150 - Transition Into Your Purpose With Kate, Lift as You Climb Coaching

[00:00:00] Hi guys. Welcome back to the MaYapinion Podcast. Today I have another really cool entrepreneur with me. I am going to be giving her my opinion about her business and where she's going. So welcome to the show, Kate Thank you so much. Yes, I'm thrilled to have you here.

We were chatting a little bit before we hit record guys, you're gonna love Kate. She's got a lot going on with her business, which is exciting. So Kate, tell us a little bit about what you do and your business and your background. You have a mental health background, you have a therapy background. You also have like firefighting and EMT.

You've got such an interesting background and now you're coaching and you have a business called Lift As You Climb. So tell us. Tell us how you got into all of this. Well, I'll start by in, I introduce myself the same everywhere I go. I am Kate. Kate. She is great. You won't remember my last name, but you will remember how I made you feel and, well, that just [00:01:00] says a lot about me.

Most people reference me as a positive potato 'cause I'm transformative and I bring a little ray of sunshine and sparkle wherever I go. So how about that? How many people say that they identify as a vegetable? I don't think I've ever heard that before. Well, you're welcome. Yeah. Potatoes are the most transformative, vegetable.

They can be mash, hash fries, hash browns, gnocchi, and vodka. So choose wisely. I choose all of the above. I am Swedish and Swiss and we eat a lot of potatoes. So you're already my girl, Kate.

So we'll just start off with a little bit of humor, which is let's do it. 100% who I am. But yes. Lift As You Climb is, my coaching business and it is an homage to me having been a firefighter and learning very early on in my life that my purpose is to run in and when other people are running out. I love that.

I [00:02:00] read that too. I thought that was really cool that you run in when other people are running out. I love that. Very, very cool. Yeah. So, but you have, this has been a transition and you're transitioning to this and we're gonna talk a little bit about this, but you have also had a practice, a business in the mental health space.

You've been in therapy and you're now transitioning in and you have coaching clients already with Yes. Lift as you climb. And so you're juggling a lot right now. And again, we're gonna get into that a little bit more, but tell us, so lift as you climb. There are, we all know there's a lot of coaches out here, but yes.

Share with all of us your ideal clients, who you typically work with. I know that you typically like to work with executives and folks kind of going through a transition. Tell us a little bit more about your ideal clients. They might listen. So I work with C-suite execs, leaders, entrepreneurs, people that I actually identify a lot with, that have kind of like [00:03:00] worn all the hats, made all the hard decisions, do it all with a smile and.

I mean, it's difficult work and let's be honest about it, and we neglect lots of other parts of our life. So the fact that I am a divorce mediator, I've been a clinician for over 20 years. I've seen it. The good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent, and then some. And so it's just me leveraging the skills that I've had for that and helping people stop looking backwards and look forward in a different way that they can have hope.

Because actually most of the people that come in as a client are in places of burnout. Stress and hopelessness. And they just feel lost. And so I just wanna be a bright light in their dark world and get them to where they really wanna go, and hopefully the fastest way possible, but reinvent themselves back into the purpose that they were born to be.

I love that. And I think I as a [00:04:00] fellow entrepreneur, Kate, I understand and a lot of people listening to the show are in leadership or corporate and definitely in entrepreneurship. 'cause that's what we talk about here. Yeah. And so many of us are burnt out. And I, what I love about you and when we've connected is, you know, you just make that feel normal.

And I really like that because I think social media. We all make it look so everyone's an entrepreneur and everybody's so glamorous. And look, the reality is no, you're not an entrepreneur because you post on TikTok five times a day. Stop. Okay? No, you're not. I knew I was gonna have a fun episode with you.

Yes, I knew I'd have a fun episode with you, Kate, so I could say these things. You, no, you're not. No, you're not. Okay. I'm not saying content creation can't be something entrepreneurial. It can, there are so many out there doing fabulous with it, but no, you're not an entrepreneur. Just because, but for those of us who truly own businesses and run businesses and are in the trenches.

You are either burnt [00:05:00] out right now or you have been burnt out in the past and or just burned. Or just burned or just good one? Yes. Yeah. Or just burned. Absolutely. And there's a lot with that. You really have to love what you're doing to keep at it because it does take that grit and that, that love and that passion has to overpower that.

