You trained to help people. Not to dance on TikTok.
If you’re a solo practitioner, you probably didn’t sign up for the social media Cringe Factor, the stomach-churning effect of tax returns, or the awkwardness of trying to market yourself without feeling like a sleazy car salesman.
But here you are, brilliant at your craft, and quietly wondering, “Why does getting my practice off the ground feel harder than the actual work?”
I’ve been there.
Hi, I’m Sarah Attwell. I spent over a decade running my own acupuncture practice. I know the highs of a fully booked clinic… and the lows of sitting in an empty room waiting for a client who never turns up.
Alongside my practice, I taught at the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, chaired the British Acupuncture Council’s Governing Board, and even got my research published in the European Journal of Oriental Medicine (yes, I was that nerdy). My work’s been featured in Cotswold Life too, though sadly no one offered me a glossy cover shoot.
Before all that? I cut my teeth in Learning & Development, where I geeked out on training design and behaviour change — skills I now sneak into everything I teach solo practitioners.
The penny dropped.
After years of mentoring practitioners and running local networks, I saw the same patterns over and over again:
- Amazing, skilled people struggling to make a living.
- The same traps tripping people up (hello, discounting).
- The same breakthroughs turning things around.
So I pulled it all together into a structured system. That’s how the GROW Formula was born: a practical, step-by-step way to turn a “winging it” practice into a secure income and deeply rewarding way of life.
Why GROW actually works.
The GROW Formula isn’t just based on what worked for me. It’s built on:
- Proven marketing models like AIDA and the 7Ps
- Solid research into what makes solo practitioners succeed (like, actual evidence-based stuff)
- Expert input from an MBA-level marketing strategist with 20+ years, and a Chartered Accountant who happens to specialise in small business finance
The strategies we teach have helped people attract more of the right clients, avoid burnout, and finally make a good living from the work they love. Even better? It doesn’t require a full personality transplant, ditching your values, or even a daily TikTok routine.
The mission.
Sole Trader Courses exists for one reason: to stop brilliant solo practitioners from giving up, burning out, or going bust. You deserve a practice that pays the bills, fits your life, and doesn’t require you to moonlight as a marketing “guru” just to keep the lights on.
This isn’t just about courses and coaching. It’s about building a movement of confident, thriving solo practitioners who know how to run a business without selling their soul.
The offer.
Our flagship GROW Business Transformation Bootcamp is where it all comes together. It’s the roadmap I wish I’d had when I was sitting in that empty clinic room, praying the phone would ring (and then panicking when it did).
The human bit.
When I’m not banging on about client experience and self care, you’ll usually find me lifting weights (it’s a new thing and I love it), sticking needles into people (very carefully), or drinking coffee strong enough to wake the ancestors. Balance, right?
Sarah Attwell
Founder, Sole Trader Courses
