Brave and Well: Conversations helping mental health professionals build a sustainable, profitable & values-aligned business

Welcome back to Brave and Well Podcast! Today I’m returning to the mic to share where I’ve been for the past few months… including how I brought my group practice (and myself) back from the brink of many challenges this spring.

Tune in to hear about:

• What happens when a business faces financial challenges
• Why I decided to get help from outside my regular support network
• How it feels to downsize your admin team & take tasks back
• Filling the holes in your offerings to raise revenue
• Ways I changed our hiring practices & compensation structures
• Practicing transparency with your team
• How to create KPIs that help everyone improve
• Where my group practice is at now

 
Mentioned in the episode:

• Brave & Well Episode 10: The CEO Mindset — How to build & maintain an empowered team in your practice with Brandy Mabra
• A CEO Only Does Three Things by Trey Taylor

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO & get 10% off with the code PODCAST
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

This week on the Brave & Well podcast, I am joined by none other than my husband, Bryan Newton!

Bryan joins me to share his story and to talk about how we co-founded a small tech company as parents of small children.

Together we explore the realities of running multiple businesses, raising a family, and pivoting time and time again.

Tune in as we explore:

• Bryan’s journey into software engineering
• Why we started our company together
• What it’s like to be founders of color without VC-funding or generational wealth
• What’s next for us

 
More from Vanessa & Bryan:

• Learn about SocialNote
• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with Vanessa!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO

Today on Brave & Well, I’m joined by Kasey Compton, a group practice owner, small business consultant and author of the upcoming book, In Search of You.

Together we explore how Kasey found more joy in the present by reflecting on things she learned as a child. We also discuss Kasey’s journey as a writer, group-practice owner, and high-achieving mom — including how she found self-love and transformed her relationship with her children since writing her first book.

Tune in as we explore:

• Self-reflection and different modes of therapy
• Embracing your inner child to cultivate joy and self-love
• The pressure on women to look forward
• Being present and finding joy inside yourself

More from Kasey:

• Visit her website
• Pre-order In Search of You
• Follow Kasey on Instagram
• Connect on Facebook

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO!

Welcome back to the Brave & Well podcast! In today’s episode, I’m sharing even more vulnerably than I usually do and talking about my experience as a Latina, first-gen, Mexican American woman, mother, and therapist.

Tune in as I explore:

• Decolonizing mental health
• Overcoming fear and bias as a therapist
• Centering people (including myself) over profit
• Making room for unexpected challenges
• The importance of integrating personal identity into the business space

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO & get 10% off with the code PODCAST
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

Welcome back to Brave & Well! Today, I’m having an information-packed talk about SEO, Google and AI with Kristie Plantinga.

Kristie is a mental health nerd, writer, and marketer living in Colorado. She is the founder of TherapieSEO—a marketing agency serving therapists and coaches—and Best Therapists—a therapist directory that vets therapists so therapy-seekers can focus on fit, not quality.

Together, we dive deep into the world of digital marketing for therapists and mental health professionals. Kristie sheds light on the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, emphasizing the importance of SEO, long-term brand building, and adapting to emerging platforms.

Tune in as we explore:

• What SEO is
• Notable SEO changes in 2024
• Using tech creatively to automate menial tasks
• Discerning when it’s best to hire marketing help
• The value of a quality website
• The growing effectiveness of online directories
• Staying true to your brand

More from Kristie:

• Visit the Therapie SEO Website
• Follow Kristie on Instagram

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Sign up for From Therapist to CEO & get 10% off with the code PODCAST
• Get templates, tools and more in the Brave & Well shop!

Today on Brave and Well podcast, I’m joined by Pearl Bryant, LCSW-S to discuss the importance of community building for breaking down stigmas surrounding mental health and entrepreneurship.

Pearl Bryant has 15+ years of experience in the social work field. She is the Owner + Founder of Pinnacle of Purpose Counseling + Consulting, PLLC a group therapy practice committed to serving women of color. Pearl is also a Clinical Supervisor and Lecturer at The University of Houston-Downtown.

In this episode, Pearl shares her journey of becoming a therapist and entrepreneur, and we touch on the challenges and lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the need for flexibility and reevaluating traditional business practices.

Tune in as we explore:

• Being out in the community to break stigma
• Learning from imposter syndrome as an entrepreneur
• Internalized oppress & its impact on marginalized communities
• Healing trauma & it’s impact on business
• Personal & profession growth
• Transitioning to an abundance mindset

More from Pearl:

• Follow Pearl on Instagram @the_socialworktherapist
• Visit the Pinnacle of Purpose Counseling website
• Follow @pinnacleofpurpose on Instagram
• Follow Pinnacle of Purpose on Facebook

More from Vanessa:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter
• Get her workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice

Today on Brave and Well podcast, I’m joined by Diana Anzaldua to discuss the importance of listening to our bodies and the impact of trauma on all of our lives, especially BIPOC lives.

