Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Candace Alley, Founder of Recovery Alley LLC, located in Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

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

We offer psychological trauma and addictions-focused counseling, coaching, consulting, and training services. Our customers range from individuals to large corporations depending on the services being provided.

Tell us about yourself

My entrepreneurial journey began in 2015 when I started helping a good friend start her business. She kept telling me what a great leader I would be and that I should start my own business. In February 2016, I opened a fashion boutique, and due to my burning desire to always help others, I started an online boutique mall where other retailers could also sell their boutique items. This grew to serve 100,000+ women boutique shoppers and owners from 2016 to the present. The business is still operating, though much has changed with the pandemic and rising inflation. In 2020, when all the shutdowns began happening, I realized there would likely be more mental health struggles and possibly greater struggles with addiction when people had nothing to do but sit at home. There’s only so much to do at home, and individuals that already struggle with mental health and substance use would only likely have their issues exacerbated now that they would have even less human interaction than in pre-pandemic days. That’s when it occurred to me to start an addiction-focused business. I started Recovery Alley in 2020 and turned into an LLC and DBA in July 2021. Since that time, I’ve founded and started a 501c3 nonprofit, Trauma Resource Network Inc., which in 2022 alone has served over 1,000 individuals seeking support. I am motivated each day to save lives and help people overcome their biggest obstacles simply knowing that what I do is helping people because we receive feedback letting us know, so I am encouraged to continue to give my all to the people in my community and around the world that need to know someone is there for them.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner was founding the 501c3 nonprofit because this work isn’t about how wealthy I can become; it’s about what impact I can make and the legacy I can leave when I’m gone. I simply want to leave the world in just a little better place than it was when I entered it.

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

The hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is realizing and accepting that you can only do as much as the financial means and time you have in a day to give. There are few more people that need help than my organization can serve at this time, and it’s so hard not to be able to offer people more support and services, but we simply don’t have the financial means or manpower to do so at this time.

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

  1. Invest in what you love; if you start a business just for financial gain, it will just be a job, not a passion filled career.
  2. Don’t rush into things; take time, do research, and do a SWOT analysis on your business regularly to ensure you are utilizing your resources and making the best use of the time and resources available to you.
  3. Don’t mix business and personal lives. If you invite friends into your business, feelings often get hurt, and you may lose friends and possibly your business, depending on the circumstances. Always treat your staff with dignity, respect, and honor, but don’t mix business with pleasure and personal life.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://candacealley.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecomplextraumacoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recovery_with_candace/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candace-alley/

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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