Comfort Zones, Relationships, and the Mind Gym: Brad Noll on Aaron Lane
Mindset · From Student of the Game
Comfort Zones, Relationships, and the Mind Gym: Brad Noll on Aaron Lane
In this Huddle, Brad Noll recaps his Student of the Game conversation with Aaron Lane, who co-founded Courageous Healing with his wife. The Fort Wayne nonprofit provides trauma-informed, culturally centered mental health services and works to make them accessible to everyone.
Brad revisits the numbers he shared on the episode: by his research, about 46 percent of white Americans with mental illness receive services, compared with 30 percent of Black Americans and 27 percent of Hispanic Americans. Courageous Healing, he says, stands in that gap and builds the bridge, and it is expanding.
People and Systems, Not Scale for Its Own Sake
Aaron named people and systems as the fundamentals of running a nonprofit, and Brad says the same is true in business. "Greatness does not happen in isolation," he says. The Noll Team does not grow because the market got better or worse. It grows because the team's capacity and skill sets grow.
Then you need systems. Brad is not a fan of scaling as a buzzword. He points to a book from Starbucks' leader about how the company fought for its life without losing its soul after growing too fast and drifting from its mission. With the right people and systems, Brad says, you can scale. You cannot scale just for the sake of scaling.
“I don't know anybody who has a goal that says, I want to be just more comfortable.”
Brad Noll
The Comfort Zone Shift
What stood out most to Brad was Aaron's heart and his background. Aaron had a full scholarship at Saint Francis but chose to walk on at Purdue. He landed on the scout team, a role nobody signs up for, then moved to defense when coaches asked, played well, and made the most of his chance.
Brad calls that a comfort zone shift. If you are uncomfortable, you are usually growing. "I don't know anybody who has a goal that says, I want to be just more comfortable," Brad says. He quotes Purdue Fort Wayne coach Jon Coffman, who says you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Leaving home opened doors for Aaron and put him in the path of more people than if he had stayed complacent.
Relationships Over Transactions
Brad asks listeners to picture running a nonprofit. You need donors, funders, and grants, and it can feel like you are pitching all day. Aaron's approach is to build organic, genuine relationships instead of chasing the next check.
Brad's team made a similar commitment this year: stop talking about real estate and focus on building and deepening relationships. If he opened every conversation with "now's a great time to buy," he says, people would tune him out. Instead, when a real estate need comes up, the team wants to be ready to serve so well that clients tell their friends.
Brad also loved Aaron's answer at a recent mixer when asked who he wanted to meet: everybody. Aaron had just helped a young man looking for an electrical engineering internship, a connection that had nothing to do with his own organization. Brad believes that is the sign of a founder who knows the mission is bigger than a transaction.
Three Levels of Impact
Aaron described working at the micro, meso, and macro levels to advocate for mental health. Brad spent the night thinking about how the idea applies elsewhere, and offers his own way to use it on any challenge:
- Micro: the internal problem. What is the root, and why is it bothering you?
- Meso: what is happening around you, such as local rules, regulations, and the people nearby.
- Macro: the bigger picture. What larger problem are you up against, and how can you be part of the solution?
For Courageous Healing, Brad says, the micro level is the experience clients have in therapy, while the outer levels involve the regulations and national conversations that shape mental health care.
Is Therapy a Tool for Growth?
Aaron's answer was yes. Seeking professional help is the best route for anyone dealing with mental health challenges, and therapy is an opportunity to invest in personal development, not something to dread.
Brad expands on it. Most people have lifted weights, done cardio, or walked the dog, but how many work out their minds? Brad keeps a weekly appointment on his calendar he calls the mind gym, for affirmations, journaling, and meditation. His encouragement is to start with five or ten minutes and build to 30 minutes or an hour. Everybody needs a coach, he says, and he hopes the podcast and its guests can be one for listeners.
Courageous Healing's vision includes expanding statewide, building sustainable systems, and improving the experience for clients and staff. Brad closes with a reminder drawn from Aaron's story: your setback is a setup for a comeback. What are you doing today to push yourself out of your comfort zone?
▶ Listen to the full episode
The Huddle with Brad Noll: Aaron Lane, on Student of the Game.
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