Making the Invisible Visible - AJ RAO

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Aparajita Jeedigunta, Founder of AJ RAO, LLC., located in West Bloomfield, MI, USA.

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

I run a boutique consultancy and coaching firm called AJ RAO, LLC. Through this firm, I am able to serve people who want to develop themselves as whole-person, conscientious leaders while taking care of their own and others' well-being. I am also grateful to be able to serve teams and leaders who want to move from performative outdated DEI strategies and metrics to intentionally inclusive, equitable, and accessible Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belongingness initiatives.

Tell us about yourself

I started my business because, as a two-time Traumatic Brain Injury survivor with an immigrant experience and journey, I found many of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belongingness initiatives and Leadership Development initiatives to be purely performative and largely reinforcing historical colonial systems of oppression. As someone who comes from a colonized heritage and has experienced inequities in education, health care, and employment opportunities because of my intersectional identity, including my brain injury recovery journey, I am motivated every day to continue to decolonize myself, learn historical perspectives, and truths from re-indigenized perspectives, and to garner their insights to help increase representation and equity for the most marginalized people and communities in our society.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am most proud of being able to sustainably implement social impact as a core pillar of my personal values, my business ethics, and the framework that I use for all of my work. Through this, I have been able to assist over 14 different NGOs from all over the world with over $25,000 worth of financial and other resources in just the past three years.

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

One of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of my daily life as a business owner is navigating motherhood and family while also taking time for myself to be well so that I can serve my clients and my communities in my best capacity. Over time I have learned that being adaptable and prioritizing my well-being over all else is the best way for me to be the most effective at my work; however, realizing it and implementing it on a daily basis is definitely tricky but not impossible.

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

If I could go back in time to when I first started out and give myself three things to remember as I start out, they would be to:

1. Pace yourself. While you may have the best and most impactful big dreams, they will not be achieved in a day. Prioritize your well-being so that you don't burn out and rob the world of your creativity and impact. Taking care of your well-being enables you to manage your emotions and logic in balance with each other so that you are less likely to make impulsive decisions.
2. Don't rush into decisions. Whether it is with launching your services or products or whether it is with finding a coach or mentor, or assistant for yourself, do your research and find the right fit FOR YOU. Everyone will have advice for you based on their experience, but they are not you, so their advice might not be right for you. Make sure your decisions are right for you.
3. Don't be afraid to fail quickly. This might seem contradictory to the previous tip, but it is not. Just as you don't want to under-think, you also don't want to over-think and get yourself stuck in decision paralysis. The mistakes we make could be great opportunities for us to learn and grow if we let them. Make sure you build enough momentum in your life so that you can have constant intentional learning in one way or another.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.ajrao.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAJRaoCoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drajjeedigunta/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drajpsych
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparajitajeedigunta/

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.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.