Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Daniella Marchick, Founder of Supportive Caregivers, located in Portland, OR, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My goal is to create cultural change in how our society supports caregivers of elders and individuals with consistent additional needs. Supportive Caregivers is uniquely focused on the emotional impacts of caregivers. I am a consulting guide who helps overwhelmed, open-minded caregivers be with emotions effectively in 6 weeks through the normalization of the typical responses, providing specific tools and knowledge of the impact of the caregiver’s path.
Along with working with caregivers and their families, I also train to help professionals about the Care Partners. In those training, professionals will learn a developmental stage model of the Caregiver Path and explore their own biases about death, aging, and becoming an elder. I am a public speaker, consultant, and guide.
Tell us about yourself
I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Fortunately for me, I was raised 10 minutes away from my grandparents, and my deep care for elders started at a very young age. I earned my B.A. in Psychology and Business from the University of Oregon. In 2011, I moved to Portland to be surrounded by the beautiful nature of the Pacific Northwest. After a career in fundraising, I worked as an Activities Associate at a local nursing home which confirmed my passion for working with the older adult community.
After my Granny, Frances, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, my personal relationship with caregiving has continued to last over the past 15 years. I earned my M.S in Counseling Education and a Certificate in Gerontology from Portland State University. As a licensed therapist, I have been focused on providing counseling for Caregivers and Elders. As a consultant, I have worked with a variety of Gerontology and Mental Health professionals. My passion is to invite ease and patience for those on the caregiving journey.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is taking the time to learn from caregivers in individual therapy and support groups, giving me clarity of what is missing from them. Now I am filling the educational gap for professionals about what caregivers are constantly juggling. Caregivers receive important functional support from the community, but there is not enough focus on the emotional implications of the Caregiving path. With the right guidance, one can learn to become an investigator in your own surroundings, finding the stressors and knowing how to eliminate them. I’ll show you why developing emotional awareness is the best way to avoid burnout and have a more balanced, healthy, self-led life.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It's hard to set up all the systems that are needed to run a business! It takes a lot of time and learning to set up client management systems and marketing, grow an audience, and of course, master what you offer.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make sure you have enough runway in terms of time and finances to set things up correctly.
- Figure out what you enjoy and what you do not; if you can, hire help.
- Maintain the perspective that you are not the success of your business; you are a unique human that is multi-faceted. Spend time with friends and do your hobbies!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Being a business owner and a caregiver is consistently hard. Dedication and consistency are imperative. Continue to remind yourself what values are driving your work.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://supportivecaregivers.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supportivecaregivers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supportivecaregivers/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellamarchick/
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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