Mindful Connections Consulting

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in consultancy but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aaron Corte, Founder of Mindful Connections Consulting, located in Detroit, MI, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I have two businesses: Wellspring Connection and Mindful Connections Consulting. Wellspring Connection is a small therapy clinic where I run and practice therapy. I specialize in trauma in my clinical work there. Mindful Connections is a consulting business where I help companies to address employee mental health and wellbeing through online workshops and programs.

Tell us about yourself

Before becoming a therapist, I worked for a couple of startup companies. I loved the work but was always drawn to helping people work through business stressors (it's pervasive). I wanted to do this professionally. During my graduate studies, I became a proponent of trauma-informed care, which views trauma as the foundation for mental health struggles. I became trained in EMDR and have spent years helping clients get past some of their biggest struggles. I always knew that I wanted to increase my reach outside of the 20-30 clients I can personally see a week in therapy, and naturally realized I could hire therapists and grow reach that way. I did this, but in the wake of COVID-19, I also noticed a shortage of therapists, and employees are increasingly expecting employers to support their mental health. However, many people addressing mental health in the workplace are not trained therapists (they usually work in HR or as Coaches). I've always felt mental health should be more accessible and that the ways of teaching tools can be delivered in formats outside of traditional therapy. As I grow my consulting business, I'm motivated by the desire to increase access to mental health in the workplace so that companies can retain employees and workplaces can learn to reduce burnout and increase their performance.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Getting my first consulting sale was a big accomplishment. I hired a marketing coach, read multiple sales books, and spent months creating content before making my first sale. Despite mental health being so advocated for these days, few companies are actually taking steps to deliver valuable resources. Usually, it's checked off their box by HR bringing in a low-cost "wellness" activity into the workplace culture. So I've found coming into this space as a licensed clinician is disruptive to the Corporate Wellness Industry; therapists usually stay in their lane of standard psychotherapy.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Accountability. There is no one telling you what to do, which is a lot of responsibility. My personal challenge is staying accountable for tasks that aren't urgent. Because I'm such an ideas person, I get excited about new business, leads, and developments, and the more mundane tasks, such as refining my internal systems, can fall off my radar. Other people may have the opposite problem, so detail-oriented that they have a hard time growing the business. Being a business owner demands more balance than we naturally have.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Consult Others - don't try to reinvent the wheel; find people who do things better than you and learn from them. It will save time and energy. Set Small Goals Daily - and then check them off at the end of the day; feels great. Make It Personal - If you're crazy enough to run your own business, make sure there's a real personal purpose behind it; otherwise, you will grow to resent it.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website:
https://www.mindfulconnectionsconsulting.com/
https://www.wellspringconnection.com/

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3bLvPLs

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.