Well Beyond Practice - Online Business for Health + Wellness Practitioners

Hosted by Dr. Alison McLean DPT, ERYT, HHP

Business Entrepreneurship

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370

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Nov 2026

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About the show

For wellness practitioners — physical therapists, yoga teachers, acupuncturists, health coaches and massage therapists — ready to go beyond private practice and build an online business and stop trading time for money in the clinic. Host Alison McLean, DPT, ERYT, HHP, rebuilt her own practice online after a health event shifted her in-person work. Now she works less at multiple six figures — and teaches skilled clinicians how to do the same without overworking or losing credibility. Turn your clinical expertise into income that isn't tied to appointments only. New episodes weekly.

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November 10, 202638 min

370. Review Of My Biggest Launch

How Wellness Practitioners Can Launch an Online Program Without Working More Hours: Lessons From a 21-Enrollment Launch You don’t need to choose between a thriving wellness business and a life you love. Whether you’re a physical therapist, yoga teacher, massage therapist, health coach or energy worker, this episode shows you what a full launch looks like when you build it around your life instead of the other way around. I just had my biggest launch ever. I got 21 enrollments, I’m working with 67 total clients, and I matched last year’s entire revenue by September. I did all of that while my daughter and I were living in an Airbnb during our home remodel, and I worked 30 hours a week or less the whole time. This week I’m pulling back the curtain on exactly what worked, what I’d change, and the uncomfortable moments I had to push through, so you can repeat the wins and skip the mistakes. If you know your online program could help more people but you’re stuck on the “how,” this one is for you. What you’ll learn: How to build an audience between launches so each one outperforms the last Why rehearsing your webinar is the prep work no one talks about, and why it changes everything How to sell your program because people genuinely want it, without manufactured urgency What to do when sales stall mid-cart and you want to quit How to run a growing wellness business in 30 hours a week or less What it really means to believe the clients are there, even before you can see them Alison McLean, DPT, founder of Well Unbound, breaks down a launch of her online group program that brought in 21 enrollments while she worked 30 hours a week or less. She explains how licensed wellness practitioners can grow their audience between launches, rehearse a sales webinar, sell an online program through the curriculum instead of a bonus deadline, and keep going when sales slow down in the middle of the cart. Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/ Get the free guide to bringing in your first 5K Online: https://path-to-profit.pages.ontraport.net/5k-free-guide Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call on my website! → https://wellunbound.com

November 3, 202640 min

369. Year-End Planning for Wellness Practitioners: Set 2027 Revenue Goals Without Burning Out

How Wellness Practitioners Can Use the Last 8 Weeks of 2026 to Plan a Profitable 2027 (5-Step Framework) A 5-step year-end planning framework for massage therapists, yoga teachers, physical therapists and wellness practitioners to set 2027 goals without burnout. Massage therapists, yoga teachers, physical therapists, health coaches and every wellness practitioner thinking about an online program: what you do in the last 8 weeks of the year decides what your business looks like in February. This episode walks you through a 5-step year-end planning framework. You’ll use it to reflect on 2026, set bold 2027 revenue goals your nervous system can actually handle, and enjoy your holidays while you build momentum for the new year. I used to set big goals, miss them, and beat myself up all holiday season. This year I’m on track to bring in HALF my revenue from my online program, and I’m working fewer hours than I did in my brick-and-mortar clinic. Maybe you’re a massage therapist in a clinic, a yoga teacher driving between classes across town, a travel physical therapist, or a wellness practitioner who wants to launch an online program. Either way, this episode is your roadmap for ending 2026 strong and starting 2027 ahead. What you’ll learn: Why your last 8 weeks of the year shape your Q1 results The 5-step year-end planning framework (reflect, set goals, map the path, embody, seal it in) How to set revenue goals your nervous system can actually handle The ONLY Framework: 4 phases to your first $5K online, then scaling to $10K months Why business freedom is built through discipline, and how to choose your hard Mantras to protect your peace through the holidays Episode FAQ : When should wellness practitioners start planning for the new year? Start in the last 8 weeks of the year. The actions you take in November and December show up in your January and February results. How do you set revenue goals without burning out? Set a goal your nervous system can hold, map the exact path to it, and protect your peace through the holidays so you start the new year steady. What is the ONLY Framework? It’s Alison McLean’s 4-phase path for wellness practitioners to make their first $5K online and then scale to $10K months. Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/ Get the free guide to bring in 5K Online: https://path-to-profit.pages.ontraport.net/5k-free-guide Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call on my website! → https://wellunbound.com

