This week is all about what marketing didn’t work as well as I hoped to grow my acupuncture practice in 2024.

I also share what marketing I plan to carry forward into 2025, based on this review of what worked, what didn’t, what took too much energy, etc.

If you missed last week’s episode, #91: What Marketing Worked to Grow My Acupuncture Practice in 2024, click here to listen.

In this episode, I talk about:

• How landing a segment on local television wasn’t the silver bullet I hoped for
• What I could have done differently to make that local TV segment more successful
• Why a recent postcard marketing campaign was a bust
• What it takes, generally, for postcard marketing to succeed
• Which marketing strategy worked well last year but left me feeling burnt out—and is now on pause for 2025
• Why repetition and consistency are always necessary for successful marketing
• My marketing plan for 2025

Show Notes:

• Watch my segment on local television

💜 Today’s episode is sponsored by The Pelvic Acu, Dr. Krystal Couture.

Dr. Couture specializes in teaching acupuncturists how to effectively treat pelvic pain and dysfunction through both online and in-person classes.

Did you know that 32% of women and 16% of men experience pelvic pain or dysfunction? Unfortunately, many are only offered pharmaceutical solutions that mask symptoms without addressing the root cause.

As an acupuncturist, your expertise lies in identifying the source of dysfunction and crafting a treatment plan that brings true, holistic healing—not just symptom relief.

Dr. Couture offers a range of pelvic care classes, from introductory sessions to advanced training, including a comprehensive pelvic care certificate program. You’ll learn pelvic anatomy, pathology, needling techniques, draping, and so much more.

In 2025, she’s hosting five in-person training weekends. And if travel isn’t an option, there are over a dozen online classes available, so you can start offering pelvic care acupuncture in your practice right away.

Her courses are NCCAOM, Florida, and California approved, and she even offers a free 1-PDA credit class—an introduction to pelvic care for acupuncturists.

Click here to view her courses and start transforming how you treat pelvic health today!

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

This week on the Acupuncture Marketing School Podcast, I’m sharing the details about what worked well in marketing my practice in 2024—and what I learned along the way.

As a disclaimer, remember that I LOVE marketing, so I do a LOT of it. You do not have to do all these things. But I hope at least one idea that I explored this year inspires your marketing for 2025!

Here’s a look at what I cover in today's episode:

• How AcuYoga classes brought in new patients while getting paid to market my practice
• Lessons learned from hosting two open houses—and what made the second one much more successful
• Why email newsletters are still one of the most effective ways to connect with patients (and get them back on the schedule)
• The power of in-person networking and how I’ve made it work as an introvert.

I also share how I focused my marketing efforts to fill another practitioner’s schedule at my clinic—and the small tweaks that made a big difference.

💙 This episode is sponsored by clinic management software and EMR, Jane.

As an acupuncturist, your main priority is caring for your patients, not worrying about rising EMR costs. That’s why Jane has come up with the new Balance Plan, which includes the essential features you need to run your clinic, without any of the extra stuff you don’t.

With the Balance Plan, you’ll get really helpful features like 1:1 telehealth, email appointment reminders, and unlimited customer support. It’s a great fit for new or growing practitioners who are booking up to 20 appointments a month. And the best part is that Jane pays for itself with the cost of just one appointment.

Click here to check out their plans starting at $39 a month in the US. And if you’re ready to get started, don’t forget to use the code ACUSCHOOL1MO at sign-up for a 1-month grace period on your new account.

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

Today on the podcast, I’m excited to speak with Joanna Sapir, a wellness business coach who helps practitioners streamline their businesses to achieve predictable income.

Joanna’s expertise is rooted in decades of experience, including founding and selling a successful brick-and-mortar fitness business and her background as a teacher. 

She’s passionate about helping practitioners step into leadership, implement sustainable systems, and make a bigger impact in their communities. 

In today’s episode, we talk about:

• Building your ideal work schedule around your personal life and not the other way around
• Accepting leadership of your business even if you’re a solopreneur
• A reminder that you can shape your business any way you like
• Boundaries and codependency as healthcare providers
• The difference between marketing and sales
• A really helpful tip for more effective networking
• And much more. 

SHOW NOTES:

• Joanna's website: joannasapir.com
• Joanna's Free Download: Three Powerful Systems that Will Transform Your Practice
• Joanna on Facebook: @JoannaSapirConsultant
• Faire Wholesale for Small Businesses

Today’s episode is sponsored by Faire, the online marketplace dedicated to empowering small businesses.

