Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal & business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carolin Rathbun, Coach, Copywriter, Dream-Enabler based in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I believe a happy life is one in which you continually listen to and follow your heart. When you listen to your heart, you discover who you are so you can follow your joy and be happy.
I feel strongly that everyone has a right to be happy. When your heart isn’t happy, it’s an indication you deny your true nature and desires. I help people create a life and business where their heart leads the way and happiness is their true measure of success. I guide them to open their heart, trust their whispers and embrace their vision so they can be heartfully happy in business and life.
Tell us about yourself
In order to feel accepted by our families, society, culture, schools, and communities, we continually strive to live up to standards others set for us or that we set for ourselves. To be the best partner, parent, child, employee, friend, and colleague we think we’re supposed to be, we consciously and unconsciously hide pieces of ourselves as we try to fit in.
Then we wonder why we feel a void inside. We may have everything we want — except happiness. So we go in search of happiness. We look for the perfect job, the perfect partner, and wonder what our purpose is. We think that if we find them, maybe then we’ll feel whole and happy. The truth is, we’ve simply forgotten who we were born to be. We’re like actors playing various parts, wearing masks that look and feel like skin.
We believe we ARE the roles we play, and we spend our lives perfecting them.
The question is: Who are you when your roles disappear? In the span of three years, my kids both moved out; my marriage ended, my mother no longer knew me, and my father died. Every role I identified with was completely gone or drastically different. Who was I now? I felt utterly lost and very alone.
Through a lot of inner work, self-awareness, and self-acceptance practices, I’ve reconnected with my hidden parts. I now know who I am and live my life in alignment with my heart and soul. In fact, I’m currently living a lifelong dream.
I’m traveling the world, letting my heart lead the way. I can do this because I’ve created a business that’s aligned with who I am and the lifestyle I want to live. One thing I know for sure is you can’t be happy unless your heart is happy. Happiness comes from knowing who you are, making choices that feel right for you, and honouring your inner wisdom.
Today, I help my clients go from seeking answers ‘out there’ to finding and trusting the answers within as they rediscover who they are, reconnect with their inner knowing, and create a heartfully happy life.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is trusting in my inner guidance to create a business that aligns with who I am and how I want to live my life. I allow my heart to guide my choices and decisions so that everything I do feels good.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I find that one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is separating business and life. Your business is part of who you are, and you’re passionate about what you do, so it’s easy to work long hours. It’s important to consciously and deliberately make time for things you enjoy. Inspiration and motivation come more readily when you’re enjoying life. This is what fuels your spirit and, in turn, feeds your business.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Carefully consider what it is you really want out of your business. How will it benefit your life daily and overall?
- Continually tune into your heart and make decisions that make you happy. The happier you are, the more you’ll enjoy your business, and the less it will feel like work.
- Don’t try to serve everyone. Get clear on who you really want to serve and have your marketing speak directly to them. Your message will attract your dream clients, and, in their eyes, you’ll stand out from the crowd.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
It is possible to create the life you envision. Get clear on what you want and don’t want, take baby step after baby step in the direction of your desire, trust in your dream and let your heart lead the way. Before you know it, you’ll be farther than you thought you could be and perhaps doing something even better than you imagined.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://carolinrathbun.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoyfulScribe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinrathbun/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolin-rathbun/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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