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.
Mary Tan
When I started my pet public relations agency, Whisker Media, it was primarily a side hustle. I was working at an animal shelter doing all their strategic communications work. I had begun Whisker Media prior to working at the shelter, but during the pandemic more and more pet companies were reaching out asking me to help them with their PR campaigns. Soon, I was juggling two full time jobs. I always wanted Whisker Media to be my full time occupation, but having never been self-employed before, I found it challenging to take the leap. I am a very calculated risk taker. I told myself I needed to have a full time salary saved before I quit my very stable animal shelter position. I successfully put in $70,000 in my savings, but still didn’t quit. Read more>>
Brandice Webb-pondexter
The main steps I took when starting my practice was working on building my clientele while I was still in esthetician school. I would make sure to utilize my journey on social media and advertise services on there . It helped me to establish my clientele. The next thing I did was buy my equipment little by little while I was on school. The goal was for me to go solo immediately after school so I wanted to prepare . The key challenges I faced early on was trying to market to everyone instead of my ideal client . This makes it harder to develop your menu and marketing campaigns because your marketing is all over the place . You can’t connect with your audience and it’s just not effective . Read more>>
Tabitha Azor
In 2021, I was approaching three years of experience in private practice, building my post-licensure hours to officially become a licensed clinician. After passing my exam, I started to feel a strong urge to establish my own practice. Financially, I needed to create a more sustainable future for my family, and part of me had always known that running my own private practice was the next step. So, I took a leap of faith. I left my position to fully dedicate myself to making my vision a reality. That summer, I immersed myself in learning the ins and outs of business ownership, from legal requirements to creating a therapeutic space that reflected my values. I transitioned into my new practice mid-fall, pouring everything I had into laying a strong foundation. It was challenging, but I was committed to seeing my dream come to life. Read more>>
Lenora Johnson
Failure is the cornerstone of success. My first private practice failed miserably, and I was devastated. I thought I had done everything right and I didn’t plan for anything to go wrong. I was disappointed because it was my baby, my namesake, and it was my way out of the traditional rat race. Back then online therapy was a bit of the Wild -Wild West and I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. I had a website; I wrote a business plan and used my knowledge of home based work as a guide. I had very little money to get things off the ground. I had no office and was going to do home visits and meet people anywhere. I didn’t plan for any disasters, natural or manmade. I didn’t want to be one of the statistics of being a business owner who failed in the first 3 years but there I sat. I am so grateful for everything I learned the path it put me on. Read more>>
Thomas Auflick
The establishment of my mental health counseling practice rests on the shoulders of others. I utilized the knowledge and support of people who built successful practices, and found fellow colleagues to assist me in the journey of building and creating a sustainable practice. To this day, my business continues to thrive and stays strong with the support and connection to colleagues, mentors, former clients, family, and friends. If I take credit for the success of my business, it starts with the courage to ask others for advice and accept help when offered. My connections were made through teachers, school and work mates, bosses, business owners, and the web of people found therein. I reached out to strangers and allies in and out of the counseling profession. From this outreach, came the ideas and knowledge to help me build my business and keep it growing. Read more>>