We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Morgan Mckinley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Morgan below.

Morgan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I am so much happier being a business owner and working for myself. As someone in the helping profession, it is so much easier to set boundaries and make sure that I am getting what I need to ensure my career is sustainable long term. I worked in agencies for years and loved it for a lot of reasons, but burnout is so real within my profession, especially during Covid and its aftermath. For me, working a regular job no longer made sense as it was draining me of my energy, time with family and my dogs, and joy. I can’t imagine ever working a “regular job” again.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I came into the field of counseling in a roundabout way. It’s actually my second career – although I’m not sure what to name the first. It was really a series of jobs that I found myself in but none of them felt purposeful and none of them gave me life. In hindsight, I am so grateful for my years in ministry, manufacturing, business and tech as it eventually led me to the realization I could be paid for the things I actually enjoyed and came naturally to me. I had in so many ways been my friends’ therapist for years and it wasn’t until one came home from a counseling session and said “Morgan, the session was really good but honestly none of it was new, it was all stuff you’d already told me,” that I realized I was meant to be a counselor. Now obviously during my Master’s program I learned so much more than what “comes natural” but truly it was the writing on the walls for years before I realized it. I was resentful for a while that it took me so long to realize it, but truly the experiences in other jobs gives me a leg up in problem solving, creativity, humor and empathy in the counseling room.

I work primarily with clients who are seeking to grow personally, heal from past traumas and recover from alcohol and drug addictions. What I’m most proud of is how relational walking into my office feels. I have people sit on my couch that have never been in counseling, or have had negative experiences with previous therapists, feel safe immediately. They’ve said it feels like talking to a friend in that it is safe and that there is always some comic relief in there somewhere when needed, but better because instead of just complaining about things that have happened we get to resolve them through EMDR or other interventions. I approach everything with curiosity rather than judgment, which is where I think my clients feel the “kind” in “Kind Mind” most.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

Starting a business takes capital, and mine is no exception. I think the greatest capital is you though as the person with a dream, and honestly my husband reminded me of that every step along the way. He was so trusting in the whole “quit a salary job with benefits” thing and trusted it was going to work out if I believed in myself. We obviously saved and planned in preparation for that, but truly its a leap of faith in yourself. Before quitting my agency job, I had started my LLC, attended trainings I thought would be helpful for keeping my practice simple and attracting clients, and purchased all the equipment needed. We were lucky enough to be able to pay for everything outright, which I think allowed some greater confidence in the plan because even when I wasn’t hitting targets (i.e. gaining new clients or number of sessions per week on our ramp up plan), we were still not technically in debt to anyone else but ourselves.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I think the biggest thing for me is being true to myself. I believe in the good of people and that people deserve good, quality care. I care so genuinely for my clients and so when I haven’t heard from them, I take a few minutes and check in with them to make sure they are doing well and don’t need anything support wise. I think so often people get busy because life is busy and chaotic and so taking a few minutes to show up for someone when they maybe can’t do that for themselves means a lot. Also, I answer the phone when I can. I’m amazed at how many other people in my profession don’t respond to inquiries and leave people hanging when they are looking for help. If I’m not the right fit for you, we’ll find you a good fit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://morgan-mckinley.clientsecure.me/
• Instagram: kindmindneuro
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-mckinley-ma-lac-lpcc/
• Other: tiktok – kindmindneuro

Image Credits

Hannah Winn @winnslens