Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mike Bundrant, co-founder of iNLP Center, located in Temecula, CA, USA.

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

Co-founded in 2011 by Mike and Hope Bundrant, the iNLP Center is the first comprehensive mental health coach training accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF). As life coaching continues to expand, mental health coaching has become the new trend. While only licensed counselors can work with mental illness, there exists an underserved population of those with mental health concerns that don't meet the criterion of a clinical disorder.

Mental health coaching is a breath of fresh air. Never limited by diagnoses, medication referrals, insurance hassles, and an industrial complex that caters more to pharmaceutical reps, lawyers, and accountants than clients, mental health coaches have real skills to create lasting inner change.

Tell us about yourself

I started coaching and training early in my adult years. I wanted to become rich and famous and an inspiration to all:) Now I realize that glory is good, but peace of mind is better. Sorting myself out over the years, I've discovered that seeking external rewards is fine, but if you're not at peace with yourself, that brand of validation is empty. That's why I got into NLP and life coaching. I needed to become someone at peace within himself.

Helping others find their core that is always at peace is my mission. That's what gets me up in the morning and keeps me interested throughout the day. We all have parts of ourselves that give us trouble, even though they don't mean to. Our resentful conflicted, and self-doubting parts love us and want what's best for us. Realizing that opens incredible possibilities. That's what I'm in this for now - the possibilities.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

When I was 22 years old and full of dreams, I asked a local businesswoman if she could tell me the one thing that made the biggest difference in her career. She answered in a word: Persistence. No matter what's going on around you, she advised, stick to your goals. And I did!

Looking back over a 30-year climb into the life I've always wanted, I feel so fortunate to have asked that question and gotten such a meaningful answer. I took it to heart! So there you go; my most significant accomplishment in mental health coaching is finding the wherewithal to keep going through thick and thin. That persistence has given me successful mental health coaching online platform and a lifestyle that conforms to my natural rhythms.

Having a dream and a plan is important, and they have to be good. Without persistence, however, we have nothing but a depressing fantasy!

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

The hardest thing about being your own boss is being your own boss:) As much as you might resent punching a clock, working in a cubicle, or being told what to do, it does serve a purpose. If you want to get paid,  you know where to show up, and you do show up, even when you don't feel like it.

Not having someone there to make sure you get your work done is incredibly freeing. Can you handle that freedom and still get the job done? The same principle applies: If you want your business to reward your efforts, you know where to show up and what to do.

I've had periods in my life where I simply didn't work because I didn't feel like it. Sometimes I even consider it a luxury to just do whatever I feel like doing. But it comes with risk. Your business doesn't care if you work hard. It will just deliver the results of your efforts, come what may.

Are you ready to be your own boss? If so, are you also ready to be your own employee?

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

  1. Don't run out of money before you succeed: I tell my mental health coaching students this all the time. If your new business is important to you, make sure you can stay afloat until you can live off it. And don't fall for instant success scams! Success is a long-term process that takes time, and your bills are not going away. Don't be in a rush to quit your job based on aggressive projections of success. Give your business a long timeline and a fair chance!
  2. Consider bootstrapping yourself: Consider starting small - very small - and on your own terms. If you're a new coach or consultant, for example, just worry about finding a client - one client. That's your entire job. Then find another. You don't need bells and whistles to get clients. You merely need to be able to communicate how you can help. This is largely free to do!
  3. Deal with your fears: When starting your own business, the twin fears of success and failure are waiting to awaken and throw you off track. This is fine. It's normal. If you are pursuing anything that is unfamiliar to you, there should be a hint of nervous unfamiliarity. We're wired that way.

Don't try to banish your fears, ignore them, or think that magically they will disappear somehow. Get to know them. Listen to your fear, as there is so much to learn. If a little voice in my head pops up and says, "You're going to fail!" then I want to know what it means! I don't want to leave myself open to self-sabotage. So, what am I missing? How credible is this voice of warning? If I don't even listen to it, I might miss the kernel of truth that I really need to hear. And I'll certainly miss the opportunity to calm the fear because I don't even understand it. Listen to your fear - it's there to protect you. When you ignore and resist, it persists. Befriend your fears, and they will not persist. You will.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Of course! So much coaching and personal development work are about getting what you want - reaching goals and conquering obstacles. It's great. I'd encourage us to remember the following maxim as well: If you don't know who you are deep down, it's impossible to know what you want.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://inlpcenter.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inlpcenter
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLZdVv3JpWuBZyHBnUKgnMg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bestnlp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikebundrant/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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