Tag: uwgb

Anna Bomber graduated from UW-Green Bay’s SEPP program in 2022. She obtained her CMPC and is now the SEPP program’s practicum coordinator and owner of Bomber Performance Consulting, LLC. In her private practice, she specializes in working with performing artists, specifically dancers and singers.  

Lexi Ahrens graduated from UW-Green Bay’s SEPP program in 2022. Lexi is now currently pursuing her CMPC and owns UpLIFT Mental Performance, LLC. Lexi specializes in working with exercisers and athletes. 

Many early career professionals may be interested in starting their own business but have very little idea of where to start. We went through these same struggles when we first opened our own mental performance consulting businesses. While we may focus on different performance clientele in our businesses, we followed similar steps to get to where we are currently. Here we share our personal journeys as business owners in the sport and performance psychology space. We talk about strategies we used to market our services, the value of building strong professional connections, and how we’ve managed to keep our passion at the heart of our work. 

Anna’s Experience

It’s important to remember that when starting a business, it can be as big or small as you want, and you can invest as much, or as little, time and energy into it as you are able. The options are endless. Before starting out, you may wonder if you will make enough money doing what you enjoy, or if you will ramp up enough of a client load to make ends meet. This is where I think it’s important to be flexible. If balancing a full or part-time job and opening your business with only one client is manageable, then it’s okay to start with that. It’s not necessary to have a full client load right away, or honestly, ever, if that’s not your jam. For example, I carry 1-3 clients at a time, so the time spent on my business is typically less than ten hours a week, which allows me to seek other opportunities for income and build my resume in other ways while I am starting out. I’ve also noticed that I do my best work when I am not in a client-facing role for eight hours a day, so part-time consulting may be what is best for me, personally, and I encourage others to consider how they can be creative and make consulting work with their lifestyle, personality, and other interests.  

Lexi’s Experience

When Anna and I started our own businesses, we had very different experiences. Both feelings were completely valid. Anna felt excited about launching her business and was eager to see what the future would bring. I, on the other hand, was nervous and scared. I actually waited nearly two years after graduation before forming my LLC. Most of that hesitation came from fear of the unknown. I had to talk myself into just going for it. In the end, I reminded myself that the worst-case scenario was investing a little money in something that might not work out. And honestly, starting an LLC is fairly inexpensive. Once I got things up and running, everything started to fall into place. My biggest piece of advice for anyone starting their own LLC is to focus on networking and marketing consistently during the first year. For instance, I created an Instagram account and posted on it nearly every day for an entire year. I also introduced myself at local gyms and connected with people in that community. Before long, I had opportunities to lead free workshops, which helped me gain my first clients.  

Strategies for building a consulting practice

Strategy #1: Marketing 

Marketing yourself is essential, especially in the field of sport and performance psychology. Many people don’t fully understand what “mental performance consulting” actually means, which is why education and awareness are critical to building your presence. Often, clients don’t realize that mental blocks are what’s holding them back until they’re introduced to this kind of support. They may think their challenges stem from a lack of confidence, something they believe can’t be changed and that it’s just how they are. 

That’s why consistent marketing is so important, particularly on social media. It’s a powerful, free tool that can significantly expand your reach if used intentionally. Make the most of it while you can. Equally important is your website. It should clearly communicate what you do, what services you offer, and who you are. People aren’t just buying your services, they’re buying you. 

Think about your own decision-making process as a consumer. Often, you’re first drawn to how a product looks, not necessarily how it functions. You may have even purchased something based purely on great marketing. The same applies when someone is looking for a consultant. They’re often choosing someone they feel a connection with. 

Let your social media and website reflect who you truly are. When your branding feels authentic and personal, you’ll naturally attract the clients who are the right fit for you. 

As we’ve experienced the end of consulting relationships, we’ve made it a point to ask for testimonials from clients. We admit this can be awkward to do, but when a client shows as much appreciation for our services as they do, it seems like they would be happy to provide it – which they usually are! Of course, in line with ethics, we work to make these testimonials anonymous before putting it on our websites and we are sure to summarize a few lines so that confidentiality is kept. Our hope is that future performers and athletes will glance at these testimonials and see that mental performance is important, and necessary in some cases, to get athletes, dancers, and exercisers back to where they need to be to shine in their performance domain. 

Strategy #2: Connections 

As you may have heard, connections are huge when you decide to create your own business. We simply would not be where we are today if it wasn’t for the colleagues, advisors, supervisors, and instructors that we’ve met along the way. In staying in contact with them, we’ve been able to receive referrals for our clients, and opportunities to present workshops through our LLCs. Since performance encapsulates such a wide range of people, employees, performers, and athletes, connections can be formed just about anywhere, so it’s always important to show up professionally and ready for those connections to be made. You never know who may reach out later in life. 

