Episode 33: From Employee to Business Owner as a Helping Professional with Jess Marsh
Episode 33: From Employee to Business Owner as a Helping Professional (with Jess Marsh)
If you’ve ever thought about starting your own business as a helping professional…
or you’re already in it and quietly wondering why it feels harder than expected…
this episode is for you.
Because no one really talks about this part.
The part where you go from being a confident, capable practitioner…
to suddenly needing to figure out marketing, pricing, visibility, and business decisions.
And wondering why it doesn’t feel as straightforward as everyone said it would be.
In this conversation with Jess Marsh, we unpack what that transition actually looks like in real life.
In this episode, we talk about:
* The myth of private practice being “easy” once you have the skills
* What actually surprised us about running a business
* The shift from employee mindset to business owner mindset
* Navigating money, ethics, and accessibility in private work
* The reality of marketing yourself (including social media and visibility)
* Imposter syndrome in unexpected places
* Negative feedback, online visibility, and staying grounded
* Over-consuming learning vs actually implementing it
* Why supervision matters more than more training
* Practical ways to protect your energy and actually integrate learning
A key reminder from this episode:
You don’t need more and more training to be effective.
Sometimes what’s most impactful is:
showing up, being present, and building a genuine connection with the person in front of you.
Connect with Jess Marsh:
You can explore Jess’ work and resources here:
* Be With [https://www.bewith.com.au]
* Leadership Menu [https://www.bewith.com.au/resources/p/leadership-menu]
* Supervision Menu (Jazmin's fave!) [https://www.bewith.com.au/resources/p/supervision-menu]
* Therapeutic Practice Menu [https://www.bewith.com.au/resources/p/therapeutic-practice-menu]
Jess has created practical, trauma-informed resources including her Supervision Menu, Therapeutic Practice Menu, and her newly released Leadership Menu to support helping professionals and leaders in real-world practice.
You can also return and listen to Jess’ earlier episodes:
* Episode 11 (Part 1)
* Episode 12 (Part 2)
Work with Jazmin:
If this episode resonated and you’re wanting more structured support, here are a few ways we can work together:
Group Supervision (June 2026 intake now open) [www.jazminpursell.com.au/store]
New 3-month groups for:
* Practitioners
* Business Owners
These are closed groups, so once you start, no new participants are added.
It’s a space to build real professional relationships over time.
Boundaries as Practitioners (Self-paced training) [ www.jazminpursell.com.au/ineedboundaries]
Practical, real-world boundaries support for helping professionals.
Includes CPD and OPD hours (AASW and ACA members).
Free Resource: Work From Home Environment Audit [www.jazminpursell.com.au/wfh-audit]
A practical check-in on your setup, habits, and psychological safety when working from home.
Final reflections from Jazmin:
If you’ve been sitting in that space of:
“Why does this feel harder than I expected?”
You’re not doing it wrong.
You’re just seeing the full picture that no one talks about.
Thanks for listening to Not Another PD.
If this episode was helpful, you’ll find ways to work with me in the show notes.