Gwen Claussen [00:00:00]:
Get into a community that elevates you. I don't think I could accomplish. I could have accomplished any of this if I was just trying to do it all alone, counting on just myself to do it. I've surrounded myself with a great team at work, like other entrepreneurs. And that's what you need. You need a community to help you.
Robin [00:00:25]:
Yeah, you guys, you can do it. I mean, you can. Now, I don't know if you want it in the way that Gwen wanted it to. Better not just her life, but other people's lives, parents, kids. Let's even talk about, like, the employees, the team that she has to give them the opportunity to continue to change people's lives with their gifts. And so, you know, again, I don't know if you guys want it, but I do know that if you do, I believe you can. You can, um. I believe you can do it, you know, and I believe it's all out there.
Robin [00:01:03]:
And by the way, you don't have to join a gajillion dollar mastermind or whatnot. You can start by just picking up a book.
Gwen Claussen [00:01:16]:
This is secrets for success.
Robin [00:01:20]:
Welcome to the Seekers for success podcast. I'm your host, Greg Todd. Thank you, as always, for joining me. I have a repeat guest coming on today, and we just finished, like, a day of working together. And so we're going to talk about that. We're going to talk about the transformation that I've watched this person go through over the last three years that we've been working together. Something like that, right?
Gwen Claussen [00:01:43]:
I think so, yeah.
Robin [00:01:44]:
So anyways, Gwen Colosson, welcome to the podcast again.
Gwen Claussen [00:01:48]:
Thank you. Grateful to be here.
Robin [00:01:49]:
Well, why don't you tell the people who you are? For those that didn't listen to the episode that we did a year ago, tell them who you are, what you do, and all that good stuff.
Gwen Claussen [00:02:00]:
All right. As you said, my name is Gwen Claussen. I am the owner of Flourishing lives. It's a pediatric, primarily occupational therapy clinic in Michigan, but we just added speech therapy.
Robin [00:02:11]:
You have just been here for the last, I guess, 24. You came in yesterday, and we worked together and did a private consulting day. So why don't you tell me how your experience was with that before we get into all the other stuff? And there's a couple things I said to you today that I want to talk about on the podcast. So what was your experience like working with me today? Did you get stuff done in the.
Gwen Claussen [00:02:38]:
Yeah, today was great. It was. I had a list of things to go over, and it's things that have been stressing me out for a while. Just some of the roles within my business and how to make them, how to make those employees happy and also working well for the business. So we were able today to figure out a lot of what they should be doing, how they should be doing it, and also started implementing some of the things. So it was a long day, but we actually accomplished a lot. And I don't feel stressed out about any of it right now.
Robin [00:03:13]:
I love it. I love it. I love it. Okay. So, you know, guys, I say that because, you know, there are so many different ways of working with someone and everything that I do with clients, it is to help them with growing their income, growing their impact, and helping them do it in a way that, like, serves them and feels good. Right? And so I say all that because you can, like, I achieve that regardless of how I'm trying to work with you. Right. And so, like, next week, or at least when I'm recording this, I'm gonna be doing a five day challenge.
Robin [00:03:57]:
You've come to one of those before?
Gwen Claussen [00:03:58]:
So many of them.
Robin [00:03:59]:
Okay. So many of them. And during that time of us working together for five days, don't we achieve something? Don't we accomplish something? Right. We do. It's like, whatever that thing is, whether it's helping you understand how to raise your income or helping you understand how to overcome all the obstacles in healthcare, or like, whatever this one's going to be, like, how to take what, you know, what you have and turn it into something that you can monetize. Okay. You've come to my live events as well, right?
Gwen Claussen [00:04:31]:
Yeah.
Robin [00:04:31]:
Okay. And the live events have achieved an outcome with people as well. Okay. But this is another thing that achieves an outcome. And I say that because. And I want you to hear this as well. You have so many different ways. We talked about different ways that you all are going to help people at your clinic, at flourishing lives.
