If you have been following me longer than five minutes, you know I’m always talking about therapy!
I am always talking about therapy, and at the moment when I am writing this article, I’ve got therapy in two and a half hours.
Now, I cannot say that I’m looking forward to it, but I’m definitely gonna go and like not to talk to anybody after. LOL!
So today we are talking from the series called the Top 10 things every entrepreneur needs to do in 2023.
And today’s topic is Get a therapist!
Every entrepreneur needs to get a therapist in 2023. One of the reasons because you show up in your business!
And if you are dealing with things or if you have things, you have not dealt with, then those things are going to manifest in your business.
I have been in therapy since 2016, 7 years from when I went through divorce.
Sometimes I was seeing a deliverance minister and therapist all in one.
But what I started to realize was as I started navigating building a business, there were so many insecurities that came up for me.
Because when you are a business owner, you are the one that’s building.
The responsibility falls on you.
There are all these things that you have to do, and then you have to make sure you can pay yourself.
And then once you start hiring people, making sure you can pay other people.
Not only that, you are the one that shows up and motivates and encourages the team.
You are the one that’s showing up for your clients, right?
When people send the email to “ customer service”, you are the one that shows up.
And so, over the years I started realizing that I was dealing with anxiety.
I didn’t know I was depressed after my divorce. I mean, I knew I was sad.
But I was depressed after my divorce and I was able to heal because of therapy.
I was dealing with a lot of anxiety because of how traumatic the divorce was and then what we all dealt with in Covid-19.
And so, I didn’t realize what anxiety that I was experiencing, how it was showing up, it’s like people trying to connect with me and I’m like, not trying to connect.
I fear that everybody’s going to take advantage of me.
Just like all these things were showing up for me in my business because I had all these unhealed trauma and wounds and I could not heal them all at the same time.
It didn’t take an hour to manifest and they’re not going to take an hour to get rid of all this stuff that is really showing up.
I also had to deal with my issues with money.
I was used to being poor. I was used to not having enough and I’m fighting to get just enough.
Then having the fear that even having lots of zeros in the bank account, that it’s all going to go away.
I have to hoard it!
I mean, I could go on and on about all the things that I have dealt with and am still dealing with, which is why I’m still in therapy.
And so every time I think about it, as an entrepreneur who wants to be successful, and even more successful than they currently are, and then successful beyond their wildest dreams, it’s really important to understand that you don’t really know how to get there and you don’t know how you are showing up in tough seasons of building a business.
I’m not talking about financially, because you may be making a lot of money, but building a business is not easy.
There are all these things that go along with building a business.
And so, one of the best things you can do for yourself is hire someone that you can talk to, someone who is unbiased, someone who is not just going to listen to you, but they’re going to give you your good insight.
I remember one day when I was talking to my therapist about a conversation that I had. And I told her exactly what I said.
And she said, “Well, that was honest, but there was definitely a better way that you could have communicated that to her”
And I had never thought about it.
I was just like, “What? I was honest, you’re wrong and I was honest”
And I realized that “Oh yeah, there is definitely a better way to communicate to a person in my personal life”
But I was able to go back to that person, apologize and say, “Hey, I still feel that way, but just not the way that I said it”
But then being able to have the same conversation with somebody else is a much better way of dealing with people.
Sometimes people come and they try to scam you or whatever, so they buy something from you, use it and all that and then say, “Hey, it was fraud”
And it’s just learning how to handle situations like that to where you can still resolve the issue and still keep your money or whatever.
The old me would’ve done all types of stuff.
I get inbox messages and DM’s on Instagram, Facebook, my personal inbox, and all that.
And because of therapy, I’m really learning how to say what I mean to say in a way that doesn’t hurt the person.
Second, it doesn’t get me canceled.
And then third, it’s just good and kind. You know what I mean?
And so, my whole point in this series is that having a therapist is really for you.
Not just for your business, but it’s really for you.
Therapy is hard, don’t get me wrong. Like I said, I had a session during the time I made this.
Therapy is hard and having to deal with you and you showing up and all that type of stuff.
But I’m so proud.
Every time I look back, months later, we have dealt with something and I watch how I handle things differently.
Then I usually cry about it because I’m just so amazed at the progress that I have made.
Just the way that I think about things, the way I handle things.
I remember I went through divorce and I was so afraid to talk to men again. Cause I was like, I’m just going to get hurt and it’s going to be this, it’s going to be that.
But then watching myself be able to have a conversation with a man and be like, “okay, I’m having a conversation with a man”
And I wasn’t feeling any type of way. I was fully myself. I was laughing. I mean, I was 100% Keenya Kelly talking to this man and not feeling like anything.
I wasn’t feeling like he had to be the one or I hadn’t. Just watching me just be okay.
And it’s just been so, so refreshing.
And I’m sure that my team and everybody connected to me is so thankful that your girl has been in therapy.
And so, if you really want to be a successful entrepreneur this year, and the next or all the rest of your life, then I would strongly encourage you to find yourself a therapist.
It doesn’t mean the first one you get is going to be the right one. I’ve had different ones.
You at least got to start with someone so that you can just work on you because it really is about self-care.
Self-care isn’t just a vacation, it’s not just a massage, but it’s therapy. Because therapy helps you to navigate and go back to old things and heal old wounds, gives you the right frame of mind today, and it gives you tools.
Be able to navigate what you’re walking in and what you’re eventually going to walk through.
So, I hope you found this article valuable.
Again, this is part three in a series of the Top 10 Things Every Entrepreneur Needs to Do this Year.
If you want more, make sure that you check our articles on a regular basis or you can listen to the whole series on our podcast platforms.
Also, don’t miss out on our “4 Hour TikTok Intensive” on January 28th.
Learn 2023 TikTok marketing strategies, even if you’re new to TikTok, not tech-savvy, or don’t want to dance or be goofy.
This crash course is perfect for those who want to learn TikTok but have limited time. Check out this link for more information!