But yeah, working with someone like you, from what I understand, Kate, I think it's always important when, people are doing coaching and mentoring and that's. What they're, you know, that's what they're doing. Right. What transformation are you hoping to achieve with your clients? So like for me, listening to you, your ideal client is someone that's kind of hit a wall or maybe is going through a really tough time and they wanna keep doing what they're doing, or they wanna keep excelling and in their.

Professional life and just life in general, but maybe some things are getting in the way and you wanna help guide them back to that level of success and get them out of that burnout feeling and get them back to feeling like themselves and even better and [00:06:00] fastest. Am I getting that right? Is that who you're Absolutely.

I mean. Being a clinician and, being in the chair with so many people, like the amount of people that get lost in themselves, trying to be something to somebody else or in, in a place like their workplace and like trying to just meet somebody else's needs, expectations, or even their mission and it doesn't align to who they are.

And, you know, part of it is like every day we have our own lived experiences. They need to follow us where, wherever we're at and be respected. So from leaders, like teaching leaders to respect other people's lived experiences and getting that to be a part of their mission statement as well. Like how do you blend those two things together?

With families, relationships, whatever. We tend to lose ourself and entrepreneurs, we lose ourselves in our business. And we forget like, why, what is my why? But the other [00:07:00] part is like, I mean, I worked in a hospital setting for a long time too, and the saddest thing I've ever seen is like people on their deathbed questioning whether or not they lived their purpose.

Right. And so that is most people's biggest regret. Like, did I live my purpose? Did I do it to the fullest? And like, what's the legacy? I'm leaving behind burnout, isn't it? Yep. I love that. And brokenness is also not it. And that's, that is also what so many people, unfortunately, that's what they leave behind too.

Right. And I think this is like a, your secret sauce, as I like to say, and so many people use that term, but I like it. So there we go. But Kate, I think it's a secret sauce for you as you are diving into coaching, becoming kind of your full focus, because I love that you have a clinical background. I love that you have this mental health background and that you've owned a practice and yes.

You've had all these experiences. I mean, just like the example you've used, [00:08:00] right? You've watched, you've seen people dying and you know they're lived their regrets and like what an incredible perspective that you can give to people as you're guiding them through this particular experience and these executives and these leadership people and these entrepreneurs that are struggling with burnout and.

You want to guide them to still like, no. Is this really what you're passionate about? Is this your purpose? No, no, no. Don't just stray because you're burnt out. Let's get you, let's get you reset. Let's get you back in love with this and passionate about this and back to your core, and you've got the experience of seeing.

These folks regret doing that because I see it sometimes too, where people get really, you know, burnt out or a life, a big life change happens, or, you know, you lose someone, I'm gonna pass this away, go through a divorce. I mean, hello. I've been through all of this. Like, I'm like, I'm speaking from experience too here, and you question whether you should continue to live.

What, like this entrepreneur life or this leading life where you are living [00:09:00] your purpose because you're just like wanting to give it all up. And so I think it's wonderful. Right. Or burn it all to the ground. Yeah. Yeah. Or burn it all to the ground. Right. I have been there. I like give me the matches, like match gasoline, let's burn it to the ground.

Yeah. And then like, no. That doesn't make any sense either. Right? Yeah, and I think, you know, it's, I have this vision of you, Kate, meet your ideal client. Is someone that's about to strike that match and you're the one that grabs their hand and goes, Nope, I got this right. I, why dunno if the fire extinguisher in the hose?

I'm like, no, no, no, no. Hold on, lemme put on my turnout gear. We got this. Yeah. That image just came to me and I think it's also because of, you know, you sharing with me your background, this, you know, 'cause you had a major thing. Just to click on this for just a moment. I was reading that you had, you were in a severe car accident at quite a young age.

Yes. And then you walked away. And then you went into, you know, the fire, I mean that, I guess that's why we're using fire, right? You went into firefighting and all of that kind of [00:10:00] field, and then you went into to be a clinician. So you've had quite. A journey with saving people, helping people. Yes, I've done nothing small nor easy by any means, but yes.

