Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Christina Marlett, Founder & CEO of Courageous Self-Care, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I believe that women can positively impact the world, but first, they must address the fact that they need to take charge of their own lives, starting with strategic self-care that goes beyond bubble baths, chocolate, and wine.
As the creator of Courageous Self-Care, I coach and teach high-achieving leaders (who tend to over-give and over-try) how to prioritize their own well-being by blending the esoteric with the practical so that they experience consistent overflowing energy. I help overwhelmed; stressed-out women transform on the inside first so that they can be productive and peaceful at the same time. It's all about embodiment and learning to embrace the magnificence of who you truly are. We go deep in order to experience unprecedented results in health, energy, relationships, and abundance.
Tell us about yourself
Oh gosh, it's been a journey and an evolution. I started off as a high school dance and PE teacher who did sacred circles without knowing it. When I had my own kids, I began a home-based business that showed me there was a whole world outside of teaching. Along the way, I invested vast amounts of time, energy, and money into my personal and spiritual development.
That led to the first version of my business called Dance Ugly Dance Awkward. I've always been very keen on getting the body involved because it has its own wisdom that's much more profound than that of the brain. Over time (and thanks to my website being hacked and blacklisted by Google), my work evolved into Courageous Self-Care. Eventually, I got really clear that I wanted to write, coach, teach, facilitate and speak, so that's where I focus. I've published several books and have a few more on the way. I write a weekly blog, speak regularly, and facilitate all sorts of online events like soulful quarterly retrospectives and the Sacred Success Sunday Review. I had a podcast for a couple of years where I did over 200 episodes. Now I teach Body Awake Yoga and coach clients all over the world.
What motivates me is a deep desire to share what I've learned because it's been so transformational. I see it as part of my mission to help usher in Divine Feminine Energy that's pouring into human consciousness now like never before. Plus, I love to make people laugh. That's very motivating.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'm super proud of having my own business because it shows my two kids that anything is possible. You can march to the beat of your own drum, follow your passion and create something out of nothing. I get to demonstrate to them that you can do things that are wildly uncomfortable and keep growing. They're both putting their passions into action at the ages of 14 and 17 by acting, writing novels, and creating original music.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Initially, it was just really hard to put me out there. When I worked at restaurants while going to university, I found it hard to even upsell gravy with the fries people ordered. I was terrified of rejection (even with gravy!) Many tears were shed (like at my first online event where no one showed - so painful). Over time I've gotten stronger, and getting rejected no longer feels like daggers in my heart. I keep putting myself out there and growing that comfort zone. Persistence has been so important.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do what you love and follow your heart. You're going to be investing so much energy into it, and if you love it, that energy will totally come back to you. Be sure to have fun along the way.
- Treat yourself like a goose who lays golden eggs. If you had a goose who did that, you would take such good care of that goose, right? In your business, you're that goose. In order to give from a place of fullness, you need to learn really effective self-care strategies; otherwise, no golden eggs.
- Breathwork. Initially, when I heard about breathwork, I thought: "??? You inhale, you exhale, repeat". However, now that I know how powerful and impactful it is, I don't let a day go by without doing my breathwork. Done effectively, it increases your confidence, your ability to make great decisions, your intuition, and your results; nothing can't be improved.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.christinamarlett.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinamarlett/
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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