The first 3 years of running my group private practice was some of THE best, but also some of THE worst times of my life.
It was the BEST, because I had finally made the scary leap of starting my very own private practice. My very own business where I was gonna be in charge, where I (yes ME) was going to be making the decisions, where I did not have to ask for time off to attend school events with my kids, and where I was building a business that was making a difference in the lives of so many people.
It was my DREAM come true.
But I soon realised that it was also my worst NIGHTMARE….
Being a Psychologist for my clients, was easy, but now – all of a sudden – being a business owner, being an employer, being a manager, being a leader, being all the things and wearing all the hats required of a small business owner was just exhausting, not to mention extremely overwhelming. And for some reason I decided to do all of this whilst my kids were very small, meaning I had to juggle the demands of having 3 young kids with running and building my business. Those 3 years was some of the most lonely times of my life.
I was surrounded by my admin staff and my clinician team, but I felt completely isolated in the responsibility and pressure that came with being the person with whom the buck stopped.
Because I took my responsibility very seriously.
Because I’m a person that takes ownership of her decisions.
Because I’m a person that takes accountability for her decisions.
This meant that I alone had to do all the problem-solving. This meant that I alone had to come up with workable solutions. Because THAT is my job as the business owner. But THAT was freaking exhausting. I would spend literally hours and hours thinking, and thinking, reflecting and more reflecting, on each and every decision that I had to make. Because let’s face it, I had a psychology qualification…. I knew nothing about running a business, though I WAS running a business.
The problem with our industry is that the barriers to entry for starting your private practice is relatively small compared to most other businesses. So it is relatively easy to start your private practice. It is also easy to have initial success due to the demand for mental health professionals.
The tricky part is in building this flourishing small business into a financially and emotionally sustainable business that won’t burn you out or ruin you financially in the long run.
After 3 years of trying to do it all myself… Because lets face it, I’m a proud mofo at heart and I had very high expectations of myself… I finally found myself a Business Coach and it LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE.
Working with the fabulous Nathan McDonald for the next 4 years allowed me to truely learn and embody what it meant to be a business owner. In retrospect, I should have gotten Nathan to sign a non-disclosure agreement given the amount of snotty, ugly crying sessions that occurred over that period between me and him. Going through that learning curve was tough, but it was the best thing I ever did and I will forever be grateful for what Nathan taught me and how working with him made me a better person. Experiencing the benefits of working with a Business Coach was a big driver in my decision to step into my role as an Allied Health & Mental Health Business Coach & Mentor.
I mean…. Why go at it alone….?
If I did not put my ego and pride aside, I would not have been where I am today. If I did not decide that I was worthy of getting help and of investing in me and trusting that I AM WORTH IT, I would not have been where I am today. So if you are sick and tired of doing it alone, then DECIDE that change starts with you. No-one else can make that decision.
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