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.

Janet Falk

I’ve had 20 jobs. Most of them were ended by someone else. I was laid off and downsized. The client cut the budget. The firm was in a merger. And so on. Every time I had “the rug pulled out from under me,” I would hang up my “single shingle” and look for a new opportunity. I would work as an independent consultant and tread water until the next job came around. Read More>>

Nicole Milstein

My daughter, Paige Milstein, and I have been passionate about fitness for over a decade, working in various studios and immersing ourselves in the industry. In late 2023, the opportunity arose to bring our own vision to life by opening a boutique cycling studio in Denver’s vibrant Platt Park neighborhood, right on historic South Pearl Street. Read More>>

Russ Hosmer

The journey to founding Constant Progression Coaching was one of purpose, passion, and perseverance. From the moment I decided to create my own practice, I knew I wanted to build something that truly empowered people to transform their lives—physically, mentally, and emotionally. Read More>>

Oddesty K Langham

Everything about my entering the field of counseling was a calling. Being a therapist was never something I dreamed of as a kid, in fact it wasn’t until I was in college that I learned what a therapist was beyond what we see on T.V. So when I got into the field and realized very quickly that in many ways the companies around me were numbers driven and focused on things that didn’t necessarily align with my calling, Read More>>

 Ivon Herrera

Starting my practice, Fuego Therapy Counseling Services PLLC, was a journey fueled by a clear vision: creating a space where immigrants and children of immigrants could find support, healing, and empowerment. From the beginning, I focused on clarifying my purpose and defining my niche. As a bilingual therapist passionate about cultural identity and trauma, I knew my work would center on helping individuals navigate complex cultural dynamics while addressing their mental health needs. Read More>>

Cheryl Groskopf

When I first decided to open my own therapy practice, I knew I wanted a space where people could feel safe sharing the parts of themselves they usually hide. It felt so exciting and a little scary at the same time. My focus was always on helping clients work through anxiety, trauma, and attachment challenges in a holistic way, so I made sure to bring in elements of mind-body work (like somatic therapy), right from the start. Read More>>

Kayla Crane

The first step was building the confidence to take the leap and believe in myself. My husband was a huge source of encouragement—he was the one who gave me the push to start my own practice, and I’m so grateful for his support. Honestly, in the beginning, I had to borrow some of his confidence until I started to truly believe in myself. Once I committed, I had to think of a name and build a website to bring it to life. Read More>>

Christy Desko

I started my first real practice in April of 2020. I was happily working as a licensed massage therapist at a very nice luxury resort spa in Arizona when the Covid – 19 pandemic happened. We all were laid off quite suddenly one morning through an email. We were told not to come back to work as the spa was closed. Three days later, they declared bankruptcy. Read More>>

Catherine Ngo

From the early days of my career as a bedside nurse, I was always drawn to the medical aesthetics industry. I shared my hope of opening a med spa with my husband, but at the time, he wasn’t very interested in the idea. Read More>>