Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Bette Pounds, LCSW, a psychotherapist based in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a psychotherapist who works with adults. Some of the reasons people come to therapy are:
- Too much stress and too little pleasure.
- Thoughts and feelings that are difficult to manage, including anxiety and depression.
- To better handle particular challenges, including lack of job satisfaction, low self-esteem, lack of motivation, procrastination, addictions, grief, relationship problems, health problems, and just to know oneself better.
Tell us about yourself
I love enlightening and empowering people. Formerly, I was a professional musician, and I wanted more give and take with others. So I got another degree and, even now continue studying and learning how all schools of thought in psychology fit together and how I can best help others understand what life is about.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I've always been entrepreneurial, so once I had my degree, I immediately rented a second apartment in my building and created three offices and a waiting room so that I would have passive income. I developed various lectures, started teaching at a university and a training institute, advised beginning therapists, and finally finished my self-help book, which is illustrated, and completely in rhyme.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest parts of owning a business is maintaining my open and flexible "therapist's mind" and then switching off to think about my schedule, my accounts, calling insurance companies to discuss payments, answering calls from potential new patients, earning my continuing education credits, and paying quarterly taxes.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Three important pieces of advice are:
- Be flexible because there is never only one way to accomplish something.
- Keep learning, and find excitement and joy from it.
- Hire a good accountant.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.bettepounds.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bettepounds
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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