Episode 233: Building A Business That Honors Your Mental Health with Danielle LaBonté

If you’ve not implemented processes or systems that protect your mental health as a business owner, we’re making that shift today. After a season of burnout Danielle LaBonté decided to prioritize herself and her mental health by making adjustments to how she was running her business. In today’s episode, Danielle joins us to share her own story, discuss why mental health is important as a business owner, and the steps she took to protect her own mental health. Danielle LaBonté is a creative and serial entrepreneur based in Toronto, ON. There she creatively directs her branding studio, Danielle LaBonté Designs, to work with ambitious entrepreneurs and mid-scale companies to elevate the meaning behind brand identity and strategy through creating eye-catching brands that withstand trends. Outside of her graphic design studio, she runs her creatively inspiring podcast series Brewing Up Creativity to spread awareness about pursuing creative fields whether it be through running a business, freelancing, having a hobby, or climbing the corporate ladder. Choosing a Career that Accommodates Your Lifestyle Many creative entrepreneurs get their start after experiencing life in the corporate world and not loving it. After going through her own experiences in working for others and realized that she wanted to not only work for herself, but build a business that accommodated the lifestyle she wanted to live. Building a business that accommodates her lifestyle, she’s able to work from anywhere and experience the life she dreamt about. Although, one of the toughest things we forget to do as a business owner is put ourselves first. We tend to put the business first and ignore our own mental health—but you can honor your mental health while growing a successful business. Reminder: You Are a Person Whether you’re working for yourself or someone else, it is so easy to forget that you’re a business owner and that you’re more than just the work you do. If you’re struggling to remember that, you can start to see a physical effect on your body from overworking. This can come from stress, from lack of nutrition, and more. Acknowledging Your Burnout & Ask for Help When Danielle’s business started to bloom, she’d been growing, taking on new clients, offering new services, and was working all the time. She found that she was always exhausted, but couldn’t figure out how to continue the success without the work. That’s when she got a therapist and a business coach to help her see where she could adjust and pivot to avoid burnout. This support team continues to help her understand how she wants to proceed in her business—which is ever changing. Support Systems through Mentors One of the easiest ways to find support is through a mentorship. Mentors, specifically within your industry can help support you and understand exactly what you’re going through in your business. You are never alone in what you go through. We all deserve a mentor—including our team members. How to Protect Your Mental Health in Your Business There are a number of ways that you can begin to protect your mental health in your business so that you’re also protecting your personal time as well. Danielle shared a few things she did in order to protect her mental health after she went through her own season of burnout. Brining on a Social Media/Communications Manager While Danielle loves to engage on social media,