I never envisioned myself as a small business owner. It never really occurred to me not to work for someone else and a regular paycheck. But sometimes life takes us where we least expect to go and it’s been quite a journey. My path began as a quest to recover my own health and wellbeing.
I started blogging about my “crunchy mom” stuff like making yogurt and sauerkraut, essential oils healthy lifestyle close to 15 years ago when I was a new mom in a new city and barely knew anyone.
Health, nutrition and wellness coaching certifications came after that when friends suggested I could create a business out of my interests. Around the time my children started school I was actively looking for a part time job that would allow me to be home with my family but nothing worked with our schedules.
So I kept going, eventually integrating energy work into my practice as I learned about the importance of how “the body keeps the score” and why clearing trapped emotions is a missing link for many when attempting to healing the body. Always driven to learn more and quickly integrate what I’ve learned not only into my own healing, but to share with my clients too, sometimes it feels like my feet are running faster than my body can move — kind of like a cartoon with spinning legs and a delayed reaction.
In Human Design, one of the many tools I use in my practice to help my clients understand and best utilize their unique gifts, I’m what’s called a Manifesting Generator. MGs (for short) are known as the “multi-passionate” individuals in this system, and often seem to be moving at warp speed from one project to another, especially by other types. I love learning and creating, and I now understand that I have a unique ability to quickly notice patterns and integrate systems into my daily life and work.
For the first 40 years of my life I saw this as a weakness and only wanted to integrate consistency, methodology and sameness into my daily experience. I’ve since learned that my ability to quickly learn, adapt and integrate new skills is actually one of my greatest gifts.
The downside, especially as a business owner, is that others sometimes have a difficult time keeping up.
I now understand my business is a live thing. Like a baby, changing rapidly from month to month, I adjust, adapt, add and subtract often in order to grow her in the healthiest way possible. This showed up this year for me with several very big changes, some planned and some unexpected.
My brick and mortar wellness center closed due to a large hike in rent I couldn’t sustain. I downsized and converted a room in my home to my office. I completed two certificated I’d worked toward since 2020, Certified Traditional Naturopathic Doctor and Certified Herbal Master. I accepted the Reiki teaching position at a well known Detroit-area massage school.
True to form, I immediately moved on to the next thing, barely pausing to catch my breath.
My latest addition to her has been a line of physical goods that I design, develop and create with my own two hands.
In this age of digital almost-everything, it has been healing for me to get back to the realness of creating something tangible. My online offers are still there, I still see clients for nutrition, holistic health and energy work but now there’s more. 😉
It gets busy, stressful and overwhelming: most notably when I’m interacting with the aspects of my business I don’t feel I’m as good at, things like regular emails, consistent “branded” social media posts, self-promotion and finance. But I keep going, following my instincts and trying to create something bigger than myself.
If you’ve read this far, thank you. I’m very (painfully) aware that what I choose to write, share and teach on is triggering for many. I’ve lost friends, neighbors and even family relationships over my work, values and convictions, and for many years I’ve tried to keep my work separate from my personal life, but the split has become unbearable. My work IS me. I am my work.
I’ve come to realize this year that my brain works differently than most people. I find myself uncomfortable interacting with groups people and often find social cues perplexing. I don’t seek to call out, publicly disagree or argue with anyone who disagrees with me, and find it deeply uncomfortable and hurtful when I’m singled out by others. In fact, many years ago I decided to do my very best to only interact on social media in a positive and uplifting way. I utilize the scroll feature on my devices and when I see something I disagree with I just move on by. If I can’t encourage, support or send love I just let it go.
There’s incredible value in this practice, especially in a time where it seems people are more divided than ever.
No one ever said “I think I’ll go on social media to get my mind changed.” And I doubt anyone ever changed their opinion when offered argumentative, cruel or divisive comments. In fact this likely just causes people to close their minds further.
I am who I am. My opinions, beliefs and background may not be comprehensible to everyone, and I’m finally coming to accept that that’s okay. In order to be in integrity with myself, my inner knowing, my higher power, I must be honest.
Honesty, yes. But also kindness, understanding and love.
Please remember everyone is going through it right now.
Every.
Single.
Person.
For every person who posts their struggles on social media, just remember that 100 other people keep quiet.
If you’ve ever found yourself hiding aspects of yourself from others, I hope you can let them see light. Your unique blend of personality, skills, beliefs and life experience are what make you perfectly imperfect and wonderfully YOU. This isn’t easy for many of us, especially if you’ve ever been judged harshly, but I encourage you to consider letting your light shine. The world needs all of you right now.
Does this resonate with you? Feel free to leave an encouraging comment or a heart. If it doesn’t, please practice the habit of scrolling on by. Hurtful, argumentative comments may fly out of your fingertips with ease, but they leave a permanent mark on the eyes and heart where they land.
