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.

Amy DeWild

I have been an accountant for over 20 years, working in the corporate world and for other firms. I had always wanted to start my own business, but I was afraid to. I worried that I was too late, too old, and not good enough. My mom was my biggest supporter, and she always encouraged me to follow my dreams and start my own firm. After she passed away in 2018, I decided that life was too short to not do what I had always wanted to. I quit my job shortly after and started AJD Accounting Solutions in January 2019. Read more>>

Katiuscia Gray

I started my business in 2019 with focusing on somatic psychotherapy. At the time I was a psychotherapist for the almost 10 years., I worked in all types of places, including the court house, clinic settings, child protective services, and always felt called to this work. At the time when I first started out I had 2 kids and was married. Read more>>

Kathleen Layer

I always struggled with knowing what I wanted to do with my career. Growing up I was interested in so many different things, and none of the paths I saw ahead of me ever felt like the right fit. I had a very up-and-down relationship with food and my body for many years, and when I finally discovered intuitive eating, I had this overwhelming desire to share it with as many people as possible. Read more>>

Lee Wedlake

I was in college in 1976 and wanted to start a karate school. I’d been teaching at the studio I learned at and at local recreation centers. I had a following who wanted more and I wanted to give them a home. My aunt offered to be a partner and loan me $1500 to get it running. Read more>>

Derrick Brantley

I started my business out of the back of my car. I spent many hours a week educating people about what I did since no one knew. I struggled working in the medical field since I was not recognized for what I was doing and was not making a livable wage. After alot of hard work I managed to get an office of my own in Lake Mary. Read more>>

Liana Lianov

I have always been interested in what makes people tik. What drives them to do the things in life that feel truly engaging and represent their inner core? I was reading and learning as much as I could on the topic. How do people with different personalities, past successes and traumas, and various cultures and social environments approach life and embrace their passions? As a lifestyle medicine physician, this interest became relevant in helping people achieve and sustain healthy habits. Behavior change is one of the greatest challenges in medicine. Read more>>

Indira Hodzic

Take the leap. Then take the next leap. Bring the best people on board, and listen to their ideas. When I started my first beauty and aesthetics business more than 11 years ago, it felt like a huge risk, but I bet on myself and with grit and determination it has paid off. I look back on the early days of our first MedSpa business and recognize that there was no blueprint at the time. Read more>>

Tyler Humphrey

I worked in a traditional PT clinic for 7 years. I would see 15-20 clients per day, which quickly resulted in burnout. Most of the clients weren’t motivated, and for the ones that were, I didn’t have the time or space to appropriately challenge them in rehab. My biggest challenge when starting Bulletproof was finding a location that met our clients’ needs. Active individuals are terribly underserved in the traditional PT model. Read more>>

Crystal Valdez

The vision of Dose of Changes, LLC started when I was still a teenager. The actual foundation and work to become a legal entity started at the beginning of 2023. I had officially become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker just 3 months prior to the New Year. I really feel like I started from the ground up. During some brain-storming sessions I was able to come up with the name of my business, the logo, decide on branding colors, and solidified the vision for myself in my head. Read more>>