Entrepreneurship Stories | Black-Owned Business Month Series: Mikah Miller
Entrepreneurship Stories: Black-Owned Business Month Series
Q&A Featuring Mikah Miller of With A Child’s Heart Behavioral Health Center
August is “Black-Owned Business Month” in America. To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with Cherokee By Choice Investor Georgia Power to feature Cherokee-based black-owned businesses all month long. These inspiring stories will shed a well-deserved light on their incredible leadership, business acumen, and resilience.
“Georgia Power is proud to partner with the Cherokee Office of Economic Development to feature black business month. Minority-owned businesses in Georgia provide over 575,000 jobs to hard-working Georgians and energize the state’s economy. Georgia Power strives to empower these businesses by building social and economic opportunities in communities across the state through our engagement and partnerships that incubate new business owners and ideas,” said Georgia Power Area Manager Jeff Butterworth.
This week, we’ll hear from Mikah Miller of With A Child’s Heart Behavioral Health in Canton– a creative, high-energy counseling center for kids, adults, and families. Follow along on cherokeega.org and via social media to like, follow, and share.
Mikah Miller of With A Child’s Heart Behavioral Health Center
What inspired you to start your business? I’ve always wanted to help people. At my childhood church in Washington, D.C., my mom was in charge of “The Street Ministry,” where she provided meals and support to the homeless. It was the first time I ever saw true despair. As I grew older, I started to form my goals to be a therapist – with a special thank you to Ricki Lake and the movie, The 6th Sense. After college, my master’s program, and a lot of amazing jobs that provided me with experience, I decided to open up my own center. I wanted to reach people my way without restrictions.
I am a big kid at heart and grew up on Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Disney, so I’ve recreated that in my office. Our office is not just for kids, but for anyone who wants to connect to that childlike wonder.
How has being in Cherokee County helped grow your business?
I love Cherokee – it’s like a family. I am a very family-oriented person, so my group practice is a very family-oriented place; good people trust good people. When I meet people and take on new clients, they refer us to others; it is just a big circle of love. I work with local schools, dentists, and doctors – we are just one big family. That’s the best part. I have made all of these connections, and it has been effortless. We really do show love to each other.
What advice would you give to other small business owners who are wanting to grow/scale their business?
I would tell people to follow their passions and lead with their hearts. People will come, and money will come. Nothing will be perfect when you’re jumping out of the gate; it’s called growing a business for a reason – you can perfect it later. I also provide private practice consultations, and this is always the first piece of advice I provide.
What kind of services do you offer?
We offer mental health therapy for children, teens, adults, and families. We also do couples therapy, group therapy, and virtual reality group therapy. Our newest venture is our Virtual Reality Social Skills group. This helps our kiddo clients become more comfortable building their social skills first without having to worry about superficial things. We always have an in-person meeting at the end of the group cycle to put those skills to use. It’s been fascinating to witness!
What would you tell someone who is considering therapy but is hesitant to do so?
I would always say if you’re unsure, start with a consultation. A lot of therapists offer 10–15-minute consultations. The hardest part is calling and that can really assist with eliminating hesitation. So just book the consult. In my office, we will offer a consultation depending on the season. Sometimes, we are very busy and booked with current clients. But right now, we are offering consultations until the end of August.
How can we as a community best support you now and in the future?
What Cherokee has done for us so far has been amazing. The support, the referrals, and the love have all been invaluable. So, keep that up! I love how open-minded our clients are and/or their parents. So just continue to be open-minded, open to new people, new experiences, and new ways of trying therapy. And remember, therapy isn’t just for when you’re going through stuff. You can also see a therapist when things are going well. It’s amazing self-care!
To learn more about With A Child’s Heart Behavioral Health Center, visit https://www.withachildsheartbhc.com/ or call 770.224.7245.