Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erica Curtis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Erica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

Rather than talking about successes, I thought it could be useful to discuss a point of resistance. We probably all have them. A point of resistance is an area in business growth that we avoid because we don’t like it or we don’t believe we are good at it. My point of resistance is social media.

I don’t do social media, at least not how I beleive I “should” do it. I don’t post often. I’m only on one platform. I don’t follow many people nor do I have many followers. It’s not fun or rewarding for me and, as someone born before the tech boom, I still find social media somewhat creepy.

My business is successful without social media so I tell myself I don’t need it. Yet I have one nagging question that keeps me wondering – what exciting opportunities might come along through social media that I haven’t even conceived of? That’s the attraction for me.

So, I continue to debate its pros and cons and imagine that someday I will succumb to either investing time or dollars into building more of a social media presence. In the meantime, I spend my time focusing on projects and collabortations that excite and inspire me. I didn’t need social media to build and maintain a strong business but perhaps, someday, it’ll end up the icing on the cake.

Erica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Licenced Marraige and Family Therapist and Board Certified Art Therapist. I’m an award-winning author of “The Innovative Parent: Raising Connected, Happy, Successful Kids through Art” and “Art Therapy Acitivities for Kids.” I’m an instructor and curriculum developer for UCLA-affiliated, The Arts and Healing Initiative. I also consult for the Board of Behavioral Sciences, Loyola Marymount University, and more. I am a past board member of the American Art Therapy Association and past president of the Southern California chapter. I am an internationally sought speaker and have been cited in over 100 media outlets as an expert on creative approaches to psychological, relational, and emotional health. I am a regular co-host on the Motivation Mindset Podcast with Risa Williams. At the core of my business is my psychotherapy practice in San Juan Capistrano, CA, where I provides therapy to children, teens, adults, families, and couples. For more information, visit: www.TherapyWithErica.com

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I was a young professional, I was trained to always be available and to over-extend myself. I was not taught work/life boundaries. Working in a nonprofit at the time, we carried pagers in case of emergencies and were frequently called to deal with crises which, in hindsight, were not real crises.

Later, as a business owner, I carried this same, unhealthy (and unnecessary) mode of operating with me. Not only did I feel responsible to be immediately available to clients but now I also felt a responsibility to my business. I equated good business with putting work first. This is a lesson I had to unlearn.

I observed my urge to resolve work matters immediately and self-imposed a more generous 24 hour response time. I retrained myself to slow down and soothe myself before stepping away from family or personal time to respond to work emails, calls, or texts. I learned work could wait, that a 24 hour response time is still exceptional, and that most people are able to resolve their own questions when given the chance.

Being less immediately available helped me with work/life balance but it had a secondary, unexpected benefit as well. Being less available improved how others valued and respected my services and my time. Not only did I benefit, but my business benefited as well.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe three things have helped me build a good reputation: timeliness, helpfulness, and quality.

Timeliness: I get back to people within 24 hours, even if to simply acknowledge their message and explain I will respond in full at a later, specified date. It seems simple, but goes a long toward building connection by helping people feel seen and heard.

Helpfulness: My over arching goal is to help so even if my services or products may not be the right fit for an individual or organization, I provide referals that may help. If a potential client is uncertain about my services, I encourage them to look into other options had choose what is best for them. This builds trust in my true intention to support their best interest.

Quality: When I focus on quality services and products, the quantity naturally comes. When we focus on the quantity of customers, clients, and followers, the quality easily suffers. I keep updated on current trends and research in my industry to really understand what works to help others and how I can deliver that both to one-on-one clients and in larger formats like workshops, books, and podcasts.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.therapywitherica.com
• Instagram: @EricaKCurtis
• Linkedin: erica-curtis-lmft-atr-bc

Image Credits
Katie Lubbers