385 Building a Mental Performance Business: From Self-Doubt to Success with Cait Leavitt of Mind With Matter

Quick SummaryCait, founder of Mind With Matter, shares her journey from working in Australia to returning to Canada to launch her mental performance and sports psychology business. In this honest conversation, she opens up about overcoming self-doubt, the importance of community, navigating challenging days as an entrepreneur, and why "mind with matter" beats "mind over matter" every time.In This EpisodeWhy Cait decided to leave full-time employment to start her own businessThe pivotal advice that changed her perspective: "The job you want might not exist yet"How she landed a contract with Canada Games (after thinking she'd "never get it")The difference between knowing your values and actually connecting with themPractical strategies for working through tough business daysHow to discern between fatigue and fear when motivation is lowBuilding community in a new city as an adult entrepreneurWhy curiosity and joy are essential tools for getting unstuckKey TakeawaysTrust the alignment: Instead of forcing outcomes, Cait operates from a place of abundance, trusting that what's meant to work out will work out—and that saying no to misaligned opportunities creates space for the right ones.Community is non-negotiable: From practitioner meetups to supervisor check-ins to honest conversations with friends, Cait credits her support network as essential to her success and mental health as an entrepreneur."Good enough" is enough: On challenging days, Cait chunks down her tasks and asks, "What do I need to do to be good enough today?" This mindset shift removes the pressure to be extraordinary every single day.Actions precede feelings: Whether building community or starting a business, waiting for motivation or perfect conditions means waiting forever. Taking action creates the feelings you're seeking.Fatigue vs. fear: Learning to distinguish between genuine exhaustion and fear-based resistance is crucial. Cait test: Try working for 10 minutes. If momentum doesn't build, your body genuinely needs rest.Memorable Quotes"If I didn't try to execute some of these ideas, the pain of regret would be a lot worse than the pain of potentially failing at them.""There's a very big difference between knowing your value and connecting with your values.""Every car needs coolant. The more I try and push myself to be amazing on this shitty day, the harder it's going to be for me to show up tomorrow."Resources MentionedMind With Matter (Cait's business specializing in mental performance and concussion support)Canada Games (where Cait served as mental performance consultant for Team BC)Squamish, BC (Cait's current home base and community hub)About the GuestCait Leavitt is a sports psychologist and mental performance consultant who specializes in concussion recovery support. After gaining experience working in Australia and with various athletes and teams, she founded Mind With Matter—a practice rooted in the philosophy of working with what is, rather than pushing through at all costs. She currently serves clients from Squamish, BC, where she balances her work with her love of mountain biking and cycling.ConnectWebsite: https://www.mindwithmatter.ca/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitleavitt/