Colin MacDonald, Co-Founder of Not Therapy, is an empathic Certified Life Coach, entrepreneur, and a transformational guide poised to propel the next generation towards a life of empowerment, purpose, and fulfillment. Colin uses his personal journey through psych wards, rehab, therapeutic boarding school, and wilderness therapy programs to relate to his clients on a deep level, meeting them where they are to create a path forward.
If your business could have a mascot, what would it be and why?
The Phoenix would be Not Therapy’s mascot, as a Phoenix is born from its ashes. At Not Therapy, we support our clients in transforming their lives and finding solutions to tackle challenges in the moment, as they rise up to discover their greatest potential.
What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while running your own business?
In order to be a life coach, you need to practice what you preach. Being on top of your own mental, physical, and spiritual health is essential. I do this by working with multiple life coaches and community groups to implement a consistent growth mindset. Also, having a committed relationship to self-improvement through going to the gym and practicing mindfulness.
When faced with unexpected detours on your business path, how do you pivot with grace and resilience, showing fellow women entrepreneurs the way forward?
Having a female co-founder, it’s important to have a shared vision of Not Therapy. We help support each other in our weaknesses and amplify each other’s strengths. When unexpected challenges arise, we lean into teamwork and evaluate solutions that stay aligned with our shared vision.
How do you measure the success of your business beyond financial metrics, such as customer satisfaction or community engagement?
Not Therapy is built around shifting the mental health trajectory of the next generation, so our primary measure of success is seeing our clients thrive and accomplish their goals. We see proven success when our clients tackle real-time challenges and implement tools to make them the best versions of themselves as they step into adulthood. When parents reach out to say, “This is the first time we’ve seen improvement in our child’s behavior,” etc., it reinforces Not Therapy’s mission in uplifting its clients and providing a path forward.
Can you share a memorable moment where you witnessed significant growth or transformation in your business, illustrating the impact of your services/products?
We’ve helped our clients reach monumental milestones such as achieving sobriety, getting into first-choice colleges, getting jobs, and repairing strained family relationships that at one point seemed irreparable.
What role do you believe mentorship plays in the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial journey?
Mentorship plays a crucial role in small business success. Mentors who have helped guide and championed me along the way often have seen my potential more than I could realize on my own. This relationship has positively influenced my entrepreneurial journey and has helped me to become the mentor I am today.
What’s your work all about, and how does it make a difference in the world?
Not Therapy sees there is a mental health crisis across the world, specifically in Gen Z. We believe that one influential mentor can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. Our goal is to provide teens and young adults with mentorship that holds them accountable for the things they want out of life and creates a personalized strategy to help them achieve their goals. This makes a significant difference in the world, as traditional therapy, medication, and therapeutic programs are sometimes not the right fit or ineffective. This is where Not Therapy comes in to bridge the gap. Mental health issues require a multitude of solutions, and the difference Not Therapy has in reframing the “one size fits all” approach is to provide parents and families with 24/7 support as they navigate their child’s mental health challenges.
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