How the System Breaks Therapists—and What to Build Instead

This episode kicks off the Three Pillars of an Income Flow System series. If you’ve ever felt like your fully booked calendar was actually draining the life out of you, this one’s for you. I share my thoughts on how the current mental health system often leads therapists to burnout, not success, and what it really means to build a system that serves both your mission and your well-being.

What You’ll Learn

• Why the “fully booked” mindset leads to exhaustion
• How to spot a system designed for burnout
• What to build instead (and why it matters)
• The difference between carrying buckets and building aqueducts
• How small system changes create big freedom

Timestamped Highlights
[00:00] Full calendar ≠ true success
[01:02] Burnout signs for helping pros
[01:38] Series intro: 3 income pillars
[02:03] Why this system keeps you stuck
[02:59] Story: desperate families denied care
[04:00] Fighting a system built to say no
[05:15] Learning the real insurance rules
[06:00] Applying systems thinking to care
[07:33] The burnout cycle of feast/famine
[08:26] Running on caffeine and compassion
[09:48] The problem with chasing capacity
[10:22] Why working harder won’t fix it
[11:18] From buckets to aqueducts
[12:13] The moving truck metaphor
[13:59] Systems turn effort into flow
[14:44] Flow keeps working while you rest
[15:13] You are the architect, not labor
[16:34] Settling for stability over purpose
[17:57] Someone saw my potential first
[18:50] Don’t trade your future for comfort
[19:59] This system wasn’t built for you
[21:28] Join the Beyond Fully Booked cohort

Resources & Links
Beyond Fully Booked Workshop → https://www.coursecreationstudio.com/BeyondFullyBooked

Closing Invitation
If this episode made you pause or breathe a little deeper, share it with someone who's building a mission-fueled practice. You weren’t meant to carry all the buckets alone.

Guest: Christi Engle | Enneagram Teacher & Personal Development Coach

If you’ve ever felt stuck waiting for the right time or the perfect plan before taking a next step, this episode is for you.

I talk with personal development coach Christi Engle about starting small, rethinking success, and what to do when your brain wants you to stay safe and stuck. Christi shares how she went from uncertainty to clarity in her coaching path, and how you can do the same, even if the road ahead feels foggy.

We cover the messy middle of building a coaching life, why mistakes are part of the process, and how to shift from autopilot to aligned action.

• Hear how to build a coaching career without a clinical license
• Learn how to stop letting fear and overthinking stall your progress
• Discover the mindset shift that helps you measure success without perfection
• Get simple practices to stay grounded and move forward—without burning out

• [00:03:00] Christi’s story — From stay-at-home mom to coach without a license: how she took one step at a time
• [00:06:00] Coaching vs. Counseling — Why Christi chose coaching and what made the difference
• [00:10:47] Redefining Success — How to stop ruminating and start measuring what really matters: Prepared, Present, Authentic
• [00:14:49] Stopping the Spiral — A mindset tool to interrupt overthinking and impostor thoughts
• [00:16:24] Byron Katie’s method — “Is it true?” and other powerful questions to challenge old beliefs
• [00:18:00] Living with Intention — How to spot autopilot patterns and shift into aligned choices
• [00:23:26] Daily Tools that Help — Breathwork and basic rhythms to get grounded before big decisions
• [00:25:59] Authentic Coaching — Why your story is your strength and how to coach from your full self
  [00:28:13] Final encouragement — Don’t fear the messy middle—it’s where the growth happens

• Christi Engle’s website: https://perennialcoaching.com
• $27 Boundaries Blueprint
• Perennial Growth Path coaching program
• The Work by Byron Katie → https://thework.com

This episode is for therapists and helpers who feel like their calendar is running their life. If you're constantly chasing productivity but feeling further from peace, this one’s for you.

James Marland unpacks how overwork became the norm—and why your business needs to serve your life, not swallow it. Discover how to scale your wisdom, not your burnout.

Who It's For:

• Therapists stuck in a cycle of service and stress
• Coaches craving more space, not more hustle
• Helpers who want to teach or lead without losing their joy

• You’ll finally name what’s stealing your time—and what to do about it.
• You’ll learn how to build space into your week without sacrificing your mission.
• You’ll walk away with a simple mindset shift to start reclaiming your calendar.

• 00:03 – The cultural trap of overwork and why we mistake stress for success
• 02:00 – That sinking feeling: When you realize your calendar owns you
• 04:12 – The invisible shift: How your mission got replaced by fear
• 05:12 – Are you headed toward success… or resentment?
• 06:36 – Why a full calendar can be quiet damage
• 08:09 – The Fisherman story: A simple parable about chasing the wrong success
• 10:30 – From striving to sustainable: Why rhythm matters more than hustle
• 11:25 – The campfire metaphor: How your business needs space to breathe
• 12:09 – Ways to scale your wisdom without one-on-one burnout
• 13:09 – Reclaim your “why” and stop letting your business steal your joy
• 14:18 – “Your business should fund your life, not feed on it.”
• 15:34 – Protecting margin: How to calendar what really matters
• 16:29 – Join the waitlist for the Beyond Fully Booked workshop

Resources & Mentions

• Beyond Fully Booked Workshop – Small steps to reclaim your business → Reserve Your Seat
• Email James: James@coursecreationstudio.com (use the word “next” to get workshop info)
• Book Mentioned: The Science of Scaling by Dr. Benjamin Hardy → Find it here
• Book Mentioned: 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Dr. Benjamin Hardy → Find it here

Closing Invitation

If this helped you breathe a little deeper, share it with someone who’s been stuck in overdrive. Your course—and your calendar—shouldn’t cost you your joy.

Let’s build something sustainable, together.

You’ve got income stream ideas—maybe too many. But instead of building momentum, you feel stuck in research, adding features, or waiting until it’s perfect.

In this episode, I share a personal story about my basement remodel that spiraled out of control. More importantly, I connect that story to what happens when we try to build without a clear finish line. If you’ve been spinning your wheels or afraid to start your course or offer, this episode is a gentle nudge to stop planning and start defining.

You’ll learn how to pick a “minimum viable product” version of your idea, set boundaries around it, and move forward with clarity. Progress doesn’t come from having all the ideas—it comes from choosing one and finishing it.

• 00:01 – Welcome & Rebrand
• 01:30 – Basement Story Begins
• 03:00 – How Ideas Expand
• 04:45 – The Stuck Loop
• 06:15 – Research vs. Action
• 07:00 – Define Your MVP
• 08:10 – Choose a Finish Line
• 09:30 – You’re Halfway There
• 10:10 – Take Imperfect Action

Guest: Susan Schramm | Author of Fast Track Your Big Idea

Host: James Marland | Scaling Therapy Practice Podcast
Episode Overview

Why do great ideas fail before they ever get off the ground? In this episode of Scaling Therapy Practice, James Marland talks with author and strategist Susan Schramm about the surprising root cause of stalled projects: fear of risk. But it’s not just financial or legal risks—it’s the people side of risk that’s often overlooked.

If you’re a therapist, coach, or solopreneur with a course, program, or big idea sitting in a notebook or buried under client work, this conversation is for you. Susan shares how to reframe risk as a leadership tool, not a barrier—and how to use her 6-step De-Risk System to build momentum and finally launch your idea with confidence.

3 Reasons to Listen

• Discover what’s really stopping your launch — It’s not your idea. It’s unspoken risk.
• Learn the “De-Risk” system — Six clear, practical steps to help you move forward, even if you’re afraid.
• Hear how clarity beats confidence — When you know the “why” and “who,” your strategy becomes easier to execute.

Timestamped Highlights

• [00:00] Not talking about risk
• [01:45] Launching ideas since childhood
• [03:30] Why good ideas stall
• [04:50] People side of risk
• [05:45] Fear vs. clarity
• [07:15] Group hesitation explained
• [08:40] Risk = uncertainty
• [10:15] Fight, flight, or freeze
• [11:50] Therapist solopreneurs & teams
• [13:20] Silence isn’t safety
• [14:15] Culture of risk conversation
• [16:00] 6-step De-Risk system
• [19:00] Why now? Why you?
• [21:45] Who needs to act?
• [23:15] How strategies adapt
• [24:30] Pre-mortems & planning ahead
• [26:30] Overplanning kills momentum
• [28:10] MVP mindset matters
• [30:00] Book & launch team info
• [32:00] Final thoughts on risk

• Susan’s website: FastTrackYourBigIdea.com
• Email for the De-Risk Checklist: susan.schramm@gotomarketimpact.com
• Book (Coming Oct 2025): Fast Track Your Big Idea: Navigate Risk, Move People to Action, and Avoid Your Strategy Going Off Course
• Course Creation Support: https://www.coursecreationstudio.com/

Are people leaving your webinars before you even make your offer? In this episode of Scaling Therapy Practice, host James Marlin sits down with Johnny Byrne, known as The Webinar Wizard, to talk about how to create engaging webinars that keep people watching—and buying.

Whether you're a therapist, coach, or course creator, Johnny explains how to upgrade your presentation style using free tools, simple tech (like Stream Deck + OBS), and easy visual techniques that make a BIG difference. Learn why most webinars fail to convert—and what to do instead.

If you run webinars, workshops, or online courses, this episode will help you turn more viewers into buyers.

00:00 – Why Most Webinars Lose Viewers Before the Offer
01:05 – Meet Johnny Byrne, the Webinar Wizard
02:40 – From Live Trainer to Online Engagement Expert
04:00 – How the Pandemic Changed Presentation Skills
05:20 – “You’re Not Too Techy”—Why Anyone Can Do This
07:00 – Free Tools: Stream Deck & OBS for Better Engagement
08:45 – No More “Can You See My Slides?”
10:10 – The Power of Pattern Interrupts
11:30 – Why Looking & Sounding Good Builds Trust
13:00 – Making Your Webinar Feel Like a Show
14:45 – Live Drawing with iPad or Paper for Real-Time Connection
16:30 – Record & Edit at the Same Time (Big Time Saver!)
18:00 – Shocking Stats: 60% Leave Before Your Sales Pitch
19:20 – You’re Losing Sales If They Don’t Stay Till the End
21:15 – How to Use Timers, Music & Visuals for Better Flow
22:30 – Deliver an Experience, Not Just an Event
24:00 – Where to Find Johnny + Free Setup Review Offer

• Johnny Byrne’s Website: https://johnnybeirne.com/
• Free Setup Review with Johnny: https://johnnybeirne.com/
• Free Live Training with Johnny: https://luma.com/webinarwizard?k=c&period=past

Scaling Therapist Podcast
Episode 132: The High Cost of Playing It Safe (Why Avoiding Risk Holds You Back)
Host: James Marland

Episode Summary:
In this episode, I talk about how fear and imposter syndrome can stop therapists and private practice owners from growing their businesses. I share a few personal stories about times when I let hesitation hold me back, and how I learned that courage comes before confidence. If you’ve been waiting to feel “ready” before trying something new, this episode is your reminder that taking action (even small, imperfect steps) is the real way forward.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why imposter syndrome is so common in helping professions
• How fear disguises itself as wisdom
• What hesitation has cost me (and maybe you too)
• Why you should act before you feel confident
• How to take one small step forward this week

Timestamps and Topics:

(00:00) A story about hiding after a small mistake in a school play
(01:00) The cost of fear and hesitation in business and life
(02:30) Imposter syndrome and why it shows up for therapists
(04:00) The leadership role I turned down because I didn’t feel ready
(06:00) Surprising statistics on imposter syndrome
(08:00) How your brain makes small mistakes feel huge
(10:30) Why your audience doesn’t notice what you think they do
(11:30) Leading a group without confidence (courage came first)
(13:00) You don’t need to wait for perfection to move forward
(14:00) A new course to help you overcome self-doubt
(15:30) Final encouragement and call to action

Resources Mentioned

• Store Page: https://www.coursecreationstudio.com/store
• Special offer - Pay what you want for confident course creator https://www.coursecreationstudio.com/offers/EoAzZpsG