6 Lessons from Nearly 30 Years Running an Energy Healing Business

I was trained in energy healing 30 years ago, and I've been doing this work ever since. But I didn't make it official until 2003, when I launched my website and took the business online with my "Living in the Flow" newsletter, Tai Chi Flow videos, and energy sessions.

That's a lot of clients. A lot of sessions. A lot of students trained. And oh boy, a lot of lessons learned!

You know what? The lessons I've learned about running this business apply to way more than just business. They apply to all areas of life.

But since many of you are either building your own energy healing practices or thinking about it, I want to share six of the biggest lessons I've learned along this entrepreneurial journey. These are the things I wish someone had told me when I was starting out.

1. Use the 80/20 Rule

Also known as the Pareto Principle: roughly 80% of outcomes come from 20% of effort.

For example:

• 20% of a plant contains 80% of the fruit
• 20% of a company's customers bring in 80% of the profit
• I'd venture to guess you wear 20% of the clothes in your closet 80% of the time

You get the point.

In my business, I had to learn NOT to use 80% of my time for a 20% result. Instead, I prioritize my highest impact tasks (20%) for the optimal and easiest results (80%).

What does this look like in an energy healing practice?

High-impact activities (your 20%):

• Seeing clients (actual sessions)
• Teaching and training
• Creating content that attracts ideal clients
• Building relationships with referral partners
• Your own energy work and self-care

Low-impact activities (that eat your 80%):

• Perfecting your website for the tenth time
• Endless social media scrolling
• Tweaking systems that already work
• Busy work that feels productive but doesn't move the needle

When I started really applying this principle, everything changed. I stopped spending hours on things that didn't matter and focused on the work that actually made a difference.

Ask yourself: what 20% of my activities are producing 80% of my results? Then do more of that.

2. Honor the Struggle / Embrace the Suck

Running a business is fun... except when it's not.

There are parts of running an energy healing practice that I don't love: admin tasks, learning new technology, communication misunderstandings, marketing when I'd rather be doing sessions.

But that's like everything in life, you've got to take the unpleasant with the pleasant because those good parts are so worth it. I delegate what I can, and I've learned to appreciate the unavoidable parts. I choose to see them as opportunities to rise and be bolder.

Because here's the truth: the struggle is part of the growth.

When you're wrestling with a tech issue at 10 PM the night before a workshop, or a client cancels last minute, or you're trying to explain what you do to someone who's never heard of energy healing... that's all building your resilience. Those moments teach you more than the easy wins ever will.

You're not doing it wrong just because it's hard sometimes. Hard is part of the path.

3. Time Blocking Is Your To-Do List's Best Friend

I started time-blocking years ago to keep myself on task, and it's been a game changer for me.

Here's how it works: instead of just having a to-do list that you look at throughout the day (and feel overwhelmed by), you assign each task to a specific block of time.

For example:

• 9-11 AM: Client sessions
• 11-11:30 AM: Follow-up emails and notes
• 11:30 AM-12:30 PM: Lunch and movement break
• 12:30-2 PM: Content creation
• 2-3 PM: Admin tasks

The beauty of it is you never waste time mulling over what you should work on next, and getting distracted in the process. You've already decided that beforehand, so you can totally focus on the task at hand. Even if another idea pops in your brain (which happens a lot to me!), just write yourself a short note to remember it and keep on the current task.

For energy healing practitioners, this is especially important because you need protected time for:

• Client sessions (without interruption)
• Your own energy clearing and self-care
• Business development
• Learning and skill-building

Time blocking respects all of those needs and makes sure they actually happen instead of getting pushed aside by whatever feels urgent in the moment.

4. You Can't Grow What You Don't Know

You can't make a plant grow if you don't know its soil, right?

Same goes for business and life. You've gotta pay attention to those numbers, like that wise Peter Drucker said, "You can't manage what you don't measure."

But here's the kicker: once upon a time, I was hesitant about diving into my income figures. It felt like checking the scale every day when you're trying to be healthy, ya know? Too much focus on the numbers felt like the wrong place to put my attention.

But fast forward to now, and I'm all about those digits. It's one way of giving my business the respect it deserves.

What numbers should you track in an energy healing practice?

• Monthly income
• Number of sessions per month
• Average session fee
• Client retention rate
• Where clients are coming from (referrals, website, etc.)
• Expenses
• Time spent on different activities

You don't need fancy software. A simple spreadsheet works great.

And why does this matter? When you track your numbers, you can see what's working and what's not. You can make informed decisions instead of guessing. You can celebrate growth, spot problems early, and plan for slow months.

Knowing your numbers gives you confidence. You're not just hoping and wishing, you're building a real business.

5. Outdoors + Movement = Clarity

I love working, and it seems there is always something to be done.

That's not a good combo... it means since there is always work to do and I like working, I've had to learn to get myself away from my office.

Outside in nature is a great place to be. It "sharpens the saw" and can be pure gold for creativity. Some of my best ideas have come to me because I snuck away from work to enjoy nature on a walk or a high-speed bike ride.

This is especially important for energy healers. You're working with energy all day. You're holding space for people's emotions and blocks. You're clearing heavy vibrations. If you don't move that energy out of your own system, it gets stuck.

Movement, especially outside, helps you:

• Clear residual energy from sessions
• Get grounded and centered
• Process what you're learning
• Access creative solutions
• Stay in your body (not just your head)

I make it non-negotiable. No matter how busy I am, I get outside and move. It's not a luxury, it's a necessity for doing this work sustainably.

6. Do Less Better

When overwhelmed, PRUNE.

When I get too much on my plate for too long, I've learned the answer is to take a look at what's feeling overwhelming and ask myself the 3-Ds: "What can I delegate, delay, or delete?"

I find most tasks fit into one of those buckets.

Delegate: Can someone else do this? (Scheduling, bookkeeping, website updates, etc.)

Delay: Does this need to happen now, or can it wait? (That new program idea, updating your logo, reorganizing your files, etc.)

Delete: Does this actually need to happen at all? (Perfectionism projects, commitments you don't care about, etc.)

Pruning back the non-essentials makes it possible to do the essentials, to do less, better. It frees up more creative power for the most important things.

For energy healing practitioners, this is critical because your energy is your most valuable resource. If you're scattered across ten projects, you can't hold powerful space for clients. If you're exhausted from doing too much, you can't do your best work.

Keeping it simple is always a good thing in my book! Focus on the core: sessions, your own practice, genuine connection with clients. Everything else is negotiable.

Why These Lessons Matter

These six lessons have shaped how I run my practice and how I teach others to build theirs.

Business and energy work aren't separate. How you run your practice reflects your energy, and your business success supports your ability to keep doing this meaningful work.

When you apply these principles, you build a practice that:

• Serves your clients powerfully
• Supports you financially
• Gives you freedom and flexibility
• Feels sustainable and joyful
• Allows you to keep growing

That's what I want for every practitioner. Not just to know how to do the energy work (though that's essential), but to know how to build a practice that actually works, for you and for your clients.

These lessons took me decades to learn. I'm sharing them so you don't have to figure it all out the hard way.

Which of these lessons resonates most with you? What would you add to the list? I'd love to hear what you're learning on your journey.

Thanks for being part of mine. Your support means a lot!

Feeling Called to Do This Work Yourself?

The SimplyAlign Method takes you from learning muscle testing all the way to becoming a certified energy healing practitioner. See the full path here: The SimplyAlign Method