Kelley Stevens, LMFT’s Post

A year ago, I shared a post on LinkedIn about taking the leap and launching my consulting business. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of working with incredible clients across various industries. From Hydrate IV Bar in the MedSpa space, to the Denver Spore Company in psychedelics (more on that later), changing the way design and creative projects are done with Experimenta, and Wonder World, a new brick-and-mortar toy store from Go! Retail Group, focused on fostering connection and embracing a childlike sense of wonder. Each of these experiences has been incredibly fulfilling, and I am deeply grateful to Nicole Poel, Eric Burden, Fe Amarante, and Alex Winkelman for the opportunity to help grow their brands and businesses. My career has always been driven by a passion for digging deep into consumer insights, uncovering real problems, and creating solutions that truly make a difference. Now, I’m thrilled to take that expertise and combine it with my long-standing fascination for beautifully designed homes and the hidden gems of real estate 🏘 . After attending Denver Startup Week for the first time last week, it seemed like an opportune time to share that I’m bringing my full attention to Project Charlotte as the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer. For me, this isn’t just another startup—it’s a true passion project. Charlotte is all about helping realtors connect their clients with homes that don’t just check the boxes but truly fit their lives. Together with David Lumpkin, my Co-Founder and CEO, we have been building the foundation and trajectory of Charlotte and digging deep to ensure we're building a product that truly helps people. David's forward-thinking vision and belief in my abilities have been both humbling and empowering. Together, we’re driven to create something truly transformative for the real estate world, and we can’t wait to share more with you. To my Realtor friends: if you’re looking for a smarter way to help your clients, please reach out to me directly or join our waitlist at www.chrlotte.ai. For friends, colleagues, and the otherwise intrigued: I’d love to connect and share what we’re building. Whether you’re curious about the future of real estate tech, interested in offering words of encouragement, or looking to expand your investment portfolio (or have friends who might be interested) let’s chat!

I switched 3 cofounders before meeting the one I ended up appointing legally. How did I know it was finally the right person? I can say a lot of things about values, working ethics and patterns, #cofounder chemistry and other stuff that you already know. But to me, these three key points made up my mind: 📌 Proactive approach. In the two months that we have been working closely, my cofounder was never waiting to be assigned tasks – she'd pick them up herself or step in to help me. Her initiative has finally helped me progress beyond the phase I was left at after Antler. 📌 Feeling challenged. I have always been striving to surround myself with people who don't cut me too much slack. In my business partner, I needed exactly that – the power to push me, ask difficult questions and even contest me when it's best for the business. 📌 High standard of human relationship. When I was ill to the point that I had to call an ambulance, and they virtually did nothing, my cofounder was insisting to travel with me to A&E and pressure them to do something. It was late weekend night, she lives on the other end of London, and my flu was supposedly contagious. I eventually decided to just sleep through, but her willingness to be there for me at a critical moment assured me in our tandem even more. Obviously, our #startup story is only beginning, and no one would be able to tell how it's going to evolve. But for now, I've got someone to share this journey with, and it's an incredible difference to walking it alone. How did you meet your cofounders?

With my mission to help nontechnical startup founders become "technical enough" to feel empowered while making important decisions in their business (i.e. hiring teams, budgeting, the implementations of choosing a tech stack, actually getting your product built instead of being scammed by subpar agencies), I've launched a product series called Technical Enough. Check it out and share with a founder in need 💚 https://lnkd.in/eaSK5sCG

➡️ WE ASKED A FOUNDER: When did you know it was time to quit your job and work on your business full-time? 2022 Tory Burch Fellow and Nerdbugs founder Dr. Ronak M.: "Deciding to dive into Nerdbugs full-time was honestly one of the toughest decisions I've ever made. At first, the idea of stepping away from my career as a doctor—something that had always been a huge part of who I am—seemed pretty unthinkable. But as Nerdbugs started to grow, so did my dreams for what it could become. It was like every bit of progress was a nudge, telling me there was something big here worth pursuing. I started by just cutting back a few hours at the clinic, kind of testing the waters to see how it felt. But balancing everything, especially after becoming a new mom in 2022, just got to be too much. That’s when I had to take a step back and really think about where my heart was and what mattered most to me. It came down to this deep realization that building Nerdbugs wasn’t just another job; it was a continuation of my passion for helping and healing—it just looked a little different. One of the biggest lessons I learned from this journey is the importance of listening to your inner voice and recognizing when it's time for a change. Testing the waters by gradually reducing my primary clinical job gave me the space to understand what truly fulfilled me. I learned that it was okay to pivot and take risks, especially when your heart is in it. Becoming a new mom added another layer of clarity—I had to prioritize what was most important for my family and me. Ultimately, trusting myself and embracing the unknown led to a path that aligned more closely with my values. My advice is to take it one step at a time and don’t rush it. You don’t have to have all the answers, and often you won’t." Thank you Dr. Ronak M. for sharing your story and letting us be part of your entrepreneurial journey. #ToryBurchFellows Image description: Headshot of Nerdbugs founder Dr.Ronak Mehta in medical scrubs, sitting in a chair.

Start-up life is hard when you’re trying to build with limited resources. Start with the end in sight and don’t overthink it - procrastination can be a killer. Be light on your feet and be careful not to make a wrong step - don’t become a hostage to fortune. Be adaptable and make do with what you’ve got - flexibility is a great asset to have. Be resilient, learn from mistakes and enjoy the journey - if you’re not enjoying it then why bother? Find great people to work with, be it colleagues, partners or clients - you can go faster as one, but further with a great people around you. What are your lessons from start up life?

