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.

Rhian Dodd-Tovey

YOU CAN DO IT – Not something anyone believes at first. I started my business to simply start working again after having a baby while maintaining the flexibility I needed. It started small offering virtual admin services and has been ramping up ever since. I started one client at a time, figuring things out as I went and learning so much from the journey and process. Each new client that onboarded became a chance to refine processes and grow the practice. Read more>>

Brandon Mustful

I have been an Executive Director of a nonprofit for many years. There were some things about the job that I enjoyed, and some things that I didn’t. Eventually, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to continue as an Executive Director forever due to the things I didn’t enjoy. However, I also realized that I am pretty good at the things I enjoy, and have particular skills that would be useful for other nonprofits; namely, strategic planning. After discussing things with my wife, I decided to start my own strategic planning consulting business. Read more>>

Isabella Fortich

When my partner, Laura Quintero, and I decided to start our own firm it was certainly not what we expected. We had everything ready to go in terms of space, website, social media, files, etc. However, we were definitely not expecting one of us to fall ill and be in a hospital for over a month. Approximately a week after we opened up, while at the office, Laura became extremely sick and I had to rush her to the hospital. We spent hours and hours until the doctors were finally able to identify her illness. Unfortunately, it did not end there. Laura went through several surgeries and was in excruciating pain for well over a month. Read more>>

Xena Stryker

I always dreamed of becoming an Architect, but I never believed I’d have my own firm. In 2016, I was interviewing for a design position at Harris + Smith, LLC. and Raynal Harris calmly stated “You definitely have a seat at the table here. I’d love for you to work here until you start your own practice.” Raynal must’ve seen something in me because before that moment, I never dreamed of having my own firm. Sometimes, that’s exactly what it takes…a great mentor, an advocator…and someone to push you to go for it! Read more>>

Tremaine Wills

I started my career in financial services in 2012 after completing my Master’s Degree. Very quickly I learned that I wasn’t going to be able to have the impact that I wanted if I stayed in that capacity. From being called “little black girl” by a client to getting told to “stop b”tching” by a coworker, I wasn’t in a safe space. I wanted to create a safe space for women of color to build wealth and learn along the way. After 2 years and a couple more bruises from an unwelcoming work environment, I left and went back home. I made it just in time to spend a couple of months with my grandmother before she passed away unexpectedly. I was devastated. I fell into a deep depression. Read more>>

LaToyia Mays

After a long struggle towards the latter years of my husband’s career, we decided that having the liver and kidney function of a 50+ year old man was unacceptable for a 30 year old. But the fact was that he spent years taking pain medications and injections that caused tremendous harm to his body. I started studying and researching alternative ways to deal with his issues, not being from a family that practices natural medicine, and fell deep down the “rabbit hole.” Read more>>

Priscilla Swahn

I went from making $150 a month to $45,000+ a month within one and a half years, and still scaling to be a seven-figure business. I initially started with offering 1:1 client coaching sessions, which as a Dietitian, many offer for around $150/hr. This is not a good strategy for growing a successful practice while working fewer hours. I worked with a Dietitian business coach who encouraged me to expand to offering premium 1:1, 3-month packages. Read more>>

Koni and Jeid LJ Hunter

Our story is quite unique. Expanding quickly after graduating Cortiva August 2019 we decided to launch our holistic practice Sound Mind and Body Wellness March 13, 2020. What we didn’t expect was the announcement of quarantine due to Covid 3 days later. The most challenging component about our entrepreneurial experience was starting our practice at the start of a national pandemic. Without start up capital from external sources, funding was incredibly difficult. Read more>>

Dr. Julia Hartman

I have always been an independent person. I had a job at the age of 14 and have worked since then. My parents instilled a great work ethic in my siblings and I at a very young age and we ran with it. When chiropractic changed my life, I decided to attend chiropractic school to be able to serve my community forever. I knew in chiropractic school that I wanted to build my own practice from the ground up and create my own culture and niche. After graduating chiropractic school in 2019, I worked with a mentor of mine, Dr. Tron Malachowski at a busy office in Summerville, SC for 2 years. Read more>>

Danielle Desroche

My medical residency came to an end shortly before the pandemic, and because of the state of the world I was forced to really consider how I wanted to practice and what I wanted my life to look like. I began a virtual telehealth practice which allowed me to continue to connect with and support women during the lockdown. I realized very quickly many women do not have access to naturopathic medicine, and they were finding me through Instagram and TikTok in hopes someone would listen to their concerns and help them address their hormone and fertility struggles. Read more>>

Kelly Pahman

The 9-5 grind was never for me. Working through terrible ideas I had about business (what I like to call “bad Ideas that kept me poor”) were pivotal in my own personal and professional flourishing. (One main one I will delve more into soon). A love for helping people is both its own strength and weakness- helping others in a sustainable way that not only brings flourishing into ones own life but that of ones family, community and the lives of ones clients is a great privilege. Read more>>

Kara Eveleth

After 6 years of providing services as a cosmetic nurse injector at a Medical Spa, I began to realize my calling was to open my own small business in the town that I currently live and grew up in. Several years ago I began to think, “what if I were my own boss, and could make decisions for the workplace that I believed in?” But it seemed impossible at the time, and I doubted that I, a people-pleasing nurse who just wants to make others feel/look good, could pull off starting a business. Through gaining experience, teaching new injectors, and continuing my education, my confidence grew and by last year (2021) I knew it was something I would never regret. Read more>>

Heather Whitley

I had to build my practice twice. The first time in Vermont where I spent the first four years as a midwife. Then again in Salt Lake City, Utah where I relocated with my five children following divorce. Rural Vermont was more cottage industry and clients were used to midwives working out of their homes. Midwives are geographically spread out, and there is less competition. My office was in my home and clients would bring over their children to play with my homeschooled children while I held their prenatal visit. Read more>>

Nicole Langer

My business partner and I were highly motivated to start a medspa due to our desire to become free from bosses. What we didn’t know is that our employees and our clients are our true bosses, so we went from one boss to several thousand! To be a leader, you must submit to becoming a great servant. We understood the basic business acumen needed to start and we had to learn the dirty details as we lived it. A key challenge is that nobody was willing to tell us how to start the business and what to watch out for. Read more>>

Nathaniel Jenkins

Back in 2016 I completed school with 600 hours of anatomy and massage therapy training I knew I wanted to start and create my own healing practice. The most important step I needed to take was knowing that I was capable. I had to realize That I had the potential of helping others improve and heal. There were many doubts on if I was or could be good enough. Another thing I needed to understand is that to be successful I had to give my practice my full undivided attention. Read more>>

Ashley Sondergaard

It’s 2020, Covid reared it’s ugly head and we all started at home workouts and sourdough baking. Seeing friends and influencers rocking their at home wellness routines, I felt overwhelmed as a now stay-at-home mom of 2. Everyone seemed to have their self-care practices. I knew that I needed self-care, but I didn’t have the time to experiment with practices. I was STRESSED! Read more>>