Robin [00:04:52]:
Right? And so there's so many different ways to help people. And it doesn't have to be just working with them and treating them as patients. It can be, you know, doing the consulting. It could be doing this, it could be doing that. There's so many different ways to do it. And for those of you that are listening, I just want you to remember that people pay so that the things that are keeping them up at night no longer keep them up at night. Okay. I'm hoping that today there are things that were keeping you up at night that are no longer going to keep you up at night.
Robin [00:05:22]:
At least tonight and tomorrow night, and then as you implement it, you know, okay. And so you guys have to understand that sometimes we're making it way too complicated. There are certain things that, at your clinic, are keeping the two groups of people that you're working with, which are parents and kids, up at night, and it's stressing them out. And we should always be thinking of, how can we serve them in different ways that works for each of them, that it no longer stresses them out. And I need every single one of you that are listening to this podcast to think of other ways that you are not serving your people right now that can serve them and make them actually sleep better. And I think that's what we did today.
Gwen Claussen [00:06:08]:
That is what we did today. And we got rid of a lot of the paths we could take that wouldn't have been actually serving our customers better.
Robin [00:06:17]:
Right.
Gwen Claussen [00:06:17]:
So that was cool, too. Like, I was able to narrow down the things that we should be focusing on, and all of those are going to help us serve our customers better.
Robin [00:06:25]:
Exactly. Exactly. And today, it was a private consulting day, meaning that I wasn't, like, I wasn't distracted. I wouldn't say distracted, but I wasn't working with ten people or 50 people or 100 people. It was just you. Right. And you guys because of that, obviously, Gwen, invest in having that, you know, throughout this year. But isn't it a little bit different than when we're in inner circle or when I'm on a call or when we're in a challenge where I've got, you know, 50 to 100 people on.
Robin [00:07:01]:
Right. Or 200 people, whatever I like. It's different, right.
Gwen Claussen [00:07:05]:
It's different. And this was better for me, too, because when it's in the group setting, I don't like to ask questions or take up time or space.
Robin [00:07:13]:
Right. Yeah.
Gwen Claussen [00:07:14]:
So. But for today, it was just me, so I had to come prepared. I had to have questions. I had to have a plan, right? And now I actually accomplished things.
Robin [00:07:22]:
So you. So, you know, it's crazy. I was, um. Uh, you know, I told you last Friday I was speaking at an event, right? And every single time you speak at an event, right? You like? Well, not every time, but usually I'll try to leave some time for Q and A. Usually when you have Q and A, nobody asks questions, right? He's like, okay, any questions? Any questions, right? And then as soon as I get off stage, everybody comes over. And so I totally get that. And that's the reason why I have this offering, because I know that a lot of times, we don't want to ask questions when it's in front of a group. We might feel like our question is stupid, or we might feel like, oh, my gosh, I don't want to take up time, because when you're a servant at heart, like you are, you are always thinking of, hey, I don't want an inconvenience to other people.
Robin [00:08:08]:
So I don't want this to take up so much time. And I feel like today, the amount of things that questions that were had and things that we accomplished is probably combined everything that you've asked me over the three years of working together. Would you agree? Okay. All right. So enough about today. I think it was awesome. Now I wanna talk about you, Gwen, you've been an entrepreneur for now. Four years, is that right?
Gwen Claussen [00:08:37]:
Yeah, almost four years.
Robin [00:08:38]:
Okay. And for those that haven't listened to the first podcast that we did a year, a year and a half ago, can you tell them what led you to becoming an entrepreneur?
Gwen Claussen [00:08:48]:
Oh, gosh, yes, please. I started many years ago with. When I had my first son who had special needs, and I was in search of help for him, and ended up finding the clinic that I now own. Through that, it changed his life and my life and turned us both into different people with a new outlook on life. So making this short, right?
Robin [00:09:16]:
Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Do what you want. Do what you want.
