NYT Bestselling Author of The 5 Types of Wealth

Sahil Bloom is the New York Times Bestselling author of The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.

Sahil is an inspirational writer and entrepreneur, captivating millions of people every week through his book, social insights, and bi-weekly newsletter, The Curiosity Chronicle.

His debut non-fiction book, The 5 Types of Wealth, was an instant New York Times, USA Today, and Sunday Times Bestseller. Apple CEO Tim Cook called it "a powerful call to action to think deeply about what lights you up—and a guide for how to build a life of meaning and purpose around those things." The book is a unique blend of strategies, tactics, and actionable insights, enabling readers to make real, positive changes and lead healthier, wealthier lives.

Sahil is also an entrepreneur and owner of SRB Holdings, a personal holding company, and the Managing Partner of SRB Ventures, a $10 million venture investment firm committed to investing in and accelerating the most compelling startups in the world. Prior to launching SRB Ventures in January 2022, Sahil was an early-stage investor in 40+ startups across the technology landscape, including multiple unicorns.

Previously, Sahil spent seven years as a private equity investor and served on the board of several middle market companies during that period.

Sahil graduated from Stanford University with an M.A. in Public Policy (2014) and a B.A. in Economics & Sociology (2013). While at Stanford, he was a four-year member on the Stanford Baseball Team (2009-2013), twice helping to guide the team to NCAA Super Regional appearances (top-16 finishes). Additionally, Sahil earned two PAC-12 All-Academic Team awards and twice received the Bruce R. Cameron Memorial Award, given annually to a student-athlete exhibiting excellence in athletics, academics, and leadership. Academically, Sahil was advised in his pursuits by former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

Sahil Bloom

Cheat code for attracting the right people…

Be unapologetically yourself.

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📌 Want wisdom that helps you focus on what truly matters?

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13 simple habits that give you an unfair advantage in life:

1. Spend 15 minutes on Sunday evening creating a Weekly Win Card. Write down the ~3-5 things that, if accomplished, would characterize real progress on the most important priorities in your professional life. Use the card to keep your focus on the bigger picture during the week.

2. Spend time in rooms where you feel like the dumbest one in the room. Small hit to the ego, huge boost to the growth.

3. Put your phone on grayscale mode for 90% of the day. It makes your phone dramatically less addictive and reduces your tendency to procrastinate through the little "just checks" of social media and messages during the day.

4. Send a cold email to someone you admire. Keep it short, personalize the delivery, and create a clear call-to-action at the end.

5. Create an "Idea Folder" where you log interesting business ideas. One of these ideas might be the 100x opportunity that changes your life.

6. Get a white noise machine and put it in your bedroom. Most of them cost <$50 and they'll meaningfully improve your sleep.

7. Journal for 5 minutes in the evening before bed. Follow my 1-1-1 Method: Write down one win from the day, one point of stress or anxiety, and one point of gratitude. It creates clarity, reduces stress, and helps you fall asleep faster.

8. Read 10 pages per day. It doesn't have to be personal development, it can be anything you enjoy. Do it first thing in the morning or in bed to help you fall asleep.

9. Execute a daily management sprint. Structure 30-60 minutes later in the day when you can get into flow and knock out your basic work, like emails, admin tasks, and miscellaneous to dos.

10. When you think something nice about someone, let them know right then. This inspiration is perishable. Give people their flowers while you still can.

11. Spend 5 minutes in the evening preparing for your priority tasks the next morning.

12. Follow a 24-hour rule for non-essential purchases. This reduces impulse purchases and improves saving and investing rates. If you still want to buy the thing after 24 hours, go for it.

13. Go for a 15 minute walk after lunch. A post-meal walk has been shown to reduce blood glucose by up to 35%. It's a simple, free way to improve afternoon energy levels and help with digestion, mental clarity, and creativity.

Here's the truth: If you play enough asymmetric games, the universe will eventually bend in your favor.

This list is a good place to start...

Pick one and get started today.

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____

📌 Want wisdom that helps you focus on what truly matters?

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This idea completely changed my life…

(it's called The Stone Cutter Principle):

A traveler approached three stonecutters working on a construction site and asked each of them what they were doing.

The first stonecutter said, "I am cutting stone." 

The second stonecutter replied, "I am building a wall."
 
But the third stonecutter smiled proudly, "I am building a cathedral."
 
Same work. Different story.

