Jessica Lackey Consulting

Helping experts design, build, and run sustainable and right-sized business.

- Group Programs for emerging business owners to build foundations in business planning, strategic planning, and operations/finance/systems.

- 1:1 Consulting / Coaching for business owners who want to grow or scale sustainable businesses.

- Fractional COO Services for visionary CEOs looking for your integrator partner.

Founder and CEO

The Upside

Consulting Member

Boon Health

Leading strategic planning and operational excellence as we build a more resilient world.
- Account Management
- Reporting for Customer, Client, and Coach Metrics
- Leading Operations Team and setting processes and standards

Director of Operations/Strategy Advisor

SheEO™ 

SheEO is a global community of radically generous women + non-binary folks
working on the World’s To-Do List. Activators activate their buying power, networks
and expertise to create an equitable and sustainable world. Since launching in 2015,
7,000+ Activators around the world have collectively loaned out $7M to support
100+ SheEO Ventures. Learn more and Activate: https://sheeo.world/

Activator

Zefyr LLC

Over three years, served as Senior Consultant and Chief of Staff for Zefyr Consulting, a group of Footwear, Apparel & Accessories industry experts dedicated to helping companies in the footwear and apparel industry drive long term value through improved performance and optimized partnerships in their supply chain operations.  Let us help you achieve sustainable results faster.

- S&OP, IBP and Supply and Demand Planning Strategy and Implementation
- Facilitated semi-annual strategy sessions
- Facilitated weekly Leadership Team meeting
- Implemented digital marketing presence, including monthly blogs, LinkedIn presence, and YouTube

Chief of Staff

Electrolux

Lead forecasting, inventory planning and management, and the executive S&OP review process for the North American Sector.

Senior Director, Sales and Operations Planning

Nike

Drive global process and technology development to improve cross-functional business planning processes.

Director, Global Sales and Operations Planning

Lead Inventory Operations for North America, providing accurate forecasts and managing inventory health throughout the distribution network.

Director, North America Inventory Operations

Lead Demand Planning and Operations for North America Women's and Soccer Categories to serve consumers with the right product, at the right place, and at the right time.

Director, North America Demand Planning

Drive definition and deployment of strategic plans that extend Nike’s position as among the leading value chains in the world.

Director, Global Operations Strategy

Apple Inc.

Worldwide Supply Demand Management Intern

McKinsey & Company

Associate

Business Analyst

I’m Jessica Lackey, ex-corporate warrior turned deep business and operations strategist.

I spent my career in the trenches of business - like Harvard Business School, McKinsey Consulting, and Nike. Which means I know business - and I also know exactly what it’s like to be forced into toxic productivity, hustle culture, and pigeon-holed into judging success by the bottom line. I bring that expertise in business strategy, combined with a human-centered perspective, to help grow and scale sustainable expertise businesses.

--------------------------

So your business has hit a plateau - maybe even an existential crisis.
- You’re dropping balls you can’t afford to drop
- You’ve hit the upper limit of your capacity - so doing more and hustling harder isn’t going to be the answer
- Your revenue outlook looks questionable at best - loss of a key client or referral partner or industry shifts
- You might not even be making enough profit to make it worth it
- Or maybe everything is working smoothly… but you want to keep evolving without sacrificing the balance you’ve built

You’re facing a threshold point where you have to make some decisions about your business -- and simply “working harder” to get to the other side isn’t possible.

You’ve tried all the short-term fixes. You’ve read the books, listened to the podcasts, joined the group masterminds, and taken all the programs. You’ve hired an accountant yet you still might not know where the money’s going. Maybe you’ve even hired some contractors, an assistant, or a team to help you grow. 

And yet you’re still stuck.

Now’s time to go deeper into your business and really diagnose what’s not working and build a stronger business from the roots up. You need to understand and shape your business in a way that truly works for you… not using a formula that worked for someone else. No longer be distracted by shiny objects- it’s time to anchor into the stuff that matters and TRULY begin to run your business like a phenomenal leader.

