How long have you been in business and what inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
I opened by private practice in Atlanta in 2014, at the time also working full time for a non-profit. I committed to the practice full time in 2015. I am inspired to be an entrepreneur for many reasons, the most important being wanting to offer high quality psychotherapy. Being in business for myself means that I can focus on receiving the best training and guide the therapy in the most helpful ways because I'm working under my own vision. I also enjoy being an entrepreneur because of the flexibility it offers - and the challenge! Some things are easier because I'm my own boss! But in other ways it's more challenging to learn how to bring your vision to life and create a sustainable practice.
What has been your biggest business challenge?
My biggest business challenge has been learning how to run a business with zero training in running a business! From bookkeeping to marketing, a small business owner often does it all on their own, especially in the beginning. It's also a challenge at times to not have the security of work benefits such as sick/maternity leave or health insurance.
What has been your proudest accomplishment?
I am most proud of birthing an authentic brand - HeartLink Counseling: helping people love and feel loved. This brand springs forth naturally from my extensive training in EFT couples therapy, as well as my beliefs about the power of love (including self love) to transform lives.
How do quality photos help you with business branding and marketing?
Quality photos communicate so quickly with a potential client who I am - hopefully they can see in my face and eyes that I'm both professional and warm, someone they can trust to guide them.
Why did you pick Bonnie and her team as your photographer, and why would you recommend her to other business owners?
I've used Bonnie for my headshots since the beginning of my business and enjoy getting updates every few years. She is extremely talented with capturing the personality of a person in her photos in natural way. And she appears to do this so easily - the photo shoot is often short enough to not be exhausting!
