Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kelsy Timas, CEO of Guiding Wellness Institute, Inc., located in Fayetteville, NC, USA.

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

Guiding Wellness Institute is the Largest Holistic Health and Wellness Center and Mindfulness Training Center in North Carolina. Specializing in Corporate Wellness, Training, and Comprehensive Protocols and Programs. We serve individuals, families, groups, and organizations looking for evidence-based mind-body solutions for improved lifestyle wellness.

Tell us about yourself

It was 11th-grade Biology during dissection and a video recording of open-heart surgery when I first connected with what I wanted to be "when I grew up." Anatomy and physiology were fascinating and renewed my appetite for learning; I was sure that I would be in medicine and pursued it with passion. After two years of working in Quality Management and then two years on the night shift in ICU as an LPN, I had an epiphany about a gap in the health care continuum affecting access and sustainability for patients and providers alike. But what haunted me most was the lack of awareness around education, prevention, and support for the most vulnerable population. Who cares for the caregiver? Where are we serving those who serve?

I never set out to be an entrepreneur; I simply followed my passion for helping people that needed it most, and that connection led me down a path that has pioneered the effort to "re-integrate" allopathic health care as a functional wholistic approach that supports performance, resilience, and recovery across the entire health care landscape. This career path has not always been easy or clear, but the consistent connection with clients and witnessing the profound effects of a comprehensive and collaborative approach remains the driving force behind our innovative and evidence-based approach to evolving toward a healthier and happier community. I still believe that the providers, the warriors, and the leaders of our time are the greatest asset to transformational change. When we support those who hold space for the populations of need and our future, we have the greatest opportunity to heal, learn, grow and thrive collectively. Our personal connection to living well is our greatest hope for the future.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I hope always to exceed our accomplishments and grow every year. Presently, the greatest accomplishment I feel we have had is never quitting. We have many accolades like conducting evidence-based research for the DoD, opening two satellite locations in our first two years of business, and the international impact we have made on the lives of individuals we have supported and served. But what people don't know is that we started without any investors; we survived Hurricane Matthew. We overcame a brutal attempt to steal a contract from an insider. We managed to stay open and grow during a global pandemic. Managing success for the business while also managing life and everything that comes with it without losing focus on our mission, clarity of our purpose, and sustained hope is what I am most proud of.

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

It will always appear to be money but what is most challenging is managing people. Identifying the right people for the right seats within the organization and then building them as a team while keeping the work that is also human-focused relevant for them in an ever-changing climate of need. I have learned to trust myself deeply through this process of deep listening, clear communication of expectation, accountability, and follow-through, and building a culture of conscious leadership that can stay available for the work instead of becoming the work.

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

Choose something you love because you will be doing a lot of it! Have a clear and well-organized plan that includes support and growth before offering it to the world; foundations are everything. And last but not least, remain the greatest investor and shareholder until you are ready to sell.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I am deeply grateful to live in a country that allows and supports a young woman who dreamed of a better way to be both a visionary and an entrepreneur and build a life of her own. It seems appropriate that the greater part of my work has remained focused on serving those who provide and protect that very freedom that has been the foundation of my life's work. I am honored and grateful.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: http://guidingwellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GuidingWellnessInstitute/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guiding_wellness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/guidingwellness/

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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