Tips For Building a Thriving Practice – from a skilled Restorative Wellness Practitioner & Business Mentor

Alumni Spotlight with Autumn Best, FNTP, RWP, and Business Mentor

Like many, Restorative Wellness Practitioner and gut-health expert Autumn Best has always had an interest in nutrition. She even enrolled in a nutrition class in college while pursuing her degree in Psychology. But, it wasn’t until experiencing her own persistent digestive issues more than a decade later that she was driven to learn more. 

Fueled by her desire to fix things that aren’t working, Autumn decided to dig deep and get to the root cause of her symptoms. She started by completing the Nutritional Therapy Association’s NTP program. Two weeks after graduating in June 2020, she launched her business Crusading Wellness. Autumn enjoyed success early on, landing 10 clients in her first eight weeks. But, in working with these clients, many of whom were suffering with gut issues and acid reflux, she realized she needed more in-depth clinical training and tools to support her clients’ healing – which is where Restorative Wellness Solutions came in.

“The world of food and nutrition can seem complicated and I wanted to simplify that for my clients. I wanted the ability to get super targeted in my approach and knew being able to use tools like the GI-MAP and MRT tests were key,” says Autumn. “Upon completing Restorative Wellness Solutions’ level one course, Mastering The Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing, I was able to go so much deeper. I was better positioned to educate and guide my clients, which helped them stay committed and, ultimately, get better results.”

Within a few months of successfully launching and growing her private practice, Autumn realized her fellow nutrition practitioners needed that same support and targeted approach in building their business. So, she set out to create Crusading Business, a business mentorship program in which she helps nutritional therapy professionals jumpstart their businesses. In less than 18 months, she’s gone on to help over 50 practitioners grow successful practices while continuing to serve her own clients.

When we caught up with Autumn, we asked her what advice she gives to her business mentees and the advice was so good we wanted to share it with you, too. Read on for Autumn’s tips on how to launch and grow a thriving private practice:

1. 1. The right training can give you the confidence you need to sell your services: For Autumn, her NTA education was a great start but the clinical training she gained through Restorative Wellness Solutions was the missing piece. “Having the ability to offer testing to clients is key to staying competitive in the market. People have come to expect data and see real results, and testing allows you to deliver that.” 
   2. Niche down: Autumn believes the old adage “If you try to help everyone, you’re going to help no one” is absolutely true. She sees so many practitioners get overwhelmed with everything they *could* do and, instead, emphasizes the importance of getting really focused on who you help and what you offer. This will not only allow you to become an expert in your specific area, but it simplifies marketing and works to attract the right type of clients to you. The result? More success, quicker.
   3. Tell everyone what you do: Even if you’re early on in your journey, it’s important to actively promote what you do – and, yes…even if your work as a Restorative Wellness Practitioner is still a side hustle. Autumn remembers a time when she was juggling a sales job while starting her nutritional therapy practice – “People would ask me what I do and I’d automatically tell them I work in sales. It finally dawned on me that I won’t get clients if I don’t tell them what I do, so I quickly switched to telling people I ran a nutrition practice and talked about how I could help them”. Today, she makes sure to mention it to everyone she meets – her hair stylist, her bodyworker, the associate in the checkout line of Trader Joe’s – everyone!
   4. Tap into the power of social media: When Autumn first started her nutritional therapy training, she didn’t have a huge following. But, she documented her training as she went through the NTA and RWS programs and, over time, built a loyal and engaged audience. Today, over 90% of her business is from Instagram. Autumn recommends developing content that educates people on symptoms that are common, but are not normal. This is also where niching down helps, because you can craft content catered to your specific audience. Last but not least, Autumn encourages practitioners to get out of their comfort zone and show their personality – “People sign-up with practitioners because of who they are as a person, people pick you because of YOU. Don’t be afraid to show them who you are,” says Autumn. 
   5. Start before you’re ready: Autumn encourages practitioners to start right away and to not let too much time slip away. “Confidence levels don’t go up the longer you wait to start,” says Autumn. Doing the actual work, meeting with clients 1:1 is where you’re going to get the confidence you need and the momentum to build off of.
   6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help: “Being an entrepreneur can be hard,” says Autumn, “You’re going to get nine no’s and one yes – hold on to the one yes and use that as your motivation.” She recommends making a list of everything you need to do to get your business up and running and commit to completing one item on the list everyday. If you’re still struggling, find an accountability partner or hire a mentor so you can get the support you need. 

Currently, Autumn’s 1:1 private practice and business mentoring offerings have reached capacity. But, she’s eager to help more people heal and is exploring new ways of offering support to serve those in need. “I’m excited about all the potential – in helping more people heal and in helping practitioners work smarter, not harder,” says Autumn. 

Are you interested in taking your business to the next level like Autumn did? If so, be sure to apply for our Level 1 class – Mastering the Art & Science of Gastrointestinal Healing. With the right tools, you’ll have the confidence you need to build a thriving practice and get your clients life-changing results. 

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Autumn Best is a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Restorative Wellness Practitioner, and business mentor. To learn more about Autumn’s private practice and business mentorship program, visit Crusading Wellness. You can also find Autumn on Instagram @pilatesandpapaya.