Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah

In this episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah talk about all those moments when things do not go as planned and how to work around them.  From minor issues like calling a baby by the wrong name to more major problems like wrecking your scale during a consult, Annie and Leah share some real life disasters that they had to deal with and, by the end of it, the solutions they came...

Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah is all about life hacks. For IBCLC's, being able to do things faster and with less stress translates to a better job done. As an IBCLC, there are several key aspects where life hacks shine—from taking care of your body to managing your business logistics to nurturing your emotional and spiritual needs, there are ways to get around...

Today's episode of Lactation Business Coaching with Annie and Leah features three interesting and practical questions that were asked by the podcast's listeners. From actionable tips to becoming an IBLC, to learning your audience for the best teaching strategies, to fixing processes when switching to a new EHR, this episode is dedicated to improving your experience as a current and future IBCLC. "...

As a lactation consultant, your role in goal-setting is to be a coach, cheering your clients on and pointing them in the direction of the path they want to take.  While you have the advantage of experience that they don’t, it would be counterproductive for you to dictate how they should do things and what their goals should be. Be someone who your clients can rely on to provide objective guidance...

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 p...

When a family reaches out to you for a home visit to help them with breastfeeding/chestfeeding or other lactation-related concerns, it’s natural to want to take some precautions to protect your own safety in an unfamiliar situation with someone you’ve never met before.  Our clients also need to feel safe with us because if they don’t trust us, we can’t help them. You are coming to them at a raw an...

Your goal as a lactation consultant is to provide the best care you can to the families you serve, but far too often, insurance companies make this easier said than done. The Affordable Care Act did some good in stating that lactation services would be covered, but because of the vagueness of the phrasing, there is no clear consensus among insurance companies and providers about what this should l...

By diversifying – opening up multiple channels of income within – your lactation consulting business, you are building yourself a sturdy foundation to prepare for lean market times while connecting with more families. This could include accepting both insurance and self-pay clients, writing a course or book, creating a resource or piece of merchandise for others to purchase, or developing continui...

Many lactation consultants are used to working solo, and it can be hard to surrender certain aspects of your private practice to others. But if you feel like you’re spending too much time on tasks that take you away from the clinical work you love, it may be time to bring on people who can share the workload. In this episode, Annie and Leah discuss when to recognize when you need help and where yo...

As a lactation consultant, you’re keeping track of so much. Client care, running a business, keeping up with social media, and staying current with your clinical training can become overwhelming, and sometimes important things slip through the cracks.  Leah and Annie share the techniques they use to get organized and increase productivity to align their personal and business priorities to free up...

Lactation consultants are especially prone to burnout because our work is so intense. It can be hard to disconnect from your clients and from your business, but it’s essential to recognize the importance of taking regular breaks.  In this episode of the Lactation Business Coaching Podcast, Leah and Annie offer practical steps to take when you’re prepping for your vacation. “Burnout affects the fam...

Whether you’re in solo private practice or feeling ready to expand into a group practice, making local connections with other IBCLCs and lactation helpers is good for you and good for the families you serve. Why go it alone when community and collaboration can strengthen your skills and combat compassion fatigue?  In this episode of the Lactation Business Coaching podcast, Annie & Leah share t...

Annie and Leah have more listener questions in this episode of the Lactation Business Coaching podcast.  From what’s in their home consult bags to running an office visit when you don’t have all the time in the world, they’ll share what works and what doesn’t in their own private practices. And if you’re a new IBCLC wondering if you’re ready to launch your practice, they’ve got some special words...

Do you bring your coffee inside? What do you do when someone tags you on social media? What happens when the doctor disagrees with you? And finally—when is the best moment in the visit to take payment?  Annie and Leah respond to some truly great listener questions about things that only lactation consultants will relate to. “We don't diagnose, we say what we see and explain what we're seeing.”   I...

When you leave a lactation consult, you have no idea what will happen next, because it’s entirely up to that individual family. But by providing your clients with a clear, detailed, and rich care plan, you can guide them towards meeting their infant feeding goals, whatever those may be. A good lactation care plan increases client self-efficacy and improves health outcomes for parents and babies, a...

Annie and Leah got into this business because they love caring for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. That skill doesn’t always coincide with business and financial savvy. If you can relate, they’ve got you covered. In this episode, they share their advice, tips, and experiences for creating a successful business and staying on top of your finances. From business expenses to taxes, Annie and...

Are you new to the independent IBCLC practice? This episode is for you! Being an entrepreneur is tough work and it takes a brave soul. Go you for venturing out there! But how do you get things moving forward as a new business? We’re here to share what we wish we’d known when we started in order to help you along in your own journey. We’re touching on three main areas that we feel are essential to...

Leah and Annie take you through their individual routines for home visits. Home visits are personal and relational and it’s important to create a safe and comfortable environment for your clients.  If you’ve ever wondered how another lactation consultant runs a home visit, this is your chance to be a fly on the wall. “Home visits have my heart”   In this episode, we will cover: The difference betw...

Have you ever wondered when everyone around you is going to realize that you’re the worst lactation consultant on the planet?  Well, we have! It’s called imposter syndrome, and we’re pretty sure this is going to be a terrible episode on the topic where you figure out we have no idea what we’re talking about. “Reflecting on our wins in the past is way more helpful than trying to push yourself into...

When you have a private practice, it’s so easy for your work life to bleed into your home life. Finding a rhythm for your days can help prevent you from working all the time.  In today’s episode, Annie & Leah share their own schedules and give ideas for finding the right time for all the personal and professional things you need to do. “Don’t forget about the power of a little bit of white spa...

Documenting what happens at a lactation consult is super important for so many reasons, but figuring out just want to say and how to say it can be challenging.  In this episode, Annie and Leah will explain their approaches to charting and offer you tips and strategies for making this critical task less overwhelming. Whether you’re paperless or love your clipboard and folders, this episode will hel...

Overwork, compassion fatigue, burnout. It’s a common cycle for anyone in a helping profession, and it feels especially intense for lactation consultants because the stakes are so high—I mean, we’re working with babies who can’t eat!  Compassion fatigue is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be the end of you. "If you don’t take care of yourself there won’t be anyone to take care of the families tha...

In this episode, Annie and Leah talk about the tough topic of setting your fees for your private lactation practice. It’s so important to know your worth as a business owner and to represent that fairly within your specific market. Once you’ve set your rate, you can begin working towards long-term goals for your business as a whole. "You are literally changing the world! If you can’t own your wort...

As a private practice IBCLC your website is usually the first contact your prospective clients will have with you and your business. Making your website easy to navigate and quickly get the necessary information is essential for a new and tired parent. In this episode, Leah and Annie share their resources for online scheduling, HIPAA compliance, website design, and more. “You never want people lea...

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 yo...