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.

Danielle McGinnis

I decided to start my business for my overall mental health and wellbeing. I had a few mindset issues to overcome. The first was the feeling that I was incapable of starting my own business because I felt I lacked adequate skills. I had always been taught that to make it in life, you must be highly skilled in some way or have a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree, and as the holder of an Associate’s Degree, I felt my job at the time was “as good as it was going to get.” Read more>>

Daniel Edwards

Transformation Shoppe LLC has morphed several times over the years; but the vision has always been the same. Providing health and wellness consultations to individuals across the country. In the beginning it looked like me providing golf lessons and doing personal training. Which eventually led to me serving as a life coach and assisting people with disability issues, ie: short term/long term disability, FMLA, & social security. Read more>>

Mercedes Tiggs

Once upon a time, I embarked on starting my private therapy practice specializing in Culinary Therapy. This endeavor was born out of a deep passion for cooking and mental health, and I strongly desired to combine these two interests to help others. Here’s a glimpse into the early days of my journey, including the main steps I took, key challenges I encountered, and some valuable advice for aspiring professionals considering a similar path. Read more>>

Yianni Tsatas

It’s funny coming out of treatment for substance abuse, I went back to work in the restaurant industry.. Through volunteer work I found my way back into University taking courses in Addiction.. From there I completed a degree in Addiction Counselling and started working in a Treatment facility to gain experience in my field. From there I took the leap of faith and started my business. Read more>>

Dorothea Foster

I quickly realized that other therapists were offering similar services. This posed a challenge, not only in terms of competition but also in identifying my unique selling proposition. One of my biggest challenges was navigating the complex world of becoming credentialed with insurance companies. With many others in the field, it was surprising and disheartening that no one offered assistance. Read more>> 

Brook Choulet

The Performance Psychiatrist stems from my focused work with high-achievers, professionals, and elite athletes. In my years of operating in private practice, I’ve recognized my effectiveness and unwavering passion for empowering accomplished individuals to unlock their fullest potential. My extensive network of connections with other healthcare providers and professionals has enabled me to reach a substantial segment of our community, delivering essential mental health care services. Read more>>

Raja Mohan

I began my journey in plastic surgery about 13 years ago at Johns Hopkins Hospital where I did my training in plastic surgery. Throughout my experiences there, I really enjoyed working with plastic surgeons who had more of an entrepreneurial spirit and started their own practices. They all had similar stories where they started small and expanded and grew to much larger practices as time went on. Read more>>

Flor Gonzales

Starting my own practice was definitely not easy but one of the best decisions I have made in life. Just as all beginnings, requieres a lot of hard work, dedication, taking risks, hard decisions making, and sometimes missing important family/social events, sometimes we need to give up some things in life to grow. That was mi case. But totally worth it. Read more>>

Alicia Johnson

The early days of starting my mental health private practice were really scary and stressful. I started my online therapy business in 2020 after working in community mental health for a few years. That was when things were still online due to Covid-19 and I had some upcoming life transitions coming up with a big interstate move so there was a lot going on in my life. Read more>>

Alayna Baillod

It was always a dream of mine to live in Colorado. After going to undergrad there and seeing the mountains every day I knew it was where I wanted to settle down long term. With a background in yoga, wilderness therapy and a love of the outdoors, it just made sense. But the cost of living was demanding and required more of me than just teaching a few yoga classes here and there while practicing independently. Read more>>

Cheryl Albright

During the course of my work within the local community, I conceived the idea of establishing my own yoga practice. My employer was apprised of my intentions to commence a venture that would concentrate on the practice of yoga. To that end, I began by working only on Saturdays at my own business. Read more>>

Suzanne Chilton

As a lifelong artist, I have always been the kind of person who likes to create something out of “nothing” and using my creativity, ingenuity and practical side when starting my business was no different. Read more>>

Dr. Brandy Archie

Starting my own practice, AccessAble Living, was a significant decision that stemmed from my desire to create a solution for individuals who needed assistance with aging in place. I began the journey while still working full-time as an occupational therapist, which posed its own set of challenges. The main steps I took included identifying the need (which I saw through my work in home health), conducting market research by asking questions of my real patients and their families, and formulating a business plan with Business Model Canvas. Read more>>

Romina Martínez

My brand Nufit, Nutrition and fitness, started more than 5 years ago when I finished my studies in Sports Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition. A doctor friend, Karina Scurti, was the one who gave me her support to start, I rented an office in her medical center and little by little I began the path of helping people and focusing on healthy habits from food and physical exercise, since I am . The physical trainer for more than 25 years. Read more>>

Larneka Lavalais

Establishing my own practice was something that was not really thought out or planned out. I had been working for a non-profit counseling agency, and I was not pleased with the direction things were headed. I felt like the board of directors did not want me there anymore, and the macroaggression had become too much to bear. I had been in numerous discussions with a friend of mine who is a Psychologist and has her own practice, in regard to me joining her practice. Read more>>

Holly Fowler

I got my nutrition coaching certification years ago, but was always intimidated at the thought of building my own virtual practice. Then 2020 hit and I really wanted to help others in the best way I knew how–to spread the message about nutrition. So I hired a business coach who taught me how to build my virtual practice from the ground up. Read more>>

Adriona Gaia

The Crescent Moon Tribe started as a Health and Wellness Blog. It was actually during the Covid Pandemic, when I made the decision to create my own blog as a way to share inspirational messages and wellness ideas with others. For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed learning and researching new things and I have always had an innate desire to help others. Read more>>