Focusing on Mental Fitness & Wellbeing - Thrive Again Program

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mark DeFee, Founder of Thrive Again Program, located in Denver, CO, USA.

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

Thrive Again Program is an 8-week mental skills boot camp where individuals build a foundation of mental fitness and wellbeing. Participants go through 4 learning modules that combine on-demand learning and group coaching. The best part is that the modules are designed to take only one hour each week. My clients are organizations that want to provide their employee's skills to maintain their mental wellbeing. It's hard to nail down a specific industry, as I've learned that each company takes a different approach to workplace mental health.

One common thing among all my clients, though, is that they understand and appreciate the concept that whatever is going on in our heads directly impacts how we show up and perform at work and in life. The best companies need to strategically plan how to use employee wellbeing as a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Tell us about yourself

I'm a Licensed Counselor and Board Certified Coach with two decades in corporate mental health. My journey to this specific niche originally started when I was diagnosed with Epilepsy in high school. I had to quickly learn how to manage my stress, as mental fatigue is a strong trigger for my seizures. It required me to make significant changes and miss out on some things. It was hard, and I fought it for a long time. But things got easier for me once I embraced the idea that focusing on my mental health made me better in so many other areas of my life. However, I've never shied away from stress. I've continually taken on challenges throughout my life. Hell, I became an entrepreneur!

I'm convinced that one of the things that makes me successful is I know how to listen to my body and prioritize my overall health, knowing it will have positive ripple effects in all other areas of my life. In my work, I'm motivated to help people learn these principles in order to keep their mental edge. They begin to truly embrace that their performance and success go hand in hand with their mental wellbeing. I began my business in the Fall of 2021 after two decades in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) field. I left my job as a Client Executive with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide something new to the marketplace.

In my 10 years as a Client Executive, I helped create custom mental wellbeing programs for some of the largest companies in America, many Fortune 500 and some Fortune 20 as well. Names like: Eli Lilly, Cardinal Health, Edward Jones, Marathon Petroleum, Eaton, and American Electric Power. I had a front-row seat to watch what worked and what didn't work for these organizations. I took everything I learned from those experiences and created a one-of-a-kind product called Thrive Again Program!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm only about a year in, so I'm still grinding. Don't let anybody tell you it's going to be easy. Your first year or so of a new business could be hell! You make progress every day, but you still feel like you're buried under a mountain of things to do before you can start making a profit. So just continuing to put one foot in front of the other and keep going is a win for me at this stage of my business! But, I did land a 5-year contract with a large corporation in my first year. That felt good and was a confidence booster. I also created a one-of-a-kind program that I'm very proud of and believe will change many lives!

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

The decisions you have to make. A lot of times, it's deciding not to act on something. (I think Steve Jobs said that) It's easy to bounce all over, and it requires discipline to stay focused and not jump at everything that we think could help our business. You might feel you made the right decision, or you might agonize over the decision you made for weeks. I'm learning to trust my gut more as I become clearer about where I want to go. You have to make a decision and move on to the next one. If you realize you made a wrong one, learn from it and keep moving forward. You don't have time to dwell. You're everything: sales/marketing, product/content design, legal, operations, etc. Trust yourself and be open to learning by error.

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

1. Spend time getting clear on your business, purpose, and the audience you want to serve. But don't wait until it's perfect. JUST GET STARTED. Things will change along the way, but you will never get where you want to go without taking those first steps. Accept that it's not going to be your best effort at first. It shouldn't. What it should do is get you going down that path to creating something amazing.
2. Be ready to pivot. You might have created something you think is fantastic, but it doesn't garner much interest. Learn from those moments and evolve what you built to give people what they want. Don't let your ego or what you want to get in the way. This is about serving your customers and giving them what they need.
3. Lean into your network. Almost all of us have people who know, like and trust us. We just sometimes forget about them. But they're your champions. They're the ones who sing your praises without you needing a fancy website or a social presence, or even business cards. They can provide you referrals, guidance, and support...because this business ownership stuff ain't that easy… BUT one huge caveat is that you need to own the decisions in your business. You can ask for guidance and advice all you want from people. But you're the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to your business.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.thriveagainprogram.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markdefee/

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.

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