We recently connected with Lisa Foster and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lisa, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
We all can relate to feeling like an imposter at some point in our life; opening up my private practice Mapleton CranioSacral Therapy and starting the Real Life Momz Podcast, I had many moments where I felt like an imposter. Feelings and self doubt ranging from, “I don’t know how to run a business” to “how can I accept money for my services?” and “who would ever want to listen to me on my podcast?” all flooded my thoughts and fed my deepest insecurities. These repeating narratives were only limiting beliefs.
I thought I needed to know everything about business or at the very least, possess a business degree to open a practice – of which I have none. But that was just something I created in my head; it was not true and was not based on rationale but rather it was fear based. What I needed was to remind myself “why” I wanted to open a private practice and “what” my core purpose was behind it. I had to overcome the feeling of inadequacy. If I didn’t know how to do something, why would I even try? To begin to answer these questions I had to ground myself first on rationality and simple logical personal truths. I am a healthcare professional – I am empowered and trained to ask questions and seek pragmatic advice. Leveraging these truths, I took one small step at a time. I knew that I always enjoyed learning and creating something from nothing – I started asking trusted colleagues about their experiences building their private practices – and from there I had a body of collective insights and recommendations to pull from. This baby step, was a sound logical one.
Another limiting belief I needed to overcome was the irrational fear I had of charging money from my patients for the services I provided them. I think many healthcare professionals especially, struggle with the concept of putting a monetary value on rendered services because our natural disposition and intention is to simply help others. But, what I have learned about this process is that value is not only for you but rather it is a reciprocal as well. When someone pays for a service, they are inherently increasing the commitment to their own health and recovery and holding themselves accountable to that commitment at a much deeper level.
And believe me, I didn’t realize this right away. In fact it took several years of figuring this out. In the past, when I would offer my patient a discounted session or even gave them a free one, the commitment-level of that patient decreased dramatically – their recovery was less than optimal or effective. It was incredible for me to make this observation – the clients whom committed financially to my full pricing had more stake in the game and ultimately had better results.
Another example of this dynamic – have you ever signed up for a free event, and when the time came to go, you decided to miss it? Would you have missed that event had you bought a ticket? As a consequence, when we as professional service providers don’t charge for our
services based on an economic and personal worth, we are only doing a disservice to ourselves and our clients as well.
At the end of the day, when you feel those limiting beliefs come up, ask yourself, is this story true? And then write yourself a new story
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a licensed Physical Therapist and certified CranioSacral Therapist. I had been working for years in traditional inpatient and outpatient settings; I never imagined that one day I would open my own practice. As I began my training in CranioSacral Therapy and added this powerful technique to my client’s therapy sessions, I realized I wanted to dedicate my work to implementing CranioSacral Therapy into my practice. (CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on treatment that releases tension in the central nervous system. When the nervous system is balanced, it allows all other systems in the body to work optimally. This allows the body to relax, self-correct and heal.)
I decided to open a private practice, Mapleton CranioSacral Therapy, in Lafayette, CO, where I use CranioSacral Therapy as my primary modality. I am grateful to be working in a field that I truly love.
In my practice, I not only treat various symptoms and diagnoses, but I am sensitive to the needs for emotional balance and well-being of my clients as well – and this is what I integrate into their treatment sessions. Every client is different, and each person’s story influences their recovery process. Witnessing these stories as they unfold is truly an honor. I feel that using CranioSacral Therapy allows the body to tell its story. Seeing my clients heal from the inside out is why I come to work each day. I specialize in treating adults and children with several conditions, including; migraines and headaches, depression, anxiety, stress disorders, post- concussive symptoms, infant torticollis, ankyloglossia (tongue-tie), and autism.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
If I could share three nuggets of wisdom from my business journey that has made the most impact on me; 1) it is essential to continuously evolve oneself in terms of inner alignment and self motivations and happiness. 2) The only person that is holding you back from pursuing your dreams is you! Take the time to do the work and challenge those limiting beliefs preventing you from reaching beyond your potential. 3) Recognize those limiting beliefs and implement the necessary steps to overcome them – write a new story for yourself based on rationality.
Another bit of advice I would share is to have a mentality based on abundance. There is enough for all. We do not need to compete with each other. Collaboration with others in your respective fields goes a long way and will ultimately help grow your business. If you think of this in simple terms, Loews and Home Depot sell similar inventory, are typically located near each other and yet they are both successful. Their independent brands and differentiators point to different but usually overlapping audiences. The point is, if someone (or a business) lights a similar candle, this does not make yours less bright.
And the last piece of wisdom I have learned is to embrace the purpose behind your business – it is critical to understand the ”the why” (aka the “purpose”) of your business. Allow that purpose to be the foundation for all other decisions you make in your business. Because when you stick to its true purpose adamantly, your business is already successful.
How would you describe your ideal client?
I don’t just focus on the patient’s symptoms; my focus is on the whole person. Our body functions as a whole, with each part connected to another. As our tissues release, we release tension within our muscles, fascia, organs, cells, etc..and we also release any emotions that have been trapped within. All of that being said, my ideal client is someone who is ready to heal, someone who is ready to commit to their health and recovery, and someone who wants to take responsibility for their healing process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mapletoncst.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisafostercst/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisafosterCST/
- Other: Podcast: https://www.reallifemomz.com/
