Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. Lacey Rosenbaum, CEO of Mental Health and Resilience Group, located in Cheverly, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Mental Health & Resilience Group provides strategic advising, learning development, and evaluation services for workplaces and organizations focused on mental health and resilience promotion. We consult with corporations, non-profit organizations, and schools in the United States and around the globe.
Tell us about yourself
I am an international psychologist who lives in the Washington D.C. area with my partner and two children. I started my business after I recovered from burnout brought on by trying to manage, as so many people did, a stressful full-time job, parenting, and life during the pandemic. As a lifelong mental health advocate, the experience left me even more passionate about normalizing conversations related to mental health challenges, empowering people to ask for help, and creating communities of care so we can support one another during times of struggle.
I am motivated every day by my kids and the next generation. I want to create a world free of mental health stigma where everyone can access mental health education and high-quality, culturally appropriate mental health treatment and support.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of my highlights of being a business owner has been advising a global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company team on a program to provide mental health awareness training and support to all of their 38,000 employees. They are committed to creating a psychologically safe work culture and ensuring colleagues that it is okay to not be okay and to ask for help. McKinsey is a significant leader in the global business community, and I am really excited about the impact of this initiative. I hope other companies will follow their lead.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
As a small business owner, I struggle to wear all the hats and do all the things needed to make my consulting business produce quality results, continue to grow, and operate in an organized way. Some days I focus on marketing and web design; the next day, I turn my attention to business development and follow up with new contacts or send proposals. Then I jump over into my finance role and send invoices. It feels a little chaotic at times. I look forward to hiring more support in the future.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I follow the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt and try to do one thing every day that scares me. Sometimes it means sending a message to a new contact to pitch my services; other days, it is starting a new project requiring me to use new skills or technology. Being out on your own as a business owner can feel vulnerable. Nothing feels better than stepping out of your comfort zone and achieving a goal you didn't think was possible.
Ask for help. I have been fortunate to have a network of other talented business owners around me, many of whom also happen to be women and moms. I reach out when I feel stuck, need a second opinion, or have imposter syndrome making me doubt my abilities.
Dream big and set goals but practice lots of self-compassion. Remember that you are learning and don't have to accomplish everything in your first year. I constantly remind myself that I am doing enough and growth takes time.
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