Today’s episode is a special one.

I’m joined by longtime client Jessica Ponn, LCSW, who helps parents support their adult children through addiction recovery with strategy, clarity, and confidence — not panic. Her work fills a critical gap for families navigating one of the most emotionally charged and high-stakes situations imaginable.

Jessica shares her honest journey from therapist to coach — including the fear, hesitation, mindset shifts, and breakthroughs that came with betting on herself. We talk about trusting the process, building a meaningful niche, navigating business dips, and what actually creates momentum when things feel stuck.

If you’ve ever wondered whether pivoting is worth it, felt scared to invest in yourself, or questioned whether you’re really cut out for the next level — this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

In this episode, we cover:

• What it really feels like to transition from therapist to coach
• The fear of success vs. the fear of failure
• How Jessica found a powerful, underserved niche
• Why parents play a critical role in long-term recovery outcomes
• What causes inevitable dips in business — and how to rebound
• How one coaching session led to a $12,000 week
• The 80/20 rule and letting go of perfectionism
• Why strategy and mindset must work together
• What Jessica wishes she’d known when she started

About Jessica Ponn, LCSW

Jessica Ponn, LCSW, specializes in guiding parents to effectively help their adult children get and stay sober. She has over 15 years of experience in the addiction field, having worked as a therapist and Clinical Director at a premier South Florida dual-diagnosis treatment center while also running a successful private practice.

Jessica is deeply passionate about supporting parents who often underestimate the powerful influence they have on their child’s recovery — and who are too often left without clear guidance when making critical parenting decisions. She has empowered hundreds of parents to make strategic changes that promote sustained recovery and deter relapse. Jessica now offers her support nationwide through her one-of-a-kind virtual coaching program.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Jessica Ponn on Instagram
• Join her Facebook group: Parenting That Promotes Recovery
• Click here to explore different options to work with Carly

Quote from this episode: “It works if you work it — but you don’t have to do it alone.”

This episode is not for beginners — and that’s intentional.

If you’ve already built something real, you have paying clients, consistent revenue, momentum, and you know seven figures is possible for you, this conversation is for you. Especially if you can feel that the next level is close, but you’re not quite sure what actually needs to change to get there.

In this episode, I break down what truly shifts when scaling from six to seven figures — and why this stage of growth has far less to do with doing more, and far more to do with leadership, capacity, systems, and identity.

This is based on my own journey scaling from zero to six figures, six to seven, and now preparing for eight figures. If you’ve ever felt heavy, stretched thin, or quietly wondered whether your effort is becoming the bottleneck — this episode will bring clarity.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why scaling from six to seven figures is not about hustling harder
• The identity shift required at higher levels of business
• How effort becomes a bottleneck at multi–six figures
• Why burnout happens after success — not before it
• The role of leadership, capacity, and restraint in sustainable growth
• How money, payroll, and reinvestment reflect nervous system capacity
• Why holding, releasing, and trusting money matters at scale
• The importance of systems, team, and operational clarity
• Moving from doer → owner → authority-level CEO
• Why seven-figure businesses are coherent, not chaotic
• How simplification and restraint become the real strategy
• What it means to lead without holding all the context
• Why refinement — not expansion — is the key to the next level

Key takeaway:

Scaling to seven figures isn’t about being louder, faster, or more creative on demand. It’s about becoming steadier, clearer, and more precise as a leader.

Work With Carly

💕 Looking for more support? Click here to explore different options to work with Carly

💕 What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Drop me a DM on Instagram - I’d love to hear from you!

Quote from this episode: “Seven-figure growth isn’t about expansion — it’s about refinement.”

If I were starting from scratch today — not in 2018, not before AI, and not before the coaching space felt crowded — I would do less, but I would do it far more intentionally.

In this episode, I break down exactly what I would (and wouldn’t) do if I were building a coaching business as a therapist heading into 2026. This is based on nearly six years in the online space, over $4M in revenue, real mistakes, real burnout, and the clarity that only hindsight brings.

I walk you through the order of operations that actually works, so you can stop overbuilding, overthinking, and over preparing — and start creating momentum with clarity and confidence.

If you know you’re capable but feel stuck, this episode will ground you fast.

In this episode, we cover:

• What I would not do if I were starting over in 2026
• Why massive offer suites and low-ticket products slow early growth
• The credential trap therapists fall into (and how it keeps you playing small)
• How to choose a profitable, in-demand niche that builds trust
• Why one clear, high-ticket offer beats ten scattered ones
• How to sell before everything is “perfect” — and why it works
• The simplest lead-generation strategy I’d use today
• How to use social media intentionally (not performatively)
• Why conversations create conversions
• The mindset shift that changes everything: readiness as a decision
• Why you’re not behind — you’re early in the process

Resources from this episode:

• Carly AI
• The Coach Intensive

• Enter The Podcast Giveaway for the chance to win one of Carly’s digital products: https://thethrivingtherapreneurpodcast.com/reviews

CONNECT AND WORK WITH CARLY

💕 Looking for more support? Click here to explore different options to work with Carly

💕 What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Drop me a DM on Instagram - I’d love to hear from you!