Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mariya Shiyko, Director of Joyful & Creative Living, located in Medford, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I help my clients to reconnect with their joy and build their life from that place. I often work with entrepreneurs or wanna-be entrepreneurs, creatives, and highly sensitive and intuitive people. While I use a combination of different tools, what seems to work the best is helping my client to reconnect with God (void of religion), build trust in the journey, and empower them to access the creative power they hold within so that they can create their own life. Often, this is a gentle, courageous, and transformative experience. And it touches every single aspect of one's life. I stay away from labeling who I am because I wear so many hats: a healer, a spiritual coach, a business mentor, an intuitive life coach, an artist, and much more. I've been trained in different mainstream and alternative modalities. And my only criterion for picking one when I work is seeing what works the best and what helps my clients the most. I am not bound by attachment to a specific tradition or technique. Happiness, joy, abundance, and life experience are my criteria.
Tell us about yourself
It's been a step-by-step journey. I started in 2009 when I was in a very rough place in my life, and my only intention was to help myself figure things out. At the time, I was a scientist and ready to become a university professor. What followed was a multi-year journey of traveling across the world, studying with a number of amazing people, tremendous self-discipline and daily practice, intuitive guidance, and many brave choices. Then, in 2019 I decided to leave academia altogether and do my business full-time. It was a scary time because I didn't know much about entrepreneurship, yet I trusted that my happiness was the first priority. And I trusted that I would figure things out, somehow. I named my business Joyful & Creative Living because I really believe we all deserve that - to live from a place of joy and create life in a way that brings happiness to ourselves and others. That's the beginning of the business journey. What motivates me each day is God and Love (I am not religious, but I am deeply spiritual). I had so many profound experiences with God that I know I am here for a reason; I try to love myself unconditionally and know that there is a plan for me, and it's glorious. Having a business is one of those plans.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The transformation that I see in my clients is remarkable. I have to grow every day to keep up with them. They challenge me and inspire me. I am very "lucky" to be doing what I am doing. I put "luck" in quotation marks because I know that we also create our luck. So I created it for myself, and I feel very fortunate.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There are many hard things. One of them is to not resort to doing when you actually need to BE. It's ingrained in our culture that hard work, being busy, and doing things are what get results. It actually doesn't. You do need to work and take action, but they all need to be aligned rather than doing for the sake of doing. So, you need to stay aware, let go of fear, remain present, and choose love every single step of the way. I find that the business journey is a deeply spiritual journey. It trains us to stay present and choose love. You also need to learn how to work smart, not hard.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Tip #1 is DO IT. It might seem that the market is overly saturated and that everyone is doing business. But don't fall into the mindset of scarcity & competition. There is a place for everyone's talent in this world.
Tip #2. DON'T COMPARE yourself with others. This is a downward spiral that is toxic, joy-killing, and disempowering. You need to be you, do you, & embody you. Being a business owner is a journey of very deep self-acceptance and self-value.
Tip #3. Have FUN. Have a practice where you just don't take yourself too seriously. It's too depressing if you take your failures or successes deeply personally. Being a business owner is a serious business, but you don't need to be serious about it ;)
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.mariyashiyko.love/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariya.shiyko
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariyashiyko/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariya-shiyko-phd-mt-lyt-49a9121/
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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