Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ting Ting Guan, Founder of GuanJing Method, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I developed and teach a new form of movement called the GuanJing Method. It is an easy-to-learn movement art at the intersection of Yoga, Qi Gong, and Dance to reduce stress and bring vitality to mind, body, and spirit. My students are anyone who is faced with modern-day challenges - who wishes to feel better, breathe better, and increase their youth and energy. So this ranges to almost everyone 20 years and over.
Tell us about yourself
I was at a really low point in my life. I had no money, my job opportunities in Yoga (my prior field) all seemed to close, and the mounting anxiety and stress left me feeling paralyzed, depressed, and full of fear. So I decided to start moving with the energy instead of holding it inside my body. I began moving in a way I never had before. Every time I did, I felt so much better, more expanded, more trust, and more clarity.
When I would practice these movements at the beach or park, I always had an audience - groups of people asking what I was doing and how they could learn. I took that as a sign that this was the new path, so I began to teach it, and slowly the business built.
Every time I receive an email, letter, or IG message telling me how much the movements have helped people transition through depression, divorce, unhealthy relationships, and body dysmorphia. Every time my students finish a class and cry from the release of emotions - I am reminded that this is why I spent countless hours devising the most effective way of teaching.
I used to think - who am I to develop my own movement form? But it's the people I've helped that matter the most. The shedding of trauma, the release of pain, and the gaining of confidence. That is why I do this.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
From a business standpoint, my biggest accomplishment is being able to capture every lead and not allow anybody who clicks on my website or looks at my classes to slip through my fingers.
To not spend hundreds of hours organizing emails and system operations but to be able to create a back end that runs smoothly, which allows me to communicate with my email subscribers with ease.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Learning how to monetize off of a movement form you made up is quite tricky. It's not like "Yoga" or "Pilates" (though Joseph Pilates created Pilates!). The hardest part of this is learning how to refine my messaging so that the maximum amount of people can understand why movement and Qi energy is so important for them to apply to their life. To meet people where they are (and that's a lot of different places).
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be a confident authority in your area of expertise. Share your wisdom through videos and demonstrations. That builds trust.
- Stop trying to create a fancy website. Make it clear and simple with one action step that captures their information.
- Research. See how many different avenues your product or service can help someone. Look into the most unlikely of places. Send out surveys to see what people need.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.guanjingmethod.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guanjingmethod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/one.with.soul/
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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