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.

Lisa Benoit

The Story of Alpha Commercial Group’s Early Days: Read more>>

Leila Kubesch

The family unfolded their tale of paying rent and deposit, only to find themselves in an uninhabitable space. Feeling lost in the community, I started reaching out to other families, unveiling a web of injustice and untold stories. The realization struck me—I had no voice or visibility. The question echoed: “So, you’re just a teacher then?” Read more>>

Matt Meyer

My Real Estate Investment firm, LMN Investing, LLC, would not have begun without my oldest daughter Layla. She is a pandemic year graduate (2020) and out of college she wanted her own house but no one was hiring and she needed help. So, she came up with the idea of ‘house-hacking’ which is essentially renting out rooms in the house you live to help pay the mortgage. Read more>>

Amber Lockard

I joined the United States Navy in 2006 and I did not know at that time how that decision would change my life. I was deployed in 2007 aboard the USS Nimitz and during that time my skin started to develop acne. Every skin care option I tried only made my skin worse so when we arrived back in San Diego, I sought out an esthetician for a medical grade skin treatment. Read more>>

Lorie Spence and Carolyn Pritchard N/A

In the early days of establishing our firm, we made it a priority to focus a lot of time on building our co-founder partnership dynamics. We knew that business for us would be better with a partner and recognized the significance of aligning our strengths and aspirations to achieve our shared goals. Clearly defining roles, responsibilities, and the division of labor was the first place we started. Read more>>

Kendara Laurel

I have been involved in Metaphysics for almost 50 years, but never pursued this career path full time. I always made sure to have another full or part time job to make sure I was provided for. I always did readings, but I began adding more classes in different Metaphysical areas, as time evolved. I also contintued reading at different stores and special events. Read more>>

Mara Bishop

My background is eclectic. Having a range of interests and skills can be helpful, but it can also be a challenge in a world that tends to reward having an explicit specialty. I created my practice after working primarily for universities, schools, and art-related organizations. These jobs fit my education, but they didn’t inspire me. I didn’t feel like I was making an impact. Read more>>

Kathy Spencer Sydney

Really, our business grew out of a need. We kept running into clinicians that had eating disorder clients and wanted resources or ideas on how to treat their clients. It is a very complicated and nuanced disease that there just wasn’t time or space for us to be able to give them all they needed and we didn’t know where to point them to get a full comprehensive training. Read more>>

Marc Burrows

Before I founded my program, I knew what I wanted to achieve. My goal was simply to improve the wellbeing of people who use drugs through compassionate healthcare and through a model that was not taking place in my community. I set out on this journey to understand the landscape of services in South Carolina for people who use drugs. I spent about a years time talking to anyone who would listen. Read more>>

Taneka Walker

I started The Scalp Boss to address the regrowth of hair issues so many Americans are faced with. Over 80 million Americans both men and women suffer from hair loss. Restoring confidence one strand at a time hits home for me. Taneka empathizes with her clients as she battles thinning edges and scarring from an accident. I understand how improving your inward feelings can impact how you feel on the inside and outside.” Read more>>

Marcia Hazlett

Starting my first brick and mortar massage location was quite exciting and intimidating. The success or failure of my business lay completely on myself. I was not in a financial position to be able to commit to a set rent amount, so I had to be creative. Many people think business is only run one way, but that is very far from the truth. Read more>>

Ajay Kumra

Once we decided to embark on the journey of starting a ketamine clinic, I was filled with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. My inspiration came from witnessing the profound impact ketamine had on patients suffering from conditions like depression and chronic pain. The decision was not made lightly; it was the culmination of years of experience as a psychiatric nurse and a deep desire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. The early days were a whirlwind of activity. Read more>>

Ta’janette Sconyers

When I decided to establish my practice, I quickly realized just how much I didn’t know. There was so much information to sift through and I didn’t know where to start. In the past, this would have been overwhelming for me but, when I made the decision to pursue the establishment of my business, I felt in my soul that it had to work. Thus, I postured my heart in a way that assured me that, even with the rollercoaster of emotions (from the highs of finding helpful checklists to the lows of finding out the costs associated with certain things) that it would eventually come together. Read more>>

Sapir Gumerove

My first job as an aesthetician was in a medical spa in Beverly Hills. I didn’t really make too much money for the amount of work I did and the energy I put into it. I knew I had to leave and open my own practice, so I gathered up all the courage I had and ventured out on my own. I didn’t have the clientele nor the money to open my own firm, but I believed that I could do anything with hard work and a positive mind. Read more>>