Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alicia House, owner of Whole Tone Therapy by Alicia, located in Ontario, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Whole Tone Therapy is a private therapy practice offering creative arts therapy services and adapted music lessons. Our therapy sessions take place online, and our music lessons take place both online and in person! We work with a mix of children, teens, and young adults with a range of diagnoses and concerns. We have an emphasis in holistic health and wellness, treating the whole person and not just the set of symptoms they present with!
Tell us about yourself
My name is Alicia House, and I am the owner of Whole Tone Therapy. I am a certified music therapist and psychotherapist with a passion for arts-based healing. I started Whole Tone Therapy 2.5 years ago with a mission to see people transformed by engaging their creativity. This mission keeps me motivated each day; humans are so incredible with so much capacity for growth and healing. The business started out with just me doing both the therapy and lesson services. As we have grown, I hired an amazing specialized music teacher (Sihaam Veldman) to run the adapted music lesson department while I run the therapy department. This allowed us to serve more people and expand our scope!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I would say the biggest accomplishment is evaluating the last few years and seeing how much the business has grown and transformed, even through a global pandemic. There were many moments where I wanted to give up and got burnt out, but I'm so thankful that I stuck with it and leaned into my passion. We grew to the point of needing a second-team member to run one of the departments, and I never dreamed that would be possible so early on. COVID tried to take lots of things away from us, but we made it through.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things about being a business owner is all of the moving parts to keeping the business successfully running. As a therapist doing private practice, you have to be the clinician, administrator, intake coordinator, and so many other roles. In school, I was only prepared to be the clinician, and the rest I had to learn "on the go." It gets easier with time, but it is still a lot to navigate, and I continue to seek mentorship from people who are well seasoned in this venture.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Consult with people who are successfully doing what you would like to do and can mentor and support you through the process.
- Find your niche and focus. There are lots of businesses out there, but what are you offering that no one else is offering?
- Never stop letting your passion drive you. Things will get challenging, and you may feel that you want to give up sometimes, but remember your "why."
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Some final closing thoughts I have would be that if you have an idea or passion in mind that you want to pursue as a business venture, go for it. Don't delay. Your ideas and passions are so valuable and useful in this world, and we need more people who are willing to take chances and put in the work to make a dream a reality!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.wholetonetherapy.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wholetonetherapy/
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.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.