Momentum Before Mastery
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
By Sloane Carlson, LMHC, LPC
I always knew I wanted to be a business owner. Even with a master’s degree and over fifteen years of experience in my field, I spent years trying to build businesses that never quite fit. At one point, I even attempted to start an Amazon business. On paper, it made sense. In reality, I felt disconnected from it. I had no real interest in the work, and it never aligned with how I actually think or operate.
Looking back, it’s clear I should have started building my group therapy practice much earlier. It’s work I understand deeply because I live inside it every day. More importantly, it’s work I care about doing well—better than what I experienced myself earlier in my career.
I had worked under supervisors and systems that missed the mark and, in some cases, caused harm. Still, fear kept pulling me toward “quick-fix” business ideas instead. I worried that building something meaningful would take too long or never fully materialize.
The moment I finally took imperfect action wasn’t driven by confidence. It was driven by loss. I had lost several important family relationships, and while that wasn’t a healthy motivator, it created pressure to prove something—to myself, more than anyone else. Underneath that pressure was a sobering realization: I had no backup plan. No safety net. No one coming to save me. If I didn’t build something sustainable for myself, there would be no long-term stability—financial or otherwise.
That realization collided with significant burnout. I remember thinking, How much longer can I actually operate like this? If I don’t build something now, I may never have the capacity to do it.
Once I committed, what surprised me most wasn’t fear—it was how quickly I had to learn discernment. I’ve never been afraid to ask questions, even uncomfortable ones. I assumed hiring professionals—a lawyer, accountant, marketer, or coach—meant they were competent and ethical by default. I learned quickly that wasn’t always true.
I trusted the wrong people too early. I spent money without return. I fired my first marketing team after investing heavily with no results. Over time, I learned to slow down, interview more thoroughly, and trust myself more—even when it took extra time and energy. I learned not to make decisions from scarcity or let setbacks shrink my view of what was possible.
Momentum changed everything.
As a therapist, I understand that small wins build self-efficacy—but experiencing it firsthand was different. Once my website existed, once my business name was registered, once my bank accounts were open and insurance panels were submitted under my own credentials, something shifted. It wasn’t about scale or recognition. It was about being “on the board.” My work existed in the world. I wasn’t just planning anymore—I was participating.
Mastery didn’t come first. Momentum did. And that momentum created clarity, confidence, and discernment that no amount of over-preparing ever could.
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