Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Amrit Khalsa, CEO of Kundalini Research Institute, located in Espanola, NM, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) has been around for 50 years. We are all about Kundalini Yoga. Everything we do is to make the benefits and practice of Kundalini Yoga, based on the Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, accessible to all people from all backgrounds. So we run a worldwide yoga teacher training school, publish yoga books, and provide online deep-dive yoga workshops.
KRI has resources to support beginners, long-time practitioners, and those just curious about what Kundalini Yoga is. People all over the world are buying our books, taking our courses, and getting certified as teachers by any one of our hundreds of amazing teacher trainers.
Tell us about yourself
I got started in business sort of by accident. I was getting my Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering and was not seeing myself as being happy in a career as a researcher. I struggled, grasping what else I could do that would energize and excite me. I was thinking about the business world. But at first, still within the confines of the Aeronautics world. So I was contemplating working for big businesses like Pratt & Whitney or Boeing.
A few months before I graduated, I got the opportunity to work in a small company - Yogi Tea. At first, it was a very strange transition for me. Business challenges generally don't have simple solutions like an engineering problem would! I grew to really enjoy the day-to-day challenges of running a business. It is so complex, with so many inter-related factors. And, of course, the ever-present issues that come with trying to figure out (and work with!) human beings!
When I combine the intellectual stimulation and challenges of working in a small business with the passion and heart of working for a social enterprise (whether for-profit or non-profit), I find myself very fulfilled and happy. I personally wouldn't want to invest so much time and effort into "just" a business out to make money. But making money while also doing good in the world is an awesome, fun, and fulfilling challenge!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I stepped in as CEO of our non-profit in the middle of 2020, with COVID shutting down most yoga studios and causing a huge crisis in our organization. I feel that steering the company through that storm (it's still not done yet!) as my first CEO "job assignment" was my biggest accomplishment.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I think the complexity of running a small business is one of the hardest things. You have to know enough about HR, legal, marketing, sales, IT, finance, etc., to not have anything major fall through the cracks. You will always have way too much to do to get it all done. So can you make smart choices about what are the primary things to focus on? Or are you focusing just on what you're good at or what you enjoy doing? So yes, you also have to be super amazing at time management. But it's not just maintaining your sanity with whatever life-work balance you need. It's also knowing what needs your time and attention, what doesn't, and what can wait or be ignored or delegated.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Marketing - nothing will work if you aren't selling your products or services. You have to know how to reach your customers.
- Choosing the right team - who you surround yourself with REALLY matters. Be mindful of who you work with, from partners, investors, and staff to vendors and customers.
- Follow your passion - not the lure of riches.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://kundaliniresearchinstitute.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KundaliniResearchInstitute
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Kundalini_Research_Institute/
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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