Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kate Fowler, Co-Founder of The Therapy Lounge & Performance Center, located in Dallas, TX, USA.

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

The Therapy Lounge and Performance Center is a holistic therapy practice offering individual therapy, sports performance, and EMDR trauma therapy services. We believe in providing a safe space for our clients to feel welcome and free to be themselves and speak their worst and most vulnerable truths or simply vent about their day. We meet our clients where they are and provide our clients with an authentic, sometimes sarcastic, approach to therapy through conversation.

Tell us about yourself

We decided to start our own business for many different reasons: to be our own bosses, to build a practice we have both dreamed of, and to have the freedom and flexibility to make our own schedules. We are starting out with mental health therapy, but we intend to expand into many different facets of wellness so that our business becomes a one-stop shop for health and wellness.

We want our clients to feel supported and comfortable coming to us for help. Nothing is more gratifying than supporting our clients on their journey to wellness. It is beyond rewarding when something we have been working on in therapy with a client finally clicks, and they start to see it change their life for the better. As therapists, we are motivated by helping our clients achieve the life and peace they are searching for, whether that is recovering from an eating disorder, overcoming panic attacks, healing trauma wounds, establishing healthy boundaries in relationships, etc.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

So far, I think our greatest accomplishment has been to take the leap to start a business. It is scary and not guaranteed to be successful, but we decided the risks were worth it and have now made it through the first year successfully. Now that our foundation is laid, we are excited to continue growing and start expanding.

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

The hardships of being a business owner make the rewards so much sweeter, but the work of a business owner is never finished. It is a full-time job and can easily take over your life. You want your business to be successful, so it is easy to fall into the trap of working 24/7. The hardest part of this first year of business has been finding balance and setting boundaries.

Working non-stop is not sustainable or healthy, so establishing boundaries around when, where, and how much you work in a day is one key to preventing burnout. What helped me was deciding what my work boundaries were going to be before we even started the business. Naturally, those boundaries might need to change and evolve once you get into the business, but starting out with boundaries makes it easier to continue implementing them, even when they may need to change.

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

My tips for starting a business are to know your stuff, set boundaries, and re-evaluate routinely.

  1. Preparation. Spend time beforehand thinking about and planning exactly what you want your business to be. Find out what you need to start your business, such as forms, legal documents, CPA, etc.
  2. Boundaries. Determine what boundaries you want to set that will protect your business’s success and your mental health. If you have a business partner, discuss what roles each of you will play and what boundaries you each want to put into place to protect your partnership and personal relationship if you have one.
  3. Evaluate. After starting your business, take some time every so often, such as every other month or quarterly, to re-evaluate what is helping your business and what is not. There is no need to continue putting energy into things that are not producing results.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Start a business that you will enjoy! Being a business owner is hard work. If you do not enjoy what you are doing, it will take a toll on your health and well-being, but if you enjoy the work you do, then all the hardships of being a business owner will be worth it.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.therapyloungegroup.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therapy.lounge.group/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapy.lounge.group/

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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