Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorraine Holeman.
Hi Lorraine, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2022, after suffering burnout from my previous careers as a public servant, I courageously became my own boss and opened Summit GVL. Nearing 50, I am on my third career, one I have carefully crafted to serve my community, mentor new clinicians, support private practice owners and sustain my own wellness
I began my career journey as an active-duty Army Officer after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point. I served my country worldwide with two overseas deployments, leading soldiers in military intelligence units for five years. In 2012, I graduated from Clemson University with my Masters in Counselor Education and subsequently served in public education for the next decade as a school counselor. Both experiences in the military and education were challenging and rewarding, and although they had very different missions, they shared a common truth for me. I discovered that I can do hard things when surrounded by a supportive team.
Summit Greenville opened its doors in October 2022 to solve two critical problems. Our coworking community offers a variety of helping specialties in a central location during a time when mental health services are in high demand. Secondly, this innovative coworking model provides community and entrepreneurial support to our members. Helping professionals experience burnout at a higher rate when they work in isolation. To prevent this, Summit Greenville connects and supports our private practice providers, resulting in exceptional care to our clients.
I have learned that “Together is better” and intentionally created this atmosphere for our providers and our clients. Out tagline reads, “Your Journey, Our Purpose” and our sixteen mental health providers in our space fully embody this idea. Being a member of Summit GVL allows our clinicians to focus on the hard tasks of helping others achieve mental health and wellness. As we share the costs of running a private practice, our providers have more headspace and time to pour into the work of being a clinician instead of running an office space. As the founder and owner of Summit GVL, my vision has always been to provide a five-star experience for my clinician members so that they can provide a five-star experience for their clients. So far, it’s working beautifully.
In addition to owning and operating Summit GVL, www.summitgvl.com, I also own and operate my own independent private practice. I work with adults experiencing professional burnout and integrate mental health support and career counseling into my therapeutic work with my adult clients at www.wellnesswithlorraine.org.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Opening a small business is never smooth road or a linear path. Yes, there have been struggles. I am a mental health expert and not a small business expert. Thankfully, my husband is also a small business owner with two decades of experience. He has been my personal consultant, cheerleader and voice of reason during this whole journey. An unintended benefit of our co-working community has been the small business support that we offer to each other. It’s not common for someone to be both a successful entrepreneur and clinician, so we pool our wisdom and offer support to each other in this capacity.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think that I may have answered this already in the first question. To add more, I think that something that sets me apart as an entrepreneur and as a mental health provider is that I am able to pull from a broad range of leadership experiences that benefit both my clients and my co-working members. Due to my service in education and the military, I can relate to the needs of the helping professionals at Summit GVL. Similar to the soldiers I’ve led in the Army and the families I’ve supported in Greenville County Public Schools, I prioritize the success of our co-working community as a whole. If we succeed as a group, we are all better clinicians and run thriving independent private practices. Our supportive environment lifts up each of us, and in turn, we are able to lift up and better support our clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I am not a big believer in luck. I can say whole-heartedly though, that the harder I’ve worked, the luckier I’ve gotten. I work very hard with intention and therefore I have found success. West Point taught me how to push myself through physical and mental challenges but also instilled the deep sense of teamwork that I have worked to recreate in my business model. It hasn’t failed me yet. We are more than the sum of our parts!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.summitgvl.com
- Other: https://www.wellnesswithlorraine.org
