As business owners, we give so much of ourselves to what we’ve built—time, energy, creativity, and care. But too often, our own well-being (and that of our teams) gets left behind. We accept stress, overwork, and isolation as part of the deal. We wear burnout like a badge of honour. But it doesn’t have to be this way—and I’d argue this mentality does a disservice to our businesses and our community.
I’m Dr. Jenn Bossio, Clinical and Health Psychologist and founder of Tri Health Clinic. This year, I was honoured to be named Kingston’s Business Person of the Year—a recognition that, to me, says one thing loud and clear: building a people-first business resonates.
When I opened Tri Health Clinic in 2018, I wasn’t just creating Ontario’s largest sex and couples therapy clinic. I was creating a workplace culture rooted in sustainability, connection, care—and yes, profitability. While it can feel awkward to talk about profit in a helping profession, it’s essential. As a business owner, I’m responsible for the health of the business, to ensure that it can weather storms, support its people, and serve the community long-term.
While the mental health field has become increasingly saturated since our conception, we’ve continued to thrive—because we put relationships first. We focused on clinician longevity. In a service-based business, we only stay open if our employees or contractors can continue doing the work they’re great at. And as therapists, that work is hard. I’ve seen too many clinic owners confused when staff cite burnout in their resignation letters. “But we pay them well,” they say—while pushing for higher output. It’s short-sighted.
I invest heavily in my team because I want that investment to last. Not so they can see 10 clients a day and flame out after a year—but so they can do exceptional work for years to come. Maybe you don’t run a therapy clinic, but the principles apply. Treat your people well. View them as long-term assets. High turnover costs businesses far more than supporting a team that produces excellent work at a sustainable pace.
In service of prioritizing our people, we’ve even thrown out outdated systems that don’t serve anyone—like the industry-standard unpaid 15-minute consult calls that delay care and favour charisma over clinical fit. Instead, we built efficient, evidence-based processes. We hold team events at local businesses and treat professional development and well-being not as perks, but as essentials.
And this isn’t something specific to the mental health field. This mindset applies to every business. Whether you run a café, retail store, trades business, or creative agency, the way you treat your people—your staff, your clients, yourself—is the foundation of your success. We can’t talk about thriving businesses without talking about thriving humans.
Kingston is built on small businesses. We shape the rhythm and culture of this city. So let’s set the tone. Let’s model what it looks like to run businesses that value people, not just productivity. Let’s make health—not hustle—the foundation.
Dr. Jenn Bossio, Clinic Director, Clinical and Health Psychologist of Tri Health Clinic
Article published in the July issue of the digital magazine We Are Kingston - Read it here!