This is important: The story you tell yourself about your daily actions has the power to dramatically shape the reality you experience.

The first stonecutter sees monotony. The second sees contribution. The third sees purpose.

The task doesn't change, but the meaning does.

And as we all know, a strong sense of meaning creates a different level of energy, focus, and intensity in the pursuit.

I like to call this the Stonecutter Principle:

How you choose to perceive the process determines the quality of your outcomes.

But it's easier said than done…

Most of life is lived in the daily grind. The small, repetitive, sometimes frustrating tasks that make up the process. When you're trudging forward, it can feel like the work on any given day doesn't matter.

And yet, the hard days are where perspective becomes most powerful. This is where the story can change everything.

Simply because so few people are able to connect the small to the big.

That's the Stonecutter Principle in action: Connecting daily effort to the grand vision.

You won't always enjoy every task in front of you. Some days will feel dull, heavy, or thankless. But you always have the power to choose the story you tell about that work.

You can see yourself cutting stone—or building a cathedral.

You can see yourself cleaning the floor—or helping put a man on the moon.

And when you choose the bigger story, you don't just elevate yourself, but everyone around you. That vision is contagious. Your energy creates energy. Your agency creates agency.

So the next time you find yourself caught in the grind, pause and ask:

What am I really building here?

Because the story you choose is the life you live.

📌 Want the frameworks for turning small actions into big changes?

Download my Decision-Making Razors PDF (free) and join 800,000+ who get my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eCwb4EGP

The Stone Cutter Principle

This Dartmouth Experiment changed how I see the world.

(It will blow your mind)...

In 1980, a Dartmouth psychologist named Dr. Robert Kleck conducted an interesting experiment with a group of undergraduate students.

Everyone would go through a series of professional interviews, but before they began, half the participants were told they would have a large scar painted prominently on their face by a makeup artist.

The scar they were shown in the mirror was removed prior to the interviews, but half the participants engaged in the interviews believing that they had a large scar in full view of the interviewer.

In the fascinating results, the participants who believed they had the scar noted that the interviewers had treated them differently. They cited feelings of judgment, helplessness, and powerlessness in the situation.

The participants who believed they had appeared normal did not express any such feelings.

Simply believing they had a scar caused the participants to interact with the world differently and perceive slights that did not exist.

The Dartmouth Scar Experiment is an interesting case study on the impact of the so-called Victim Mentality on our lives.

Victim Mentality is a mindset in which a person consistently views themselves as the target of external forces, believing that their challenges and failures are primarily a byproduct of circumstances outside their control.

Victim Mentality is different from being a victim. We're all victims of unfortunate events at some point in our lives. As the phrase goes, sometimes sh*t happens.
Victim Mentality is about adopting victimhood as part of your identity. It's a belief that life happens to you.

When we attribute our own misses, failures, and challenges to factors outside our control, we give too much power to them.

Alternatively, when we embrace accountability—when we take ownership of our situation and the actions and beliefs that are within our control—we take back that power.

Life definitely isn't fair. It's a troubling reality.

But instead of wasting energy on every obstacle in your way, focus on what you can control and how you can break through.

Stop looking out. Look in. Be accountable. Take back that power.

📌 Want more mental models for taking control of your life?

Download my Decision-Making Razors PDF (free) and join 800,000+ who get my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eCwb4EGP

The Dartmouth Scar Experiment

The most liberating truth no one tells you:

Nobody cares.

When you’re winning, nobody cares. When you’re losing, nobody cares. 

It doesn’t mean nobody loves you, it just means nobody cares about your life as much as you do. It just means that you are in control. It’s on you. 

Nobody cares. Go do it.

📌 Want more timeless principles that actually work?

Download my Decision-Making Razors PDF (free) and join 800,000+ who get my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eCwb4EGP

9 unfair advantages successful people use

(that nobody talks about):

1. Wear a rubber band on your wrist. Snap it when you do the bad habit you're breaking.

2. Ask intimidating people: "What are you working on that excites you most?"

3. Wait 24 hours before taking any emotion-induced action.

4. Be genuinely interested in everyone you encounter.

5. Start mornings with 5-5-5-30: 5 push-ups, 5 squats, 5 lunges, 30-second plank.

6. Treat your credit card like a debit card.

7. Automate a small monthly deposit into investments.

8. Carry a notebook everywhere. Stop trying to remember things.

9. Have one thing you're terrible at but love doing anyway.

My approach: Pick one per week. Master it. Move to the next.

