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.
Johanna Salazar
In my previous career I was in the pharmaceutical industry. While I was working in this field, I felt like I wasn’t being true to my beliefs in food as medicine. Not only did I feel bogged down by my career, but I was also dealing with extreme gut issues and hormonal imbalances that doctors didn’t know how to best treat my symptoms; so, they took a shortcut and gave me birth control. Read More>>
Joe Lavin
From Hedge Funds to Healing Hands: Why I Left a 20-Year Finance Career to Start a Massage Practice
I left a 20-year career in finance and management to pursue a career in massage. Most of my friends and associates were pretty sure of two things:
1) that massage would not be interesting enough to keep my attention, and/but Read More>>
Melissa King
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit within me since I was a kid. Even as a shy kid, I allowed my leadership skills to shine through in school projects, events, and within my friend groups. As I was working in the insurance industry in a small agent’s office, I was able to learn firsthand about the challenges of starting a business. Read More>>
Wanda
When I retired from the Air Force in 2020 after 27 years of service, I thought I had a plan: become a Certified Personal Trainer and help others reach their fitness goals. Simple, right?
But the reality hit hard. COVID shut down the fitness centers, and suddenly I had to pivot from my grand vision of training in person to building a virtual platform from scratch. I was also in the middle of my own transition—not just from military life, but from a clearly defined identity to one I had to rediscover. Read More>>
Mary Ramatici
Ever since college, I’ve dreamed of opening my private therapy practice, but for years, I had no idea how to make that dream a reality. That changed recently when I officially launched Ripple Therapy in Denver, CO.
After earning my Master’s in Social Work in 2020, I spent several years working in community mental health and group practice settings. Read More>>
Nadia Triñanes
After graduating from a Denver, Colorado massage school in April 2023, I had no intent to start my own massage business. I wanted to work at a spa for at least a few years to gain experience in the field before I decided to open my own spot. Something that felt, at the time, so daunting and unattainable. Read More>>
Pamela Hamil
Looking back on the early days of my career as a massage therapist, I remember the mix of excitement, uncertainty, and determination I felt when I decided to start my practice. I’ve now been a licensed massage therapist for over 14 years, but those first steps into entrepreneurship were some of the most challenging—and rewarding—experiences of my life. Read More>>
Madeline Dunlap
The story of TheraPEDS began with a deep calling on my heart—to serve children and families in a way that blended expert therapy with authentic love, joy, and the heart of Jesus. As a pediatric occupational therapist, I saw firsthand how impactful therapy could be when it’s done with compassion, consistency, and excellence. I wanted to create a space where kids were celebrated, families felt supported, and therapists felt fulfilled and empowered. Read More>>
Alec Tramblay
Starting my own practice was something I always had in the back of my mind, but it became non-negotiable when I realized that the traditional Chiropractic model most offices are run on didn’t give me the time, flexibility, or autonomy to truly help people the way I believe they deserve. I wanted to build something where people with chronic pain such shoulder issues, back pain, hip dysfunction, could come to finally get a thorough plan with actionable steps to improving their symptoms without relying on adjustments for the rest of their life to stay out of pain. Read More>>
Tasia Henderson
The story of St. James TMS & Psychiatry began with a vision rooted deeply in both purpose and legacy.
As a dual-certified psychiatric and family nurse practitioner, I often found myself navigating a healthcare system that too frequently separated the mind from the body, treating symptoms in isolation rather than addressing the whole person. I knew there had to be a better way. Read More>>
Kendra Penski
I first started my private practice while working another job. I had worked for the government for several years and although it came with a lot of stability it was very challenging to create change. I am someone who continually strives to make things better and desires to create spaces where clients and employees can both enjoy and thrive. I started seeing clients on my own in my practice and my schedule quickly filled up. Read More>>
Nick Salisbury
I never wanted to be a therapist and certainly not one that owned their own practice. In social work grad school, I focused on integrated healthcare. I loved working in hospital and clinic settings. The connection between physical and mental health made sense and I wanted to work collaboratively with other healthcare providers. My background as a nursing aide and phlebotomist made me a great fit for that environment. Read More>>