Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Asha Dickens, Owner of October Lotus, located in Chicago, IL, USA.

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

October Lotus is a holistic healing and self-care company that provides Reiki services and education, and organic herbs for womb wellness and overall health. I also provide doula support for laboring people. My customers are people who are seeking alternative solutions for their healing.

The customers who purchase womb wellness herbs are typically looking for a non-prescription solution that provides relief for gynecological challenges like endometriosis, fibroids, menstrual cramps, PMS symptoms, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, etc. I recently launched herbal teas that support liver detoxification, inflammation reduction, and the lowering of blood pressure. These customers have similar objectives. They are looking for holistic methods to heal a health challenge.

Tell us about yourself

I never intended to become an entrepreneur. I’d been content in my advertising career for eleven years when in 2017, everything changed for me. After experiencing several personal setbacks, I decided to take some time off from work to rest and determine how I could make changes in my life. I ended up taking a few months off, never returning to work as a full-time employee but freelancing at various advertising agencies.

One of the challenges that led to my “employment hiatus” was being diagnosed with a reproductive condition called endometriosis (endo) in 2016. I used some of my time off to really care for myself and find a way to manage my endo. For months I followed my doctor’s treatment plan. Some of it was helpful and other aspects not so much. A friend suggested I try this healing modality called “Reiki.” I had no clue what it was, but I tried it. Over the course of the three months I’d been receiving Reiki treatments, I felt less pain.

I found the experience so valuable that I became a certified Reiki practitioner. Simultaneously, I also began learning about holistic healing methodologies. I learned that women with reproductive conditions were finding healing in herbs. After doing what is called a sitz bath and drinking homemade teas, my chronic pain began to improve even more.

I felt I could benefit from taking herbology courses to learn more about the science of herbs in an effort to really support my body’s healing. Ultimately, I learned to create herbal formulas that combat issues like inflammation, hormonal imbalance, pain relief, and poor immune function. I told everyone I knew about my newfound treatments, which led to friends and family asking if I could create recipes for their issues. By 2018, October Lotus was born.

I started October Lotus out of the desire to encourage and empower women to take control of their reproductive health and offer both support and an alternative solution to their regimen. By 2020, somewhat prompted by COVID-19 challenges, I realized October Lotus is my primary business, not working for someone else. It brought me so much joy and excitement, while advertising made me stressed and anxious.

I began treating my business like a business, creating a business plan, developing growth strategies, networking, and selling at markets, and I watched it blossom. Now, October Lotus is a holistic healing company that offers Reiki services and education, herbal formulas for not just gynecological wellness but overall wellness, and birth doula support. Each of the three segments of October Lotus can work disparately or altogether to support clients, depending on their needs.

I am constantly thinking about my customers and clients. Everything that I do is for them and their healing. I innovate with my clients in mind. I create new products, packages, and offers with them in mind. Women with reproductive concerns are fighting a lot of battles, our own discomfort in our bodies, and doctors who aren’t exactly clear on how to support us and manage our mental health through these challenges.

In this specific area of my business (making herbal formulas to support overall wellness), I want to provide an alternative solution and provide my clients/customers with support and encouragement. I also want my doula clients to feel empowered, respected, and supported during their labor experience. I want my Reiki students and clients to feel grounded and aligned. That is a success for me.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I love hearing from my customers and clients that my products or services benefited them in ways that amplified their healing. Happy clients make me most proud. However, my biggest accomplishment is getting accepted into a small business incubator I'd been excited to participate in and receive a $20,000 small business grant. The incubator gave me the tools to broaden my thinking and expand my offerings. The grant allowed me to fund some of my bigger ideas and take care of legal matters like trademarking, etc.

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

My greatest challenge has been maintaining consistent business for each of the three tenets of my business (tea sales, Reiki/health education, and birth doula support). Cracking the nut on keeping everything progressing at the same time is still a challenge for me. I've come to the realization that each of the three tenets may always have its own ebb and flow and may never have the same cycle of momentum.

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

  1. Before making a decision to become a full-time entrepreneur, make sure you are covered financially. I do not recommend leaving your job until you are truly ready to make the leap. Financial matters will always arise, but being as prepared as possible will save you a lot of heartburn.
  2. Invest in systems that help simplify your day-to-day. In the end, the investment is worth it. As a business owner, there are so many things to take care of, from financials to administrative tasks to marketing and legal tasks. Even if you have partners, there is still a lot to be done, and anyway you can simplify tasks, I suggest doing this. Whether it be utilizing bookkeeping software like QuickBooks, using social media post scheduling apps/sites, etc. It all helps.
  3. Grants are your friend. It's common to think that your business can sustain itself based on generated revenue, but you will have big ideas you want to fund. Your business may even be able to pay for your big ideas, but there is always something that will come up, and grants are extremely helpful.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Starting October Lotus has been one of the best experiences of my life. It is not always easy, but I know that I am living and working for my purpose. I'm always excited about the potential and growth opportunities. Even in the difficult times, the feeling of accomplishment and purpose far outweigh the successes I had in my career.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.octoberlotus.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/octoberlotus18
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/october.lotus/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/october-lotus/

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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