October 27, 202634 min

368. 10 Activities to Land Online Clients This Week (4 Don’t Need Instagram)

Yoga teachers, health coaches, massage therapists, physical therapists and reiki practitioners can land their first online clients this week, and four of the 10 sales activities in this episode never touch Instagram. Most wellness practitioners block an hour on the calendar labeled “marketing,” spend it rewriting one Instagram caption, and end the week without a single new conversation with a potential client. Meanwhile, the session-based grind keeps going, and your income stops the moment you stop showing up in person. I hit six figures online with fewer than 2,000 Instagram followers. I didn’t go viral and I didn’t launch a massive program. I did small sales activities every week that put my offer in front of people who needed it. In this episode, I break down 10 simple sales activities you can start this week to land online clients, fill your schedule and finish the year strong. The first four cost nothing. Whether you’re starting from zero or looking for more momentum, pick just two and start this week. What You’ll Learn: Replace “marketing” on your calendar with a specific task, then remind yourself why it matters Most of these take 10 minutes or less. No time? That’s a mindset block, not a scheduling one. Start one-to-one for revenue now. Build one-to-many later. Outreach from service is never pushy when you filter accurately Life keeps life-ing, so build a business that fits your ideal lifestyle, not the other way around Quick answer: Yoga teachers, health coaches, massage therapists, physical therapists, acupuncturists and reiki practitioners can get online clients without Instagram by doing direct, service-based outreach, selling one-to-one work first, and scheduling one specific sales task a day instead of vague “marketing” time. Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/ Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call on my website → https://wellunbound.com Follow up with this episode with this free guide to hit 5K Online: https://path-to-profit.pages.ontraport.net/5k-free-guide

October 20, 202625 min

367. Maternity Leave, Surgery, or a Month in Europe: How to Keep Your Income When You Stop Seeing Clients

A surgery, a new baby, or a three-week trip to Italy should not mean your income drops to zero. For most physical therapists, massage therapists, yoga teachers, acupuncturists, and chiropractors, it does, because every dollar is tied to a session on the calendar. In this episode of The Well Beyond Practice Podcast, Dr. Alison McLean, DPT, walks through the one thing most wellness practitioners never plan for: real time off. Maternity leave. Cross-country road trips. Health scares. Caring for aging parents. Life happens, and if your revenue stops the moment you stop seeing clients, you’re not running a business. You’re running on a treadmill. You already have the skills, certifications, and clinical experience to build an online program that brings in revenue while you’re out of the treatment room. You don’t need fancy funnels, expensive software, or a massive audience. You need a plan, and this episode gives you the first steps of it. In this episode: Design with the destination in mind. Start with the schedule you actually want, including the weeks you’ll be away, and work backwards to the business that supports it. The Bare Minimum Systems framework. How to stay visible on Instagram and keep selling while you’re on leave, traveling, or recovering. Launch now, not “someday.” Why waiting for life to calm down is the most expensive decision a practitioner can make. Revenue math that works. How a $597 self-paced program and a $1,200 guided option add up fast with a handful of clients. Real client wins. A brand-new Instagram account that went viral overnight, and a practitioner who enrolled three online clients before her baby arrived. Questions this episode answers Can a wellness practitioner take maternity leave without losing income? Yes, if an online program is built and selling before the leave starts. One practitioner in this episode enrolled three online clients before her baby arrived, so revenue kept coming in while she was home with her newborn. How much can a small online program make for a physical therapist or massage therapist? With a $597 self-paced option and a $1,200 guided option, five self-paced enrollments and three guided enrollments bring in $6,585, without a single in-person session. Do I need a big Instagram following to sell an online wellness program? No. Alison hit six figures online with under 2,000 Instagram followers, and one client’s brand-new account went viral within days of launching. What should I set up before taking time off from my practice? A simple online offer, a Bare Minimum Systems plan for staying visible, and a schedule designed around the time off you want, built before you need it. Ready to build yours? Join 100K Online, Alison’s 6-month group program for licensed wellness practitioners: https://wellunbound.com/100k-online/ Follow along on Instagram: @wellunbound Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call on my website! → https://wellunbound.com

