Building A Successful Business And Being A Parent With Keri Cooper

Tim Melanson: Hello and welcome to today’s episode of the Work at Home Rockstar podcast.

Excited for today’s guest. She is a licensed clinical social worker, a holistic therapist, and the author of her book, mental Health Uncensored 10 Foundations. Every parent needs to know. So excited to be rocking out with Carrie Cooper. Kerry, you ready to rock?

Keri Cooper: Yes, absolutely. Thank you for having me.

Tim Melanson: Perfect. So we always started on a good note. So tell me a story of success in your business that we can be inspired by.

Keri Cooper: Great, so, so I’m a therapist, like you mentioned, and I work primarily with middle school, high school, college kids. And you know, I’ve been doing this for almost 20 years in all different aspects and residentials and schools.

And once I had my own children, I decided to have my own business. And I started off really slow. It was like a side hustle for me and I would work, you know, Two evenings a week. I made my own website. My friend took my photos and just, you know, if someone found me, they found me. And that was great. And then, uh, when my youngest was about to go to kindergarten, I said, you know what?

I really want this to be a business. Like I really wanna jump in. So I started joining all of these networking groups and I really started focusing on the business and how to grow it. And it took off, um, and was like a thrilling. To go on and it’s been, you know, pretty amazing ever.

Tim Melanson: Wow. Well that’s pretty cool because not everybody has it that easy, ,

Keri Cooper: right?

I mean, there were definitely some growing pains, um, along the way, but I was really fortunate that I surrounded myself with some really good people just to bounce ideas off of. And I never realized when I was in my solo practice for a while, how important it was to really network. Not for your business, but like for your own personal.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. Yeah, I agree a hundred percent. Like it really, when it comes down to it, it is gonna be the people that are around you. Cuz you need, you need more business, you need people to come. So either the people that you’re gonna be surrounding yourself with are gonna be clients or they’re gonna be referral sources for you.

Right?

Keri Cooper: Right. Or they’re just gonna be people that help you build yourself up. You know? And when you have a question about business instead of, you know, trying to always answer it yourself that somebody else may have the answer for you. Yeah. And that’s, you know, it’s so nice to be in supportive groups where people just want to see everybody succeed and realize that there’s room at the top for everybody.

And I was just incredibly fortunate that I found some really good groups early on. Yeah.

Tim Melanson: Right on. Yeah. And, and the way you started your business too was, uh, very good. I mean, basically you figured out what you would want and then built that. Right. Absolutely. And that’s, I think that’s kind of the simple way to do it, right, is, is that, you know, if there’s something that you want, then chances are there’s somebody else.

I, I remember when I was in school, they’d say, make sure you ask a question cuz if you have a question, chances if someone else does too. And, and that’s the thing, right, is that we’re always too scared to ask these questions because we think that it makes us look stupid. But really, if we have a question, there’s something we need, chances are there’s a whole bunch of other people that need that same thing.

Keri Cooper: Yes, and that so many people are willing to help answer that question. People actually like to be helpful If you, if you ask them a question, they will answer it if they

Tim Melanson: can. Absolutely. Yeah. And that’s one thing that you learn really quickly from being in these, uh, business groups, is that, uh, people, yeah, I mean, it’s, it’s mostly ego, I’d imagine, but so what , right.

If people wanna look smart because they’re answering questions, then that’s great. That’s great for everybody. It helps everybody else. I mean, there’s a win-win.

Keri Cooper: Absolutely.

Tim Melanson: Absolutely. So along with the Good Note comes some bad notes as well. So I’m wondering, you know, was there something that didn’t go as planned and something that, uh, we can learn from?

I don’t know if

Keri Cooper: anything didn’t go completely as planned. As much as some things were much more of a struggle than I realized they were going to be. Um, you know, I know what I’m good at and I know where I kind of struggle and where I struggle especially is with technology. Um, you know, I remember having to do profit loss sheets and literally crying at the computer cuz I just couldn’t figure it.

