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.

Saundra Gilliard

The start of Femininely Free! evolved organically. It began as a commitment to helping ambitious women break-free of the social conditioning that was preventing them from maximizing their success and reaching their full potential, both personally and professionally. The seed was planted when I was 15 years old. Shirley Chisholm called for a “bloodless revolution’ in support of her political campaign. That’s when I first realized that there was a social limit on what women were expected to achieve, regardless of their dreams, aspirations, training or capabilities. Read more>>

Michelle Accetta

When I embarked on my real estate journey in 2012, the landscape was dominated by traditional norms and practices. Everywhere I looked, there seemed to be a predefined script – from how agents dressed to the sales pitches they delivered. But from the very outset, I felt a deep urge to not just be another face in the crowd, but to stand out authentically. My love for design, homes, and the well-being of people drove me to think outside the typical real estate box. I envisioned a practice where homes weren’t just structures, but sanctuaries. This vision led me to integrate Feng Shui and unique design principles into my offerings. Read more>>

Adrian Sarria

At the moment I decided to start my business, it was a great challenge. At that time I worked for another company where I was no longer happy, but I had to stay there because I needed the money for my family. I had to work twice as much. Once the work day was over, I ran out to work in my business. At first I only had one client and that made me happy. This process took about three or four years while I strengthened my business I kept working very hard. Read more>>

Jennifer Hinostroza

I made the decision to start my own business at the age of 38 after embarking on a transformative esthetics journey. In my younger years, my career had taken me through various fields, including customer service, Human Resources, and various supervisory roles. However, it was during the COVID quarantine days that I discovered a newfound passion for crafting handmade soaps, bath bombs, and body scrubs. This creative pursuit ignited a strong interest in esthetics within me. Read more>>

Ava Milva

When I first started my practice it was really more because my soul was calling me to live my purpose and I didn’t necessarily have it all figured out, but rather it happened as a gradual step by step process of going through different levels. What I mean is that I literally started teaching in my living room when I first became certified as a yoga instructor because no studios would hire me without experience or a following. But I knew I had a passion for sharing healing tools so I wouldn’t let anything stop me. So I made a weekly class and I was loving doing that for a while until I actually started teaching at studios. Read more>>

Alex Gardner

I knew early on in undergrad that I wanted to have my own private practice as a dietitian. So throughout my internship, I was working behind the scenes to get together everything I needed to launch a practice. The day after I passed my credentialing exam, I started Alex Gardner Nutrition! I didn’t really have any idea of what I was doing, so I hired a business coach and that helped me to refine my thinking and narrow down who it was I really wanted to help. It wasn’t hard for me to decide to specialize in fertility, prenatal, and postpartum because I had extensive training in the WIC program and I was working as a Maternal and Child Health Nutrition Leadership Trainee at the University of Tennessee at the time. Read more>>

Dr. Babak Azizzadeh

As I was finishing my fellowship at Harvard, I looked at various options, including academic institutions and private practice situations, when trying to establish my practice. My two main options were to join a dermatologist or my colleague from residency, Dr. Larian. The dermatology route was standard for facial plastic surgeons at the time due to the synergy between dermatology colleagues. However, at that time, I decided to join Dr. Larian because he is an incredible person, and we had amazing chemistry. We got quickly involved with Cedars-Sinai and with the local community. Read more>>

Dr. Aanchal Bhatia-Mendoza

I embarked on the journey of starting Tula when I realized that my approach to healing was unique and needed a platform of its own. It became apparent that there was no existing practice that truly reflected how I wanted to serve my community, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and build one from the ground up. My vision for Tula was simple yet profound—I wanted to create a space where everyone felt heard, valued, and loved. It had to be a place where genuine healing occurred, and where we held space for each individual on their unique journey. Read more>>

Bina Bendale

I always knew I wanted to be a coach, especially after my firstborn son was done. I wasn’t sure how or what kind, but I knew I was meant for more. I was a bedside ED Nurse for 18 years before I decided to quit my job and become a full-time Nurse Coach. So, How did it all start? After my first-born son was born, Rohan. He was medically challenged and not hitting his milestone. He was not speaking or walking, and we were in about out of the ICU due to airway issues. While working as an ED nurse, I started noticing that I wanted to help parents with special needs and in difficult situations. I could talk to them and comfort them in a way I did not know I had the healing power for. Read more>>

Raheleh Sarbaziha

When I decided to start my own practice, I knew it was my goal near the end of my residency. As I began working in the hospital, the desire to focus on health, beauty, and wellness in my own practice grew stronger. Creating a vision for my journey was the first step, and although I encountered ups and downs, it has been an impressive journey to get to where I am today. 1. Choosing the Practice Area: The first step I took was determining my niche within the medical field. I asked myself questions like, “What makes me happiest?” and “What am I best at treating?” This helped me identify the area of medicine I wanted to specialize in, which, in my case, was integrative aesthetics. It’s crucial to have a clear focus and passion for your chosen practice area. Read more>>