Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Melissa Jirovec, Founder of Melissa Jirovec Coaching, located in North Bay, ON, Canada.

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

I am a Freedom Lifestyle Creatrix, Breathwork & Meditation Facilitator & Podcast Host providing lifestyle coaching to women. My work is focused on self-honoring, self-regulation, and empowerment. Liberating women from the 'should' life, healing disconnection, and adding 'oomph' to the everyday.

Tell us about yourself

My education and background are in Healthcare- working as a PSW and then as a Registered Nurse. About 8 years ago, my husband was in a traumatic accident and I left my career to care for him at home. Having been out of the field too long, it was no longer possible for me to return to nursing, but I had no idea where to go from there. So I did a personal development deep dive and realized I'd been living a life where I held myself back so much! And it was a great source of anxiety and fatigue for me. I started to hire mentors, studied books, attended workshops, and created new habits of journalling, meditating, and networking. I fell in love with the process and found myself transformed. I decided that I wanted to help other women do some of the things I'd been able to do- build confidence, honor themselves, have more energy, have more fun, become solution-focused, and create deeper connections to self, others, and the world around them.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is creating a lifestyle for myself where I can embody what I teach and show others (rather than tell them) what's possible (while also raising a family and growing the business). There's a difference between being a teacher and being a coach - A coach is a walking, talking example of what gets to be possible in her spaces and as she elevates, so do her clients and their experiences with her. It's not always easy to expand that way (and meet scary, uncomfortable edges) when you've got personal responsibilities and an expanding business that requires more and more of your time and energy. Self-management becomes a crucial factor but also a pattern disruptor because you can get sucked into 'busyness' and lose what makes your magic. I'm proud to be operating with integrity.

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

Having to figure out the path, both through trial and error and by learning to make decisions that are best for you while leaning into deep trust. No matter how many people can tell you that they have the blueprint to success- the truth is, they have a blueprint that may work for some but won't work for all. Nobody can give you all the steps; you have to figure them out. If you're not used to leading yourself that way, it can be very stressful and draining, and that's why some of the core pieces of my work are energy management and self-regulation, so you can meet those challenges and figure them out sustainably.

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

  1. Make sure you have habits in your lifestyle that support clear thinking, reflection and responsiveness. If you're swamped, if your mind is racing, if you're not able to take a step back and think things through, you're not going to make the best decisions for you or your business. You are your greatest asset. It takes more than 'doing tasks' and 'being productive' to succeed.
  2. Figure out how you work best early on- working with your mind/body is going to save you so much time. Do you work best in the morning? In the evening? Do you work best over longer periods, or can you pump out fabulous work in short bursts with periods of rest and replenishment in between? What helps you think and get creative? What can you delegate so you can focus on what you do best? Human design is a great area to explore to help you do this.
  3. Meet the emotions that come up in the process rather than trying to push through and bypass them. Some of the greatest lessons in business will come from moments that challenge you, trigger you, force you to meet parts of you that you don't love, and invite you to see things from different perspectives. Meeting your edges is a power move.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.melissajirovec.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083896964685
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissajirovec/
Podcast: https://apple.co/3W2YKgC

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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