Penguin Random House

Author of the instant New York Times Bestseller, The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.

Author

The Curiosity Chronicle

The Curiosity Chronicle is a 4x weekly newsletter where I provide actionable ideas to help build a high-performing, healthy, wealthy life to a global community of 800,000+.

Writer

SRB Holdings

SRB Holdings is a personal holding company currently comprised of ten cash flowing business assets.

Current portfolio holdings include:

• SBloom Media Holdings
• The Inflection
• Paperboy Studios
• SBloom Advisory

Owner

SRB Ventures

SRB Ventures is an investment firm committed to investing in and accelerating the most compelling startups in the world. Fund I is a $10 million stage and sector-agnostic vehicle writing $100-250K checks into high-growth technology companies around the world.

Managing Partner

NYT Bestselling Author of The 5 Types of Wealth

Sahil Bloom is the New York Times Bestselling author of The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.

Sahil is an inspirational writer and entrepreneur, captivating millions of people every week through his book, social insights, and bi-weekly newsletter, The Curiosity Chronicle.

His debut non-fiction book, The 5 Types of Wealth, was an instant New York Times, USA Today, and Sunday Times Bestseller. Apple CEO Tim Cook called it "a powerful call to action to think deeply about what lights you up—and a guide for how to build a life of meaning and purpose around those things." The book is a unique blend of strategies, tactics, and actionable insights, enabling readers to make real, positive changes and lead healthier, wealthier lives.

Sahil is also an entrepreneur and owner of SRB Holdings, a personal holding company, and the Managing Partner of SRB Ventures, a $10 million venture investment firm committed to investing in and accelerating the most compelling startups in the world. Prior to launching SRB Ventures in January 2022, Sahil was an early-stage investor in 40+ startups across the technology landscape, including multiple unicorns.

Previously, Sahil spent seven years as a private equity investor and served on the board of several middle market companies during that period.

Sahil graduated from Stanford University with an M.A. in Public Policy (2014) and a B.A. in Economics & Sociology (2013). While at Stanford, he was a four-year member on the Stanford Baseball Team (2009-2013), twice helping to guide the team to NCAA Super Regional appearances (top-16 finishes). Additionally, Sahil earned two PAC-12 All-Academic Team awards and twice received the Bruce R. Cameron Memorial Award, given annually to a student-athlete exhibiting excellence in athletics, academics, and leadership. Academically, Sahil was advised in his pursuits by former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

Sahil Bloom

This letter stopped me in my tracks…

Every single person you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

Your one tiny action can create ripples that extend far beyond yourself.

Create more ripples.

For anyone out there battling in silence, you’re not alone.

We’re all in it together.

Lift someone up this week for no reason at all.

“I hope you win the war you tell no one about.”

Enjoy this? Share it with your network and follow me Sahil Bloom for more.

P.S. I write about these topics in my 4x weekly newsletter. Join 800,000+ other readers (completely free): https://lnkd.in/esGsF85Q

This poem changed my life

(and may change yours):

“It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that's where the river will know
it's not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.”

– Khalil Gibran

Reading (and re-reading) the poem sparked four powerful thoughts:

1. Fear is natural before transformation. That fear you feel as you approach a significant change is completely natural. It’s a cost of entry for the transformation you wanted.

2. There is no going back. On your growth journey, there is no turning back. A few weeks ago, ​I wrote​, “I believe that the worst mistakes in life are made when we try to cling to a prior season that has already passed.” We cannot undo experiences or retreat into old versions of ourselves. Always forward.

3. Surrender is necessary for growth. The attachment to a present identity (“the river”) holds you back from your true potential. To become the new, you have to unbecome the old. You have to let go of your old habits, mindsets, beliefs, and identity. That requires a leap of faith. That requires a surrender.

4. It’s not a loss, it’s an expansion. What feels like a loss or disappearance of the old is often just an expansion into the richness of the new. The river does not disappear into the ocean, it becomes the ocean.

The river’s story is our story.

So, what ocean are you afraid to enter?

Maybe it’s time you surrendered to it.

And when you do, remember this:

You are not disappearing, you are becoming.

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The highest form of intelligence isn’t IQ.

(this realization changed my life)...

It’s adaptability.

Knowledge matters, but the ability to learn, unlearn, and change course matters more. The rigid cling to what was. The adaptable adjust to what is and what will be.

The future belongs to them.

♻️ Enjoy this? Repost to share with your network!

And follow Sahil Bloom for more!

The brutal truth about confident people?

(they fail more than you do)...

Confidence is less about knowing you’ll win and more about knowing you’ll bounce back even if you don’t.

