Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Habiba Zaman, Owner of North Star of Georgia Counseling & Consulting, located in Tucker, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I have a mental health counseling and consulting practice. We welcome people from all walks of life looking for a change in behavior, self-awareness, or life stage. Within this practice, I also manage the property and provide young therapists space to grow their own practices as a director. I have the same mission as an author in all of my published books, where I teach applications in learning one's truths to help transform their lives into what they wish their narratives to be.
Tell us about yourself
My choice to be a therapist was because of my school counselor. I knew she had the ability to see into people and help them feel seen, and I wanted the same superpower to help people heal. I started my company using all of the knowledge and experience I gained from working in various mental health avenues. I was able to condense all of that in order to apply what I valued from each of those avenues in one place with the clients I work with. The one thing that I hold dearly is that my clients are willing to put their trust in my hands to be a witness to their journey. To be invited into their experiences and be trusted to help guide and transform their current reality into the person they want to become is what motivates me to start each day. It is truly an honor to be welcomed into their inner trust.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I feel my greatest accomplishment is the personal growth in how I have evolved into the woman I am today. It has been this personal journey that has paved the way to be able to step into the shoes (stilettos lol) as a mental health therapist, private practice owner, property manager, and author. The growth in the number of clients, as well as the number of practitioners who share space within my building, is an outward display of this growth that I feel very fortunate to have. I was able to purchase this space and renovate it to have the offices reflect the passion, feeling, and energy of all of us to help facilitate growth and healing within our clients. This growth within myself is also reflected in the media, where I have been welcomed as an expert, and the books I have had the privilege to have published.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about being a business owner is how it is very lonely. The successes or losses are directly in conjunction with what I am doing or have not done, so the pressure to hold up every aspect of making the business run can feel as though I am alone. I have to challenge the thought, "Who will be there to catch me if I fall?" This is a common theme among entrepreneurs and is a good way to find connections and camaraderie with other entrepreneurs.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Know that even if it feels overwhelming with feelings of pressure, fear of the unknown, and doubt, you are not alone. It is important to build connections with people who have gone through a similar path. There is always more to learn, and we can always learn from one another.
- We have to forge our own path. The methods that have worked for others may not work for our niche. Leave room and give grace for needing to tweak how we go about establishing and growing our business without judgement of ourselves if what worked for others is not working for us.
- Allow yourself the gift of transformation and evolution in not only your craft but who you will become as time goes on. What feels as the calling so clearly now may shift into something different. If we allow ourselves to be curious about who we are becoming, we can accept the challenges and shifts that come our way. Otherwise, we fight it and then lose the passion that once burned so brightly, questioning our purpose and value of what we provide. All the work I have done has the underlying values of psychotherapy, even though it has evolved into different manifestations in how I deliver the work I do.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website:
http://northstarofgeorgia.com/
https://www.habibazaman.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/northstarofgeorgia
https://www.facebook.com/habibajzaman
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/northstar_georgia/
https://www.instagram.com/habibti_zaman/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/habiba-zaman-b1623561/
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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