grows, the more you need to make time for you and working on your business, you know? And that includes these relationships we're talking about. Mm-hmm.
Whitney Owens: Yeah. So, um, before we got going, we were kind of talking about some of the benefits of collaboration. Could you go into some of those?
Stephanie Korpal: Yeah, Christie, you do a really good job talking about the like bottom
Christy Pennison: line ROIs, but there's definitely a consideration
Stephanie Korpal: to. How much like time and angst can be saved by working with people?
Stephanie Korpal: How much of your mental energy can be saved by collaborating with others and really what it can do for your bottom line, if we're gonna just be straight up about it? So I think Christie and I can both definitely speak to, um, Just the amount of leveling up we've been able to do by working with other people.
Stephanie Korpal: Um, but yeah. Christie, I'll let you talk a little bit about the R o I on Time, energy
Christy Pennison: and money. Yeah. I mean, so one of the ROIs she's talking about is just the return for your mental energy and your emotional space and just being able to have somebody to even vent to if you need to. I mean, I have called up a few of my collaborators and been like, ah, This is what happened today.
Christy Pennison: I just need somebody to listen and hold the space that understands so you are able to move through things quicker. That may have come up unexpectedly in your practice when you have people that you can collaborate with and process that information with. That is number one. I think another thing that you have that you get out of this that you might not have if you're not in collaboration is.
Christy Pennison: Just the fact that you can make decisions and find solutions sooner than you would if you're trying to figure it out on your own, because somebody may have already solved the problem that you're trying to solve. Mm-hmm. I can think about one of our friends even today who, you know, lost their VA unexpectedly.
Christy Pennison: Okay. And I got an email that I saw that I didn't know if they had seen, and it was actually about Uriah's, uh, VA company. Yeah. And I forwarded it to that person. Right. So that's the power of collaboration is that, They may not know their solution, but you have a team of people working to help you find a solution quicker, and what that means is that it actually saves you time.
Christy Pennison: It saves you money, okay? Mm-hmm. Let's just be real. Sometimes sharing resources that you've had or that you've acquired can save you A lot of you know, money. Oh my gosh.
Stephanie Korpal: The amount of things that I have sent to our group practice owner friends, is.
Christy Pennison: Unbelievable. Yeah. Me and Steph talked about this. We're like return.
Christy Pennison: Yeah. If you had to pay for all of this stuff, how much would that cost? A lot. But then when you're, or is the time to come up with it yourself is all That's right. Like if I've already created this like checklist on how to onboard effectively all of my, um, my team members, and then somebody's like, Hey, I'm working on an onboarding process and I can send you mine.
Christy Pennison: If you're not gonna have to start from scratch to create one that fits your practice, you know? Mm-hmm. I'm thinking about, we'll go back to the employee manual that, you know, yeah. We had with Whitney, right? Like it's a lot easier to start with other people's stuff and then create your own out of that than having to, and so that is also another power.
Christy Pennison: Of collaboration, it just helps you move through from the idea phase, or I'm trying to solve a problem phase to the implementation phase a lot quicker. And then if you can save yourself time and do that more efficiently, then ultimately in the end you can step away and enjoy your life. Okay. Or
Stephanie Korpal: even enjoy other parts of the business,
Christy Pennison: you know?
Christy Pennison: That's right. You can do other things
Stephanie Korpal: too. There is something to, it's, no, it's big to talk about life, but it's also big to talk about. It simplifies your
Christy Pennison: business life in a way too. And then it opens up space for you to work on other big ideas that you are passionate about, that you can say like, I wanna put this out into the world, but I've never had the time or space.
Christy Pennison: Well, because I've been collaborating and it's freed up some of my mental energy. Then I can actually then put the energy into these other passion projects that I have, that I, that I'd like to move the needle on.
Whitney Owens: Yeah. Yeah. You know, thinking about someone I've talked to recently, About a week ago, and she was talking about being lonely in private practice.
Whitney Owens: I mean, she has group practice, faith-based, you know, and she was like, I just don't have anyone to talk to about what's going on and decisions I have to make and, and so I am guessing there's a lot of people that feel that way and maybe people listening to the show, like, how do you find these other people?