Real confidence is built on resilience. Adaptability. Tolerance for uncertainty.

Fear loses when you embrace that failure is never final.

📌 Want wisdom that helps you focus on what truly matters?

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The most attractive trait…

(it’s not looks, wealth or status).

It’s energy.

Walk into rooms with genuine enthusiasm, curiosity, and interest. You’ll become a magnet for the highest quality people.

Energy is contagious. Spread the kind you’d want to catch.

📌 Want the morning/evening routine that built my most productive days?

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The #1 predictor of success isn't talent.

(most people never figure this out)...

It’s reliability. 

You’ll achieve much more by being consistently reliable than by being occasionally extraordinary. Show up, do the work, repeat. 

The recipe for success in any area of life.

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The smartest people I know aren't the most knowledgeable.

(they have something else entirely)...

They adapt faster than everyone else.

I spent my 20s collecting credentials. MBA. Finance roles. The "right" path. I thought intelligence meant having all the answers.

Then markets crashed. Industries transformed. Everything I "knew" became obsolete overnight.

That's when I learned: The rigid cling to what was. The adaptable adjust to what is and what will be.

Your expertise? A liability if you're too attached to it.

Your identity? A prison if it prevents you from evolving.

The future belongs to those who rewrite the manual when the game changes.

Every time you say "that's not how we do things," you're choosing rigidity over intelligence.

Adaptability isn't just surviving change—it's thriving because of it.

📌 Ready to invest in yourself?

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This idea completely changed my life…

The Snake Chasing Effect:

A man is walking through the woods when he stumbles across a snake in the center of his path. The snake lashes out and bites him without warning, then turns and slithers away down the path. The man feels the sharp pain of the bite and the venom coursing through his leg. Fortunately, he's close to the village, so if he just walks back and gets the wound treated, he'll be fine. But he feels the anger and resentment building inside him: "Why did the snake do that to me? That's not right. I'm going to get revenge."

He starts chasing down the snake path, but as he pursues the snake, the venom takes hold and he collapses and dies. The story offers a powerful lesson, which you might call the Snake Chasing Effect: In life, you're going to get bitten by a snake every now and then. Someone betrays you. A partner lies. A family member mistreats you. A friend lets you down. A coworker takes credit for your work. The initial wound hurts—but it's survivable. If you take care of yourself, walk back to the village and treat the wound, you'll be fine.

But how often do you do the exact opposite? The internal voice starts a familiar refrain: How could they do this to me? I'm going to get them back. You start chasing the snake down the path, seeking your revenge. You obsess over the betrayal. The unfairness. The injustice. The real damage is not from the bite itself, but from your reaction to it. The real damage comes when you chase the snake.

The Snake Chasing Effect is a reminder that the wisest response to harm isn't retaliation or obsession, but restoration. Don't give the snake more power of you than it has. Focus on healing, not hunting. Tend your wound. Mend your garden. Your rebirth is the greatest revenge.

📌 Want frameworks that evolve with you, not confine you?

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The Snake Chasing Effect

One thing predicts where you'll be in 10 years…

(and it's completely in your control).

Your standards.

Every time you let something slide “just this once”, you train yourself to accept less.

That’s how goals erode. That’s how principles slip.

Set your standards. Hold the line. Especially when it’s hard.

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This poem stopped me cold.

(you need to read this):

"In this short Life
That only lasts an hour
How much - how little - is
Within our power"

- Emily Dickinson

Four lines. Still hitting harder than any productivity guru's 300-page book.

Here's what Dickinson understood that we miss: 

Life isn't just short—it's embarrassingly short. Even when you intellectually know this, you still waste Tuesday afternoons scrolling. You still put off the hard conversation. You still wait for "someday."

But hidden in those lines is the real wisdom: "How much - how little."

It's both. Always both.

You have more power than you think—to change careers, repair relationships, build something meaningful. But you have less power than you assume—over outcomes, other people's choices, the speed of change.

The magic happens when you accept both truths.

Stop trying to control what was never yours to control. Stop giving away power over what IS yours to command.

Your thoughts. Your effort. Your next decision. That's your kingdom. Everything else? Let it go.

Life is shorter and more fragile than you realize. But within your small sphere of control, you're more powerful than you've ever imagined.

The question isn't whether life is short. The question is: What are you doing with the power you actually have?

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The hardest lesson I learned about success…

(it came from a farmer):

A farmer doesn't dig up his seeds every day to make sure they're growing.

He plants, waters, and waits. You can't rush what needs time to take root. Growth hides beneath the surface long before it's visible above it.

Remember that.

📌 Want the morning/evening routine that built my most productive days?

