Recently, we held a Facebook Live chat with Michelle Bersell, and there were seven hot topics we discussed for creating success as a holistic business owner.
It is our hope you can draw some inspiration and encouragement from this overview because being an entrepreneur can be quite a journey — but it’s worth it.
1. Saying “yes” to starting this journey of starting your own holistic business will bring up some personal issues — and that’s OK.
And, it’s usually unexpected! But it helps to remember that you have gone into this line of work because you’re heart-centered, you’re passionate about what you do, and you want to help other people.
Michelle put this so well: “Whenever you create your own business, you are creating your own personal development journey.”
And even if you’ve owned your business for years, it’s not like personal challenges stop coming up. But, over time, you do learn how to navigate the peaks and dips of having your own business more successfully. It’s all a part of the process.
2. Building an inner resilience will help you weather those tough times.
Being an entrepreneur is challenging. And if you’re in this space of health and wellness, you’re more likely highly sensitive or empathic. The life of an entrepreneur can be a roller coaster of emotions, so you may be taking a lot of things to heart that other people may be able to brush off more easily.
But your sensitivity is a strength! It’s part of why you’re so good at what you do. Yet these ups and downs of owning your own business can be a little scary sometimes.
So what you really want is to be able to shorten that gap between coming from a place of fear and doubt to moving forward with what you feel called to do.
Your own personal journey will help strengthen you and build an inner resilience, so you can bounce back from setback more easily.
The better you are at addressing your own personal issues, the better you’ll be at addressing similar issues for your clients.
And what a blessing and gift that is, to be able to not only help to transform other lives but also to be able to transform your own life in the process. It’s a win-win!
So trust that this is where you’re supposed to be, that the ups and downs are a part of the process of not only growing your business but also the process of becoming more of who you were meant to be.
3. Your emotions are guiding you to what beliefs are holding you back.
So those dips that come with being a business owner can really take a toll sometimes.
If you have negative feelings come up, you may be tempted to override those feelings and just keep pushing. You may think, “I don’t have time for feelings!” But then, those feelings will return with a vengeance. Or, you may be so overwhelmed by your feelings, you end up feeling frozen and unable to do anything.
Your negative emotions are guiding you to discover the subconscious beliefs that are holding you back. So resisting your negative emotions only makes them grow larger and stick around for long.
Instead, work on receiving these emotions through love and empowerment. By allowing yourself to see your emotions as neither good or bad, but as messengers, you’ll be able to healthily move through your feelings, getting to the root of what’s really bothering you.
4. Your issues with self-worth will come up in your business.
Many years ago, I had such a major block around getting a new computer, and at the time, I was running an online coaching business — so I really needed the computer!
So I shared with Michelle what I was struggling with and I felt like I needed permission to invest in myself, to follow my dreams. I was so scared of getting it wrong or of not being wise with my money. But what I was really saying to myself was, “I’m not worth this investment in my business.”
Another issue that can arise is when we use our clients as mirrors for self-worth. We may think, “If I charge this rate, will my clients still like me?” But when you do that, you end up giving your power away.
You can’t build your self-worth from outside of yourself. It has to come from within.
As you can see, a lot of self-worth has to deal with money issues (which I’ll talk about more in a bit). So as you work on your self-worth, you’ll be able to charge what your services are worth, to go to that training, to take that course — and your business and your personal life will start to reap the benefits.
5. You have to work through your fears.
Fear ultimately comes from your ego wanting to protect you and keep you safe. But the more inner work you do to strengthen your self-worth, the freer you’ll be.
One fear that can come up with a lot of people is fear of money. As I said earlier, it could be that you’re afraid of pricing your coaching programs for what they’re worth, or raising your rates, or needing to make an investment in training or equipment.
I love when Michelle said, “Money is a great teacher to learn from. Our relationship with money is guiding us to greater self-love and self-worth.” It’s so true! And money issues can easily pop up when you’re a business owner. It can be nerve-wracking, trying to figure out bills, expenses, taxes, and other money matters.
Money issues can bring up some core beliefs and point us to what we really are motivated by.
You have to look at what’s driving you. Is it fear or lack, or is it love and expansion?
Are you worth overcoming your fears? Are your dreams worth it?
Another fear that can come up is the fear of failure. Successful people fail all the time. But you have to truly believe that would not have been given a dream unless you were capable of achieving it.
So even failures shouldn’t deter you from following your dreams. Failure is a part of success and growth.
Yet another fear can be to ask for support. When I first started my business, I didn’t feel like I was worth being supported, that I had to grow my business all on my own. And that wasn’t true at all.
I was worthy of support and help. It took me a long time to understand this, and I don’t want you take as long as I did to get it.
So are there places in your life that you feel like you can’t ask for or receive support? Try stretching yourself to ask for small things first. Allow yourself to grow to be able to receive the support that you deserve.
6. You don’t need to be a perfect guru to start your own business.
Imposter syndrome, or feeling unqualified or like a fraud, can be a major block for your business and your growth. Do you feel like you have to have it all together before you can help your clients?
But think back on those times where you have not known how to do certain things. You learned along the way and over time and then became an expert.
In fact, your own personal struggles can be what you lead and share out of. Your prospective clients don’t want to work with perfect people. In my opinion, the age of the guru is starting to fall out of fashion.
Your dream clients want to work with real people like you, people who know firsthand what they are facing and struggling with.
You are an expert on your unique challenges, and your special expertise can attract clients who need to learn from your individual point of view.
7. Being vulnerable is a strength, not a weakness.
When you feel called to share something personal with your clients or your community, you may be thinking that you’re overexposed or you’re oversharing or you won’t be well received.
But what this comes down to feeling safe. So ask yourself — am I valuing feeling safe over pursuing my dreams? And am I OK with that?
To overcome this fear of rejection, it helps to take baby steps towards becoming more vulnerable. You can first share with a small group of people, and then continue to widen your boundaries of who you share with.
And it’s OK if everyone doesn’t resonate with what you’re saying. What matters is that you’re doing this for yourself.
So follow that little spark inside of you that you can feel even when you’re scared to do something. That spark will guide you in the right direction.
After taking a risk, you may experience an ego backlash because your ego wants to keep you safe and keep you in your comfort zone. You may feel like a fool!
But you can’t create a business from a place of safety.
You may fail and learn from that experience. But you may also succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
Going into business for yourself can be a little scary as you launch yourself into the unknown. But if you remember your calling, it will guide you through those times of uncertainty. And you don’t have to embark on this journey alone. We’ll be here to help and support you.
The IAWP is committed to supporting Wellness Coaches to create success and share the message of wellness across the globe.
If you’re passionate about holistic health and wellness, inspiring others to be healthy and creating a career you love, then learn more by downloading our gift to you – The Wellness Coach Career Kit.