Stop implementing the strategies that worked for someone else’s business, and begin to run the business designed for you.

 https://www.jessicalackey.com/ or DM.

Integrator | Coach | Chief of Staff | Strategy | Operations | Business Strategist

Jessica Lackey

Leaving the Casino is now an award-winning book as the recipient of a Platinum MarCom Award!

In the Thought Leadership category, Leaving the Casino was awarded the HIGHEST honor! Thank you to Fabi Preslar and SPARK Publications for a stunning layout, Hollie Arnett for the interior illustrations, and my editor, my beta readers, and everyone who's purchased a book.

MarCom Awards honor excellence in marketing and communication while recognizing the creativity, hard work, and generosity of industry professionals. Since its inception in 2004, MarCom has evolved into one of the largest and most-respected creative competitions in the world, with about 7,000 print and digital entries submitted each year from dozens of countries.

(Haven't gotten your copy yet? You can snag one here: https://lnkd.in/eBGxF-KF)

Author, Leaving the Casino | Helping experts grow predictably profitable businesses through business foundations | Ex-McKinsey, HBS, Nike

My head wants to keep pushing. My body is saying absolutely not.

With my recent book launch, I hit three nested endings at once: a launch, a year, and a creative arc.

This year included 4 major sprints:

• Finishing the book manuscript
• A full rebrand
• Wrapping up a COO role and launching a course
• The actual book launch

No wonder I was tired. (P.S. Do not recommend doing this all at once). 

But I'm learning something: There's a difference between end-of-sprint tired and end-of-arc completion.

Sprint tired means you need a short time period off.

Arc completion means something deeper. You transformed from where you started to where you are now. 

The work now isn't to sprint harder or pivot faster.
The work is to complete and rest.
The work is to let your curiosity return so you can plant the next seeds.

When you build in arcs, you create space to dream before deciding what's next.

I used to think momentum meant never stopping. Keep shipping. Keep building. Keep posting.

But true rhythm is momentum with meaning, not endless movement.

So I'm sitting in this ending. Not rushing to the next thing. Not filling the space with busy work.

Just letting the completion settle.

The pause between cycles isn't wasted time. It's strategic positioning for the next arc.

What are you completing right now? Are you giving yourself space to actually finish it?

The best way to leave the Entrepreneurial Casino is to do it with friends. And the  joint communities of Deeper Foundations and Lex Roman's Legends?!? You couldn't ask for better humans to do better business with.

Come join us to talk about the book in December!

Build your internet business with me at revenuerulebreaker.com

Need a business reset? I'm hosting Jessica Lackey to discuss her new book "Leaving the Casino." Close out your year with a fresh foundation! 

This book is perfect for you if you're:
- Rethinking your business model
- Feeling like your business isn't sustainable
- Worried about what 2026 holds for you
- Just getting started in business
- Coming back to your business after time off

Get your copy of "Leaving the Casino" and join us Friday, December 12 to talk about how to apply it in your business.

In this book, Jessica steers us away from the entrepreneurial casino of quick fixes and funnels and invites us into a world where we can build something that's truly our own. If you've ever bought a course or a program thinking it would change your life, you're gonna love her thoughtful approach.

Come hang with us on Friday, December 12 at 9am Pacific/12pm Eastern 📗

The event is FREE but I highly recommend buying the book (discount code when you register!) https://luma.com/ntdwehsq

Are you asking the right questions in your business?

A wonderful conversation with Diann Wingert and the ADHD-ish podcast today, all about how we leave the Entrepreneurial Casino.

And it couldn't have come at a better time, before we're bombarded with Black Friday sales — before making that purchase, ask: do you need a course to get better at a marketing strategy or business model that isn't aligned with your brain and business model?

Check out our podcast today: https://lnkd.in/emK8SUKd

You're sprinting hard—but sprinting toward what? And is that sprint even right for where you are in the larger journey?

You need three different timescales running at once: the Micro, Mezzo, and Macro cycles.