Do this for a year and you'll be unrecognizable.

Small tweaks. Massive results.

Which one will you try first?

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____

📌 Want more life-changing tactics that take minutes to implement?

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9 Unfair Advantages

💪Girl dad 🛋️Psychologist 🌅I pulled back from a prestigious (but overworked) clinical path to design a 6-figure career around my family 🤝🏾I help therapists build and make money from their online courses and podcasts

I didn’t come from a family of entrepreneurs or business owners.
I thought I’d spend my life doing therapy work.

But in 2015, a snowstorm changed everything.

The power went out. Roads froze over.
I had to cancel 21 therapy sessions in one week.

We were saving for our first home.
And just like that, my income was gone.

That week I asked myself:

👉 What kind of business really supports the life I want?

A few months later, I started the Selling the Couch podcast.
It didn’t blow up overnight. But step by step, it grew into:
	•	🎙 One of the top 0.5% podcasts in the world
	•	🌍 1.82M+ downloads in 100+ countries
	•	💛 A quiet community of thoughtful therapists and founders

Then life shifted again.
Our daughter was born 8 weeks early.
The sound of NICU machines is something I’ll never forget.

That season taught me this:
It’s not just what you build.
It’s how you build—and who you become while building.

⸻

Now I help others create businesses that fit their lives:

✅ 245+ therapists launched podcasts ($344,000+ in course sales)
✅ 50+ founders built courses inside my mastermind ($300,000+ earned)
✅ I’ve shaped my own business around hiking, deep work, church, golf, and unhurried time with loved ones.

Here’s the truth:
Good work doesn’t always speak for itself.
People need to see it.

But you don’t have to hustle or burn out to be seen.

If you’re a therapist, quiet founder, parent, or leader who wants to grow without losing yourself—I’d love to connect.

🟡 I share stories and lessons on slow growth each week
🟡 Follow for simple, calm business ideas
🟡 My DMs are open

And if you want to go deeper—

I write The Quiet Builder:
A paid newsletter for thoughtful builders.
$97/year. Two soulful issues a month.
It’s for people who want to grow slow—but strong—even in uncertain times.

👉 sellingthecouch.com/quietbuilder

Because that snowstorm taught me one thing:

A business worth building protects your life.
It doesn’t swallow it.

Melvin Varghese, PhD

🍁 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲

Hi friends —
I’ll be stepping away from social for the rest of the week, but before I go, I wanted to say a quiet, heartfelt thank you.

If you’re here in the U.S., I hope this season brings you:
🌿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁
🥧 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱
🫶 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲

And wherever you are in the world —
thank you for being part of this little corner of the internet for Quiet Builders...
where we value depth over noise and steady growth over spectacle.

⸻

🌱 𝗔 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 (𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼)

Over the past two years, I’ve started to move many of my online connections into real-life conversations.
📞 Phone calls
🤝 Sometimes longer collaborations.
💬 Sometimes simply human connection.

If we’ve had a call this year, thank you.
These moments matter more than metrics.

⸻

📣 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻… 𝗔 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀

We’re hosting a new, free workshop:

🧠 How to AI-Proof Your Online Course Idea
📅 Wednesday, December 10
🔗 https://lnkd.in/edPNSaqu

It’s for therapists who are:
→ Building their first course
→ Revisiting something they’ve already created
→ Or trying to future-proof their income stream without hustle

I’ll be sharing:
🧩 What I’ve learned from working with 50+ therapist course creators
🧠 How to think strategically about content and longevity
💡 What actually works in this shifting economy

⸻

🍂 𝗨𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻…

Wishing you a warm, grounded Thanksgiving.

Let’s keep building slow, meaningful things —
Together. Quietly. 🙂

Melvin Varghese PhD

💪 Girl dad + Psychologist + New Golfer ⛳ Helping therapists & quiet builders grow calm, strong businesses ✍🏽 Sharing slow growth lessons since 2015

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𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 —
a new community for therapists building through:
🎙 Courses
🎧 Podcasts
📺 YouTube
✍🏽 Writing
🎤 Speaking

⸻

If I’m honest, I nearly built it in secret. 

After 10 years online — and two $400K+ products — launching something new still stirs up fear. 😔

What if it flops? What if no one shows up?

