How To Be The CEO Of Your Business

I think the big piece is clear expectations, expressing it verbally, putting it in writing, reviewing it on a regular basis. But I think a big piece is really leaning into those decisions and you can juggle what's best for the business, what's best for the employee, what's best for the clients or the customers that you serve, and then factoring in what also works for me. So I very rarely now make decisions on the fly. If somebody approaches me about something, I listen, I take in information, come from a place of curiosity, and then I sit with it.

Welcome to the Thrive Her podcast. I'm your host, Amy Sanders. I'm a fitness and wellness pro, mom, stepmom, second wife, and master certified life coach. I'm here to help you manage your mind so you can uncover the most potent version of yourself and create a thriving life you love.

Hey, everyone, welcome back to the podcast. I'm your host, Amy Sanders. And today we're talking about being the CEO of your business and what it looks like to be at that CEO role. That's like a lot is to stay in.

Let's talk a lot of water. And I have awesome guest speaker here to share with us her wisdom. She's a serial entrepreneur like myself. Her name is Julia Napini, and she is from Boston, Massachusetts.

She owns her own practice. And she's a CEO of a business called Thrive Her. And she teaches people basically how to become better business owners and how to do things more efficiently than us entrepreneurs. We kind of struggle along the way, right?

We hit our heads up against some bricks and some struggles. I know it's always up and down, but she helps you do it a lot easier. So welcome to the podcast. We're so excited to have you here.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your background and then we'll just dive right in? Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for having me. I was really excited about the opportunity and learning more about what you do.

So I am a clinical and forensic social worker. My practice has grown quite a bit over the last three years. So we are up to 30 people. It's a combination of clinicians and administrative staff.

And then the consulting business is where I help people start, expand, and diversify their businesses. And then the Compassionate Climb podcast came out of that because I was struggling to find people that shared my value system in the business world. And we discuss operating from a place of integrity while being successful in your business. That's awesome.

So within the clinical or within the social work, I'm still doing all my work today. Let's hope this gets better. It happens, right? Within the social work industry, you have 30 people that are now working for you essentially within your company.

Is that correct? It is. That's a lot of people to manage. And you are the CEO of that.

Yeah. And in addition to then also consulting other women with their businesses and how to do it. Yeah. Awesome.

Congrats on your success. I love more than anything female entrepreneurs that are just in it and they're just going for it. And through all the ups and downs, the struggles, the pains of growth, all the things, you just become such a more potent version of yourself, I think, as you are figuring it out. Yeah.

We got it. Talked briefly before we started recording. We talked about how we can wear all the hats. And when you say serial entrepreneur, we're doing so many things.

And it's really important to me to make sure that we do it well. And so looking back, it's surprising to me that these pursuits have been as successful as they are when we can be spread very thin. And then when you throw in being a mom and having a personal life and everything else that life entails, it's a juggling act for sure. It's a juggling act, but it's also so empowering to see what you can create.

Like for me, that's been really empowering. Empowering in my life is just seeing what I can create. Also wearing all these hats. So let's talk about this role of being the CEO in your business.

So what would you tell our audience if they are a business owner, which we have female entrepreneurs, we also have women who tune in that just want to become a better version of themselves, which I think this will also apply because you can be the CEO of your life, right? Again, whatever. So what would you say? Share with them as far as like getting started and how like doing it better than maybe you did or that I did as we got started.

I think the important place to start is distinguishing between what it actually is. So when you own something, you are very oftentimes wearing all of those hats, doing multiple things. The responsibility and ownership really falls on you. And a lot of times in the beginning stages, especially in business, and I think even in life, we're not always at a place where we're like, oh, I'm going to do this.

We're not always at a place where it's easy for us to ask for help. We can sometimes really pride ourselves on our independence and being able to do everything and do everything well. And then we realize that it's actually a strength to ask for help and that we can do so much more when we're in conjunction and collaboration with other people than we ever could on our own. And that's not deficit or weakness.

