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.

Juliet Rowsey

Immediately after graduate school I jumped head first into private practice. As a therapist we spend our days providing a safe and nonjudgmental space for people to talk through some of their darkest moments. I have always felt honored to hold that space for people on a daily basis, but I am aware how intentional therapists must be about their own self-care because of the nature of our work. The idea of getting to balance the therapist life with roles like social media marketer and accountant appealed to me. Running my own private practice was the inevitable for me, so I pursued it first thing. Read more>>

Robbie Mauch

I moved to Erie 7 years ago. My husband and I were regular gym goers and the only place in town was the Rec center. While the Rec center had everything we needed, it was small and had limited equipment. We decided to open our own gym based on the need and the potential growth of the town. We started the process of getting a small business loan and looking for a space. This took some time and once we started building it took even longer to get permits and for the building to be built. We opened 6 months before covid. Unfortunately covid set us back leaps and bounds and we are still working to recover. Read more>>

Ariel Lee

I knew from the moment that I started nursing school at- South Dakota State University- back in 2005, that I would one day have a successful business. A business rooted and grounded in healthcare services to patients in a way that was unique and special. Serving one’s mind, body, soul and spirit! The only thing was….I didn’t know how I would get there. Read more>>

Raina LaGrand

When I was transitioning into my own private practice from being in a group practice, I wanted to be everything for everyone. I felt deeply that I had a message and skills that could help people feel more connected to themselves and to those in their lives. And that’s still very true. But what happened was that I took on a number of clients for the sake of having clients, instead of being strategic about who I wanted to work with. And that came back to bite me later. I eventually learned that it’s ok for me to use discretion in choosing who I work for – from my marketing messages to the consult call. This required a bit of bravery and a lot of patience. Read more>>

Dr. Stephanie Duffey

I honestly never thought I’d have my own physical therapy practice. But looking back on it, I think it was inevitable. I’ve always wanted to do things my way, even as a young child. Not with the intention of being selfish, but with a deep sense of knowing “this makes the most sense”. I’ll never forget sitting at the dinner table with my parents during one of my clinical rotations in physical therapy school. This was a particularly demanding rotation, and after a long day at the clinic I said, “I can’t wait to retire.” My dad laughed and said “Honey, you haven’t even started yet.” Read more>>

Chinwe Efuribe

It has been seven months since I started my own private pediatric clinic. I am amazed by how many dots needed to connect, by strategy or serendipity, for me to fulfill this 10-year-old dream. From celebrating each exciting milestone of our business growth to finding creating solutions to the challenges of entrepreneurship, I can still say it’s been worth the risk to practice medicine more meaningfully. At Centered Youth Clinic and Consulting (CYCC), we utilize team-based, trauma-informed approaches to provide direct primary and specialty care for newborns through to young-adulthood. Read more>>

Rebecca O’Brien

Ask for help (re: finances, tech support, professional advice). Find a mentor. Be willing to collaborate and share. Be patient and solution-oriented. Get formally trained/certified. Invest in yourself: start a fundraiser to get started and be accountable. Everything you do, do it humbly. Calculate whatever you think your time/effort is worth – then double it.
Always keep in mind the opportunity cost – for every opportunity, you are losing out on the potential of another one.
Don’t frame things too narrowly – look at ideas less like an “either-or” and more like a “this-and-that”. Read more>>

Patrice Smith

Ever since the thought of becoming a dentist crossed my mind as a teenager, I envisioned having a practice of my own. The thought of working for someone conflicted with my desires because many people close to me worked for themselves. I can recall my grandparents owning supermarkets, my dad running multiple businesses and even being privy to practice ownership through my high school mentors. Those formative years led me to this moment. A few years post-residency, armed with a variety of experience in the field of dentistry, my dream of opening my own dental practice would soon take shape. Read more>>

Jeffrey Harmon

The most difficult decision involved in starting my practice – Harmon Facial Plastic Surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio – was the decision to start the practice in the first place. Most facial plastic surgeons choose to work in a large group private practice or an academic medical center. However, I knew that my surgical skills and the advanced techniques I learned during my aesthetics training would be most transformative with my own practice. As other business owners are well-aware, starting a business is quite difficult. It took the encouragement of my wife, Fara, to make the leap. Read more>>

Theo Jones

I came up with the concept of Weekend Whitecoat in 2017 and officially started in 2018. Starting out I wanted to create a program that would be beneficial to patients and the provider healthcare was hard to come by because it took so long to get into a doctor’s office to be seen. Starting out I wish I knew a few key things 1. The business side of healthcare. The limits in place are taking options off the table for patients 2. The insurance companies looking to dictate patient care as an algorithm versus treating the patient as an individual 3. Have a fluid business plan. If it fails remold and pivot , it will not be perfect. Read more>>

Sarah Kenville

Before going back to school for my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy, I worked in the corporate world for almost ten years. While I enjoyed some of the work, it was not something I was passionate about or could confidently say I wanted to do for the next 30+ years. Helping people was in my blood; my mother worked in helping professions, volunteered for many years, and instilled in me the importance of that work. A good friend at the time was a marriage and family therapist, so I spoke at length with her about her work, why she became a therapist, and what she enjoyed about it. After speaking with her, I was sold and went on to get my Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy. Read more>>

Candice Ornes

I have always loved nature, crystals, essential oils and all things metaphysical. Aromatherapy is a particular interest of mine. I dedicate much time to researching natural alternatives to traditional perfumes that myself and many others find abrasive. Additionally, I am entrepreneurially minded, and I created Be Here Now and Live in 2020 to share my interests and hard work with the community. I initially began displaying my products at metaphysical fairs, Read more>>