Improving a premium wellness practice from operational foundation to market visibility
Blackbird Health
The Challenge
Merel founded Blackbird Health. She holds deep expertise in colon hydrotherapy and psychosomatic wellness. The mission to bring this service to as many people as possible. However, as a founder she loved what she does best but also wanted to grow, optimize and have the data to make good business decisions. What works and what does not work? What do we need and what are nice-to-haves?
The challenge was that there was no solid documentation, foundation, admin and booking was manual and there was no coherent system that tied every thing together. I provided a digital eco-system.
Further, the worth of the services needed to be revisited and the website required up to date SEO, GEO, layout and design. a foundation but not solid. The founder Merel wanted to scale up and expand and that is where I stepped in.
Testimonial
“And then Anna suddenly appeared! A visionary, someone with hands-on expertise across many fields through setting up startups, a jack-of-all-trades and investigator of everything that gives me a headache. She brings order to my creative, chaotic, enthusiastic brain. Talk about off-loading! What a blessing! We sat down, got out the flip-over and started writing! Anna organizes, loves figuring things out, brings new input, keeps me focused where I tend to get distracted so I can concentrate more and more during the sessions and that feels really good.”
— Merel van der Steur, Founder, Blackbird Health, www.blackbirdhealth.nl
The Approach
Phase One: Audit + Improving Business Foundation
Systems & operations
Started from scratch: financial overview and clean bookkeeping, documented pricing strategy aligned with market positioning, EHR (electronic health records) implementation for client management, automated booking and invoicing systems, and a complete Microsoft digital ecosystem (email, calendar, file management, client communication).
Business Architecture
Clarified the business trajectory, documented operating hours aligned with Merel's capacity and market demand, and mapped budget to match growth stage. Every decision grounded in financial reality, not wishful thinking.
Phase Two: Scaling Through Positioning (In Progress)
The real challenge: Blackbird Health's services are premium, but were invisible. Phase two repositions the practice as a premium wellness experience: translating clinical excellence into compelling narrative. This means connecting the gut-brain axis story, the psychosomatic approach, and the curated treatment experience into language that resonates with high-value clients.
Market Positioning & Narrative
Website redesign with clarity on positioning, SEO strategy to capture health-conscious searchers, content creation that educates and builds authority, social media and LinkedIn presence, and networking strategy including business cards and referral materials for wellness conferences.
Digital Presence & Marketing Engine
Revenue-share model aligned with growth. As the practice scales, both Merel and the partnership benefit. This shifts the dynamic from "you pay me to help" to "we both win when the practice grows."
Ongoing Partnership
The Outcome
Phase one created operational stability: Merel went from ad-hoc operations to documented systems that run cleanly. Booking automation alone freed up 5–8 hours per week. Phase two is building visibility: transforming a high-quality practice that nobody knows about into a recognized premium wellness destination. The goal: sustainable growth that doesn't require Merel's constant involvement in administrative tasks.
The Pattern
Most boutique practices have the same problem: excellent services, no visibility. Merel is brilliant at what she does—the gap wasn't in her expertise, it was in the systems and the story. Phase one built the systems. Phase two builds the story. Both are necessary. Neither works alone.
Why This Matters
If you have a high-quality practice or business but can't get clients to find you, you're not alone. The gap is almost never expertise—it's systems (operations, bookkeeping, automation) + story (positioning, content, visibility). One fractional partner who understands both beats five specialists who only see one lane.