Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jon Beaumont, Founder of Beaumont Counseling Services, located in Columbia, SC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Beaumont Counseling Services is my private practice in Columbia, SC. I treat clients ages 10+ for issues such as: Anxiety, Depression, Anger management, Bullying, general stress, and many more.
Tell us about yourself
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor/Supervisor with a certification in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I started out at a young age with the desire to be a doctor, but in college, I realized that the main thing I enjoyed about helping people was talking to them about their problems. Therefore, I knew from that point that my calling was to be a therapist. I am motivated each day by the positive changes I see in clients, whether major or minor. I love my job so much, and I cannot remember the last day I woke up and did not want to go to work.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Aside from starting my own practice, I think the accomplishment I am most proud of was getting a book published. I have been teaching a very unique but highly effective way to deal with verbal and cyberbullying for over 15 years, but I finally put this into workbook form in 2019 with my release of "My Mom is a Big Fat Whale: A New Workbook for Kids & Teens to Take the Power Back from Bullies." (Don't be fooled by the title; it just goes along with the story. I assure you, I love my mother very much and would never speak a harsh word about her.) Furthermore, this publication has led to several opportunities for me to present this material at conferences statewide which I am very proud of because I truly feel like these techniques can be a major game-changer for any kid dealing with verbal or cyberbullies.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
By far, the most difficult thing for me has been marketing and advertising. Thankfully, I am at the point now where I do not have to do much advertising for my practice to get patients, but that was a worrying point early on. Currently, I am working on providing more continuing education seminars, workshops, and courses for other counseling professionals, so the advertising aspect has arisen again. I have had to learn (sometimes the hard way) that sometimes it is necessary to pay for services that I might not be the best at, such as I.T. or multimedia marketing. In the end, it turns out to be money well spent.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Bet on yourself - Focus on your strengths and realize that you genuinely have a beneficial service to offer the public.
- Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you - I have learned my best lessons, not from school or books, but from other professionals who have done things similar to what I want to achieve.
- Sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn - Don't expect everything to go perfectly. That being said, some of the most valuable knowledge I have obtained came from doing things wrong.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.beaumontcounselingservices.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beaumontcounselingservices/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/BeaumontCounselingServices/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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