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.

Akram Soliman

Q1: Tell us the story of the early days from when you decided to start your own firm to establishing the firm. What were the main steps you had to take? Read more>>

Antonio Sustiela

“Well, the journey of starting my own firm, Flooring King, was both challenging and rewarding. It all began with a passion for flooring and a dream to provide exceptional service to customers. The main steps I took involved extensive research, careful planning, and building a strong network within the industry. Read more>>

Leah Hoffman

Ever since I started working in outpatient mental health, I’ve wanted to establish my own private practice, where I could have a space that represents my personal and professional values. I am an out-of-the-box thinker, and working under someone else’s brand and rules was challenging, as I found myself finding strategic and creative solutions to best meet my clients’ needs. Read more>>

Lisa Tahir

I remember dreaming about starting my private practice in Psychotherapy in 1998 when I graduated from Tulane University with my Masters in Social Work. I didn’t know the first thing about it, so I decided to work full-time in an agency practice to learn the ropes. I spent 8 years at that agency working with all kinds of clients from every kind of background. Read more>>

Tara De Leon

The fitness industry is a ton of fun, And there is no place I would rather be, however it is a ton of work. The hours can be long, the starting pay can be bad, employers can take advantage of the fact that most of the people working in fitness are young and don’t realize that the conditions they are working in aren’t particularly fair. After working all sorts of different fitness jobs- personal trainer, group fitness instructor, college professor, college strength coach, sports performance coach, to name a few. I finally realized that I needed to build a brand for myself and craft a professional reputation. Read more>>

Hannah Murphy

Roaming Remedy (my Massage Therapy practice) began overseas, inspired by travel and community. After years of working in luxury spas, I decided it was time to provide a more affordable and professional service for ALL. As the business expanded upon returning stateside, Roaming Remedy continues to create connection and comfort in our Portland Oregon based studio. Read more>>

Jennifer Clarkson

started my practice as a massage therapy practice in 2004 after graduating from Sarasota school of massage therapy. At the time, I worked for a chiropractor, named Pamela, Shackley, another massage therapist who had a business called massage care therapies, and I made house calls for my own clients. Once I had about 15 people a week consistently on my own I stopped working at other places and rented my own office. Read more>>

GIna Perin

The decision to transition from being a fitness instructor in local gyms to establishing my own health and wellness practice was driven by a desire to make a broader impact. When the pandemic closed gym doors in 2020, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery and education, focusing on health and wellness through the lens of positive psychology. Key steps involved obtaining relevant certifications, defining my niche within the wellness landscape, crafting a detailed business plan, and building a strong digital presence. Read more>>

Shell Siaca

When I first started I actually wanted to work under someone to be guided the correct way, but that wasn’t a thing when I got started. So for me, I had to take the leap and figure things out for myself. The best thing I did for my business was build trust with my followers by posting a lot of videos. Read more>>

Anjali Ranadive

I worked as an analyst in a private crime lab that only did forensic DNA testing. When one of my mentors left the lab to help establish the Investigative and Forensic Sciences Division of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ)/US Department of Justice, I followed her and worked in federal grant administration supporting state and local crime labs and creating and hosting large scale continuing education programs that bridged the gap between science and law, bringing together all players in the criminal justice system to share experiences and solutions to improve the services we provided to the community. Read more>>

Tara Schoeller

I knew early on in my Master’s program at Columbia University that I wanted to own my own business/ clinical practice helping children, teenagers and families in need. I knew I needed my higher level education do to so, thousands of hours in clinical training/ supervision and passing my LCSW/ LICSW exam. I am currently licensed in two states, both Minnesota and Georgia where I currently live and practice. Read more>>

Jamies Shuford

The early days of Skidrow Advocacy Group Inc. was an interesting time in Los Angeles. I was working as a homeless advocate with Lamp I was a bit curious why so many people was homeless and I ask myself why was I homeless my rent was high and the job didn’t pay enough (Getting Back On Topic) So as time passed by I Truly understood homelessness the why,the prevention, and a solution. Read more>>

Natalie Moore, LMFT

My private practice journey began in 2015 when I was a 26-year-old intern. I had burned out at a mental health agency job and needed to make a big shift in order to make my career sustainable. I had never considered doing private practice as an intern even though I always knew I wanted to have my own practice eventually. Read more>>

Miss Jai Smith

ith over 12 years of experience in public health and healthcare, my journey included serving LGBTQ+ youth and adults in clinical and community-based settings. During that time, I trained my colleagues on best practices for serving Transgender and Non-Binary (TGNB) clients and patients alongside my roles as a health educator, case manager, and program manager. Fueled by my passion, I embarked on this entrepreneurial adventure. Read more>>

Lienna (Olena) May

My motivation for starting my own practice was to gain financial independence and design a schedule that fits my family’s needs. With the birth of my baby girl, it became even more crucial for me to work on my own terms, ensuring quality time with my husband and daughter. Read more>>