We recently connected with Rebecca Arbach and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rebecca thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

What did my parents do right? I believe the answer to that question lives in the life-altering decision they made in business. In 2006, my family left our hometown of Maguiresbridge, Northern Ireland in search of something better. My parents made the courageous decision to move our family to rural South Dakota where the nearby town had a population of 434 at the time. This decision was prompted by a multitude of factors, but mostly by the limitations on their family business. The early 2000s were challenging years for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with a breakout of tuberculosis creating significant barriers for my father, a dedicated dairy farmer managing a small herd of 140 cows. Faced with continuous challenges in farming and limited opportunities, my parents decided it was time for a change. This monumental decision to immigrate to the United States completely altered the trajectory of our lives. My parents who both come from relatively small family-farming backgrounds have worked over the last 18 years to build and develop an incredibly successful family farm. My father who once milked 140 cows now proudly owns and operates a massively successful dairy operation milking over 6,400 cows. My mother manages the administrative and ‘people side’ of our family business and has been a huge inspiration to me as a business owner. My mother who began her career as a nurse has always fostered and nurtured my love for people.

My parents viewed us not as extensions of themselves but as independent people who, even from a young age, could make the best decisions for ourselves about our beliefs, our political views, and our path for the future. When I was provided with the opportunity to become a business owner in 2022, my first call was to my parents, who guided me and encouraged me through the process while challenging me to advocate for myself and dream big. My life would have been vastly different had my parents not made the journey from Maguiresbridge to South Dakota. My parent’s dedication to their business and their family is certainly something they “did right”.

Rebecca, 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?

My journey into the mental health field began how many therapists begins, with my own personal experience with mental health. After moving to the United States at the formative age of 10 to a very small school with less than 120 students in the entire school (K-12), I struggled to find acceptance and belonging. I was the weird, Irish kid that had an accent who certainly did not fit in with the group of students that had been together since Kindergarten. After a long battle with depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder through most of my pre-teen and adolescent years, I was determined to get out of small town South Dakota which I attributed to most of my problems at that time. I had no clear idea of what I wanted to do after high school, but I knew I didn’t want a life in agriculture, which was all I had ever known. I thought to myself, “What is the farthest thing from farming and cows?” and that’s how I decided on Fashion Merchandising. I have always had an eye for design and a passion for styling clothes and spaces, and I believed that college would help me figure out the rest. During my first year of college, I began to question my decision to pursue a career in fashion but felt uncertain about my next steps. For the next six months, I remained an “undecided” student, enrolling in a variety of classes, including Law, Human Development, and Ethics. After spending two years at South Dakota State University exploring potential career paths, I finally realized that I needed a change of scenery. It became clear to me that leaving South Dakota and experiencing a different region of the United States was the next step in finding my true direction. I left South Dakota and moved down South to Fayetteville, North Carolina in 2015, following love and a better future than I saw for myself in South Dakota. Arriving at college, undecided on what I wanted to do, I sat down with my college advisor, Dr. Carla Fagan, and began to peruse the options I had. During this conversation I shared my experience with Dr. Fagan about being disillusioned with small-town life and not finding the passion for service I had been looking for in the fashion industry when she suggested I take a look at Social Work. I should mention, Dr. Carla Fagan, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker herself and would end up being a professor, advisor, and role model for me. My college experience in North Carolina was polarizing different than in South Dakota, I was exposed to diversity and ideas that I had never even considered before. I learned so much about myself during those first few years in North Carolina. After completing a Bachelors level degree in Social Work at Methodist University, a predominately White institution with a lot of affluence, I was accepted into a Masters level program at Fayetteville State University, a Historically Black College and University. These two very different college experiences certainly shaped me into the therapist and human being I am today. Often times, the population I was serving in North Carolina afforded me only one opportunity to build a relationship and establish trust so I learned very quickly that I needed to be authentic, human, and bring people hope if I wanted to evoke any change. I truly take the approach with clients that I am a human first, therapist second. I believe that the majority of clients I have worked with have felt the lack of humanity and authenticity in previous attempts to connect with a therapist and typically leave the experience feeling less hope than they had to begin with. A true passion and fire was lit inside of me during my time in North Carolina and I credit most of this to my education, the population I had the honor to serve, and the unique experiences I was able to have as a military spouse. I am most proud of my determination and go-getter attitude. I have never been one to shy away from a challenge and I truly believe that we create the lives we dream for ourselves. Anyone who knows me knows that I am headstrong and when I set my mind to something, I more than likely will accomplish it. This attitude has been present throughout my life but at the most pivotal moments, my determination and vision for my future, has been what has carried me. Whether it was standing in opposition against the status quo in small town South Dakota or choosing to marry my husband at the tender age of 19 years old, I have learned to trust myself in regards to my own life. I fiercely love what I do as a therapist, it is such an honor to sit with people in the most challenging chapters of their lives, cut the bullshit, and hopefully provide some hope and solutions along the way. Being in such a trusted role as a therapist is not something I take lightly, I truly believe that human connection is the most integral part of being a therapist. If there is one message I would want future clients and therapists to know, it is a piece of wisdom my mother always shares with me: “This isn’t a dress rehearsal, so live the life you want now.” This simple yet profound advice has shaped my perspective on life and the choices I make. It serves as a reminder that we have only one chance to live authentically and fully. I believe it’s crucial to embrace our desires, pursue our passions, and make decisions that truly reflect who we are, rather than waiting for the perfect moment or the approval of others. Life is happening right now, and it’s up to each of us to make the most of it.

