Mental Health Challenges for Female Entrepreneurs with Shulamit Ber Levtov

Today’s guest, Shulamit Ber Levtov is a clinical social worker who specializes in supporting female small business owners and who calls herself The Entrepreneur’s Therapist.  Shulamit started her own business in her fifties after a career shift left her searching for new opportunities. She discovered that entrepreneurship was not only fulfilling but also provided the flexibility and autonomy she craved.  In her work, Shulamit aims to change the conversation around mental health in entrepreneurship, helping women recognize their strengths, acknowledge their struggles, and build businesses that serve them holistically.

Together we explore:

- The isolation and stigma surrounding mental health in entrepreneurship

- The emotional labor of entrepreneurship and its impact on mental health

- The discrepancy between the portrayal of entrepreneurship and the reality

- The dopamine-seeking behaviors in entrepreneurship and its emotional implications

- The significance of self-compassion and understanding in overcoming struggles

Join us as we delve into these topics and more, and gain valuable insights about the intersection of feminine conditioning, mental health and entrepreneurship. If you are a woman who identifies as an entrepreneur and is finding her mental health challenged by the stress and strain of running a business, you are not alone.  It is the nature of entrepreneurship and as women, therapists and business owners ourselves, Shula and I wanted to discuss the truth of entrepreneurship is that behind the glamorous image portrayed on social media, there are a lot of women struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, panic attacks, OCD and a pervasive sense that there is something wrong with them.  If you are reading these words, I want you to know that you are not alone. 

Connect with Shulamit Ber Levtov beyond this episode:

• Newsletter: https://www.shula.ca/newsletter/
• 7 Threats to your Mental Health as an Entrepreneur: https://bit.ly/43MuE3V
• Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shulamitberlevtov/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_entrepreneurs_therapist/

Mentioned in this episode:

• Michael Freeman/ECONA: https://econa.net/about/
• The E-Myth by Michael Gerber: https://bit.ly/454FrYg
• Spoon Theory: https://bit.ly/3KhasjG
• Emotional Labor by Rose Hackman: https://amzn.to/44ELQcK

If summer is a little slower in your business, it’s the perfect time to turn things around before the fall rush. My short term,  Choose Your Own Adventure options are only available during July and August.  Kinda like summer camp, but without leaving home or S’Mores.  Find out more here:  https://bit.ly/43XxovI  then, schedule a free 30-minute consultation here:  https://bit.ly/3qrJ9YQ 

My favorite place to connect online is Linked In, click here to subscribe to my LinkedIn newsletter: https://bit.ly/3MAalSp

For the time crunched, or impatient, here’s the TLDL version:

00:02:02] Misleading portrayals of women entrepreneurs 

[00:09:36] Complex emotional labor expectations for women.

[00:26:01] Mature women entrepreneurs can work smarter, not harder.

[00:29:05] The belief of not being enough affects women's productivity.

[00:38:09] Trauma and entrepreneurship: there’s nothing wrong with you.