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The #1 struggle nobody admits to…

(especially high performers):

Eliminating the guilt associated with free time and rest.

📌 Want the morning/evening routine that built my most productive days?

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How to win in life…

(without talent or luck):

Operate in Your Zone of Genius
Your Zone of Genius is where your interests, passions and skills align.

Adopt a Positive Sum Mentality
Want to get ahead in life? Start genuinely rooting for others to succeed.

Speak Up
A little push goes a long way. Don't sit back and wait for good things to happen.

Play Long-Term Games
In a world of people seeking instant gratification, this is a meaningful edge.

Have a High Tolerance for Failure
We fear failure, so most of us play it safe to avoid it.

Follow Your Curiosity
For the curious mind, anything is possible. Fortune favors the curious.

Adopt a Process Orientation
Prioritize process, not outcomes.

Prioritize People
Everything in life comes down to people and relationships.

Work Like a Lion
If your goal is to do inspired, creative work, you have to work as a lion works.

Become Antifragle
Don't be broken by the chaos—rather, adopt a mentality and build structure such that you will benefit from it.

Change Your Mind
It's great to have a strong view, but always open your mind to counterarguments.

Never Get Too Big to Do the Small
Whether you're in the mailroom or the corner office, never get too big to do the small things well.

Learn Storytelling
High-leverage storytelling is a supercharger for all human endeavors.

Develop a Bias for Motion
A body in motion tends to stay in motion—a body at rest tends to stay at rest.

Become Relentlessly Consistent
Many people are able to produce bursts of energy—few are able to produce consistent, steady flows of energy.

Simplify Where Others Complicate
Learn to convey the complex in simple, digestible ways.

Be Comfortable with Discomfort
Discomfort is a precursor to growth—it is an absolute necessity.

Have Strong Plans (Loosely Held)
Plans have to be dynamic (and punch-proof!).

Pay It Forward
Pay it forward. Be a mentor. Be a champion for others.

Well there you have it—How to Win (without talent or luck).

Use them to earn trust.
Use them to build leverage.
Use them to win your game.
Start small. Stay consistent.

And remember: You already have everything you need.

📌 Want the decision-making razors that power my best choices?

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How To Win (without talent or luck)

Amateur vs. Pro

(11 signs you're still an amateur):

1. Amateurs let the day come to them, Professionals have a routine
The greatest performers in any craft share one trait in common: They have a routine—and they stick to it with intense discipline.

2. Amateurs love the prize, Professionals love the process
You’ll never make it if the view at the summit is the only thing motivating you to keep climbing.

3. Amateurs make it look effortful, Professionals make it look effortless
The Paradox of Effort: You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.

4. Amateurs blame others, Professionals are accountable
In the wake of a failure, there are two types of responses:
The Amateur looks outward—bad luck, unfair circumstances, a cheating opponent.
The Professional looks inward—lack of preparation, gaps in routine, uneven intensity.

5. Amateurs are flashy, Professionals are relentless
Many people are able to produce bursts of energy—few are able to produce consistent, steady flows, day in, day out.

6. Amateurs enter with 100 mediocre moves, Professionals enter with 1 perfect move
Professionals identify their unique edge—they play their game.

7. Amateurs fear failure, Professionals embrace it
The Paradox of Failure: The more you fail, the more you ultimately succeed.

8. Amateurs fear being wrong, Professionals enjoy it
When faced with their own incompetence:
The Amateur flails wildly in an attempt to distract from the obvious gap.
The Professional enlists support to cover the incompetence and repositions the board to avoid its exposure.

9. Amateurs are impatient, Professionals are patient
Amateurs are: Patient with actions and impatient with results.
Professionals are: Impatient with actions and patient with results.

10. Amateurs hope for good breaks, Professionals create them
Amateurs enter the arena with their fingers crossed.
Professionals enter the arena with a plan.

11. Amateurs press, Professionals wait
When pressure and stress levels elevate:
The Amateur is uncomfortable—they press in an effort to fast-forward to the finish.
The Professional is comfortable—they observe their opponent and wait for the opportune moment to strike.

📌 Want frameworks that evolve with you, not confine you?

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Amateur vs Pro - 11 Differences

This study blew my mind…

(you need to read this):

The Harvard Study of Adult Development is the longest running study on happiness.

Here are 3 powerful findings everyone should know:

1. Relationship satisfaction impacts health.

The researchers looked back at the lives of the 80-year-old participants to determine what factors were predictive of healthy aging.

What did they find?

Relationship satisfaction at age 50 was predictive of health at age 80.

Study director Robert Waldinger:

"It wasn't their cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old. It was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80."

