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.
Raymund King
I practiced medicine for ten (10) years as an Otolaryngologist/Head and Neck Surgeon before I became an attorney. After working for five years at a medium sized medical malpractice defense law firm, I left – and 74 out of 75 clients followed me. It turns out that may medical doctors want their attorney to be a physician as well. Ninety percent (90%) of my clients were physicians and/or large physician groups. Indeed, my prior professional experience had a substantial role in securing the success of my new law practice. My personal subject matter expertise as a practicing physician allowed me to attract multiple physicians to my law practice. One of my specialties is corporate healthcare law – focused upon regulatory compliance and corporate mergers/acquisitions. Read more>>
Heather Saran
I decided to open my own practice when I realized the bureaucracy of insurance was interfering with my ability to best care for my patients. Once I stepped out of the box into a direct care model, I felt liberated and my patients can feel that too. There is a huge learning curve when it comes to starting your own practice. In the beginning I joked that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. One piece of advice I would give to someone wanting to start their own practice is to not be afraid to ask for help. The other doctors I have worked with for the betterment of mutual patients are now the ones who are cheering me on and offering guidance in establishing my own practice. Read more>>
Shaquita Love
Starting Love RX Organics during COVID was both a bold decision and a timely endeavor. When I began, my vision was clear: I wanted to offer an alternative, holistic solution that provided relief in a mind-body way. Here’s a glimpse into my journey and the key steps I took to establish my practice:
**1. Vision and Planning:** The initial spark was ignited by my passion for holistic health and the desire to fill a gap in the market for natural remedies during a health crisis. I spent considerable time researching market needs, understanding consumer preferences for organic products, and conceptualizing how Love RX Organics could stand out. Read more>>
Michelle Caplan
I knew I wanted to work with athletes. One Friday afternoon, I attended an informational presentation by Dr. Nancy Auge, and I immediately felt a connection. Dr. Auge embodied the kind of doctor I aspired to be: confident, knowledgeable, and an instructor in Active Release Techniques (ART), with her own practice specializing in sports rehabilitation. Read more>>
Annette Munoz
Very early on during graduate school, I decided I would one day open a private practice. At the time, although I didn’t know when or how, I knew was that was my goal. So much so, I signed up and attended a training on how to open your own practice. The training was not paid for or given by the university I was attending. It was a vigorous training located approximately an hour away. The class was a four-week evening course that met for two hours every week. Needless to say, I was the youngest attendee, the only person not licensed, and the only person still attending graduate school. As I completed my graduate internships and licensing intern hours, I found myself accumulating information from a business perspective as much as I did from a clinical perspective. I watched, listened, asked questions, and learned. I found it fascinating when I would meet clinicians, or heard of clinicians, that opened their own practices. I would often visualize myself in this position, especially when facing hardships during internships and trainings. I was motivated and hungry. My mind was already made up. I would one day own my own practice. At this point, it was only a matter of when. One of the main steps I had to take was deciding on a meaningful name and location. I also had to decide what population I would want to work with in order to determine the room set-up, as well as if I was going to accept insurance and go through the credentialing process. Read more>>
Eulexus Thomas
My journey as an entrepreneur has not been easy, contrary to popular belief. I began this journey as a freshman college student at Cal poly Pomona. I’ve been obsessed with beauty since I was a child and I always watch my mom put on her make up, wash her face and do her upmost to keep herself together.
At the time of starting my business I was just beginning to fall in love with chemistry and the fundamentals of life And how it tied into self preservation. Shortly after I had a internship at abstract tech, and Neoderma dermatology office where I learned how to formulate skincare with CBD and THC, as well as gain hands on knowledge from observing procedures done in a medical setting. These experiences helped shape my path in the beauty world. Read more>>
Cory Lucas
I fell in love with medicine in 2007 when I enlisted in the United States Army and decided to become a Army Combat Medic. My career in the Army was cut short with injuries, but after recovering, I was able to start as an Emergency Medicine Technician in Virginia. I then used my GI bill benefits to attend nursing school, completed 2 associates degrees, 1 bachelors degree, and 1/2 of my Master’s Degree as a Nurse Practitioner with the 4 years of benefits awarded by the VA. Read more>>
Diana Mesa
I first established my private practice in 2018. I’d just finished my internship and hadn’t passed my board exams yet, but knew I wanted to work for myself one day. I’m very much a DIY-er, so I did my research, made sure no other business was called En La Mesa Nutrition, applied for my EIN number, and went to the bank to open an account. I didn’t have any business training, but I had my intuition and perseverance to get me by. Read more>>
Jaz Burgess
Hustle Meets Grace originally started out as a wellness blog back in 2017, while on a personal healing journey. As a former Journalism major, I wanted to document my self discovery journey back to holistic health after a challenging season in my life. As I navigated through my own healing process, I discovered that my relationship with Christ, practicing yoga and going to therapy set me on the path to finding myself again. Read more>>
Jenna Newton
I sat on the idea of opening my private practice for quite a while. I knew I had outgrown who I was working for and needed to make a change but the dive into establishing a practice came with so many doubts and unknowns. While my Fiance was encouraging and supportive of me starting my private practice, it was something I needed to decide on my own timeline in order for me to fully commit. This is actually very similar to my work with clients and recognizing the importance of allowing them to come up with answers and changes for themselves! Read more>>
Brandi Givargidze
The early days of starting Bloom Counseling Services were both exciting and challenging. After graduating from grad school, I knew I wanted to start my own counseling practice to create a safe and welcoming space for individuals seeking mental health support.
One of the main steps I had to take was securing a physical office space. I spent weeks researching different locations, considering factors such as foot traffic, accessibility, and affordability. Once I found the perfect space, I had to design and furnish it to create a calming and inviting atmosphere for my clients. Read more>>
Raya Jones
In the hair industry, there are multiple options for employment. You can work for a company as a commissioned employee, you can work for a company as an hourly employee, or you can be your own business and rent a chair or space. I, like most of us, started out as a commission employee. Everything was provided for me-color, product, towels, booking site, marketing, taxes pulled for me. Read more>>
Hilar Erickson
It felt like I HATE to practice as a labor nurse IN labor and delivery, but as I got older, and the red tape started to strangle me, I decided that there might be other options.
I had an existing blog, and started to focus it more on pregnancy — just to see how articles did. Read more>>
Nyoka Samuels-Gilchrist
From Personal Journey to Holistic Healing: Nyoka’s Path to a Unique Wellness Practice
In the wake of personal transformation and cultural reconnection, Nyoka’s journey from migration trauma to mental health challenges has blossomed into a distinctive holistic wellness practice. This is the story of how life experiences can shape a career path that bridges traditional medicine with ancestral wisdom, offering a unique approach to healing and self-discovery. Read more>>
Brook Choulet
When I was completing my general psychiatry residency at the University of Arizona Phoenix College of Medicine, I knew I wanted to create my own concierge practice where I could provide patients with unhurried visits, contact between sessions as needed, and exceptional mental health care. I founded Choulet Wellness: Scottsdale Concierge Psychiatry & Therapy in 2020 and Beverly Hills Concierge Psychiatry in 2021. As of August 2024, Choulet Wellness and Beverly Hills Concierge Psychiatry are rebranding to Choulet Performance Psychiatry™. Throughout this process of building businesses, I have learned a lot on the way and still have more to learn. I would encourage any young professional to strive to be resilient and adaptable. Owning and running a business does not always go according to plan, so it’s essential to keep a future-oriented, growth mindset. Read more>>