If you're wondering what kind of program you should create beyond private practice, let's take it back a couple of steps. Then I'll tell you my favorite 2 kinds of pilot programs to start with.
First you'll want to know these things:
Who is your program for?
What is the problem they're trying to solve that you want to help with?
What is the transformation your program helps them achieve?
Stick with me and these weekly emails and you'll hear MUCH more about choosing a viable niche and figuring out when your niche needs tweaking.
Here are a few hints for now about how to choose a viable niche.
A viable niche involves a problem that a person knows they have, and that they are actively trying to solve. (You don't need to convince them to care about this problem).
A viable niche passes the "cousin test", meaning when you tell someone about your niche, they might have a particular cousin who needs your program. When you explain your viable niche, you're likely to hear: "My cousin (or neighbor or friend...) needs that." You're unlikely to hear: "Cool! I bet everyone could use that."
A viable niche is specific and easy to explain. You can explain it in a sentence or two. If you need several sentences to explain your niche, you're not there yet.
If you're thinking: "I need much more time and help to figure out my niche," you're in good company!
Choosing and honing your viable niche is incredibly important. It's the first thing we focus on in Create Your Program, and I've got several ways to help you settle on one.
Once you've identified the niche you're creating a program for, you'll identify the transformation you're taking your participant through.
You'll choose the size of that transformation and what outcome you'd love to see for your participant. This outcome should be something you are confident you can help them achieve if they're the right fit for your program. It's small enough that they can get there in a number of weeks or a few months, and it's large enough that it profoundly matters to them.
Once you've got a rough draft of your niche and your transformation, you're ready for the question we started with:
"What kind of program should I create?"
Start with a program you'll deliver live, to one person or a small group of people, probably online.
Start by brainstorming everything you might need to include in order to help your participants through the transformation you've chosen. You've probably already used most of these elements in your work with clients. Think of every concept, exercise, example, writing prompt, discussion topic, article, skill, tool, and/or experience you might want to include in your program.
You might want to use sticky notes so that you can move each element around and play with the order.
There are no bad ideas at this stage.
Then pare down by identifying the elements that you believe are truly necessary to this transformation, and put them in the order that creates the best path for their transformation.
Create an outline out of those elements.
As you look at those elements, notice what format is calling out to you.
If you have a small audience or no audience, I recommend starting with a 1:1 structured coaching program, even if you plan on running a large group program in the future.
When you run your pilot or beta program as a structured 1:1 program a few times, you can observe what's working and make adjustments instantly.
Here's what Katy Prince said on Claire Pelletreau's Get Paid Podcast (one of my favorite podcasts) in a recent episode about what you might think is a nightmare situation. Katy piloted a small group program. Three people signed up, and two dropped out. OH NO! But LISTEN.
"I learned so much through that first round of it. SO SO much. It was a total gift.....being able to go through with the intention of it being something replicable because before doing 1:1 work it was always super super custom. Yes, I had a process to follow, but what we would cover would be completely different, and I wasn't fussy about who I worked with at the time. I would adapt to their needs rather than set the agenda."
🔑 This is key: She ran this 1:1 program with the intention of it being something replicable.
Now her program fills with dozens of participants every time.
Starting with a small group program can work too!
If you've got an email list of over 100 engaged subscribers who are within your niche, or you've got a lot of colleagues who are ready to recommend your program, you might be able to fill a small group program right away.
That often happens for participants in Create Your Program.
Run your program LIVE.
I highly recommend running the entire program live the first time, meaning don't pre-record videos or audios for your participants.
When you teach and facilitate everything live, you have the chance to find out in real time what's confusing, what's landing well, where you need to give more examples, and what you need to deliver differently.
You give yourself a break from perfectionism when you're delivering everything in the moment, and you can't stop and redo each piece of content over and over. You'll probably save yourself dozens of hours this way.
I am not a perfectionist, but recording videos still takes me a LONG time.
If you decide to pre-record videos or audios, you will VERY likely re-record them for round 2, so you might as well just wait until round 2 (or 3) to pre-record.
If you need to add some time to each meeting in order to deliver all of the content live, do it.
DO record the content as you're delivering it live. You'll be able to go back and watch what worked, and that will help you iterate round 2.
Have your outline with you, but allow for some flexibility as you respond to the pacing and the needs of your participants.
Your participants will not care if you change the outline a bit to make the program better for them. In working with hundreds of people, I've never heard anyone complain when I strayed from an outline.
If you're ready to create and run your signature program beyond private practice, I've got a process for you.
Join me for Create Your Program.
You'll work through viable niching, creating your pilot outline, designing a marketing plan to grow your audience, and you'll actually launch your program!
Create Your Program is designed to get you there quickly without wasting time.
You'll have a ton of support from me and you'll be working alongside a group of smart, progressive therapists and healers like you.