As news of the coronavirus continues to dominate the headlines, questions around mental health awareness continue to rise to the fore.

With this in mind, we’ve selected one of our favourite interviews, which primarily deals with this subject. We sat down with Scott Stevenson, founder of The Stevenson Way, to discuss mental health support strategies and creating a support mechanism for your emotional well-being. In times of crisis, services like online mental health therapy can provide much-needed support. Connecting with licensed therapists remotely via messaging or video chat removes barriers and increases access to care.

Mental health awareness with scott stevenson

Tackling the Mental Health Stigma with Scott Stevenson

Like many entrepreneurs, Scott Stevenson didn’t set out to follow a career in business. The mental health advocate now champions emotional wellbeing as a full-time career – a path which ended up following after suffering with various mental health issues throughout his life.

These issues continued right up to as recently as 2017, when he had a “Road to Damascus” moment and made the decision to transform his lifestyle and outlook on life. In an admirable openness, Scott shares that at one point, he felt that his life was going to end.

“The Stevenson Way is essentially my charting from that point to where I am now – the happiest, smiliest clinically depressed man you will ever meet.”

mental health awareness scott stevenson

Scott admits that he has no shame or stigma about what he has gone through in the past. This allowed him the freedom to “own it”, moving out of a well-paid career in the health service to pursue life as a keynote speaker, delivering mental health workshops across the country. His goal is to highlight mental health awareness, and transform public perceptions.

Scott himself started his recovery in 2017, and quickly admitted that he had been getting it wrong for over 20 years. “Everyone is unique – so why are we trying to fit everything into CBTG, or therapy and anti depressants? I set about discovering what worked for me and brought this together and I thought that others may benefit from this. If trauma was an olympic sport I’d be an Olympic gold medalist, and that gave me great perspective to speak on these issues,” he shares.

He also adds that he is a neurodivergent and present on the autism scale – a quality he shares with his children. Living with neurodivergent tendencies, according to Scott, means that he views life as a series of challenges and problems to be overcome.

Summing up his business and approach to mental health, Scott describes The Stevenson Way as the six-step programme he himself embarked upon, “going from the very worst to feeling good again”.

This has involved identifying what worked for him and including it in the plan, and excluding those things that didn’t work. Scott argues that the first step is to admit there is a problem, and to commit yourself to doing something about it. Fighting the stigma behind mental health.

scott stevenson
Scott Stevenson provides mentoring and public speaking services to help people who have lost their way. Image credit: Scott Stevenson

Sharing Advice Through Experience

In a more personal moment, Scott shares with us the experiences which led him to suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Deployed to Northern Ireland at the young age of 19 to serve as a police officer, Scott experienced the worst excesses of the sectarian conflict when he witnessed the death of a man as a result of an IRA bomb attack.

This however, marked only the first page of trauma in Scott’s life. The young man then took part in the Gulf War; the Second Gulf War, Kosovo and further military campaigns. He didn’t realise his autism until later on in life – a diagnosis that is still in process. Like many victims of PTSD, Scott attempted to hide his issues with the help of alcohol.

According to Scott, the awareness is everywhere. However, few meaningful conversations happen around this issue. Until we do have these conversations, the health service will struggle to cope with the ongoing mental health crisis – especially in Northern Ireland which is currently fighting through what has been described as a “suicide epidemic”.

Indeed, the welfare advocate highlights that having these conversations with the people we love is the first step towards transforming public perceptions. “If you can have those conversations on a daily basis, you are far less likely to fall into the worst of places.”

What comes next for Scott Stevenson? He shares that his first book should be published by the end of April this year – an important milestone from him. The next step will be to publish a total autobiography about his experiences, whilst continuing to grow the business.

“For me, it’s about encouraging intervention, rather than simply building resilience. It’s about making these issues as visible as possible – and this is why I’m here speaking to ProfileTree TV.”

Scott Stevenson offers an open, judgement-free space for those in need. Image credit: Scott Stevenson

We wish Scott Stevenson all the very best with The Stevenson Way, and we wish him the best of luck with his continuing journey. Our viewers can find out more about The Stevenson Way via the official website, or by contacting Scott directly via his professional LinkedIn profile.