And so the CEO is a role that I actually only recently stepped into. And I've been in my practice for seven years. I started hiring employees three years ago, and I'm just now able to really embrace that CEO role. So what that means to me is I can now work on the business and not necessarily just in the business.

So I can forecast and envision what's to come. And I have other people helping me row the boat and go in the same direction. And we're in a place financially where we can do more outsourcing and delegation, and I can identify the right people for the right seats to help me. So it's been transformative.

So I would say that's the first starting point. It's like really understanding what that is before you can ever lean into it and embrace it. Yeah. And I think that can be hard to do when you're used to wearing all the hats and also when you're used to doing all of the things.

Actually trusting that someone else is going to because because when you have this business, it's like your baby, right? It's like your baby that you're growing and you're so in love with it. You put all of your energy into it. And then it's like trusting that someone else can come in there and actually help you and lift some of that pressure.

I know for me, I with some of the businesses that I've created, I was like easily the bottleneck but didn't see it. So did that happen for you or was that? I also think that a piece that you're referencing is when you say bottleneck, it's like the delegation and the trust and the process that comes along with allowing other people into your inner circle is really this piece on. I think.

Having confidence within yourself and also knowing that if we continue to do everything all the time, it's just not a sustainable pace for us for the long haul. And I think that the hard part, too, when you mentioned like your business being like your baby, I think of it more as such a component of my identity and that the success or failure I really see is primarily on me and shifting that and then trusting people to do it. Well, and doing it up to my standard is really hard. It's one of those things that's elite.

And then you have to really just like free fall, try to put some of the things in place that you can to have a soft landing. But then it's one of those like you look back and it's never as bad as you think that it is. And you get better at identifying those people to help you put the checks and balances in place to make sure that it's working well. And then you maybe stumble a little bit and hire the wrong people or realize that somebody isn't necessarily operating from a place.

And then when you navigate that, it just continues to build that confidence that it's not going to break you and that you take what you learned and you move on to the next venture. So has it been at what point? Let me ask you this question. So people tuning in also when you're starting a new business, it is hard to invest in other people when they don't really have the funds, right?

So maybe they don't have the funds to do this yet. But so they are doing all the things they're doing, the social media they're doing, like in a coaching business, they're doing the coaching calls, they're doing the paperwork, they're doing all the things. Now, what point in your business would you say is a good time to start to look for help? So I think a lot of it depends on industry.

For me in the mental health space, when I was solo, it was a good thing for me to wear all the hats because I learned all the in and outs of we're an insurance based practice. So the billing, answering the calls, dealing with kind of clients and managing my schedule, learning to really maximize the electronic health record I was using. So all of those things were incredible. Not only when I hired people to help me because I knew that I was getting my money's worth and if anything ever happened with them, if they were unavailable or they didn't work out, I could step in.

The business kept running. But I would also say that it was invaluable in my consulting work because all of that has been helped me in terms of what I teach and the resources and guidance I provide to others that are in a similar position to where I was. So I would say in my industry, when you start to hire people, we always encourage people to hire administrative support before you need it. Right.

And if you're going to be taking on that additional responsibility of another person, not only to pay them consistently, but fill their caseload, prepare them adequately and provide them with that ongoing support. Most people don't want to and shouldn't be spending a significant amount of time on all of those extra tasks that somebody else can help you navigate. Someone can do. Yeah.

Would you say there is a dollar amount that you think is fine or do you think it's just what I'm just curious what your thoughts are? Yeah. So for me, it was very financially driven. Like I mentioned, with an insurance-based practice, you are hitting this glass ceiling in terms of what income can be brought in.

The only way to increase that is by seeing more clients. And you can try to negotiate your rates, but a lot of times it's unsuccessful. So with that being said, I had to be very conscious of what was affordable for us. And so initially, I found somebody that worked for a virtual assisting company.

