Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Martha Varela, founder of Dora's Apothecary and Phlighter Aimes, located in Portland, OR, USA.

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

I started Dora's Apothecary to inspire women to incorporate sacred self-care into their daily routine. We can't take care of others until we ourselves are fully whole.

Dora's products are inspired by the traditions of Curanderismo-I stem from a line of shamans, healers, and medicine women. One of the central values passed down was the importance of self-love and self-care. Curan means "to heal," and it all starts from within.

We find ourselves in the time of what the ancient Aztecs called the Fifth Sun- a time in human evolution where science and spirituality come together and (if we play our cards right), we can co-create a more peaceful reality.

When we learn to rely on our inner strength and embrace self-love, we will raise our consciousness and start creating a better world.
My grandmother always referenced this quote by Gandhi: "If you want to change the world, start with yourself."

When we are no longer at war with ourselves, this is when we will see a more peaceful Earth. And it ultimately starts with self-care, which helps us to love ourselves. Once we truly love ourselves, only then can we truly love others. And this creates a chain reaction towards peace, harmony, and acceptance, for the highest truth is there is only ONE human race. We are all connected. We are all one.

Our core values are:

Love yourself first. Because we believe healing and beauty are intertwined. We place a piece of tumbled rose quartz - the stone of universal love - in each of our products to encourage you to love yourself unconditionally.

Honor the Earth. The Earth provides us with everything that we need to heal ourselves. And to honor the Earth, we made it our duty to give more care and consideration toward our environmental impact. We use minimal packaging of only recycled and recyclable materials, safe for the environment. We've also ditched the outer packaging, reducing the weight of primary packaging to create less waste.

Give back to others. The meaning of life is to find your gifts and talents. The purpose of life is to use them in service to others. With this in mind, we donate a portion of each purchase to Spirit Awakening, an arts-based nonprofit dedicated to helping underserved youth and children in the juvenile justice system realize their value and self-worth. They teach the power of positive and productive expression through creative writing, visual arts, improvisation, and meditation.

Tell us about yourself

I'm a soul purpose guide, spiritual mentor, and founder of Dora's Apothecary. I stem from a lineage of Curanderas on my paternal side and psychic intuitive on my maternal side, with values rooted from the same source: Earth and light.

My practice fuses the ancient with the modern and incorporates the teachings of astrology, shamanism, and the Akashic Records. I embrace a mixed-modality approach honoring that no two journeys are the same.

Dora's was conceived during a trip to New Mexico, where I apprenticed with some shamans from my lineage. During a temazcal ceremony (a Mexican sweat lodge), my grandmother came through in a vision and gave me the product idea. Back home, they directed me to a Mexican supermarket where I found Tepezcohuite extract. And that's when I went down the rabbit hole of studies and research surrounding the properties of tree bark. One thing led to another, and honestly, the more I leaned into my intuition, the easier it was to flesh out the entire idea. I also started my soul coaching practice around the same time, so I took some time to figure out how it would all work together.

In the beginning, everyone kept telling me that I couldn't do both, but I kept coming back to my intuition, which told me, "Where there's a will, there's a way." I'm passionate about healing from the inside out-so to me; the two brands always went together.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Honestly, I would say just getting started and sticking with it through the ups and downs. A lot of people never take that leap to bring their ideas to life. If you have an idea, write it down and do something every day that moves you towards your goal. I think a lot of people get stuck in the first stages because they don't have enough money, resources, etc. But you can hire freelancers and just get gritty with it. I used to do everything myself, which was really overwhelming, especially because I have two brands. But the key is balance, having a distinct game plan, and knowing when you need to outsource things. And take some time for deep breathing when things don't go as planned.

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

The hardest thing about being a business owner is wearing all the hats, but that is also the most rewarding part. I worked in HR & recruiting for many years, and I always worked for start-ups and smaller companies, which helped prep me to work for myself. There isn't always an abundance of resources in a start-up, so you have to get scrappy and sometimes do the job of 3-5 people. So it was a good training ground.

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

  1. Start with a business plan-this will help you flesh out your idea. I took this great small business class with Mercy NW, and we created a business plan and had access to mentors-- the whole nine yards. This class really helped me when I was starting out because I had no idea what I was doing. Another great resource is Marie Forleo's B-School.
  2. Be ok with failure. Your business will morph into what it's supposed to be. And if things are working, don't be afraid to pivot. And remember, it doesn't have to be perfect. Just get started--you can tweak things along the way.
  3. Make Fiverr and Upwork your best friends. When I started, I was doing everything on my own, spending so much time researching how to do everything. Instead, focus on what you are good at, and outsource the rest. These freelance sites make it easy and affordable.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Find what brings you passion, and just go for it. I always come back to this quote from Buddha: "The trouble is you think you have time."

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.dorasapothecary.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DorasApothecary/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorasapothecary/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmarlton/

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.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.