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.

Revan Dawood

In 2021, armed with ambition and a wealth of knowledge from my mentors, I embarked on a daring journey just a year out of dental school. Fueled by the belief that I could create a dental practice embodying honesty, quality care, high end brands, and luxurious but affordable dentistry. I faced the intimidating challenge of believing I could successfully make this unusual dental office concept into reality. Read more>>

Lisa Driscoll

When I decided to change my career from teaching to mental health counseling, I knew that I wanted greater autonomy in the workplace. I desired a flexible work schedule, as well as a better work/life balance. So, the thought of starting a private therapy practice was always on my mind. However, having no business background, I wasn’t sure if I was capable to building a successful small business that could provide an income and sustain my family. Read more>>

Katie & Abby Lakoff & Conrady

Our practice model was born out of both personal and clinical experience. We have both felt and seen the gap in healthcare coverage for pregnant and postpartum women so when the opportunity to be a part of the providers trying to fill that gap we took it! When we first opened it felt like there was one form after another that we didn’t know we needed, but when you’re passionate about what you’re doing it all becomes worth it. Our goal is to provide the care that we want to receive, and we believe that is how all healthcare practices should be run. Read more>>

Paty Mariposa Hernandez

My business, Mariposas Holistic Healing, was created while I lived in Esteli, Nicaragua. I moved there after graduating with my dual master’s in social work and public health to work in a non-profit in 2013. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out and instead, I sought different ways to earn money. One unlikely path was working individually with clients. My other income generator was teaching English to pre-schoolers. Read more>>

Roxana Pasillas-Luevano

I was a young aspiring makeup artist who always wanted to have her own brand. I went to cosmetology school got my license and trained to become a lash artist. I have been in the beauty industry 18+ years. I worked commission and rented suites and one day decided I need to venture out and get my own brick and mortar. 2019 my business partner and I open our first salon. By 2021 we expanded and moved into our suites. We now have Vida Y Alma house of Beauty with 7 beauty suites. Read more>>

Sarah Doyle

After a 7-year journey in getting my Doctorate in Physical Therapy, I was thrilled to get my first job at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami Beach. I was a “float” PT, meaning that I went to whichever unit needed a therapist that day and worked bedside. I noticed that what you eat would determine which floor you were on… high sugar diet = cardiac floor, processed and fried foods = GI floor, and all the floors had patients with major dental infections in multiple teeth. We were not taught any of this stuff in the school of allopathic medicine. Read more>>

Adia Zeman Theis

I was introduced to the enneagram as a freshman in college and immediately connected to the tool in a deep and profound way. Throughout my time in college and at the start of my career in higher education, I found myself frequently utilizing the enneagram for both my own growth and development and as a tool to share with others. I talked about it with my colleagues, introduced it to my students, and began facilitating group team-building sessions with my family and friends. Anytime I had the opportunity to utilize the enneagram, I was filled with joy and truly felt like I was working and performing at my best. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I began searching for ways to incorporate more of this joy into my life. Read more>>

Cara DeLaRosa

In 2010, after having spent nearly a decade in an entirely different field (Corporate Design), my career path shifted 180 degrees to the Veterinary world. The catalyst for this drastic change was sudden job loss coupled with the tragic death of my beloved heart dog.  Read more>>

Shereese Hameed-Muhammad

When I started my practice I prepared myself and my family for the possibility of a lifestyle change because money would be tight at first. I left a thriving career in banking to become an entrepreneur so I was used to stability and a structured life. One challenge I faced was balancing my time with work and home life because as an entrepreneur it can all bleed together. The saying that you leave your 9 to 5 job to work 24/7 is the truth! Read more>>