3 Hard Lessons Learned From the Death of My Business | STP 188
Final Reflections: What I’d Do Differently and What Comes Next Episode Summary Nobody really wants a bridge. They want what’s on the other side. In this final episode of the Scaling Therapist Podcast, I’m sharing an honest look at closing Course Creation Studio and the lessons I’m taking with me. I started with a solution: helping therapists create courses. But I didn’t spend enough time understanding what they actually wanted. That mistake shaped my offers, my messaging, and how I spent my time and money. I also talk about the hard financial lessons: expensive coaching that didn’t produce the return I expected, debt, and letting go of paying work before new income could replace it. There were good things here, too. Meaningful relationships. Lessons I couldn’t have learned by keeping my ideas in a drawer. And a belief I still hold: therapists have wisdom worth sharing beyond one-on-one sessions. I’ll close with what may come next for me, including training with The Marriage Hub and the opportunity to help couples rebuild their marriages. Why starting with a product instead of a customer’s problem created the wrong foundation. What a small email list and changing offers taught me about clear messaging. My experience spending $25,000 on coaching, plus additional event and travel costs. Why I wish I’d kept reliable client income while testing a new business model. Three things I’d do differently: build relationships in person, focus on the problem, and launch smaller experiments. How my own marriage recovery connects with the work I’m pursuing next. A course, workshop, or coaching program is a bridge. Before building it, understand where people are hurting and where they want to go. I let paying client work fall away before my new offers could replace that income. Believing in an idea doesn’t make it ready to support you. I spent six to eight months building a course before finding out whether people would buy it. Next time, I’d test something smaller, get feedback, and adjust before investing that much time. 00:00 A final goodbye and an honest look back 00:32 Starting with the wrong focus 02:15 The bridge versus the oasis 03:00 Email list growth and unclear offers 04:45 Expensive coaching, debt, and unmet expectations 07:04 Letting go of paying clients too soon 08:50 What I’d do differently: relationships and in-person events 09:30 Build your brand around the problem you solve 10:10 Embrace failure and launch smaller experiments 11:15 What’s next: marriage support coaching 12:40 A final encouragement to put your mission in motion The Mom Test Tad Hargrave’s approach to hub marketing Re|engage marriage ministry The Marriage Hub , where I was preparing for training at the time of recording I still believe your knowledge doesn’t have to stay locked behind the clock, the calendar, or the couch. Thank you for being part of this journey. If you’d like to stay connected, look me up on LinkedIn and send me a message. Please continue to put your mission in motion. People need you. People need the wisdom you have.
