Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maria Mayes, a WellBeing Coach, based in Madera, CA, USA.

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

As a Well-Being Coach and Teacher, I founded Take 5 with the mission of helping others take their power back from anxiety. Take 5 serves both individuals and businesses. I specialize in helping professionals juggle high-stress occupations with the demands of caring for their children and/or parents. With Take 5, I simplify techniques and ancient wisdom teachings into small digestible bites that are easy to apply in busy western lifestyles. I resource and empower clients through live and video-based instruction, courses, and one-on-one coaching, all with the intention of being a conduit for inner peace.

My core membership offerings are Take 5 Stretch & Breath Breaks, delivered as a video subscription service for work teams and individuals. Take 5s are workplace relaxation videos that guide viewers in stepping away from the to-do list and media for 5 minutes to release neck & shoulder tension, improve mental focus and take their power back from anxiety during the work day. My Take 5 Well-Being and Wine workshops offer a fun and experiential way to obtain the knowledge and tools to manage stress in the workplace better and mindfully enjoy wine or other beverages.

In coaching, I help my clients achieve true and lasting change in their desired area of life, whether that be in careers, relationships, health, or spirituality. I find that regardless of the focus area, the underlying roadblocks are often fear-based, and the fundamental goal is always the same to find lasting Inner Peace. My approach to coaching combines the best practices from health coaching and life coaching with the latest in neuroscience and positive psychology. It's grounded in the teachings of Ayurvedic philosophy and rooted in meditation and breathing practices, which allow for true transformation to occur.

Tell us about yourself

My vision is to create a more peaceful, beautiful work for this generation and the next by helping others find inner peace. I know anxiety well; while diagnosed in my early 30s, my symptoms began in early childhood. In fact, I believe anxiety is a generational curse within my family, and I am here to break it. At two years of age, I began having episodes where I would pass out and seize (an extreme form of neurocardiogenic syncope/dysautonomia). As I grew up and the stresses and conditioning of the world did too, the anxiety of never knowing when I would lose consciousness multiplied into a full fear-based lifestyle that I tried to outrun by overachieving, overworking, and self-medicating. Fueled by a desire to take my power back so I could be there for my children and ensure they didn't carry on the family tradition of an anxiety-laced lifestyle, I began exploring ways to manage it naturally. My journey to take my power back was a long one. In 2020 I stepped out of a 20-year career in the technology sector to launch Take 5 with the intention of helping others do it more quickly. I've condensed more than a decade of research, education, certifications, and, most importantly, experimentation into my offerings for individuals and work teams.

I believe the most powerful tool we have for healing is the wisdom that's within our bodies. Each day as I see our culture telling us otherwise, I am motivated even more to share my message and guide others in unlocking their power to heal. Every time I get the privilege of witnessing a client's transformation or receive a note of how my teaching impacts them, I am driven to continue learning more and expand my offerings with Take 5.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment with Take 5 is showing my children it's possible to pursue your passion and live your purpose in your career. It's also the ripple effects I see when client's have taken their power back and can then show up fully for those they lead and/or those they parent.

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

One of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner is the ever illusive "balance." There are only so many hours in a day, and it's easy to get so caught up in the doing that you end up with a distracted presence rather than a full presence for those you love. It's really important for me to take my own medicine and take 5 to just be with my breath and recenter to ensure that as I transition from my role as a business owner to a parent, I show up fully for each of them.

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

  1. Trust that if you have a desire to start your business, the universe will support you with the power to fulfill it.
  2. Release the obsession to have everything be perfect, don't let it delay you from starting your business. The world needs your message and your offering, and you will refine it and improve it as you go.
  3. Accept that you are human and can't do it all well all the time. Developing self-awareness skills and self-compassion muscles are a few of the most important tools for an entrepreneur's well-being. With self-awareness comes power, and with self-compassion comes peace.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

As entrepreneurs, we can tend to get in our heads a lot. The fastest way to get into the body is by deepening and lengthening your breath. It has the power to modify your current state of emotion, to change a mindless reaction into a mindful response, to reset your nervous system, and help you take your power back from anxiety. Never underestimate its power or your power.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.take5.health/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/take5health
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/take5health/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/take5health/

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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