Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Regyna Curtis, Founder of Atmaitri, located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is Atmaitri—it is a combination of two Sanskrit words that together mean kindness toward your soul. It represents the journey that I have taken through life to get to this place and what is at the heart of the work I do with my clients.
I am a soul wisdom mentor. Your soul wisdom is your authentic ways of knowing and being—in other words, how you receive, process, integrate, and express information. I help my clients understand how to clearly receive and interpret the guidance of their soul wisdom and take confident action in all areas of their life and business.
My clients are entrepreneurs and visionary leaders who are committed to doing business differently. Individuals who value rest, play, and creativity, and understand that running a thriving business without feeling like they are in a constant juggling act is possible. Yet they need some support creating this in their current reality.
Tell us about yourself
I've always been an entrepreneur, super creative, and highly intuitive. My two favorite games as a child were playing office and making up elaborate make-believe worlds to play in. The first time I was aware of having a lucid dream was at 5 years old, and I learned what it means to be intuitive and empathic in my body long before I ever encountered them conceptually.
My career has taken me all throughout the worlds of business, art, and education, but I've always felt the desire to create in a different way. I've found much joy through the various jobs I've had, yet I never really felt like I could be my full self in any of them. My creativity was often undervalued or dismissed as "artsy," and my intuition was not welcomed as credible decision-making in the business world.
The more I attempted to shrink myself to fit into these spaces and feel valued, the more detached from myself I became and the stronger these "weird" parts of me attempted to bust out when I least wanted them to. Eventually, I understood that I needed to work with these parts of myself rather than fight against them. I felt so disconnected from the confident, fun, energetic person that I was as a child and early on in my career. I felt myself fading away.
Reiki was the first stepping stone on the path leading back to myself and what ultimately led to the creation of Atmaitri. While I don't give Reiki sessions or teach it, you can still find hints of what I learned on that journey woven into all that I do today.
What motivates me to do the work I do is to create a more fun and easefull way for people to empower their intuitive knowing and creative expression. I absolutely love exploring these spaces now, but that was not always the case. Doing it by yourself is lonely, and it doesn't have to be that way. The journey is more fun when we travel together.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Getting to say yes to projects and experiences that inspire me without having to ask for permission first. Several years ago, I could feel the call toward entrepreneurship pulling really strongly. However, at that time, I had absolutely no idea what that looked like for me. What would I create? Who would I serve? How would I make money? Where would I start?
It all felt too overwhelming, and although the pull was strong, I couldn't envision it. So I asked myself WHY this resonated so much with me. The answer was that I wanted the freedom to be able to choose my projects by what brought me joy. To this day, I still use joy as an indicator of a successful project, experience, or relationship. If I feel joy about saying yes, I go for it. If it begins draining me, I see myself out.
This is likely seen as irresponsible by some or bad business practices, and that is OK. This is not the best way for every person or every business model. However, I have years of evidence of just how powerful this is both for me and for those I work with.
When I worked in the corporate world, I had to ask for permission and work within predetermined guidelines. That is nourishing for many and makes sense for that business model. It's just not the model where I thrive. Building a business that allows me to be fully myself and work in the ways that help me thrive is the biggest accomplishment I can imagine.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Being immersed in the messy middle of everything all the time. What do I mean by this? When you work for someone else, there are lots of moving pieces that don't require your time, energy, or attention. You play a specific role, and things keep moving around you. Even if you are aware of the direction the company is moving toward, it rarely lies completely on your shoulders.
As a business owner, you are always creating the next evolution of your business while still maintaining the current one and evaluating everything you've done previously. It can feel like nothing is ever finished and is always in a state of flux.
It is really important to make scheduled time to reflect on progress and celebrate your wins. Otherwise, it's far too easy to slip into the belief that you are completely failing, even when you are doing quite well.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Build your business to support your natural ways of knowing and being from day 1. The better your business serves you, the better you can serve your clients and enjoy your life.
- Know your energetic drains and gains—what gives you energy and what sucks it out of you. Prioritize outsourcing or automating those tasks that drain you as early in your entrepreneurial journey as possible. You may need to start by automating and grow into outsourcing as your business and your budget evolve.
- Make it common practice to connect with other entrepreneurs, work with coaches and mentors, and generally just ask for help when you need it. You chose to start a business for yourself, but that doesn't mean you have to do it by yourself.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.atmaitri.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/regyna.curtis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atmaitri/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regyna-curtis-1472b47/
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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