2. Loneliness kills.

Humans are social creatures. We thrive through connection to those around us.

Study participants who felt isolated were observably less happy and experienced notably earlier declines in health than those who felt connected.

The study observed the negative impacts of alcohol and smoking on the long-term health of the participants, but found that loneliness was just as negatively impactful.

Study director Robert Waldinger:

"Loneliness kills. It's as powerful as smoking or alcoholism."

3. Quality over quantity.

The researchers found that the quality of relationships was more impactful on health and happiness than the quantity of relationships.

A few deep bonds are worth far more than hundreds of weak or unhealthy ones.

Relationships are, quite literally, everything.

Hopefully the insights from my conversation with Dr. Robert Waldinger shine a light on their importance—and hopefully you take a few tiny actions that improve your Social Fitness in the days and weeks ahead.

Invest in your relationships—they will pay dividends in all areas of your life for many years to come.

📌 Want the decision-making razors that power my best choices?

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The Longest Running Study on Happiness

How to get your dream life…

(the truth nobody wants to hear):

I used to stare at closed doors. The dream job. The meaningful relationship. The healthy body.

I'd tell myself they were "locked" for people like me.

Then I learned the truth: Every door has a key. You just have to pay the cost of entry.

Freedom requires focus. You can't have it all, so you must choose what matters.

Deep bonds demand vulnerability. No armor allowed. Just your real, messy self.

Health needs discipline. Every single day. Especially when you don't feel like it.

Here's what nobody tells you: 

The cost is always higher than you think. But the reward? It's always worth more than you imagined.

Most people window shop their dreams. They want the outcome without the entry fee.

That promotion? It costs uncomfortable conversations.

That relationship? It costs emotional risk.

That transformation? It costs your old identity.

Pay the price or stay outside. There's no third option.

That's why 800,000+ readers trust my newsletter to help them unlock what matters.

Four times a week, I share:

• Frameworks to identify what's worth the cost
• Systems to pay the price consistently
• Tools to unlock doors faster
• Insights that make the journey worthwhile

Because every lesson I wish I knew earlier starts the same way: Embrace the cost of entry with pride.

The doors you want are waiting. Time to pay up.

📌 Ready to invest in yourself?

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Selling The Couch 

•I founded a blog to serve aspiring and current mental health private practitioners as we use our clinical skillset to grow our impact and income beyond the therapy room (podcasting, online courses, video, etc).

Course Instructor

• I host a podcast called Selling The Couch where I interview successful therapists in private practice about how they've built their businesses, their failures, and how they use their skills to move their impact + income beyond the therapy room.  
• I also chat with top entrepreneurs, business/marketing, productivity, and social media experts to help therapists learn the business and marketing skills we didn't learn in school.
• The podcast has grown from 9 downloads to 1.2 million and is heard in over 130 countries. It's rated one of the top career podcasts on Apple Podcasts.  I recorded the first 13 episodes on a tv dinner stand from Walmart =). 
• To learn more about my podcast: https://selling-the-couch.captivate.fm/

Podcast Host

Maven

• Invited to be an instructor for a new cohort-based course platform called Maven founded by the co-founder of Udemy and the co-founder of altMBA. Maven has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz.
• Part of Maven's 3rd cohort made up of 145 instructors from 27 countries in 100+ cities (out of 2,000+ applicants)
• To learn more about my course:  Online Course School - A live experience for therapists who want to serve on a bigger stage, move beyond 1:1 income, and live their dream schedule. **Link Coming Soon**

WES HEALTH SYSTEM

I completed over 700 comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluations on individuals aged 5-70 to diagnose learning and behavioral concerns.

Assessment and Evaluation Psychologist

💪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

Six weeks into learning golf at 43... I've hit my first mental wall. 😔

Every swing whispered the same thing:

“You started too late.”
"You’ll never have the childhood reps."
"You’re behind."

Those thoughts?
It's almost made me quit. 😔

But then a coach I trust said something I didn’t expect:

“You’re not behind.
You’re building differently.”

🧱 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 — 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.

Right now, I’m quietly practicing about 7 hours a week.

Most days, it’s 45 minutes squeezed between meetings, podcasting recordings, and school pick-up.

The average weekend golfer? Maybe 1–2 hours total.

So in a year, I’ll likely bank 350–700 hours of focused reps.
The equivalent of 5–10 years of casual practice — compacted into one.

That helped me see:
This isn’t about being first.
It’s about learning with intention.

⚖️ 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝟰𝟯:

1️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 — I know how to layer skills, train systems, not chase hacks.
2️⃣ 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — I’ve spent 20 years studying what helps people focus, recover, and grow.
3️⃣ 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 — I don’t need golf to prove anything. That freedom helps me learn faster.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲:
𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

So if you’re in a season where you feel behind —
Maybe you’re not.

