As he was going through an expired relationship, John Kim created a blog on Tumblr called “The Angry Therapist” and started to document his journey post divorce.

John Kim

John Kim

Even though he was a licensed therapist, John chose not to present himself that way. He wore t-shirts and jeans. He preferred the language of “me too” as opposed to “you should”. He blogged about his short comings, revelations, and his views on relationships, the self help business, and the world. He discovered CrossFit, bought a motorcycle, and started coaching people in unconventional ways.

Soon he had a full practice. He would see clients all over the world using his phone, and zoomed around town on his motorcycle to do sessions in coffee shops. Through this process, he realized that there was a new way to help others, combining what he learned in therapy school with life coaching, and using technology to be mobile and create online communities.  But most importantly, he took a very different approach, one frowned upon by the rigid and antiquated therapy world. He practiced transparency.

People keep asking him why he calls himself The Angry Therapist. His reply: It’s my way of saying I’m human.

Today, John is a pioneer in the field of self help. He is an entrepreneur, published author, public speaker, a teacher, and a raw, unique voice that resonates in deep places with all whose path he crosses. Instead of a therapist, he likes to think of himself as a lifestyle designer.

In our interview with John, he shares the difference between therapy and life coaching, his unique methods for creating change, how to build micro tribes online, what he feels are the core qualities of a leader, and the next phase of his own journey.

Authentic, transparent, and straight to the point, John provides powerful insights that will help you break down the facade and begin to discover the best version of yourself.

Key Takeaways

  1. Be real. We’re all human and have feelings, and it’s okay.
  2. The greatest misconception about self-help is the word “self”.
  3. When you’re doing what you’re meant to do, it’s not you trying to chase or force – it flows naturally.
  4. When you’re experiencing tough times, don’t make it about you. Be a vessel where you live a “through me” life vs a “to me” life.
  5. Your most powerful state is when you are allowing your gifts to flow through you, to the betterment of others.
  6. Build your micro tribes (i.e. secret Facebook groups) based on safety, trust, and engagement. Pick a specific topic that you’re passionate about, provide lots of content, video challenges, and questions to engage people in the conversation. And let the commentaries fuel the rest.
  7. For change to occur, you must take action.

John Kim Biography

John Kim, LMFT, is a published writer, speaker, life coach, and a co-founder of SHFT. He pioneered the online life coaching movement seven years ago, quickly building a following of 48,000 Facebook fans, 13,000 Instagram fans and a sizable email list. Seven years ago, John Kim went through a divorce which led to his total re-birth. He became an unconventional therapist by working out of the box, growing his audience of like-minded people through Tumblr from the ground up. He built out a coaching team and started a movement to change the way we change.

John’s own podcast Asking For a Friend hit #78 on the top health charts on iTunes.

Connect with John Kim

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