Estimated Read Time: 13 minutes
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If you’re a naturopathic doctor feeling trapped in the traditional clinic model, working endless hours for income that doesn’t reflect your expertise, Dr. Kristi’s story will give you hope.
After 14 years in practice, Kristi was ready to leave naturopathic medicine entirely. She was burned out, financially frustrated, and even researched switching careers to real estate.
Instead, she made a decision that changed everything: she invested in learning how to build an online practice that aligned with her values and gave her back her life.
Today, she works 25 hours per week, serves 12 high-paying clients annually instead of 25+ patients per week, and has created the freedom-based practice she always dreamed of.
Here’s exactly how she did it—and how you can too.
The Breaking Point: Why Traditional Practice Wasn’t Working
The 2020 Reality Check
By the beginning of 2021, Kristi had reached her limit. Despite being excellent clinically and having 14+ years of experience, she was stuck in what she calls “survival mode.”
Her reality:
- Working 55+ hours per week
- Fee-for-service model that capped her income
- Endless charting and administrative tasks
- Insurance headaches and overhead costs
- Feeling financially and emotionally defeated
“I was so burned out and I was so… I felt defeated that I wasn’t further along. And I just wanted different.”
The Isolation Factor
Like many practitioners, 2020 amplified her sense of professional isolation. The pandemic made her realize how much she was missing community and connection with like-minded colleagues.
“I really felt like I needed more of a community, more of a tribe, more of a connection support with other colleagues.”
The wake-up call: She wasn’t just struggling with business mechanics—she was missing the support system essential for sustainable practice.
The Investment That Changed Everything
Overcoming the Money Mindset Blocks
When Kristi first discovered mentorship programs for practitioners, her initial reaction was familiar to many: “I can’t afford it.”
“Oh, I can’t afford it. I can’t afford it. I can’t be spending that much money when I don’t even know what I’m doing with my business and I don’t even know if I want to keep doing what I’m doing.”
The mindset shift: She realized that not investing in herself was actually more expensive than staying stuck.
“But then again, I was like, well, what else am I going to do? I love this. Like helping people. I feel I just need to shift how I run this business and this practice and how I charge and how I package things together.”
Finding the Right Mentorship
What convinced her to invest wasn’t just the business education—it was finding a community that felt like family.
“It felt like family… It didn’t feel like one coach with a ton of people. Just felt very close and encouraging and very educational too.”
Key factors in her decision:
- Comprehensive curriculum with ongoing support
- Small, intimate community feel
- Testimonials from other practitioners
- Personal connection with the mentor
The Complete Practice Transformation
From Fee-for-Service to High-Value Packages
Before: Seeing 25 patients per week at $300/session, working 55 hours/week
After: Serving 12 clients annually with 6-month packages at $8,500 each
This wasn’t just a pricing change—it was a complete restructuring of how she delivered care.
The new model:
- 6-month “Hormone Harmony Intensive” programs
- Weekly 90-minute sessions instead of rushed appointments
- Voxer support between sessions for real-time guidance
- Customized supplement protocols
- Stress management and lifestyle coaching integration
The Revenue Results
Previous model: $180K annually working 55 hours/week
New model: $240K annually working 25 hours/week
“I would have never expected that I would have this 2 years ago, three years ago? There’s no way. There’s no way I would have ever expected to bring in whatever revenue per month.”
The Geographic Freedom
The online model also gave Kristi complete location independence. She moved from California to Colorado and took her practice completely virtual.
“I don’t really need this office anymore, and so that’s when I decided to completely move it virtual, and I would say, like most people are completely okay with that especially at this stage of our world right now.”
The Personal Development Integration
Beyond Business: Deep Inner Work
What sets Kristi’s transformation apart is her commitment to personal development alongside business growth.
“I became a naturopathic doctor which, you know, as you are too, so, you’re treating the physical, but yeah, you also have to treat the emotional and the psychological and all the layers that people have as deep as they’re willing to.”
Her approach now includes:
- Regular meditation practice (inspired by Dr. Joe Dispenza retreats)
- Deep emotional and psychological work
- Integration of personal growth with professional development
- Embodying the transformation she teaches clients
The Ripple Effect
This inner work didn’t just change her practice—it changed her entire life perspective.
“The possibilities for what I want are unlimited and endless… You can do anything you want. I mean, you really can and it’s just being aware of that unlimitedness.”
The Client Experience Revolution
Quality Over Quantity
Moving to high-ticket packages completely transformed the practitioner-client dynamic.
Before: Rushing through appointments, limited follow-up, feeling like she was giving more than receiving After: Deep, meaningful relationships with clients who are fully invested in their healing
“They are so much more committed and easier to work with and it just, again, that flow of energy, that exchange of giving and receiving. It’s just, it’s, yeah, it just seems to be more harmonious for sure.”
The Energetic Alignment
Kristi describes the difference in working with clients who are energetically aligned:
“It just feels good in my heart. There’s a sense of peace, there’s a sense of relaxation… I don’t feel like I’m overdoing way too much, and I’m only getting paid this much.”
The transformation: From resentment and depletion to service from overflow.