And you know, these were the types of problems that I was encountering in my business that I also didn’t wanna spend the time trying to fix. This isn’t what I enjoyed. It’s not what I like. I don’t wanna have to deal with my social media. I don’t wanna have to deal with my profit law statements. And, you know, everybody in my world of groups kept on telling me, if you don’t enjoy doing something, you need to delegate it out.

You need to farm it out. And I thought that for so long. Thinking, no, no, no. I can’t spend the money on my business doing that. I have to do it myself. And then one day I really just cracked and said, fine, I need to do this. And it was the best decision I’ve ever made because now when I start struggling, I immediately call in another source and say, okay, this is what I need to get done.

Tim Melanson: Wow. Yeah. I would say that’s one of the most. Common things I hear is that, uh, people would, if they were to do it all over again, they would delegate sooner. So , you’re not

Keri Cooper: alone. Yes. And then when you delegate sooner, you’re also delegating it to a professional who really knows what they’re doing. I mean, my first website I created myself.

It was a horrendous process, and the website was not good. So when I finally said, okay, I’m gonna pay a professional to do this, you know, everyone comments on my website? Oh, I love your website. I found you through your website. Like we have to make the investment into ourselves in order to grow our businesses.

Yeah,

Tim Melanson: I totally agree. And And chances are also the person who you’re hiring actually likes doing that as well. Yes. They enjoy it. Yep. Which

Keri Cooper: is mind boggling to me, who likes doing a website, but there’s people out there who do.

Tim Melanson: Well, I’m one of, that’s, that’s my business. I, let’s say . That

Keri Cooper: sounds like torture for me.

Tim Melanson: No. Well, but that’s the thing is that we, we realize really quickly that the thing that we don’t like to do, someone else loves to do it, and we probably like doing something that someone else hates doing too.

Keri Cooper: 100%. Yes. Yes.

Tim Melanson: So why do you think, uh, I, I, you know, maybe, maybe there’s some people who are listening to this that are going, like, I don’t wanna, del like, why do you think people don’t wanna de.

I think

Keri Cooper: some of it’s control, definitely. Um, it’s, it’s hard and scary to give up a control piece of your business and to not know how it’s gonna turn out and to have to trust somebody else with that. Like our businesses are, you know, our children, like they’re our babies. So to hand that over is scary at times.

Um, and the other issue is, you know, sometimes it almost feels like more work having to delegate. Cause I have to explain to somebody how I want it. And if we don’t have a clear explanation in our head, that’s very hard then to communicate with somebody else. Yeah. And I think sometimes that prevents us from making that phone

Tim Melanson: call.

Yeah. Yeah. I think you’re right. And, and I think that that’s because there’s, there’s, there’s, there’s different parts here. Number one is that, you know, when you’re starting a business, you probably. At least have a basic understanding of all the parts of your business, right? Because I mean, that’s, um, that’s your business.

And, and how are you gonna know that? That the person that you hired is gonna be able to do what they need to do if you don’t have any idea what’s going on. However, on that same note, I have had people on the show who actually hired things out that they had no idea, and it worked out great for them because they hired somebody that, that, that knows it, and they didn’t have that control thing.

They’re just like, Hey, I’m giving this off right away.

Keri Cooper: Right. Well, I was lucky that I let go of the control for, you know, building up my business. So by the time I wrote a. Again, technology’s not my specialty. I was able just to blindly give control over to people to say, go publish this. Go format it. I have no idea how to do this and I don’t really want to know how to do this.

And I was able to choose good enough people to where it all worked.

Tim Melanson: Yeah, yeah. So it’s one of those things where you, you can end up getting into trouble doing it that way, but. If you’ve done your work in the networking side of it right in the beginning and you’ve put good people around you, cuz you’re probably not gonna be steered wrong by people that you know like and trust.

