We recently connected with Evan Moore and have shared our conversation below.

Evan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Risk, can easily be associated with a negative notion or some perceived threat to your physical or mental well-being. However, risk to me meant changing my life and putting myself in a position to not only help others but help myself in the process.

Most significant risk that I’ve ever taken in my life thus far is starting my own company. I would say to a degree that many individuals inspire to start or own their own business at one point in their life. And many times this aspiration dies off as they mature and different life obstacles present themselves.

When I moved to Colorado, I was taking a risk moving to a city and state in which I have never been and did not have family in this region of the United States. That was a risk that I was willing to take, but that risk to me, is not in the same stratosphere as becoming an independent business owner and relying on your resiliency and determination to succeed.

I lived in Colorado from August of 2019 to this present day. Prior to starting my own company, I worked for several different organizations before venturing out of my own. For many people, there was a significant event that inspired them to start their own company, or they experience some form of adversity and this propelled them in that direction. For me, it was the latter. My time working for other organizations was not the level of satisfaction that I desired.

I knew I had more to give in the mental health field and was looking for my “moment” to be presented to me. I’m unsure if I was naive or full of hope that my “moment” would just present itself to me and I would know it would be time.

I recall sharing a interest with a previous supervisor in regards to starting my own organization and I believe that this was somebody I could share this information with but that’s not always the case. I was relieved from my position the following day and I only had enough money in my account for one more months rent. It would be safe to say that that was my
“moment”.

Risk involved with starting a company is absolutely overwhelming. If it is something you are not accustomed to. This is a risk that many people will shy away from or avoid due to the uncertainty and financial instability that comes with it. For me, this was the risk that I was willing to take. I could continue the cycle of applying and interviewing to dozens of organizations in hope that they would choose me, or I can take my life in my own hands and make it to what I wanted to be.

I believe that in order to achieve a successful business, one must risk something. Risk is going to mean something to every person, but to me, it meant giving myself a life that no one else could except for me. I was willing to risk what I previously had in order to achieve what I currently have. I believe that this is a mindset that many entrepreneurs will need to adopt in order to see their vision through.

Evan, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve worked in the mental health field since 2014 when I started an internship for the division of you services in Missouri. I worked at residential facilities and I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship process and working with youth that were at risk or dealing with severe adverse situations.

I was told by a colleague of mine that this specific line of work has a cap and once you reach that cap you can no longer excel forward in the agency and that is when I decided that I will need to make an adjustment in order to find new avenues in the mental health field. Therefore, I attended graduate school at Missouri State University. I enjoyed my time at the university, but there were several moments where I contemplated quitting the program due to my previous way of thinking and the self-reflection that was challenged to me in order to continue to progress in the program.

Without giving my entire backstory, I started my therapeutic clinic LighthouseTherapy, LLC in May of 2021. This was a pinnacle moment for me and I finally had the opportunity to create a program exactly how I wanted it and bring in the individuals in which I believed would make great clinicians and a great addition to what I was attempting to build.

I know that my clinic is different from ones that I have previously worked for, or ones that I am aware of. Organization on two founding principles; making mental health services affordable and convenient. I have not strayed away from those foundations. I wanted to transform the archaic style of therapy that I was accustomed to through throughout my years in the mental health field.

By no means am I disrespecting the therapeutic model, I am referencing the “traditional” walk in an office and speak with somebody. I wanted to provide services where the people are at and meet them in an area that is comfortable for them and my clinicians. We have programs with school organizations, government organizations, and independent insurance companies where we provide specific services ranging from grief counseling, substance abuse prevention programs, and in school, therapeutic service programs.

I believe this makes my organization more reputable and organizations can rely on our consistency and providing appropriate therapeutic services and being able to be flexible with how and when we provide those services. We also specialize in holistic healing which involves are registered dietitian and nutritionists to not only aid with nutritional counseling but also assisting with eating disorders at my clinic. This services are many of the key elements that differentiates us from other organizations.

I would like clients to know that we are an organization that focuses on providing therapeutic services that are not only relevant to the hear and now, but are backed by statistics to make them tangible and relatable. Many organizations approach therapeutic services from a perspective of meeting “us” where we are at instead of meeting the “clients”. We consistently engage with clients on all social media platforms to ensure that we are reaching multiple demographics of the population and putting ourselves at social events to spread awareness of mental health and being a community resource for those in need.

Can you open up about how you managed the initial funding?

Putting together the capital for my practice was difficult in the beginning stages. I was relieved of my duties from my previous employer in April of 2021 and I had enough money in my account for one more months rent. This was a pivotal moment in my life to make the correct decisions.

In order to fund my practice, I had to significantly reduce my cost of living which was difficult because I was unsure if I was going to succeed down this path. I recall reducing my grocery bill to $75 a month in order to save as much as I can to fund my practice for software and supplies. This was not the most significant obstacle to overcome because living in a city one is accustomed to going out and enjoying themselves.

This came to a stop and I had to completely cut out restaurants and other activities that cost money. It was apparent that this was going to be difficult over the next couple months, but it was a sacrifice that I was willing to take in order to achieve my goal of becoming self-reliant and creating my income due to the business that I was able to build and maintain.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

As stated earlier, I started my practice on two core foundations; making mental health services affordable and convenient. I believe those foundations have elevated my practice to wear individuals do not have to worry about a financial sacrifice in order to get mental health services. I believe this approach to a business is very advantageous because it conveys the message that your company is a reliable and trusted establishment and individuals can trust that they are going to receive the care that they need.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lighthousetherapyclinic.wordpress.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/lighthousetherapy12?igshid=NDk5N2NlZjQ=
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/100088346613515/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lighthousetherapy-llc/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/LTherapy12
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/lighthousetherapy/

Image Credits
Zencare.