Ayan's Homepage

Category: learnings

  • Kora Behavioral Health: Month One! 🚀

    I can’t believe it’s been a little over a month since we got our first patient at Kora!

    Ayan Said, nurse entrepreneur and co-founder of Kora Behavioral Health a group home in Phoenix Arizona, is standing in teal scrubs , holding her red stethoscope and smiling, inside her residential facility during her first month of operations

    Wooooo.. blows mind how quick that time flew by!!

    I’ve been meaning to update my blog and thought this would be a great come back post.

    I recently posted something similar on my LinkedIn titled “4 things I learned my first week running a behavioral health company” and I want to keep it as an ongoing series because it was SO fun to put together! Plus I’m trying to document my journey as much as possible this time around! 😁

    LFGOOOOOOO

    5 (surprising) things I learned my first month running a behavioral health startup:

    1. Be confident AF! Confidence isn’t automatic for me – I remind myself every single day that I do belong here. That unshakeable self-belief allowed me to tap into my abilities, show up, stay motivated, keep at it regardless of what’s going on externally and has directly impacted my company. We’re only a month in and Kora already has happy patients and staff – hell yeah 🙌🏾
    2. Action > overthinking + researching. I spent waaaaay too many hours planning, perfecting, overanalyzing. All I really need is an MVP (minimum viable plan) and to take that first step. And honestly, even if that MVP took me in the ‘wrong’ direction, I quickly adjusted and still learned something, still came away with a new idea/insight which was still incredibly valuable.
    3. Don’t stop marketing/networking even if the day to day gets crazy busy. I’ve made it a rule to schedule at least 6 hours of networking every week whether it’s a local meetup, conference, in-person visits to facilities/referral partners, posting on socials, outreach, lots and lots of outreach.
    4. Stop trying to reinvent the wheel – forms, templates, policies/procedures… Use what’s already there and tweak it with an LLM.
    5. What worked in my last 2 companies didn’t always work for this one… and what didn’t work at my last 2 startups might actually work now 😅 This one threw me for a loop because I’m still in the healthcare sector and I was sure (almost) everything would map 1:1 but it didn’t. I learned that instead of trying to force my previous experience/beliefs/frameworks into this company, I need to focus on building for my current company – what’s actually happening now and for it’s future. 


    What an awesome month filled with learnings and growth!!

    I honestly can’t wait to check in again in a few weeks!

  • Mastering Personal Branding: Strategies for Organic Growth and Engaging Content

    I recently watched the interview “55 Minutes of Social Media Content Strategy for Entrepreneurs ft. Carter Cofield” and found it so valuable! Here are the main takeaways from this video.

    Making Yourself More Discoverable through Content Creation

    Instead of trying to convince people to pay attention to you, focus on making yourself more findable through consistent content creation.

    Understanding the Needs of your Audience

    To create the right content, start by identifying your target audience and the challenges they face. Don’t make assumptions. Actually ask your audience directly what they want to know!

    Embracing Transparency and Generosity

    Don’t be selfish. Share all of your valuable information freely. Being an expert isn’t enough anymore, it’s how you communicate your expertise that matters the most. Make your knowledge accessible and understandable to others.

    Building Longterm Relationships Through Personal Branding

    Personal branding is about building an audience, not just acquiring followers. Focus on cultivating sticky, long-term relationships based on transparency and authenticity.

    Consistency without Complexity in Content Creation

    Consistency is crucial, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Repurpose content from others and experiment with different formats to maintain consistency without sacrificing quality.

    Centering your Audience in Content Creation

    Put your audience’s interests first. Create content that resonates with them, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. Utilize features like stitching and remixing to tailor content to their preferences.

    Converting Followers into Buyers

    Ultimately, the goal of personal branding is to turn followers into loyal customers. Nurture relationships and provide value consistently to create conversion opportunities.

    TLDR;

    Mastering personal branding requires understanding your audience, creating valuable content consistently, and building genuine relationships. By focusing on these principles, you can grow your brand organically and turn followers into loyal customers over time.