Keri Cooper: Right, right. Absolutely. And that’s the thing, when you also start developing these relationships, Then you’re able to give them more and more things to do without worrying so much because you know how they operate, they know how you operate, and you’re building this relationship together. You know? Now with me and my website person, they just get me and I now send them more and more things with less and less detail because I know they’re gonna figure it out.

We have a great working relationship.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. Yeah. And so I think you hit on it really is that there is some work up front in the beginning and yeah, okay, fine. You’re gonna take a couple steps back when you start to delegate, but like you say, now this person is a good working relationship and you don’t even have to, they, they know what you’re thinking, right?

Yes. And it’s a win-win because this person probably has their own business, . Yes. And they’re Yes. And they’re succeeding as well as you succeeding it too.

Keri Cooper: Absolutely. You know, they all have their own small businesses and it’s, you know, business supporting other businesses and developing these really great bonds and working relationships.

Tim Melanson: So I’m now curious as to how you’ve assembled this, this, this band, . You know, was it, uh, was it a situation where you were looking for something first, or did you just meet people and then you happened to find the people that you were looking for?

Keri Cooper: So when I decided to start growing my business and I joined, you know, these networking groups, that was kind of step one.

I remember very vividly sitting in one of the networking groups and all of these women would go around the room and talk about their events and you know, what’s new in their business. And it got to me and I was like, nothing, like nothing is happening in my business. And all of a sudden I said, I think I need someone to help me, like a business coach or something.

And like five women raised their hands and was like, we have one. And gave me a name of somebody who was amazing, who, um, really helped me so much, and it’s through her that I was like, okay, I need a website person. I need this person. So I was able to start expanding. But it was that moment of saying like, okay, I’m not where I want to be.

You women are. What are you doing that I’m not doing? And who can you connect me?

Tim Melanson: Love it. Love it. That’s a great way to do things. So you find the people that are where you wanna be and then find out what they’re doing. And chances are you’re gonna get to the answer

Keri Cooper: and who they’re doing it with. Yeah.

Who do they trust? And this woman came highly recommended, and she has been, you know, fantastic.

Tim Melanson: So what, what is your process around, around coaches, around, you know, like, was that, it doesn’t sound like that was a, a barrier for you, , you just jumped right into that.

Keri Cooper: I jumped right into networking groups and I, again, you just developed really wonderful relationships with the other people in these groups.

And we did a lot of things outside of those networking groups. We did a lot of one-on-one coffees and chats, and Tell me about your business. Tell me how I can help you, how can you help me? And it’s finding the other people with the same mentality as you that you just want everyone to succeed. And. So I, I don’t think I have a traditional coach or mentor as much as I do have a business coach that I do hire.

Um, but in my industry I also have a group of therapists that we get together for breakfast and we talk shop every once in a while, and it’s really just building the connections and the relationships with these people.

Tim Melanson: So do you feel like there’s any competition between the group of therapists that you’re meeting with

Keri Cooper: regular.

So it’s funny because, um, other people have asked me that, you know, isn’t this your competitor? And I said, no, none of us are competing with each other because we’re all unique. We’re all individuals. Nobody is me. I am not any of them. And when somebody’s seeking out therapy, they’re seeking out a very individual relationship.

I am not gonna be everyone’s cup of tea. So when someone calls me and I know this is not gonna work, I know that I have another group of therapists that I could refer them to based upon personalities and what they need at that moment. So we’re all different that I don’t feel like there’s any competition.

I feel like the better they do. The better for everyone else.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. And that makes you a resource too. Now people know they can go to you and even if it’s not you, they’ll know that they’re gonna get something. They know that they’re gonna get their questions answered.

Keri Cooper: Yes, absolutely. And I try very hard, anytime somebody reaches out to me, even a, you know, in my capacity in full, I always email back with who I would refer to them.

Tim Melanson: Wow. Wow. Really cool. Now what about tools? So, you know, what tools do you use to get success in your business?

