Ep. 143 - What's Really Holding Practitioners Back (Our Survey Results, Revisited)

This week we're bringing back Episode 96, where Whitney shared the results of a survey she sent to her audience in January. About 60 practitioners answered questions about what stage of business they're in, what they're earning, how they feel about their websites, and the one thing holding them back. Four themes came up again and again: time, marketing know-how, confidence, and cash flow – and Whitney explains how they feed each other in a loop she's been stuck in herself. In a new intro and outro recorded from Merida, Mexico, she shares why 2026 was a different kind of hard, the three lessons that helped her get out from under her own marketing, and how the survey shaped the services her team launched this year. She also announces a four-part series coming to the podcast: Getting Found Online in the Age of AI. Takeaways: Most practitioners are missing a marketing system, whatever stage they're in. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said they don't have a consistent marketing system, and that answer was spread fairly evenly across every business stage. More than half named getting consistent clients as their biggest challenge. The four barriers feed each other. Whitney describes a loop: limited time limits your marketing, limited marketing means fewer clients, that hits cash flow, and tight cash flow wears down the confidence and energy you need to market. Seeing it as a loop makes it easier to stop blaming yourself for any one piece. Low revenue is a problem to solve, and it says nothing about you as a practitioner. Of the people who shared their revenue, over half were making less than $25,000 a year. Whitney is clear that there's no judgment in that number. The question is what needs to happen to get it higher. You don't have to become a creator. Whitney's advice is to keep focusing on being a great clinician and coach, then fill in the gaps so the right people hear about you. In her words, you don't need to be a creator to be a really successful business owner. Three lessons for getting out of the overwhelm. Marketing needs a system so you can show up consistently. Put your time into marketing that gives a return, like email. And outsource some parts so the work actually gets done. Resources mentioned: Join the list for the Getting Found Online in the Age of AI series: https://whitneybateson.com/seo-series Ep. 95, Whitney's look back at 2025 - https://whitneybateson.com/ep-95-recapping-a-tough-2025-and-looking-ahead-to-2026/ Connect with Whitney: Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneybateson Email: [email protected] Subscribe & Review: If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow and leave a review! Your support helps others discover the Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.