Storie 0:15

Welcome back to Market it with Atma , where we share the tips , tools and strategies to help your business be successful . Today we have on the show special guest Ms Bianca LaRue . She is the franchise owner of Nora Mental Health in Fort Worth . Welcome , bianca , thank you , story . Thank you for having me . I'm so glad you're here . I didn't even know you were close to us . I know I know . Good to have you on the show .

Storie 0:40

Can you tell our listeners a little bit about your journey ? Can you tell our listeners a little bit about your journey , how you got into this industry and what all you do here at Nora Mental Health ?

Bianca 0:50

Yes , so I was born and raised in South Africa . Actually , and coming from South Africa , mental health was a big taboo subject and really not talked about and when I was growing up , I always felt like something was wrong with me and I really yeah , I really wasn't allowed to get the help that I needed and deserved at that point . And I came to America and I was shocked how people were talking more about mental health , but that there's still a big flaw in the system and .

Bianca 1:20

I wanted to make that change . If I could just help one person who don't feel so alone in their struggles . And that is how I found Nora . I love Nora's vision and we just opened on February 21st and , yes , we have two therapists . We just hired two more . We're really excited to have them with us and we have they're all um professionals and we offer emdr , play therapy , dbt , cbt , trauma focus , cbt . Um . We really are trying to , you know , have as much modalities as we can to help everybody that is wonderful .

Storie 2:00

So you and your husband started the business yes franchise at this location yes , matt , matt , who's the co-owner ?

Bianca 2:04

my husband , me and your husband started the business yes franchise at this location . Yes , matt , matt , who's the co-owner ? My husband , me and him own the Fort Worth location that is so exciting .

Storie 2:12

So can you tell me what was the transition like coming from South Africa to America ? How old were you were young .

Bianca 2:20

We were a little older , I was 18 years old . Oh wow , I came pretty much right out of out of high school by myself , with you know , no , no family , no support system , no backup oh my gosh , um , it's really scary , I bet , but that's kind of how I really wanted to have a mental health company one day , because I've I've learned so much by myself by myself , when I came to America yeah , so , um , about your services .

Storie 2:44

I know you gave me a lot of acronyms and I know some of them cause I've I've experienced some . But can you tell me which type of therapy really resonates with you ? Or you've seen a lot of result from .

Bianca 2:57

So all of those modalities I mentioned , I really I really um , like and as good , but something that really resonates with me is EMDR and what is EMDR like an umbrella view of it ?

Storie 3:10

Is it more for like children ? Is it for adults ? Is it for like veterans ? I know they have specifics .

Bianca 3:18

Yeah . So I know it's younger people can do it , but also a lot of veterans and adults and it's I would say it's more geared towards people with trauma and . Ptsd , trying to work through those , those heart trauma . And like a safe place .

Storie 3:35

Exactly , that's awesome . Yes , and you also . What resonates with me I'm just going to share as the play therapy . Can you tell me more about that ? What age ranges , how you guys kind of do play therapy . Can you tell me more about that ? What age ranges , how you guys kind of do play therapy and what it is .

Bianca 3:47

So our clinical director her name is Rachel and she's amazing and she does play therapy . Okay , we have a whole play therapy room in one of our offices and it's perfectly set up and she starts seeing clients six years and up .

Storie 4:02

Oh , wow .

Bianca 4:03

Yes , and then basically just go through like talking with the kids and they play with like toys and stuff like that . Expressing emotions .

Storie 4:14

Like fun for them . Exactly , I don't even know it's a therapy , no , so it's not as intimidating , I'm assuming .

Bianca 4:19

Exactly , it's a really like , like , looks like a play therapy . That would have been great for me when I was younger .

Storie 4:28

I wish I had that around they probably did , I just didn't know about it . So , starting a business , especially in healthcare , what are some of the great aspects of it and what are some of the challenges you've faced , kind of walking through that journey ?

Bianca 4:40

Yes , so taken about a year for us to open and I would say , you know , challenges comes with insurance waiting to be credentialed . So that's been a long journey and we're so excited that we're open now and in network with most most major insurance companies . Um , I would say the positives is helping people now , you know , and , um , helping everybody in our community .

Storie 5:05

I would say some negative can be that people don't know that we're open , right , You're so close , I know Well , you did just open , so hopefully we can help you with that . So what are some of the wins ? I'm assuming congratulations on the opening and you said it was over a year you've been trying to get this facility open .

Bianca 5:27

Yes .

Storie 5:28

And it took so long just kind of working through those processes . So we work off of a build , launch , grow scale methodology with Heaven Trinity . What point in that process would you think you guys are ?

Bianca 5:38

I would say we're in the launch , the launch phase . Yeah , really trying to get our name out there .

Storie 5:43

With the launch phase ? What are you utilizing Networking events ? Are you using social media ? What's helped you so far and what you think will be beneficial in getting your brand out there ?

