In a recent post, Seth Godin wrote, “Do not choose your dreams based on what is certain to happen, choose them based on what’s likely to cause the change you want to occur around you.”

Why did you choose to go back to school, study your chosen modality, and start your practice? If you’re like most, you wanted to see a specific change occur around you. You wanted people to be well, to thrive in their lives and in their health, rather than to merely limp along (figuratively and sometimes literally). You wanted people to know that there’s this whole world of options outside of conventional medicine that can allow peoples’ best, most vibrant selves to emerge. You wanted people to taste whatever it was that you tasted when you showed up to your first session, back in the days when you were the client who was in need.

If this sounds like you, I invite you to let the change you want to see in the world lead you. Let those clients who could stand to have a little more hope ushered into their lives and their healthcare know you exist. Offer the world your gift- and watch it change!

By Jenn Givler of Create a Thriving Business

Brooke here: I thought this would be a great follow up to my last post for those of you getting started with social networking. Enjoy!

Last week, we were talking about Twitter, and specifically about follows. In that post, I mentioned that social media was about building relationships - it’s SOCIAL.But, what if you’re shy? Or, what if you’re just not sure how to go about starting a conversation with someone, or even beginning a relationship with someone?

Here’s the trick - it’s easy - just do it.

Ok, for some of us, it’s not THAT easy.

I’ll bet you would never guess that I’m shy. Seriously. No, really, I’m not kidding! My true nature is introversion. In fact, about 10 years ago, my shyness was so debilitating, it cost me friends, and opportunities. UGH. To think of the things I missed out on because of my shyness.

So how did I get over that? Believe it or not, I got into computer training. Nothing will kill shyness quicker than standing in front of a group teaching technical skills!

But - I digress. This is about social media and reaching out…

I stand by the fact that it is very easy to start and build relationships with people online. And particularly through social media, it’s even easier.

Here are three easy steps to help you start building relationships in social media:

1. Participate in their conversations. If they ask a question, give an ansewer. If they say something you really like, tell them in a genuine, authentic way.

2. Forward their information. If you find something of particular value and you know that your business nation would benefit from it, forward it on. In places like Twitter, people will be able to see that you’re passing their information on and sometimes that sparks a conversation.

3. Treat them as if you already know them. Talk to them, start conversations with them, ask them questions just like you would your friends. Of course, some common-sense business etiquette is appreciated, but so is speaking to people as an equal.

Remember, the folks hanging out in social media (for the most part - there are some exceptions) are there to be social. They WANT to build relationships - they want to get to know you. Just reach out, and let the rest, be history (as they say…).

Jenn Givler is the founder of Create a Thriving Business. She teachers holistic and creative business owners how to build an online presence. She’s also a Reiki practitioner!

I often have practitioners ask me why they would use social networking sites (like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc) to grow their practices. After all, when was the last time you hopped on to Facebook and typed ‘massage therapist’ into the search so that you could find someone to schedule an appointment with? People (almost) never find practitioners this way, so why bother, right?

The trick is to differentiate between direct and indirect practice building. Most of us only think of the direct strategies: posting a flyer in the hopes that someone will schedule, buying an ad in the hopes that someone will schedule, building a referral relationship in the hopes that someone will refer- these are all direct. The distance between the activity (posting a flyer) and the desired outcome (get a call from a new client) is very short. A to B, we’ll call it. The thing is, almost everyone in today’s digital age expects a step between A and B . This is the essential ‘getting to know you’ step. We work in fields that require a lot of trust and intimacy- and so potential clients want to have the opportunity to get to know you before they even make that first phone call. In today’s day and age, there are a multitude of ways that people can track your digital footprint and get a feel for who you are and whether they’d want to work with you. Therefore the ‘getting to know you’ step is a foregone conclusion. If they can’t find you in cyberspace, you don’t exist.

Social media is the most transparent and intimate way that someone can get a sense of if you’d be a good fit as their practitioner. I was recently talking with Carla (aka One Healthy Girl) who is a massage therapist in South Carolina and she mentioned that her use of Facebook wound up being a happy practice-building accident. She’d set up her profile to stay in touch with friends. However, to new clients who can read her updates and see her profile, Carla feels instantly human and approachable. Now she has clients coming in to her office wishing her daughter well when she’s posted that her daughter is under the weather, and telling her that a recipe she posted through her Facebook blog feed was delicious. With no extra effort from Carla, they’ve deepened their relationship with her.

A profile on a social network (or several) that is warm, honest, and transparent will draw new clients to you and make it easier for current clients to refer to you. Potential clients are out there looking for your digital footprint. Where will they find it, and when they do, what will they see?

If you’re brand spanking new to social networking, check out Common Craft’s short and sweet (and fun) video.