Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Guin White, Founder of Guin White Alignment for Introverts, located in Santa Fe, NM, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am an expert in helping introverted women entrepreneurs who have been struggling to find success. I provide them with a system of simple strategies and reliable processes to help them get massive traction on their most important work. As a certified coach, human design specialist, and Gene Keys Guide, I take my clients on a heart-centered journey to finally dropping the facade so that they go from feeling stuck, exhausted, and anxious due to surviving in an extroverted world to revealing, aligning, and magnetizing them to their clarity and passion so that they can finally live a life of prosperity and purpose.
Tell us about yourself
I've worked (and I do mean WORKED) practically my entire life. I felt like I was put here to WORK. And I've been really good at it. I'm a hard worker and highly productive — to wit; I've been referred to as "The Machine" by my colleagues. And hugely successful for the most part. My husband and I have owned and operated a handful of very successful businesses. I've won many state-wide and national sales awards and was named the manager of the year. And I've made really good money (for myself and those I've worked for). Living what most would think is an amazing life with my creative husband in a world-class city.
For many years things appeared to be going really well. Or were they? My career was gangbusters, and my employers sure loved my work. But deep down, there was always an unsettled feeling. Then a few years back, I made a career change. It was essentially me jumping out of a toxic work environment — but what I jumped into wasn't at all what I thought. And I floundered for a period. After that, despite pulling it back together and resuming my "successful" career trajectory, something never quite felt right. I felt like I was chasing after something - some feeling that was always lacking... and I felt that chasm growing. I was still having massive success, but I felt out of control, angry sometimes, and anxious always. I wasn't sleeping well. My health and relationship with my husband were suffering. I spent my days, nights, and weekends doing work I thought I enjoyed, yet I always liked that something was NEVER right.
"It" – this success I was having – was supposed to feel great. But it didn't. If anything, it made me feel trapped. As weeks turned into months and months into years, things kept getting worse. After a series of short stints at jobs, I grew to despise more and more; I finally had to walk away from that amazing career. At first, it was liberating, but only briefly. Mostly, I was terrified. My whole life seemed to be falling apart. Thankfully my husband supported me, but I definitely fell off a cliff. Anxiety had turned into burnout .and depression. On a deeper level, I didn't even have the awareness to know my life was so utterly out of alignment with my inner wisdom, my intuition, and my heart. I spent months trying to fix myself, frankly, without much success. One good thing that came about is that I finally admitted that my success hadn't resulted from following my intuition. Instead, I efforted myself into opportunities, taking them without really knowing if it was something I even wanted to do, much less following my soul's calling. I won't lie. That "aha!" moment was tough. It meant that I had to make big changes – changes that would be scary, maybe even stupid...and might not work.
Worst of all, part of me felt like I couldn't trust myself. If I had gone down this totally misaligned path for so long, how could I know if I was making the right decision now? Finally, though, enough was enough. A little over a year ago, I was reading through some posts in one of the self-healing groups I'd joined, and I noticed that almost everyone there referred to themselves by these strange numbers and words, things like, "I'm a 3/5 Emotional Manifestor, or I'm a 4/6 Pure Generator, or a 6/2 Splenic Projector... I thought to myself: what the heck are they talking about? Little did I know I'd actually stumbled on the very thing that catapulted me into my purpose and catalyzed my alignment. I had FOUND human design...a system that opened the door to healing for me and led me to alignment. You see, due to a lifetime of conditioning, I believed that my outer success was proof of my inner truth. A lot has happened between the time that choice to walk away was made and where I am today – a longer story for another time, perhaps.
But fast-forward to now, and my life looks so very different. I make less money, but I'm more successful than I ever thought possible, and this time around, my success is the actual result of being myself instead of some notion of what I thought was Superwoman. My success now comes from being aligned with my own authentic Superpowers and by listening to my intuition. I now spend my days doing work that changes people's lives. It feels incredible, and that fulfillment is reflected throughout my entire life. My husband and I spend much more time together, and the time we spend is so much more because we're both present to each other and supporting each other. Looking back on those "before" years, I can clearly see all the signs telling me that my success was out of alignment with who I really am.
Before I found Human Design, I explored many fascinating personal development systems that didn't lead to the transformation I sought. I didn't just want more information. I wanted tools. Everything snapped into place for me when I learned my Human Design and discovered my unique blueprint to success was wildly different than those around me. I had been hitting roadblock after roadblock simply because I was trying to be something I was not.
Giving myself permission to operate in a way that uniquely worked for me made all the difference so that I could finally step into owning my introvertedness, along with all the gifts and superpowers that I unlocked. Once I knew my own energetic blueprint, I could finally get clear on what it was that I really wanted, and human design gave me the tools to get there! This system brings together ancient wisdom and cutting-edge science to explain who you are and how you can become the best version of yourself by following simple strategies and shifting your narrative around what is possible.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I consider my biggest accomplishment as a business owner to be getting to work from home alongside my husband, who's the love of my life -- and a brilliant entrepreneur in his own right.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, as a fairly new business owner, the hardest thing is avoiding endless distractions! I am totally subject to shiny object syndrome, and I am always looking for the next course to take or skill to learn, which can cause me to lose focus and take me off track. Before too long, my energy is spent, and the high-value work I set out to do has yet to get done! Therefore I've learned how to effectively manage my energy and time so that I always get the 2-3 things I really want to get done each day while still leaving ample time and energy to do the things I want in my personal life. The business is great, and I absolutely love what I do. But I am not my business!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The top three tips I'd give anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today would be to, first and foremost, understand yourself at a core level. Know who you are, what you bring to the table, and what you are passionate about. Next, and this may be the most important thing (and I say this from firsthand experience), is to learn everything you can about marketing and sales. You can be AMAZING at what you do; however, if you do not know how to market yourself and your business, you're fighting an uphill battle that will lead to burnout and possibly even failure as a business owner. Finally, set boundaries. Starting and running a business takes time, so do yourself a huge favor, set realistic goals, and create a plan. Make certain that everything you create aligns with your lifestyle. Get comfortable with the word "no ."The last thing you want is your business running ram shod over your life, so ruthlessly eliminate anything that doesn't support your sustainability and longevity.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.guinwhite.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnlockYourSuperPowers/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guinwhite/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guinwhite/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.
