Building a therapy business takes persistence, creativity, and a willingness to pivot when needed. 

Whitney Goodman, licensed psychotherapist and founder of Calling Home, joins Michael Fulwiler to share her journey from starting private practice while working full-time to becoming a successful content creator and membership community leader.

Whitney opens up about growing her client base through Instagram, navigating the challenges of launching a coworking space before the pandemic, and how she shifted to creating online courses and paid memberships focused on adult family relationships.

Listen to learn how Whitney balanced entrepreneurship with therapy work, embraced experimentation, and validated her ideas before investing deeply.

In the conversation, they discuss:

• Pivoting your business in response to unexpected challenges
• Creating online courses and membership models that truly connect
• Marketing your therapy business without feeling salesy or pushy

Connect with the guest:

• Whitney on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit/  
• Whitney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneylhawkins/
• Visit the Calling Home website: https://callinghome.co/ 

Connect with Michael and Heard:

• Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfulwiler/ 
• Newsletter: https://www.joinheard.com/newsletter 
• Book a free consult: joinheard.com/consult 

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Welcome to Heard Business School

(00:25) Meet Whitney Goodman

(03:06) Whitney’s path to becoming a therapist

(05:17) Starting private practice while working full-time

(06:29) How Whitney got her first clients

(07:33) Growing Instagram and handling early challenges

(09:09) Whitney’s niche in family relationships

(11:07) Marketing efforts after going full-time

(15:41) Launching online courses during Covid

(17:31) The viral post that changed Whitney’s career

(19:32) Handling negative comments on social media

(22:38) Creating and selling Whitney’s first course

(27:26) Reflecting on mistakes and lessons learned

(28:24) Why hired marketers often failed Whitney

(31:06) Forming calling home membership community

(34:12) Moving from toxic positivity to family relationships

(36:24) Therapists can also be your clients

(38:35) Membership pricing and commitment choices

(41:53) Challenges in social media to paid client conversion

(44:16) The worst things Whitney’s heard online, advice for listeners, and more

This episode is to be used for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, business, or tax advice. Each person should consult their own attorney, business advisor, or tax advisor with respect to matters referenced in this episode.