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.
Courtney Hamlin
I decided to start my own accounting firm during the pandemic. This decision to do so was due to the desire of a more work balanced lifestyle. When you are a wife and mom, flexibility is important. Those two roles were heavily intertwined and that made me uncomfortable. I wanted to be at peace doing two of the things I loved to do. Read more>>
Asia Standifer
The idea of starting Polk Concierge Medical Group stemmed from a deep desire to provide patient-centered, accessible, and comprehensive healthcare. Having worked in large academic hospitals and high-acuity critical care settings, I saw firsthand the gaps in healthcare—long wait times, lack of individualized care, and barriers to preventive wellness. I wanted to create a practice that not only addressed these issues but also prioritized personalized medicine, medical weight loss, and wellness services tailored to each patient’s needs. Read more>>
Dr. Kemia Zeinali
When creating Dreamhouse Dental, I had to search for a location that was centrally located and convenient for both clients and staff. The design was very important to me, and I wanted to create something that was unique and creative, focusing on excellent patient experience. If I could do something differently, I would open the office sooner. Instead of waiting for everything to be perfect, I should have launched right into the business and worried about the finer details at a later time. For those looking to start their own practice, I would recommend they be flexible to change and don’t be hard on themselves. Things won’t be perfect when you first start, and that’s okay. Read more>>
Jessica Thorman
I have been practicing as a Nurse Practitioner since 2019. I started in the hospital working as a Hospitalist when Covid-19 happened. Not only did I feel the burnout of increasing hospital demands and not enough staff, but I also recognized a pattern in a lot of my patients. We were treating very ill patients with Covid-19 who were also very unhealthy individuals. I remember thinking that, as a society, we are struggling to balance life and wellness and “sick care” has taken over. I have always looked at things a little differently — as in, what is okay for my body, might not work as well for yours. We are all unique individuals and our bodies require different needs. This is when I started thinking about taking an integrative approach to healthcare. Read more>>
Jenna Carter
While in chiropractic school, I spent a lot of time shadowing local practices, trying to get a feel for different approaches to providing care. It didn’t take long for me to realize that, to truly fulfill my vision of how I wanted to practice, I was going to have to open my own practice—and that’s exactly what I did. I actually began planning and casting my vision while I was still in school, which allowed me to hit the ground running once I graduated. Read more>>
Courtney Castelein
When I decided to create Glorify Beauty and Wellness, it was driven by a deep desire to give back to the community I grew up in and a passion for offering a more holistic approach to beauty and wellness. Growing up, I saw firsthand how many people in my community struggled with balancing wellness and self-care. There was a need for a place that not only focused on aesthetics but also on the overall well-being of individuals. My vision for Glorify was to create a space where beauty treatments are integrated with wellness practices to help people feel their best—inside and out. Read more>>
Vande Jones
Being in the health and beauty industry started back almost 50 years ago. Starting out as an Commercial Art major then moving into the Beauty industry as a Make-up Artist and Cosmetic sales in a multi-level marketing company as Regional Manager at the age of 21 years old managing a staff of 30 staff members.
By continuing my education constantly, and obtaining Certifications and Licenses throughout the years as a Make-up Artist, Nail Technician, Aesthetician, and then getting Medically certified in the Skin care industry as Medical Aesthetician M.A. along with taking College courses took me down a different path. Read more>>
Dr. Amanda Long
Starting my own practice was a vision that had been simmering for years, but stepping into entrepreneurship was a whole different reality. True Space Counseling and Psychological Services was born from my deep commitment to creating a safe, affirming, and culturally responsive therapy space for Black women. I knew that traditional therapy settings often lacked the nuance and understanding needed to support us fully, so I set out to build something different—something intentional. Read more>>
Daniela Dohnert
When I decided to create my own practice I just took a leap, I was very idealistic as to what I could achieve on my own; registered my company and expected clients to start falling from the sky, I had no experience owning or running a business and believed the just wanting things to flow would allow them to do so. I have discovered that it takes a lot more and that having some training in running a business per se plus a support group of like minded people is essential. My business is still growing but I can see more clearly how it will evolve and what not to invest my time or money on. In hindsight I would have researched more and reached out to the organizations tat help small businesses earlier. Read more>>
Jessica Caimi
I’ve found that, for me, the foundation of building a practice as a healer has been a willingness to do my own work, persistence in developing my skill set, and fully owning that I am, in fact, running a business. I think a lot of people who are spiritually minded kind of scoff at selling things but want to be of service and be sustained with their work. But if you want to get your work out to those that need it, you have to be willing to put yourself and your skill set out there and let go of the way it’s perceived by those who probably aren’t your client base anyway. Read more>>
Alicia Wellons
Starting Relax & Wax Skin Care Studio was a journey filled with determination, learning curves, and a deep passion for skincare. After working in the industry for years and seeing the impact quality skincare services can have, I knew I wanted to create a space where clients felt comfortable, educated, and cared for. Read more>>