Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Krystal Jakosky, Owner and Operator of The Beam and Bell, located in Lafayette, CO, USA.

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

I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster focused on helping people “Own Their Shit.” What does this mean? All of us are going through life with our past experiences feeding into our present reactions. Emotions, gender roles, Religion, politics, finances, and communication, we learn them all from those raising us. And then, we begin adulting and get to navigate relationships with others who have vastly different belief systems and experiences.

“Owning Your Shit” means you willingly seek to understand yourself and how you got to this space in your life. It also means you embrace your own contribution to creation. Your choices, or avoidance of them, led to the life you live today, and they can completely alter the life you live tomorrow and beyond.

Tell us about yourself

Truthfully, my business journey began when I was faced with owning my own shit. I found myself in an unhealthy space filled with others’ expectations fueling most aspects of my life. Low self-worth, a non-existent voice for my own needs, supporting others from an empty cup under the guise of being joyful, bubbly, and the go-to, got-it-together wife, mother, and friend. I was miserable, weighed down, and blamed others for the space I found myself in.

That all changed when I took a huge step out of my comfort zone and auditioned for a play. Outside of my normal community group, I found new self-worth and confidence. I found acceptance as I was and could re-create my own existence. My cup was being filled instead of drained. And therein lay the beginning of my Shit Owning journey. Counseling helped me learn my choices led to the life experiences I was having. Which meant I was responsible for where I was, and I was responsible for changing it. That was back in 2009. My radical self-ownership journey began, and I was a sponge for learning how to understand, shift and change my truth and reality. Now? I get to help others do it too. My personal experience means I’m able to connect and assist in a unique way. Yes, I’ll hold space for you when you’re healing; I’ll also be brutally honest with you when you’re actively avoiding responsibility. I love seeing the shift and freedom clients feel when we work together. It’s an honor to be a trusted guide in changing lives.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Perseverance.

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

Perseverance. Holding on, pushing through, and believing things will work out. Success doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time. You will find fantastic supporters, and you will experience people who want to see you fail. There have been plenty of times I’ve questioned why I’m still pushing. And then, I check back in with my purpose, my drive, my hopes, and my supporters. I recenter and find a renewed energy to keep going. If you don’t have a thick skin and a long game in mind, it can be easy to get derailed. Keeping your eyes on the why behind what you’re doing can be difficult, and yet It’s paramount to your success.

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

  1. It’s not a sprint. This is a marathon. Do you know those reflectors on the side of the highway? They’re milestones. Goals. The next step or achievement. Celebrate reaching each milestone and seek out the next one. They all build upon each other, and just like speed limits, sometimes you’ll grow quickly, and others, it’ll feel like a snail’s pace. Regardless, you’re still making progress.
  2. Get a business coach or mentor. Whether through SCORE or other avenues, someone who’s been through it and knows how to help you move forward is invaluable.
  3. Self-care, self-care, self-care. Whatever it looks like. Running, delicious food, naps, the things that refuel you. Starting a business is draining, and as a finite resource, if you burn out because you didn’t recognize your importance, who will continue building the business?

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://krystaljakosky.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/krystaljakoskyfb/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystaljakosky/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystal-jakosky-94a8194/

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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