And most people only track one (and often the wrong one).

The three cycles work like this:

→ Micro = Sprints (2-3 months)

This is what you do.

The project, the launch, the thing you ship. The rhythm of doing.

Every year I run at least two Define Your Foundations cohorts. This year I also stacked: finishing the book, rebrand + website, ending my COO work + launching my first course, and the book launch itself.

Sprints create momentum. But they need to ladder up to something larger.

→ Mezzo = Chapters (12-18 months)

This is how you build.

The theme of your year. The capability you're strengthening. The visible growth ring on the tree.

Each chapter of my business has carried its own focus:

• Years 1-2: Building my book of business
• Years 3-4: Creating my body of work—essays, curriculum, network
• Year 5: Culmination—rebrand, book, course

A chapter gives your sprints direction. Without it, you're just busy.

→ Macro = Arcs (3-5 years)

This is who you're becoming.

The identity shift. The transformation from seed to stable ecosystem.

My first five-year arc? Going from "getting started" to "established body of work + book in the world." That arc is complete. The next one is forming, but it's too early to name it yet.

Arcs move slow and structural, with permanent impact.

Here's the trap I see everywhere:

People stack sprints back-to-back without asking: Does this sprint serve my chapter? Is this even the right sprint for where I am in my arc?

They're running Year 5 sprints in Year 1. Or launching when they should be learning. Or creating new offers when they should be strengthening what already exists.

The problem isn't lack of execution. It's sprinting without a map.

You need all three cycles because:

→ Sprints without chapters leave you busy with nothing lasting to show
→ Chapters without arcs create skill without direction
→ Arcs without sprints stay in the dream phase forever

Ask yourself these three questions:

• What sprints did you run this year? Did they ladder up to a bigger chapter, or were they random?

• What was your chapter's focus this year? If you can't name it in one sentence, you probably didn't have one.

• Where are you in your current arc? Beginning (seeding), middle (building), or end (harvesting)?

Once you can see all three cycles, everything gets clearer.

You stop sprinting harder and start sprinting smarter.

Which cycle are you missing right now?

The real spooky season? Black Friday and New Year's sales. We convince ourselves THIS time will be different, that January will magically give us more time.

Before you buy that course, tool, or coaching program:

Ask yourself if you can pay ALL THREE COSTS.

Because most people only think about Cost 1.

And that's why their credit card statements are full of things they never used.

The framework breaks down to three costs:

Cost 1: Financial investment

This is the obvious one. The $997 course. The $199/month software. The $15K mastermind.

But nobody asks the real question: Does the value match your specific situation and goals?

I've seen people drop $15K on coaches when a $50 book and 3 focused conversations would've done the trick. Perhaps my book?

(And look - if you need advice on something, just email me. I'm not charging you $15K for a conversation.)

Cost 2: Learning investment

This is where most purchases stall out.

You bought the thing. Now you need 2-3 hours per week to actually learn it and implement it.

That social media course? You need time to watch the videos, take notes, and test the strategies.

That productivity app? You need time to set it up, learn the features, and migrate your workflow.

Most people can't pay this cost. They're already trying to do more than they have capacity for.

So the purchase sits there. Unopened. Unused.

Cost 3: Ongoing maintenance

Even after you learn it, you need ongoing effort to maintain it and see results.

That CRM? You need to update it weekly or it becomes useless.

That workout program? You need to show up 3-4x per week or you won't make the promised "gainz"

That newsletter you started? You need to write somewhat routinely or your audience might mark you as spam.

This is the cost that kills momentum 3 months in.

The reality:

If you can't pay all three costs, you're wasting money.

No matter how good the Black Friday deal is.

No matter how much you convince yourself "this time will be different."

So before you buy:

Do the math on your calendar. Where are those 2-3 hours per week coming from? What are you pruning to make space?

If you can't answer that, save your money.

Which cost do you struggle with most - the upfront learning investment or the ongoing weekly maintenance?

3.5 years. 45 classes. Over 600 registrations. And one final public Deeper Business Dialogue this Wednesday.