Keri Cooper: I am an avid reader. I absolutely love reading every type of business book. I am inspired by them, and that’s really like how I dive in and start learning more and growing more. Um, I think that you never know enough, so the more you can consume, the better your business is gonna be

Tim Melanson: for.

Great. Do you have sort of like, like time set aside for reading or like how do you not spend too much time, but spend some time? Right.

Keri Cooper: So I actually, um, reading is really one of the past times I love and enjoy, and I do it both for business and just for pleasure. So at night on my nightstand, I always have like my fun book I call it, you know, and I personally like to, you know, read mystery thrillers, so I always have that.

And before I go to bed, every. I read there for my business, I need to be a little bit more awake when I’m reading and I am in my car a lot. I have four children, so I’m constantly dropping off at practices, picking up from schools, and I have downtime. So instead of being on my phone, wasting my time on Facebook or whatever else, I actually, that’s the time I read my business books and I’ll write notes down in my car about what to come back to later and to work.

Tim Melanson: Wow. Four kids. Okay, so let’s talk about that . How do you balance that? Four kids in a business?

Keri Cooper: Four kids a business and a book, and book number two being written as we speak. So, um, I’m really good with time management. I don’t believe the, the thought process of I don’t have enough time. I think you always do have time for what’s important in your life.

So I, you know, I’m very disciplined. I have structure and I say no to anything that I don’t want to. Wow. That is, and I thinks probably the biggest key. Yeah. Um, and my children are also not overscheduled. We say no a lot, um, to activities and events. They do really what they love to do. And that’s it. We don’t do more.

Tim Melanson: Okay. So this is probably gonna be very good for your kids as well, because you’re teaching them a very valuable skill. I mean, I think a lot of people stretch themselves too thin and then they get burnt out.

Keri Cooper: I actually write an entire chapter of it in my book. Um, learning to say no and teaching your children to say no.

And we see the parents all the time that say yes to everything. And at one time I was that parent, so I get it, you know, I was on the parent teacher organizations, I was making cupcakes and, you know, all this other nonsense that I didn’t want to be doing at that time. Um, you know, some of it, yes, of course I wanted to do, I wanted to be class mom, some of that, but all the other responsibilities I needed to say no.

And I was saying yes when I didn’t want to and I was burnt out. And little patience. And that doesn’t make you a good person, and it especially doesn’t make you a good parent. And I see kids in my office all the time who are doing way too much because they feel bad to say no.

Tim Melanson: So what are some ways that you can say no and not feel bad about.

Keri Cooper: I think one of the things that people need to learn to realize is that if it’s not something you really want to do, you need to be able to say no and realize that you are doing what’s best for you, to make you a better human being and for your mental health, and that you don’t owe anybody an explanation as to why you’re saying no to something.

Tim Melanson: Okay. So now when someone corners you and wants, and wants you to do something, like, do you sort of put them off first? No, I just say I need to check my schedule or no, I simply say no. So you know what it is that you want to do. Before they ask ,

Keri Cooper: I kind of know what feels right at this point and what I’m willing to do, how much time I’m willing to give to different things.

Um, you know, time is very valuable. So if I get a request, you know, to volunteer for something, if it’s something I want to do, yes, 100%, I’ll make time for it. If it’s something I have zero desire to do, I will simply say no, and I will not give an explanation as to, oh, I’m just busy, or I just can’t fit in, and just no, no is an answer.

Tim Melanson: Nice. Brave too. ? Yes, .

Anik Malenfant: Hi, my name is Al. I’m from Mastering Ascension and I’ve been working with Tim Melanson and the Creative Crew Agency for a number of years now. Tim is my go-to guy for all things technology, and his team have helped me to really. Create the platform that I need that represents my brand, my message, and connects me directly to my ideal clients.

What I particularly love about Tim is before he starts to dive into the technology, he always makes sure that he understands what your global view is, what your ultimate goals are, so then that way you’re not wasting a lot of time back and forth. Switching around technology or platforms, he creates something from the get go that is scalable, which is highly, highly, um, beneficial for any business.

