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.

Luisana Ferrer

As with every start of something, there will always be moments of fear. After I graduated as a Nutritionist and Dietitian, I started working online and then I worked at my patients homes. I did not have my own office yet so I had to drive to my patients houses. After that, I received an opportunity to start working at a spa. Of course, I took it. Months later, I decided I was ready to rent my own office where I work today. Best advice of course would be: TRUST IN YOU and BE PATIENT. There is not an easy start, but you will get where you want to go. Read more>> 

Jay Stephens

I always loved finance! Since college days, my friends knew they could count on me to help them with taxes, budgeting, investing, and more. Either I knew the answer, or I was eager to learn it. Unfortunately, I was in a very demanding job that didn’t allow me to pursue my passion of teaching personal finance. In 2020, faced with the frustration and exhaustion of a non-stop job during the pandemic, I finally decided to put me first. I found a new job with better work-life balance. As a result, on August 1, 2021, I launched my personal finance and career coaching company, My Wealth Journey, LLC. I started my business by completing foundational tasks like obtaining a business license, applying for a trademark, identifying my target demographic, creating a logo, and building my online presence. I used trial and error to attract new clients. Read more>>

Sandra Wright, PhD

I became a business owner because I was fired from my previous job because I told the truth. At first, I was put on administrative leave for almost a month, then the organization simply fired me. The only time I have every been fired from a job and what a blessing. Before, I was fired I networked with a friend of mine who knew the Vice President of the New York Time Regional Newspaper Group (actually they were best friends). This person hired me as a consultant to do Problem Solving and Decision Making and flew me to Florida and put me in one of the nicest hotels. Life was sweet. Read more>>

Danny Trejo

I must qualify this entire story with the perspective that it wasn’t necessarily difficult having to transition to working for myself. The difficulty was in creating my own firm. The difference is having to create original systems, marketability, and brand for replicating myself into those I hire. This has been, and still, is the biggest challenge. The most important question I had to answer, and still have to answer, is what makes me unique. Not my service but me as a person. At first, I attempted to do what would help me become successful sooner, but those methods weren’t mine. It could be things like how to market or onboarding newcomers or even little things like pricing packages. Read more>>

Dr. Hope Reyes PT, DPT

I started my business after working locally as a pediatric physical therapist in San Diego for 7 years. Once I started my business, I began to collaborate with other like-minded providers in the area. I began collaborating with Karyn Johnson-Fernandez MS, OTR/L, SWC. Karyn started her practice around the same time after working in the field for 12 years. We began to dream big about our future businesses making a difference in children’s life throughout San Diego County. Read more>>

Amber Boyd, LMFT

One of the biggest (and dare I say scariest) things that I’ve done as a Mental Health Therapist is to decide to start my online private practice in 2019 as I was about to transition from California to Texas. I applied and started working at my college alma mater in 2017, and it was the place I thought I would retire from, but it didn’t turn out that way!  I felt honored to do the work because the students I provided mental health support for were incredible, but I still felt unfulfilled! Read more>>

Susan Campbell

I got my Ph.D. in clinical psych in 1967 and immediately rented an office in the most populated nearby town. I looked for office space where I could be near other professionals who might be good referral sources–like sharing with a divorce or family law attorney, or with fellow psychologists. I found an office complex owned by a local psychiatrist, and he rented a room to me. We shard a waiting room. He became a sort of mentor to me and was a great referral source. I also found clients through networking with local ministers, attorneys, school psychologists, and social workers. I called people and invited them to lunch or coffee. Read more>>

Danielle Palmer

Before I started Daily Dose Wellness, I worked for another company and for the longest time I didn’t think I’d ever run my own practice to be honest. After years of working for someone else though I decided enough was enough and I needed to venture out on my own. A familiar saying comes to mind when I think of it actually…a friend of mine always says “you’re either blessed or blocked.” Meaning that if you’re on the path you’re supposed to be on it will be smooth, easy, and you’ll know it. If you’re not it’ll be like smashing your head against a wall trying to make it work. Well, let me tell you as soon as I decided to leave and start my own business it was like walking down the red carpet. Doors flung open and I found my way. I’m not saying it was totally easy because wow it was not. Read more>>

Ajisafe Olumuyiwa R.

This question takes me back to my days back in higher institution, sat down one beautiful day asked myself what do I want ? in my country Nigeria, there are a lot of graduates, thousands of people graduate every year with no job. I was left with deciding what do I really want to do with my life. I made decisions I would own my own firm I would be a leader, I would create job opportunities for people. Read more>>