Stephanie Korpal: Yeah. I find that most group practice owners are pretty receptive to being talked to. Right? And so there's a, there's an element of putting yourself out there that I think is really important, even if, you know, you're a little bit introverted or feel like you have enough friends personally, but. Most practice owners are
Christy Pennison: either because they've been there before
Stephanie Korpal: or because they are there now, um, are so willing to build those
Christy Pennison: relationships.
Christy Pennison: And so if, and you're, if you're in any space, a local community Facebook group for therapists or you know, Whitney, if it's a listener of your
Stephanie Korpal: podcast or a consulting client of yours, you have a Facebook group and just. Can anyone connect with me? You know, just put yourself
Christy Pennison: out there because. Can't have enough group practice with their friends, I don't think.
Stephanie Korpal: Um, and, and pe other people are longing for connection and cutting against that isolation and
Christy Pennison: overwhelm as well.
Stephanie Korpal: So, but a lot of times you just have to take
Christy Pennison: the first step. Yeah, and I think that's it. I mean, the loneliness is a real thing because you could even be in collaboration and still feel lonely.
Christy Pennison: But I do think that collaboration helps decrease that feeling of loneliness. And I think about really loneliness and decision making because you can vent or you can express how you're feeling, and then people validate your feeling. No, which is really great. I mean, we're all therapists here, so a lot of.
Christy Pennison: Feeling validation goes a long way, but it also helps you then move from that stuck place of like, man, I'm just overwhelmed by this thing that happened to actually like moving through it. I. By people giving suggestions or feedback. And you don't have to take it all, but it's either finding a community that is already created, which is one of the things that we're working on doing this collabor, is it's not a membership, it's collabor.
Christy Pennison: Um, so you can either join a community or you can create one. 'cause that's what me and Steph did. We just created it and it started out with two people and now it's grown. Little bit by little bit, you know? And so there are people out there, I think is a great point, is sometimes you just have to be the one that says, Hey, like, can I put these people together?
Christy Pennison: Or it's like, well, can I join something that's already been created and mm-hmm. But I think you'll find, just like Steph said, most practice owners get it. And so they're like, yes. Just enroll me and tell me how I can come be a part. And I think then if you show up consistently, what you'll realize is that then you actually look forward to those times where you can really move the needle forward with other people.
Christy Pennison: And your point.
Stephanie Korpal: This is a little bit of a random thing, but I feel like it has to be said. But the other thing I love about talking to group practice owners is they're the only, only only other ones who get what your job is. Because I literally can't describe what I do in a week in a concise manner.
Stephanie Korpal: Right. So people are ask me how many
Christy Pennison: clients I see. I'm like, oh, down to
Stephanie Korpal: like five to 10 a week. But, and you, you don't supervise your people? No, I have a clinical director. You have a bookkeeper? Mm-hmm. So what do you do? And I'm like, stuff I don't know.
Christy Pennison: I can't tell you. And there's no lot stuff. Decent way to
Stephanie Korpal: describe what my week is as a group practice owner.
Stephanie Korpal: Without me feeling like I'm doing a bad job and talking about it in a way that makes me seem like I don't work. And so there's also just validation around being with other people who
Whitney Owens: have the same job that you do, which
Stephanie Korpal: is
Christy Pennison: kind of indescribable. Yeah, and if you declare your intention of where you wanna go, then they hold you accountable to that intention, which without accountability, I don't know about you, but I can make excuses for Y to not to do a lot of stuff.
Christy Pennison: But if I say, Hey, I wanna work less, and that is my goal this next year because I wanna do X, Y, Z. When you're in collaboration and when you're in community, then people are holding you to that goal. They're saying, Hey, are you following up on the things that you set an intention to do? And you know, we all, nothing's a straight line, so we might go over here, we might go over there.
Christy Pennison: But still, always having that accountability factor too helps you really, you know, honor the intentions you created for yourself in your practice. Mm-hmm.
Whitney Owens: Definitely. Yeah. Talking about the idea of investment in yourself. And I have found, when I work with people or I see them within the Wise Practice community or within other communities, it's been the ones that show up the most, that get the most benefit.