What I’ve experienced from Tim and his team is they’re highly responsive. They are a wealth of information, and they’re gonna offer you the tools that you need to really make the mark that you wanna make in the world. That’s my recommendation for Tim. He’s awesome. You’re gonna love every minute. You won’t regret it.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. I cuz I think, I think a lot of people, from what I hear, it’s like, it’s like a derailment thing. They’re, they’re like, you know, things are mo moving and then all of a sudden they get derailed by something and this and that and next thing you know, they’re off on these paths and they never really get back to the thing that they said they were gonna do.

So now they’re just disappointing everybody, right?

Keri Cooper: Yes. And disappointing themselves. Even in my business, you know, there’s so many different things I want to do, but I put a lot of ’em on the back burner and say, no, not right now. It’s not that time, it’s not that moment. I need to focus on this task at hand.

And I think sometimes, like you were saying, we kind of go all over the place. We try to do too many things, and it’s just not possible.

Tim Melanson: No, every time you’re saying yes to something, you’re saying no to everything else that you could be doing. Right. And vice versa. , right?

Keri Cooper: There’s a great book that I read recently, um, about business and it, it talks about multitasking and it says, you know, you really can’t multitask.

It really doesn’t work. You need to stick with one thing and do one thing well. And I think the name of the book was like The One Thing or something. Um, yeah. But it talks about one thing at a time.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. Yeah. I’ve read that same book too. , the One Thing, and there’s also, what is it? Uh, minimalism or something like that.

But there, there’s, there’s so many books about that, cuz yeah, we can’t really efficiently multitask. We have to focus on one thing at a time. Right.

Keri Cooper: And I, I think that also comes down to, you know, you need to be able to kind of time block as well. That way you’re not overrun with many different things. You know?

I know that when my kids get home from school, my work is shut down. I am not on podcasts, I am not, you know, taking client phone calls. I am at home. So boundaries are important.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. And, and, The, the, the irony of it, I guess, is that people do respect you more when you are very clear. And, and also they trust you more because when you do say yes, they know it’s gonna get done right.

Oh,

Keri Cooper: 100% and it will get done well, yes.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. And, and I think of that, that, I mean this is a, probably a whole episode on this particular topic cuz I see it so much in my family, my friends, and even myself sometimes, where you’re, you’re just, you’re just getting, uh, sucked into people’s urgent issues and now all of a sudden, you know, lack of planning is now your priority.

How somehow,

Keri Cooper: Right. Yeah. I think there’s a saying about that, about like, you know, your lack of planning is not my emergency.

Tim Melanson: Exactly. Yeah. So, so I think that, uh, that really, you know, maybe from what I’m hearing, your process really is making sure that you know exactly what you’re doing when you’re doing it.

And as tasks come in, you’re not afraid to say, Uh, unless it’s something that is really awesome, , and then, and then you’ll figure it out, right? Yes.

Keri Cooper: Then I’ll figure it out.

Tim Melanson: Absolutely. Cool. Right on. So, okay. Um, let’s get into your guest solo. I wanna know more about you. You, what’s exciting, your business.

What’s exciting, uh, going on right now.

Keri Cooper: So my business, um, I’m really so thankful that I have these amazing kids walk into my office and, you know, come in here and unload their stuff and we kind of give them the coping skills that they need and let them process out everything that’s happening. It is not easy time in this world for mental health right now.

Um, especi. With Covid, um, and it really has impacted these kids. So I have to say, you know, I was so thankful to be able to be here during the covid times with these kids and walk them through all of this uncertainty and anxiety and how do I make connections and how do I deal with school and all of this.

So in terms of, you know, my therapy practice, I absolutely enjoy it and love it. And it just kind of goes, it’s just on its own track right now. But what’s exciting is that during Covid, I decided to write a book. Um, I was kind of saying the same thing over and over again to a lot of kids and a lot of parents, and I could not fit anyone else into my office, and there was such a mental health need.

