Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Leslie Lew, founder of Reclaiming Your Courage, located in San Rafael, CA, USA.

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

I empower AAPI womxn and allies to become stronger self-advocates through mind, body, and voice. I am an ally to the BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergent, and Differently Abled communities.

Tell us about yourself

I am the founder of Reclaiming Your Courage, keynote speaker, and trauma-informed self-defense coach. I am a second-generation Korean and Chinese American mother of two and wife. I am the "Self-Defense Mama." I became the Self-Defense Mama when I made the decision to become the mother I always needed by breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma.

My mission is to save the lives of womxn. For the abandoned, unheard and unseen, I believe you. I will fight for you. You are worth defending; I love you. It's what keeps me up at night, what pours gasoline over my body and lights me up. The communities I support deserve to feel safe and that they have the ability to defend themselves.

I have been a lifelong martial artist. A few years ago, I was part of an amazing workshop as part of the Fearless Movement. We facilitated 2-day workshops on self-defense which included building a mindset around self-protection", vocalizing boundaries and speaking up, and practical self-defense (releasing yourself from wrist grabs, hair pulls, etc.). I started noticing that it wasn't enough just to show womxn how to kick a pad or do a technique. Oftentimes, I saw that these participants were mentally stuck or triggered by their trauma, so rather than rolling my eyes or losing patience, I held space for them. I listened to the heart of their pain and why they were living in their heads. Coaching them through their mindset and helping them vocalize their boundaries led to powerful outcomes when they finally did carry out the technique; it was unbelievable!

I started my business shortly after then the pandemic started, and a couple of months after that, the Atlanta Spa Shootings occurred that killed eight people, 6 of whom were Asian women. It rocked me to my core, and because the media humanized the assailant and the victims, all could have been my Korean mother. After that, there was an uptick in Anti-Asian hate crimes. Go to the stopaapihate.org website, and you will see the National Report that states, "from March 19, 2020, to December 31, 2021, a total of 10,905 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons were reported to Stop AAPI Hate."

My business values of love and courage always align and come back to combating Stop Asian Hate and supporting groups that have been historically marginalized.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Time and time again, there are two consistent accomplishments:

  1. Empowering womxn who have suffered silently, believed they were not strong enough or couldn't do self-defense, and watching the moment when their mind, body, and voice align. When they unleash and stand in their power, I feel such gratitude for being able to witness that. I get to help guide them, but everything they need lives within them.
  2. The work that I do in my business allows me to support people by helping them understand that there is an intersection between how they identify with how potential attackers perceive them. When we really dive into that psychology, it elevates their healing journey.

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

It can be lonely because it's a mindset shift. It also takes discipline and sacrifice. There is no manual, so you have to be ok with constantly pivoting.

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

  1. Get clarity by defining your personal and business values and letting that be your North Star. Once you have that clarity, choose a path and just go. The anticipation of what if's is worse than what actually happens. You will learn so much about yourself in the process.
  2. Don't think so much; feel it, then go with the flow. Don't let anyone tell you how to run your business; follow your gut.
  3. Ask for help. Save yourself heartache, time, and energy. Reach out to other business owners because odds are they have hit similar walls.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.reclaimingyourcourage.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=734253260
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reclaimingyourcourage/

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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