Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Avi Sehmbi, owner of Avi Sehmbi Ayurveda, located in Kettering, Northamptonshire, UK.

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

I am an Ayurvedic Practitioner. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian holistic health science that looks at treating the root cause of dis-ease rather than symptomatic treatment. This is what my business focuses on, helping people reach balance within their own unique bodies. My customers are people that want to manage their own health by getting to the causative factors of their ailments.

Tell us about yourself

Ayurveda has come to me at many points in my life; elements of it were always passed down generationally from my Grandmothers and my Mother. I'd suffered from weight issues and quite severe allergies throughout most of my life. I've never had the greatest relationship with food or myself. My weight would fluctuate quite dramatically, which, looking back in hindsight, I can see was dramatically affecting my immune system. I was ill a lot! When I seriously began my journey with Ayurveda, I was able to really heal my relationship with food which, in turn, reversed the health issues I had been dealing with through most of my life. This was my initial catalyst, and it motivated me to do a course with The Ayurveda Institute UK.

During my time in study, this opened up a whole other level of what I can help people with, and I became fascinated with how simple diet changes, herbal medicine, and lifestyle adjustments can really help to improve so much in our health. Ayurveda is somatic in its approach and treats the person as a whole, taking into consideration all aspects of a person's life,  relationships, job, lifestyle, and eating habits. People are treated as individuals, so there is no 'one size fits all' approach, and there's a strong emphasis on addressing causative factors rather than symptomatic ones. Seeing how so much can change in a person and how much emotional release can occur during the process is what motivates me.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment, I would say, is witnessing people reach a true balance with their health. Chronic conditions that they believed would never go away are now manageable; it's an honour to hold space for people.

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

In the beginning, getting clients was a challenge. Also, the admin that goes in can take a lot longer than the initial consultation; a lot goes on behind the scenes. Managing that aspect, along with all the other things like social media, etc., can be a lot to juggle when you are a one-man band.

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

  1. Do it! If there is something that you are passionate about, absolutely go for it!
  2. I really believe in the Phil Stutz tool of focusing on your life force (relationship with your body, people, and yourself). When you work on these aspects, creativity tends to flow, and ideas can really flourish.
  3. Setbacks are part and parcel; think of them as information and a chance to fine-tune.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.avisehmbi.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avisehmbi.ayurveda/

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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