Episode 191: Up Close and Personal with Kasey Compton

Private Practice Startup Podcast
Date: June 15, 2020
Hosts: Dr. Kate Campbell & Katie Lemieux
Guest: Casey Compton

Overview

This special "Up Close and Personal" episode steps away from typical business conversations to explore the personal side of Kasey Compton, a dynamic entrepreneur known for rapidly scaling her mental health practice. Listeners sent in questions for Casey, covering her upbringing, family life, quirks, and even her self-care habits. The episode closes with a fun lightning round of rapid-fire questions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Casey's Background and Upbringing

• Grew up in Somerset, a small town in south-central Kentucky, best known for Lake Cumberland.

• Lived in a rural environment with about 5,000 residents in her county.

• After high school, moved to Lexington, KY, and then impulsively relocated to Chicago at age 19 to become a makeup artist.

• Quote:

  "Now I think about, like, how, how was I not terrified? I would never do that now ever. But it was...a cool experience." (07:02)

• Chicago experience taught her resourcefulness and independence. She came home with a "different mentality" that helped when facing career challenges.

Embarrassing Stories

• Recounts a memorable moment at the Group Practice Builder Summit, where her husband Trevor, meant to say "tweak the system," instead told a packed room, "sometimes you just have to twerk the system."
• Quote:

  “He stands up in front of the whole entire audience ...and just as serious as he could be, he said, sometimes you just have to twerk the system. You just have to twerk it. And he had no idea.” (10:25)

• The story became an ongoing joke in her professional circles.

Balancing Business & Family

• Trevor joined her company after the business was established, filling a marketing role (his previous expertise). Their work roles are kept deliberately separate.
• They avoid discussing business at home, which has strengthened their relationship and allowed Trevor to spend more time with their children.
• Quote:

  "If anything, it's probably made our relationship stronger... he hasn’t been back to work since we had Thayer... would have never been able to happen otherwise." (15:10)

Managing Multiple Roles

• Casey has shifted to high-level tasks in her practice, focusing on vision and design, with minimal administrative duties (except for payroll).
• Her consulting business is more hands-on and experimental, using her group practice as a “laboratory” for testing new ideas before introducing them to clients.
• Owns several properties, though this is mostly passive.

Personal Growth from Business

• Business ownership revealed her "control freak" side, especially at the start.
• Eventually learned to delegate and let go of micromanagement for the sake of her sanity and the well-being of her team.
• Quote:

  "I was very controlling... It took me a good two years to let go." (20:01)

Self-Care Practices

• Non-negotiable: Getting away to the water (preferably the beach) several times a year for relaxation and mental reset.
• Daily self-care includes reading and writing—writing comes easier with a glass of bourbon!
• Quote (on writing):

  "I swear if I drink a glass of bourbon, I'm like, oh, I can just write." (24:16)

• Favorite bourbon: Blanton’s; also likes Pappy, Old Pogue, and Mitcher’s.
• Favorite vacation spot: Fripp Island, South Carolina—a quiet, family-friendly resort (26:50).

Aspirations

• Wants to write a book titled "Bigger Than You Were Built For," about resilience for business owners who outgrow others’ expectations (27:50).

Family & Home Life

• Husband Trevor is a “free spirit and a slob,” which is both what she loves and what drives her crazy; she finds it challenging when tasks (like laundry) aren't finished.
• Children’s names:
  • Mamie: Vintage inspiration, liked the name from Mamie Eisenhower.
  • Lennon: Inspired by John Lennon (Beatles reference, honoring her husband’s musicality).
  • Thayer: Originally picked for a boy, chosen because all men in Trevor’s family have names starting with "T."
• Not a “hugger”—prefers distance, likely due to upbringing. Known at work for being a “cactus.”
• Pet peeve: People not doing what they say they’ll do—strong integrity value.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with timestamps)

• On being resourceful in Chicago:

  "It made me appreciate the fact that I didn’t need anybody, that I could always be okay." (07:47)

• On relinquishing control in her business:

  "I can stay like this helicopter mom... Or I can let it go. We have standards, but I stopped micromanaging. Now people make mistakes, but we talk about it." (21:00)

• On writing & bourbon:

  "If I drink a glass of bourbon, I’m like, oh, I can just write...I want to write this book but I don’t want to be an alcoholic." (24:16)

• Favorite bourbon tasting:

  “It’s really sweet on the front end, but it’ll kick you in the behind, like as it goes.” (26:22)

• On Trevor’s impact at home:

  “He will, like, let dishes soak for two weeks…Same with laundry, he'll wash the same load...five times to keep from having to fold it.” (31:19, 32:44)

• On not being a hugger:

  “They tease me at work about being a cactus. I just don't like to be that close to people. It just kind of freaks me out.” (35:34)

Lightning Round Highlights (38:21–41:52)

• If you had to be quarantined with one celebrity: “A chef.”
• Coke or Pepsi? “Coke.”
• Spirit animal: “Maybe a cat.”
• Weirdest job: “Cooked hamburgers for golfers on a golf course.”
• Superpower: “Order and efficiency, definitely systems.”
• If you could do Freaky Friday with anyone: “Ernesto, so I could dance like him on TikTok.”
• Favorite ice cream: “Butter pecan or rainbow sherbet superhero.”
• Have you ever been skinny dipping? “Yes.”
• Would you take the last piece of pie? “Oh, yeah, for sure.”
• Makes you really nervous? “This.” (the lightning round itself!)

Memorable, Personal Tidbits

• Writing is a passion—she aims to write a book about resiliency in entrepreneurship.
• Enjoys vintage names and decor; finds calmness in quiet and water settings.
• Not naturally affectionate (doesn’t hug), shaped by her family culture, in contrast to her husband’s expressive family.
• Strong value on integrity—dislikes when people don’t follow through.
• Finds foot rubs deeply relaxing (possibly submitted by husband Trevor!).

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Guest introduction & Casey’s background: 00:30–07:37
• Impactful Chicago story & lessons learned: 07:37–09:51
• Most embarrassing moment ("twerk the system"): 10:25–13:27
• Relationship with Trevor & business/family balance: 13:51–16:19
• Professional roles & managing multiple ventures: 17:12–19:40
• Personal growth through entrepreneurship: 19:40–22:20
• Self-care and creativity (writing & bourbon): 22:28–25:14
• Favorite bourbon & vacation spot: 25:45–27:33
• Book aspirations ("Bigger Than You Were Built For"): 27:37–28:57
• Family & kids’ names: 29:31–31:08
• Big relationship arguments & pet peeves: 31:08–34:11
• Not a hugger, “cactus” at work: 34:41–36:34
• Lightning Round rapid-fire Q&A: 38:21–41:52

Tone & Style

The conversation is fun, candid, and filled with laughter and mutual respect. Casey’s responses are honest, self-deprecating, and warm—offering a genuine look behind the business persona. The podcast hosts, Kate and Katie, keep the tone casual and light, encouraging Casey to share personal details and stories.

Summary Conclusion

This refreshing episode offers an engaging, personal portrait of Casey Compton beyond her role as a successful mental health entrepreneur. Listeners gain insight into her formative years, quirky home life, self-awareness, and the real challenges behind her impressive business growth. The playful atmosphere and storytelling, capped off by a rapid-fire Q&A, make this a memorable and relatable episode for anyone balancing business, family, and authenticity.