I said, let me put something out there. That way at least they have a resource. And I think through this book, what I really want people to understand is that mental health is more in your control than you. It’s really comes down to daily foundations, um, daily habits. So in my book I talk about a lot of physical aspects, which play into mental health.

You need to be sleeping, you need to be hydrated, you need to be eating well. And a lot of, you know, mental health habits such as saying no, such as teaching our children boundaries, such as, you know, teaching them responsibility and how to deal with disappointment. And if we get these 10 keys down, It’s not such an uphill battle for mental health anymore.

Tim Melanson: Wow. Okay. So now what have you seen since, like, since, uh, since the lockdowns in Covid and stuff like that? Like how is it affecting the kids nowadays?

Keri Cooper: Massive anxiety. Massive anxiety. Massive grief and loss. And I think that’s a piece that we forget. These children lost many things that were important to.

They lost sports. Yeah. Proms, graduations, getting driver’s licenses on time, having time with friends, and they can’t get that back. It, it’s just a loss. And we have to be able to understand they’re, they’re going through a grieving process. Um, and they had tons of anxiety. They would wake up every day and say, am I going to school today?

Am I not going to school today? Am I gonna get to have my game? Am I not gonna be able to have my game, like what’s happening? Yeah. And they had a complete loss of control. Really? Yeah. And that’s really scary. And it’s scary for adults too. Adults, you know, are definitely suffering as well. Um, but it really has impacted them and I think it’s impacted at each age group a little differently as well, depending on where they were, um, developmentally and, and in their lives.

So I think the recovery out of this is going to be very,

Tim Melanson: And I think that, I think probably the reason why the kids had it so much harder is cuz most kids do have a fairly structured. Compared to their adults. Right. They

Keri Cooper: have overly structured life, you know? Yeah. Um, yeah. So they didn’t know what to do with their time.

Yeah. And I remember being on Zoom with them, and I would say to them like, what do you enjoy? What’s your hobby? And I would just get blank faces looking back at me like, what do you mean my hobby? Yeah. And actually that was a. A positive that came outta Covid was that they started to learn to develop some hobbies and what they enjoy.

I had some kids dive into, you know, woodworking and stock markets and, you know, stuff they never had time for in the past, and they really actually developed passion. Mm-hmm. . So there was, you know, some positives in this.

Tim Melanson: Yeah, I think that there’s, yeah, I mean, with every negative, there’s always a positive, there’s always a silver lining there.

So there, there is something that’s gonna come out of it that they are gonna learn some tools coming out of that. But I mean, I, I think a lot of it too is that we, we didn’t even know what was going on, so, you know, the parents probably weren’t able to even really explain what’s happening. In a way that the kids would even understand what’s going on.

You know, they’re anxious about what’s going on. Am I go, what am I doing? Like what, you know, these rules don’t even make any sense. No, they, no . Like the parents would kind of go like, and normally we look up to our parents. I remember this, the joke is that like when, when you’re a kid, you think the parents have it all together.

When you realize, when you’re an adult, then you realize that nobody has any idea what’s going on, and we were just following the blind.

Keri Cooper: Right. And that was made very clear during Covid. You’re right, parents had no idea and no idea what to say to these kids. And you know, also everyone’s view was very different and it was a controversial time.

And all of that has played into what these kids have felt. And, you know, it’s, it’s still impacting them to this day. And I think there’s still a lot of fear of, is this gonna happen?

Tim Melanson: Yeah. Yeah. I, I agree. And I mean, it’s not just the kids , the parents probably think of the same thing too, like, like what is going on?

And, uh, I, I think though that, uh, well, I hope, I hope that this is gonna be good in the end because, you know, I think that eventually, um, well, parents had to learn a. We had to sort of learn and, and I think, I think that one thing that I can probably, I don’t know if it if it happened to everybody, but I found that I spent a little bit more time with my kids during all this that was going on.