A rollover car accident that should have claimed my life. And, instead, everybody should make decisions with a concussion. Oh yeah. And be like, you know, I see my whole life in front of me. And, yeah, I jumped on and started my firefighting career. I was, I mean, I was the youngest paramedic in the state of Illinois and decorated as a lifesaver of the year before I was 19.

Um, so like, it speaks to my grit. Or stupidity or both. I mean, you have to, somebody told me recently, they're like, you have to be a little bit crazy to be a therapist. I'm like, yeah, well true. And you have to be a little bit crazy to be an entrepreneur. So I was like, ah. You know, times two, but it all checks.

There you go. It all checks. And our, you know, analogies about putting out the fires guys, Kate has literally put off fire, [00:11:00] so Yes, yes. She can do it. Trust, literally, I parker me. Yes. Yes. So, Kate, again, I love your background. Love what you're doing. Love the transformations that you wanna work on with these particular clients.

So what challenge or challenges do you wanna talk about today on the show that you want my opinion on? Oh, I mean, the challenges are plentiful. That is true. Entrepreneurship. Yeah. Yes. So I would say my biggest challenge right now is I got a foot in and a foot out. And so I'm, while it's not unusual to wear multiple hats, but to wear a hat of where I have been and the stretch of where I am going and.

You know, it's difficult to know when to let go. I've identified and it's become a part of my persona, which I don't really like that to be true, and yet it is very, and I have to just accept that, that I have been this thing and I need to step fully into this other space that I know I am meant to be and do great things.

[00:12:00] It's scary. Scary and you don't know how to navigate it. Like nobody tells you how to stop one thing and start another thing, easily. I can tell people how to do it in divorce and I can tell people how to do it in other aspects of business. And it's funny 'cause when you're inside the jar.

You just can't see outside of what that label is saying or the directions for the of God. I cannot read, I didn't come with directions. I didn't realize it. Yeah. None of us do. Right? We're all just figuring it out. So I want to find the person who did. Yes. Yes. So, okay. So as far, just so everyone listening, understands too, because you may be going through this challenge yourself, and I think this is a really valuable episode for this, like to talk about this because.

Kate owns, you still own your clinical practice? Yes. Okay. And Kate's working about 50% of her time in that, from what I understand. Right, Kate? Absolutely. And you're working 50% in your coaching, which is [00:13:00] great. It's great. , So let me go back to go forward. So with your coaching business where you are right now.

What, how, where do you need to grow to feel like you can let go? Like do you feel, or I'll, I'll phrase it this way too, 'cause it might, one question might resonate more with you, or do you feel like, because you aren't letting go of the practice and you like you haven't sold it, and we'll kind of talk about different things we can explore there in a second.

Sure. But do you feel like. Because you haven't done that, you're not able to scale, or do you feel like you need to scale more in the coaching before you can let go? It's kind of the chicken or the egg question for you right now. I'm gonna tell you that is the hardest question. Honestly to answer of like, that's okay.

What, what needs to happen first? Like, do I need more clients in coaching? Yes. It's that balance of, you know, I still have to pay the bills and Right. That's why I'm asking. Yeah, yeah, exactly. That still has to [00:14:00] happen and, you know, scaling the practice doesn't make sense anymore. Agreed. So it's the, well, how do we, how do I stop?

How do I stop? I feel like somebody just needs to come and like slap me in the hand and just like stop it. Well, let's do a, we'll do a mini slap today. Okay. Okay. So here we go. So step, so one thing I want you to look at and take away from this, and this is what would be advice to anybody that's going through something similar, and I think this can even apply honestly, Kate, if you're at a corporate job too, right?

Because if you started like a another business on the side and you're like. I'm not ready, but I'm, I mean, you're kind of quiet, quitting. Right. It's totally different with what you're Right. But it, but it's different with you because you own that business. Right? Right. So it's your ba it's your baby.

You're, you're not gonna let it fall to the wayside. I feel like with my corporate girls that listen to this show. Right. Ladies, um, we quiet quit on that. So it's a little different, but you can connect with this story for sure. Sure. The coaching aspect, what, and you may have done this already, but [00:15:00] Kate, what I want you to do is come up with your minimum number of clients that you need.

To quit the other, the other situation, the clinic and all of that. And we'll talk about what that transition would look like in different situations in just a moment. But you have to put pen to paper and make that commitment to yourself. You have to, I had to do something very, very similar, back when I went all in.