Whitney Owens: You know? And I, it's unfortunate. I feel like therapists really struggle to show up 'cause they think they have to have these sessions and do these things so that they're missing the actual thing that's gonna help them, or they don't wanna invest their money, their time, whatever. But then they don't level up the way they want to.
Whitney Owens: They don't have the life they wanna have. And so just saying that we have to give up some things that might seem so important, but at the same time, these other things are more important for us.
Christy Pennison: As well. Yeah, and I think you just hit the nail on the head here. Okay. Whitney is, you said something that even as I've reflected on our journey altogether, me and Steph's journey, um, I was just talking with this about to somebody else yesterday, but the difference is consistently showing up for yourself.
Christy Pennison: And sometimes that's hard to do, but if you're consistently showing up, In a community, it becomes a little bit easier because what I've learned about myself as a human being, a therapist, a group practice owner, a mom, is I can show up all day long for everybody else. It's harder for me to show up for myself.
Christy Pennison: So the, the hack I've given myself is this collaboration because then I know other people are depending on me showing up in this group, right. That I'm gonna get. Mm-hmm. I'm gonna give stuff to, but I'm also gonna get stuff to, and in turn what happens is then it actually benefits me. So I do it kind of selfishly, right?
Christy Pennison: But it's like a mind thing. Like if I put this on my calendar, I know I'm gonna show up 'cause these other people are depending on me to show up, but they're also showing up for me and ultimately it's gonna help me as well. Mm-hmm. Well I'm so glad you talked
Stephanie Korpal: about the investment and showing up Whitney, because I mean, if Christy and I are gonna be
Stephanie Korpal: completely honest, it's us showing up in the group that you were mentoring.
Stephanie Korpal: That's right. That has gotten us where, where we are, I. I remember showing up to office hours when I didn't have a question. Um, just because I was like, I might need this information in a year. I don't know when this question's gonna come up for me or because I just longed for that connection and I was just in a place where, Yeah, there was something else to do, but I needed that community and I knew it would be an hour that felt good, even if it wasn't immediately relevant.
Stephanie Korpal: I remember going to insurance-based talks that you guys had just so I could make sure I
Christy Pennison: kind of had that
Stephanie Korpal: information in the back of my head if I ever did become an insurance-based practice or just so I could talk to another group practice owner who took insurance and have enough information to be a relevant part of the conversation and.
Stephanie Korpal: It was consistently showing up in those groups, but also being part of a group where you find other people who give so freely. I mean, the amount of resources Christie and I have had because of people like you who have gone before us and just so generously give of that
Christy Pennison: is how
Stephanie Korpal: we are where we are, which is, you know, two and a half years after hiring.
Stephanie Korpal: We both have
Christy Pennison: two locations, double digit therapists.
Whitney Owens: Um, I mean,
Stephanie Korpal: we could not have done that in that timeframe without these communities that we've participated in. And I'll start to
Christy Pennison: cry. I know Christie's already good. Best investment ever. Yeah. She's already seeing me get teary eyed. Um,
Stephanie Korpal: but we'd still be dragging along.
Stephanie Korpal: Probably. It would be fine.
Christy Pennison: And maybe we'd be where we are. But would we be as happy to No, we wouldn't. I wouldn't, would we be, my systems would be a wreck. Um,
Stephanie Korpal: my policies would've taken so much more to figure out because how do you decide how much p t o to start
Christy Pennison: with? I'd probably be not profitable. Yeah.
Christy Pennison: And our practice might be going down to the toilet. Okay. You know what I'm saying? That's possible. Yeah. Yeah. And that, but yeah. And being in those communities, not
Stephanie Korpal: only do our businesses thrive, but. You know, our, our business identity as a owner thrives ourself as a person thrives. My spirituality has thrived a ton through these relationships, one-on-one, small group, large group.
Stephanie Korpal: Um, and it just, it just wouldn't have been possible.
Christy Pennison: Doing it by
Stephanie Korpal: myself or just through a disconnected
Christy Pennison: Facebook group I was part of. So if you are listening right now and you have not invested in any type of consulting or collaborative experience, please run to your nurse consultant, a k a Whitney Owens.
