Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aaron Ogden, Founder of The Adventure Perspective, located in Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Adventure Perspective is a health and wellness service helping people become a better version of themselves by using adventure events to discover their potential for joy.
Tell us about yourself
I started pursuing health and wellness, thinking that I wanted to be a medical doctor. As I worked in a hospital as a therapist, I made a pivot and applied my education to the preventative side of health and wellness. I started a personal training business, and soon I realized that people were trying to be healthy for, what I thought, were the wrong reasons. Only to live up to the "metric" health standards. Which is, society says I'm overweight, I should lose weight to be healthy. I have high blood pressure, I should exercise to bring my blood pressure down.
The model I have lived by and taught for 25 years is that we should become healthy to create joy, not to fix our pains. You do not choose to be healthy. Health is a consequence of the lifestyle we live, determined by the things that bring us joy. I started inviting my clients on Gratitude Adventure Trips to show them the mindset difference when we focus on activities that bring joy instead of trying to fix things that are wrong with us. We have had some amazing experiences around the world, hiking, biking, skiing, paddling, and an assortment of other adventures that have transformed lives to experience more JOY.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I am a bum. A bum is a person who devotes a great deal of time to things that they are passionate about. I have been able to build a business around 2 of my greatest passions. How many people get to do what they are passionate about every day? I have built a successful business without having any entrepreneurial skill sets other than working hard and finding solutions to problems to grow.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest part of my business is that I am the "lone wolf." Running a business comes with responsibilities and roles that you have to comply with. If the "ball is dropped" on a deadline or responsibility, there is only one person to blame. And it's up to that person to resolve the issues, which can be a little overwhelming at times.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Pursue your passions: life is too short to hate what you do. So find a way to love what you do and do something that you love.
- Work Hard: There is so much benefit and growth from working hard, which is hard in a society that focuses on mindless entertainment.
- Create a support team: Even as a "lone wolf," I consult and use others to support me to fill in the gaps of my weaknesses with their strengths.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://theadventureperspective.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAdventurePerspective/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadventureperspective/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-ogden-8ba0a6b/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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