October 13, 202629 min

366. Are Your In-Person Classes Worth It? The Hourly Rate Math for Wellness Practitioners

The $1,200 Lie: How Your In-Person Classes Are Secretly Robbing Your Time You teach three community classes a week, drive twenty-five minutes each way to the studio, and spend Sunday night writing up sequences and attendance notes. The deposit hits your account as $1,200 a month, and you file it under “reliable income.” Then you tell yourself you can’t find two hours to build the online program you’ve been sketching in your notebook since spring. When you add the drive, the prep, and the paperwork, that $1,200 is costing you more than 16 hours every week, and most of those hours never show up on the invoice. In this episode, I walk you through the math I use with my clients to calculate what each class actually pays you per hour. Then I give you three questions to run every class, workshop, and event through, so you can keep the ones that bring you clients and reclaim the hours that don’t, without walking away from the in-person community you’ve built. Staying busy and staying profitable are two different numbers. Key takeaways from this episode: Why $1,200 a month from community classes quietly costs you 16+ unpaid hours every week Three questions to evaluate whether a class, workshop, or event is worth your time How to calculate your real hourly rate, including drive time, prep, and documentation The back-end strategy that turns even free events into referrals and paying clients Why Instagram reaches more potential clients per hour than a room of ten, and how to get past the fear of showing up on camera The costly mistake of jumping from one-to-ones straight into a group program, and the order to scale in instead Join me in the 100K Online Group Program here: https://wellunbound.com/100k-online/ Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/

October 6, 202635 min

365. How a Yoga Therapist Got Out of "200-View Jail" on Instagram and Signed More Clients Without Chasing Trends, with Krista Quinn

Krista Quinn posted on Instagram consistently for months and rarely got past 200 views. Then she stopped chasing funny trending formats and went back to sharing her own story of chronic low back pain. That post reached nearly 40,000 views. Krista is a yoga therapist, a personal trainer, and the founder of Krista Quinn Health. She helps women get lasting relief from chronic back, hip, and SI pain through online brain-based yoga therapy and personal training. She is also my client. While we worked together, her Instagram account grew from about 1,300 followers to about 2,100, and several of her posts passed 20,000 views. She signed five to six new clients, and three to four of them found her on Instagram. In this episode of The Well Beyond Practice Podcast, Krista and I talk about what she changed and what it took to keep showing up as a solopreneur who does all of it herself. In this episode: How Krista got out of "200-view jail." She believed no small creator could break through on Instagram. The post that reached nearly 40K views was the one where she shared what she does in her own way. Why her Instagram clients book a call already decided. They have read her story and watched her explain her method before they ever talk to her. One new client told her, "I'm happy to meet you, but I'm already in." How she got comfortable being seen. Krista explains how she used EFT tapping to feel safe putting her face and her story on camera. Sitting with discomfort as a business owner. Krista calls it "the number one thing you can learn to do," especially when you have no boss or HR department telling you that you did a good job. Turning her framework into an online program. She is building her signature framework into a program she offers alongside her 1:1 sessions. Boundaries during a hard season. Caring for her cat, Bako, changed how she protects her time and energy in her business. Resources mentioned Connect with Krista Quinn: Instagram: @thehappylowbackyogi Website: kristaquinnhealth.com Free webinar: Replace Your In-Person Clinic Salary Online I'm teaching this live on Wednesday, October 7 at 10:30 AM PT. I'll show you how to add online income alongside the clients you already see in person. Register here: https://100k-blueprint.pages.ontraport.net/work-from-home Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/ Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call at https://wellunbound.com

