When Tom Telford sold his second institutional finance company at age 37, he experienced something most entrepreneurs never anticipate - the complete disappearance of the drive that had fueled his success. After building and selling two companies for eight figures, Tom discovered that the chips on his shoulder and anger-driven motivation that had propelled him through decades of business building simply vanished the moment he achieved financial freedom. This unexpected emotional shift would ultimately lead him to his most meaningful venture yet.

Tom brings a unique perspective to entrepreneurship, having navigated the journey from struggling student with ADHD to serial entrepreneur through disciplined goal-setting and strategic mentorship. His background spans over 20 years in institutional finance, where he built companies serving banks and credit unions before pivoting to address one of society's most pressing challenges - mental health care. Today, as CEO and Co-Founder of LÉVO Mind Care, Tom focuses on the often-overlooked biological component of mental health treatment while championing women leadership in healthcare.

In this episode of Startups with Stu with host Stuart Draper, Tom shares his transformation from proving doubters wrong to building a company dedicated to improving mental health outcomes through comprehensive biological assessment. His story reveals the unexpected psychological toll of entrepreneurial success and showcases how founders can redirect their energy toward more meaningful pursuits that serve both personal fulfillment and societal needs.

The Unexpected Psychology of Entrepreneurial Success  

Tom's entrepreneurial journey began with deep personal struggles that many founders will recognize. As a student who consistently performed poorly academically, receiving tutoring throughout elementary school and scoring just 17 on the ACT, he developed what he describes as numerous chips on his shoulder. These feelings of inadequacy and the desire to prove skeptics wrong became the driving force behind his business ambitions for over two decades.

The intensity of this motivation became clear during his exit events. Tom recalls sitting in his home office on the day his brokerage account reflected his substantial windfall, expecting to feel elation but instead experiencing overwhelming anger. Rather than celebrating his success, he found himself mentally addressing every person who had doubted his potential, feeling vindicated but surprisingly empty. This moment marked a turning point in his understanding of what truly drives sustainable entrepreneurial motivation.

The most unexpected aspect of Tom's success story involves what happened after achieving his financial goals. The external validation and financial security that he had worked toward for decades eliminated the very source of energy that had sustained his drive. This experience forced him to completely reconstruct his understanding of purpose and motivation, leading to a more sustainable approach to business building based on service rather than proving others wrong.

Strategic Business Building Through Mentorship and Timing  

Tom's approach to business development challenges the common narrative of entrepreneurs having brilliant ideas that they execute independently. Instead, his success stemmed from a deliberate strategy of seeking mentorship and learning from industry experts who had already achieved what he hoped to accomplish. This "who not how" philosophy guided every major business decision throughout his career.

His entry into institutional finance began when a successful neighbor invited him to lunch and offered him a position at a financial planning firm, despite Tom having no background in the industry. Rather than viewing this as a random opportunity, Tom recognized the value of learning from someone who had already built success in the field. This pattern continued throughout his career, with Tom consistently seeking guidance from individuals who possessed the expertise he needed to advance to the next level.

The timing of Tom's second venture demonstrates the importance of market awareness and adaptability in entrepreneurship. When the 2008 financial crisis brought his banking-focused business to a halt, he pivoted to serving credit unions, which were experiencing significant growth as customers moved their deposits away from traditional banks. This strategic shift, guided by another mentor who understood the credit union market, positioned his company to capture substantial market share during a period when competitors were struggling to survive.

The Five-Step Framework for Exit Decision Making  

Tom's approach to exit timing relies on recognizing specific market signals rather than arbitrary financial targets or timeline pressures. His framework centers on two critical indicators that successful entrepreneurs learn to identify and measure throughout their business journey. Understanding these signals can mean the difference between selling too early and missing substantial value creation or waiting too long and missing optimal market conditions.

The first indicator involves validation, which Tom describes as more of a feeling than a metric. This validation manifests when potential clients begin seeking out the company rather than requiring constant business development efforts. When competitors start expressing interest in joining the firm rather than competing against it, and when industry recognition reaches significant levels, founders can feel confident that their business model has achieved genuine market fit that extends beyond their personal sales efforts.

Key Exit Timing Indicators:

1. Validation signals - clients seeking you out rather than requiring pursuit

2. Momentum indicators - industry recognition and competitor interest

3. Acquirer outreach - multiple parties expressing acquisition interest

4. Market positioning - becoming the preferred solution in your space

5. Team dynamics - partner alignment on exit goals and timing

The second component involves momentum, which Tom emphasizes must be felt as much as measured. When a business reaches the point where multiple acquirers begin reaching out unsolicited, and when the company's market position feels unstoppable rather than fragile, the timing for an exit conversation becomes optimal. Tom notes that the combination of validation and momentum creates what he calls "magic" - the ideal conditions for maximizing exit value while ensuring the transaction actually closes successfully.

Building Mental Health Solutions Through Biological Assessment  

Tom's current venture, LÉVO Mind Care, addresses a significant gap in mental health treatment that most people never consider. While the majority of individuals seeking mental health support immediately think of therapy or counseling, Tom's research revealed that over 50 percent of people entering counseling have underlying biological factors that require medical assessment and treatment. This discovery led to the development of a business model focused specifically on the biological component of mental health care.

The biopsychosocial model that guides LÉVO's approach recognizes three interconnected components of mental health treatment. The psychological component involves traditional talk therapy, while the social component addresses community and family dynamics. LÉVO specializes in the biological component, assessing factors like hormone levels, vitamin deficiencies, medication interactions, and other physical markers that directly impact mental health outcomes. This specialization allows them to partner with therapists and healthcare systems rather than competing with traditional mental health providers.

Tom's decision to structure LÉVO as a women-majority owned and operated company stems from his reflection on the people who had the greatest positive impact throughout his career. After writing a comprehensive list of everyone who had influenced his success, he discovered that women had provided the most significant support and guidance at critical moments in his journey. This realization, combined with his belief that mental health care requires a compassionate rather than transactional approach, convinced him that women leadership would be essential for LÉVO's success and cultural impact.

Transform Your Entrepreneurial Journey Today  

Tom Telford's story on Startups with Stu demonstrates that the most successful entrepreneurs eventually discover that sustainable motivation comes from service rather than proving others wrong. His transformation from anger-driven business building to purpose-driven mental health innovation shows that financial success, while important, represents just the beginning of an entrepreneur's potential impact on the world.

Whether you're building your first company or preparing for your next exit, Tom's experience offers valuable insights into timing decisions, building sustainable motivation, and creating businesses that serve meaningful purposes beyond personal financial gain. His emphasis on mentorship, strategic patience, and women leadership provides a roadmap for entrepreneurs who want to build companies that matter while achieving substantial business success.

Ready to discover mental health solutions that address the biological factors most people overlook? Visit LevoMind.com to learn about comprehensive mental health assessment, and subscribe to Startups with Stu for more entrepreneur success stories that reveal the strategies most founders never learn until they've already achieved their first major exit.

Follow Tom Telford:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-telford-2168514/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommystackroom/

Company Website: https://levomind.com/

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Follow Stuart Draper:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/draperstu/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/draperstu/