Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jenn Brazelton, Owner of In Love Birthing, located in Waldorf, MD, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am the owner of In Love Birthing. I am a Birth Support Specialist and Postpartum Planner, aka a Doula in the DC Metro and Southern Maryland region. I serve black and brown families through their pregnancy to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepared for their birthing time. I also provide educational services virtually for clients who need the same support, confidence, encouragement, and strategic planning in preparation for their big day.
Tell us about yourself
After my two positive birth experiences, while stationed overseas, I returned to my home country only to realize that medicalized births are heavily encouraged for all women, especially for those who are under-prepared and scared. It became a burning passion within me to equip women by removing fear and educating them on the simplicity of birth. Once we step out of fear and anxiety and into peace and possibility, everything becomes simple. If I am honest, I never thought I would be a business owner, but the passion for seeing families' lives transformed through birth is what keeps me going. I am so fulfilled seeing each family walk away with their own story of confidence and strength through childbirth.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has to be developing the endurance to remain. Too many entrepreneurs throw in the towel before they receive the outcome they had hoped for. Taking the time to be gentle with me and to be intentional about running my own race has been my continual goal. Developing the Entrepreneurial Staying Power to remain in the game until it gains traction has made all the difference in my business and my personal life.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about being a business owner is guiding the vision. Culturally, we are groomed to follow orders and accomplish the task given to us. Very rarely are we trained to create, develop, and nurture the vision into completion. For those who start out as a solopreneur (like myself) and want to make the shift to hiring people is tough because the company culture has to shift so you can make it to the next level. This requires internal work (mental, emotional, and spiritual) so that you have the capacity to guide the vision not only for yourself but also for another person. This is where the REAL growth happens.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Tip #1. Focus #2. Consistent #3. Energy
You can literally isolate each one of these words to expound upon them or bunch them together as 'focused consistent energy.' Either way, these three words are my pro tip on how to make an impact in business. It's challenging to remain focused when first starting out because we're always distracted by what others in our field are doing. Along the way, when we get a couple of bumps and bruises, it becomes hard to remain consistent. Then there are the days when ALL OF LIFE hits you like a ton of bricks, and your energy is just not the same. The answer is to put strategies (secret tip #4) into place that will help you maintain that 'focused consistent energy' that keeps your business moving forward in the midnight hour when everything seems bleak. When you do, that's when the MAGIC HAPPENS! When you least expect it. That's when new ventures and opportunities are born.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.inlovebirthing.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inlovebirthing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inlovebirths/
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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