So you purchase a package. They are simultaneously working for other businesses. So it's less of an hourly rate. And they're not solely working for you, but a lot of times they come trained and it's for these kind of limited blocks of time.

And then we got to a point where we grew to a size where it really made more sense to have somebody that was strictly working for our practice. And so that's when I looked beyond that and found who we have now. But so as far as dollar amount, I don't have a set number in mind. I think it was more just making sure that it was affordable.

And when you hire more people, you can spread that cost out, obviously, among them as well. Yeah. I'm just curious. I know that's a question that a lot of people have.

And in industry to industry, it's going to be different, obviously, and people hiring. I'd like that. What you said with the VA, it's like you can hire a VA that only works a set number of hours and that's it, but she can get a lot done that you otherwise now just took off your plate. Yeah.

I think we started with maybe a 10 hour package per month and then increased to the 20 and then increased to the 30. And then at that point it was like, okay, we need our own full-time person. It's nice if you can gradually build that. Yeah.

What else would you say? As far as having. The CEO mindset is something that you've learned that people need to just do fall into say, yeah, oh my gosh. One of the biggest ones is that decisions really need to be firmly rooted in what's best for the business.

And you can do that compassionately and empathetically. I am a very. Teen driven person. There are regular checkpoints and surveys and opportunities for feedback.

And I do really feel like the whole practice is extremely collaborative. But with that being said, I learned the hard way early on. When someone would approach me and let's say their financial situation changed and they needed more income, or if they were overwhelmed and weren't able to see the agreed upon number of clients that we had both mutually agreed upon in the beginning, my answer was a lot different or my response was a lot different then than it is now. And so I think the big piece is clear expectations, expressing it verbally, putting it in writing, reviewing it on a regular basis.

But I think a big piece is really leaning into it. I think a big piece is really leaning into those decisions and you can juggle what's best for the business, what's best for the employee, what's best for the clients or the customers that you serve, and then factoring in what also works for me. So I very rarely now make decisions on the fly. Somebody approaches me about something, I listen, I take in information, come from a place of curiosity, and then I sit with it and I let them know that it is a priority to me and I am going to get back to them.

And I usually will give them a time frame. I usually want to sleep on it. Gather a little bit. More data, check-ins, see where I'm at, what's financially sustainable.

I have my accountant on speed dial, so it's always reviewing what the numbers say and if it's something that we can do. So I think that's a piece. Actually, you said a lot in that short little bit. I mean, that you're valuing their opinion.

Absolutely. You're valuing them as a person. You're also committing that, guess what, I'm not going to say yes or no right now. I am going to go back.

I'm going to think about this. See how I feel. See what's good. There's a lot that you said in that small little bit of time that helps them feel validated, but also best for the business, which I think a lot of people might miss.

Yes. And I think I'd like to think that everybody's well-intentioned, but I can tell you that for places that I worked previously, people that I worked for previously, there was so much going on behind the scenes that I knew nothing about. And I wasn't in a position where I needed to know that. And many are not transparent for whatever reason.

There are certain things that people have maybe more comfort disclosing or less comfort disclosing, but in all reality, everybody, for the most part, is doing the best that they can. And if something seems ridiculous, we just don't have all the facts. And another thing that's been really groundbreaking for me, I talk about this all the time, is the Enneagram. I've done a lot of personality tests.

Success. Yep. Yeah. What number are you?

Huh? What number are you? Can you guess? I'm going to say three.

You're close. What? What a three. What's up?

So you're a two? No, I'm an eight. Okay. Not close to numbers like two to three, but I'm an eight.

Got it. But in terms of characteristics, yeah. That's right. Nice.

Yeah. So. Yeah. So I'm a one wing two.

And so rule follower, want to make the world better, perfectionist tendencies. But the two really overrides a lot of my decisions with the helping mentality and really putting others over self. So I had to pump the brake and do a pivot. But early on, because I wasn't going to last, I was taking the weight of the world on my shoulders and feeling everything to the extreme and just being a natural empath and really genuinely caring about other human beings.

