Culture Focused Practice

In this Owner’s Room special of the Culture Focused Practice podcast, Dr. Tara Vossenkemper sits down with Nicole Brewer, founder of Rethink Therapy and Rethink Your Practice. This one’s a no-polish, no-bullshit convo about what leadership really looks like when you’re deep in it — when the systems are built but the people stuff is still messy, emotional, and real.

Nicole drops gold on everything from letting people coast out of fear, to the gut-punch moments of replacing someone on your so-called “dream team.” Together, they explore the tension between clarity and kindness, building out decision-making frameworks, confronting leadership missteps, and navigating emotionally raw but necessary conversations — all through the lens of running a healthy group practice.

Whether you’re still clinging to your first admin hire or reworking your leadership team for the fifth time, this episode gives you the real talk you need.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Culture Focused Practice Podcast
00:52 Meet Nicole Brewer: Founder of Rethink Therapy
02:16 Diving into the Owner's Room
03:08 Question 1: Handling Misalignment and Fear of Losing Staff
05:23 The Evolution of Leadership and Practice Ownership
07:20 The Importance of Authentic Conversations
12:15 Using Data and Metrics for Performance Evaluation
20:39 Question 2: Balancing Niceness and Leadership
32:43 Question 3: Fear of Fallout in Leadership Decisions
39:01 Addressing Employee Needs and Leadership Support
40:06 Making Tough Decisions in Leadership
41:14 Understanding and Communicating Capacity
48:26 Frameworks for Decision Making
51:15 Implementing EOS and Team Communication
55:11 Handling Difficult Conversations with Employees
01:10:05 Conclusion and Podcast Wrap-Up

🎙️ If this episode hit home (or gut-punched you a little), come join us inside the membership: www.taravossenkemper.com/the-membership — your space for real conversations, sustainable leadership, and culture that actually works.

Find Nicole here!

Consulting (Rethink Your Practice): www.rethinkyourpractice.com

Her Group Practice (Rethink Therapy): www.rethinktherapynv.com