Diana is a social change activist and LCSWS who founded Austin Trauma Therapy and Contigo Wellness. She has received numerous awards for her work in community healing, public services, and leadership. She also served on the 2022 board and chairs the diversity, equity, and ethics committee for the Clinical Social Work Association. and serves on the board for Contigo Wellness, Amala Foundation, and Comimadre.

Diana is determined to create an inclusive and equitable space in the mental health industry, providing care centered in an anti-racist and decolonized lens through her nonprofit, Contigo Wellness.

Tune in as we explore:

• The importance of tuning into your body
• The connection between trauma and chronic illness
• The ripple effect that personal healing can have
• Tapping into warrior and healer parts for change
• Historical barriers for BIPOC individuals in the mental health space

More from Diana:

• Visit the Austin Trauma Therapy Website
• Follow the Austin Trauma Therapy Center on Instagram
• Visit the Contigo Wellness Website
• Follow Contigo Wellness on Instagram
• Donate to the Contigo Wellness Fund
• Order Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villenueva

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Join my Private Practice Circle in Fall 2023 — https://www.braveandwell.com/private-practice-circle
• Join my Group Practice Circle in Fall 2023 — https://www.braveandwell.com/group-practice-circle

Welcome back to Brave & Well! In this episode, I’m speaking with Amy Kuretsky, an acupuncturist, breathwork facilitator and clinic owner based in Minneapolis, MN.

Amy helps successful business owners tap into their intuition, trust themselves more, and do business differently. Together, we discuss breathwork modalities, how our healing journeys intertwine with our business journeys, and different practices for self-reflection.

Amy also tells us about her experience with Profit First and the financial challenges of being a business owner. And I share some recent fears and struggles I’ve been facing in my business.

Tune in as we explore:

• How to use breathwork for support in your business
• Examining our narratives around perfectionism, overachieving & failure
• Tarot & journalling for self-reflection
• Embracing change, evolution & discomfort

More from Amy:

• Visit Amy’s website
• Listen to Amy’s podcast
• Get Amy’s free 5-day breathwork challenge
• Visit Constellation Acupuncture

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Join my Private Practice Circle in Fall 2023 — https://www.braveandwell.com/private-practice-circle
• Join my Group Practice Circle in Fall 2023 — https://www.braveandwell.com/group-practice-circle

In this deeply honest episode, I’m talking with the owners of Level Up Leaders, Julianne Guinasso and Poonam Natha.

Together, we discuss the joys and challenges of maintaining a psychologically safe practice that doesn’t compromise the needs of the business.

Julianne and Poonam are psychotherapists with over 14 years of combined experience leading large teams in mental health. They believe in the power of relationships in supporting employee retention and cultivating psychological safety through a work culture of trust.

Tune in as we explore:

• The vulnerability and responsibility of being a leader
• The importance of a good mindset match when hiring employees
• The delicate dance of accountability and authority
• Creating intentional spaces for teams to share and grow

More from Level Up Leaders:

• Visit the Level Up Leaders Website
• Take the Free Leadership Assessment
• Follow Level Up Leaders on Instagram

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Join my Private Practice Circle in Fall 2023 — https://www.braveandwell.com/private-practice-circle
• Join my Group Practice Circle in Fall 2023 — https://www.braveandwell.com/group-practice-circle

In this energetic and powerful episode, Dr. Ebony Butler and I talk about her journey through overcoming a poverty mindset to growing a practice and a product-based business.

Dr. Ebony is a Licensed Psychologist and Food Relationship Strategist who has made it her mission to help women of color heal and thrive in the areas of trauma, including racial trauma and recovering from food and body trauma experienced through diet culture.

She is the host of the Food is Not Bae Podcast, author of the book Food is Not Bae, and creator of My Therapy Cards®, the first-ever self-exploration card deck for Black women and other women of color.

Tune in as we explore:

• Learning not to live from a place of fearing poverty
• Creating systems and processes that take you from making money to building a business
• The power of pivoting in business and in life
• Realizing you can’t do it all by yourself and getting the help you need
• Using social media as an archive tool and not for comparison
• Setting a price point that is right for you and your business, showing up at that level, and trusting the community to support you

More from Dr. Ebony:

• Visit Dr. Ebony’s Website
• Follow Dr. Ebony in Instagram
• Follow Dr. Ebony on Facebook
• Follow Dr. Ebony on TikTok
• Buy My Therapy Cards & take 10% off with the code BW10
• Listen to the Food is Not Bae Podcast

More from Brave & Well:

• Follow Brave and Well on Instagram
• Sign up for the Brave and Well newsletter

Work with me!

• Get my workbook — Laying the Foundation for your Private Practice
• Join my Private Practice Circle in Fall 2023 — https://www.braveandwell.com/private-practice-circle
• Join my Group Practice Circle in Fall 2023 — https://www.braveandwell.com/group-practice-circle