Let’s move on to buying businesses – can you talk to us about your experience with business acquisitions?

Parent-Child Interaction Center (PCIC) was founded in 2008 and has been in the Northern Colorado community ever since. PCIC initially served a population of mostly children and their parents providing a specialized type of therapy called Parent Child Interaction Therapy which was designed to improve the quality of the parent-child relationship and change parent-child interaction patterns. It is particularly effective for young children with emotional and behavioral disorders. PCIC established a strong partnership with the Department of Human Services as well as many healthcare agencies and hospital systems in Northern Colorado. PCIC’s consistent presence in the community over the last 16 years has afforded us with an opportunity to make a real difference in thousands of individuals and families lives. I started at PCIC in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic after finding out I was pregnant and potentially dealing with a scary health diagnosis. What initially drew me to PCIC was the desire to create more flexibility for my family with a 1099 position as well as the stellar reputation I had heard throughout our community.

I worked at PCIC for 2 years before being presented with an opportunity to buy in as an owner. I bought my percentage of the business for a multitude of reasons but the major reason was the desire to do something more with my life and my career. I grew up a latchkey kid with two highly ambitious and workaholic parents and knew that I wanted to be more present in my children’s lives while also providing the best life I could for them. I saw business ownership as a path to do just that. The acquisition process was a total of 6 months from my role as a 1099 therapist to eventually purchasing 50% of the business. This process began with conversations with my family, including my parents, about the possibility of purchasing a business while my partner finished his college degree and we raised two small children. After getting the initial conversations about ‘if’ this was the right decision, I met with an attorney, Rob Ronanye from my home state of South Dakota, who guided and educated me on the what ifs of business ownership. Rob also helped me develop my own amendments to the current operating agreement. After this meeting, I negotiated a purchase price with the current ownership. I submitted a Promissory Note to the owner I was buying out after securing financing. Shortly thereafter, the transaction was complete and I started in my role as co-owner.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my business partner, Dan Jackson, during a virtual job interview in June 2020. At the time, I was leaving my current position due to a misalignment of values and, having recently discovered I was pregnant, I needed more flexibility and income—two things that often seem mutually exclusive. Dan was in his office at our old location, and we were both navigating the new online platform that had taken over our lives as therapists. I was at home, holding my breath and hoping he wouldn’t notice I was pregnant.
Towards the end of our interview, Dan began showing me pictures of his children as he shared his screen. I was blown away by his authenticity and openness. My previous workplace had very few parents on the team, so it was refreshing to meet someone who proudly displayed his love for his children and spoke candidly about the importance of work/life balance. This encounter was a turning point, showing me that it was possible to find a workplace where personal values and professional life could coexist harmoniously.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.p-cic.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-arbach-6b5089165