Proprietors of Pittsburgh Podcast

Do Your Research Before Starting a Business | Sara Makin, Founder of Makin Wellness

Episode Summary

In 2017, Sara Makin started Makin Wellness to revolutionize the mental health care space. She wanted others to achieve the same breakthroughs that she experienced from her own therapy when she battled depression as a young woman. Sara has built a team of counselors who are specialists in a wide variety of practice areas in order to create the most thorough and customized experience for her clients. In our conversation, Sara talks about how she transitioned to a fully online platform and why accepting insurance is a core differentiator for her practice.

Episode Notes

Sara Makin has always been an entrepreneur at heart. As a kid, she didn’t just run a lemonade stand. She did door-to-door lemonade delivery as a way to boost her sales! Sara was probably on track to go to business school and create the next big startup when she found herself in a battle with depression. Her life-changing experience with therapy and dealing with her own mental illness made her realize that she wanted others to achieve the same breakthroughs. After completing a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling from Duquesne University and obtaining the requisite work experience, Sara became a licensed professional counselor.

In 2017, Sara combined her love for business with her mission to provide exceptional mental health care by launching Makin Wellness. Realizing that she could reach and impact more people, she decided to take her therapy platform completely online just as the pandemic was starting in early 2020. Today, Sara operates her practice in a thriving environment as more and more people are becoming comfortable to talk about mental illness and to seek professional help. In this episode, she talks about how she is building culture in an organization with a virtual business model and why it’s important to ensure there is product-market fit before getting started.

If you have any questions or if you’d like to chat, you can reach me at my contact info below. The purpose of this podcast is to share ideas, inspire action, and build a stronger small business community here in Pittsburgh. So please say hello, tell me what you think, and let me know how I’m doing. It means a ton!

YOU CAN REACH ME AT:

Website: https://www.proprietorsofpittsburgh.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proprietorsofpittsburghpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/proprietorsofpittsburghpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darinvilano

Phone: 412-336-8247

YOU CAN REACH SARA MAKIN AT:

Website: https://www.makinwellness.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makinwellness

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makinwellness

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakinWellness