Key Topics Covered:

1. Inspiration for Growing Healthy Seasons
2. Robyn’s story of being inspired by a child with autism while lifeguarding, leading her to pursue a career helping children with special needs.
3. Journey from Vision to Action
4. How Robyn’s experiences and her desire to fill gaps in the healthcare system led to the creation of Growing Healthy Seasons.
5. Scaling the Business
6. Robyn shares the pivotal moment when she realized the need to scale—during her pregnancy—and how this led to hiring her first team members.
7. Maintaining Quality While Scaling
8. Robyn’s commitment to ensuring high-quality care through a structured leadership and mentoring program called the Clinical Excellence Teams.
9. Overcoming Challenges
10. Robyn discusses the challenges of growing the business, from perfectionism to a tough decision to walk away from a 70% revenue-generating contract due to ethical concerns.
11. The Regulation Foundation Program
12. The development and impact of this program, designed to help both therapists and business professionals enhance their self-regulation skills.
13. Business Leadership and Innovation
14. Strategies for balancing growth with innovation and staying ahead in the field, while staying true to the company’s mission and values.
15. Key Takeaways for Business Owners
16. Robyn emphasizes the importance of doing the “next right thing” and staying grounded in core values as essential components of long-term business success.

Quotes:

• “It wasn't an either-or. We’re only scaling if we can maintain good quality services.” – Robyn Chu
• “I just dove deep into my core values... once I figured out the why under the what, it became less painful.”
• “What does it take to thrive as a business owner? Just doing the next right thing.”

Resources Mentioned:

• Growing Healthy Seasons – Website
• Regulation Foundation Program – Learn more about the program and its impact on mental health professionals and business leaders.

Connect with Robyn Chu:

• Website: growinghealthyseasons.com
• Instagram: @growinghealthyseasons

Guest: Karie Cowden, Founder of Connect the Dots Promotions

Host: Jamie Seeker

In this episode of What It Takes, Jamie Seeker sits down with Karie Cowden, the founder of Connect the Dots Promotions, a company that merges creativity with social impact through promotional products. Karie shares her inspiring journey from a surprising start in the industry to nearly three decades of running her business, working with major brands like Walmart and Boeing. She talks about the importance of social responsibility, sustainability, and giving back to the community, touching on her involvement in PromoCares and her innovative work with UMOM, a local homeless shelter, where she helped set a Guinness World Record.

1. Karie's Entrepreneurial Journey: How Karie transitioned from an unexpected job in promotional marketing to building her own business.
2. Social Responsibility in Business: The role of sustainability and mindful product choices in promotional marketing.
3. Community Involvement: Karie’s work with PromoCares and local charities, including her unique Guinness World Record event for UMOM.
4. Balancing Growth and Purpose: Insights into how Karie navigates challenges in maintaining profitability while staying committed to social good.
5. Pivoting and Future Goals: Karie discusses recent shifts in her business structure and her new role with Campus Stop, a company in the collegiate space.

• "We need to leave the world better than we found it." – Karie Cowden on the importance of sustainability in promotional products.
• "Sometimes your competitors are your best allies when it comes to making a real difference." – Karie on working with PromoCares.
• "You're allowed to change your mind, and when you find your purpose, that's where the magic happens." – Karie reflecting on her business pivots.

• Website: ctdpromotions.com
• Instagram: @ctdpromotions
• Facebook: Connect the Dots Promotions
• LinkedIn: Karie Cowden

Guest:

Shannon Englert, Founder and Managing Attorney at DYAD Immigration Law

Summary:

In this episode of What It Takes, host Jamie Seeker sits down with Shannon Englert, the visionary founder of DYAD Immigration Law. Shannon shares her inspiring journey from working as a translator to becoming a managing attorney, driven by a passion for helping businesses and families navigate the complex world of U.S. immigration law. She opens up about the challenges of running a mission-driven law firm, focusing on sensitive cases like visas for trafficking and domestic violence survivors, and the lessons learned along the way. Shannon's story is one of perseverance, compassion, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of her clients.

Key Discussion Points:

1. Journey from Translation to Immigration Law: Shannon explains how her early career as a translator opened her eyes to the needs of immigrants, ultimately leading her to law school and founding DYAD Immigration Law.
2. Connection to Immigration Through Personal Experience: Shannon discusses how her experience as an exchange student in Chile with a visa issue sparked a lifelong passion for immigration law.
3. Handling Emotionally Challenging Cases: Shannon talks about how DYAD helps clients in sensitive situations, such as trafficking and domestic violence survivors, by shifting the narrative from victimhood to empowerment.
4. Challenges in U.S. Immigration Law: The complexities of U.S. immigration law and the emotional and legal hurdles faced by individuals attempting to navigate the system.
5. Building a Mission-Driven Team: Shannon shares how DYAD recruits and retains employees by aligning them with the firm’s core values, ensuring that everyone is committed to the mission of helping others.

Memorable Quotes:

• "I realized that immigration isn't easy. We think it is when we’re born here, but for many, it’s a complex, high-stakes process."
• "We don't treat our clients as victims—that’s something that happened, but it doesn't define them."
• "Action and no excuses—it’s what it takes to build a mission-driven business. You have to be willing to fail and learn from it quickly."

Actionable Takeaways:

• Empowerment through Law: Focusing on clients' strengths and helping them overcome challenges through strategic legal support can be life-changing, both emotionally and legally.
• Aligning Your Team with Your Mission: Surround yourself with employees who share your vision and are committed to the company’s core values.
• No Excuses, Just Action: Shannon emphasizes that success requires relentless action, even if it means failing and learning along the way.

Connect with Shannon Englert:

• Website: dyadlaw.com
• Instagram: @dyadlaw
• Facebook: DYAD Immigration Law
• YouTube: DYAD Immigration Law
• TikTok: @dyadlaw

Listen Now: [Insert podcast platform link]

Tune in to hear Shannon's inspiring story and gain insights into what it takes to build a mission-driven business in one of the most challenging areas of law.