Christy Pennison: Yes, it's so true and gets you some help. Okay. It's as fact based as anything can be.
Whitney Owens: Yeah, I mean, and I appreciate you saying those things, and even for me, I mean, I did two years of consulting before. When I started my group practice and beyond and then still continued and have done consulting. In fact, an episode that's launching just before this one was me with, uh, Michael Dietrich Chastain, who was a wonderful consultant for me, um, pretty recently.
Whitney Owens: So,
Christy Pennison: yeah. Yeah. Well, and I tell people, look, they would be shocked. Okay. I have spent the price of almost a new vehicle at this point in consulting and, you know, coaching and just different facets to help me learn how to grow in a way that is sustainable for me. Mm-hmm. Because when I started this, I did not want to be the burnout I had, I, I started to practice to escape burnout because I was burnout and come home and community mental health.
Christy Pennison: I said, I've got to find a way. And I'm not saying I've done it perfectly, 'cause there's times that I get overwhelmed and everything just like everybody else. But I wanted to do it in a way that was sustainable and that was gonna go the distance, that this wasn't gonna be something I was gonna do for three or five years and it was gonna be done and I was on to the next thing.
Christy Pennison: No, I wanted this to leave an impact not only for my own life, but my community. And I think you can only grow as much as you grow. You have to give yourself space and opportunities to be with people who are gonna help you grow. And as you grow, then your business will grow in a good and healthy way if you have that support system in place.
Christy Pennison: But I could talk about this all day long. Okay. 'cause I'm very passionate about it. 'cause I'm just like, I see the people struggling and I'm like, You don't have to struggle. I know you're gonna have to part with some of your maybe money that you hold tightly. You might have to part with some of your time, but you are gonna be so much more enriched and you're gonna wake up like, I love my business.
Christy Pennison: I love talking to these people. Yes, I do have to be like a crazed person sometimes. Absolutely. But I still wake up loving it, and I think you have to find that space that feeds you so that you can continue to do this work. Yeah,
Whitney Owens: definitely. So people listening are thinking, how do I get to know these ladies?
Whitney Owens: So tell 'em how to find you.
Christy Pennison: Well, we are always looking for more practice besties. Okay. I. That's one way. But you can find us by going over to our website, the practice collab, where we have details about some of the things that we offer for opportunities for collaboration, whether it be a virtual coworking, um, weekend, or it's like normally a day and a half that we do.
Christy Pennison: Sometimes we do in person collaborations where we do over a span of a few days where we meet somewhere and really co-work together, but also collaborate together. And then we are also working on a collaboration where people can come in and have the experience like we've had over consistently, over a period of time to be able to help them grow through the many challenges that they might be facing.
Christy Pennison: I. Yeah, we talk, call it a collaboration because it's different than
Stephanie Korpal: just a membership community. Um, we're, we're trying to create spaces that you can actually move through the overwhelm and get stuff done. And so the spaces that we're creating are about working in community, but. Emphasis just as much on working as community, um, and showing up with an intention of like, these are the two things I'm getting done over the next hour or two hours, and this is what I need from other people.
Stephanie Korpal: This is what I can give you. Um, because when Christy and I have worked either for an hour together or a whole weekend together, it is about not just pulling up to chat and, and processing through, it's
Christy Pennison: actually saying structured. Yeah. 15
Stephanie Korpal: minutes. I'm going to work on this. What are you working on? We'll hop back on in in a minute.
Stephanie Korpal: And so that is how we are trying to separate this from another membership
Christy Pennison: community. 'cause those have value too, but they do a lot of value. I heard there's this other really cool membership community. Whitney.
Whitney Owens: I do run a membership community. I do love it.
Stephanie Korpal: Yes, they're, they're wonderful and they exist since there's so many people doing such a good job with that.
Stephanie Korpal: We didn't want to do that as well. I. You
Christy Pennison: guys have it down? Um, yeah. And y'all, the experts. Okay. Yes, experts. Um, we're just trying to facilitate Okay. Where we could add value in in our
Whitney Owens: sector. Well, y'all have lots of value to add. I know that for sure. Um, so I do wanna plug you here for a second. Um, Christie has a podcast as well, so if you're a podcast listener and you are, 'cause you're listening to this, you should listen to her podcast.
