Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chamin Ajjan, CEO and Clinical Director of Chamin Ajjan Psychotherapy, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Chamin Ajjan Psychotherapy is a diverse group practice in Brooklyn, NY, of skilled and trained CBT and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy therapists who are dedicated to providing effective, warm, personalized, and evidence-based treatment for those who struggle with relationships, mood disorders, low self-esteem, setting boundaries, prioritizing themselves, sexual issues, childhood sexual trauma, life transitions and more.
Tell us about yourself
I always knew I wanted to have a private practice. The flexibility it offered was important to me because I wanted to be a present and involved parent. When you work for someone else, it is harder to leave work to attend a school performance in the middle of the day or help out in the classroom. However, I originally envisioned a small practice. It was not until my husband came home from a job he hated and said he wanted to take a risk and change professions that I decided to kick it into high gear, incorporate my business and start building my practice. My motivation, quite simply, is my family. They keep me going. In addition to this, I come from a resourceful and creative single mother. She is a natural helper too. She showed me how to make something out of nothing. Every day I strive to make a little more out of the small business I started 12 years ago.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
When I started my business, I was a one-woman operation. Today I am a staff of 8. And not only a staff of 8 but a staff of 8 amazing clinicians who are dedicated to helping others live a better, healthier life. That is something to be proud of.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Being a business owner can be lonely. When you are the CEO and boss, you are responsible for everything and everyone and have no one to complain to about the ins and outs of the business. I have been lucky enough to connect with other business owners in other professions who can relate to this unique experience. A community has been extremely helpful.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Build a community of other business owners who inspire you and cheer you on.
- Love what you do. My father has been a successful musician all of his life, and he showed me that if you love what you do, your career does not have to feel like work at all.
- Get educated. You can wing it, but you will always feel like you are one step behind and at a disadvantage. I was selected to participate in Goldman Sachs's 10,000 Small Business program, and my confidence grew exponentially from this world-class business education. It was intimidating but worth every minute. Get the training you need to run a business and run it well.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://chaminajjan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChaminAjjan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaminajjan/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaminajjan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chaminajjan/
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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