Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in coaching but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jessie Scanlon, founder of Abundance Advocate, located in Hartford, CT, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Abundance Advocate was founded on the mission of creating space for financial wellness at the wellness table. It is now commonplace to share what we are doing to invest in and prioritize our physical, emotional, and even spiritual wellness. However, investing in financial wellness is often a forgotten pillar when considering holistic wellness.

Abundance Advocate is on a mission to help you experience greater financial wellness through the discovery of stories, habits, patterns, and behaviors around money coupled with instruction around strategic financial tools so that you can live confidently and freely in abundance.

Tell us about yourself

Like many people I know and have talked to over the years, my childhood was very linear. There was a path set out in front of me, and I committed to not just following it but excelling while doing so. Life seemed black and white up to this point. Do well in school, and you'll go to a good college, which will set you up for a great career and a great life. It seemed simple enough, and it is exactly what I did. I followed "the path" through college by studying Accounting, a safe major that guaranteed me steady employment for life.

During college, however, I started attending yoga classes and connecting to and cultivating a spiritual practice. I learned about ancient Eastern philosophies and took an interest in Buddhism. It was during this time that I became aware of the duality and complexity of life. Life is not linear, nor is it black; it's white.

I am a Certified Public Accountant and also a certified yoga teacher. I am analytical and also deeply emotional. I am a fiery Leo with my moon sign in watery Pisces. As challenging as it can be to vacillate between these opposing forces, it is this duality that has allowed me to create a business that helps people address their relationship with money on both emotional and tangible levels. Strategy and tools without foundation in the emotional work of introspection and discovery will never be enough to create lasting, sustainable change in your relationship with money.
Witnessing my clients embrace their journeys towards financial wellness and being alongside them through challenges and celebrations motivates me to continue my own journey as a business owner and financial wellness guide. It brings me great joy to serve my community in this way.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My greatest accomplishment as a business owner is still being in business after nearly two years! Being a business owner has been one of the most challenging practices I have taken on. I call it a practice because I have had to commit and recommit to this journey regularly. Not to mention, it has demanded that I be steadfast in my vision so that each day I can take small steps towards it. I am so proud that despite the many, many ups and downs of my entrepreneurial journey, I am still guiding my community towards experiencing greater financial wellness.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The biggest challenge I have faced as a business owner is navigating the spectrum of emotions I experience while being a guide and a leader. I have come to learn that I have to be deeply grounded in mindfulness practices and constantly check in with myself in order to show up in this way for my community. I also have to rest and take breaks, something that has never come easily as a high achiever.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Seek out a like-minded community- It can feel isolating to run a business, especially if you start out as a solopreneur. There are so many wonderful business communities out there that are eager to welcome you into their network. My community has been alongside me through celebrations and challenges, to offer advice or suggestions, and as a space for deep and meaningful connection.
  2. Schedule white space in your week for creativity- One of the reasons I left the corporate world to start my own business was to have greater agency over my day-to-day tasks and direction. When I first started my business, I was still operating under a 9-5 mindset. I would have a sticky note on my desktop of things I wanted or felt like I needed to accomplish and would work towards checking the items off. I was so focused on accomplishing tasks that I forgot to leave space to nourish my vision, and soon, I didn't even know why I was doing some of the tasks I was doing. Leave blank space in your schedule to check in with your vision in whatever way feels creative and exciting to you. I love to put on some calm music, pull out my journal, and free-write around what my business will look like in a month, a year, and three years. Then, I can work backward from these milestones to determine what to accomplish on a weekly basis to move myself and my business closer to my vision.
  3. Trust the cycle- Like most things in life, your business will be cyclical. There will be periods of expansion and periods of contraction. Know that whatever period you are experiencing is temporary, and trust that, as long as you are staying in alignment with your business values, mission and vision, you are exactly where you need to be in the cycle.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

You are not meant to travel this journey alone. Find community and friends that you can support and be supported by. It makes a world of difference! I would be honored to be a part of your community, so don't hesitate to reach out and connect with me!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.abundanceadvocate.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abundanceadvocate/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessie-scanlon-49510156/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.