Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nelma Sumbe, Owner of Naturally Nelma, located in Houston, TX, USA.

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

Naturally Nelma’s Goddess Circle is about connecting with your inner light, your inner child, and getting back to your light. It’s about pushing past mental barriers, doubts, and fears, and it’s about healing on deeply spiritual and even tantric healing because healing is damn near orgasmic. Within this healing circle, I’ll be facilitating a 3-month virtual coaching program for women postpartum or not who is to be held accountable for the promises they make to themselves about their weight loss and healing journey.

The program begins in September and will include:
• A 12 Week- Weight-loss Digital Journal
• WEEKLY Chef -curated Recipes ( meal prep available for locals)
• 12 One-on-One Coaching Calls
• Private goddess's circle on Facebook and the Peanut App
• Free Product & Supplement Samples
• Weekly Blog Posts for Motivation and Support
• Discounted Coupons for Care packages ( spa treatments, vitamins, gym gear, etc.)
• $2000+ Grand Prize drawing for exclusive merchandise ( yoga MAT, mat towel, thermal water bottle, and an AppleWatch)
• FREE VIRTUAL YOGA classes

Tell us about yourself

Yoga and Wellness have been a staple part of my personal healing journey, and after eight years of practicing as a student, I felt drawn and called to teach. I invested in a local yoga school for my 200 Hour RYT and started the program in June of 2020, and finished last year in December. All while this was happening, I also became pregnant back-to-back with my fiancé, and my soon-to-be husband came in September. My firstborn was born in February 2021, and my second this year in the same month.

Having found myself as a new mother with two under two, I was extremely overwhelmed. I hadn’t really been working for about 18 months, and I knew I no longer held the same level of physical endurance to knockout 14-hour working days while being a full-time mom. With the stress of babies, unemployment, and a wedding mounting, I decided to get back to what naturally helps. I began to exercise again. I took advantage of my 4 AM alarm, that is, my little girl waking up for her feeding, and after she was down, I was out the door and in the gym or the yoga studio. As each week went by, I began to feel more and more like myself again, my energy started coming back, and the baby weight just began melting.

Sometimes when life feels overwhelming, you become too clouded by the things that are causing you stress and anxiety. You forget that simple habits are the best formula for long-term results. With that, I created and currently working on the first Women’s Circle Project.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being persistent and consistent in my desire to bring health to the world is my greatest accomplishment so far. Finishing my Yoga Certification with two pregnancies in between and just being able to be a full-time mom while I help other women become greater versions of themselves is pure joy for me. The truth is I am just really getting started, and there’s so much more to come from Naturally Nelma

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

Naturally Nelma started in 2014 as a digital content account on Instagram while I was attending culinary school and became a holistic catering company the same time I graduated in 2017. Our mission statement has always been ‘high-quality ingredients produce high-quality meals.

Our clients have ranged anywhere from business executives who are too busy to cook, clients on strict medical diets, as well as trainers, athletes, and competition-based clients who need their macros, accounted for their individual goals. My services have provided meal prepping onsite and offsite, event catering scaling up to about 60 people in attendance, and extravagant, unique dinners for various occasions and holidays.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, my business took a massive hit because my work was client based, and my clients were now in quarantine. I was able to occupy my time by working with CocuSocial, a cooking class company that was very quickly able to take their business virtually; however, I felt incredibly unfulfilled. Learning to keep the brand authentic while the world & you are changing yourself has been the greatest struggle. It’s the constant transitions of life that we need to constantly adapt to, and though this was a challenge, my life experiences led me to where I am right now.

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

  1. Don’t wait for it to be perfect; just do it.
  2. You don’t have to have all the experience you will learn as you go; just do it.
  3. It costs $20 to make a balloon stand, and companies charge $500, know your worth.

Where can people find you and your business?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturallynelma/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NaturallyNelma

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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