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.

Vilerka Bilbao

The journey to establishing my own firm began long before I officially opened its doors—it started in law school. I always knew that I wanted to have my own practice and would often tell my classmates that one day, I would build something of my own. That vision stayed with me throughout my career, and when the time came to take the leap, my fiancé was instrumental in supporting my decision. Read more>>

Marisa Chaela

I’ve always been a creative person, and YouTube had been a platform I loved even before I ever thought about making a career out of it. When I started my fitness journey, it felt natural to document my progress and share what I was learning. I had been inspired by other female fitness content creators, and I wanted to pay it forward—hoping that my journey would inspire others to start their own. Read more>>

Karly Atkey

I established my own business in the yoga & wellness field right off the bat. I spent years working for others in a variety of fields – Provincial Government, Transportation both air (flight attendant) and sea (Industry Medic), Palliative Care, among many others. I found that following someone else’s rules and schedules were suffocating and oppressive. I craved the flexibility to work at my own pace, follow my own rhythms, and bring forward what I am truly passionate about creatively and intuitively. Read more>>

Alex Wietrzykowski

I was always entrepreneurial minded. Starting my own business was always a dream, it was just unclear how it was going to look! This is crazy to say now as I don’t see how it could’ve looked any other way!

I gained a ton of working knowledge & experience through personal interest, early jobs, school, and clinical work that followed my doctorate, but it wasn’t until after I spent just under 3 years working in Operations within the fitness tech space that I knew it was time to step out on my own. Read more>>

Maggy Doherty

I started my first group dietetics practice, Doherty Nutrition, in 2019. The early days were a mix of curiosity, bliss, stress, and so much excitement. Honestly, I didn’t fully know what I was getting myself into, but I was eager to do it on my own and built something incredible from the ground up.

Fast forward to 2024, and I started my second private practice, Maggy the Dietitian, under completely different circumstances… My personal life was actually falling apart at the seams, I felt unfulfilled in my role at my original practice, and this new outlet became the one thing providing me with sanity and hope. To be completely honest, I was struggling with depression, had lost touch with my identity as a dietitian during a recent sabbatical, and was dealing with overwhelming anxiety. Read more>>

Studio Citrine

When my sister and I decided to start our esthetics studio, Studio Citrine, we were driven by a shared vision of creating a space that felt warm, welcoming, and aligned with our values of work-life balance and holistic health. After working in environments that didn’t fully support self-expression or teamwork, we realized that in order to live out our vision, we needed to create our own space. We wanted professional freedom and the ability to “walk the walk” when it comes to living a healthy, balanced lifestyle—something that felt out of reach in the traditional work setting. And so, we took the leap into entrepreneurship, grateful to do it together. Read more>>

Tamisha Stuckey

Starting my own practice was deeply personal—it wasn’t just about creating a business- in a way it still isn’t, but about fully stepping into my purpose. I knew that shadow work, mindfulness, and spiritual connection were powerful tools for healing, and I wanted to create a space where others could explore these practices in an authentic way. The first steps were committing to my own healing, deepening my knowledge, and trusting that my lived experiences would guide me in supporting others. Read more>>

Coleen Mcgrath

My journey with yoga began as a personal quest for balance—both physically and mentally. I was seeking an escape, a space to clear my mind, and to find grounding amidst the chaos of daily life. Little did I know, this practice would grow to become a profound part of my life, eventually leading me to teach and share its transformative power with others.

The Decision to Start My Yoga Practice
Like many, I was first drawn to yoga out of curiosity. I remember walking into my first class at a local gym and yoga studio, unsure of what to expect but immediately feeling a deep sense of peace and connection that I hadn’t experienced before. While the physical challenge was tough, it was the mental clarity that kept me coming back. Over time, I realized that yoga wasn’t just about flexibility or strength—it was about cultivating a deeper connection to myself, a path to finding peace in the midst of life’s chaos. Read more>>

Maria Freeman

For as long as I can remember, the workings of the human mind and energy have been my greatest fascination. However, my formal education did not initially align with this passion. My first degrees were in law and management in Russia. Yet, my true interest always lay in exploring human psychology, subconscious programming, and the forces that shape our inner world. Read more>>

Jocelyn Henning-peterson, Rn, Bsn

In 2019 I was having a casual conversation with a coworker and she told me nurses could inject Botox and dermal fillers; something I was completely unaware of prior to that conversation. I proceeded to research my options and learned that nurses can own med spas in some states with a medical director. I’ve always had a passion for science and beauty so opening a med spa seemed like a natural fit for me. My first step towards a career in the aesthetics industry was to take certification courses in Botox and dermal fillers. I also completed an extensive period of shadowing and advanced hands on training with a couple of different med spa owners. I interviewed a few doctors as consideration to be my medical director and I settled on the one that was the best fit for me. Read more>>