An interview with Marissa Lawton, Licensed Counselor, about creating your own business opportunities when you identify a need in your community (or yourself). Curt and Katie talk with Marissa about how to identify what type of entrepreneur you are, how to identify opportunities, and what to consider when adding these businesses to your therapy practice.   It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. We are human beings who can now present ourselves as whole people, with authenticity, purpose, and connection. Especially now, when therapists must develop a personal brand to market their practices. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age. Interview with Marissa Lawton, Licensed Counselor and Scaling Strategist for the Solo-Therapist Marissa Lawton is a licensed counselor, national board-certified counselor, and member of the American Counseling Association. She is also a corporate-trained marketer, girlmom, and brand whisperer who lights up walking solo-therapists through aligned business building strategies. Marissa is the creator of Side Hustle Support Group, a 6-month mentorship that helps therapists capitalize on their experience and education and pair it with their innate stories and superpowers to scale both themselves and their practices through online income. Her upcoming program, Baby Steps Beyond the Couch, teaches her 90-day methodology for therapists to make their first recurring $1000 in non-clinical revenue. Opening them up to the world of possibilities beyond seeing 1:1 clients. You can learn more about Marissa at marissalawton.com In this episode we talk about: Marissa’s background in corporate finance What happened for Marissa when Lehman Brothers died and her husband was stationed in the middle of nowhere Alaska How Marissa recreated herself when it became clear that she couldn’t have a conventional job The entrepreneurial practice of finding a gap to fill and how therapists are actually at an advantage The strengths that therapists bring to their work How therapists can miss opportunities due to fear or lack of confidence How to find your passion and what you need to share When comparison can hold us back How we can find needs in our communities, and figuring out The Four Types of Entrepreneurs and the strengths of each The need for transparency in business and how that impacts therapists How to manage the power dynamic when you are a therapist and have another entrepreneurial pursuit How to talk about determining where clients fit and how to navigate the dual relationships that can develop     Our Generous Sponsor: Therapy Reimagined 2019: The Modern Therapist Conference presented by SimplePractice October 18 and 19th in Universal City, CA – Hang out with the cool #moderntherapists! We are sponsoring our own podcast because we are so excited about the conference! Grab your continuing education for the year and get trained up on business building, diversity, technology, self-care and all-around amazing professional development this October! Come join us in-person for the same fun we bring to the podcast!! Use the promo code MTSG50 to get $50 off your full conference ticket. Relevant Resources: We’ve pulled together any resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links: Jack Canfield The Success Principles Marissa Lawton’s website Road Map for Online Income Empathy Rising Podcast   The Modern Therapists Group on Facebook Therapy Reimagined 2019 Who we are: Curt Widhalm is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in the Los Angeles area. He is a Board Member at Large for the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, a Subject Matter Expert for the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Adjunct Faculty at Pepperdine University, and a loving husband and father. He is 1/2 great person, 1/2 provocateur, and 1/2 g