Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Daltrey Abney, Founder of Daltrey Abney LLC, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Daltrey Abney LLC is an educational therapy practice that works with people of all ages with learning differences to build skills and boost confidence. We work with people with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, processing disorders, and more and specialize in working with people with multiple learning differences. We provide 1:1 support through a research-based, whole-person approach that allows our clients to gain live more stress-free, independent lives.

Tell us about yourself

I started in the field of education as a teacher and quickly became drawn to students that struggled in the classroom setting. I started by wanting to learn how to help these students better access the curriculum, but it became so much more than that! Through learning more about learning disabilities and differences, I realized that though these students were often given accommodations in the classroom setting, not much was being done to teach these students strategies for long-term independence and success. Almost none of the students understood how their specific neurotype learned, worked, etc. When I found the field of educational therapy, I immediately fell in love with it because it aims to help those with learning differences discover who they are academically, socially, and emotionally and use that information to build their foundational skills and boost their confidence at school, at work, at home, and in social environments. It's incredibly rewarding work to see my clients progress and meet their goals, whether they are small wins in a single session or big goals we've been working on for months. Their proud smiles when they've achieved their goals keep me motivated every day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I'm really proud of the literal and metaphorical space I've created for my clients. Growth can only happen when clients feel safe, comfortable, respected, and seen. My office is a space where clients ages 5 to 65 are all excited to come to sessions, which is so important to me.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

In my particular field, there is a clear delineation between the administrative side of the business and the client side of the business. As the owner of my practice, it can be challenging to be the face of both sides. At the same time, it can be hard to resist the urge to oversee everything and be everywhere all at once. Delegating and balancing are definitely things I have to intentionally work on every day to keep things running smoothly.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Find a small business that you can model yours after. It doesn't have to be exactly the same as yours. In fact, it shouldn't be! But having a proven structure in place for the business side of things can be immensely helpful in the beginning.
  2. Find a mentor. Starting a business can be lonely at first, especially if it's a one-person operation. Having someone that can answer your questions and wants to see you and your business thrive is key.
  3. Build a team you trust. When it is time to expand and start hiring, you need people that don't need you to hover and handhold to do their job. Training people is hard when you are running your own business. So find people that know what they are doing or, even better, know more about what they are doing than you do!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.daltreyabneyllc.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daltreyabneyllc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daltrey_abney_llc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/daltrey-abney-llc/

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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