Meet Seneca Williams | Entrepreneur Therapist & Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Seneca Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Seneca, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
The ONE thing that many entrepreneurs are not aware of is, the emotional stress of running a business can be detrimental to their mental health. Entrepreneurs need to FOCUS on cultivating mental wealth versus curing mental health. Mental wealth is going beyond just mental functioning, it is optimal mental performance Entrepreneurship looks really sexy until it makes you sick. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs focus on building the business, instead of building themselves for business.   “72% of entrepreneurs are directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues compared to just 48% of non-entrepreneurs. That’s according to a study by the National Institute of Mental Health.” Those who are aware of the stress of entrepreneurship may develop business anxiety because subconsciously, they fear the weight of success. Other entrepreneurs (even the most successful) end up overworking themselves, until business burnout, because they fear failure. Notice that fear is one of the common contributing factors to entrepreneurs’ mental health distress.  So how do successful entrepreneurs like Kate Spade or Titi Branch …get to the point of anxiety, depression, or even suicide?  First, we were taught faulty belief systems, by generations before us about work ethic and business ownership.  Second, business standards were designed by men for men, not for women or working moms.  Third, we don’t have enough resources or safe spaces, solely reserved for entrepreneurs to cultivate mental wealth. We were taught that to be successful in our business, we have to sacrifice sleep, wellness, rest, relationships, health, and even happiness. If mental wellness is mentioned, it is only in passing and not a central focus for sustainable business success. The belief systems about “the hustle” that we praise are broken. For entrepreneurs to have a better quality of life, old belief systems must be challenged and changed. Why should we defer self-care to some arbitrary date in the future “someday” or limit ourselves to rest and leisure once a year on vacation? (Which entrepreneurs rarely go on vacation without their work) We believe we must trade hours for dollars, worker harder to earn more, under-promise and over-deliver. All of these are “conditioned” thoughts and beliefs that become major contributors to mental health disorders over extended periods of time.  It’s my mission, to help women entrepreneurs breakthrough business anxiety and business burnout. I want my business to be aligned with my desired lifestyle, not the other way around. Team “Sleep when I die”, don’t live here anymore. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danmurrayserter/2020/10/04/why-entrepreneurs-need-to-talk-about-their-mental-health/?sh=25fee78b37d0

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Have you ever had a calling so big you were afraid to answer the call, so you muted, blocked or deleted? This was me.  I was afraid of the responsibility of my calling. I feared social media, marketing, and sales. I didn’t know where to begin, had no money or support. Even though there are tons of resources on business development, none addressed my mental health, what was going on at home, my health, family, and other challenges.  I found mentors, the best coaches, made some business friends, and attended programs that empowered me for entrepreneurship. I only wished I’d found them all in one place, I would have had results sooner. I decided to create what I was looking for. This is my conquer story.  I am the Founder of The Conquer Network, an online community for women entrepreneurs, who want to cultivate mental wealth for business, so they can confidently run and grow a profitable online business. Spirit-led entrepreneurs, desire transformation and support on the journey. If we’re talking about how to promote, sell or market, we need to also talk about what’s going on personally, at home, or in your mind? In 2019, I realized that I had over 5,000 hours in supporting professionals to answer their calling, they were starting new jobs, making career changes, starting and running online businesses. They was a huge surge of entrepreneurs coming for emotional support to deal with anxiety, burnout, lifestyle, relationships. I also realized that I couldn’t support all these clients on my own. It was time to build a table and invite others to speak, train, coach and mentor. I became aware that most of my clients were women, who needed emotional support for women, by women that they could not access in a traditional chamber of commerce or business networking groups that were designed for men, by men. I want women entrepreneurs to know that they can make a million, without sacrificing their mental health, values, or standards.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you’re into the arts, Miami is the spot. There are lots of galleries and exhibitions on various cultures and interests, like the Perez Art Museum, the Haitian Heritage Museum, or Miami Selfie Museum.  Do you enjoy sunrises or sunsets on the beach? I’d say visit Cafe Club at Hollywood beach, for some delicious breakfast after watching a sunrise. I love their Nutella crepes. If you’re there to catch a sunset, visit Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville for some appetizers and drinks.  Do you love a good excursion on the water? Go kayaking at Oleta State Park or Whiskey Creek Hideout. You can also charter a yacht with some friends and sail out to the Haulover sandbar for fun in the sun. Variety is the spice of life and entrepreneurs need to keep things spicy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Of course, God gets all the glory, because prayer has positioned my business to win, by placing the right people and opportunities in my path. But, I would like to shoutout my business bestie Dr. Aprile Andelle. Many entrepreneurs, will express that the journey can feel lonely. Sometimes, entrepreneurs feel isolated and detached from those around them, who just don’t understand. (I know I do.) Although, I have had many coaches, attended business training and conferences, I really can’t get too personal (it’s all business). I am grateful for all my coaches and their support, but nothing compares to the personal accountability, love, and support from a friend who’s on the same business journey. We’ve had lots of chats over lunch, about living our desired lifestyle.

Website: https://www.theconquernetwork.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconquernetwork/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theconquernetwork/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconquernetwork

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrcdK3J5w7u6a7NazWqPHig

Image Credits
Phillip Wells