Gwen Claussen [00:09:19]:
Do what you want. Anyway, I'll just. I started working at the clinic, and then I ended up moving away to Georgia. And then Covid happened, so the owner was ready to just call it quits and shut down. And when instead of reopening after Covid because she didn't want to come back because of health issues, whatever, I decided I wouldn't let that happen because I wanted to continue helping people in the same way that my family had been helped. So we made a deal that I could buy her out by the end of 2020 and get it back up and running.
Robin [00:09:54]:
Wow.
Gwen Claussen [00:09:54]:
So that is what I did. And then I ran the clinic remotely from Georgia for about almost two years until I ended up moving back to Michigan.
Robin [00:10:05]:
Well, guys, I really want you to rewind that part back. Podcast. By the way, Gwen didn't mention that she's actually not an occupational therapist. She's not a speech therapist, she's not a physical therapist. But she is someone that has had her life altered and changed by the gifts of pediatric occupational therapists. It changed your life. It changed your family's life. And she was such a raving fan of what it did for your family that when she saw that the place that changed her life was potentially shutting down, she said there was no way you're going to do this.
Robin [00:10:47]:
And she was willing because you're not some glorified entrepreneur. Have you been doing entrepreneurship since you were 14 or something? No. Okay. But she was passionate enough knowing that this thing changed her family's life, that she wanted other people's lives to flourish and no pun intended, and was willing to pony up the money in order to keep that business to continue running. Not only pony up the money, I want to remind you of this. You. You didn't just pony up the money, but you were willing to do something that you had not done before. You weren't a serial entrepreneur who this was now your.
Robin [00:11:32]:
Your 7th business that you're running, and you're like, okay, I can come in, I can do this, I can do that, I can do this, I can do. I could get this thing back up and running, functional, making money, profit, and then sell it. That wasn't your. Your situation. You were passionate about something because of what it did for you. Correct. And you were so passionate about it that you're willing to invest a lot of money to continue it running and then become a totally different person. And you did it.
Robin [00:12:04]:
And I say that because of all the people in the smart success healthcare community, in 2024, you were named entrepreneur of the year. So how the hell did that happen over four years of this whole journey? Like, give me your take on it?
Gwen Claussen [00:12:29]:
That's a really great question.
Robin [00:12:33]:
Yeah. I still don't know the answer.
Gwen Claussen [00:12:37]:
I don't know either. I think one of the things I do really well is recognize that I don't know everything and I'm on a constant journey to learn more.
Robin [00:12:48]:
Yeah.
Gwen Claussen [00:12:50]:
So that's what I've been doing. I got all the books, I joined all the Facebook groups. I connected with other people in this space. I found you, I found other coaches. Like, I've been constantly trying to be better for myself and for my team and employees because one of the things, like, when I was finally signing the paperwork to buy the business, I realized then that I had a team of people that worked for me and I was responsible for their well being financially. That was probably the most pressure I think I've ever felt. So if not for myself, I have to do it for them to figure out how to be successful so that I don't let my team down and then by that, our community down. So I don't have a choice.
Gwen Claussen [00:13:47]:
I have to have to figure it out.
Robin [00:13:49]:
Gotcha. So I have a couple questions for you. Do you remember when I talked to you about coming into the inner circle? Do you remember I said I had an agenda? Like, I had one spot available, I wanted you to come in. Do you remember why I said I wanted you to come in?
Gwen Claussen [00:14:09]:
You said, because I'm different and that you want people to know that they can be different and they don't have to be healthcare professionals to be in this.
Robin [00:14:18]:
And I told you that was my agenda. I wanted to show that you don't have to be a healthcare professional in order to have a successful healthcare business. Right. And I love the fact that, to me, you're proof that doesn't have to be the case. Right. Okay, so here's my question to you. Do you think it's been an advantage to you to not be a healthcare professional and own a healthcare business, or do you think it has been a disadvantage?
