Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Juli Wenger, Founder of Juli Wenger Enterprises Inc., located in Edmonton, AB, Canada.

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

I help impact-driven faith-based entrepreneurs who are ready to live the life they are on this earth to create massive transformation and say goodbye to fear so they can live Fired-up, Fulfilled, and Free. More specifically, I help people understand who they are beyond their roles and titles, get clarity on their purpose, and walk into living that purpose powerfully and with fearless confidence.

How I serve people includes my recently published book - "Fired-up, Fulfilled, and Free," Identity and Purpose Coaching, Entrepreneur Mentorship, Speaking Engagements, and Becoming Ourselves - The Podcast.

Tell us about yourself

I've spent 11 years in the entrepreneur world, 2 of those as a multi-business owner. There are high highs and low lows. I've built success by society's standards and walked away from a half-a-million-dollar-per-year business to live the calling in my life. The last few years have been full of massive transformation and transition. As I've lived through that, I've realized that we lose ourselves to the expectations that we think everyone else has for what being enough and being successful look like. And when that happens, we drift off course from living our purpose, ending up burnt out, stuck, and unfulfilled. Being on the other side of that journey, I have a unique insight into what it means to ditch the fear and overwhelm, drop the stories and shoulds that have been running our lives, and instead wake up every day excited about the impact I get to make. That's what I walk others into. I get FIRED-UP about identity, purpose, and building businesses that serve our callings without sacrificing family, faith, or ourselves in the process.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Saying no to continuing to live someone else's success story and jumping feet first into the unknown of something new. Walking away from a business where I had status, made a lot of money, and was seen as successful was scary, but I wouldn't change the decision for anything.

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

Comparison. Hands down. It's so easy to get pulled into what everyone else is doing and where we are now compared to where we thought we would or should be. Changing the way we think about our own enoughness and measuring up is vital so that we can step out of the comparison trap and stop giving our power to what we perceive to be other people's expectations.

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

  1. Know who you are - without understanding your identity beyond your roles, titles, and achievements, you have no guardrails for determining how to show up, stay in integrity with yourself, or become a more rooted and whole version of yourself. Authenticity is powerful, and with how much of ourselves we give to our businesses, we need to ensure that we are fully aligned with the work we choose.
  2. Get out of your own way - fear is a liar, and fear underpins ALL the ways that we self-sabotage and keep ourselves small, safe, and the same. Building a business requires courage and flies in the face of small, safe, or the same. Knowing that you default to people-pleasing or perfectionism in conflict, understanding that you micromanage or avoid chaos, or seeing patterns of overwhelm and imposter syndrome in times of growth all help us to get out in front of the challenges we create for ourselves. When we know what to look for, we can choose to show up differently.
  3. Live your purpose - money is not a motivator. It's great to have, but it won't fulfill you or pull you through the tough days (and there will be tough days). Having a bigger picture purpose that serves others and creates an impact in the world that is fully aligned with who you are will pull you through and keep you going when you hit speedbumps and roadblocks on the journey. And it allows you to build something that will sustainably fulfill you and fire you up.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Don't travel alone - there is no way I could have achieved the transformation, completed the projects, or built the business that I have on my own. There has been a consistent community of people, ranging from friends and colleagues to coaches and therapists, that have supported me, reminded me of who I am when I forget and called me up to what I am capable of. And more importantly, for me, none of it was possible without giving an unapologetic 100% yes to letting God lead the journey. Choosing to trust that what He has for me is better than I can plan has been the best decision of my life.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.juliwenger.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliMWenger/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliwenger/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliwenger/

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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