On my business. I started this business in 2017. My event business, my, and this podcast. And then these other businesses came from it as well. But I had to put a number on paper and I'll tell you the number was lower than what I was making in corporate America. But I really looked at my, my bills. I was like, okay, what's gonna pay the mortgage all, you know, all the bills that I have to pay.

I also have to pay for my own insurance. Like all of those things. And I put pen to paper and I was like, mm, okay. I was like, yeah. No wonder I'm staying at my corporate job 'cause I'm making more than enough to cover this. Yeah. And then some, right. But then I thought, then I looked at those bills and then I added in some fluff and then [00:16:00] I said, okay.

I said, so when I hit enough clients that I'm paying this and still a little bit of money, if something happens, you know, something comes up, still wanna do a little vacation here or something. And I will tell you I made that commitment and kept it to myself. And that was in 2020. Which is a crazy time to do this, right?

Owning an event company and I flipped to virtual and I got two retainer clients and like some ad hoc clients that would just hire me for different things. And once I averaged that, it's crazy, but end of April, early May, I said. Goodbye to my agency job. And it was scary, but I've never looked back. So you have to kind of just shove yourself off that cliff at a certain point.

But my, in my opinion, it's, you have to do it in a, you have to jump off the cliff responsibly, right? So like, make sure, you know, there's no rocks down there. Make sure you know what I mean, like. Test the water and you already have coaching clients. So literally write to, you know, your budget, write all of those things down.

Yeah. This is for anybody else. And it, look, you [00:17:00] have to be okay with the fact that it might not be as much as you're making now, but it's gotta be enough so you're not super stressed out because then that doesn't do anybody any good. So that would be like my mini step for you. Like that's a homework thing you could do tonight.

Right. And just like over the weekend. And you may find when you start looking at the numbers, you're like, actually, I'm not that far off because I don't think you are. I know your personality, so you're not probably that far off. She's a grinder. She's a grinder. Yeah, you're a grinder. And then kind of to just add onto that as like a mini thing, we talk a lot on the show about ideal client, ideal things like that.

, We were talking a little bit before we started recording guys, and she's been working a lot with a certain type of client, a lot of male clients that have gone through some transitions and are executives and are kind of in that space and are entrepreneurs. I would continue to dial into spaces where.

These particular people live like you have, right? You have a local community that you've tapped into. Yes. But I'd also tap [00:18:00] into, you know, LinkedIn groups on Facebook and like, let yourself be known as the person that does that. And, and again, I think your sweet, your secret sauce is the fact that you have a clin clinical background, right?

So like people love to be coached by that, and she's a little sassy. Yeah, Andrew, little sassy. I love that. I love that you're the clients that will resonate with you, enjoy a direct conversation and you need to go where those clients are. And I could see you honestly, like, I'm not sure how much you utilize LinkedIn, but LinkedIn is, is great for that too, and creating a following with that.

So that's where I, just as a side note, to continue to grow that, that's what I would do. Yeah. I mean, and of course it's mostly women that listen to our show. So if you're a woman who enjoys someone direct and likes that clinical aspect too, because I do, I know how things. Kate's the one for you. So let's talk about the big part of this, though.

I don't, I'm not worried about you [00:19:00] growing and finding your audience, just I want you to expand yourself and spend more time in those communities, right? And I want you to pick two platforms for me. The instant hit for you is LinkedIn and Facebook. I would think right away. Not saying don't post on Instagram.

I'm not saying don't do TikTok. They're very powerful, but you are doing more executive level, and those are. Probably where they're gonna live, as well as like in-person networking, which you already have a fabulous group. I'm so just expanding that. I'm all in on those people. You're great there, right?

Yeah. So as far as your large issue of how do we let go, how do we let go of this clinic that you've loved and you've practiced that you have, and it's taking up 50% of your time? That's another reason I'm not worried about you, because when you have that off your plate. You're gonna have all this time to continue to cultivate the coaching business.

Yeah. So do you just feel that heavy breath that I just had, like Yes. Oh God. It's not aligned with you anymore. Right? It's not aligned. So let's dive into [00:20:00] that. So you're spending 50% of your time there. Are you still seeing clients? There am, I am. As we downsize, our overhead, which has been a big part of like, I'm literally.

