From Employee to Entrepreneur: Making the Mental Shift

When I left my job to start my own practice, I thought the hardest part would be logistics—figuring out business licenses, payment systems, where to see clients. And sure, those things took time. But honestly? The hardest part was shifting how I thought about myself.

I was used to being the “good employee”—productive, efficient, well-liked, compliant. I knew how to function inside a system. I didn’t know how to function outside one.

That meant I had to start building trust in myself—not just as a provider, but as a decision-maker. I had to give myself permission to do things differently, to move slower, to say no to things that didn’t align, even when they looked “smart” on paper. I had to start practicing something I hadn’t been taught in school: how to run things based on intuition, integrity, and impact, not just rules and reimbursement codes.

Entrepreneurship asks something totally different from you than employment does. It asks for vision. It asks for courage. It asks for rest. It asks for you to let go of pleasing people and start pleasing your purpose.

It can feel awkward at first. You might question your value without a paycheck or title. You might feel guilt when your days look different from your peers. You might feel scared when no one is telling you you’re doing it right.

But here’s what I’ve learned: no one’s going to hand you the confidence to do it. You build it by doing the thing. One clear choice at a time. One quiet boundary at a time. One aligned offering at a time.

If you’re standing on that edge—still in your job, but dreaming of something more—know this: the mental shift is real, and it’s worth it. You don’t have to do it all at once. It’s not a leap; it’s a series of small, brave steps.

And the first one? Believing that your practice is allowed to look different.