All the other stuff came as a secondary. So I had to make that shift and I was worried that it was going to not come across as authentic and my really being true to who I am and what my mission is. But I think I've struck a balance. Yeah.

So good. For those of you tuning in that don't know what the Enneagram is, if you've been around at all for any period of time, I'm obsessed. But the Enneagram really changes your life. It changes your life.

It teaches you where you can grow. It's a personality test, but it's one that's totally different from all the others. It truly teaches you things about yourself that you didn't otherwise know and also about other people and how to actually come from a place of compassion to other people. Okay.

I understand that this is how they're seeing this because they are this different number than me. And like I said, it's close to a three. So women and entrepreneurs that are like threes and eights, we're very, there's a lot of similarities as far as driven and go and all that. Oh, for sure.

But the key distinctions are motivations and fears. And for the listening, if anybody is interested. So I offer a training to teams. And if you're in the mental health space, it's two CEs.

But basically it's how to incorporate it in your clinical work, but how to utilize it among the team members. So not only in the leadership role and how you approach your team right out the gate when you first meet. And determine that they're appropriate for the practice and you're onboarding them. But if you do have to address them as far as expectations and providing feedback, my approach is different depending on who I'm speaking to.

And I've also been able to depersonalize a lot of the actions of my team members. Because we start with what is their inherent fear and what might be driving that decision or what are the things that they need and are they getting them? And yeah, it's transformative. Teaches you so much.

Expedites the process. It's a place of getting to know people and really helps depersonalize behavior. Yeah, it's such an incredible thing. So guys, everyone take the Enneagram test.

There's a bunch of free ones out there. The Enneagram Institute is awesome, but they're special. Oh, yeah. Hey, so with being the CEO, when did you feel like there was a shift in your business where things started like flowing more where you're like, oh, wait, OK, yeah, this is working for me.

This is the direction I need to be going. Did you feel that at some point? Yeah, so it's a very new thing for me. So it's been something that I do not have a lot of patience and I struggle a lot of times when I see this kind of clear vision.

I know what I want. I know I can execute everything that's within my capacity. No question about it. But when it comes to other people, there's roadblocks and there's timetables.

And a lot of times it's like finding the right person for the right feed. And where are you out there in the universe? And so I've gotten better at taking a step back and have I done everything that I can that's within my capacity? And then if so, I need to just ride it out.

Maybe put my focus elsewhere and trust that it's going to happen. So for me, there was definitely a frustrating period not that long ago where I felt like I kept hitting walls, where I was getting bombarded with I'm navigating the day to day starting to delegate. So my first step was the administrative assistant and we got a biller. And then in time, obviously, we hired the team.

I had some clinicians that were willing to provide supervision. So I wasn't solely responsible for everybody's caseload. And then I tried some leadership positions. And it.

Just wasn't taking that weight and responsibility off than I needed. And I had all these other interests, too, like everything with my consulting business and the podcast. And so it wasn't until we were financially in a position and found the right person to serve in the role of clinical director that I finally felt that I could fully wear that CEO hat because there was another person in a leadership position that had some level of investment in the business beyond just an employee that was really helping me not only fine tune things, but really. Grow the business in a way that was aligned with values and that was very mission driven.

And I really made sure that we were in alignment with all of that before she came on board. So that was the game changer. So good. Also, the fact that you persevered and just found the right person to help you.

Yeah, I know this is what I'm called to do. There's no question. We all have a purpose on this planet. And I found mine.

Like, I know my strengths. I know my weaknesses. This is my wheelhouse. But there are obviously tasks that come with being a business owner that are part of it and they're important.

But I'm not the best person for that job. And one person is not meant to manage 30 people. So, yeah, it's wonderful. Hey, a couple more questions that we'll see if it becomes even more than a couple.

