MENTOR SPOTLIGHT: ALEX MUFSON
How did you find out you wanted to take an entrepreneurial path?
When I was three years old, and announced to my parents I was the CEO of a company with the last living Wooly Mammoth (my assistant’s name was Michele and since our headquarters was in South America, I was regularly infuriated that my mother would not drive me to O’Hare Airport to catch my flight…).
Tell us about your venture/work.
I founded a company called Aspen Growth Coaching, to offer dynamic and progressive mental health care that is typically found only in a residential treatment setting to people everywhere. We aim to keep people in their communities and moving beyond pathology towards a life of purpose and value. Beyond our clients, my personal mission is to prioritize a company that values people over profits, leading with transparency every step of the way. I believe that the next chapter in business is one of collective success rather than the hyper individualization we are used to, and AGC is an expression of that ethos. I also mentor other entrepreneurs, sharing what I learned growing AGC from zero to seven figures without investors, with over a dozen full time team members, in under 3 three years.
How did you decide to tackle this particular issue?
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I saw people consistently being removed from their communities and placed into long term residential care not because they *needed* that for safety, but because there was no better option. I wanted to build that option and keep people in their lives. I also experienced that helping professionals are chronically expected to sacrifice their own wellbeing because they “care,” while major healthcare corporations make a ton of money off of their employees’ over-functioning. I knew that a business existed at the intersection of these two problems, and felt confident I could bring it into existence.
What do you enjoy most about being an impact entrepreneur? What are the main challenges?
I love being unapologetically NOT neutral. Business centers around activism to me, so every step of the way we are considering our point of view and how every decision affirms that (or doesn’t!). I love thinking beyond traditional notions of what will or won’t work in marketing, hiring, management, treatment, etc. Treating business as an art form rather than a basic input output equation is inspiring every day! The hardest thing I’ve encountered is that though *many* people will be attracted to this sort of inspiration, there is such internalized oppression within us all that many people will reject the very thing they thought they wanted. I’ve been fascinated, disappointed and challenged by the response I get from everyone, from peers to employees, clients to referral partners, when we dare to do something a different way. For instance, we hire “A student” employees who are all amazing at their jobs. But, at the same time, they often have been glorified at previous positions for self-sacrificing and over functioning . When we encourage them to set boundaries with their energy and utilize the team, sometimes that feels scary or hurtful to them, because their barometer for success is *actually* dictated by being used and abused by a company. Space and self-care can be scary, because it challenges their notions of what it is to be “enough.” There are some deeply internalized notions of our worth being attached to certain ways of operating in the capitalist system that when challenged, can really upset people!
What advice do you have for early-stage impact entrepreneurs about using their time and relationships to prepare for this kind of career?
Use this time to define who you are and who you want to be. You will never *not* be scared, but if you have a clear identity, purpose and point of view you can always ground in that as you move forward. Your network from before you were successful will be your most cherished, so lean into the relationships you are building now and find people who are ahead of you to learn from. But–don’t overthink your lack of experience. Anyone who has experience got it by doing, so use your opportunities at The New School to jump into anything that feels right!
I think it’s so important to remember that you will absolutely stumble, fall and fail during this process. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or hasn’t done it! A lot of what looks good on the outside is super messy on the inside, so don’t ever assume someone else has it together just because they have a beautiful website!
Have a point of view. Things are changing, people want to buy not just a service or product, but from a person or company that they believe in. It’s okay if not everyone agrees with you, that means you aren’t neutral and it means that *your* people will find you. If everyone loves you, you are boring.
Click here to learn more about Alex.
Click here to learn more about Aspen Growth Coaching.