Ailish Kress has always had a passion for helping others. With a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a Graduate Certificate in Adventure-based Counseling, she’s turning her passion into a career. Ailish set out to launch Ground Well Counseling, offering experiential counseling that integrates nature and therapy through garden-based techniques. Her innovative approach helps clients address issues of adjustment, trauma recovery, and emotional, relational, and communication skills.
Though her vision for her practice was clear, Ailish reached out to her local Maine SBDC for guidance on some of the finer details—ranging from financial analysis to marketing strategies, network-building, and understanding business structures. After working with Maine SBDC at CEI Business Advisor Raynor Large, Ailish found support and a wealth of resources to help her navigate these challenges and put her vision into action.
As part of her journey to business ownership, Ailish navigated the complexities of state licensure and built a hoophouse as her outdoor “office” (see accompanying photo), while also coaching high school track and field. Her curiosity and dedication have driven her to master the many facets of entrepreneurship, allowing her to solidify a foundation for her unique practice.
Reflecting on her experience with SBDC, Ailish shared, “Raynor has been a great sounding board and provided me with a lot of business ideas and resources, as well as information about the best order to take certain steps (e.g., getting an EIN) for ease of paperwork.”
Thanks to her partnership with SBDC, Ailish is now poised to help others grow, just as she’s done with Ground Well Counseling—planting the seeds for personal growth in the lives of those she serves.