Herbalists & Nutritionists: In the Clinic with Camille

What happens if you don't have an opt-in offer? 
Today, I want to talk about an experiment I've been running with my email list.
My email list is absolutely critical to the way I run my practice. It is my primary marketing tool, the way I stay connected with current, past, and potential clients. It's also a way for me to serve the practitioner community in general. 
As you can imagine, inviting people to sign up for my email list is important to me.
Traditionally, the advice has been to offer a freebie or opt-in incentive in exchange for an email address. And I followed that advice for a long time.
Over the years, I started feeling less and less comfortable with it. I didn't want to manipulate people into signing up for my list. I wanted them to genuinely want to hear from me and be interested in what I had to offer.
So, last fall, I decided to try something different. I took all of my freebies and made them available on my website, no email address needed. And, instead of offering a freebie in exchange for an email address, I now invite people to sign up for my weekly practitioner notes if they want them. 
It's working just as well. In fact, I've been getting more sign-ups than before (which may or may not be related to this particular change...).
The message here isn't that this is the right way to do things or that you should/should not have a freebie for your email list. Your audience may be different, and you may choose to one or more incentives to get them to sign up.
But, it's worth thinking about.
Do you need an opt-in offer? Do you want one?
Are you clearly articulating the reasons someone might want to be on your email list? Are you following through on those promises? And, how can you make all of this clear when you're inviting someone to sign up?
A bit of food for thought as you ponder your own email list & how you invite folks to sign up for it.
If you're looking to devote some time and energy to your email list in the upcoming months, stay tuned.
I'm planning  a few fun events/courses that relate to email newsletters over the next few months 🤩
Helpful Links for Practitioners
Monday Mentoring 🌻
Camille's Weekly Practitioner Notes 💌
Herbal Observation Groups 🔍
2023 Hormone Deep Dive 🍒
Practitioner Resource page 🔦
Freebies 🎁
-- Leave a voice message for Camille: https://www.intheclinic.com 

​If you're new to clinical practice, you might be tempted to investigate common marketing techniques to help you find more clients.
Unfortunately, many of the strategies you'll hear about won't necessarily get you the kinds of results you're looking for.
​In this episode, I share a story about a marketing expert who recommended working scarcity into your marketing to fill up your one-on-one practice. In this case, someone I know wound up saying they had only have a limited number of spots available, even ​that wasn't the case.
While this might seem like a ​reasonable way to encourage people to sign up, it's not a good foundation to build from.
​Starting a relationship with deception is never a good idea. You don't want to build your ​relationship with a new client on a lie, even if the client will never know the truth.
Secondly, pushing people to sign up when they're not ready can cause a natural pushback, which can lead to them feeling manipulated or skeptical.
Even if they do decide to work with you, they're entering the relationship in a different position than if they had made the decision on their own.
Instead of pushing people, give them the space and let them know the options for working with you, including when and how they can sign up when they're ready.
​It might take longer to build your practice this way, but ​winding up with a practice build on solid values and strong relationships is worth it.
​If you feel that deadlines are helpful for your clientele, ​play around with how you can incorporate them authentically, without making it feel like it's their last opportunity to work with you or that they'll be missing out if they don't sign up now.
​I hope these ideas are helpful as you plan out how to find new clients for your practice
Related episode: 47 | On Having Another Job
--- Send in a voice message: https://intheclinic.com 