I've been working just to cover the overhead. Okay. That has been what has been going on and I'll be the first person to say that is pathetic and sad. And at the same time it was just a, just gotta grind it out and get it done right. However, your time there is taking away from building. The coaching business, right?

Yeah. So it becomes that chicken we're in a chicken or egg, could be the name of this episode. Chicken or egg. Um, you suck, right? So it's sucking you in to that. So I think my question for you is how can you exit, right? Like how it's kind of rhetorical, how can you exit from this when you are continuing to work in that space?

And I think, you know, some of your clients. This is more [00:21:00] of a practice and like, you know, clinician environment versus a coaching environment. So some clients may follow you, not all. Right. Which is probably another challenge that you're going through. I, yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. So I think you have to probably scale back your hours even more there.

Right? That's kind of a. I mean, it is what it is, but also you've got the overhead. So I'm curious if you could maybe have some other people work in there. Are you willing to sell it? I mean, there's a couple different aspects. Is this a business that is sellable? Like it's not sellable anymore? Right. And it's funny 'cause as you're talking, I'm like I am.

I'm recognizing and fully feeling it right now. I'm like, I've been in an abusive relationship with my business. It has. Yeah. It has access to me that I would not give a narcissist, and I'm like, Ugh. Damn. [00:22:00] Well, I didn't feel that one coming, so thank you. No, you're welcome. That's why I love doing this is like, this is why this series has been really fun for people to listen to and also contribute and be a part of because it's powerful to sit and chat with someone who's also an entrepreneur and like on the other side of it, you know, like you said, you, when you're in it, when you're in the jar, you can't really get out and you can't see.

Right. But for you. You are kind of in this rat race because like you, I have, again, I'm fully confident you're gonna grow your coaching business. I'm so not worried about, like, we have some people that come on the show and I'm like, okay, this is clearly like a lead gen issue. This is, or we have a marketing issue or we have no, I'm not worried about that.

For you, because I think it's quite clear, I think it's quite clear who you need to be working with, and I think you've identified that. I just don't think you've had the time to continue to finesse that. And you will, you've got to move away from this business. And if it's not a sellable business, you've got to find a way, like, like [00:23:00] the space.

Are you locked into a like a, because it's a physical location, right? It's brick and mortar. Yes. Right. How long are you locked into this lease? We're literally moving this week. Like these were decisions that were just recently made and we are moving to at least cap some of that for myself. Thank God.

But we're doing that right now. Okay, so you're moving, so you're moving to a more affordable, a smaller space. Yes. Lower overhead. Okay. Yes. So that's one thing. How like, do you want to close? Is the goal to just close this shop up, or do you just wanna keep it and be totally hands off and have other clinicians working in it?

What's the long term goal there for the exit? Temporarily have people work for me, and it may be hands off and let them run on autopilot until, you know, until I'm just like, all right. I'm, I'm done. I'm done. So I think Okay, great. Good to know that. And so I think what you need to [00:24:00] do is you need to find, like really sit, I mean, I'm sure you sit with your budget all the time.

You're an entrepreneur, but sitting right, it's like always you as much, oh my God, I get it. But, but you need to come up with a realistic budget. So while you're doing your budget. To to leave. Right. With your coaching. Also sitting there and going, okay, you've gotta make this commitment to yourself, Kate, because you can't go there and also show up for your coaching clients the way that you want to.

Right. It's spreading you too thin. That's why when, but guys, just so you know, before we hit record, Kate was like, God, everyone keeps telling me. Yeah. I have so much you do because you're being pulled in one way. It towards something that's just not serving you anymore, but serving a lot of other people.

Which that's in your heart, right? Yes. Always. That's a part of you. You've served other people in every career decision you've made, so of course you don't wanna abandon that 'cause you're like, but. The coaching is serving others and serving you. Yeah. So that's where you [00:25:00] need to be, and we know that. So going back to exiting, you need to sit down and look at the budget and come up with your exit plan.

Okay, so over the next three months, maybe I am working in the business, but here's the budget. If I can bring in this clinician, this clinician, maybe I have two or three and that covers it. Here's what I can, here's what they. And here's what I can hire for, or here's where I can move this around. Um, maybe you can then hire like a, an a virtual assistant or someone to manage, or maybe you scale back on.