Strategy #3: Keeping Passion in the Profession 

As we mentioned above, we both have different interests in which performance domains we serve. Anna tends to focus on performing artists, while Lexi tends to lean towards clients who want to build on their exercise, business, and sport performance. While there may be a lot of overlap in what we teach these athletes and performers, we have both made it a point to stick to our roots and put our time and energy into the performance types that brought us into the field to begin with.  

Anna’s Experience

Even though I gravitate towards the arts, I have also been flexible in who I serve. From golfers to swimmers, to singers and dancers, I think it was important that when I started out, I was open to working with whichever referrals came my way. Even though my heart isn’t always 100% tied into some sports, I was still able to identify with different aspects that spoke to me. For example, golf is an individual sport, as is dance in many aspects, so I ran with that and found ways to connect to it. On the other hand, I decided to put my energy outside of my LLC into other organizations and experiences that could give me what I loved. I made it a point to seek out volunteer opportunities with musicians so that I could still fill my cup with something I truly had a passion for. Even though this wasn’t a paid opportunity, it gave me a chance to advertise my services and provide materials to the community of Appleton, WI. I’ve also found my way into the Performing Arts Special Interest Group (SIG) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Again, this is volunteer work but gives me a chance to present annual material at the AASP conference and grow the SIG as a coordinator so we can make an impact in the field in a way that I’m so fond of. 

Lexi’s Experience

Opening yourself up to working with a wide range of clients is valuable in many ways. It provides hands-on experience and challenges you to do the research needed to truly support each individual. That said, there is something powerful about narrowing your focus to a specific population. While expanding your reach can be a great way to grow, honing in on a niche can offer even greater long-term benefits. 

Personally, I would never turn away a client unless I felt completely unqualified in that area. However, focusing on a specific group has allowed me to grow in meaningful ways. When you choose a population, you are passionate about, it shows. I have always been drawn to working with the exercise community, whether it’s marathon runners, CrossFit athletes, or Hyrox competitors, and those clients have quickly become my favorite to work with. 

Focusing on a group you care about deeply can help prevent burnout. It also makes it much easier to market yourself. As mentioned earlier, many people are unfamiliar with what mental performance consulting actually is. When you can clearly explain who you help and how, it’s much easier to gain interest and start conversations. Saying you can work with “anyone” can be too vague for the general public to understand or connect with. Being specific gives clarity, direction, and credibility. 

This targeted approach also makes outreach more effective. Walking into a gym or studio and introducing your services feels more natural when your niche aligns with their environment. Of course, there are pros and cons to both approaches, and your path depends on your goals. Still, I believe it is worth putting in the extra effort to market what you are truly passionate about, even if it takes more time upfront. 

One thing Anna and I share is the challenge of working in performance areas outside of sport that have limited research available. That often means we need to take existing research and adapt it to our unique populations. It can be more demanding to work through this challenge when first starting out, , but it’s incredibly rewarding in the long run to be able to translate that literature into something that can help those who we are passionate about working with. 

Stay true to what excites you most. When you do, everything else will begin to fall into place. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions – we are happy to chat more!  

Written by:  

Lexi Ahrens, MS; UpLIFT Mental Performance, LLC; Upliftmpc@gmail.com 

Anna Bomber, MS, CMPC; Bomber Performance Consulting, LLC; Bomberperformance@outlook.com  

Beaux Myers, a SEPP 2022 graduate, sat down with Megan Zander, a current SEPP student to share words of experience and wisdom for students pursuing a graduate degree in sport, exercise and performance psychology. Beaux is Certified Mental Performance Consultant who received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI, where he was also a member on the Men’s Golf Team. He received his Master’s degree in Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology from the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay and is currently the Mental Performance Coach for the Colby College Athletic Department. Beaux received the 2025 Early Career Applied Practitioner Award from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

What SEPP related jobs have you had? What is your current job?

I completed my SEPP consulting internship with Freedom High School and Aurora BayCare Sports Medicine. After completing the internship, I was offered a position at Aurora BayCare Sports Medicine as their sports training specialist – mental performance consultant. I was the mental performance consultant for their contract with four local high schools and also a few semi-professional teams in the Green Bay area. I was the point person for them for any mental performance training (individual and group sessions, workshops, presentations, working with coaches). I also had individual clinic clients who were coming back from injuries and returning to the workforce. I addressed the mental barriers that could come along with returning to work after an injury. I worked at Aurora BayCare for one year and then got hired at Colby College as the athletic department’s mental performance coach. Colby College is a NCAA DIII school in the New England Small College Athletic Conference. I serve 32 varsity teams, 750 student-athletes, and coaching staff as their mental performance coach. I’m embedded within a transdisciplinary model called “Peak Performance” for student athlete development: mental performance, athletic training, sport science, dietetics, and strength and conditioning. We collaborate with each other to maximize the development in the performance of our student athletes, and lucky for me, that includes the mental performance piece.

How important is setting boundaries in your position, working in athletics?