Why bother to show up when you can watch the recording?
Today, I'm sharing a simple yet often overlooked strategy for building your visibility and relationships within your community.
Finding clients and getting the word out about your practice can be a real challenge, especially when you're just starting out. It's easy to find yourself stressing over sending cold outreach emails to other practitioners or spending lots of time on social media in the hopes of building your referral network.
But there's another option that can make a huge difference: just show up for programs and classes that you're already interested in or signed up for.
What do I mean by "just show up"?
Here's an example:
If you sign up for a training or a webinar, don't just watch the recording later on at 2x speed. (Yes, I am guilty of this sometimes myself 😂).
Show up to the live sessions and participate actively in the chat or forum. Turn your camera on if you can. Engage with the presenter and/or the other attendees. Ask questions, share your thoughts and ideas, and be visible.
Instead of thinking of this merely as a way to obtain information or knowledge, understand that it is also an opportunity to build community.
When you are actively present at these kinds of events, you start to become known as an individual. People can get a sense for who you are, how you engage with people, and what work you do. When they feel comfortable with you, they are more likely to work with you personally and to refer clients who are a good fit.
But Camille, I'm too busy! I can't show up live.
Of course. I get it. You can't show up to everything.
Here's my advice: choose wisely and don't sign up for 100 things.
Only sign up for the things you're truly interested in and know you can make time for. Put them in your calendar and make them a priority. And when you do show up, be present and engaged.
Here's something you can do even if you can't attend live (or when there isn't a live option):
This is an easy one that surprisingly few people do: follow-up.
After the session or training, send a thank-you email to the presenter or other attendees you connected with. Take the initiative to stay in touch periodically.
This same idea applies for non-event situations. If someone's newsletter is a bright spot in your day, hit reply and let them know. Podcast episode blew you away? Leave a 5-star review. Cool YouTube video that answered your question perfectly? Give it a thumbs up and leave a kind comment. Using what you learned from a specific teacher every day? Email them to say hi and thank them, even if it's been 15 years.
You can easily make someone's day by doing these things, and it really does go a long way toward building relationships and community, which are at the core of a thriving practice.
The short version
Your presence matters. Signing up for classes, events, newsletters, videos, etc is not only about extracting information but also presents an opportunity to build relationships. Use it.
-- Leave a message for Camille: https://intheclinic.com 

As I was preparing for a lecture on ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), I came across a case report sharing information about a women who went to the ER with tachycardia, palpitations and other symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
Her TSH was almost absent, while T4 and T3 were within normal limits. The doctors there ruled out other causes and eventually determined that she had been taking ashwagandha root extract daily instead of her regular thyroid medication for approximately 2 years after a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. They suspected this might be causing her hyperthyroid symptoms.
She was asked to discontinue the ashwagandha root, and at two follow-ups her TSH began to rise, while her T3 and T4 started dropping, suggesting a return to her hypothyroid state. The physicians suspected that she was in the early stages of hyperthyroidism when she presented in the ER, due to her T3 and T4 being WNL.
Here is a copy of the case (open access!) if you'd like to check it out: Kamal HI, Patel K, Brdak A, Heffernan J, Ahmad N. Ashwagandha as a Unique Cause of Thyrotoxicosis Presenting With Supraventricular Tachycardia. Cureus. 2022 Mar 25;14(3):e23494. doi: 10.7759/cureus.23494. PMID: 35475098; PMCID: PMC9035336.
In this episode, I discuss what we can learn from this case report, and what I wish the authors had included in their case presentation.
I hope you find this discussion helpful. If you have thoughts or clinical observations regarding ashwagandha and thyroid disease, I'd love to hear them!
--- Send in a voice message: https://intheclinic.com 

I honor of the equinox today, I'm sharing the spring dreaming and planning workshop I led recently. I highly recommend a seasonal planning process rather than an annual one. I hope you enjoy! I'd love to hear how your planning goes and what your intention will be for the upcoming season 🌼
Download the workbook
My seasonal tracking form (copy into your own Google Drive)
To attend the next (free!) seasonal dreaming and planning workshop, you can register at: https://www.camillefreeman.com/seasonaldreams 
--- Send in a voice message: https://intheclinic.com 