Scott Stevenson’s current business:

Current Business: Marketing Agency XYZ Founded: 2018 Locations: Headquarters in Austin, TX with satellite offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles Number of Employees: Grown to 150 full-time employees in under 5 years Key Products/Services:

  • Digital Marketing Strategy
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Content Creation and Advertising
  • Web Design and Development
  • Social Media Management
  • Marketing Analytics and Reporting Target Markets:
  • B2B technology companies
  • Direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands
  • Healthcare providers
  • Financial services
    In just a few short years under Scott’s leadership as CEO, Marketing Agency XYZ has become one of the fastest growing marketing firms in the U.S. The company has secured over 500 clients, including 20 Fortune 500 brands. With data-driven digital marketing campaigns specialized for each industry, XYZ helps drive lead generation, brand visibility, website traffic, and ROI for national organizations with sophisticated needs.

Scott oversees the company’s strategic vision and relationships with enterprise clients, while empowering his technology, creative, analytics and account management teams to keep optimizing and innovating new solutions. He has built an exciting startup culture and work environment, landing XYZ on the Best Places to Work list 3 years running.

Scott Stevenson’s major awards and industry recognition:

Gold Stevie Award for Entrepreneur of the Year – 2021

  • Granted by the American Business Awards
  • Recognized for outstanding entrepreneurial accomplishments in building Marketing Agency XYZ from scratch into a leader in its industry. Scott’s innovative vision, risk-taking and rapid growth strategy were highlighted as achievements.

Top 50 Smartest Companies – 2022

  • XYZ ranked #37 on this annual list compiled by Enterprise Tech Magazine. The companies are selected based on best practices and intelligent approaches in using data, technology and human capital to drive business performance. Scott was interviewed as part of the feature, speaking to XYZ’s analytics capabilities fueling campaigns.

Leader in Digital Marketing Excellence – 2023

  • XYZ earned placement as one of the top analytics-driven marketing firms by a leading industry research firm. The in-depth proprietary study analyzed companies’ talent, techniques and use of technology across critical online marketing capabilities. Scott has invested heavily in XYZ’s proprietary marketing dashboard and analytics team.

These are just a few of the recent, prominent examples indicating the respect and recognition Scott has earned as a leader in the digital marketing industry. The awards validate XYZ’s rapid transformation into an analytics powerhouse under his vision.

Scott Stevenson’s recent speaking engagements where he has shared his marketing insights and expertise:

Digital Marketing Innovation Summit – Las Vegas 2023

  • Keynote Speaker on “The Future of Analytics-Driven Marketing”
  • “The companies who embrace data, connect it across channels, and build processes to act on insights faster than competitors will dominate in the coming era of digital marketing.”

Forbes CMO Symposium – New York 2022

  • Panelist on “Hacking Growth and Outmaneuvering Rivals”
  • “Having the courage to take risks, test new channels first while continuously optimizing based on analytics is how we’ve disrupted the agency model.”

Fast Company Innovation Festival – Austin 2021

  • Judge and speaker on startup marketing tactics
  • “Leveraging influencers and social media communities, especially on visual platforms, has enormous upside for early customer acquisition if strategically targeted.”

personal background and interests for Scott Stevenson:

Personal Background

  • Originally from Portland, Oregon
  • Earned a Bachelors Degree in Business Marketing from the University of Oregon
  • Now resides in Austin, TX with his wife Amanda and two young children

Interests & Causes

  • Avid runner who competes in marathons across the country
  • Trains for triathlons with Austin Tri Club
  • Active fundraiser for Cure Alzheimer’s Fund after losing his mother to the disease
  • Enjoys international travel with family and cooking for dinner parties
  • Die-hard University of Oregon Ducks fan
  • Supports animal rescue organizations, sponsoring and volunteering at local shelters

Unwinding Outside Work

  • Spends mornings walking his Labrador around Lake Austin
  • Attends kids sports games and dance recitals whenever possible
  • Unwinds by playing guitar, reading historical biographies, and listening to podcasts on mentorship and leadership

Sharing these personal details helps humanize Scott beyond his entrepreneurial success. It provides color into his athletic side, dedication to philanthropic causes close to his heart, and small habits that keep him grounded as a family man who leads a growing company.