And probably because I think I felt. I felt really bad for them. Like I’ve got, I’ve got, uh, well we’ve got three teens, well one of them’s 19, so he’s gone. But, uh, I’ve got two teens in high school right now and they were just starting high school when this whole thing happened. And, you know, just. The high school experience and I, I mean, I had such a great time in high school.

I, I mean, I know probably not everybody does, but, but I did and, and just like watching them lose it all and lose their sports and all that, like, I felt terrible for them. And it was one of those things where I think I just kind of tried to overcompensate a bit and spend a little bit more time with them and, you know, maybe plan some day trips.

But I, I, I’m. I, I think my, my instinct says that there was a lot of parents that probably didn’t have the bandwidth to even do that. They didn’t

Keri Cooper: know what to do. There were so many parents that were so stressed out, you know, kids were home, they’re trying to work from home. I mean, spouses are home that maybe weren’t always home.

There was a lot of tension going on in houses. Um, and, you know, it, it was ugly at one point. I.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. And like for me, you know, and, and like the whole topic of the show, I’ve been working from home for 15 years . So, so really it didn’t affect me at all. I wasn’t, I mean, I, I am a musician, so I did lose some gigs.

I mean, it, it did affect me. But in terms of my work life, I still got up in the morning and went down to my computer and you know, the kids being home. Well, you know, now I had to make lunches and make sure that they were fed and stuff like that. But other than that, really, it didn’t affect me all that much.

But I do, I do know that. There were a lot of their peers that, I mean the parents were go going crazy. So, you know, I think that, you know, you being, what you’re doing, what you’re right now is gonna be, I think we need more, probably more therapists out

Keri Cooper: there right now. We need so many more therapists right now.

I mean, we’re awful. We’re awful at this point. Um, and it’s, you know, it’s hard cause there’s still a lot of kids that need help.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. So now your main focus is on kids. . Yes. And is there like an age range that you work with primarily? Primarily

Keri Cooper: high school, college, um, many times some middle schoolers as well.

Um, and actually one of the newer populations that have been coming into my office quite a bit is the right after college time period, because that’s a lot of transitions. Oh yeah. Um, and although we kind of at one point thought. In college, people really gained a lot of independence and, you know, skills that’s not so much happening anymore.

Um, so it’s a very rough transition into the, the actual adult world.

Tim Melanson: Yeah, yeah. The, the world is very different now than it was, and you know, I, I think I was kind of at a, at a cusp because when you think about the fifties, sixties, seven, Everybody knew what they were gonna do, right? There was very defined roles of what you’re supposed to do, and you had this script that you’re supposed to follow, which is no longer there anymore.

So now I think that that’s probably playing into it is that if you don’t know what to do, like, you know, people like certainty, and so if you’ve got no certainty about, oh, I just went to school, I got a degree and I can’t find a job. Right. With Ash, right? Mm-hmm. . Yes. So, so now when, uh, like who would be the ideal client?

Like, so, so who, who would get the most out of working with you?

Keri Cooper: I mean, I think anybody who needs just a place to kind of dump out all their emotions and process them all out and learn how to do that. Anyone who has, you know, anxiety and needs coping skills, anybody who just kind of needs overall, how do I handle this thing called life because it’s crazy.

And, you know, especially middle school, high school, college years are not always easy. Uh, there’s a lot going on there and these kids are really feeling very stressed out and a lot of pressure and social interactions are not like they were years ago with social media now. And that whole world has changed.

Um, and it’s sad. It’s sad. This kind of new norm of, I’m not gonna hang out with anybody. I’m just gonna be on my phone connecting to people through a screen.

Tim Melanson: Yeah, I hear that that’s a whole other topic that we probably don’t have time to talk about . That’s a whole nother topic. Yes. Yeah. I mean, my, my thought is that it’s just a different world.