Maybe you’re just building differently. <3

P.S. If you're a golfer, hiii

Let's connect. =)

Melvin Varghese PhD

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

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𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 + 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲:

After four years, we’ve decided to shut down STC Elite, our online course mastermind for therapists, this December.

Our current cohort will be our final one.

This was our second product to cross $400,000 in revenue (our podcasting course was the first).

Margins hovered around 66–67%.
So why end something that’s working?

Well... a few reasons.

⸻

1️⃣ 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱… 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

I’ve been thinking a lot about a phrase Alex Hormozi said:

“𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴. 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴.”

Right now we have three online courses.
I can see another four or five in the pipeline.
But I don’t want a big team.

I also don’t want to be in 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲.
And as someone who’s navigated anxiety for most of my life—
that model just isn’t sustainable.

⸻

2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱.

Our last two launches were harder.
Not because the content wasn’t valuable —
but because we’re in a different economic moment.

Therapists need lower-cost options.
And frankly, so do we.

⸻

3️⃣ 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻.

👵 I’m stepping more into caregiving for aging parents.
🎯 Quiet Builder is becoming its own thing — a movement about building slowly, strategically, and in alignment.
⛳️ And I’ve started a serious journey into golf — not just as a game, but as a vehicle for transformation.

⸻

In 2026, I’m launching a new offering called 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵:

A golf-based executive coaching experience that blends:
→ Performance psychology
→ Brainspotting (a powerful neuropsych modality)
→ And real-time insight into how stress shows up in your body + how to regulate it.

All while walking 9 holes with a founder, executive, or leader.

Because how you play… is how you lead.

⸻

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲…
𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻.

💻 It’ll be a more affordable community focused on:
→ Online courses
→ Podcasting
→ YouTube
→ Digital writing
→ Public speaking

Our first 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 launches this January:

🧠 𝘈𝘐-𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 — built specifically for therapists.

13+ colleagues are helping me make Haven truly a community vs a membership so I'm excited for that. 
⸻

I’m learning to build business around the life I want to live—
Not squeeze life into the business I’ve built.

Starting January, most of my STC work will shift to Mondays and Tuesdays.
Wednesday to Friday? I’ll be on the golf course:

Practicing.
Coaching.
And connecting.

And honestly, that feels like success and one that I never imagined getting to at 43.

—

More soon. Grateful to those who’ve been part of this journey. 🙂

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝟳.𝟱 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆.
3 lbs 12 oz.

No warning. No explanation.
Every scan said things were fine — until they weren’t.

At the time, I was juggling clinical work...
…and a podcast I had launched from a Walmart TV dinner stand in our tiny home office.

Her birth broke something open in me.
Not just the schedule or the sleep.

But the belief that my worth was tied to my output.

Because in that fragile, uncertain season —
I began to realize something I had never truly believed before:

𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Our daughter would go on to need 13 months of physical therapy just to sit up on her own.

We’d learn to live in the gray.
And for someone who’s spent most of his life achieving while dancing with anxiety and depression,
it was both humbling and clarifying.

That season forced me to ask:
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗺 𝗜 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿?

It’s not revenue.
Not followers.
Not growth for growth’s sake.

It’s 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯.
𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.
A life that doesn’t require me to constantly prove I deserve it.

—

Recently, I shared more of this in a guest post for the Level Up community:

🧠 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗔𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁.

If you’re navigating that quiet tension between achievement and exhaustion— this one’s for you.

👉 https://lnkd.in/eJFAsRuM

Because sometimes the real work…
is letting it be enough. ❤️

P.S. A shout out to Ethan Evans + Jason P. Yoong for the opportunity (and Lorraine K. Lee, who connected us).

Please give these amazing humans a follow. 🙂

I used to think burnout meant doing too much.

Now I think it often means 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩... with no room to set it down.

You can have the best systems.
The most thoughtful strategy.

But if something hard happens behind the scenes—
it bleeds into everything.

Writing a single email can feel impossible
when your heart’s caught in something unresolved.

That’s not a lack of discipline.
That’s being human.

And those of us building with integrity
need to normalize rest, repair, and working gently.

There’s a moment every weekday I protect:
12:30 to 1:45pm. Forest trail. No phone. No meetings. No optimizing.

Just trees.
Some towering over 200 feet tall.
And every time I step onto that path, my nervous system exhales.

Stillness is not a weakness.
It’s how we calibrate.

As a founder, there were seasons where everything felt fragile:
 → The team
 → The numbers
 → My health
 → My hope

And in those moments, I kept thinking I needed more strategy.