Gwen Claussen [00:14:52]:
It's probably a little bit of both. I do see, from just being around other owners that are like ot's or pts, I don't have to worry about getting drawn into treatment, but I have to worry about making sure I have the right amount of staff.
Robin [00:15:12]:
Right.
Gwen Claussen [00:15:13]:
So it's different. And I think I have a little bit of a different perspective, but I don't know, I think it's kind of similar for everyone.
Robin [00:15:24]:
Okay, what do you think is a different perspective for you? I mean, I have a take on it, but I want to hear from you first. Like, like, what is your different perspective? Do you think that because you can't go and entreat that you have to rely on people more? Or, like, what is it?
Gwen Claussen [00:15:42]:
I do think that, like, I do, I've seen other owners, like, it's fine. They don't care if they have to fire their whole staff or if everybody leaves. Like, they'll just take it on themselves.
Robin [00:15:53]:
Right.
Gwen Claussen [00:15:54]:
I. I don't have that option. And so I think that's good. It makes me really have to lean into developing my team and make sure we have a good work, culture and environment that people want to stay at because I can't risk having everybody quit because I can't do anything about that.
Robin [00:16:12]:
Okay, I see. I think that's huge.
Gwen Claussen [00:16:14]:
Yeah.
Robin [00:16:15]:
I think that so many owners are always in the back of their mind leaning on the fact that I can do all of this myself. So they're always like, I don't have to figure this out and figure out how to invest in these people. Like, I'll invest in them but if they start ticking me off or they start doing this or doing this, I can just get rid of all of them and I'll just do it myself. And that's always in the back of their minds.
Gwen Claussen [00:16:40]:
And I think that that's the wrong perspective to have, even for me. Like, could I do all of the administrative work? Yes. But in my head, I don't want to do that. I want to be working on the bigger picture of things, so I don't lean on myself to fill in for any of that. And I think it's important to get out of that headspace in order to grow your business.
Robin [00:17:05]:
What would you recommend to an owner right now that's listening, that's constantly going back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, and they can't grow and expand. What would you recommend for them to stop doing or to start doing?
Gwen Claussen [00:17:17]:
I don't know, like, setting boundaries or, like, time blocking a little bit just to set what you're going to do and stick to it.
Robin [00:17:27]:
Right.
Gwen Claussen [00:17:27]:
So that you can start working on your business rather than in it.
Robin [00:17:31]:
Okay. Yeah. Gosh, it's a huge thing. It's a huge thing. Okay. So you can't go in the clinic and treat because you're not a treating clinician. You did admin work, though, so you could go in and do that. But you have set the standard that I'm not gonna do it.
Robin [00:17:52]:
Right.
Gwen Claussen [00:17:53]:
I feel like from time to time, I'll help out.
Robin [00:17:56]:
Right.
Gwen Claussen [00:17:56]:
Okay.
Robin [00:17:56]:
Gotcha.
Gwen Claussen [00:17:57]:
Rule. I'm not gonna.
Robin [00:17:58]:
You're not gonna do that. Right. Okay. Yeah. I think that's a really big deal. And I've noticed that. I think a lot of owners, their identity is still tied to, like, they find their worth through treating. And the reality is that they, there are.
Robin [00:18:17]:
They are better clinicians than they are business owners. Right. Like, you've been a business owner for four years. Right. So. So you're technically a better business owner than you are clinician because you've never treated. Right. Okay.
Robin [00:18:29]:
You never had to do that. But for them, they have maybe been a clinician for five years, ten years, 15, 2025, 30 years. So you're having to learn all these things in business, but you're still kind of a beginner, you know what I mean? So it kind of sucks when things are going bad. You're like, let me just default back to the thing that I'm good at. And so I think that a lot of people do that over and over and over again.
Gwen Claussen [00:18:50]:
Yeah. And it's the same. Like, even as I've been growing, my team, once they get really good at something and then we change their job and they ascend to a new level, it's like restarting out of learning, and that's hard, but that's how you grow. And so you have to keep challenging yourself so that you can move forward and accomplish more things.
