A mental health crisis has been rising throughout the world. It is its own epidemic. Throughout our lives, we encounter crises, traumatic events, and life transitions of various types. Regardless of one’s age, it is important to address these situations with the assistance of an experienced, professional counselor, in order to move through the struggle quickly and with as minimal impact as possible.
In this issue of The Enterprise World, we are focusing on Top 5 Influential Women to Watch in 2022. We are featuring Lori Vann, an expert in coaching, counseling, and consulting with Vann and Associates for a healthy mind for the community and a healthy bottom line for businesses who want to attract, retain, and keep happy with their team members.
In this interview with Lori Vann, Founder, and CEO, let us find out more about the journey of Vann and Associates.
When was the Vann and Associates started?
I started my initial private practice in 2001, professionally speaking business in 2000, and founded Vann and Associates in 2008.
What were your initial challenges and how did you pave your way through those?
Any new business has the challenge of making a name for itself and building trust in the community. As a professional speaker and counselor who had worked in a variety of locations, I had already created numerous connections in the professional community. In addition, I became very active in counseling networking groups. Building relationships is a great way to build trust and referrals.
What was the vision of your company when you started?
I did not believe that quality mental health care should be a luxury item. It’s a philosophy that I still believe in today and the reason why Vann and Associates offers a variety of services. Throughout the years, there have been many new ventures and opportunities to serve the community that did not occur to me when I started out in this profession over twenty years ago.
Where does it stand today, in terms of the revenue and clientele base?
Vann and Associates Coaching, Counselling, Consulting, in addition to the Institute for Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, has built a reputation for professional, ethical, and collaborative care that provides easily implementable tools. We have a steady stream of referrals and have been blessed financially.
How would you further your services?
I would like to expand the Institute for NSSI by training practitioners in other parts of the world and have individuals attend the online support groups from multiple countries.
In addition, I’d like to provide my twenty-plus years of business experience by continuing to grow the consulting services so that non-profits, colleges, treatment centers, and Fortune 500 companies can collaborate on ways to reduce the risk of making behavioral health-related mistakes. In turn, this will increase profits while building their name as a place that the community wants to support.
How would you describe your growth trajectory over the years?
As in every business, there are highs and lows. When things hit a low or plateau, it presents an opportunity for growth.
What is the reason behind your company’s long-standing success?
Vann and Associates provide professional, ethical non-judgmental treatment with a “Here to Serve” mindset. We do not believe that mental health services should be a luxury item nor do we have as a goal to keep people in counseling indefinitely. Our goal is to identify the core reasons why individuals are not obtaining the quality of life that they would like to experience and provide options for how to move beyond those hurdles.
How do you use technology to your benefit?
Vann and Associates use it for telehealth, providing webinars, offering group services internationally, and marketing.
Lori’s Professional Background.
International speaker, media guest, and five-time author, Lori Vann is a regarded behavioral health expert and founder of Vann and Associates: Coaching, Counselling, & Consulting. With over twenty years of clinical experience, she provides unique insights to businesses as to what they can do to attract, retain, and keep happy their staff members so that they decrease liability, and increase productivity and profits, all the while building their reputation in the community as not only a place where people want to work but also do business with.
Having given over 300 media interviews for outlets worldwide, she is seen as a “go-to” person when behavioral health stories make headlines. Her experiences working at psychiatric hospitals, the non-profit sector, an outpatient clinic, colleges, her own privative practice, and consulting with businesses throughout the U.S., have led to her motto of Here to Serve whether on a big stage, one-on-one with a client, or leading an online training event for a corporation or college.
She is a graduate of Pepperdine University where she received with honors her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a graduate of Chapman University where she graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Arts degree in Psychology.
With the years of expertise, you bring to the table, what are your future plans?
To continue to grow the Institute for Non-Suicidal Self-injury to provide more resources on a national and international level in order for those seeking help for the behavior or those who want to be trained in how to treat it can be provided with free to low-cost resources. The goal is to “Turn the Tide on NSSI”. In addition, I am interested in continuing to expand my services as a Behavioural Health Consultant for businesses that would like to find ways to attract, retain, and keep happy team members in order to increase productivity & profits by decreasing liability and building a reputation in the community as a place that customers want to do business with.
A word for the budding entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurship is an adventure. But just like any adventure, in order to be successful, you must have a plan, strategize the best way to implement it, act on it, and then be willing to course-correct. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart; it takes a lot of self-discipline, perseverance, humility, courage, and tenacity.
How do you look after your employees? What makes your team unique?
It is in the daily and yearly little things that we offer. From remembering birthdays to little gifts for Valentine’s day or from an extended trip that I have been on to lunches and Christmas gifts. It is not only saying that I appreciate our team, but also demonstrating it. It is easy to say that you appreciate someone, but it is always actions that will speak louder than words. Finally, it provides opportunities for growth and guidance to take on new ideas. We are a team who works together because our motto is Here to Serve our clients and the community.