But sometimes what I really needed... was roots.

I recorded a short podcast episode about the ritual that’s held me together more than any business system ever has.

 🎧 You can watch here: https://lnkd.in/eHtCSskH

If you’re tired of holding it all up, maybe it’s time to find your trail, too.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗜, 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘂𝗽.

But what if it could be more?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?

That question lingered me recently at the Mental Health Marketing conference in Nashville.

I was on a panel called “Trust, Connection, Vulnerability, and Kindness...and AI.”

And those words weren’t just fancy buzzwords.

They showed up in real stories.

🕊️ T. Shardé Curry 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲.

How her grief fuels her voice and her advocacy.

And how her vulnerability is what truly connects her with others.

🛠️ Bridgette Ugarte 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻—𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁.

She reminded us: tools are tools.

They don’t replace human connection.

💡 Melissa Fors Shackelford, MBA 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵.

Because someone on the other side of that screen—fighting addiction, in grief, in crisis—might be listening.

AI isn’t just about productivity.

It’s about relationships.

And that means ethics, empathy, and genuine care.

This is the part most overlook.

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀.

𝗜𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.

𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀—𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲?

Thanks to Clark Buckner for holding space with such skill.

And to Steve Turney and the whole Mental Health Marketing team—thanks for creating a space where these conversations can happen.

Because if we don’t ask hard questions—about trust, empathy, and ethics—who will?

P.S. Please be sure to give these amazing humans a follow. 🙂

What does it really look like to build an anti-racist therapy practice?
Especially now—when the public appetite for DEI work seems to be shrinking?

That’s what I asked Kenya Crawford, LMHC, M.A., Ed.M, therapist and founder of Cultivating Healers, in this week’s episode of Selling the Couch.

We covered:
- What’s actually happening behind the scenes of DEI in 2025
- How to lead from integrity (even when someone’s offering you $50K to “just do a quick workshop”)
- Ways to build a reparations-based fee structure that’s sustainable and community-centered
- What it takes to keep going when the work is hard, political, and personal

If you're a therapist or founder navigating these same questions, I hope this episode gives you permission to keep going.

🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eiB92sTJ

P.S. Kenya and her team were so gracious to offer 15% off of Cultivating Healers live CEUs. Please use promo code STC2025 at check out.

𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥 (𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗔)

Starting and running a practice can feel really hard.

That’s where Alma comes in.

Alma helps you:

✅ Work with insurance without all the stress
✅ Get referrals that are a good match for you
✅ Cut down on paperwork and other boring tasks

This means you spend less time stuck in details...and more time helping your clients.

You take care of them.
Alma takes care of you.

👉 Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE (just for STC listeners).

I spent last week in Nashville at the Mental Health Marketing Conference.

These days, between parenting and caregiving, it’s the only conference I make it to each year.

But it reminded me why in-person connection still matters so deeply.

There’s something about walking up to someone after a talk—no DMs, no comment threads—just eye contact, laughter, and a “How are you really doing?”

That happened with several friends last week. 

We caught up, talked about life, and it reminded me how good it feels to just be human together.

As an introvert, my natural tendency is to focus on long-form platforms—writing, podcasting, creating from a quiet place where I can disappear if I need to.

But this week reminded me that there’s a different kind of nourishment that comes from being in the room.

The venue was perfect—enough space to slip out quietly when you needed a breather.

To grab a croissant donut from Five Daughters Bakery.
To pause.
To think.
To reconnect.

Going forward, I want to be intentional about that kind of space—both in the businesses I build and the rooms I choose to enter.

Because quiet connection is still connection.

And sometimes, it’s the most powerful kind.

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Talks about #podcasting, #mentalhealth, #onlinecourses, and #solopreneurship

🛑 Doing Everything Yourself Isn’t a Badge of Honor. It’s a Bottleneck.

When I started podcasting and course creation, I did everything myself.

🎙 Editing every episode
📧 Writing every email
🎨 Designing every slide

At first, it made sense. I was learning. I wanted to understand the process.

But then I hit a wall. I was spending more time on tasks that drained me than on the work that actually moved my business forward.

Here’s what I wish I learned sooner:

1️⃣ J𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗.

I could edit my podcast. I could create my own graphics. I could write every sales page from scratch.

But at what cost?

👉 Every hour spent on low-leverage tasks is an hour NOT spent on your zone of genius.

2️⃣ 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆.

I used to think, “I’ll delegate when I’m too busy.”

But the truth? I should have delegated 
before I was drowning.

👉 The goal isn’t just to outsource tasks. It’s to free up the creative energy that makes your business thrive.