Whitney Owens: So you wanna tell 'em a little bit about what it's, the purpose of it and a little bit about it.
Christy Pennison: Absolutely Whitney. So I did actually start a podcast this year, and honestly it was inspired by those that have gone before me. So that's why you gotta get around people that are doing cool things, like Whitney did her podcast and I'm like, man, I can remember talking about this two, two or three years ago about like, this was on my heart to do.
Christy Pennison: And so sometimes it takes time for dreams to come to life. But the podcast is called Inspiring Possible. And so if you are feeling. Stuck and you really wanna take a big idea and you want to gain traction on that and make it a reality, then that is what the podcast is all about. Um, it's about how to, and it has inspiring people that come on and just tell their stories of how they've created possibilities for their life.
Christy Pennison: And I find that when people share their stories, and I don't know about y'all, but I'm like, Ooh, if they can do it mm-hmm. Maybe I can too. And so, mm-hmm.
Whitney Owens: Definitely. And then Stephanie, you're gonna be speaking at the Wise Practice Summit
Stephanie Korpal: this October? I am. I'm so excited. Um, I need to buy my airplane ticket, but my hotel's all booked Good.
Christy Pennison: And Whitney was getting a little nervous there, like it's all cool, so I'm glad gonna walk too.
Whitney Owens: There are plenty of other hotels, but the Elida
Stephanie Korpal: is the, oh my gosh, it looks beautiful. I'm so excited to stay there. Mm-hmm. Um, yes. And I will be speaking on team culture in your group practice. And I've been reading up and studying up, and I've got a couple diff different rough drafts, so
Christy Pennison: I'm excited to present on that.
Whitney Owens: Hmm. You're gonna do a fabulous job. You've, you've done a wonderful job growing a culture in your
Christy Pennison: business. Thank you. Yes, she has. Thank
Whitney Owens: you. The two of y'all are an inspiration to me and I've really enjoyed hanging out with y'all. And, um, I wanna encourage listeners to check it out, the practice collab and also the podcast and all the other good things y'all are doing.
Whitney Owens: So thank you again for taking the time to be on the show. Is there anything
else
Christy Pennison: we didn't catch? No, I just wanted to extend appreciation. I'm sure Steph was about to do the same thing. We become like twins, you know what I mean? Start saying the same. It's gotten really scary. Yeah, it's pretty scary. So just know if you join us, you might start having some like talking at the same time, ESP moments, but I just wanna share appreciation before we get off here for Whitney because.
Christy Pennison: Truly Whitney, I know I have said this before and I'm not gonna cry. Okay. Or I may, I may, I may cry. Um, but I just really wanna acknowledge you for number one, continuing to put out all this information, especially for faith-based practice owners who are just trying to make, uh, Follow their calling that they feel to really create some impact for the people that they serve and in their communities.
Christy Pennison: And I know me personally, I would not be where, where I am today without your influence on my life. So I just wanna express that gratitude. While I can publicly. Okay. Well, yes, and
Stephanie Korpal: to piggyback on that, I can't underscore the generosity enough. I mean, the amount of things you share, but that you so authentically mean it when you root for the people you come across, um, without somebody filling your bucket because everybody takes from you in this business and that that's okay.
Stephanie Korpal: Like, but it's how it's set up. Your clients, your employees. Um, without people pouring into you, you can't make it. And you have been somebody that poured into both us a ton.
Whitney Owens: Hmm. I appreciate both of you. Well, you pour into me when you don't even know it. So needed to hear those words today. So, oh. Yeah.
Whitney Owens: Supposed to show up on camera after this.
Stephanie Korpal: I do.
Whitney Owens: Uh, well, it's been a real honor to know both of you and be a part of your journey and to even be here with you, and I look forward to the many more moments we'll have together in
the
Christy Pennison: future. I'll see you next. That's right. Me too. Woo-hoo. Thank
Stephanie Korpal: you ladies.
Stephanie Korpal: Thanks, Whitney.