I mean, you know, I look at them like, get outside, go do something, but nobody’s outside, so what are they gonna do? Right. Their friends are all in the phone, so, mm-hmm. , so maybe, maybe that’s okay. You know, you know, I think that a lot of parents try to kick their kids into something that is, Into a world that doesn’t exist anymore.

Mm-hmm. .

Keri Cooper: Yeah. Well, I think it’s a hard transition for parents to see this is not how we grew up. Mm-hmm. . Um, so it’s, it’s a completely different world and it’s trying to navigate that world.

Tim Melanson: So how does a session with you look like? Or how does working with you look like? Is it like, sort of like weekly calls?

Like how does it work?

Keri Cooper: Uh, normally it’s weekly. I mean, there are some kids who kind of see me every other week depending on, you know, where they’re at with everything. And then I always have the kids who, you know, will bounce in every once in a while if they kind of come across something that they just can’t figure out.

Um, and they just need some more skills. So normally, you know, people come in here standard on a weekly basis, um, and kind of work through whatever whatever’s happening for them. It’s all very different based on the kid that’s in.

Tim Melanson: Right on. So all of this to say that, I mean now, now we’re coming back to, you know, the people who are gonna be listening to this are probably gonna be parents who are gonna be, uh, working from home.

But I mean, really when it comes down to it, business is all about mindset. And so if you’re not in the right space, cuz you’re worried about your kids, which is totally valid, then you’re probably not gonna be getting the most out of your own business. And so, you know, maybe this. Be a good connection for you.

Call, you know, connect with Carrie and find out how she can help your kids so that you can get to your business.

Keri Cooper: Read the book because the skills in the book are ones that parents need too. I mean, one of the big things I talk about is sleep and how important sleep is for mental health for focus, which you can’t run a business if you’re not focusing, if your mental health is bad, if your patients is low.

And it was amazed me. We went out to dinner, you know, a few months ago with a bunch of, you know, adult friends and they all talked about their sleep patterns and like, these women didn’t sleep until like two in the morning and they would be like up at four and then like back at six. And it’s like, what?

Like this isn’t normal. How has this become normal? Um, So when I give tips in the book about your children sleeping, it’s also also about like you need to be sleeping. Like put your phone away, put it on do not disturb. Like this is your sleep time. It needs to be prioritized. Mm-hmm. . So yes, parents as well need to, you know, read this book to gain a lot of their own skills and also for their children.

You know, we could say whatever we want to these kids, at the end of the day, they see what we do. Now, what we. So if we’re telling our kids, get off your phone. Get off your phone, and here we are as a parent attached to our phone. You know, we need to be mindful of that.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. Eventually they’re gonna blow out and call you out on that

Yes, for

Keri Cooper: sure. Yeah. Yeah, they do all the time. Yeah. Yeah. Mom, dad, you’re telling me to exercise, you’re not moving. Yeah.

Tim Melanson: Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, if we put ourselves back when we were kids, I mean, we didn’t talk back as much, I don’t think , uh, there were different consequences, but. We would’ve . Right? . So how do we find the book?

How do we get in touch with you? Sure.

Keri Cooper: So, um, on Amazon is both the Kindle and the print version of Mental Health Uncensored 10 Foundations. Every Parent Needs to Know. Um, and hopefully probably by December, uh, the next book will be coming out, which is an actual workbook for teenagers based on these principles.

Wow. Um, and then my website, Carrie Cooper Holistic Therapy is the great way to find me, and I’m on Facebook and. Twitter and Instagram, even though, you know, I don’t like doing that. So somebody else runs that for me. ? Mm-hmm. . But all my information’s up there too, and some good articles.

Tim Melanson: Awesome. This has been a lot of fun and very informational.

Keri Cooper: Thank you very much. Thank you so much.

Tim Melanson: Thanks for rocking out with me today and to the listeners, make sure you subscribe right and comment, and we’ll see you next time on the Work at Home Rockstar podcast. .