Faire believes the future is local. As more consumers choose to shop small and support their communities, Faire connects small business owners with the best products from over 100,000 unique brands, making it easy to stock your clinic with high-quality, curated products your patients will love—like wellness gifts, skincare, and more.

With millions of products sold each year, Faire gives you access to bestselling products that complement your services and boost your income.

Plus, Faire’s product database is searchable based on what matters most to you, allowing you to find items that are, for instance, not available on Amazon, eco-friendly, handmade, organic, and more.

This ensures the retail products you offer align seamlessly with your business philosophy and values.

Click here to learn how Faire can help you strengthen your connection with your patients, grow your practice, and boost your per-patient revenue.

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

Today I’m talking with Aurelie Martin, web designer and the founder of Imagi Web Design studios. Aurelie's specialty is helping health and wellness professionals attract patients by optimizing or building their web presence, with an emphasis on creating both beautiful and high converting websites. 

In this episode, we talk about: 

• Making calls-to-action a priority on your website and what types of calls-to-action to use
• Content ideas to boost your SEO and improve engagement on your website
• Why an organized website that tells people what do is key for building trust
• A reminder to look at your website on mobile and desktop regularly to make sure everything is functioning as expected
• Tips for making your website load faster
• And more

SHOW NOTES:

• Aurelie's website: imagiwebdesign.com
• Connect on Instagram: @imagiweb.design
• Connect on Facebook: @imagiwebmarketing
• Imagi Web Template Shop for Wellness Professionals
• Imagi Web Content Planner to Create High-Converting Website Pages
• Missed the Acupuncture Business Planathon? You can catch the replay here for a limited time.

💙 This episode is sponsored by Jane— the clinic management software and EMR that I use in my practice.

Change is a normal part of clinic life — maybe you’re expanding your team, introducing new offerings, or growing your [patient]* list. As your clinic evolves, it’s important to have an EMR that not only supports those changes but also grows with you.

Jane’s new Balance, Practice, and Thrive pricing plans offer flexibility, allowing you to easily switch from one plan to another depending on your current and future needs.

There’s no long-term commitment, either — just simple month-to-month payments that let you focus on running your clinic. And with every plan, you get features like 1:1 telehealth, email appointment reminders, and unlimited support.

Visit jane.app/pricing to find a plan that fits your needs, starting at $39 a month in the US. And when you’re ready to get started, use my code ACUSCHOOL1MO at sign-up for a 1-month grace period on your new account.

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

Today I’m talking with award-winning business consultant Ildi Arlette.

Idli has helped hundreds of clinic owners focus on profitability, growth, and building a positive company culture in the past 23 years. 

She’s also a former clinic owner, a combined medical aesthetics and surgery clinic in a 7000-foot space, which she sold in 2019. 

With industry experience, she has a unique perspective on the inner workings of different types of clinics, and the buying habits of consumers, across North America. 

Today she shares her advice for bringing in more revenue with a Black Friday or holiday event at your practice – whether that "event" is in person at your practice, or a sale on gift certificates that you promote solely through email. 

In this episode, we talk about:

• How events are a signal for our patients, and how to use them
• Why you should focus your efforts on your existing patients, as opposed to spending a ton of time and money on acquiring new patients
• Why it’s important to keep sales or special offers very SIMPLE
• What is a universal offer, and why it’s the best choice if your goal is revenue
• Whether December or January is a better month for promotions at our acupuncture practices
• And much more

SHOW NOTES: 

• Clinic Transformations Program: Use code VIP200USD to save $200 on your enrollment
• Book a private 1:1 call with Ildi
• Text 403-312-7510
• Email Ildi at [email protected]

🩵 Today’s episode is sponsored by Jane — a clinic management software and EMR. 🩵

We all know that choosing the right EMR can feel a bit overwhelming, especially when you’re just starting out. You’re trying to juggle both your practice needs and your budget, and that’s not always the easiest combination.

That’s why Jane came up with the new Balance Plan. It includes the essential features you need to keep things running smoothly in your clinic, without the extra stuff you don’t. 1:1 telehealth, unlimited support, email reminders, and more are included, no matter which plan you choose.

So if you’re looking for an EMR that helps you focus on your patients, not your costs, Jane is here for you — just like a part-time assistant.

Plans start as low as $39 a month in the US. Visit jane.app to learn more — and if you’re ready to get started, use the code ACUSCHOOL1MO at sign-up for a 1-month grace period on your new account.

I’ll put the links in the show notes, as always.

And you’re more than welcome to email me with questions about Jane at [email protected].

