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

Hi Monica, thanks for joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I never thought I would become an entrepreneur. I desperately felt I would work an 8-5 as a government employee with a nice salary, but boy was I wrong. After getting my dream job after graduate school, I quickly realized the job brought out the worst in me. I would constantly people-please, overextend myself, and get burned out. I needed a drastic change, so I decided to put my focus on getting my license as a therapist and do a mental health podcast on the side. At the time, I never thought I was creative, and it was great to focus on something that wasn’t my 8-5, and it quickly became the push I needed to start my part-time private practice. Once I realized I needed time to heal from burnout, I decided to start applying for other jobs and learn from the mistakes I made in my previous job. However, I still was not ready to go full-time on my own. So I decided to take a job at a university. It was the best experience yet because I had a boss who encouraged and supported me in my private practice part-time. In October 2020, I decided to leap into entrepreneurship. I wish I did start sooner and believed in myself more at the time, but surrounding myself with supportive people helped me get the courage I needed to leap into full-time entrepreneurship.

Monica, 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 Monica Denais, a mindset coach and therapist based in Dallas, Texas. I help ambitious women and entrepreneurs overcome anxiety, perfectionism, and burnout so they can feel confident in both life and business. The journey for me took work.

I was working at a government job I hated and on the bridge of burnout, trying to balance my full-time job while running a side business. I was overworked and underpaid. I didn’t feel like I was meeting anyone’s expectations and felt defeated every day trying to catch up.

It hit me as I was sitting in my car outside of my work building, dreading the thought of another day of putting out fires, another day of unrealistic expectations, and feeling exhausted. I didn’t have to stay stuck! I decided to go back to counseling to become the best version of myself. I wanted to find a space where I could speak without judgment and start building my confidence.

After taking back my life, I became balanced and found myself working with my dream clients, continuously investing in my healing, and showing up for the people I love most. That’s when I saw a gap in therapists who support women entrepreneurs. I wanted to guide women entrepreneurs because entrepreneurship can be challenging and lonely. With the proper support in therapy, you can go far. I help my clients by getting to the root of the patterns and behaviors, not serving them with a unique solution-focused approach. I provide a safe space for women to find the confidence to build a life they love and a business that supports that life.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started a mental health podcast called Café with Monica as an intern. I was terrified that no one would listen and overwhelmed with everything there was to learn about podcasting. I let perfectionism at first get in the way of creating. I quickly learned that “done is better than perfect”. My advice is to lean into your imperfections, choose a platform you love and stick with it. Create and learn from your mistakes. There will always be room to grow and learn.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

What helped me the most was my authenticity and vulnerability to share. I was not just a cookie-cutter therapist. I showed up consistently and shared who I was. I allowed myself to be seen. I was able to relate to my audience, and that helped. Before a client steps into a session, I want them to feel they already know me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.monicadenais.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cafewithmonica
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@cafewithmoica

Image Credits
Angelica Marie Photography & Alyssa Roloff Photography