Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hannah Siddiqui, Founder of The Road to Hannah Inc., located in Oakland, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a spiritual teacher, speaker, and soon-to-be author dedicated to helping Gen-Z develop their spirituality. Following in the footsteps of some of my mentors, like Marianne Williamson and Gabrielle Bernstein, I am here to help my generation connect back to themselves, find their power, create a life beyond their wildest dreams, and return to the source of love within them. I teach the principles of manifestation, meditation, breathwork, trauma healing, and astrology (of which I'm 5th generation in my family in!) and share my work through seminars, courses, 1:1 coaching, and my social media content. And hopefully, in 2023, my book!

Tell us about yourself

I never expected to be on a spiritual path, and if you had told my younger self that this is what I would be doing, she would not have believed you. But in a nutshell, I had my "spiritual awakening" when I was 17, and it profoundly changed my life. I had already been creating content online for about two years and had amassed about 10,000 followers on my then-fashion blog. As spirituality became a more prominent part of my life, I made the decision to start blogging about and sharing what I was learning. Sure enough, my audience latched onto it harder than anything I had shared before and started asking me to teach them what I was learning. From there, it really snowballed over time, and I'm so grateful that it led me to where I am today.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

If you had asked me this question a year ago, my biggest accomplishment would likely be tied to an external achievement: giving a TEDx talk, growing a community of nearly 100K+ spiritual seekers, and celebrating a milestone income year. However, I truly think that my biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been my ability to keep going with my business, to show up and serve, even in my darkest moments.

2022 was an incredibly difficult year for me, where I was truly "forced" by the Universe into practicing what I preach. I've always practiced the tools that I share, but this year really put them all into action as I struggled with different personal circumstances. But through that, I used my pain as an opportunity to show up as a leader and let my community witness my process of healing, growing, and cultivating faith. Even when I made mistakes or felt like I wasn't "worthy" of showing up, I still did it, and I showed my community just how dedicated I am to the work that I teach. And I'm proud of myself for having the strength and vulnerability to do that.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest lessons for me, as a business owner, has been to learn to separate feedback from criticism. When your work is so closely tied to your heart (like mine is), it's way too easy to begin to take negative criticism(s) to heart, especially when they come in large numbers, as they sometimes do. Learning how to get grounded in my reality, my heart, my intention, and my ethos, and allowing that to be bigger than the noise, is a lesson that only gets tougher as my business continues to grow. There's a very cheesy saying, "you could be the juiciest peach in the world and still find someone who doesn't like peaches," and it's incredibly true. Not everyone is going to like you. In fact, the more you grow as a business owner/entrepreneur/public figure, the more people won't like you. Remember who you are and what you stand for, and keep going anyways.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. The biggest tip that I could give to any aspiring entrepreneur is just to get started. It might sound cliche, but no matter how "prepared" you think you are, no matter how many coaches you hire to help you, and no matter how courses you take, you will still end up making mistakes. You will have a launch go sideways, have negative profit months, or post a piece of content that you aren't proud of. And yet, all of those moments are absolutely beautiful! Those are the moments that crack you open and help you to become the leader that you dream of becoming. Whether you can see it at the moment or not, they all help you to understand more about yourself, your ethos, and your impact through your work. They are the growing moments that allow us to become all that we dream of being.
  2. The second piece of advice I'd give is to do the thing that absolutely scares the sh*t out of you. Does the idea of raising your rates scare you? Good, do it. Does the idea of making a TikTok video every day scare you? DO IT. Entrepreneurship, by nature, requires you to dissolve your comfort zone and learn to find comfort and safety in taking risks. When you do the thing that scares you, you not only build resiliency (which will then help you in those more difficult, learning-and-growing moments), but they also help you to build a more well-rounded, diversified business.
  3. Finally, my third tip may sound counterintuitive, but it's to learn how to rest. When your business is you, it's almost impossible to shut your brain off when it comes to working. However, learning how to step back and rest will not only prevent you from burning out but will nourish you so that you can nourish your business in return. I am a big believer that if we don't learn how to rest, our body will force us into learning how to rest through illness, burnout, or a plateau in our businesses (and sometimes, through all of the above). Take a 20-minute nap daily. Space out your calls further. I promise your business will not suffer, and you will be much better off for it.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.theroadtohannah.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theroadtohannah/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theroadtohannah
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-siddiqui/

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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