In March 2022, I taught my first free class.

Eight people registered. Four showed up live.

And the next month I taught another one, and the month after that.

I had no idea those free classes would become a nearly-four-year rhythm that would shape my business and connect me with so many of you.

What these Dialogues gave me:

A space to workshop ideas in real time. 
Permission to teach what I was still exploring. 
Connection with brilliant, curious humans building businesses differently.

They were proof that you can build without gatekeeping your foundational thinking behind a high-priced paywall (or a paywall at all).

One of you once told me: "This wasn't a sales pitch disguised as helpful content. It was simply helpful."

That mattered more than you know.

To everyone who showed up live, watched a replay, asked brave questions in the chat, shared your struggles and wins, told a friend—thank you.

You made this chapter so special.

Here's what's next:

The Dialogues will continue for Members, where we can go deeper every month on new trainings and topics, drawing from our shared foundation. 

And there are more ways than ever to enter my world if you're curious about building a right-sized, sustainable business—YouTube, the Leaving the Casino book, the Membership.

But I want to close this chapter the right way.

Join me Wednesday for "What Is Enough?": the final public Dialogue.

Bring your Leaving the Casino book if you have one. Let's close this chapter together.

Here's to everything we've learned together. And to what comes next.

Register here:

Open article: Book Club: What is Enough? · Zoom · Luma by luma.com

Book Club: What is Enough? · Zoom · Luma

Every activity in your business has a job to do. The question is: Does it still have that job?

When I started free monthly trainings (my Deeper Business Dialogues) in 2022, the job was clear.

Be the primary entry point to my work. Give people a feel for my methodology. Build audience from 117 email subscribers.

It worked.

Fast forward to 2025, and that activity isn't doing the job well anymore. 

So what do I do? Should I keep them, evolve them, or prune them?

Here's the framework you can use to evaluate activities in your business:

1. First, name the job this activity currently does.

Not what you want it to do. What it actually does right now.

For the Dialogues? Towards the end, the job they were doing was mixed and muddled.

2. Next, ask if it still needs to do that job, or if something else does it better now.

My book, blog, and YouTube channels are much more effective at welcoming people into my work and worldview now.

3. Can the activity do a new or different job? 

The same activity can do a new job. My Dialogues are now an opportunity to go deeper with Members, showcase *their* expertise, bring in guest speakers, or teach new frameworks. 

4. Decide to evolve it or prune it.

Sometimes activities end (like when I quiet quit Instagram a few years ago). I enjoy having my attention back for longer-form marketing.

Or you can evolve it, which is why my monthly Dialogues are now members-only. 

As you move into 2026...

What activity in your business served you beautifully in one season but needs to evolve (or end) in this one?

You can still get my "98.5% off" Black Friday sale, even though the rush is over.

We obviously start with the obligatory value stack:
In this bundle, you get 6 of my never-been-released courses:
- Business Models & Offer Architecture Course — $500 value
- Pricing Foundations Course — $300 value
- Sustainable Marketing Course — $300 value
- Right-Sized Hiring Course — $300 value
- Time Management & System Design Course — $300 value

Total value? At least $1,700.

But you can get these "courses" for 98.5% off.

You'll get 300+ pages of written content (no videos to watch!) plus an accompanying workbook (to help you implement), with 15+ unique frameworks (not just stories of what's worked for me)...

For just $25.

This might be the only  deal that actually saves you money in the long run.

Because once you understand what kind of business you're running, what's right for your stage of business, and frameworks for making decisions, you stop:

Wasting money on courses you don’t need

Chasing tactics that don’t make sense for your business

Paying for strategies designed for someone with a team, an audience, and capital you don’t have

So what is this wildly-underpriced, "never seen before", Black Friday bundle that's now suspiciously still on sale?

My book: Leaving the Casino!

A full-color, practical field guide for experts who want a right-sized, sustainable business without the hustle and hype.

The equivalent of a $1,700 course library—priced like a paperback.