September 29, 202638 min

364. Why Clients Say "I Need to Think About It" After Your Wellness Consult

On this episode of The Well Beyond Practice Podcast, Alison McLean, DPT, describes a consultation she booked as a client and explains what it showed her about why wellness clients leave a consult without buying. She booked the appointment with a practitioner she already knew and trusted because her back, hip, and knee were hurting. She expected to walk out with a plan for her body. She walked out holding the name of a program she had never heard of and a modality she wasn't sure fit her. There was no clear next step. The sales page she was sent afterward didn't mention her back, her hip, or her knee. Alison is a practitioner herself, so she could fill in the gaps and talk herself into the outcome. Most of your clients can't do that. When the path from "my knee hurts" to "this program is for me" isn't laid out for them, they go home and don't come back. Use this episode to look at your own client journey from the outside, the way your next client will see it. In this episode: Why showing a client what you offer and how to buy it is part of caring for her, the same way giving her a home program is What a person needs from you when she scrolls past you for the first time, when she's been following you for a few months, and when she's ready to book, and what to give her at each stage The evaluation mistake: pitching a program during the consult that the client had never heard of before she walked in Why texting a high-ticket client a sales-page link after the call loses the sale, especially when that page never names the problem she came in with How to pre-sell through your content and emails so she arrives at the consult already knowing your program exists and hoping you'll offer it to her The mindset blocks that keep practitioners from posting and making offers, and why staying quiet leaves the woman with the sore knee to figure it out on her own Questions this episode answers: Why do wellness clients say "I need to think about it" after a consultation? Usually the offer came as a surprise. If the first time a client hears about your program is in the middle of her consult, she has to learn what it is, decide whether it fits her body, and decide about the price all in one sitting. Most people won't make all three decisions at once. Should I send a sales page link after a high-ticket consult? A link on its own asks the client to sell herself. At a higher price point, walk her through how the program solves the problem she described, and make the next step clear before the call ends. What does pre-selling mean for a wellness practitioner? Pre-selling means your posts, emails, and podcast episodes teach people what your program is and who it's for before they ever book a call. A client who has seen that shows up to the consult ready to talk about starting instead of trying to understand what you're offering. Resources Mentioned: Free Webinar: “Replace Your In-Person Clinic Salary Online” – Oct 7th Want to build your own income stream that doesn’t depend on your body showing up every day? I am teaching a free webinar, Replace Your In-Person Clinic Salary Online, on October 7th at 10:30 AM PST. Register here: https://100k-blueprint.pages.ontraport.net/work-from-home Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/ Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call on my website! → https://wellunbound.com

September 22, 202632 min

363. Why So Many Health Practitioners Dislike Posting on Social Media

If you're a physical therapist, yoga teacher, massage therapist, or health coach who dislikes posting on social media, the problem probably isn't the camera or the algorithm. In this episode of the Well Beyond Practice Podcast, Dr. Alison McLean, DPT, a physical therapist, licensed massage therapist, yoga therapist, and business coach for wellness practitioners, explains why so many skilled practitioners avoid posting online, and why that avoidance keeps them trading hours for dollars in their practice instead of reaching new clients through Instagram. Most practitioners who dislike social media are actually afraid of being judged by colleagues and afraid of saying something that isn't perfectly backed by research. Alison shares the time she was told not to teach yoga, what happened when she listened to that voice, and the three mindset shifts that help practitioners post with confidence. In this episode: Why a fear of posting on social media is really a fear of being wrong, not a fear of the camera Alison's story of being told not to teach yoga, and what it cost her when she listened Why evidence-based research isn't as black-and-white as practitioners are taught in school Three mindset shifts for posting with confidence How one practitioner's reel reached more than 2 million views and brought in hundreds of new leads Why do wellness practitioners dislike posting on social media? Most physical therapists, yoga teachers, massage therapists, and other licensed practitioners who dislike posting on social media are not uncomfortable with the camera. They are afraid of being judged by other professionals in their field and afraid of posting something a colleague could call wrong. Clinical training teaches practitioners to only say what research has proven, so sharing a personal opinion online feels risky. Is evidence-based practice black-and-white? No. Dr. McLean explains that research findings are rarely as definitive as practitioners are taught, which means a practitioner sharing what they have seen work with their own patients is not being unprofessional. How can a wellness practitioner post on social media with confidence? Dr. McLean teaches three mindset shifts: Report your experience instead of issuing verdicts. Share what you have seen in your own practice rather than making claims about what is true for everyone. Define who your work is for and who it isn't for, so you stop writing posts that try to satisfy every colleague who might read them. Lead with service instead of proof, so each post is written to help one specific client rather than to defend your credentials. Can social media actually bring clients to a wellness practice? Yes. Dr. McLean shares how one practitioner she coaches posted a reel that reached more than 2 million views and generated hundreds of new leads. Who is this episode for? Licensed wellness practitioners, including physical therapists, yoga teachers, massage therapists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and health coaches, who want to grow their income beyond one-on-one sessions but avoid posting online. Resources Mentioned: Free Webinar: “Replace Your In-Person Clinic Salary Online” – Oct 7th Want to build your own income stream that doesn’t depend on your body showing up every day? I am teaching a free webinar, Replace Your In-Person Clinic Salary Online, on October 7th at 10:30 AM PST. Register using the link in the show notes! https://100k-blueprint.pages.ontraport.net/work-from-home Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/ Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call on my website! → https://wellunbound.com