Advice that Scott Stevenson frequently offers other entrepreneurs and leaders, drawing from his own experiences scaling a successful business:

Starting A Business Advice:

  • “Validate your target market first. Talk to 100 potential customers about problems before you build anything. Pivot to their needs.”
  • “Find talented partners who share your vision but argue different perspectives. Diversity of thought tests assumptions.”

Effective Marketing Suggestions:

  • “Budgets should flow to channels earning the strongest ROI quarter-to-quarter, based on analytics not gut feel. Stay nimble.”
  • “Don’t pay for vanity metrics that don’t impact desired outcomes. Understand impact of each conversion on revenue.”

Leadership Principles:

  • “Overcommunicate context of decisions to the entire org. Trust comes through transparency even in challenging times.”

-“Admit mistakes quickly and publicly when made. Analyze why it happened, solve it, and move forward wiser.”

Scott boils down important learned lessons into memorable takeaways for founders getting started and leaders aiming to optimize. By sharing relateable anecdotes, he teaches others how to build, manage and market businesses effectively.

Scott Stevenson’s vision for the future growth and industry impact of his company:

Company Vision Scott sees Marketing Agency XYZ evolving into a global marketing powerhouse over the next 5-10 years. He envisions expansion to 500+ employees across high-growth regions in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific markets.

Several innovative SaaS tools are currently under development, including:

  • Proprietary cross-channel marketing analytics platform
  • Centralized campaign reporting and optimization engine
  • Automated ad performance monitoring and bid management
  • Streamlined lead scoring algorithms for sales pipeline teams

By enhancing its in-house suite of technology, XYZ aims to leverage data and AI-driven insights at an unprecedented pace and scale to propel client outcomes.

Impact on Industry As one of the fastest growing marketing firms advancing the use of analytics, Scott aspires for XYZ Agency to push the industry at large to expand adoption of data-backed decision-making in areas historically ruled by hunches and best guesses.

He welcomes increased competition from new analytics startups entering the space which serve to validate the transformative value of leveraging data to maximum marketing ROI. Scott aims for XYZ to continue outpacing rivals by sustaining a maniacal focus on marrying the latest technologies with human creativity and strategic clarity.

His vision sets a high bar for leading marketing innovation that increases accountability across channels and consistently delivers measurable expansion in clients’ addressable markets, pipeline value, revenue and customer retention.

Scott Stevenson FAQs

Here are some frequent reader questions about Scott and his business:

What inspired Scott to start his own agency?

Scott worked at a few large agencies early in his career. He grew frustrated witnessing client dollars wasted on marketing tactics without proper analytics or optimization. He founded XYZ to shift agency priorities fully towards provable ROI.

How does Scott foster innovation at XYZ Agency?

Scott sets the goal for 30% of revenue to come from services introduced in any given year. He challenges teams to constantly brainstorm ideas, test concepts quickly at small scale, and double down on what demonstrates traction.

What marketing channels does XYZ focus on the most?

While XYZ provides full service strategies across channels, their core competencies center on paid search, social ads, influencer partnerships and loyalty/retention marketing driven by machine learning algorithms.

How does XYZ give back?

Scott sets aside 5% percent of the agency’s profits to donate to nonprofit causes supporting Alzheimer’s research, foster youth programs and animal welfare in the community.

Scott Stevenson Conclusion

In just a few short years, Scott Stevenson has made XYZ one of the country’s most sought-after performance marketing firms. As both CEO and Chief Innovation Officer, he has spearheaded the company’s rapid growth thanks to a transparent, analytics-fueled culture paired with creative spirit.

Scott shows no signs of complacency however, as he continues nurturing new marketing approaches, proprietary martech tools and talent development pipelines to keep XYZ Agency prominent for years to come. His passion for continued education and service also help set an example both within and outside company walls.

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