Do you have an office manager right now, or are you handling that? I do. I do. So, you know, I mean, that's the tough thing too. That's a, that's a high overhead, an office manager, right. Managing all of that. So do we kind of navigate the, this. Office in more of a hands-off approach where they are more like contractors that are working for you.

These are things that I would explore to cut overhead for you because you're already moving, which is great. That was gonna be recommendation number [00:26:00] one for holding onto this two. Thinking of them working. You know, I've done a lot of therapy in my life. That's a whole other episode, Kate. And um, you know, there's been times when I've gone to see independent clinicians, my therapist I was with for many years.

Over a decade. You've just rented a space. I don't know, maybe you changed the business model a little bit to that. I don't know if that aligns with you, but that might be something. And then automating some of these office processes that are happening. I'm sure you love your office manager, but at the end of the day, you have to do what aligns with you.

Yeah. And then in the short term, you've gotta cut costs and focus on really good clinicians that are serving your clients. But I mean, that's the short term. In the long term. I don't know. How long is your new lease for? We're month to month, thank God. Oh, we're month to month. Okay. Yeah. So for me, again, I don't know what all your relationships are with your clients, but I would come up with immediate goal, like, and when I say [00:27:00] immediate 30 days, right?

We know this in entrepreneurship 30 days or yesterday. Tomorrow I'm gonna make all the decisions and do it all tomorrow. I mean, I feel like I do that a lot anyhow, so yes. Yes. So that's, I would kind of chunk it up into that as we know. And then I would, if I were you, my goal would be one year I, it would be one year to be out of this because it's not serving you and it's gonna continue to hold you back.

Yeah. And I think. You know, I'm, how many clinicians are working or therapists are working at this? I have a contractor and a full-time EM employee. So the contractor will transition quite easily. Yeah, that's not gonna be a difficult thing. I think your difficulty might be with the full-time person, and so maybe having those conversations about how you can make that transition easier.

Um. But if you've got, so you've got the two and then yourself, and then you've got an office manager. Yes. So I, again, it's not the best news for your office manager, but that is probably the person that would need to [00:28:00] go in, in my opinion. But not before you have all of the kind of operating procedures in place.

And then also having that conversation with your full, because your contractor's gonna roll with this, it's if they're contracting. They're gonna understand. Yeah. As long as they understand the standard operating procedures, how you do things, the booking, the scheduling. But I think, you know, your full-time person, you would have to have those conversations.

It's fine. We're entrepreneurs. We have hard conversations all the time. Facts, facts and Yeah. And I would, if they are on board with having that model, are they both fully booked? Can they take on more clients? Yes. Oh yeah. No, they're fully booked. I have done a very good job. That's amazing.

But you don't wanna be booked anymore. You wanna go into your coaching. So you may need to transition into, again, full-time to contract contractor stays. You might have to bring in another part-time contractor to take over and look, here's the reality. You're gonna lose some of your clients. Yeah. And that's okay.

That's okay. Because you are gonna be transparent with them. It [00:29:00] sounds like you've already done this. We were kind of chatting before about this guys before we hit record. You're like, Hey, this is the direction I'm going in. No, I don't take insurance. I'm not a, I'm not, I'm a clinician. I'm a therapist.

I can, I, that's what, but I'm moving in this other direction where it's a more, it's not therapy. We're not diving into the past so much anymore. From what I understand in my work in therapy, it's not digging in the past. We're more like, what's going on now and how are we moving forward in the future strategically and aligning better with you?

And so you're just wanting to shift. You're wanting to shift. You don't wanna dig. You wanna help people move in the forward in a different way, and that's more aligned for you. So maybe that's what that looks like. Maybe full-time pivots into contractor. Maybe you keep contractor two, and then maybe you hire a part-time person.

And you've gotta cut that overhead. Maybe you're using some kind of virtual assistant, maybe you're using someone to schedule 'cause you don't wanna put all of those types of tasks and you're automating some of these systems. Yeah. So your short-term goal is to get your [00:30:00] 50% work there to 20 to 25% tops.

