Episode 26 | Creative Business Breakdown Podcast

Episode 26 is especially exciting because for the first time ever, we have a guest on the podcast! During our recording a few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to chat with Jaime Lawrence of Harmony Garden Music Therapy Services!

We are so grateful we had the opportunity to talk with Jaime, and enjoyed getting to know her more. We feel like our businesses are kindred spirits in that they offer such a diverse set of services to a community of people, and our businesses have experienced similar journeys.

We definitely encourage you to take a listen to the whole episode, but here are some of the highlights.

Fun Facts About Harmony Garden

  • Jaime opened Harmony Garden Music Therapy Services in 2006 and has been in business for herself for almost 12 years.
  • Unlike MTC, Harmony Garden has always had a storefront, physical location for the business. They are currently in their fourth location and loving it!!
  • One of the coolest things about their current location is that it is in the same plaza as other therapists. They gain visibility and foot traffic simply by being in the same location as those other businesses.
  • Harmony Garden offers a variety of services and now has a team of three music therapists!
  • The business offers a “cradle to grave” style set of services including everything from early childhood groups to older adult and hospice care.

Throughout the podcast, Jaime talked about her business goals and philosophy. She is always striving for growth and told us that she never wants to say “no”. She’s always been open to working with new populations and clientele and loves exploring the new opportunities that come her way.

We discussed how her business has been able to grow even through her two maternity leaves by bringing on team members to cover her absences and by growing contracts after her return. Though Jaime’s main focus is growth, she agreed with us that as a business owner, her goals are ever-changing and evolving.

I feel like we could have talked with Jaime forever! We have so many things in common, especially as business owners. One of the biggest points we agreed on is that owning a business (especially one where you are providing a service) is a delicate balancing act.

We always want to be involved in the clinical aspect of music therapy while also running the practice and juggling all of the administrative tasks at the same time. With all of those balls in the air, we asked Jaime how she’s finding balance and how she handles all of the craziness.

Jaime told us that she has taken a few things off of her plate by bringing in an additional team member to take on some of the administrative tasks and paperwork. We’ve been on the same journey at MTC and bonded over the fact that while it’s incredible to assign those tasks to someone else, it’s also struggle finding someone who knows your business the way that you do. It’s exciting to bring on additional people to take on administrative tasks, but navigating those waters can be tedious and sometimes expensive.

Unfortunately, there is no roadmap or how-to book to help us along the way. A lot of business owners struggle with the same things we do: wanting to do all of the things all of the time. What we have learned is that we have to reign ourselves in and make the big decisions based on what we know will move us forward and in the right direction. We know that, at the end of the day, making those really big decisions is hard but we have to do what’s right for ourselves, our families, and the future of our company.

We agreed that we all have to put extra focus on balancing the people-pleasing sides of ourselves with our personal needs and self-care. When we asked Jaime what she does for self-care and to find balance, she told us that her self-care includes going home and shutting everything off or engaging in the fun business tasks that help her celebrate her accomplishments.

Jaime also listed a few ways she likes to stay inspired in her work and practice, including:

  • Listening to podcasts (ex. Being Boss)
  • Having fun with her team and socializing
  • Connecting with people both in person and on social media
  • Participating in gatherings locally and online.

Before we ended our interview, we asked Jaime to share a piece of advice for other music therapy business owners. I summed up her amazing thoughts/tips with the following:

Don’t ever assume that you can’t do something. Always push and try for what you want. You will always surprise yourself! Be open to and strive for growth, whatever that looks like!

Be sure to follow Jaime and Harmony Garden Music Therapy Services across social media using the handle @hgmusictherapy. You can also check out her website or find her on YouTube.