Today we are diving into the crazy world of scheduling. From juggling multiple locations to dealing with holiday madness, we are sharing our secrets and survival tactics. 

Leah explains her scheduling system, which involves multiple providers and locations, and the crucial role that her administrative assistant, Amanda, plays in orchestrating the chaos (and why she should get a raise). 

Annie explains how she navigates the nuances of handling interns and a recently expanded office schedule by implementing a more automated system to minimize the back-and-forth with her clients.

There isn’t a one-size-fits all solution to scheduling but we hope hearing how we handle scheduling will help you with recreating your own.

“When it feels crazy stressful and I'm like, we're never going to figure this out. I always just tell myself it always works out.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• Managing complicated schedules (2:19)
• The importance of having clear communication with your team (6:08)
• Creating waitlists to help with meeting client needs (12:05)
• Handling cancellations (25:17)

Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!

Links and Resources

• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

It’s the New year and with that comes making resolutions but this year we are not excited about it.

The idea of setting goals has become daunting. Plus we usually don’t keep them anyway. It’s time to take a more intentional approach and remember that good enough is good enough.

Listen in as we set a goal to not put so much pressure on ourselves and just realize that we are doing the best we can (just like everyone else).

 ”We don't want to bog ourselves down so much that we forget to enjoy what we're actually doing.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• Setting intentions for the New Year (5:01)
• Battling perfectionism in goal setting (13:02)
• Navigating expectations (17:51)
• Accepting that good enough is ok in 2025 (20:28)

Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!

Links and Resources

• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
•  Check out this newsletter: https://open.substack.com/pub/linksiwouldgchatyou/p/the-paradox-of-staying-online?r=l9zhf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Bring some tissues to this episode because we are talking about not only us getting older but also our kids.

We candidly share our experiences of growing older while still relating to a client base primarily entrenched in the childbearing years. We reflect on how our experiences differ profoundly from those of our clients and how that fosters a need for empathy, understanding, and adaptation in our approach.

We also dive into the nostalgia of reflecting on previous parenting stages and discuss the sentimental emotions that arise as our children transition into adulthood. Our goal is for you to embrace the joys and challenges of parenting at every stage.

“Even though we're getting older, there are still so many amazing pieces of being a lactation consultant, and it helps us stay connected to our little ones when they were little. It really is the weirdest job, like find me a job that's weirder.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• The joy of working with babies and how it reminds us of when our children were little (6:43)
• Learning from your experiences to help your clients (10:08)
• The importance of empathy (16:42)
• Balancing nostalgia and reality (19:22)

Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!

Links and Resources

• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

We’re back! Did you miss us?

We are reconnecting after a summer break where Leah was recovering from major back surgery, a significant event that shifted not just her physical circumstances but profoundly affected her approach to both life and business. 

Also, Annie reveals her previous mindset regarding health issues and the unrealistic standards she sets for herself, which led to detrimental consequences. The painful truth is that, too often, we delay seeking medical attention until our conditions require urgent action.

“It’s so hard taking care of ourselves.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• Reflections on recovery (2:24)
• Speaking up for yourself in healthcare situations (5:40)
• Taking time off as a business owner (12:29)
• What’s coming up for Lactation Business Coaching (16:07)

Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!

Links and Resources

• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Each month, Annie and I take a deeper dive into topics and information with an expert to give us more insights on things that we might be incorporating in our clinical practice as well as entrepreneurs and business owners. We're bringing you this snippet today to give you a taste of what these deeper dives are all about.

This month, we talked with Allison Alexander, LPN IBCLC about  the contentious debate surrounding tongue tie.  We explore the recent uproar ignited by a clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which has set the lactation community abuzz. Concerned about the implications of these headlines on patient care, Allison and her partner decided to respond proactively. They crafted a letter addressed to local pediatricians, aiming to clarify their stance on the role of lactation consultants in the holistic care of breastfeeding families. The letter encapsulates their commitment to collaboration and outlines their approach to managing oral restrictions.

Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!

Links and Resources

• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Have you always dreamed of helping families with breastfeeding? In today’s episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie & Leah, we talk about how we became International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, also known as IBCLCs. We discuss the different pathways to becoming eligible to sit for the board exam and break down the biggest things we have learned in the years since we first certified.

Annie and Leah break down what it looks like logistically to become certified and bust some myths on what some people might think it takes to become an IBCLC. They share with us their biggest takeaways now that they have both been certified for many years and some eye-opening experiences they’ve had. We get a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to become an IBCLC and who this might be a great path for.

"The piece of advice that I got and so grateful for was kind of like, Hey, heads up, you're going to have to always be learning.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• Defining what IBCLC even stands for (02:32)
• The 3 pathways to becoming an IBCLC (03:48)
• The truth around the complex work as an IBCLC (11:44)
• Learning never stops even after your exam (17:28)
• Annie & Leah’s biggest surprises when becoming IBCLCs (16:49)

Like this episode? Want more?

The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters. 

Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member! 

All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!

Links and Resources

• How To Become An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) paperlesslactation.com/blog/2018/5/18/how-to-become-an-international-board-certified-lactation-consultant-ibclc
• What Do You Wish You Knew When You First Started Out? (Podcast) https://paperlesslactation.com/the-podcast/what-do-you-wish-you-knew-when-you-first-started-out
• Step 1: Prepare for IBCLC Certification https://iblce.org/step-1-prepare-for-ibclc-certification/
• Is Covid-19 a Detour on the Road to Becoming an IBCLC https://www.lactationtraining.com/nikki-nikki-7
• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Many thanks to Stephanie Granade for her production assistance, and to Silas Wade for creating our theme music

People don’t know what they don’t know about breastfeeding. 

