We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sharon Fisher a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sharon, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I always joke that I’m an accidental business owner, which is partially true. I started Nurtured Well, LLC because where I was working at the time was not a good fit for me. After exploring other options and seeking advice from colleagues, starting my own practice became the clear path. The only prior entrepreneurial experience I had was starting a mothers helper/odd job business when I was 10. I got myself a sturdy journal and brainstormed all of my ideas and professional goals. The entire process was guided by an overarching desire to spend as much time with my family as possible (my kids were both under age three then). The business had to fit my life, not the other way around.

I developed a mission statement and vision for the business as well as a profile of my ‘perfect” client. Then, I did a ton of research. I picked three business owners in the health and wellness space to interview. I was very intentional in my choice of interviewees because I wanted to get information from founders of both small and large practices. Around the same time, I did a needs assessment to both survey what already existed and what my target demographic wanted. All of this went into the journal as well.

Lastly, I made “to do” lists! Four specifically: legal, publicity, infrastructure, and equipment. Again, they lived in the journal. In addition to two young children, I was working part time, publishing a book, and writing for a sailing magazine. Oh, I also had less than 24 hours a week of child care. I adopted the “tortoise and the hare” approach. I ran fast and furious when I could, and paced myself when I couldn’t. The lists really helped keep me focused.

My first milestone was incorporating the business-making it official. After that, subletting an office and booking that very first patient. The next bigger milestones were leasing my own three office suite, and hiring administrative and clinical staff. This transitioned me from a business owner/clinician to a founder. With each step, I learned to give myself grace and embrace it as a learning process. It isn’t always easy, there are a lot of bumps as well as a lot of opportunities to learn and grow.

Sharon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am passionate about helping women achieve their best, most authentic lives. In 2018, I founded Nurtured Well, LLC -a boutique women’s mental health practice- because I knew women needed and deserved a beautiful space to come, feel heard, and have their mental health needs met. We are unique in that we deliver care from a femist perspective with radical compassion. This means that we consider society a major player in women’s mental health. It also means that we embrace our clients with total non judgmental acceptance. We also engage with the community in numerous ways from offering free talks on maternal mental health to informational seminars on divorce, and women’s retreats. Nurtured Well often partners with local businesses to offer our clients discounts while supporting other small businesses. Nurtured Well takes a comprehensive approach to wellness by keeping a pulse on what women want and need beyond traditional therapy and medication.

This year, I am furthering my impact by launching Small Business Mom, a coaching service specifically for moms.

Have you ever had to pivot?

March 2020. Like everyone else, Nurtured Well was hit by the pandemic. My lack of technological know-how is my biggest weakness as a founder. I had to quickly learn how to pivot a highly personal, experiential practice into an on-line one. I had also just hired my first clinician at this time which added another component. The very thoughtfully planned orientation for her had to move on-line. I’m simply not wired to work through computers so the whole thing was very trying. This was in the context of my own family dealing with the pandemic.

Additionally, I had invested a lot into the physical premises of Nurtured Well because I believe environment is so important to wellbeing. Most mental health clinics skimp on that big time. However, it not only literally calms the nervous system, it role models how to care for oneself. I also offered free child care at my practice which was both novel and highly useful for my clients. All of that was no longer relevant.

In the end, the practice thrived and I adapted. I leaned on colleagues who were tech savvy. I gave myself a lot of grace and used it as a growth opportunity. In short, Nurtured Well was developed as an in-person experience but has blossomed as a now hybrid practice.

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

I truly bootstrapped it. We could not afford to take a loan and I had less than a $1000 in capital. Fortunately, mental health practices have low overhead. I DYI most things from designing my own logo to building my website. I actually found theses to be fun challenges. A very generous and supportive Aunt and Uncle bought me my desk. My chair came from my mother-in-law’s basement. We had an old phone laying around and I already owned a laptop. The biggest expense was having a lawyer review all of my documents. However, I highly recommend getting appropriate legal counsel. The upfront investment can save you a lot of heartache later on. I started by subletting a small office with a month-month lease in case the business did not work out. It was a lot of work to do it all myself. I won’t lie, there were certainly moments of high frustration but in the end it was the only way I could do it. It certainly built a lot of confidence and pride.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nurtured-well.com/
• Instagram: @beyond_the_egg_timer
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nurtured-Well-LLC-111365943870222
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-fisher-956b5ab7/
• Other: https://www.momsstartingbusinesses.com/

Image Credits
all photos property of Sharon P. Fisher