But is there a point in your business where things just felt super, super hard or like this wasn't going to work or you made something? It means something about you. Like anything that happened along the way that you'd like to enter with that way. I thought of giving it all up.

I actually considered selling the practice. I would say probably about six months ago. So it was a time where, like I said, I got bombarded with three major situations all at one time. And I think we all can handle so much.

But then you get to this place where you start to really question. I'm very spiritual. So questioning faith and human beings, humanity. And.

Feeling like I continue to wind up in these positions where I feel like I'm doing all of the right things. I'm open. I'm learning. I'm changing.

I'm taking ownership. I'm accepting responsibility. And I'm still finding myself in these positions where other people are not. And what do I do with that?

And so we had three situations with three different clinicians that happened. And it was taking all of my focus and attention to really address them appropriately. And so I was really questioning if this was meant to be. And so I'm really glad that I got through that time.

But yeah, it was looking dark there. It's looking dark. We all go through those, right? Do you feel like after going through that, do you feel like, oh, OK, I learned a lot and I'm so glad that I pushed through?

No question whatsoever. Those are the times that really test us where we realize how strong we truly are. If we are open to it, we can learn the most about ourselves. And if you can get through that, if I could get through that in my own business, what a better manager and leader, what a better consultant, what a better entrepreneur, period.

If we don't have some grit and some struggle, it's really hard for people to relate to us. And the more vulnerable we are and the more open we are about those things to those that are really willing to listen and hear and understand and learn, then the more they're going to share. And it comes down to this. It's a common humanity where we aren't alone, even though we may feel that way in those moments.

Yeah, I love this. OK. Next, I know you talk a lot about your value system and building a business around your values. Could you expand on that?

Oh, yes. I'm sure that this is something that people hear quite a bit in the business world because it's so invaluable. I operate from a very clear sense of my values. There's that.

So very moral, like that moral compass and integrity. And so the triads, right? So there are three triads and I am in the gut triad. So for me, anger is the primary emotion, which is wild because like you're in the same triad as me.

Eights are very outward with their emotions, right? Nines. You'd never know they were angry. They don't even know they're angry.

Ones. It's like an insidious anger where I don't. I don't know. ever come across as an angry person but a lot of times there's that inner dialogue of like why is this person not just doing the right thing why are they making it out of than it needs to be and so i've really tuned into that and if you get the original question but it's the little jiminy cricket on your shoulder i'm just asking that you come from a place of value and just the value system yeah trying to understand how that is working with this and being a person of value how that is like showing up throughout the company yeah so now being more aware of that and what my value system is i can embrace it and lean into it and so identifying that getting it on paper expressing it i utilize it in the hiring process so we talk about it in our team meeting we have it up on our website and then from there it's this before i agree to something whether it has to do with the practice or any of the businesses it's like that's the filter okay so is it in alignment with those values and is this kind of moving the needle forward in the direction that i've previously identified i want to go yeah i love that do you feel like it's created a culture within the business that is i'm like putting words in your mouth i'm just going to ask how's the culture in your how's the culture in your business with your value system very proud of this group so you set out to create the type of place that i would want to work and it was very conscious and i'm almost blown away when i take a step back and i look and obviously we had to weed some people out and not everybody was in alignment but at this point right now i could not be happier with this group and i feel like there are ample opportunities for us to come together we meet on quarterly and do things as a team for team building we come together monthly and we do things as a team for team building and we do things as a team for team as a team to review the state of the practice and go over anything practice related that they need to know we do peer consultation to discuss cases everybody's got a one-on-one with somebody for additional support we do events in the community and fundraisers and we do volunteer work and it's beyond anything i could have ever imagined well amazing amazing okay so what would be what would you say is the biggest lesson you've learned on this venture on this journey so i think it's something i've known for a very long time but it just rings truer that the only person that we have control over is ourselves and so if we really just focus in on that if we can explore and be open and not take everything so personally or seriously and i think personality tests i think self-help books i think training i think connecting with like-minded people having support all of those things and surrounding yourself with those people that you can truly be yourself and ultimately get to know who you are at the core is incredible and it makes it so much easier to weed out the people that aren't in alignment or maybe aren't meant to be in your business and you can pick up on it so much quicker and you're able to detach and disengage a lot easier and it's not that you don't care but you're not letting everyone in you're being more selective and yeah i think a lot of that just comes with ownership of yourself we're given one life we are here for such a limited amount of time i heard somebody say the other day in a matter of years it could be a decade two three no one's gonna know who we are no one's gonna remember our name we're gonna be in the ground so use the time you have and it's just helped me to not focus too much on the things that are less significant that maybe i would have thought at a previous time i would have thought that i would have thought that i would have thought that i would have thought that i would have thought that i would have thought that i would have this decade of my life literally mattered i know i think that as we get older we're like and doesn't matter when you ask and someone told me that like when you turn 40 things just don't really things you think mattered and your 20s and 30s just don't and i'm like true actually what's happening in my life for sure i think i've tuned out the excess noise and i ramped up the volume in those few things that really matter exactly yeah right and And that's what it is.

