Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Adrienne Irizarry, Founder of Moon Essence, LLC., located in South Berwick, ME, USA.

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

Moon Essence is a women's health practice using Eastern medicine approaches to restore health and harmony in the body. I help women ease period symptoms, improve fertility and ease life transitions.

Tell us about yourself

My backstory begins the same as the narrative of thousands of women around the world — I had period problems, and I wanted to have a baby. My periods had always been painful, irregular, and heavy from the time I started menstruating and working in a corporate environment prior to becoming a practitioner; these issues escalated and were the worst they had ever been. It was impacting my ability to contribute to my job in the way I knew I was capable of. I had lost multiple pregnancies. After seeing several OB/GYNs, the answer was always the same:

"Let's try birth control to regulate your cycle" — the result? Weight gain, cramping, and eventually a "cardiac episode," which mirrored a heart attack at the age of 25.

"Let's try pain management" — the result? Less pain but still heavy flow and utter exhaustion because the "faucet" wouldn't turn off in less than ten days.

I went in search of the "why" my body was so symptomatic and why I was struggling with recurrent miscarriages, which shaped me into the practitioner I have become. Today, I am the proud owner of a 28-30 day symptom-free cycle, even though I have endometriosis, as a result of the work that I do. All women deserve to have a hassle-free period. I'm on a mission to help others feel as good as I do now.

Using peristeam hydrotherapy, sound healing, Chinese nutritional therapy, and herbalism, I work with the intricate tapestry of our emotional, physical and spiritual bodies to put women in the driver's seat of their health, offering period solutions for a symptom-free life.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is more about the work than the business. I have found that the business takes care of itself when I am working from my soul's purpose and not trying to force anything into the "this is how a business is supposed to run" kind of analytical box.

My greatest accomplishment in this work has been restoring healthy periods in bodies that struggle so these women can reclaim their lives. Restoring healthy periods has helped women who were told they might never get pregnant have healthy pregnancies and hold their dream babies in their arms.

Restoring healthy periods helps women to control whether they get pregnant or not without relying on birth control. Restoring healthy periods gives women who lose several days a month to debilitating pain and emotional symptoms back their lives. A healthy period means the sky is the limit, and your body is no longer calling the shots - you are.

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

The hardest part of being a business owner is time. Creating the time for yourself outside of work to focus on self-care takes creativity. It is a challenge to find enough time in a day to get all the tasks outside of externally facing client care finished. As a small business owner, there is "always something" that needs to be done and giving myself grace to accept that my "to-do" list isn't completed every day is a daily mindfulness practice.

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

  1. Self-care isn't selfish. It is important to find ways to take care of yourself. This could be small things like setting a timer and getting up from your computer every hour or so. You are your business, and your health is wealth. If you don't take mindful care of the vessel - you won't reach your goals.
  2. Take time to reflect on your accomplishments. This could be looking at things quarterly or even annually, but it is important to look at everything you have done. Often we get so entrenched in the day-to-day work and accomplishing tasks we lose sight of the bigger picture. Regular evaluations help you not only appreciate how far you have come as you are getting a business off the ground but also streamline your processes faster because you reflect on what worked and didn't work and can make necessary changes.
  3. Take time for gratitude. Some days as a small business owner, stress feels bigger, and losing sight of accomplishments is easy to do. Each day, write down three things that you are thankful for or grateful have happened. It acts as a small reflection on your progress but keeps your vibration high to attract the opportunities and partnerships that will help you continue moving in the direction of your goals.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://moonessence.life/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoonEssenceME/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonessenceme/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/moonessenceme
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-irizarry-phc-07017ab/

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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