Now we are in the big leagues.
It started with a cold call from a recruiter with a job opportunity that sounded too good to be true. We were in a Home Depot deciding if we should buy new handles for our bath room we were in the process of renovating. A recruiter calling with a potential job offer paying salary plus bonuses. All in a field not known for providing those types of benefits. After many discussions and consulting with friend who work in HR Kristen applied for the position as Clinical Director. Using all the entrepreneurial expertise learned from years of owning her own private practice she took to opening a new counseling franchise coming into the area. Through months of outreach, training, site construction and maintaining a case load the clinic opened with Kristen and a PLPC. New Hires followed and she began the journey of running a franchise.
That is where everything changed and began the decisions which eventually led to the opening of Cobblestone Collective. Being under a franchise meant reporting to a non-mental health field professional. What we wanted Cobblestone to be was everything this franchise was not. We wanted to be a place where a therapist could focus on the work with patients and not worry about maintaining a minimum case load to hit KPIs (Key Performance Indicators in case you were wondering). That makes sense in the industry I am in where you have a product being sold and inventory to manage. Year over year growth looks different in the mental health sector.
Once we broke off from the franchise and started our own business, we decided to start small with 2 therapists, Kristen and the PLPC she first hired at the former employer. The location we found was a 4-office building which allowed room to grow. What we did not expect was to have the high demand for this opportunity and we quickly outgrew the space and have now 2 buildings, 10 offices with 5 employees and 4 rental tenants.
There is no way I would have expected to be part owner of a business with X offices and X employees but I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. As the unpaid CFO (Made Up Title),I support Kristen’s dream by keeping the expenses categorized and tracking our growth. From a single office basement on Main Street to the Owner of Cobblestone Collective I have watched Kristen go from being a self-employed therapist with Friday’s off to becoming a business owner who answers questions on weekends. Like the title says “I guess we are in the big leagues now”
Scott Waterman
** Note from Kristen** Though the CFO title is made up, I could not do this with my wonderful husband. He is my “guy in the chair”, Cobblestone’s “money manager” and the person who always calculates tips for us at restaurants. Thanks for all you do for me at home and all of us at Cobblestone!