Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Leah Tarleton, Founder of The Nourished Sensitive, located in Seattle, WA, USA.

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

I run a virtual holistic health practice centering around a 9-element framework for nourishment that I developed on my own health and healing journey. I strive to go beyond the paradigm of health and nutrition founded on good vs. bad foods and teach my clients how to create a nourishing relationship with food, the body, and themselves. My practice specializes in the health and wellness needs of the highly-sensitive person, an inborn personality trait found in about 20% of the population. High sensitivity as a trait comes with unique gifts and challenges. My mission is to help highly-sensitive humans reach their highest level of nourishment so that they feel empowered to use their gifts to be the change they wish to see in the world.

Tell us about yourself

I began my journey into entrepreneurship after leaving the healthcare system, where I worked as a clinical nutrition manager and dietitian in a skilled nursing and long-term care facility. While I enjoyed the challenge of working with patients with complex clinical needs, I knew deep down that I wanted to help people prevent the onset of clinical disease, spend more time listening to the stories of the people I served, and help them live full and healthy lives. I started working on my business in the summer of 2020, starting with a focus on nutrition for anxiety. I followed that with a brief excursion into weight-loss counseling before finally landing on the holistic health coaching work I do now at The Nourished Sensitive. I was inspired to start working towards a comprehensive health and nourishment coaching business for HSPs when I discovered the trait of high sensitivity within myself, underwent a profound spiritual awakening, and embarked on a health and healing journey that I remain on today. I feel privileged to bring this work into the world as it serves a unique need and is aligned with who I am as a person in a very deep way. My work brings together my personal and professional interests from sustainable living to nutritional psychology, person-centered counseling, planetary health, healing, and mental health advocacy. I consider myself the personal embodiment of my brand because the work I do to help and nourish myself becomes the soil for my work to nourish others and help them grow to their full potential.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The biggest accomplishment as a business owner is finding my way to the work I am doing now, running a full-time coaching practice, social media community, and soon-to-be membership. There were many diversions and wanderings through dark forests on this long path to entrepreneurship. At times, I wanted to give it up, telling myself stories about my ability as a business owner and aptitude for entrepreneurship. I kept going because I had a clear vision and a mission that felt bigger than myself. I am very proud of my persistence and resilience in bringing this work into the world, as I feel it is very needed.

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

The near-constant discomfort of being vulnerable and putting yourself out there. Even as you grow, gain followers, collaborate, and work with clients, there is a painful element to business that one has to learn how to cope with. Starting my own business tested me on every level of mind-body and spirit. I had to learn to be resilient and bounce back. The discomfort is always there, and it's been a challenge, but it has also deepened my faith in myself and to trust in what guides and animates me in life.

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

As a business owner, step 1 is learning to cope with the discomfort of iteration, innovation, failure, decision-making, and creation. It takes a very strong vision, a resilient and positive mindset, and a commitment to daily, imperfect action to reach what you set out to reach and help who you set out to help. Having a sense of your mission and purpose that is bigger than your own sense of self is a necessary second step. You have to know that you are guided and that as long as your intentions are good and you take steps forward each day, you will eventually get there. Failure may happen, but you cannot let it stop you. Finally, which is probably the biggest step, is knowing who you are and not wavering. When you start working on your business, you'll have a lot of information coming at you. Coaches who try to sell you information about how to market, comments that your approach or perspective isn't right, and people who unfollow you or question your motives and intentions. You'll fear your ability to make money and keep the wheels turning. Knowing yourself on a deep level, practicing ongoing self-awareness, and keeping your self-talk as positive as humanly possible will take you far.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I have struggled with every barrier, mistake, frustration, pain point, and temper tantrum a business owner could ever face. From crippling anxiety to burnout and beyond, the only thing that matters is that you keep trying. If I can do it, I know that you can too. It's important to know what kind of change you want to see in this world and then to be it (not waiting to see what others do or think about it). It's also important to have a dream. We are often told that dreaming and having a vision is not for mature adults, but I believe the opposite. Having and holding a dream is crucial. You'll feel lost if you don't know what you want to see change or what you want to see more of. So dream without shame and keep working on what you want to create. There's no right and wrong, and there's no such thing as failure or falling behind.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.nourishedsensitive.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenourishedsensitive
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.nourished.sensitive/
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/hspnutritionist
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahtarletonmsrdn/

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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