Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sarah Jane Fohl, Founder of Body & Light, LLC., located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am the founder of Body & Light, LLC. As a massage therapist and public health practitioner, my services focus on integrative, holistic bodywork. Each of my clients faces unique challenges and has unique goals in their healing journey.
I specialize in therapies that provide a holistic approach to wellness, including Craniosacral Therapy, Reiki, Cupping, and Myofascial Release. These modalities honor the body’s own ability to heal itself, allowing space for improved communication between systems and opportunities for emotional, physical, and mental relief.
Tell us about yourself
It was a long journey for me to own a business. I spent many years following a path I thought I should be on until I reached a breaking point. I felt disconnected from myself and without a purpose. I always knew I wanted to help my fellow humans, but I struggled to find what I was "meant" to do. Ironically, I was never the type of person to get a massage or seek bodywork. I was so uncomfortable in my own skin that I couldn’t imagine a stranger touching me in such a vulnerable way. It was only when I began to get brutally honest with myself and start taking personal responsibility for my life that I began to get more clarity.
A dear friend of mine mentioned massage therapy, and it stuck with me. I began to explore the medium, and I felt a light within me. I trusted my heart and dove into this new endeavor. From that moment on, every choice about what I learn and do has come from letting my heart do the leading instead of my head. Not only does it allow me to be fully present with my clients, but doing so has helped me to grow emotionally, intellectually, and financially. Whatever the outcome, whatever the highs and lows, I am deeply committed to the work that I am doing for myself and others.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Commitment is my biggest accomplishment. Specifically, commitment to my own healing. It can be the hardest thing to do when things don’t go as expected. It is easy to get caught up in "shoulds" and "supposed to" and others’ ideas for what is "best" or "most effective," but I have found that it takes courage to listen to your inner wisdom.
Everyone has an opinion and perspective that is built on experience, but my experience has taught me to know when I am acting from a place of fear or when I’m acting from a place of clarity. I feel a great sense of gratitude to have created my own LLC, to have a beautiful treatment space, and to have clients that benefit from my support for them.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Choices can be hard to make as a business owner because you have to be responsible for ALL of them. Sometimes, it feels like both a blessing and a curse. Although it can feel exhausting, it is also the most exciting part! Trust is key. And maybe, one day, an assistant will help out ;)
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do what truly nourishes you. Don’t put too much weight on advice about what the core of your business is. It will become your life, and it has to always be about what is best for your life.
- Identify and invest in your resources for rest and recovery. As a bodyworker, my raison d’être depends on my physical, emotional, and spiritual health. You need support in order to support others.
- Welcome the challenges, let go of the analysis paralysis, and get out of your own way. Embrace opportunities for growth and learning, which will only improve your inner world and thereby positively impact your business.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.mybodyandlight.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mybodyandlight
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjanefohl/
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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