Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maria Schmid, founder of Maria Schmid & Partners, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.

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

Maria Schmid & Partners is a mental health practice with a dedicated team of psychologists and other health practitioners based in Calgary, Alberta. We provide support to a wide variety of clients, including individuals, couples, and families seeking help with their mental health issues.

Each of the professionals on our team specializes in different areas of mental health, ranging from child therapy to assessments, trauma, parental health, addictions, and prevention. We also have a nutritional consultant on staff as diet and lifestyle are often missing links in addressing mental health issues.

Tell us about yourself

Growing up in small town Saskatchewan helped me appreciate the community unity that still defines my desire for strong family and neighbourhood connections. Sadly, my family dealt with many big losses early in my life, but with the help of a strong community, I learned much about the way of living through pain, change, and loss.

I completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Saskatchewan, majoring in Sociology and Psychology, and completed a Master's Degree in Applied Psychology at the University of Calgary. Before becoming a registered psychologist, I worked with numerous not-for-profit agencies in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and West Africa. In each of these positions, I worked tirelessly with the goal of improving the lives of individuals, families, and communities by integrating common needs and promoting collaboration, health, and preventative strategies. I have been a psychologist in Calgary focused on private practice since 2008.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been two-fold. One has been the amazing associates that I’ve had the pleasure of working with at my practice. It has been mutually beneficial to have a supportive team to consult with on various cases and topics. My second major accomplishment has been participating in the positive transformations that have occurred for many of my clients. It is truly rewarding to witness the remarkable turnarounds in people’s lives through the therapy that our practice has been able to offer.

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

Being a business owner gives you a great deal of freedom and flexibility to set your schedule and work at your own pace. However, since you are only accountable to yourself and your clients, it requires a great deal of self-discipline to ensure that everything gets done and that you stay on task. Balancing this responsibility, along with being a full-time mother and wife, can at times be very challenging and often requires long hours and late nights to complete everything necessary to keep the business running smoothly.

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

My top three tips to anyone looking to start in private practice would be:

  1. Find a mentor or group of like-minded peers to bounce ideas off of. Starting, running, and growing a business is a career-long process of learning. Do not be afraid to ask silly questions.
  2. Ensure you have the support of friends and family as you begin your journey.
  3. Be mentally, emotionally, and financially prepared for the ups and downs of starting and running your business. The ups are sometimes as difficult to manage as the downs.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

The long-term goal of our team is to focus on and promote mental health prevention rather than simply providing reactive counselling to our client’s immediate or acute issues. This will provide clients with the tools and strategies to deal with issues as they arise or avoid problems even before they present themselves. This, I believe, is the ultimate role that mental health therapy can offer to people.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://mariaschmid.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariarschmid/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3RCAcsH

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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