Establishing your own firm or practice is an incredibly daunting task. From myriad of legal and regulatory hurdles to the financial and career related risks, professionals who choose to start their own firm have to overcome so much and so we wanted to reach out to those who’ve done it successfully for advice, insight and stories.

Armstead Jones

Starting Imagine Think Tank was all about creating something that could truly make a difference in the communities I care about, especially through real estate development and urban revitalization. I wanted to merge my real estate experience with my deep passion for social change and community impact. The first thing I had to do was figure out where the gaps were—there were so many opportunities for positive change, but not always the infrastructure or support in place to make it happen. That’s when it became clear that I needed to step up and create a firm that could bridge that gap. Read more>>

Annalise Dusell

I am still in the early days of starting my own practice. When I decided to be a physical therapist I never wanted to own my own practice. I wanted to show up, treat patients, and go home. I didn’t want to deal with all the business side of things and politics that can happen within a practice. As I’ve gone through my years as a therapist, things changed. I wasn’t happy at the clinic I was working at. I didn’t always like the direction the clinics were going in. I didn’t feel supported and didn’t want to continue putting money in people’s pockets who I didn’t feel supported me so I decided to open my own practice. Currently I am still working for another company while I continue to build my own practice. Read more>>

Patricia Tate

The story of the early days of my practice begins with a deeply personal journey of self-discovery. What began as an exploration to understand the patterns and challenges in my own life expanded into a profound realization of how these insights could help others. Early on, I experienced my first past life regression, an event that profoundly shifted my perspective. I wanted to understand my past to gain clarity about my present—why I faced certain challenges, why particular themes seemed to repeat, and how I could navigate my life with greater intention. This experience sparked a deeper curiosity about the interconnectedness of our soul’s journey across lifetimes and how those patterns inform this lifetime. Read more>>

Lisa Duez

“I opened my group practice in 2019 after working as a solo practitioner for several years. Transitioning to a group practice was incredibly challenging because everything seemed to happen all at once—hiring staff, buying furniture, seeing clients, and marketing the business. It was a whirlwind! Looking back, I realize there were some decisions I could have made earlier to prepare for the expansion, rather than trying to figure everything out as the business grew. In the beginning, it felt like bootstrapping—managing everything on my own while navigating the complexities of running a young and growing practice. It was a tough but invaluable learning experience.” Read more>>

Shani Gardner, Lcsw

Starting my own practice was both terrifying and liberating. After a sudden layoff from a job that had drained me, I knew I had to build something on my own terms. Once I passed my licensing exam, I jumped right in, focusing first on setting up the legal and logistical essentials. I researched business structures and opted for a sole proprietorship, prioritizing simplicity. Then came professional liability insurance, consultations with a lawyer and tax advisor, and securing a business name, EIN, and bank account. With those foundations in place, I could finally reach out to former clients and start building from scratch. Read more>>

Arleen Mccarthy

One day I was relaxing on my couch, and I had this urge to open my laptop. I started writing a story. It was coming from my heart, and I was crying as I was writing it. I wrote the whole story and then closed my laptop. I had another good cry and then that was the end of it. Months went by and COVID hit, and then my dad passed. I did not revisit this story until about one year later. I remember I opened my laptop, found the story (which was saved under a different name) and I started to​ edit a few things. Then I renamed it My Friend John, which is the name of the book, now out in the world! Read more>>