Expert Advice

By Joy Ewing, MA, LMFT and CEO of Joy Life Counseling

When I launched Joy Life Counseling, I was operating with equal parts faith and grit. I didn’t have investors or a big safety net. I had a vision, a deep sense of calling and the funds from selling my late father’s home. That was the only capital I had to start building what is now a thriving group practice.

Today, Joy Life Counseling is home to four incredible therapists. But it didn’t start here. I began alone, fresh out of graduate school, without many examples of people who looked like me opening private practices—especially straight out of school. What I did have were memories of watching my grandmother run her beauty salon. My grandmother, Ann, led with strength, compassion and purpose in everything she did. I have also witnessed my aunt, Lishall, run a successful beauty salon. I’ve learned from her what it means to fully own and operate a successful business. These were my blueprints. Their examples taught me that Black women have always made a way, even when resources were scarce.