This podcast episode is in response to a question from Phoebe, who asked if I could share the books I most often use in my clinical work.
Here is a (likely incomplete!) list of the herbal books I've been calling on lately:
The Ultimate Herbal Compendium by Kerry Bone
The Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals series by Jill Stansbury
The Essential Guide to Western Botanical Medicine by Christa Sinadinos
Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy, 2nd ed by Kerry Bone & Simon Mills
Michael Moore's books (Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, Pacific West, and Desert & Canyon West)
Botanical Medicine for Women's Health by Aviva Romm
Natural Approach to Gastroenterology by Eric Yarnell
Please do note that I've collected these over time. I don't recommend that new practitioners buy all of these, nor am I implying that these are all necessary for clinicians. I recommend instead starting with a few references books, working closely with those in your practice, and expanding to a few more texts as you have the time, energy, and finances to do so.
I'd love to hear your favorites ❤️
For a list of other book recommendations, including fun reads and business books, you can check my bookshop lists. 
-- Submit your question: https://intheclinic.com 

Is Vitex Contraindicated in PCOS?
You can probably tell from the episode title that, according to our current understanding, Vitex agnus-castus is not contraindicated for folks who have PCOS.
In fact, there is reason to suspect that it may be quite helpful in this situation, at least in some cases.
(Side note, Vitex can be a tricky herb to work with and isn't for everyone - if you are new to herbs, I highly recommend working with an herbalist before deciding whether Vitex is a good fit for you!)
In this episode, Jillian reflects on hearing multiple practitioners suggest that folks with PCOS should not be using Vitex. When she went digging around looking for a reference, she was able to find where this information was coming from and also that the information was corrected/updated in a more recent source.
We also get into a discussion of Vitex dosing and general strategies for incorporating this herb into protocols.
Resources
You can learn more about Jillian on her website
Connect with Jillian via Facebook
Learn more about Jillian's Herbal Observation Groups
Subscribe to Jillian's newsletter
Learn more about PCOS in Camille's PCOS webinar for practitioners
 

In this episode, herbalist Ruth Shelton shares more about how she created and ran a year-long program called Sacred Allies.
Ruth Shelton, The Empirical Herbalist, is a consulting herbalist and teacher who works out of her Apothecary in East Tennessee. Her herbal adventure origin story began over 20 years ago when she had a realization on the way to a job that was not very fulfilling and she's been steadily studying and working ever since. You can learn more about Ruth on her website, or connect via Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. 
 

In today's episode, I interview herbalist Oren Hercz about his experience developing an intermediate herbal program in partnership with Ember Peters. Oren shares how his educational work dovetails with his clinical practice, and some of the challenges that arise when creating a new program - especially one that is longer and more resource-intensive than previous offerings.
Resources
Oren's website ​
Maritime ​School of Holistic Herbalism
​Connect with Oren on Facebook
I also interviewed Oren in Episode 36 of In the Clinic, discussing how herb walks can help bring in more 1:1 clients
Get Camille's Weekly Practitioner Notes 💌

I've been using a "pay from the heart" pricing model for 2 years now. When people sign up for my Monday Mentoring program, they are offered three pricing levels and asked to chose based on which is most appropriate for their situation. All three pricing levels receive the same program. In this episode, I share a bit more about what I've learned from this model and why I plan on continuing it for the foreseeable future.
In the episode, I mentioned learning about Pay from the Heart from Mark Silver. Here is a link to his Heart of Business Community site, where you can see how he explains and thinks about this pricing model (scroll down!).
If you have any questions about Pay from the Heart or pricing in general, I'd love to address them on a future episode. Feel free to send your question by clicking the "leave a message for Camille" button on the In the Clinic website. 
⭐Caveat: Immediately after publishing this episode, I remembered that:
1) I have been using this model for 2 years, not 3. The pandemic has warped my sense of time, and
2) I *kind of* raised the price of Monday Mentoring recently, in that I used to offer a $50/month option for the noon group, which is no longer available. We've restructured and included quite a bit more in the membership for the price, and still, it is a bit of a price increase in some ways. My apologies for the lack of clarity. Maybe I'll do another episode about all of this at some point!