“It’s giving from a place of, like you said, overflow and giving, that service providing feels so much more, it just feels more resonating for me.”
The Compatibility Factor
She describes the client relationship using a powerful analogy:
“You think about compatibility with like intimate partners or maybe friendships but when you have that compatible, I guess, client, practitioner relationship, it just, it’s easier. It feels better.”
The Money Mindset Evolution
From Scarcity to Investment Mentality
One of the most significant shifts was how Kristi began to view money and investment.
“It’s so interesting because now, I can, I can pay for things or I can buy other coaching programs or I can purchase things that are a much higher amount. And it’s like, doesn’t feel like it’s that big of a deal to me anymore.”
The key insight: “When you start investing, that’s really what it comes down to is investing in yourself.”
The Energy Exchange
She learned to see money as energy rather than a scarce resource:
“It is it’s that beautiful exchange of energy of being able to pay somebody what they feel they’re worth and receiving that money back to you.”
Setting Boundaries with Non-Ideal Clients
The abundance mindset also changed how she handled potential clients who weren’t a good fit:
“I’m so much better at letting that go. It’s okay. It’s okay if that person doesn’t want to work with me ever or even just right now. And it’s very freeing. It’s very liberating.”
The Implementation Framework
Mindset and Foundation
- Address money mindset blocks around charging premium prices
- Develop clear boundaries around time and energy
- Begin transitioning from fee-for-service to package model
- Start building online presence and systems
Program Development
- Create signature program based on expertise and client needs
- Develop comprehensive intake and assessment processes
- Establish clear program structure and deliverables
- Set up systems for ongoing client support
Launch and Refine
- Begin enrolling clients in new program model
- Transition existing clients to new structure
- Continuously refine based on client feedback
- Track metrics and celebrate milestones
Scale and Optimize
- Increase program investment as confidence grows
- Expand to serve ideal geographic or demographic markets
- Consider additional revenue streams or program variations
- Focus on sustainability and lifestyle integration
The Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Imposter Syndrome
The issue: Feeling unworthy of charging premium prices
The solution: Focus on transformation provided, not time invested
Client Objections to Pricing
The issue: Potential clients saying they can’t afford higher-priced programs
The solution: Recognize that price objections often indicate misalignment, not inability to pay
Fear of Change
The issue: Uncertainty about leaving the “safety” of traditional practice
The solution: Gradual transition with strong mentorship and community support
Technical/Systems Overwhelm
The issue: Not knowing how to build online systems and processes
The solution: Focus on simple, proven frameworks rather than complicated tech
The Broader Life Integration
Work-Life Integration vs. Balance
Kristi’s story illustrates the power of work-life integration rather than the impossible pursuit of “balance.”
Her practice now supports:
- Location independence (moved states seamlessly)
- Personal growth pursuits (meditation retreats, continued education)
- Meaningful relationships and community involvement
- Financial security without time sacrifice
The Future Vision
“I’m excited at what’s to come for my business… whether I choose to stay in this type of business forever, or I decide to expand it even, and do even more projects, or more programs. I have that awareness now to see the unlimited growth.”
Your Next Steps: From Burnout to Freedom
Kristi’s transformation wasn’t magic—it was the result of:
- Recognition that the traditional model wasn’t sustainable
- Investment in mentorship and community
- Implementation of proven business frameworks
- Integration of personal development with professional growth
- Iteration based on results and client feedback
Start With These Three Actions:
- Audit your current model: Calculate your true hourly rate including all unpaid time
- Identify your transformation: What specific outcome do your best clients achieve?
- Research successful practitioners: Study how others in your field have made similar transitions
The Support System Factor
Perhaps the most important element of Kristi’s success was finding the right mentorship and community.
“The mentorship is so, it’s been so helpful and it’s been, it has been life changing. It really has in a way that has completely changed my love for helping people and but also helping myself.”
Ready to Create Your Own Transformation?
If you’re a health practitioner ready to transition from time-for-money to a freedom-based practice that serves clients at the highest level, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Inside The WELLth Academy, I teach the exact frameworks that helped practitioners like Kristi create sustainable, profitable online practices.
My students learn to:
- Package their expertise into high-value programs
- Attract ideal clients who are excited to invest in their health
- Create systems that support location independence
- Build practices that nourish rather than deplete them
Learn more about The WELLth Academy →
Because your expertise deserves to be well-compensated, and your life deserves to feel nourishing instead of depleting.
Ready to dive deeper? Join our free Self-Led Online Practitioners community of 800+ health professionals where you get exclusive access to training sessions like this one, monthly coaching calls, practitioner spotlights, and first access to new programs and discounts. Join the community here – it’s completely free for verified practitioners.
About the Author: Michelle Rogers, ND, MSAOM, FDN-P, is a clinical mentor and founder of The WELLthy Woman™ movement. A practicing clinician since 2012, she pivoted to mentoring fellow practitioners in 2019 after experiencing her own transformation from clinic burnout to online business success. She has since guided hundreds of health professionals to build profitable online practices using her unique integration of functional medicine expertise and scalable business strategies.
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