Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Denise Shiffman, founder and CEO of GroupWell, located in Pleasanton, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and depression have been growing over the past several years at the fastest rate in history. What most people aren't yet aware of is that healthy relationships, social connections, and adaptable social skills are crucial to our mental health and our physical health. GroupWell delivers evidence-based treatment by licensed therapists in the group modality of care which combines mental and social healthcare. Employers, health plans, and individuals who want access to a low-cost and highly effective behavioral health service choose GroupWell.
Tell us about yourself
I have more than 25 years of experience as a top executive in both tech and healthcare companies. A few years ago, I was suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. My therapist referred me to group therapy. It was a complex, frustrating, and even demoralizing process trying to find and join a group.
From this experience, I created GroupWell to deliver an engaging, whole-person approach to mental health that shows us we do not need to suffer alone and that group therapy is a place to be seen, be heard, and be validated by others just like us while in treatment with a professional. Every time I talk to a customer, I'm reminded of how important the GroupWell service is and how many people really need it today.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My ability to share a vision and a plan and attract an extraordinary number of advisors and team members that believe in the vision and want to help make it real.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Startups are filled with highs and lows. It's a continuous rollercoaster. If what you offer is truly unique, most people you talk to won't understand it or get why it matters. It can feel frustrating and even demoralizing. Maintaining a focus on the things that matter has helped me continue to push forward and find the believers and advocates.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Dive in and get started. The vision you have can't come to fruition unless you make progress on it every day.
- Focus on the customers you will offer value to by delivering the product or service. If you make customers and impact your primary priority, everything else will eventually fall into place.
- Set goals every day so that the big rocks get done rather than activities that feel more like you're moving chairs around on the deck of the Titanic. Every ounce of energy should go toward actions that move your business forward.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Life throws all kinds of challenges at us. Developing the mental fitness needed to face these challenges, as well as the ability to seek out help when challenges become too much, is central to living a happier and healthier life. And everyone deserves that. GroupWell is my way of having an impact and giving my life purpose and meaning so that I can give others health and happiness.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.groupwell.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GroupWellHealth/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groupwellhealth/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GroupWellHealth
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/groupwell/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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