Biz Insights From The Inside: The CEO Mindset Shift That Changed The Game For Me with Mia Poklepovich
Have you ever felt the strain of balancing your business ambitions with your personal well-being? Imagine if you could have both—success and freedom. Well, it’s not an easy task, but today’s guest host Mia Poklepovich has made it her reality.
As a mental health occupational therapist, she knows how difficult it can be to prioritise your own needs in a service-based business. Struggling with burnout, Mia knew she needed a change and went on a journey to create a thriving, impactful business without sacrificing her well-being. She’s here today to share the strategies and mindset shifts that made it possible. Ready to be inspired? You’re in the right place!
Lesson 1: Permission to Create a Freedom-Based Business
Mia’s first lesson is that you need to give yourself permission to build a freedom-based business. This was challenging for Mia at the beginning and she still falls into old habits from time to time, but she has a secret weapon!
Look at what your end goal is, and work backward from there. This way, every opportunity and decision can be checked against your overarching goal, ensuring it aligns with your freedom-based strategy.
Mia shares her experience of moving away from the traditional one-to-one therapy model towards creating a practice that reflects her values and offers more personal freedom. It wasn’t easy initially. Guilt often overshadowed her efforts, but she learned to give herself permission to run a business that supports her needs as well as provides an exceptional client service.
Lesson 2: Protecting Your Energy as a CEO
Mia’s second lesson is the importance of protecting your energy, a lesson that rings especially true in the demanding field of health and wellness. As business owners, we often put ourselves last, looking after our clients, team, and community first. However, Mia stresses that to help others effectively, you must take care of yourself first. This might mean saying no, delegating tasks, or taking the necessary rest time.
Setting boundaries is crucial. Frustration often stems from allowing these boundaries to blur, leading to fatigue and decreased productivity. Recognising the importance of your energy and protecting it is one of the most selfless things you can do. Mia has seen first-hand how prioritising rest and tailoring her day to suit her energy levels has helped her become a more effective leader and business owner.
Lesson 3: Trusting Yourself
Mia’s final and maybe most important lesson Mia is that we need to trust ourselves. Scaling a business brings on lots of uncertainties and new challenges. If you can’t trust yourself, you won’t be able to make hard decisions when it matters. Mia advises gathering all necessary data and knowledge to understand where the fear is coming from, whether it’s an old core belief or the natural anxiety of trying something new.
By breaking down your fears and understanding their origins, you empower yourself to move past them. Embracing imperfections, being raw, and showing up authentically is what makes each of us unique and brings magic into our businesses.
In one of my earliest conversations with Mia, she told me she needed something to help her mindset that week – a quick mindset boost. My advice to her was that there’s no quick fix or magical remedy – the key is consistency and showing up every day.
So, if you’re looking to transform your therapy practice or any business into a freedom-based model, take a leaf out of Mia’s book. Give yourself permission to live and work freely, protect your energy, and trust yourself. The journey won’t get easier, but you will become stronger, wiser, and more resilient.
LINKS
The FREE Mastermind Launch Playbook
Connect with Mia
Instagram: @ot_inspire_therapy
Instagram: @miapoko
Website: https://www.otinspire.com.au/
Connect with Ellie:
Website: https://www.ellieswift.com/
Instagram: @elliehswift
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/shineonsocialellieswift/