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

Today I’m talking with Kate Matheson, a business strategist and coach for health and wellness entrepreneurs.

Kate helps practice owners fill their schedules and create a waitlist using business systems and marketing approaches that are productive, genuine, and self-sustaining.

After her own experience with intense burnout that required her to close two businesses in order to get surgery and recover, her focus is on helping wellness practitioners work smarter, not harder, so we can protect our energy while we focus on doing what we love – helping more people.

​In this episode, Kate and I talk about:

• How burnout was brutal but made her priorities crystal clear
• Her experience living in China
• Ideas for getting patients from MDs
• Why any marketing strategy should be reverse-engineered from the outcome you ultimately want to achieve
• Her four levels of social media strategy
• Why she doesn’t think social media is for everyone
• Why getting visible in the established communities of other business owners is a great way to get new patients

Hope you enjoy this episode with Kate!

Show Notes:

• Kate’s website: mathesonandco.ca
• Free Business Strategy Session with Kate
• Follow Kate on Instagram @mathesonandco
• Learn more about our sponsor, Clinic Transformations

This episode is sponsored by Clinic Transformations, the ultimate program for clinic owners ready to reclaim their time, boost profitability, and build a thriving team culture.

If you’re an acupuncture practice owner feeling stretched thin, Clinic Transformations is here to help.

Created by industry expert Ildi Arlette, this program goes beyond the basics. We’re talking a complete roadmap tailored to help you run your practice whether you have a team or work as a solo practitioner. Imagine stepping away from daily chaos and instead leading with purpose, growing your clinic’s revenue, and finally achieving work-life balance.

Clinic Transformations offers coaching, interactive resources, a learning portal with in-depth video training, and templates to fast-track your success. Plus, you’ll join a mastermind community of like-minded clinic owners all on the same journey.

Whether you need guidance on knowing your numbers, considering your first hire, retaining your patients, finding new ones or setting up systems that keep things smooth, Clinic Transformations is where you want to be.

Plus Ildi is offering promotional code VIP200USD to save $200 on your enrollment.

If you’re ready to transform your clinic and actually enjoy the process, connect with Ildi and her team at Clinic Transformations:

• Learn more here: Clinic Transformations
• Visit Book a private 1:1 call with Ildi
• Text 403-312-7510
• Email Ildi at [email protected]

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

Today I’m talking all things wholesale and retail with Tori Paide and Marla Peoples, acupuncturists and founders of the clean skincare line, TOMA Skincare.

Tori and Marla are business partners who both left corporate careers to become acupuncturists. They met in acupuncture school and after going their separate ways after graduation, eventually decided to work together to build multiple practice locations.

Today they run The Stillpoint, a wildly successful clinic in Maryland with a huge retail income offering cosmetic acupuncture, microneedling, massage and more.

They also teach excellent microneedling classes and facial gua sha online – which is how I discovered them years ago.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How to choose products that sell and also align with the ethos of your business as well as your passions
• Where to buy products at wholesale prices (Faire.com)
• How to dip your toe in the water with retail, with minimal risk
• How to pay your rent from retail income alone
• What kinds of products sell well at Marla’s practice
• Brands Tori and Marla recommend
• And much more

SHOW NOTES:

• Faire.com – Wholesale retail with low minimums
• TOMA Skincare Products Wholesale Website for Practitioners
• TOMA Microneedling Classes Online and In-Person
• TOMA on Instagram @tomaskintherapies

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

Join me and Gabrielle Juliano-Villani, a business consultant and former therapist who helps business owners scale sustainably without burning out.

Gabrielle shares how she rapidly scaled her therapy practice to 15 employees in just four years, as well as how burnout played a role in deciding to sell the practice.

In recovering from burnout, she discovered polyvagal therapy, a way to regulate the nervous  system. We discuss acupuncture and other polyvagal therapies, and Gabrielle shares how gratitude fits into the picture of burnout recovery.

Plus we discuss tips for selling a practice (including one big thing to avoid), as well as facing your fears as a business owner in order to make progress, and more.

I hope you enjoy this episode with Gabrielle!

Announcement! I’m thrilled to share the launch of Acupuncture Marketing School Live, a six-week Zoom course where I show you how to set up strong, effective marketing for your acupuncture practice.

Learn how to increase the visibility of your practice, attract more patients, and build your marketing confidence.

Classes will be held on Friday mornings from 10am to 12pm Eastern Time starting this week, Oct. 25th, and running through Friday, Dec. 6th. We’ll be skipping the week of US thanksgiving.