Now, full disclosure: this “Black Friday exclusive” is available every single day at the same price. But when else am I going to remind you that a guide to building comprehensive business foundations can cost less than dinner out?

💪Girl dad 🛋️Psychologist 🌅I pulled back from a prestigious (but overworked) clinical path to design a 6-figure career around my family 🤝🏾I help therapists build and make money from their online courses and podcasts

I didn’t come from a family of entrepreneurs or business owners.
I thought I’d spend my life doing therapy work.

But in 2015, a snowstorm changed everything.

The power went out. Roads froze over.
I had to cancel 21 therapy sessions in one week.

We were saving for our first home.
And just like that, my income was gone.

That week I asked myself:

👉 What kind of business really supports the life I want?

A few months later, I started the Selling the Couch podcast.
It didn’t blow up overnight. But step by step, it grew into:
	•	🎙 One of the top 0.5% podcasts in the world
	•	🌍 1.82M+ downloads in 100+ countries
	•	💛 A quiet community of thoughtful therapists and founders

Then life shifted again.
Our daughter was born 8 weeks early.
The sound of NICU machines is something I’ll never forget.

That season taught me this:
It’s not just what you build.
It’s how you build—and who you become while building.

⸻

Now I help others create businesses that fit their lives:

✅ 245+ therapists launched podcasts ($344,000+ in course sales)
✅ 50+ founders built courses inside my mastermind ($300,000+ earned)
✅ I’ve shaped my own business around hiking, deep work, church, golf, and unhurried time with loved ones.

Here’s the truth:
Good work doesn’t always speak for itself.
People need to see it.

But you don’t have to hustle or burn out to be seen.

If you’re a therapist, quiet founder, parent, or leader who wants to grow without losing yourself—I’d love to connect.

🟡 I share stories and lessons on slow growth each week
🟡 Follow for simple, calm business ideas
🟡 My DMs are open

And if you want to go deeper—

I write The Quiet Builder:
A paid newsletter for thoughtful builders.
$97/year. Two soulful issues a month.
It’s for people who want to grow slow—but strong—even in uncertain times.

👉 sellingthecouch.com/quietbuilder

Because that snowstorm taught me one thing:

A business worth building protects your life.
It doesn’t swallow it.

Melvin Varghese, PhD

🍁 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲

Hi friends —
I’ll be stepping away from social for the rest of the week, but before I go, I wanted to say a quiet, heartfelt thank you.

If you’re here in the U.S., I hope this season brings you:
🌿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁
🥧 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱
🫶 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲

And wherever you are in the world —
thank you for being part of this little corner of the internet for Quiet Builders...
where we value depth over noise and steady growth over spectacle.

⸻

🌱 𝗔 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 (𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼)

Over the past two years, I’ve started to move many of my online connections into real-life conversations.
📞 Phone calls
🤝 Sometimes longer collaborations.
💬 Sometimes simply human connection.

If we’ve had a call this year, thank you.
These moments matter more than metrics.

⸻

📣 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻… 𝗔 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀

We’re hosting a new, free workshop:

🧠 How to AI-Proof Your Online Course Idea
📅 Wednesday, December 10
🔗 https://lnkd.in/edPNSaqu

It’s for therapists who are:
→ Building their first course
→ Revisiting something they’ve already created
→ Or trying to future-proof their income stream without hustle

I’ll be sharing:
🧩 What I’ve learned from working with 50+ therapist course creators
🧠 How to think strategically about content and longevity
💡 What actually works in this shifting economy

⸻

🍂 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻…

Wishing you a warm, grounded Thanksgiving.

Let’s keep building slow, meaningful things —
Together. Quietly. 🙂

Melvin Varghese PhD

💪 Girl dad + Psychologist + New Golfer ⛳ Helping therapists & quiet builders grow calm, strong businesses ✍🏽 Sharing slow growth lessons since 2015

No alternative text description for this image

You don’t have to launch like that again.

Even if it worked.
Even if it made you money.
Even if people said it looked successful.

