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What advice does a serial entrepreneur have for new business owners? Is fear stopping you from pursuing your biggest goals? How can leveling up in business give you more time?
In this podcast episode, Joe Sanok and Alison Pidgeon talk about entrepreneurship, overcoming fear in business, and leveling up.
Podcast Sponsor: Noble
According to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization, between 2020-2021, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%. As a mental health professional, you have likely seen the effects of the pandemic and events of the past few years on your clients.
With the great need for both anxiety and depression support in mind, our friends at Noble just launched Roadmaps on Anxiety and Depression that offers your clients the education and tools they need between sessions to begin to take the steps necessary to reduce their symptoms.
Noble makes powerful therapy simple with their app that offers research-backed, automated, between-session support for clients, assessments, messaging, and more.
Learn more and join for free at www.noble.health/Joe
Meet Alison Pidgeon
Alison Pidgeon, LPC is the owner of Move Forward Counseling, a group practice in Lancaster, PA and she founded and sold a virtual assistant company, Move Forward Virtual Assistants.
She has helped over 70 therapist entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses, through mastermind groups and individual consulting.
Visit Alison’s website, and connect on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
In this Podcast:
- A serial entrepreneur’s approach to business
- Alison’s consulting advice to her past self
- How to increase long-term profitability and salability
- Alison’s advice to business owners wanting to level up
A serial entrepreneur’s approach to business
Alison Pidgeon has started and launched over four successful businesses, and even though she has had incredible success, she is honest about the hard work that it requires.
You [can] forget how much work it [takes] … “Oh, I’ve already started a business so this [one] will be less work or easier”, but it’s not. It is in some ways, but in other ways, it’s the same amount of work. (Alison Pidgeon)
Do not fool yourself into thinking that starting businesses gets easier over time. It may become less daunting as you expose yourself to the risk and the thrill, but the grit it requires is ever-present.
Now, what I look at is definitely [along the lines of] what can I do that is very minimal time commitment for me but still is a good return [on investment] in terms of finances, which is why I’m interested in real estate. (Alison Pidgeon)
Find the balance that you can give between time, energy, and finances, and start businesses that can support you in these three categories.
Alison’s consulting advice to her past self
Alison’s advice to herself – and anyone starting a business – is don’t get scared.
Find people whom you admire and who have achieved what you wish to achieve, and learn from them.
[Believe] that you can do it. I know that sounds cheesy, but I think a lot of people just get scared or don’t believe that they can do it, or they don’t have any role models that they see doing it. (Alison Pidgeon)
Growth can happen fast when you meet those emotions head-on, prepare yourself with a great support system, face the fear, and do it anyway.
How to increase long-term profitability and salability
In starting any new business venture, you can set it up from the get-go to grow into a business that will be easier to sell three to five years down the line when you may consider making a career or business change.
Some of these include:
- Making sure it is profitable
- Have all the procedures and systems clearly defined
- Proving that the business can run without you
Alison’s advice to business owners wanting to level up
I think for a lot of people, they think leveling up means that it’s going to take up a lot more of their time [but] I actually find the opposite to be true because the more you level up the more you can hire people to do things for you. (Alison Pidgeon)
Work through any fear of leveling up.
Yes, it will be scary, because moving to the next level means growth and change, and that fear is normal. If anything, it’s a sign that you’re moving in the right direction! Validate the fear, and continue to pursue your goals.
Books mentioned in this episode:
Useful Links mentioned in this episode:
- With the great need for both anxiety and depression support in mind, our friends at Noble just launched Roadmaps on Anxiety and Depression. Learn more and join for free at www.noble.health/Joe
- Visit Alison’s website, and connect on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Sign up for Killin’ It Camp!
Check out these additional resources:
- How to Be Married Entrepreneurs with Ron and Lexie Lee | POP 755
- Apply to work together
- Events – click on the event’s dropdown
- Sign up to join the free webinars and events here
- Podcast Launch School
- Practice of the Practice Podcast Network
- Free resources to help you start, grow, and scale
- Apply to work with us — a decision-making matrix for your next steps
Meet Joe Sanok
Joe Sanok helps counselors to create thriving practices that are the envy of other counselors. He has helped counselors to grow their businesses by 50-500% and is proud of all the private practice owners that are growing their income, influence, and impact on the world. Click here to explore consulting with Joe.
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