Yes, setting boundaries is very important. I take the first 5-10 minutes of a session with the athlete to talk about boundaries. A D3 college is small. I’m going to see them across campus. How do you want to act, to talk, to acknowledge each other when I see you other places? Having those conversations early, setting a boundary of social media policies, and fully committing to those boundaries is important. Conversations that I can have with your ATs, with your strength coaches, with your coaches, with administration. Nothing should come as a surprise. Because when it comes as a surprise, you’re already behind. And then that opens the door for ethical concerns which opens the door for a lack of trust or a break in trust, all the things that we need to avoid. Setting those boundaries early and clearly sets the foundation for a good working relationship. You have to know what you’re getting into as well. Sometimes I’m sending emails at 9 o’clock at night because I need to be; maybe there’s a mental health concern or a crisis that I need to be attuned to, that’s part of our job. And some of that needs to be addressed immediately, and if that happens at 9 o’clock at night, all right, we’re addressing it right? So yeah. I try to set boundaries. I try to hold them, but sometimes I also have to be understanding how life happens and situations that happen that need to be addressed, so there are boundaries with flexibility.

Along the lines of flexibility, I’m willing to be flexible with the teams and coaches that show respect. I’m still going show respect to every team, but the ones that respect my time, that respect the work that we do collaboratively, I’m willing to make more sacrifices for. I respect you as long as you respect me; if you respect the work that we do, I’m willing to make those sacrifices. I’m willing to travel across country in the postseason, to maximize the performance of a team. I’m willing to travel five hours for a team to be on a bus and work with the team in the postseason play. This is time away from my loved ones but is something I am willing to do because of the trust and respect that has been established with those teams, student athletes, and coaches.

What were some of your biggest challenges you faced during your time in the SEPP program?

Balancing what was basically three full-time jobs: classes & SEPP internship, working full-time, and coaching collegiate golf.

How did you overcome these challenges?

My wife. She helped. That’s kind of a joke, but not a joke. My wife is very understanding. I’m very fortunate to have her. She knows that I work in athletics. She knows that this is what I want do, so she’s very understanding of those sacrifices that I need to make and that flexibility. If I didn’t have her, I might be saying something completely different. A lot of time management, but also, I think just the work ethic that I kind of abide to; it’s always been kind of ingrained in me, like, you have to work hard to get what you want. I’m a first generation college grad, so I didn’t really have much to pave the way, so I kind of had to pave my own way. I had to make some sacrifices. I tried to get time for myself, but a lot of the stuff that I did, I loved. Yes, obviously its stressful, but also it wasn’t so much that I felt like I was getting burnt out. Working in orthopedics, I worked for a knee surgeon, and he and I had a really strong relationship and honestly, I loved that stuff. I think about it all the time still. And then coaching, you know, you’re not in coaching unless you love it, and that goes with mental coaching as well. And then education, I’ve always loved education. So, if you find at least one thing that you love about it and you really kind of hone in on that, it makes it a lot easier to balance it. I honed in on relationships. That goes into my current consulting and mental performance coaching, the foundation of my work is based upon relationships. If I don’t have a solid relationship with a team, a client, an athlete, a coach, then it’s gonna be hard to implement the techniques and the strategies. Right? So, it really comes down to the relationships for me.

You had the opportunity to conduct research during your time in the SEPP program. What benefits did you experience from this research and how does it inform your applied work? 

My research was a mixed methods imagery intervention case study where golfers participated in one of two conditions: traditional imagery and PETTLEP imagery. I compared which type of imagery was more beneficial for golf performance. My takeaways are the amount of dedication that it takes and also the creativity that you need to have to formulate a research question, formulate a plan, for said research, and execute and then reflect. So that’s something I do every time I meet with an athlete, every time that I conduct an intervention with the team. I have to sit down to do an assessment with our coaching staff or with the player to be like, all right, what areas do we need to work on? Then upon that, create a plan, execute that plan, and then we reflect, right? So, essentially what I do is basically applied research without the formality of writing a paper.

What is one golden nugget of advice you would like to share?

 Be a passenger, not the driver. What I mean by that is, have a map to a client’s performance, but don’t tell them how to get there. Guide them. Sometimes I have to catch myself not to prescribing them exercises, but working with the student athlete to find what’s working and what maybe we can do differently. Try to personalize your consulting. Mindfulness, for example, is going to look completely different for somebody versus another (hockey player vs golfer). You want to have a solid theoretical foundation, have an understanding of what we’re coaching, and what we’re working on (the research and science), but then there is also the practitioner part: the experience and understanding of how you can modify that based on the environment that you’re in or the person that you’re working with. Get really creative with it, be the passenger. Have an understanding of the goal or the destination, while giving them the keys to drive to the destination.

Questions for Beaux? Contact him at: bmyers@colby.edu

By: Megan Zander, SEPP Graduate Student at UW – Green Bay and Beaux Myers, Mental Performance Coach at Colby College

Co-author: Dr. Joanna Morrissey, Chair of the Sport Exercise & Performance Psychology Program