That would be my short-term goal for you in 90 days. And that might feel like a lot of transitions. That does, but I. I think you're, I think you're just gonna, again, while simultaneously looking at your, your coaching, right? Because like, and then you can start to give yourself some deadlines of, okay, like this is when I'm gonna roll these clients off and like, you know, you can give them deadlines of how many hours and you need to scale back your hours.

Yeah. You need to scale back your hours. And anything operational, I mean. I'm a huge fan of the virtual assistant. I'm a huge fan. 'cause the cost is low and you can find some really incredible people, especially when they have a background in what you do. Right. So finding someone like that, um, long term, yeah, I think.

I think thinking about someone who, I understand why this is not a business that somebody might [00:31:00] buy, but maybe having a conversation, I don't know. With your current therapists, are they aware of you wanting to kind of move. Outta the business or what do they know? They do know some, they know that I'm transitioning into doing other things.

The funny thing, they're both ride or dies, like whatever I do, they're just like, take me with you. Which is kind of, I mean, who has that? But they're just like, I like working with you. I, I don't want to not work with you. And, and it's like, well, well, great. Then you also have to learn to do what I do. And then they're like, oh.

I was like, make the leap. I mean, I've got a super cape, so I mean, you can just become a superhero with me. Yeah. Well, so when you say that, are they wanting to move towards coaching as well, or are they wanting to stay more in the like clinical type therapy? I think they don't understand that they can leverage that.

And again, like some of 'em, they've not been in the [00:32:00] field nearly as long as I have, so they don't understand like how that really works. And how it's to their benefit. And like one just graduated, so with his doctorate and he's just like, well. How are you doing that? I'm just like, I'm magic.

That's how I'm doing it. Well, that's a whole other aspect to this too. So are you seeing coaching clients at the brick and mortar, like, uh, building as well? Yes. Okay, so you kind of intertwined it a little bit. Yeah. Talk about that's, yeah. I feel like that's also part of the problem is because both hats wearing 'em in the same place and yeah.

That was a mistake, but, a valuable one to be learned from. So I think, look, we make a lot of mistakes as entrepreneurs, right? Amen. So, you know, I beat myself up all the time. I'm sure you do too. And I'm learning to be softer on myself about that because every time I make a mistake, I look back. Many months, many years later, and I'm like, oh, I needed to make that to do this.

And so [00:33:00] I think you'll feel the same way about this. You might already feel the same way about, about mincing it a little bit. Yeah. But also, but actually now that I have that piece of information too, I think this could help you with your transition. Because if you truly are seeing, are you seeing all of your clients in person?

No. Oh god no. It's a blend. It's a blend, yes. But you like having the office space to do that? Yes. Okay, so you don't have to give this up then you don't have to. You need to transition what you're doing there and you need to cut some of that overhead as you're building. So yes, those would be the main things.

You don't have to solve the business. You don't have to. I think you need to be very clear with your contractor and with your full-time person, this is the direction I'm going. This is, you know, these are some serious conversations to have with them and let them know. Like, I'm not saying like we're in transition.

I'm 50 50 right now. I'm transitioning to 75 25, and then over the next year, you know, you need to sit down and really know what your goal is. But for me, listening to you, my, my goal would be one year you're full-time in that, [00:34:00] and you don't not need to have the space. Right. It's just that. Space needs to transform because that's why you're also struggling, like you said.

Yeah. You're split in one place and that's, that's takes a toll on us mentally and emotionally when we're, well probably physically too, when we're feeling like we're two different people. You need to get the worst bipolar. It's the worst bipolar disorder I think I've ever experienced in my whole life.

And I've experienced a lot of bipolar people. Right. So, that would be my advice and my opinion to you is to do that and then having these conversations with them. 'cause I didn't realize you were going in there and doing both, so you actually don't. If one of them wants to come, maybe the contractor, I'm just making this up, but maybe the contractor is like, I really love this coaching.

I think I wanna go more in the coaching direction. With a clinical background. You keep them cool, they bring clients in, you keep 'em. Maybe one of the other ones is, or the full-time one, or maybe this is vice versa, whatever says, no, I really wanna do that. [00:35:00] Then you give them the time and the space to eventually roll off and you need to bring people, like build this just like you built.

