We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Dolin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

As crazy as this may sound, one of the most defining moments in. my life was inviting someone new into my home. It has always been a struggle for me to keep a clean and tidy home. Because of that, I only let people into my home if it was absolutely necessary. I can’t count the times I would look around and wish so much that I could have a house I wasn’t embarrassed by. I tried over and over to clean it and create a livable space, yet I struggled to make real progress over the years. Then, I met someone amazing with whom I wanted to let in and develop a deep relationship; I couldn’t keep hiding my home and keeping those walls up if I wanted to live my life full out.

I decided something needed to change, and the only way to do that was to ask for help. I knew asking for help meant I would have to open my hidden space to someone. A good friend came over, and together we cleared out and deep-cleaned much of my home. The next step was to have someone replace the floors and paint the walls.

I picked a company I felt safe being so vulnerable with, signed a contract, and made all the decisions about floors, paint, fixtures, and décor. It took them just over a week to finish everything. The team was gracious, understood my anxiety, and they were incredibly kind throughout this stage of my journey. By the time they were finished, I felt much lighter.

I was truly in love with my bedroom and felt that I had created a space that was perfectly me. Finally, I had a space I was proud of and wanted to share.

Then, I did it. I invited someone new into my home for the first time in a decade. It was terrifying, yet I knew my life would change by doing so. So there I was on a Sunday afternoon, opening my front door to someone who mattered to me and whose opinion of me mattered. I was so anxious, and yet I let him in. And the world didn’t end; the anxiety disappeared within a few minutes. It was the perfect combination of the right person at the right time. I had spent literal years feeling I couldn’t let people in, and when I opened my home, I felt the world open for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

First and foremost, I am a mom of two amazing teenagers (I may be a little biased.) I had the awesome job of being a full-time mom and volunteer for just over ten years. It was a tremendous gift for me to have that time with my kiddos as they were growing up. During this time, I also struggled with my mental health. I was diagnosed with postpartum depression after the birth of both of my children, but that was not the beginning of my mental health journey. I saw my first psychiatrist at 15 but didn’t feel I got any “real” help. In March 2016, I walked into my sixth psychiatrist’s office, praying that this man would help me save my life. I was at my lowest and ready to end my life. This doctor gave me a diagnosis of bipolar 2. I didn’t believe him, or maybe I didn’t want to believe him. He sat with me and reviewed my symptoms and why he reached that conclusion. I started medication and felt like a whole new person within two weeks. It took several medication changes and lots of therapy to reach a place where I felt genuinely healthy and happy.

In 2020 I needed to go back to working outside the home, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. My therapist at the time suggested that I consider being a coach. I researched, and within a month, I started a coach training program. Despite knowing I wanted to be a coach and help people reach their goals, I was still determining who I wanted to work with. I started thinking I would work with moms like me—women overwhelmed with the feeling that they had to do everything and failed. Let’s face it; we need help to do everything. While I loved working with these women, I knew I was meant for something different. I eventually landed on working with people wanting to improve their mental health. I wanted people to know there was hope on the other side of a mental illness diagnosis.

Shortly after I began this shift, I saw how much of our world is impacted by mental health. I discovered that society is better when we are better. I wanted to look at all the places mental health impact the society we all live in and how society impacts each of our mental well-being. So, I started my podcast, The Mental Society, where mental health and society meet. My goal is to show people that they are not alone in their struggles, that there are so many places to get help and heal, and to provide resources and tools for people who want to improve their lives. It has been an adventure, and I have had the joy of interviewing all kinds of people, from doctors to cosplayers. I want The Mental Society to be more than a podcast but a community where people support one another and share their struggles and journey toward health and healing.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective way of growing my clientele is simple: to be genuine, share part of my story, and listen to what potential clients want and need. By sharing my struggles, I show people I understand where they are coming from, how I have healed, and what they can gain from investing in themselves by working with me. When I approach people with genuine curiosity, a connection is made. People feel important and heard; who doesn’t want that? Relationships and connections are the keys to small businesses. Big businesses can feel impersonal, but when working with a small business, clients get to know the people that make up that company, and they are more than a number. The deeper the connection you create, the stronger the relationship becomes, and with a strong relationship comes loyalty and trust. These clients often refer others to you because you have shown them how important they are to you and your business. What better way to grow your business than through referrals from happy clients? Never, ever underestimate the power of personal relationships when growing your business.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Many of us have been taught that suffering makes us stronger; it is an inevitable part of life, and we will not grow without it. This is what I believed. I had to unlearn that suffering is a necessary part of life. There will be painful emotional experiences, and we will get sick or injured, but we don’t have to suffer. Suffering is optional. Suffering suggests that we passively accept that there is no other option than to put up with the painful situation. I no longer wanted to live that way. I learned that I would experience pain in many different ways, and when I decided to let go of the idea that suffering is my only choice, and shifted to a belief that I can learn from those painful experiences. Everything became an opportunity for growth and discovery. Choosing to see potential has allowed me to grow in ways that suffering would have never allowed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thementalsociety.com, www.igniteyourbeacon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thementalsocietypodcast/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thementalsociety
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandadolin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thementalsociety