Woman left IBM, now earns Rs 18 crore through a side business

After spending 20 years at IBM, Becky DeGrossa walked away from her corporate career in 2003 to pursue something she felt more passionate about. More than two decades later, a business idea she started while working as a therapist has grown into a company that generated $2 million (around Rs 18 crore) in revenue in June 2026.According to Business Insider, DeGrossa was working as a consultant and managing principal at IBM when she decided to leave. Despite reaching a senior position, she no longer felt excited about her job and spent the next year figuring out what she wanted to do instead.She eventually chose to become a therapist, a decision influenced partly by her own positive experience with therapy. Between 2003 and 2006, she earned a master's degree in psychology before starting her practice. But her second career soon led her towards another business opportunity, this time in digital marketing.How a problem with Google search led to a business ideaWhen DeGrossa started her therapy practice, she expected her website to help bring in clients. Instead, she realised that getting a website online was only the first step. She also needed to understand how Google search worked and how potential clients could find her. She began taking courses in search engine optimisation (SEO) and content writing, applying what she learned to improve her own website. As enquiries started coming in, she began sharing her experience with other therapists.DeGrossa organised small classes in her therapy office, teaching fellow therapists how to promote their websites and create Google Business Profiles. However, she soon noticed that many participants did not feel confident handling the technical work themselves. Rather than stopping at training sessions, she began offering to manage the work for them. That side gig eventually became CounselingWise, a marketing agency that helps therapists attract clients through website development, SEO, content writing, Google Business Profile optimisation and Google Ads.As demand for the services grew, DeGrossa found herself struggling to manage both her therapy practice and the business. She eventually closed her practice four years after starting it to concentrate on the agency. She gave her existing clients six months' notice before making the move.Business has been profitable for five yearsThe agency has grown into a multi-million-dollar business. DeGrossa said CounselingWise has generated seven-figure annual revenue since 2022 and reached $2 million in June 2026, equivalent to approximately Rs 18 crore. The company has also made around $300,000 (roughly Rs 2.7 crore) in annual profit for each of the past five years. Nearly 99% of its revenue comes from services delivered directly to clients.DeGrossa has attributed the growth to a combination of technical expertise, business management and customer service. Her company tests different SEO techniques, checks whether they help clients improve their search rankings and then turns successful methods into repeatable processes.CounselingWise works with around 40 to 50 contractors. DeGrossa also places considerable importance on hiring people who can communicate well with clients, many of whom may not be comfortable with technology.- Ends