Show notes
Can you rebuild your life after narcissistic abuse, trauma, anxiety, depression, debt and losing almost everything?Caroline Strawson is a trauma therapist, nervous system expert, author, coach and founder of The Mental Wellbeing Company and TIDAL.After experiencing narcissistic abuse, anxiety, depression, PTSD, self-harm, chronic illness, £70,000 of debt and having her house repossessed, Caroline rebuilt her life as a single mum and went on to create one of the UK’s fastest-growing trauma-informed mental wellbeing brands.Watch more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@buildingthebrandofficialConnect Here: https://buildingthebrand.co.uk/newsletterCaroline breaks down how she went from rock bottom to building a multi-million pound business helping people heal from trauma, narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse and toxic relationships. She explains why traditional talk therapy was not enough for her recovery, why the nervous system is the missing piece in mental health, and how trauma can impact business, leadership, relationships, health and self-worth.She also shares how she built a powerful personal brand, launched trauma-informed coaching certifications, created The Mental Wellbeing Company, generated £1.9 million at launch and learned to lead a growing team without losing the compassion at the heart of her work.Caroline shares:▪️ How she rebuilt her life after narcissistic abuse, debt and repossession▪️ Why narcissistic abuse is a form of domestic abuse and trauma▪️ Why talk therapy helped her understand her pain but did not change how she felt▪️ How nervous system healing became the missing piece in her recovery▪️ How she turned lived experience into a trauma-informed business▪️ Why The Mental Wellbeing Company took £1.9 million at launch▪️ Why founders and leaders need nervous system capacity, not just strategy▪️ How stress, struggle and chaos can become addictive for entrepreneurs▪️ Why trauma-informed leadership requires both compassion and boundaries▪️ How Caroline is evolving from personal brand to business empireFind out more about Caroline Strawson here:https://carolinestrawson.com/Key Moments:0:00 — Caroline Strawson on narcissistic abuse, trauma and rebuilding her life1:13 — Anxiety, panic attacks and sitting in a repossessed house3:55 — Why her children became the driving force behind her recovery5:14 — Building a business around motherhood14:13 — What narcissistic abuse actually means16:49 — Googling “narcissistic sociopath” and understanding her experience18:30 — £70,000 of debt, repossession and single motherhood20:08 — Why counselling helped but did not fully heal her21:12 — Discovering nervous system healing23:31 — The £58,000 launch that changed what felt possible25:05 — Creating trauma-informed coaching certifications27:05 — Taking £1.9 million at launch29:42 — Listening to your audience without abandoning your beliefs32:45 — Building a trauma-informed business with integrity34:00 — Victimhood, responsibility and healing38:01 — Why founders can become addicted to stress42:24 — Functional freeze, burnout and business performance45:04 — Caroline’s Capacity Plus framework52:21 — Using nervous system capacity in business57:38 — Handling hard conversations as a leader1:02:30 — Why you cannot lead beyond what your nervous system can hold1:05:56 — Lessons from a difficult team exit1:11:00 — Empathy, codependency and trauma-informed leadership1:16:15 — Moving from personal brand to scalable companies1:19:07 — Challenging the traditional mental health system1:22:51 — Becoming visible as the woman she is today1:25:56 — Why doing your own healing is a gift to your children