As a lactation consultant, you have the unique opportunity to educate families, other healthcare providers, and members of your community about the different feeding methods. By increasing awareness and understanding for breastfeeding, chestfeeding, formula feeding, and supplementation, you are making your job easier down the road when people feel more comfortable coming to you for help when they feel they need it.

“You’re building a community that values infant feeding and values continuing education about lactation…creating a connection that is fulfilling for everyone.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• IBCLCs are the gold standard for lactation care because of the high expectations and great responsibilities that they have to their clients and communities, and part of this is being competent in educating.
• You may find it helpful to offer classes such as Basics, Getting Started, Returning to Work, Starting Solids and Weaning, or other focused classes to the families in your community.
• In online and in-person community groups, it is best to just stick to announcing your classes and not get sucked into responding to clinical questions or engaging in advocacy inside someone’s personal thread about their own experience
• A great way to educate healthcare providers is to create informational resources that they can review and hand out to relevant patients.
• Look into creating continuing education opportunities locally and at conferences to meet healthcare providers (and medical students) where they are.
• Consider reaching out to local schools and groups to see if you could share with students about lactation consulting as a profession since many of them have never heard of it but might consider following that path in the future.
• The more we talk about breastfeeding in the community, the more comfortable people will be breastfeeding and talking about breastfeeding, and the positive impacts on the community of a more healthy breastfeeding culture are too great to be measured.

This episode is sponsored by IntakeQ. Use IntakeQ to collect client information for the superbill, even if they are out of network. IntakeQ is offering Lactation Business Coaching podcast listeners a discount on their first 3 months using the service at this link.

Like this episode? Want more?

The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters. 

Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member! 

All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!

Links and Resources

• “Tongue-Tied” book
• Lactation Business Coaching website
• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know!
• https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Many thanks to Stephanie Granade for her production assistance, and to Silas Wade for creating our theme music.

It's so important for IBCLCs to be seen as part of the care team for the breastfeeding families we serve. One way we can impact our presence in the care team is to communicate with the other providers working with the breastfeeding family. 

Today we will discuss what we need to send to the other providers on the care team as well as strategies to make this process effective and efficient. So if you struggle with motivating yourself to write and send pediatrician reports, or if you’re wondering if anyone even reads them, you are not alone. Leah and Annie have both been there and been frustrated by that, and they’ve got some ideas for you on how to get them done and get them read. We’re talking about what to write, how to send, and why they’re so important.

“We need to be the bridge to make sure our exact message is portrayed correctly”

In this episode, we will cover:

• Why we’re supposed to be sending pediatrician reports (hint: IBLCE Code of Professional Conduct)
• What if those pediatrician reports are sitting in that fax tray, never to be read? Why you should send them anyway
• Essential elements of the pediatrician report
• How to share the info clearly and effectively
• When NOT to send a report

Like this episode? Want more?

The LBC podcast is ALWAYS free, thanks to contributions from supporters. 

Every contributed dollar counts and so do our contributors — as a thank-you gift to our top-tier members, we offer monthly LIVE Deeper Dive sessions with experts and access to all previous Deeper Dive sessions — check out our upcoming Deeper Dives and become a member! 

All contributions count; join at one of our starter levels here!

Links and Resources

• Code of Professional Conduct
• Frenotomy Decision Tool (Dobrich et al)
• Lingual frenulum protocol with scores for infants (Martinelli et al)
• Mobile Lactation Consultant
• ChARM
  
  

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram and leave us a review on iTunes. You can email us questions and comments at [email protected].

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Many thanks to Stephanie Granade for her production assistance, and to Silas Wade for creating our theme music.

Each month, Annie and I take a deeper dive into topics and information with an expert to give us more insights on things that we might be incorporating in our clinical practice as well as entrepreneurs and business owners. We're bringing you this snippet today to give you a taste of what these deeper dives are all about.

This month, we got to chat with Tenise N. Hordge MBA, IBCLC about planning. She dives into time blocking, setting priorities, learning to say no, and delegating.

Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!

Links and Resources

• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.

Are you a risk taker or do you tend to overthink before taking action?

In this episode, we dive into the nuanced world of risk-taking, particularly in the context of growing a private practice.

Leah shares her tendency to be risk-averse and the overthinking spiral that can result from facing risky decisions. Annie, on the other hand, describes herself as someone who jumps into ideas quickly, often figuring things out as she goes.
 

We explore the idea that both cautious planning and spontaneous action require their own forms of bravery and confidence.

“It’s worth it to take risks in your business sometimes.”

In this episode, we will cover:

• Learning from different approaches to risk (5:23)
• The importance of balance in risk-taking (7:03)
• Saying No to Protect Time and Energy (11:39)
• The Role of Planning in Risk Management (15:20)

Each month we host a live Deeper Dive so you can connect with us, our special guests, and each other + get lifetime access to the recording!

Links and Resources

• Check out our next Deeper Dive into Planning with Tenise N. Hordge MBA, IBCLC on May 20, 2024: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/course/deeper-dive-planning
• Subscribe to the Deeper Dive Membership: https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/subscription/deeper-dive-membership
• Have an idea for a podcast episode or a Deeper Dive? Let us know! https://learn.paperlesslactation.com/form/collaborate
• Submit your listener questions here: https://forms.gle/NsmGysHMAULW9o1z5

If you like what you heard today, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

About Us

Leah Jolly is a private practice IBCLC with Bay Area Breastfeeding in Houston, Texas.

Annie Frisbie is a private practice IBCLC serving Queens and Brooklyn in New York City and the creator of the Lactation Consultant Private Practice Toolkit.