Once upon a time, in a country far, far away, I used to be an Occupational Psychologist (sometimes also called an Organisational Psychologist), with a particular interest in career development. While I’m no longer a practising psychologist, my deep interest in why people do the work that they do and the journey they took to get where they now are, has persisted. As a result, I’m perpetually curious about my clients’ career paths, especially those related to setting up their own businesses. So, I asked them to share their experiences with me and you via the blog!

Today, the spotlight is on Kimberly Richey of Kimberly Richey Rolfing, a Certified Rolfer from Columbia, South Carolina. Kimberly’s journey to Rolfing via Library Science is fascinating – over to her to tell you all about it!

How long have you been running your current business?
1.5 years, really only 6 months full-time.

Have you always done this type of work or have you gone through a career change in your life? If you’ve experienced a career change, what were you doing before, and why did you choose to do something different?
I went to massage therapy school in college on a whim. I thought it would be a great part-time gig to help pay the bills while I was in school. It certainly filled that need, but about 2 years into working in a chiropractor’s office I realized I really enjoyed the work and I was pretty good at it. I decided I wanted to get more specific training and that is what led me to become a Rolfer.

During and throughout this time I was still faced with another reality. I am a Type 1 Diabetic. Prior to health care reform, I was unable to get health insurance without being employed by a major company. At the end of college I knew I was bound for grad school and ultimately decided to get a Masters degree in Library Science. I completed the program and worked as an elementary school librarian for three years. I knew in my heart, even during grad school, that I didn’t really want to be a librarian. But being a librarian helped clarify for me what I did want and need in a job, such as: working one on one with people, lots of autonomy, flexible schedule, high pay that has some “commission” component- (it motivates me!), etc.

Due to a some major luck I was able to work out the health insurance issue and I resigned from my librarian job after I completed my Rolfing training and set out to do Rolfing full-time. But striking a balance between stability and feeling flexible in a job has been the biggest challenge of the last decade for me.

Why library science?
Oh, whyyyyyy library science???!!

So I was closer than I originally thought to my core career challenge– stability and novelty when I choose library science. I had fear of being backed into a professional corner and wanted to pick a master’s degree that would allow me to do several different kinds of jobs. I thought seriously about law school and pursuing an academic track with my undergraduate studies in comparative religion. But both seemed so limiting and meant many more years of intense education.

So when a mentor suggested library science I did a bit of research and thought “Well, I love reading and books. I can do this.” Note, no real thought of passion for the work or having any experience working in a library. In hindsight, I see that my whole approach was a bit off and VERY much reflected my twenty-two year old state of mind ! I wish now that my mentor or my parents had pushed me to volunteer or work in a library to make sure it was something I enjoyed doing, i.e. fulfill the stability/novelty balance. This is the advice I’d pass on to any twenty-something who is thinking of grad school. It has been a huge learning experience for sure!!

Did you have any role models amongst your family or friends for starting your own business? If not, was there anyone else who inspired you along the way?
My mom has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and now runs a small tutoring business for special needs children. My in-laws both own their own businesses so those have been excellent examples. I also look back now and see that the jobs I have worked at the longest were small businesses. I worked in a gift shop in high school and over my years there developed a lot of ideas and opinions about how it could run more efficiently. The same was true for the chiropractic clinic I worked in after massage therapy school. These experiences and small business owners offered me examples of what worked and what did not.

What made you start your own business instead of getting a job working for someone else?
I actually have a bit of a non-traditional set-up. I technically work for my in-law’s physical therapy business, BUT in a day-to-day way it’s my own thing. I do all my own scheduling and marketing, etc. This was the way we were able to work out the health insurance!!

What do you love most about what you do?
I love that I get to help people is a very direct way. I also love that my job has a low level of monotony. Each client is different and there is always something new to learn. It really strikes the balance I crave between novelty and stability.

What would you most like to change about your current work situation?
I am still building my practice, so a full client load would be at the top of my list !

What are your big dreams for your business, both short-term (1 – 2 years) and long-term (3 – 5 years)?
Short-term dreams are to be/feel successful and work towards a full client load.

Long-term dreams would be building more awareness around alternative medicine and wellness is South Carolina. To this end I would love to be involved in evolving some of the legislative issues that would help alternative modalities flourish in my state.

What role does your website play in your business? What benefits has having a website (and specifically a WordPress-based one) had for your business?
Rolfing is new to SC. Educating people is a large part of my PR and marketing efforts. Having a top-notch website is essential. I love WordPress because of the flexibility it gives me to modify the actual website and to blog (when I finally have the time to start blogging !).