Robin [00:19:11]:
Okay, let's talk about challenging. Okay, so, for those of you that are not watching the podcast but you're listening to the podcast, Gwen has kind of gone through a transformation. You want to tell them a little bit about it? Sorry. Putting out a slight.
Gwen Claussen [00:19:31]:
I like that.
Robin [00:19:31]:
Yeah. I mean, you have, though, right? Yeah, you have. So, tell them your body.
Gwen Claussen [00:19:38]:
Yeah.
Robin [00:19:38]:
You've lost, like, a lot of weight.
Gwen Claussen [00:19:40]:
Yeah, I have.
Robin [00:19:41]:
How much weight have you lost?
Gwen Claussen [00:19:42]:
Like, about 50 pounds.
Robin [00:19:44]:
50 pounds. And I actually today. Cause I had no idea. I was like, I've just seen you. I'm like, gwen, you've lost weight, like, over the last, like, year or so. So what was the impetus? What made you say, okay, I gotta do this? What is it?
Gwen Claussen [00:20:00]:
It was when I was forced to be on stage at your live event last year to share my story, and that was probably the most impactful thing that has happened to me in so many ways. But it was kind of the catalyst to just change my whole life all over again, which included becoming more healthy and doing all the things you've been telling me to do.
Robin [00:20:33]:
Oh, wow. Okay. Damn. So, do you feel like entrepreneurship has pushed you to become a better emotionally, spiritually, physically, mentally, to push you in all those ways?
Gwen Claussen [00:20:53]:
Absolutely.
Robin [00:20:53]:
Okay.
Gwen Claussen [00:20:54]:
All of the ways.
Robin [00:20:55]:
All right, so I got to tell you guys this. A year. It was. It was August of 2023. We were in this room, and I had actually do podcasts, and you were kind of even freaking out, and you had already spoke on stage, and you were still freaking out when I said, hey, I really want to do a podcast. You know, you start getting all fidgety and whatnot. So we were. We've just did our consulting day together, and I said, you know what? Like, should we do a podcast? And you didn't even, like, blink an eye at it.
Robin [00:21:28]:
You're like, yeah, yeah, let's do it. You didn't know what I was going to talk about. You didn't have any time to prepare. We just came here in this room. Let's talk about that. Like, you know, as you have now been put in these situations, you're getting more and more comfortable with scary things. Would you say that's the case? Yeah, and how has that happened for you? What's going on in your head?
Gwen Claussen [00:22:00]:
It's been an interesting journey, I think, for me, when it started, I came to one of your challenges, and I saw, like, you brought on people, guests to speak, and I first, what you were saying was awesome. You were talking about, like, servant leadership, all the things that were so important to me. But then I just saw the other people, like, that, where they are and building into everyone else. And I had known some of them through different communities, but seeing them was awesome. And then when I joined inner circle, like, the following year, I was in the room with those people that I watched online, which was scary to me, especially. Some of them are quite intimidating.
Robin [00:22:55]:
And they're not your friends, those intimidating people. Right.
Gwen Claussen [00:22:58]:
Well, and that's the cool thing. Like, Kelly El. Huey was one of the ones that I just really looked up to her and was scared of her.
Robin [00:23:09]:
Kelly, are you listening to that? Okay, but.
Gwen Claussen [00:23:12]:
And that's when the cool thing is, like, first I wanted to learn from her that I was in the room with her, and then this year, I was on stage with her getting the award that she received the year before.
Robin [00:23:25]:
Oh, my gosh.
Gwen Claussen [00:23:26]:
And so, like, I've just been, like, constantly trying to better myself and be more like the people that I'm inspired by.
Robin [00:23:35]:
Right.
Gwen Claussen [00:23:36]:
And somehow I became the person that other people are inspired by. Pretty wild, so I don't know.