But I’ve learned: 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿.

A few months ago, I gathered 13 thoughtful colleagues into a 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗸.

They asked sharp questions. Gave generous feedback.
Helped refine every piece.

Suzie, Amanda Campbell, LMHC, Anne Rice, Cecilia Racine, LCSW, Julie Hartman PhD, Katie Lear, LCMHC, RPT, RDT, Laura, Michelle Richardson, Nina, Rachel Orleck, Psy.D., Shawn, Antonia O'Planick, PsyD, and Tiffini Sharifi, LPC, CST — thank you. 

You shaped this. ❤️

⸻

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 especially as a husband and dad raising a daughter.

From day one, 1𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 funds a donor-advised scholarship for girls rescued from the commercial sex trade.

At full capacity, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 $𝟯𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬+ 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿, compounding into hundreds of thousands over time.

We’re calling it 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱.
Because real impact is often quiet.

⸻

If you’re curious to join us — especially 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 on 𝘼𝙄-𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 —
check the link at the top of my profile.

Thank you for being here.
It means more than you know. 🙂

Every course starts with one small lesson.

It might not feel like much, but 1% progress beats 0% every time.

But there's something safe about staying in that 0%.

Each step you take gets you closer to your finished course.

Consistency compounds. Keep going—you’re building something valuable.

How are you moving 1% forward today?

Hi all. We’re opening up 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘁𝘀 for the Selling the Couch podcast. 🎙️

Several of our long-time partners have already renewed, so we’re down to our 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 TWO 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 for the year.

If you run a company that serves mental health therapists and want to:

✅ Reach a highly engaged, values-aligned audience
✅ Build long-term trust through story-driven content
✅ Partner with a show that therapists have trusted for over a decade

— I’d love to explore a fit.

⸻

The STC Podcast is now in its 𝟭𝟭𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿:
🎧 400+ episodes
🌎 2 million downloads
📈 Ranked in the 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟬.𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆

We’ve proudly partnered with companies like 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗮, 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹, and would love to add yours to that list. 🙂
⸻

📌 You’ll find a link to our 2026 sponsorship sheet at the top of my profile.
🎥 I’ve also included a short behind-the-scenes video to show how we produce and promote sponsor content.

With full in-house audio + video editing, your message reaches:
→ Podcast listeners
→ YouTube viewers
→ 𝟯,𝟰𝟬𝟬+ 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀

If you’re interested, please 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗗𝗠 with the subject line:
👉 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

Let’s create something meaningful together. <3

There’s a kind of exhaustion that has nothing to do with how full your calendar is.

I recently experienced this with our most recent mastermind launch. 

You can have every email scheduled.
Every launch piece in place.

And still feel like you’re moving through molasses.

It’s not the logistics.
It’s the emotional weight behind the scenes.

An argument at home.
A parenting moment that wrecked you.
A deep fatigue you can’t name.

These are the parts of business no one teaches us to plan for.

But they’re the very things that impact our capacity to show up.

Grace has to be part of the business model.

Especially when life is happening behind the content.

🔥 I’ve been thinking a lot about a phrase lately:
𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲.

It’s how I’d describe so many of us building things quietly —
Not for show.
Not for scale-at-all-costs.
But for meaning, health, and longevity.

Not the burn-it-down kind of fire.
The kiln kind.
Steady, intentional, high heat that reshapes things permanently.

⸻

This mindset has been quietly shaping everything I build.

🧱 Earlier this year, I launched the 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 — a $97/year letter for people building long-game, life-first businesses.

We’re now at 59 paying members with ~80% open rates per issue.
Not huge revenue.
But huge signal.

It tells me Quiet Builders are out there.
People who crave stillness, not spin.
Depth, not dopamine.

https://lnkd.in/ekm_yFtG
⸻

Next year, I’ll be rolling out something new:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵.

It’s a private, 1-day golf experience for high-performing people in high-pressure roles —
surgeons, investors, operators, pilots, founders —
who need their 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 when the stakes are real.

We use 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹,
𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺,
and 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 to create one of the most personalized executive coaching days available.

⸻

Quiet fire isn’t fast.
But it compounds.
And what it builds tends to last.

𝗔𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Yesterday, we officially opened up 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻 —
a new community for therapists building online courses, podcasts, YouTube channels, speaking platforms, and writing projects.

We kicked things off with a free live workshop:
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗜-𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲.
72 therapists signed up. The energy was incredible.

