Kelly O'Sullivan McKenna started her own private therapy practice in February 2021 after working in the nonprofit mental-health industry for almost six years. The pandemic gave her opportunities to work virtually with clients one-on-one, an experience that sparked her interest in opening a business of her own.
Last year, her mental-health company, Sit With Kelly, booked $350,000 in revenue — which comprised client work, business coaching, consulting, and social-media deals, documents verified by Insider showed. On any given day, her time might be divided between client therapy sessions, aspiring-therapist coaching calls, and digital-content creation, such as Instagram videos explaining social anxiety and posts with tips for managing burnout. Despite so many branches to her brand, McKenna intentionally shapes her daily schedule to best fit her business needs, and she works only 30 hours a week.
"I've experimented with a lot of different ways to do it over the past two years," she said, adding that she landed on dividing her tasks based on the day of the week. She sees clients on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays and saves Wednesdays and Fridays for administration, coaching work, and filming social-media content.
While McKenna makes a living by helping others manage burnout and anxiety, she, too, has struggled with her mental health. This Mental Health Awareness Month, McKenna told Insider how she schedules her days to manage her own anxiety and her advice for creating a work-life balance that works for you.