Hi! I’m Susan and I’m growing a new way to do business.
If you’re like me, you are tired of the hustle, push-push, aggressive business building culture. Honestly, a lot of it has Big Male Energy and that vibe isn’t for me any more.
I’ve been in solo/small business entrepreneur spaces since the early 2000s. At that time I was a new mom, working as a psychologist in spaces that didn’t fit my personality or needs. I realized if I wanted to work on my terms, making the money I wanted and the power to make choices and decisions my way, I’d have to create my business to fit my life.
I started with ZERO business experience. I jumped on Twitter as a super early adopter after hearing an NPR news piece on this “new social media phenomenon” and I remember scoffing at the idea of it. But I checked it out and started connecting with many cool, creative smart people who taught be everything I know about using online tools to build businesses. Yes, I took courses, went to conferences, worked with coaches and website designers, virtual assistants and I was able to grow two thriving online businesses and a group psychotherapy practice all while being present and available for my young son.
Fast forward several years and I had my Life Happens era. Essentially, I had some mental health issues and got off track. Recovery meant pausing my businesses and making my living in other ways. For context, my health issues were not related to my work, but impacted my ability to do the work.
I’m happy to report, I have been successful in a healing journey. My brain and body are feeling great and I am ready to reconnect with my entrepreneurial side!
In the time I have been away from the online business space, a lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same. Technology is different, social media platforms have come and gone (RIP Twitter). The way people consume content has shifted and I have a lot to learn.
However, people are still people. The psychological dynamics that drive people to engage, communicate, problem solve, show love and affection have not changed at all. People still use online spaces to connect, seek out answers to problems and want to be seen, validated and appreciated. Knowing that, I can still grow a business because, at the end of the day, business is all about serving other people and helping them solve problems.
What Is Real True Work?
I’ve had the phrase “real true work” knocking around in my head for about 5 years. It’s a concept that we can create profitable businesses that are authentic, accommodate health work-life integration and change the world. I know this is possible because I have done it, I am doing it now and I will do it again with this new business.
When I used to talk to my entrepreneurial peers about these ideas, I’d get all sorts of negative, Debbie Downer comments like:
“You’re too passionate.”
“Businesses can’t change the world.”
“If you don’t work at 150% someone else will and you can’t succeed.”
As someone new to business development, I started to think I had the concept wrong. If all these more experienced people thought my idea wasn’t viable, who was I to move forward? It sounded like a failure before I even started. So I tabled the idea.
But…I’m older and wiser now. The rise of AI makes the ideas around authentic business more relevant now (I’ll talk about this in future posts), and f*ck other people’s opinions. The standard model for business development doesn’t resonate with me and many other women. We can’t work 90 hour weeks (and honestly, why do that?), we aren’t all in it “for the win” and are more focused on supporting ourselves and our families with time to be present, healthy and unplugged now and again. Also, women often want to grow businesses that help others, support causes, make the world a healthier, more beautiful, collaborative place. I firmly believe all businesses have the ability to change the world and I am not in the mindset of making money at the expense of other people’s well being.
So I built those businesses. Right now, I work full time in my own mental health private practice that is fully virtual and takes insurance so most people can afford my services. I work from my couch with my cat snuggled up beside me. I work three long days on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but have Monday and Friday afternoons off. I take vacations when I want and I can work virtually from anywhere in the world. And, yes, I make a significant six figure salary doing all of this.
My business checks all the Real True Work boxes– it’s profitable, authentic, fits my ideal work-life integration and changes the world for the better.
Why Real True Work?
My doctoral dissertation was focused on women’s career development, specifically around women’s experience in STEM careers vs more traditionally defined careers for women (ie: teaching). The factors that impeded women’s career development in STEM were related to male-dominated work cultures that were hostile to authenticity (don’t be “too emotional!”), work-life integration (don’t hire women who might take maternity leave!), and meaning (our work is to drive profit, not passion or purpose!). Women, no matter how skilled or intelligent, leave these fields because they do not feel welcome or comfortable in the work environment.
We know it isn’t just STEM work settings that can be challenging for women who need flexibility due to childcare demands, health issues or simply a desire to have autonomy and freedom to work in a flexible, balanced way. In my conversations with friends and online, I see women asking for help to manage these seemingly conflicting purposes-work and life, feeling stuck and frustrated.
And I want to show you–it doesn’t have to be that way. You can do work you love, show up authentically and enjoy your life all at the same time.
Now that I am feeling better, I want to teach, coach, consult and support women in this journey to Real True Work. I really do believe we can build a community of businesses that collaborate, coordinate, support, lift up and make much needed change while also making very good money.
But because there are so many business influencers out there still insisting we must hustle, feed the algorithm, push, follow arbitrary rules, and grab at money, many women feel overwhelmed, confused and helpless to find a way to support themselves, their families in sustainable, authentic meaningful ways.
I’ve done so much trial and error and found the balance and I really just want to share so other women can find their balance, too. It’s really possible and really fun!
What’s Next?
My process of building Real True Work is in the very early days. This blog is basic because I’m not ready to hire a designer, but I still want to get my thoughts into the world. My goal is to post content here and do a weekly newsletter that summarizes my process to starting this business so you can get some behind the scenes intel into how this works. Hopefully, this can clear up some of the overwhelm you experience if you’re called to start your own Real True Work business.
Over time I will be opening up to clients, group coaching and business development programs. I plan to launch new things in 2025, so for the next few months, feel free to follow along, learn as I learn, see behind the curtain and see if this process might be right for you someday.
Thanks for being here–
~ Susan
