Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health & wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lauren Frosch, Chief Program Resource Officer of TREE House of Greater St. Louis, located in Wentzville, MO, USA.
What's your organization, and who are your members?
TREE House of Greater St. Louis provides animal-assisted therapeutic services for children, adults, and veterans with disabilities from throughout the Greater St. Louis region. We are one of the oldest accredited therapy barns in the United States, and we often train other professionals on how to deliver these services using horses.
Tell us about yourself
Working with people of all abilities is inspiring - to help them reach personal goals that improve their lives out in the community, at home, at school, and at work. I previously worked as an educator and student service coordinator, then I transitioned into the nonprofit sector with outreach and volunteer management, focusing on services for people with disabilities. When I first heard about TREE House, I was skeptical - I didn't understand the difference between a pony ride vs. partnering with horses to deliver therapy. Once I got into the arena and was right there helping with therapy sessions, it was life-changing. I'm motivated every day by the strength, resilience, and perseverance of our clients - and by those magical moments when a client reaches a milestone, like speaking their first words.
What's your biggest accomplishment as an organization?
Being able to support the team in ways that have helped streamline and improve our service delivery. This is everything from special one-time projects to ongoing marketing efforts to recruit volunteers. For perspective, we need three volunteers for each therapy session - which means on an average day, we need at least 30 volunteers helping with therapy, and that doesn't count all the people behind-the-scenes caring for our animals.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being an organization?
Managing expectations - internal and external.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow an organization today?
- You will craft the culture. Your behavior and words will influence how your staff interacts with one another and how they do their job.
- Pursue the social channels that make sense for your target audience. You don't have to be on every single channel in order to be successful. Be strategic and prioritize quality vs. quantity.
- There are only so many hours each day, and while "hustle culture" is highly promoted by influencers and on places like LinkedIn, the reality is that you need to also take care of yourself in order to do good work - and make sure that efforts are sustainable.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thstl.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thstl
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thstl1975/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thstl/
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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