Are you an early-stage SaaS founder feeling isolated? Here's how you can master the art of connection: Many founders struggle with the unique challenges of building a startup, often facing them in solitude. This isolation isn't just about being lonely. It's a burden that can lead to: - burnout - poor decision-making - and sometimes even failure Without a support system, you might: - miss crucial insights - struggle to stay motivated - or lose perspective on your goals The mental and emotional toll is tough. It can impact not just your business but also your personal wellbeing. The good news? You can break free from this isolation. Here's how to build connections and a support system: 1. Connect with Other Founders • Join online forums and local meetups • Attend industry events and conferences • Find a mentor who has walked in your path • Create a network for having regular check-ins • Leverage social media platforms such as LinkedIn 2. Build a Strong Support System • Share the burden by finding a co-founder or hiring help • Take regular breaks to recharge and gain perspective • Maintain transparent communication with your team • Seek professional help from therapists or coach Don't let isolation hold you back. Start building your support network today. It will: - ease your burden - improve your decision-making - help you propel your startup forward You're building a business but don't have to do it alone. --- If you're an early-stage SaaS founder, either: 1. On your journey to the first $10K MRR 2. Doing 6-figures and now aiming for $1M ARR Learn more about my group coaching programs at: saasclub[dot]io/programs Or get my 5 min weekly newsletter (link on my profile).

The past few months have been the most challenging in my life. At first, I wanted to share a post about our highlights and achievements at Scripe, but reflecting over Easter made me realize that only sharing the positives felt wrong. 💭 Here's a more realistic look back: 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀: At the start of the year, we were unsure how we'd fund ourselves. Everything was up in the air, and we were all facing financial uncertainty until we got the Berlin Startup grant. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: We quickly realized we hadn't included enough user feedback initially, which meant we practically had to restart from the beginning. This was a huge source of frustration for us all. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 t𝗲𝗮𝗺: Finding our rhythm as a team, and understanding each other's strengths and weaknesses has been another massive challenge. We realized that it is a journey and working as a team requires mental effort and patience. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 f𝗲𝗮𝗿: I’ve struggled with a huge fear of failure and often doubted myself. And yes, there were even days when I was thinking about giving up. Glad I didn’t. ;) But I guess those failures are what makes all those achievements even more valuable. Same goes for the positive outlooks and results that have evolved throughout that time. Here’s what I am most proud of: ✅ 80% of our beta users are actively using our product on a weekly basis.  ✅ We're getting incredibly positive external feedback. ✅ We are growing as an amazing team. ✅ I have regained my confidence. This all makes me incredibly motivated for our public launch. Plus, I’ve learned to allow myself to be more open about these so-called weaknesses and aim to set clearer boundaries for myself. I aim to be more generous and caring with myself - and I hope you are too! Cheers, and I hope you had a wonderful Easter. #startupjourney #saas #selfcare

Wei D. (Founder and CEO of unicorn Clipboard Health) dropped some major 💎 gems of wisdom during her fireside chat with PearX founders at Pear VC SF Studio yesterday. These really resonated: 💎 PMF isn't something you achieve once - staying relevant to your market is an ongoing pursuit 💯 (Wei shared that to date she still LOVES talking with customers and - even at 1000+ employees and with all the success already achieved - she continues to chase unlocks for the business and recently obtained her nursing assistant certification in order to stay close to users and unlock new insights with them 🥇) 💎 If you're scared of sales, don't think of it as sales -- you're just talking to someone who you're trying to help. Approach your customers with care and listen to them as you would a friend. The moment it's an actual conversation with a friend, that's probably where you're going to get your first sale. If it feels "salesy" you're probably not doing it the right way. 🤝 💎 Do whatever it takes to get in front of your customers! (For Wei this meant driving around at 8 months pregnant and walking up to DMs at nursing homes!) 🚗 💎 The users you speak with in your market will give you the key jargon you need to use to speak back to your market. Listen intently and adopt their language! 🗣 💎 There is little you decide that can't be undone. Be smart, make calculated decisions, but don't overthink things --- err on the side of action and quick decision making. 🏃♀️ 💎 Iterate until your users feel passionately about what you're doing (ie. they get angry when the product is down or doesn't work). You want your users to care A LOT about the problem you're solving. 😡 Wei's resilience, grit and work ethic are off the charts. What an inspiration! 👏 #femalefounders #inspiration #techfounder #unicornfounder #hero

On Friday, we have our first Life Admin Day (LAD)! I wrote a whole AI-assisted blurb about it but have canned that off as it sounded nothing like me 🙄 I'm shutting the business on the last Friday of every month, giving the team 12 extra days off yearly. I wish there were some well-thought-out, researched, scientific reasons for doing it, but there isn't. The world of work is changing, and we're coming off the back of an incredibly hard year. I wanted something that would improve work/life for my team while saying thanks for all they do! LAD was born. (If this takes off, remember where you heard it first!) Where did LAD come from? I have no idea; like most things, I made it up 😂 ... I hope that having a day every month where we are all off, with no emails, notifications, or Slack messages, improves our well-being. As a business owner, my gamble is that by doing this, we don't lose 12 days of productivity, but the regular rest and reset increases our output. Time will tell. We'll have some fun doing it. I'll update you all here. Wish me luck. #business #startup #modernwork #flexiblework

Are you worthy to become a Startup Doctor? Stop.. stop doubting yourself and start sharing your knowledge. Let's help our buddy founders navigate the treacherous startup path 💊