3️⃣ 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘁.

There’s a season where you do things yourself to figure them out.

Not just to save money, but to answer:

✅ Do I enjoy this?
✅ Am I actually good at it?
✅ Is this the best use of my time?

👉 If the answer is NO, it’s time to let go.

𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.

𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦.

What’s something you wish you had delegated sooner?

When I started creating content here on LinkedIn, I made a mistake.

I wrote for “an audience.”

I pictured thousands of people reading my words, so I tried to sound polished, insightful, and—let’s be honest—a little too “expert-y.”

But then I learned something that changed everything.

👉 The best content doesn’t feel like a speech to the masses.

👉 It feels like a letter to ONE person who needs to hear it today.

Here are 3 ways I’ve shifted my approach to build deeper connections:

1️⃣ 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲

When I write a LinkedIn post, record a podcast episode, or build a course module, I don’t think, “What would my audience want?”

I think of one real person I’ve worked with.

The therapist who told me, “I feel stuck in my practice but don’t know how to build something scalable.”

Then I create just for them.

👉 One person. One conversation. One problem I can help with.

2️⃣ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 “𝘆𝗼𝘂” 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 “𝗜”

I used to start posts with:
“Here’s what I’ve learned about podcasting...”

Now, I flip it:
“Ever feel like podcasting is way harder than you expected?”

Because when someone reads your content, they’re not thinking about you.
They’re thinking: “How does this apply to me?”

👉 The fastest way to connect? Make it about them.

3️⃣ Write something that feels “too small” to post

Some of my best-performing posts were the ones I almost didn’t share.
A small reflection. A passing thought. A simple idea.

But simple and specific = relatable.

Not every post needs to be groundbreaking. Sometimes, the smallest insights are the ones that stick with people the longest.

Your best content isn’t the one that impresses the most people.

It’s the one that makes one person feel seen, understood, and encouraged.

So before you hit publish, ask yourself:
“Would this help one person today?”

If the answer is yes, that’s enough.

𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿.
But it’s really a game of precision.
Of rhythm.
Of grace.

This week, I started learning how to chip.

It seems simple:
A flick of the wrist.
One small hinge in my left hand.
No elbow. No swing.

But this tiny movement?
It can send a ball 15–20 feet with surprising accuracy.

My coach keeps reminding me:

“𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙬, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩’𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡.”

That stuck with me.

Because how often in life are we rushing to hit big?
To swing for the fences?
To prove power before we’ve learned control?

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿?

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁...
𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻?

That’s what golf is teaching me.
And it’s what I’m trying to practice off the course too.

—

⛳️ Curious — 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱?

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.
No one teaches us how to shut one down.

During the pandemic, my friend Dr. Jennifer Blanchette, PsyD, LP realized something:
The work she once loved was burning her out.

So she did what many therapists quietly think about—
but few actually do:

𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲.

What followed wasn’t just logistics.
It was grief.
Guilt.
Relief.

A thousand quiet feelings that don’t fit inside a checklist.

💬 “𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩,” 𝙅𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚.
“𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙖.”

In this week’s episode, Jen shares:

🔹 The emotions no one prepares you for
🔹 What she wishes she had done differently
🔹 Legal and ethical things most therapists miss
🔹 Why closure can actually feel... freeing

Whether you’re thinking about closing or just want to feel less alone in this season—

You need to hear this one.

🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e-UsbS_e

Because you’re not quitting.
You’re choosing something new. ❤️

𝗣𝗢𝗗𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥 (𝗔𝗟𝗠𝗔)

Starting and running a practice can feel really hard.

That’s where Alma comes in.

Alma helps you:

✅ Work with insurance without all the stress
✅ Get referrals that are a good match for you
✅ Cut down on paperwork and other boring tasks

This means you spend less time stuck in details...and more time helping your clients.

You take care of them.
Alma takes care of you.

👉 Learn more at sellingthecouch.com/alma and get 2 months FREE (just for STC listeners).

Host of the Therapist Burnout Podcast | Consultant I Speaker | Writer | Licensed Psychologist

Ethan’s story reminded me of something I’ve seen over and over again—in my own journey and in the founders and leaders I've worked with.

Early in our careers, optionality looks like freedom.
By the middle, it often turns into obligation.

We build success to create choices…
but if we’re not careful, that success starts to narrow them.

A growing business. A higher title. A bigger paycheck.
Each one quietly adds another layer of golden handcuffs.

I learned this the hard way after our daughter’s early birth.

Even with a full practice, a top podcast, and a thriving business, I realized I’d designed a life with no room to breathe.

