Meet Julia Sims | Clinical Director | Board-Certified Music Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julia Sims and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julia, what do you attribute your success to?
I believe that authenticity is the most important factor in the success of Wildflower Music Therapy, particularly as it relates to communication and connection. As business owners, I think it can be easy to get stuck in a “perfectionist” mindset: we try to minimize any mistakes so that we don’t “look bad” to potential clients and miss out on contract opportunities. However, to be perfect is to not be authentic; perfectionism is not a genuine part of the human condition. As a recovering perfectionist myself, I’ve worked to really lean-in to my authentic self and praise both her successes and flaws. As a result, I’ve established meaningful connections with both my team and clients and am able to communicate with them in a way that helps us all work towards our goals.

I tell my team frequently: we are all human. We will make mistakes, and we will recover and learn from those mistakes. Additionally, I make an intentional effort to display an authentic leadership style to them. If I’m having an off week, I share that with my employees. If I need help with a client, I turn to my team for guidance and opinions. If I make a mistake, I own up to it, apologize, and thank them for giving me grace. By showing my team that I am by no means perfect, I hope to create a non-traditional workplace culture that allows us to feel and work as our most genuine selves.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned as a small business owner is that in order to be successful, I have to be willing to: quickly adapt to any and all changes; accept challenges with open arms; both love, and learn from, failure; be willing to be vulnerable; find joy and excitement in the process; never stop learning; and be kind to myself.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend were visiting Fort Worth, I would take them: for an early-morning walk on the Trinity Trail, starting at the Trailhead by Press Cafe (I love the atmosphere in that area in the mornings, especially if it’s Saturday, and the Farmer’s Market is open); to the Shops at Clearfork for a bit of shopping, and maybe stop at Fixe for a snack and a drink; a walk around downtown Fort Worth to see Bass Hall, Sundance Square, and maybe drop-in at the Flying Saucer patio or Taverna’s for some Italian cuisine; for a drive along Camp Bowie, 7th street, and the museum district, before taking a walk around the Botanic Gardens; and, to a visit to Blackland Distillery for a few well-crafted cocktails.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my Shoutout to all of my amazing music therapy colleagues in the DFW area! Since beginning my private practice, they have welcomed me with open arms, making me feel safe, heard, and providing guidance and encouragement along the way. I’m so fortunate to be a part of a field that values helping others (colleagues and clients included) over the bottom-line; that views the work we do from a lens of “abundance,” as opposed to “scarcity;” that inspires me daily to continue doing the good work and doing all we can to bring music therapy services to those in need.

Website: www.wildflower-mt.com

Instagram: wildflowermusictherapy