But the moment I signed off...
𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗲.

Not “I need a nap” tired —
the kind of tired that leads to a dimly lit room, an Avatar movie, and chocolate mousse from my favorite local bakery. (📸 evidence included 😅)

Here’s the part we rarely talk about as founders:

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹.

✨ Haven has been in the works for months —
13 generous colleagues offered feedback to help shape it into something calm, practical, and deeply human.

💔 At the same time, I’m closing down STC Elite —
our online course mastermind that’s supported 50+ therapists since 2021.
Our final cohort ends next week.

That tension — of beginning and ending — is real.

And yesterday reminded me:
𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

Sometimes it looks like a blurry screen, a spoonful of mousse, and your nervous system asking for stillness after you’ve given everything you’ve got.

⸻

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿,
𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝘁.

Because building meaningful things isn’t just strategy —
𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝘀.

𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟭 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.

But this past year, I started to quietly worry:

💬 “What if online courses are... dead?”

I mean, if ChatGPT can give someone a deeply researched, personalized answer in seconds, why would they ever pay $500–$2,000 for a course?

The panic was real.

I started questioning everything:

→ Would my students still see value?
→ Was this model still ethical?
→ What would I build next if this all dried up?

But here’s the surprising part:

As I slowed down... studied what’s working… and paid close attention to how learners actually behave in this new world…

A pattern emerged:

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱.
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲.

The courses that are 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 right now — and will continue to in the age of AI — all share 3 traits:

⸻

🎯 𝟭. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗟𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

People don’t just want information.
They want to belong.
To ask questions.
To be seen.
To be held accountable.
Courses that weave in meaningful community → win.

⸻

🎮 𝟮. 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The average adult attention span has 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 23% 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 2000.
Completion rates for online courses are plummeting.
Courses that build in checklists, unlockables, progress bars, and small wins → keep people engaged.
(It doesn’t have to be cheesy. Just thoughtful.)

⸻

🌊 𝟯. 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗢𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴

The most successful courses are the ones where:
→ The buyer either chooses you
→ Or chooses nothing at all
Because there’s no other offer that speaks to their specific, nuanced need.
It’s not about louder marketing. It’s about better positioning.

⸻

If you’re a therapist with a course (or thinking about one in the future )…

𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝟵𝟬-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟭 𝗮.𝗺. 𝗘𝗧:
🧠 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘐-𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘢

→ What’s working
→ What’s not
→ And how to build in a way that aligns with your energy, values, and real-life bandwidth

🎁 We’re also sharing a few practical gifts for live attendees.

You can sign up here (free):
👉 https://lnkd.in/eu2ATt8h

Hope to see you there. 🙂

Excited to announce a new partnership with the Kartra team! 🎉

Honestly, if you told me 9 years ago that I’d have opportunities like this, I wouldn’t have believed it.

Kartra has been the backbone of Selling The Couch, and I can’t imagine running STC without it.

Here’s what it powers for us:
📧 Our email list
🎓 Online courses
📊 Surveys
🎥 Video hosting
...and more things I’m probably forgetting!

The Kartra team has been incredible to work with, and they’ve hooked us up with a special deal for the STC community.

If you’re a therapist or business owner looking for an all-in-one platform, it’s worth checking out.

➡️ sellingthecouch.com/kartra

P.S. For full transparency, this is an affiliate link. I only recommend products I’ve personally used or whose teams I trust to stand behind STC’s mission and my name. 😊

I remember the first time I thought about starting a podcast.

Before I ever hit record, there was a deeper fear running the show:

“What if I share my voice... and people judge it?”

I didn’t have a "radio voice."
I stumbled over my words.
I worried I’d say something wrong—or worse, not say anything worth hearing.

But here’s what I learned:

Visibility feels scary because it 𝘪𝘴 vulnerable.

And if you’ve been trained to stay small or quiet, stepping up can feel unnatural.

But your lived experience has power.

And someone is waiting to hear your perspective in your voice—not a polished version.

If you’re a therapist thinking about podcasting but holding back because of fear, I created something that might help:

🎙️ From Therapist to Thought Leader: Why Podcasting Could Be Your Next Big Move

It’s a free workshop that covers how to start a podcast grounded in purpose—not performance. 🙂

You can find it at the top of my profile or at:
https://lnkd.in/eXCZAmhb

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Melvin Varghese, PhD

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