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.
Chicago Women’s Leadership Accelerator

The Chicago Women’s Leadership Accelerator was born out of a decade-long conversation between three working mothers about the challenges and inequalities women in the workplace face. Our shared experiences—navigating male-dominated fields and confronting the glaring absence of female representation in leadership—drove us to take action. The annual Women in the Workplace report by McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn highlights a persistent gender leadership gap. While there has been some progress, women remain underrepresented across all levels of the corporate pipeline, particularly in leadership roles. Systemic gender bias and entrenched stereotypes create significant barriers, making it an uphill battle for women striving to advance their careers. According to the most recent data, women comprise only 1 in 4 C-suite leaders, and women of color represent just 1 in 16—a stark reminder of the inequities that remain. The biggest barrier occurs early: for every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager, only 87 women receive the same promotion. This “broken rung” early in their careers leaves women at a distinct disadvantage, making it almost impossible to catch up. Read more>>
Jenn Popovich

I began day dreaming about having a private counseling practice while working in a residential treatment center as the director. I had been in the field about 11 years, and had gone about as far as I could at that organization. I knew I needed to change jobs if I wanted to climb more, but I also was losing my desire to climb. I knew I needed a change, even if I didn’t want to climb at all. I was craving a slower and calmer day routine, which led me to the idea of my own practice. My main challenge was that I had no idea what steps to take first, and didn’t have any trusted colleagues to ask. I ended up finding a community of practitioners to join and found enough stability there to then seek out resources one at a time. I would take very nearly the same path again, except for a few enhancements. I think I would have stepped out of my mental health field sooner, seeking feedback, community, and resources from other arenas- such as joining the chamber of commerce and having access to their resources, or getting to know my banker better and learning about what was available to me. My advice for others considering starting a practice is to find these resources and communities as early as possible. I would advise them to ask for help and feedback early and often. Read more>>
Tim Liu

In the early days of my career, I was a full time personal trainer. I worked from 6am and coached until 8pm on some days. It was fine when starting off, but after doing it for a while it became unsustainable because of the long work hours. Eventually I got burnt out and needed to leverage my time better so I can make this my career for years to come. So I had to go into business for myself and be my own boss instead of working for somebody else. The first step I took was building a social media page and having a website designed for me. That way people can see the work I do and there’s established credibility. The key challenges I faced when going into business for myself is figuring out how to set up the systems and to market myself for lead gen. When you go to school and study, nobody teaches you the business aspect. Read more>>
Kass Gomez

Oh gee, where do I begin. In the early days of starting my business, I thought it was going to be a podcast. That is how I was starting it but that was short lived as I dove deeper into who I was, what I had gone through in my life and what I knew I needed but I didn’t see it out there in the world. I began to think about getting my certification as a personal trainer, after all, going to the gym is what helped me in my dark days of depression and feeling like I had no one who understood me. Becoming a Certified Personal Trainer was great but it wasn’t fulfilling the desire and my passion to help people navigate their mental health. I can honestly say that one of my challenges when starting the Inspired Warrior Project was not knowing how to start something that I wanted to have an impact on the community. Also I have the tendency to just start something without really thinking about it first. Read more>>
Stephanie Michaelian

I got into private practice during peak COVID, which was a bold move! This was during a time when psychotherapy had completely shifted into telehealth, and no one had any idea when we would be moving back into having in-person sessions again. I had finished graduate school the year prior, and I was working on completing my clinical hours (3000 to be exact) before I would be able to sit for my board exam and become a licensed therapist. As a pre-licensed clinician, I was not yet able to open my own private practice, so I joined a group practice and worked under a licensed therapist who provided me with great supervision, helped guide my treatment with my clients, and taught me how to market and advertise myself. Up until I decided to join the group practice, much of my clinical experience was in the school system providing counseling for children and teens presenting with several issues including anxiety, depression, trauma from a challenging home life, ADHD, and much more. Read more>>
Dr. Valerie Gettings

When I moved to Arizona, fresh out of medical school, knowing very few people, I had several interviews with other clinics hoping I would fit myself into someone else’s dream. With each opportunity, I felt like I just kept hitting wall after wall of obstacles and other clinics being in a state of flux to the point I couldn’t join or finding out it wasn’t the right fit. During one phone call with a clinic owner, she flat out said to me, “STOP trying to fit yourself into other people’s clinics and start your own.” This was the second time I received this message. Ok, that was it! I figured out the steps I needed to start a business in Arizona and I stayed true to my WHY. I believe that when women have their health, they can improve their own lives, the lives of their families, communities, and the planet as a whole. The main steps I had to take to set up my own business were: finding a business name, securing a website, registering my business in Arizona, setting up my tax license, finding a space, and getting insurance to name a few. Read more>>