Break Free From Confinement

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeremy Edge, Founder of Escapingthe.com, located in Dallas, TX, USA.

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

Escapingthe.com is a private counseling practice specializing in problematic screen use. We help teenagers, adults, and families with issues around gaming, social media, pornography, gambling, and general screen use. We focus on helping clients find balance in their screen use.

We work with clients 13 and older who want to improve their relationship with screens. We are strengths-focused and work to empower clients to become the best version of themselves. We use a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Solution-Focused, and Person-Centered Therapy in sessions.

We also run a program for teenage boys who love to play video games called the Escapingthe.com Experience. Over a week, the boys participate in seven different activities to improve their life skills and empower them. They cook, work out, play paintball, do equine therapy, do high-ropes activities, and build a headset stand from wood. On the last day, they go to the National Videogame Museum in Frisco, TX, where they learn about the history of gaming. The program helps young men learn how to balance gaming.

Tell us about yourself

I've personally been a gamer my entire life. For most of my life, gaming was a positive, healthy activity. But after I completed my Master's degree in counseling, I engaged in problematic gaming. I eventually changed my relationship with gaming and saw many of my clients experiencing problems with gaming and pornography. No one clinician in the area was addressing these concerns, so I thought I could specialize in it.

I've found balance in my gaming, and I see the benefits of finding balance with my clients. Some clients need to completely abstain from gaming. My colleague runs a 12-step Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous group in Dallas for those needing to completely abstain. However, sometimes clients just need to adjust their relationship with games. Both avenues are supported at Escapingthe.com.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Currently, my biggest accomplishment is the Escapingthe.com Experience. I see it as a tangible, practical way for teens to get life skills that traditional talk therapy can not provide. Don't get me wrong; talk therapy is fantastic and very helpful. However, hands-on experiences at times can be more meaningful.

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

The unknown of clients and income. I know good ways to market and bring in clients, thus bringing in revenue. However, there are times when no matter what I do, the phone just doesn't ring. The hardest thing is not knowing how many clients will be coming in.

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

The first tip I give is to be patient. Starting and building a business takes time. Know going into building a business that it could take years before seeing substantial progress.
The second tip is to be consistent. No matter if you see progress or not, consistently put content, information, or your product out there for people to see. It's natural not to see progress and give up. But keep at it, and with luck, hard work, and a good idea, you can make it work.
The third tip is to seek guidance from a coach or other business owner you respect. There are a million things to think through and do as you grow a business, and you don't know what you don't know. Get good wisdom and advice from those who are doing it well. Take what works for you and your business, and leave the rest.

A fun and inspiring podcast for entrepreneurs is called "How I Built This" by Guy Raz. Check it out for some inspiring stories on how people build businesses.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.escapingthe.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/escapingthecom
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-edge/

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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