Worried that relying on technology can undermine your client's trust? It is a common fear that using AI for coaches means sacrificing your personal touch, but the truth is that ethical AI can actually amplify your visionary leadership rather than replace it.

So instead of fearing that automation will ruin your credibility, we need to look at how smart tools can support sustainable business growth without hollowing out the soul of your work.

In this episode, I break down how to leverage business automation to handle the heavy lifting of your marketing strategy while ensuring your unique brand voice remains front and center. I discuss why true thought leadership requires human discernment, even when using a fractional CMO tool like Carly AI, and how to navigate the digital landscape without losing yourself.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to streamline content creation without sounding like a robot.
• The difference between using AI as a tool versus a replacement for your expertise.
• Strategies for maintaining original content while using automation to speed up your workflow.
• How to protect client trust by being transparent and intentional with your tools.

If you are ready to scale your business and prioritize burnout prevention without losing the heart of your coaching business, this conversation is for you. Tune in to master the art of authentic marketing and discover how to produce original content that connects deeply with your audience.

Resources from this episode:

• Therapreneur: A Therapist's Guide to 3x Your Therapy Income
• The Coach Intensive

Listener Giveaway!

Enter The Podcast Giveaway for the chance to win one of Carly’s digital products: https://thethrivingtherapreneurpodcast.com/reviews

Get 2 FREE months of TherapyNotes and streamline your notes, scheduling, and billing.

Use promo code: Carly

Explore More Support

• Carly AI
• Looking for more support? Click here to explore different options to work with Carly
• Want to start a podcast or grow your existing one? Visit https://julianabarbati.com/ and let them know I sent you!

Escape the Therapy Grind in 5 Days Therapist to Coach Startup School walks you through exactly how to do it in just 5 days with clarity, structure, and support.

Schedule your free consultation by February 23rd and get the Cash Infusion Playbook FREE.

What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Drop me a DM on Instagram - I’d love to hear from you!

“If your audience didn’t respond, it’s feedback and not rejection.” - Carly Hill

Today’s episode is a special one.

I’m joined by longtime client Jessica Ponn, LCSW, who helps parents support their adult children through addiction recovery with strategy, clarity, and confidence — not panic. Her work fills a critical gap for families navigating one of the most emotionally charged and high-stakes situations imaginable.

Jessica shares her honest journey from therapist to coach — including the fear, hesitation, mindset shifts, and breakthroughs that came with betting on herself. We talk about trusting the process, building a meaningful niche, navigating business dips, and what actually creates momentum when things feel stuck.

If you’ve ever wondered whether pivoting is worth it, felt scared to invest in yourself, or questioned whether you’re really cut out for the next level — this episode will meet you exactly where you are.

In this episode, we cover:

• What it really feels like to transition from therapist to coach
• The fear of success vs. the fear of failure
• How Jessica found a powerful, underserved niche
• Why parents play a critical role in long-term recovery outcomes
• What causes inevitable dips in business — and how to rebound
• How one coaching session led to a $12,000 week
• The 80/20 rule and letting go of perfectionism
• Why strategy and mindset must work together
• What Jessica wishes she’d known when she started

About Jessica Ponn, LCSW

Jessica Ponn, LCSW, specializes in guiding parents to effectively help their adult children get and stay sober. She has over 15 years of experience in the addiction field, having worked as a therapist and Clinical Director at a premier South Florida dual-diagnosis treatment center while also running a successful private practice.

Jessica is deeply passionate about supporting parents who often underestimate the powerful influence they have on their child’s recovery — and who are too often left without clear guidance when making critical parenting decisions. She has empowered hundreds of parents to make strategic changes that promote sustained recovery and deter relapse. Jessica now offers her support nationwide through her one-of-a-kind virtual coaching program.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Jessica Ponn on Instagram
• Join her Facebook group: Parenting That Promotes Recovery
• Click here to explore different options to work with Carly

Quote from this episode: “It works if you work it — but you don’t have to do it alone.”

This episode is not for beginners — and that’s intentional.

If you’ve already built something real, you have paying clients, consistent revenue, momentum, and you know seven figures is possible for you, this conversation is for you. Especially if you can feel that the next level is close, but you’re not quite sure what actually needs to change to get there.

In this episode, I break down what truly shifts when scaling from six to seven figures — and why this stage of growth has far less to do with doing more, and far more to do with leadership, capacity, systems, and identity.

This is based on my own journey scaling from zero to six figures, six to seven, and now preparing for eight figures. If you’ve ever felt heavy, stretched thin, or quietly wondered whether your effort is becoming the bottleneck — this episode will bring clarity.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why scaling from six to seven figures is not about hustling harder
• The identity shift required at higher levels of business
• How effort becomes a bottleneck at multi–six figures
• Why burnout happens after success — not before it
• The role of leadership, capacity, and restraint in sustainable growth
• How money, payroll, and reinvestment reflect nervous system capacity
• Why holding, releasing, and trusting money matters at scale
• The importance of systems, team, and operational clarity
• Moving from doer → owner → authority-level CEO
• Why seven-figure businesses are coherent, not chaotic
• How simplification and restraint become the real strategy
• What it means to lead without holding all the context
• Why refinement — not expansion — is the key to the next level

Key takeaway:

Scaling to seven figures isn’t about being louder, faster, or more creative on demand. It’s about becoming steadier, clearer, and more precise as a leader.

Work With Carly

💕 Looking for more support? Click here to explore different options to work with Carly

💕 What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Drop me a DM on Instagram - I’d love to hear from you!

Quote from this episode: “Seven-figure growth isn’t about expansion — it’s about refinement.”