{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Shulamit Ber Levtov: Building a Sustainable Practice Without Losing Yourself | Ep 198","description":"Building a business while caring for others can be deeply meaningful work, but it can also come at a cost if your own well-being is left behind. It can be easy to get absorbed in caring for others and accidentally lose focus on your own personal needs in the process.   Shulamit experienced this firsthand. In this episode, Shulamit Ber Levtov shares her unconventional path into therapy, from activism, graduating with a Master\u2019s degree at 48, and building a thriving group practice in a rural community.   She opens up about the realities of entrepreneurship, the mental health challenges that led her to step away from group practice ownership, and why sustainable success starts with taking care of yourself first. Join us for an insightful discussion!  MEET SHULAMIT Shulamit is known as The Entrepreneurs' Therapist. She's the mental health professional you hire when you're a woman business owner, and you want to build the internal steadiness--for your emotions and your money psychology-- to lead effectively through the uncertainty, weight, and complexity of running a business. Shulamit has been an entrepreneur for over 27 years and has more than 22 years of professional experience supporting women's mental health and personal growth. As a trauma survivor and Master's-level trauma therapist, with certifications in Dare To Lead\u2122, Trauma of Money\u00ae, and Financial Social Work as well as somatic parts therapy, Shula brings a unique perspective and approach to supporting women in business. Learn more about Shulamit on her website, LinkedIn, and Instagram profiles.  In this episode:  Graduating with a Master\u2019s at 48! Evergreen marketing strategies  Going from group private practice to solo  Shula\u2019s plans for the future  Final takeaways for listeners  Graduating with a Master\u2019s at 48! Shulamit\u2019s story is an adventurous and inspiring one.  Shula explains how her mother was an activist, and that this type of work was prominent in her family lineage throughout her life. That, she explains, impacted how she wanted to contribute to the community around her, leading her to study Social Work.  However, after arguing with a professor about socialism and fighting on behalf of people who need to be paid a living wage, she was dropped from the programme because her grades (from this professor\u2019s class) pulled her average too low.  While Shula had attempted to complete her Master\u2019s degree twice before, this was the moment in her life, decades after that Social Work course, that she decided to bring everything together and really go for it.  Evergreen marketing strategies Back in 2012, after Shula graduated with her Master\u2019s and began her path to private practice, she decided on a location that (at the time) had relatively few therapists and counsellors.   Therefore, pre-COVID, Shula was marketing her brick-and-mortar group private practice in a small town that had a strong need for therapy services. What worked for her and her business then did not always continue to work post-COVID and into the online world.   So, Shulamit\u2019s main advice for consistently successful marketing is to be present and create deep connections with the community, whether that\u2019s in-person, online in videos on social media, or both.  Going from group private practice to solo  Shulamit explains that this is the reason why she\u2019s the entrepreneur\u2019s therapist: she went on a personal journey from group private practice to a solo business owner for her own well-being.   Shula came to realize that either she leaves her business or continues to suffer with poor mental health, and she chose her mental health.  Shula recognized that her associates were depending on her to bring in clients for the business to prosper, and for them to have an income as well.  But, when she understood the depth of her struggle, she had to remove herself from the practice and allow someone else to take her place to stop her entire team from suffering as well.  Shula\u2019s plans for the future In two words, here are Shulamit\u2019s goals for the future of her practice: sustainability and growth.  Sustainability for her solo practice, to continue to see her clients and sustain herself in the process, growth for the profession, and expansion in the research of caring for entrepreneurs.  As she continues to experiment and as the digital work continues to change, she\u2019s committed to finding strategies that will be evergreen.   Final takeaways for listeners  Shulamit wants you to take care of yourself. Don\u2019t let your mental, physical, and emotional well-being be an afterthought. So, take a regular temperature check on yourself once a week, or every now and then at least, to figure out what you are feeling, why, and how to help yourself move forward with less stress.   Secondly, don\u2019t let the nature of the work make you feel like you are failing. The work is hard because it is inherently hard, and not because you can\u2019t do it. You can.  Connect with me: Instagram Website  Resources mentioned and useful links: Paula Gonzalez: From Purpose to Practice and Scaling with Intention | EP 197 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS2MO for two months free) Get started with Hushmail here and get one month for free! Learn more about Shulamit on her website, LinkedIn, and Instagram profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn ","author_name":"Fearless Practice","author_url":"https:\/\/fearlesspractice.ca","html":"