This practice, build it into a coaching practice because I think you know how to build a business. Now that I have more information, that's what I would do. I would build this into a movement, into an experience. And also you can offer more to your coaching clients when you ha if these folks are on board with you.

But I would also, I would really look at. The overhead because you know, you're kind of stepping back to spring forward with the financial aspect of this. Yeah. With your coaching, I would look at overhead. Having an office manager is great, but there's so much virtual access now, and if it's just a building that you guys go into and you're not managing.

I mean, you're just managing clients coming in. It's not a huge Yeah. It's really just scheduling, cleaning the office, the, you know, locking up all that kind of stuff. I would cut, so I cut overhead. I'd work on a transition plan. I would see who's gonna come forward with you. [00:36:00] And then, you know, if you do, one comes with you, one doesn't, you hire someone that has a book of business already that can come in Yeah.

And work with you. That would be my short term, kind of one year Look for you and I'm looking at you right now, and you look lighter. I'm, it's not serious lighting. It's not just, well, I mean, your lighting is fabulous, but yes. I like, I like 'cause I feel like somebody needed to give me a deadline. You need one year.

That I feel like somebody needed to give me a deadline because otherwise, I want you to email me or like, we also have a community of women that meets for networking that I'll send you the link to. You can join us. It's free. I want you to get in the community and I'm gonna, you know, whenever you join, I'm gonna be like.

Kate, how's that going for you? I want you to email me at like Christmas next year, this year, at the end of this year, and be like, guess what? Like, I, you do need a deadline, right? You need, and you need short term deadlines, and I think your short term is doing your budgets and looking at that, right?

Which you do anyway. So it's gonna be easy to pull up. But giving yourself that coaching goal, like, what's that number I really [00:37:00] need to hit? So I, I feel a little, you wanna feel a little stressed. We know this as an, we wanna feel a little stressed. We wanna feel too comfortable, but you know, you can pay the bills and you can still live your life.

But on the other side, it's gonna push you to keep pushing to that 25% over here with the practice, right. And push you to that a hundred percent by 2027, and you're gonna feel so much more aligned going in and, and look, part of the tough part of this too, is having that conversation with your. Your contractor and you're full-time person and letting them know, but because they're so aligned with you and so connected to you, I know from what you're telling me, they're going to appreciate that honesty and you leading them because that's what we do as good leaders.

We tell them where the vision is going and who knows. You might be surprised they both, they both might say, let's all pivot together and then you grow this thing together. But I think, yeah, and it would work. I mean, look, lift as you climb. It's what you could do it together and then you have an even bigger story to tell people.

So that's why short-term advice for you if that's helpful, Kate. It [00:38:00] is. It is. Somebody had to put the flag in the ground and say, this is where you need to go. And I mean, from there, yes, everything's a summit. Yeah. And like there's some options in there too, right? Like as you go it's gonna shift and there's some options.

But, I think you've got this, and I just see how aligned you feel when you're talking about your coaching and helping these specific types of clients in a more holistic way versus, you know, but you can take everything you've done. The clinical background and apply it there and e and even more. So I'm excited for you.

Keep us updated. We wanna know how this is gonna go in this trip. 'cause this is really, I mean, this episode is about transitioning. It's really about transitioning into your power and into your passion and into your purpose. Absolutely. Kate, tell us where people can find you to work with you, because I mean, who wouldn't wanna work with you?

This is awesome. Yeah. You can find me at Lift as zoo climb coaching.com and find me on LinkedIn. So, Kate tis perfect. And that's spelled with a J. Perfect. And we'll put it in the show [00:39:00] notes and of course you'll be featured on our website as well so people can reach out. And you guys will love working with Kate.

I've enjoyed this episode. Kate, thank you so much for being here with us. Thank you so much. And thank you for giving me a path. 'cause again, I give other people paths and sometimes somebody needs to be the light for me too. Absolutely. That's why. Yes. That's why we do this. You need to be outside of yourself sometimes.

Yes, absolutely. And thank you guys so much for listening to the MaYapinion Podcast. Don't forget to follow us at MaYapinion podcast and at maya Roffler on Instagram and TikTok. That's where I like to hang out. Don't forget to join our free Facebook group and our free networking group in the show notes.

We'll see you on our next episode.