Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Itzel Hayward, Founder of Attuned Living, located in Oakland, CA, USA.

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

My company offers social justice, wellness, and other training programs to individuals and to organizations seeking to bring an anti-racist, trauma-informed, and mindful lens to the work they do.

Tell us about yourself

I began my professional life as a lawyer. After 13 years as a full-time attorney, I left my more conventional legal career in search of more empathic, collaborative, and humane ways to facilitate conflict. That led me to found Attuned Living in 2010. After over a decade of doing this work, I find that I'm most motivated by my vision for a world in which all people are free.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

One of the accomplishments I'm most proud of was launching my course for racial justice allies, "Responding to Everyday Racism: Skills for Effectively Challenging Racist Words and Ideas," in 2020. Although what I taught in the course were the same skills that I'd been sharing over the previous ten years, the course itself was shaped and delivered in a way that was directly responsive to what was happening in our society and deeply aligned with my vision for the world. To date, the "Responding to Everyday Racism" course (which is still going strong) has been one of Attuned Living's most popular and well-received offerings.

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

One of the hardest things that came with being a business owner for me was walking away from my identity as a salaried professional. Being a full-time lawyer felt like an integral part of my identity--and walking away from that career path was not something I'd seen many people do. It was excellent practice as having the courage and willingness to step into the unknown--embracing life's uncertainty and unpredictability--is a skill that extends well beyond owning one's own business.

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

For folks looking to start, run, and grow a business, I offer the following three recommendations: First, have a regular practice to manage stress and cultivate mindfulness. Second, along those same lines, build time for yourself: to take care of yourself, nurture your relationships, and keep your larger vision top of mind. And finally, find or create a community of like-minded business owners to facilitate connection, cultivate motivation and encouragement, and share wisdom and insights. These three things together have helped keep me going through the natural ups and downs of business ownership and life.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.attunedliving.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/attunedliving/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attunedliving/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/attunedliving/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itzelhayward/

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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