Bianca 5:54

So I would say I've networked I'm you know I'm a networking a ton right now and building partnerships with different clinics and hospitals .

Storie 6:05

Oh , wow . So you're going out and meeting these clinics and hospitals and just letting them know you're here .

Bianca 6:10

Yes , yes , and let them come see our facility as well and just see how we can , you know , work together . That's awesome . If our clients need a higher level of care , we can send them to where they are and vice versa , if they need to step down .

Storie 6:22

Yeah , so like a mutually beneficial partnership .

Bianca 6:24

Exactly yeah .

Storie 6:25

That's awesome . So what are your goals within the next six months year ? Three years for Nora .

Bianca 6:33

I have a big vision and I think the goal would be to have at least , you know , eight to 10 therapists at Nora Mental Health , fort Worth and just help so many people we can in the community . That is my , that is why we have Nora , so I want to help as many people as I can . That's the . That's the biggest goal , and Matt and I would love to have more locations would be the future .

Storie 6:59

Awesome to really help . I mean , mental health is , I think it's more apparent now for sure than it used to be . Well , I hope so anyway . I know in the schools I have children in , you know , mid-teens , so they're always going through it . But it's different now .

Bianca 7:15

It is different .

Storie 7:17

The stressors we had when we were younger are very different . With the digital aspect of it , since you're in the launch phase right now , um , what um type of networking groups are you a part of ? What cities and locations are you wanting to network with ?

Bianca 7:32

so we are a part of fort worth chamber of commerce as well as benbrook chamber , Jam of Commerce . We partnered we just partnered with Pathlight , Mood and Anxiety in Fort Worth , as well as Mesa Springs and Innovations , which is their outpatient treatment and I think that one's a little more .

Storie 7:52

You're closer than Mesa Springs would be right . We're pretty close either way , but also we've partnered with with other places with other places as well , and you're enjoying that partnership so far I am , I am , we also are a part of the mental health connections oh , okay group that we we go to , and we have different events there as well so you guys um have therapists that are um do in-person therapy and do you do ?

Bianca 8:18

virtual therapy yes , so our therapists do in-person and virtual that which is great , so we can reach everybody in tex .

Storie 8:25

Yeah , Cause I know like sometimes when I got off work I didn't want to get back in traffic and drive to my therapist office , even though I loved her Um , so it's easily accessible for the kids and the adults . Exactly , yeah , and that's awesome .

Storie 8:38

Well , I'm really excited to come see you guys , because I'm just curious at this point that there it's great that there's so many more health , mental health , wellness facilities like yours to really help people that have gone through this struggle . So thank you for that . But what would you say is one bit of advice you wish you had known prior to starting your franchise . Starting your franchise ?

Bianca 9:03

Advice I wish I would have known is when I was going through my you know , I I struggled a lot growing up and I went through really dark periods of times and I felt really alone and I felt , like you know , like you always ask the question why , why is this happening , why , why am I like this way ? And I wish somebody told me , bianca , like there's a reason for this , because one day you're going to be able to help other people and give them hope and you're going to say you know , there's people out there , professionals that you know , that try to help them , but they've never really struggled with similar issues .

Storie 9:41

So it's kind of hard to relate , absolutely .

Bianca 9:44

I feel like if somebody could say say Bianca , one day you can help people because you you've walked the walk you know and um , I think that would have helped me so much .

Storie 9:52

I agree . I think , just hearing from someone else that they've walked through it too and being able to feel that is important . It would make me trust people a lot more .

Bianca 10:02

I agree , that's . That's how I feel too , and just being a survival guide for somebody else . And that gives me a big purpose for my life , yeah .

Storie 10:11

Man Well , I can't wait to have you on the show in eight months to see how , how you guys have grown . Um , if anyone wants to learn more about what you guys do , or or learn more about your services , how can they reach you ?

Bianca 10:22

So we have a LinkedIn page Nora Mental Health , fort Worth Awesome . We also have a website . If you just say Nora Mental Health and you can go to locations and click on Fort Worth and you can see who our team is as well . And you can always reach me on my email . Okay , be LaRue at .

Storie 10:40

NoraMentalHealthcom . Do you have a mentor ? That's kind of walked you through it ? Who do you look up to and receive guidance from ? That's helped you kind of be where you are today .

Bianca 10:49

Yes , so my dad definitely my number one person I look up to he's no longer with us but , it's okay , but he is amazing . It was an amazing leader left , came from nothing , pulled something amazing a big legacy in South Africa and my brother , who is still back home in South Africa . I look up to him . He always thinks of new ideas to be better and do better , and he's just someone I rely on right now to be better be a better leader in the community .

Storie 11:21

That's amazing that you do have that support , Near or far it's still there . Yes , so that's wonderful . It's great to have . Well , thank you , bianca , and to all of our listeners out there , please get in contact with Bianca , even if you're just curious about what the services are , reach out , it'll help . We'll see you next time on Market it With Atma you .