September 15, 202633 min

362. From Architecture to Acupuncture: Michelle Oravitz on Hybrid Practice, a Fertility Coaching Certification, and Summits That Build a List

Michelle Oravitz was working in architecture when her own fertility health journey sent her down a different path. Today she's a fertility acupuncturist running a hybrid in-person and online practice at The Wholesome Lotus Fertility, teaching practitioners through her Fertility Coaching Certification, and growing her email list with online summits — one of which brought in 1,400+ new subscribers who open her emails at around 50%. In this episode, Michelle walks through the career pivot, where the line sits between clinical care and online coaching, why she built a certification for other practitioners, and how summits became her main list-growth channel alongside the content she already posts. She also shares how she hires and keeps virtual assistants, and what keeps her creative instead of depleted. If you're an acupuncturist, PT, yoga teacher, massage therapist, or health coach looking to grow an email list that doesn't depend on the algorithm, this one is for you. In this episode, you'll learn: 🌱 How Michelle went from architecture to acupuncture after her own fertility health journey 🌱 What separates clinical practice from online fertility coaching — including the legal lines she navigates with clients outside her licensed state 🌱 Why she built a Fertility Coaching Certification instead of only seeing patients 🌱 How one online summit brought in 1,400+ new email subscribers 🌱 Her formula for running a summit, from her course The High Impact Summit Formula 🌱 How she finds, trains, and keeps virtual assistants who stay 🌱 The tools running her business: Notion, Asana, Planoly, and Google Drive 🌱 Why feeding her soul outside of work is what keeps the business creative Questions this episode answers: Can an acupuncturist coach clients who live in another state? Clinical treatment is licensed and state-bound, while coaching is education and support. Michelle explains how she keeps the two separate in her own practice. How can a wellness practitioner grow an email list without going viral? By hosting or speaking at an online summit. Michelle brought in more than 1,400 new subscribers this way, because summit attendees opt in specifically for the topic she teaches rather than landing on her list by accident. Why do summit subscribers open emails at a higher rate? Michelle sees roughly a 50% open rate from her summit list. People who register for a summit have already told you exactly what problem they're trying to solve, so the emails that follow match what they came for. About Michelle Oravitz: Michelle Oravitz is a licensed acupuncturist, fertility coach, podcast host, and founder of The Wholesome Lotus Fertility. She teaches practitioners through her Fertility Coaching Certification and her course, The High Impact Summit Formula. Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/thewholesomelotusfertility/ Website → https://www.michelleoravitz.com/ Want to build your own income stream that doesn't depend on your body showing up every day? I'm teaching a free webinar, Replace Your In-Person Clinic Salary Online, on October 7th at 10:30 AM PST. Register → https://100k-blueprint.pages.ontraport.net/work-from-home Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/ Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call → https://wellunbound.com

September 8, 202630 min

361. The Membership That Filled Her Clinic: How Laura Terry Grew Revenue 50%

Laura Terry is a physical therapist and yoga teacher with a full in-person schedule. For years, a schedule that full was also the ceiling — if she wasn't in the treatment room with someone, nothing came in. Then she noticed the thing her midlife clients kept asking for and couldn't find anywhere: strength training that's actually safe and informed for women moving through perimenopause, menopause, and the years after, instead of another round of "just be careful." She built it as an online membership, blew past her signup goal in under 10 days, and grew her overall revenue by 50% — with her brick-and-mortar practice still open and running. The part she didn't see coming: the online program started feeding the in-person practice. Her clinic calendar is now booked weeks out. In this episode, Laura shares how she: Found the gap her midlife female clients needed filled, and why her dual PT and yoga background was the exact thing they couldn't get anywhere else Built and launched the membership, and hit her signup goal in under 10 days Grew overall revenue 50% without abandoning the practice she'd already built Turned the online program into a referral engine for her clinic schedule Got through the cringe of showing up on Instagram, the tech, and the perfectionism that stalls most first-time online practitioners If you've been putting off building something that pays you when you're not in the room, Laura's story is proof it's worth the leap. Connect with Laura Instagram: @yogaandpt Website: yogaandpt.com Want to build your own income stream that doesn’t depend on your body showing up every day? I am teaching a free webinar, Replace Your In-Person Clinic Salary Online, on October 7th at 10:30 AM PST. Register here: https://100k-blueprint.pages.ontraport.net/work-from-home Follow me on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/wellunbound/ Ready to work with me? Book a consultation call on my website! → https://wellunbound.com