Optionality isn’t just financial—it’s emotional, relational, and spiritual.
It’s the quiet margin that lets you pivot when life shifts.

Former Amazon VP, sharing High Performance and Career Growth insights. Outperform, out-compete, and still get time off for yourself.

3 days after adopting my first child, I was laid off. I had a small savings account, a few credit cards, and very few options. I needed a job, fast. Among other things, I learned that you always want options. Here’s how you can do that: 

Of course, the ultimate way to have options (professional, personal, etc.) is to have financial freedom. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy you options to do what you like for work or leisure. I retired from my life as an Amazon VP because I reached that point. 

Now, I teach you how to achieve career success so that you can reach this point as well. 

However, before reaching financial freedom, it is a good idea for your career and life to expand your options. As we progress, we want more opportunities to live the life we want, not fewer. 

Here are my pieces of advice for how you can do this: 

1) Save

Even if you aren’t at the point of being financially independent, having significant savings can be the difference between having multiple options and only having one. It can allow you to take a sabbatical, hold out for a role you truly want, take a vacation with your family, etc. 

This is likely obvious to everyone reading this, but life has more open doors when you aren’t living paycheck to paycheck. Increase your compensation as much as you can, live below your means, and save. 

2) Network

I talk a lot about networking. 80% of roles are filled by someone who has a networking connection to the company, but the options that networking creates aren’t just professional. I have had connections help me with my charity work in Ukraine, deal with travel issues, phone coverage, etc. 

If I hadn’t developed my network before running into these issues, I would have had fewer solutions available to me. 

3) Educate and Develop Yourself 

In professional settings, those with unique knowledge and skills will always have a place to use them. In personal scenarios, the more skills and knowledge you can rely on, the better you will be at solving problems, even ones that are new to you. 

Do something small every day to learn and improve. This could be reading, listening to a podcast, practicing, etc. Even small actions will compound if you are consistent.

These three steps should help you build success and build your options with it. 

Generally, the more successful you are, the more options you have. However, there is a phenomenon in which success actually takes away from your options. 

This could be running a business that takes up all your time or working in a high-power position. This is often called “Golden Handcuffs”, and while the money and success are nice, feeling trapped is never preferable to having freedom and choice. 

To avoid this, read this week’s newsletter by Melvin Varghese PhD. It is about preserving your optionality and not being trapped as your success increases. 

You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/gBKge_UJ

Some days, building a business doesn’t feel like creation.

It feels like containment.
Too many tabs open. Too many conversations. Too many inputs.

By the end of the day, it’s not that we’re just tired — we’re overstimulated.

Especially for those of us who are introverted founders, stillness isn’t a luxury. It’s a lifeline.

A few Saturdays ago, I sat outside of Whole Foods with a coffee and a $2 pastry. No podcast. No scrolling. Just 20 minutes of quiet.

And it hit me:
This is wealth.

Not the number in my bank account.
Not hitting a revenue milestone.
But the freedom to pause.

In this new Quiet Buider episode, I’m talking about what it means to build a business that breathes — not just in mission, but in rhythm.

We talk about:
💡 How to protect your energy as a founder
💡 Why boundaries are blueprints for sustainability
💡 The difference between urgency and clarity

Sometimes the most radical thing we can do is to protect the quiet that helps us hear ourselves again.

🎧 Listen to the episode here:
https://lnkd.in/e6sqE_-K

Took the past two weeks off from social media.

I’ve been doing more of these “fasts” lately—stepping back to reset, reflect, and make sure the path I’m on is still aligned with what I truly want.

Sometimes, it’s hard to fully enjoy the entrepreneurial journey when I’m deep in the middle of it. 

Pausing gives me the space to zoom out, recharge, and redefine what success looks like for me.

The first week was all about slowing down: baking cookies, marathon board game sessions with loved ones, and introducing our daughter to the classic cartoon 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 (TJ, Mikey, Spinelli—anyone else remember those days?). 😅

Last week was a whirlwind as we visited Disney World for the first time as a family—and my first time in 30 years. 

It was action-packed, but seeing the magic through our daughter’s eyes reminded me of why I’m doing all of this.

For me, I'm learning that success isn’t just about numbers or growth—it’s about creating the freedom to share these moments with the people I love.

❓How do you define success in your own entrepreneurial journey? 

Would love to hear your thoughts. 😊

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀

🌿 Growth feels good—but only 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝗽.

In my latest chat with James Childress, we explored how 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Without the right infrastructure, growth can actually create more problems than it solves.

Want to learn how to grow your practice sustainably? 🪴

👉 I recently recorded a podcast on this topic. Would love for you to listen.

https://lnkd.in/etnmVfzd

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