In our mastermind, one-course creator shared something raw:

“𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘥... 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦.”

It’s easy to build strategies that check the boxes…

But miss your body’s wisdom.

Burnout isn’t always loud.
Sometimes it hides in polished slides and packed calendars.

Here’s your permission slip :

The next launch can feel aligned, calm, and gentle. You get to create it on your terms.

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹.
Not a newsletter.
Not a story.

Just a quiet announcement:

We’re opening enrollment for 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 in Dec, a new community for therapists shifting from clinical work to online income.

No funnel.
No urgency countdown.
Just a Notion page and a simple “Join the interest list if it speaks to you.”

We’re taking 50 people max, including beta members.
As of this morning, 20 are already on the list.

Will all 20 join? Probably not.
But honestly, that wasn’t the most surprising part.

What surprised me was 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹.

Encouraged.
Not just by the numbers.
But by what those numbers confirmed.

⸻

When I started Selling the Couch 10 years ago, wise mentors told me:

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁.”

I didn’t get it then.
But I do now.

93% of everything I’ve ever sold has come from email.
Not social media.
Not a Reel.
Not a carousel.
Not even a post like this one.

Podcast → email → product.
That’s been the path all along.

And it’s led to two products each crossing $400,000 in lifetime revenue —
proof that quiet trust can still build big things.

⸻

And now that I see it... I want to protect it.
To tend to it.

But I’m still unsure what “growth” looks like.
Everyone talks about viral lead magnets.
And maybe I’ll try one someday.
But when I download them, I rarely read them.
And when I see creators push one every week, something in me trusts them less.
It’s like watching someone yell “value!” instead of simply offering it.

⸻

Launching something new — even with past success — is still scary.
But this week reminded me of something I’ve quietly believed all along:

𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴.
And slow can still scale — if it’s built on the right foundation.

Haven will grow slowly.
That’s by design.

Because I’m in a season of
→ Raising a daughter
→ Caring for aging parents
→ Practicing golf
→ Writing books
→ And building something that gives me space, too.

If that resonates, we’ll have more to share in the weeks ahead.

But for now, I just wanted to share that little Monday moment.

Sometimes the strongest signal isn’t a viral post.
It’s an email with no subject line gimmick.
And 20 people saying quietly:
“I’m interested.”

Every course starts with one small lesson.

It might not feel like much, but 1% progress beats 0% every time.

But there's something safe about staying in that 0%.

Each step you take gets you closer to your finished course.

Consistency compounds. Keep going—you’re building something valuable.

How are you moving 1% forward today?

Hi all. We’re opening up 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 for the Selling the Couch podcast. 🎙️

Several of our long-time partners have already renewed, so we’re down to our 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 TWO 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 for the year.

If you run a company that serves mental health therapists and want to:

✅ Reach a highly engaged, values-aligned audience
✅ Build long-term trust through story-driven content
✅ Partner with a show that therapists have trusted for over a decade

— I’d love to explore a fit.

⸻

The STC Podcast is now in its 𝟭𝟭𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿:
🎧 400+ episodes
🌎 2 million downloads
📈 Ranked in the 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟬.𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆

We’ve proudly partnered with companies like 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗮, 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹, and would love to add yours to that list. 🙂
⸻

📌 You’ll find a link to our 2026 sponsorship sheet at the top of my profile.
🎥 I’ve also included a short behind-the-scenes video to show how we produce and promote sponsor content.

With full in-house audio + video editing, your message reaches:
→ Podcast listeners
→ YouTube viewers
→ 𝟯,𝟰𝟬𝟬+ 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀

If you’re interested, please 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗗𝗠 with the subject line:
👉 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

Let’s create something meaningful together. <3

There’s a kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with how full your calendar is.

I recently experienced this with our most recent mastermind launch. 

You can have every email scheduled.
Every launch piece in place.

And still feel like you’re moving through molasses.

It’s not the logistics.
It’s the emotional weight behind the scenes.

