Opher Ganel Headshot

About Me

Opher and RisaI’m Opher Ganel, a financial strategist for independent professionals. I make complicated things simple, so they don’t stop you doing what you want and need to do.

My clients build businesses that center on helping others succeed, making a difference in people’s lives. That’s why I feel honored and rewarded to work with them, giving them all my relevant knowledge, inspiration, motivation, and support.

I’m a physicist by education and training; a consultant to NASA as an instrument systems engineer, technologist, and technical writer/editor; and a self-taught small-business founder and owner with a passion for financial strategy. I’m also married to Risa, an amazing woman who is a marriage and family therapist in private practice.

After helping my wife develop and run the finances of her private practice for more than 15 years, I became a practitioners’ coach and consultant almost by accident (but I stayed one on purpose).

My wife’s colleague Laurel Fay, another marriage and family therapist in private practice, was struggling to make a business decision based on hard data rather than intuition. I offered to consult for her, and saved her practice at least $18,000. That’s when I realized I could help independent professionals take control of their business and finances, and how much of a difference that makes to the many people they in turn serve.

In your practice, you have the aptitude and training to help people overcome their challenges and achieve their goals. But you’re not a numbers person, were never taught how to run a business, and find numbers and finances to be an unwanted distraction from your real work.

I know first-hand the business-related challenges and questions that come up for independent practitioners. That’s why I’m committed to creating simple tips and tools to help you run your practice better, and I give those away free to anyone who wants them.

If that sounds interesting, use the form below to get my free tools.

I am am not a therapist

I never share your contact info with anyone (unless you ask me to). I will only use it to send you the free worksheet now, followed by biweekly emails with free tips, useful information, and occasional news.

When it comes to solving problems and conquering challenges in your practice, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone better qualified to help you…

  • Opher on bike My training as a PhD physicist and my experience consulting for NASA mean I can quickly digest a lot of complex material and make sense of it. My skills as a communicator let me break down such material and make it understandable and approachable to others – I once explained to my then-5-year-old daughter at the molecular level why waving a wet handkerchief cools it down – and she got it (of course, she probably forgot the explanation a few minutes later...).
  • After decades in academia and a couple of years as an employee in industry, I set out on my own and became a self-employed entrepreneur. I started several small businesses that increased my net worth nearly 10-fold in less than 10 years. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, especially when the 2013 federal sequester cut my income by 80% for almost a year, but as a self-employed professional you have to figure out how to ride out such mini-disasters.
  • My experience raising thousands of dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through “century” rides, including getting back in the saddle after crashing at mile 30 and getting to the finish line 70 miles down the road, taught me about training hard, sacrificing for a greater good, and not letting anything stop me.

Opher's dogWhen I’m not projecting our business and personal finances for the next decade, or helping translate between NASA scientists, engineers, and project managers, you’ll find me walking our dog Sophie (the sweetest dog ever, just see the picture) or helping my wife Risa make my mom’s famous “chazeret” (a sweet horseradish sauce that’ll kick your sinuses out the top of your head but have you begging for more).

If you just have to know more about me, no need for thumbscrews… I’ll talk…
  1. There isn’t a big enough bucket anywhere to help me carry a tune…
  2. I speak Hebrew and English with native proficiency and no accent, and French only well enough to get into trouble.
  3. When I get into something, whether working, reading, or playing, I get so focused that it would take a grenade going off in the next room to get my attention (which irritates my wife to no end – “What do you mean you didn’t hear that? You were right there!”)..
  4. I knew little about finance and nothing about investing until I started teaching myself at age 30.
  5. I am living proof that you don’t need to be perfect to succeed, that starting late is better than never starting at all, and that setting big goals and then working hard to achieve them is the most fulfilling life imaginable!

Ready to up your game and build a 6-figure practice?

Just let me know where to send your free copy of my “Set Your Rates the Right Way” worksheet,

I am am not a therapist

I never share your contact info with anyone (unless you ask me to). I will only use it to send you the free worksheet now, followed by biweekly emails with free tips, useful information, and occasional news.

Let's Talk

Want to discuss more personalized one-on-one consultation? Let me know what you’re interested in and how you want me to contact you (email or phone), and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can..

Let's Talk

Please reach out if you'd like to explore how I may be able to help.