It's like the things that actually don't matter, you've realized don't matter. I guess that's a better way to put it, right? And then the things that truly matter, you're like, yeah, let's spend more time there. So is there anything else that you would like to share with our audience?

I know that you have a new coaching program, which we'll talk about in a second. Do you have anything else you want to share with them before we diamond? If there's anybody that is considering starting their own private practice or expanding to a group practice, I have these quizzes that I created that are on CompassionateConsultingCompany. com that will really categorize them in terms of the level of support that they could benefit from.

Are they on the right track? Could they use some assistance? And so I think that's a great tool. The Enneagram training that I mentioned, I really enjoy providing that to teams to really help them get to know each other better and use that to their advantage.

But yeah, so the coaching program is Master Your CEO Mindset. And we actually just kicked it off today. I'm still riding the high. And it was wonderful.

It just happened to be all women. And we started off today really kicking off what it means to be the CEO in your business. I want to get them there quicker than I did and be able to lean in and embrace that role and be the type of leader that their team deserves. So it's a six-month program.

We meet once a week and we cover all of it. We cover all of it. All the things that... I probably wish I would have dived into back in the day when I was first starting.

Yeah, me too. So on the podcast, we talk a lot about how to thrive as a woman in your life, whatever that looks like. All of us are living different lives. We have different journeys.

How are you thriving in your life? I would say self-awareness. Knowing who I am, what I am all about, and my self-efficacy. Knowing how capable I am of...

Handling what comes my way. I love it. Thank you so much. One last question and we're going to be done for the day.

If there was one last nugget of wisdom, what would you offer to my audience? So let's take that CEO mentality and transition it to whether you own a business or not. We all have that ability to be the CEO of our own life. And so having control over our thought and ultimately our feelings, and ultimately our actions, we do put this ripple out there in the world.

And whether we realize it or not, who we are and how we are impacts other people more than we know. So just tuning into that stuff and finding your people that can help you navigate when times get tough and get you. Because it's not meant to be a solo journey. We're meant to have tribes.

I love that. We are. We're meant to be connected to anyone that's vibing in our same vibe. Thank you so much, Julia, for being on the podcast.

I've really appreciated your insights and just your energy and your zest for everything that you're doing. You're touching so many lives and that's an amazing thing. So congrats and thank you. And with that, we are going to wrap up.

So everyone, thanks for tuning in. We'll be back next week with another episode. And thanks again, Julia. We've appreciated having you here.

Thank you. Hey! If you enjoyed listening to this podcast, you've got to come check out my signature program, Thrive Her Academy. This is where we do real coaching and inner work transformation.

I teach you how to apply the strategies and mindset tools we talk about here on the podcast so you can create that life and business that you love. For more information, go to www. amysanders. co forward slash services.

Again, that is amysanders. co. forward slash services.