An argument at home.
A parenting moment that wrecked you.
A deep fatigue you can’t name.

These are the parts of business no one teaches us to plan for.

But they’re the very things that impact our capacity to show up.

Grace has to be part of the business model.

Especially when life is happening behind the content.

🔥 I’ve been thinking a lot about a phrase lately:
𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲.

It’s how I’d describe so many of us building things quietly —
Not for show.
Not for scale-at-all-costs.
But for meaning, health, and longevity.

Not the burn-it-down kind of fire.
The kiln kind.
Steady, intentional, high heat that reshapes things permanently.

⸻

This mindset has been quietly shaping everything I build.

🧱 Earlier this year, I launched the 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 — a $97/year letter for people building long-game, life-first businesses.

We’re now at 59 paying members with ~80% open rates per issue.
Not huge revenue.
But huge signal.

It tells me Quiet Builders are out there.
People who crave stillness, not spin.
Depth, not dopamine.

https://lnkd.in/ekm_yFtG
⸻

Next year, I’ll be rolling out something new:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵.

It’s a private, 1-day golf experience for high-performing people in high-pressure roles —
surgeons, investors, operators, pilots, founders —
who need their 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 when the stakes are real.

We use 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹,
𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺,
and 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 to create one of the most personalized executive coaching days available.

⸻

Quiet fire isn’t fast.
But it compounds.
And what it builds tends to last.

For years, I tried to squeeze more in.

More productivity.
More hours.
More blocks on the calendar.

Because that’s what we’re taught, right?

Maximize every minute.
Fill every open slot.
Push to the edge.

But somewhere along the way, I realized something I didn’t expect:

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲.
𝗜𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻.

The space between.

Today—after nearly a decade of trial and error—I work a rhythm that finally honors my brain and my body.

🕘 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Deep work
🥾 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. – Daily hike in the woods
😴 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Power nap + school pickup
🎨 3:30 to 5 p.m. – Creative time

I work Monday through Thursday.
And I build margin into every day.

𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜’𝗺 𝗹𝗮𝘇𝘆.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲.

If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends—
consider this your permission to leave some space.

🟡 This week’s podcast unpacks this idea in more depth: https://lnkd.in/e-nM3qu3

Excited to announce a new partnership with the Kartra team! 🎉

Honestly, if you told me 9 years ago that I’d have opportunities like this, I wouldn’t have believed it.

Kartra has been the backbone of Selling The Couch, and I can’t imagine running STC without it.

Here’s what it powers for us:
📧 Our email list
🎓 Online courses
📊 Surveys
🎥 Video hosting
...and more things I’m probably forgetting!

The Kartra team has been incredible to work with, and they’ve hooked us up with a special deal for the STC community.

If you’re a therapist or business owner looking for an all-in-one platform, it’s worth checking out.

➡️ sellingthecouch.com/kartra

P.S. For full transparency, this is an affiliate link. I only recommend products I’ve personally used or whose teams I trust to stand behind STC’s mission and my name. 😊

I remember the first time I thought about starting a podcast.

Before I ever hit record, there was a deeper fear running the show:

“What if I share my voice... and people judge it?”

I didn’t have a "radio voice."
I stumbled over my words.
I worried I’d say something wrong—or worse, not say anything worth hearing.

But here’s what I learned:

Visibility feels scary because it 𝘪𝘴 vulnerable.

And if you’ve been trained to stay small or quiet, stepping up can feel unnatural.

But your lived experience has power.

And someone is waiting to hear your perspective in your voice—not a polished version.

If you’re a therapist thinking about podcasting but holding back because of fear, I created something that might help:

🎙️ From Therapist to Thought Leader: Why Podcasting Could Be Your Next Big Move

It’s a free workshop that covers how to start a podcast grounded in purpose—not performance. 🙂

You can find it at the top of my profile or at:
https://lnkd.in/eXCZAmhb

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Jessica Lackey

Melvin Varghese, PhD

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The Battle

Jessica Lackey

Melvin Varghese, PhD

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