Learn more about the live class here.

This live class includes all the same content as the self-paced, video-based version of Acupuncture Marketing School, and I’m excited to teach it live so that we can work through your marketing together.

You’ll have the opportunity to get your questions answered in real time during classes, as well as support, accountability, and motivation.

Prefer self-paced classes that you can complete on your own schedule?

The self-paced version of Acupuncture Marketing School is on sale this week for $200 off with the code AUTUMN200. Click here to learn more.

SHOW NOTES: 

• Gabrielle's website: gabriellejulianovillani.com
• Gabrielle's Instagram: @gjvconsulting
• Gabrielle on LinkedIn: @gabriellejulianovillani
• Acupuncture Marketing School LIVE
• Acupuncture Marketing School SELF-PACED (Use code AUTUMN200 to save $200 through Oct. 23rd.)

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

This week I’m talking with Michelle Hamilton, acupuncturist and founder of the online program, Community Acupuncture School. 

Free PDA Class! Community Acupuncture 101 with Michelle Hamilton, D.Ac.

• Date: Wednesday, Oct. 9th
• Time: 9:00 am Pacific / 12:00 pm Eastern Time
• Free Registration: Click here to sign up.

Michelle will be teaching about how to get started setting up a community acupuncture clinic, what you need to have in place, what equipment she recommends, how to market a community acupuncture clinic, and more.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Michelle’s journey of building a very successful hybrid community practice that generates half a million dollars annually in revenue, where she sees 100 patients a week
• What motivated her to shift into the community clinic model
• How providing a menu for patients helps with patient education and referrals
• The benefits of subscription-based models of treatment
• What you need to have in place to make the subscription model successful
• And much more.

Before we get into today’s episode, I have a quick request for you. 

This October/November, I'll be teaching Acupuncture Marketing School live on Zoom for the first time.

This first live Zoom version will be a beta test to determine what format and delivery work best. So I'd love your feedback!

The Questions Are: When Should We Meet? And How Often?

If you’re interested in joining me, please click here to answer those two questions. It shouldn’t take more than two minutes.

Thank you! I can’t wait to work with you in real-time over Zoom. I think this class is really going to be special.

Show Notes: 

• Register for the Free PDA Class: Community Acupuncture 101: bit.ly/CommunityAcuSchool101 (Live on Weds., Oct. 9th at 12 pm Eastern Time. A replay will be available if you can't make it.)
• Michelle's website: drmichellehamilton.com
• Community Acupuncture School - On sale Oct. 7 - Oct. 18 for $200 off with discount code 200DISCOUNT
• Acupuncture Marketing School Live Zoom Class Survey (2 questions, 2 minutes)

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.

This week I’m talking with Melissa Longo, a multi-passionate chiropractor with 22 years of experience and a business coach who helps wellness entrepreneurs build sustainable practices, have fun while they do it, and avoid burnout.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Knowing yourself to build a business that’s meaningful and sustainable to you
• Letting go of other people’s definitions of success
• What marketing is working for Melissa right now in her practice
• How she rebuilt her practice after separating from her partner
• Melissa’s podcasting tips after launching 5 podcasts
• Thinking about content creation as a library of your knowledge, a resource for your current and potential patients
• And more

I hope you enjoy this episode with Melissa!

Show Notes:

• Melissa’s website: drmelissalongo.com
• Rock Star Doctor Life Website
• Melissa’s podcasts
• Melissa’s Instagram @drmelissalongo
• Melissa’s Facebook
• Free Email PDA Course (1 NCCAOM PDA Credit)
• Sign up for a free demo of Jane App / Code for one-month grace period applied to your new account: ACUSCHOOL1MO

💙 Today’s episode is sponsored by Jane, a clinic management software and EMR.

Your evenings and weekends should be spent with loved ones, not chasing down your patients and clients for payment. That’s why Jane has designed a secure payment solution that helps reduce the amount of time you spend manually following up with patients.

Patients can save their credit card details and insurance policy information securely through your intake form, which can then be conveniently processed after your time together.

And, if they’ve got an outstanding balance, you can send a payment request email or SMS that allows your patients to pay off their balance online from the comfort of their homes.

To see how Jane can help you reclaim your after-work hours, click here to book a personalized demo. Or, if you’re ready to get started, you can use the code ACUSCHOOL1MO at the time of sign-up for a 1-month grace period applied to your new account.

Support the show

Curious about Acupuncture Marketing School, the online course for marketing beginners? Join me inside! Click here to learn more.