7 Tips for Starting a Wellness Biz
‘Tis the era of wellness, personal brands, and digital entrepreneurship. If we’re being completely honest, you’ve probably at least thought about starting a side hustle or personal brand. And with the new year in full swing, what better time to put that vision into reality? We connected with three business owners in the space where well-being and digital entrepreneurship converge. They shared their nuggets of wisdom, lessons learned, and the inner blocks they had to overcome in order to build thriving businesses, as well as offer practical and soulful advice for budding entrepreneurs.
Chinae Alexander, a Texan-turned-New Yorker, social entrepreneur, content creator, writer, and wellness expert
1 | Ask for advice --
To Chinae, one of the most helpful things she did when she first started out was to email every entrepreneur she knew to ask them for a little first year guidance. She sent out a short message, prompting them to reply with the best piece of advice they could give based on their own experiences. Further, she reached out to her network to make introductions -- to connect her with people she should be meeting as she stepped into this new role.
2 | Entertain the worst possible outcome (but only for a minute) --
Sometimes we blow up potential consequences in our heads when, in reality, they are not that scary or un-deal-with-able. Therefore, when she finds herself worrying about the outcome of a certain situation or decision, Chinae asks herself: “Realistically, what’s the worst that could happen here?” Entertaining the worst case scenario for a minute helps her, because more often than not, she realizes that even should that exact thing happen, she would be able to deal with it just fine.
Ambi Kavanagh, founder of Soulstrology and co-founder of the Alchemy Store, lawyer-turned-writer (first book out soon!), speaker, astrologer, and all around conscious-preneur
3 | Stop caring about what other people think --
Shedding her prior identity as a powerful litigation lawyer (and the respect her role automatically commanded) was an at times painful process for Ambi. She feared her parents might be unhappy with the change and that some may perceive her pivot into the healing and coaching sphere as a failure. Though not always easy to do, letting go of how other people might feel about her decisions has allowed her to follow her own path unapologetically and to channel that energy and freed up mental space into her own endeavors.
4 | Connect with your why and course-correct accordingly --
Ambi credits her regular practice of journaling and checking in with herself as one of the most impactful tools she uses to ensure she’s on the right path. By self-auditing and reminding herself of her larger objective and vision -- her why -- she finds it easy to plan her day-to-day activities in alignment with her mission and to pivot when she finds herself veering off course.
Erin Lovell Verinder, author, writer, herbalist, nutritionist, and energetic healer who has been working in the well-being realm for two decades
5 | Get your systems down --
When asked for a practical piece of advice for those just starting to build their own businesses, Erin emphasized the importance of putting systems in place early on. Depending on the business and its needs, this may look like investing in a booking system or streamlining a recurring process. In any case, getting these systems in place in the first year of business can be a big help for a new venture down the road.
6 | Your number of followers is irrelevant --
Current social media culture makes it easy to think that a big social media presence is indicative of success in the world of digital entrepreneurship and wellness. Erin disagrees, and instead stresses the importance of word-of-mouth and referrals as a main driver of growth for young service-based businesses. She advises to focus on delivering really great tangible experiences instead of wasting time and energy worrying about that follower or like count on social media.
7 | Make sure your own cup is full --
When you are in the business of giving, being mindful to balance that out with receiving is key. “Feeling empty and burnt out is detrimental to you, but also to the people you work with,” she says. Finding (and making!) the time to replenish your own batteries is part of a well-rounded schedule for an entrepreneur; especially one tasked with helping others.The reality of being an entrepreneur in the field of well-being may not be a 24/7 loop of love, light, and gratitude (though sometimes it really is), but for those who are ready to supplement the practical outer work with the deep inner work to overcome the internal barriers that may become more apparent in the process of building a business from the ground up, it can be extremely fulfilling.In the end, your own entrepreneurial journey will be different from everybody else’s. But it’s nice to know that some of the people you follow and look up to have been there, too, and that they’re rooting for you.Now, go make that vision a reality!Nadia Gabrielle works with entrepreneurs from all over the world on building their capacity to match their strategic goals so they can say sayonara to the hustle and do business from a place of ease. You can find her at nadiagabrielle.com and at @_nadiagabrielle on the ‘gram.
