Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jesse Lane Lee, founder of Jesse Lane Wellness, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

My name is Jesse Lane Lee, and I am a Holistic Nutritionist, Cookbook author, and founder of JesseLaneWellness.com. I offer remote team building through virtual cooking classes and virtual corporate wellness lunch & learns. HR events and team-building activities are no longer limited to your local office. With virtual corporate wellness, your company can unite teams across the country or world. It is important to look for opportunities to bring your team together virtually to boost morale, foster connection, and learn a new skill.

My sessions are an engaging way to unite teams across the country and learn something new about nutrition, cooking, and healthy living. I am the author of 4 cookbooks which you can find on my website and on Amazon. I am a regular contributor to Clean Eating Magazine and frequently appear as an expert on CTV, Global TV, and City TV.

Tell us about yourself

I have always been a veggie lover and always ate my trees (aka broccoli) when I was younger, unlike my sisters, who hid them in napkins or threw them into the backyard when they thought my mom wasn't looking! I was also always one to make my own lunch. As a high school student, I would make sandwiches and stealthily eat them in a fast-food restaurant while my friends ate burgers and fries. This way, I could still socialize over my lunch, but I didn't end up spending tons of money, and I got to eat something relatively healthy.

By the time I graduated from university and started working as an engineer, I had upgraded from sandwiches to salads, which are much more nutrient-dense. I literally ate a salad every day for the seven years I worked as an engineer; that works out to roughly 1,700 salads!!! I started playing with what I was putting in my salads and the types of dressing I was using. I changed up the greens from romaine lettuce and spinach to kale, varied the veggies depending on what was in season, and experimented with protein like beans, quinoa, salmon, and chicken. I created thin oil-based dressings and thick and creamy dressings (which are my personal favourite). I also started adding starches like brown rice and roasted sweet potatoes to my salads.

Not every salad was a winner, but after seven years of salad making, I got pretty good at creating delicious and filling combinations. I also fell in love with recipe development which led me to publish four cookbooks. Since leaving my engineering career behind, I have been trained as a Holistic Nutritionist. I love to educate on healthy eating in a fun and dynamic way.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

As a cheerful and passionate Holistic Nutritionist and motivating speaker, I am honoured to be featured on TV. I have made over 35 appearances as a guest expert on local and national TV. This was a huge accomplishment for me, and I thrive on live TV. My segments are generally food demos where I showcase the yummy and healthy recipes I have created.

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

The unpredictability is a challenge for me. When the pandemic hit, like so many others, I had to rethink my business model totally. It forced me to pivot in a big way. I'm now at a point where I'm trying to decide if I like where I landed during the pandemic or if it is time to shift once more. There is still so much uncertainty it can be challenging to make a decision while the dust is still settling.

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

  1. First and foremost, you have to be passionate about what you are doing. Running a business can be really hard, but it can also be a lot of fun if you are doing what you love every day.
  2. I also recommend doing financial planning and forecasting, so you have a good idea of how much it is going to cost, how long it will take to bring in a profit, and if you need financing.
  3. Finally, I recommend getting a website. Even though social media is super popular and important, you can't overlook the power of SEO. It is also important to have all of your content in one searchable place because the content you create for social media has a very short shelf life.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Don't let searching for the perfect time to start a business hold you back. Just like having babies, there is no perfect time to start a business. Get started creating your dream job, and the rest will follow. You can do it!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.jesselanewellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JesseLWellness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesselwellness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesselanelee/

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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