Robin [00:23:45]:
Yeah, it does. Yeah. Yeah. It's really just amazing. And sometimes when people. I've been called a hope dealer, and I even told you today, I think I'm probably one of the worst people when it comes to, like, hiring others, because. And I've been told this by some of my business advisors, because you believe so much in people. So I just believe that people can become any, really, anything they want to if you're willing to work at it.
Robin [00:24:20]:
And I'm not trying to get you emotional, but, like, you're living proof of it, right? Like, you can become anything you want if you're willing to work at it. Now, I don't know how bad people want it. You just wanted it really bad. And I just have always felt that. That if I. If for those that want it bad enough, all they need is the opportunity. They just need an opportunity to. If they can know the way, they will do the way, but they just don't know.
Robin [00:24:48]:
Right. I mean, even some of the things we were talking about today, issues and situations, a lot of good stuff that are presented to you today that you didn't know anything about even two years ago, three years ago, four years ago. I truly believe that if you just had the opportunity, all you needed was the opportunity. You just needed opportunity to learn it, the opportunity to be exposed to it, the opportunity to be in the rooms, the opportunity for somebody to actually challenge you to do it. And I. And I believe that. I believe Gwen Claussen, if given the opportunity, could become whoever it is that she aspires to be and your proof of it. But I believe that for a lot of people, like, I really do believe now, some don't want to be put in that situation, and they don't want that, and that's fine.
Robin [00:25:37]:
But for those that want it, I believe they can do it. And you. You are living proof of it. So I just want to say, like, well done, well done, well done. Okay, all right, this is getting too emotional, so let's stop. So let's kind of finish off with a few things. What would you tell someone right now that's like, I'm not cut out for this. I'm not cut out to have a team.
Robin [00:26:07]:
I'm not cut out to change the way that I'm doing things right now. I'm not cut out to go online. I'm not cut out to do this. What would you tell that person?
Gwen Claussen [00:26:19]:
I'd say that's what I've thought about myself at every single step along the way. And it might be that you aren't right now, but if you want to be, you can figure it out. Find someone to help you find a book to read, get into a community that elevates you. I don't think I could have accomplished and could have accomplished any of this if I was just trying to do it all alone, counting on just myself to do it. I've surrounded myself with a great team at work, like other entrepreneurs. And that's what you need. You need a community to help you.
Robin [00:27:01]:
Yeah. Yeah, you guys, you can do it. I mean, you can. Now, I don't know if you want it in the way that Gwen wanted it to. Better not just her life, but other people's lives, parents, kids. Let's even talk about, like, the employees, the team that she has to give them the opportunity to continue to change people's lives with their gifts. And so, again, I don't know if you guys want it, but I do know that if you do, I believe you can. You can.
Robin [00:27:36]:
I believe you can do it, you know, and I believe it's all out there. And by the way, you don't have to join a gajillion dollar mastermind or whatnot. You can start by just picking up a book. You can start by just saying, I'm gonna get rid of all the crap that I'm watching right now on the same platforms that have amazing things that can inspire you and. And lift you up and I. And feed your mind. You know, you don't have to start with that. You can start with just picking up something that could actually give you better exposure to things that could.
Robin [00:28:11]:
That could be healthy for you. So, anyways, thank you for being on a podcast. After a long day of using your brain, why don't you tell the people where they can find you online? Is that cool?
Gwen Claussen [00:28:25]:
Sure. Yeah. Me personally?
Robin [00:28:28]:
Yep.
Gwen Claussen [00:28:28]:
Okay. It's my name. Just Gwen Clawson.
Robin [00:28:31]:
Okay. And then you have your clinic, too.
Gwen Claussen [00:28:34]:
Flourishing lives, Mi.
Robin [00:28:35]:
Flourishing lives. Am I okay? Awesome. Thank you, Gwen, for being on. I appreciate you. All right. See you next time, guys.
