Decolonizing Spirituality & Wellness

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sheena Ewan, Founder of OnePeopleTO, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

Through my business, OnePeopleTO, I offer virtual and in-person corporate Reiki, meditation, and mindfulness packages, speaking partnerships, art workshops, astrology and/or tarot parties, spiritual mentorship, intentional living products, and most of all, deep healing work for those who are ready to take their healing, wellness, and mental health into their own hands.

OnePeopleTO is a cultural & traditional wellness sanctuary that fosters a space for deep rest, mental relaxation, overall well-being & personal leadership by centering the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) and the redistribution of wealth & power to those communities. We do this by offering community-based healing events, partnership opportunities, corporate packages, and entrepreneur memberships. We also house a directory of individual healing practitioners for our corporate offerings.

Tell us about yourself

As a healthy survivor of childhood sexual abuse and racial trauma, I am extremely passionate about empowering others through phases of transition and helping to hold space, light, and healing for those who are navigating various challenges so they can continue to show up in life knowing they have the spiritual and emotional support they need to move through uncertainty to success. Outside of my work in bringing mindfulness and traditional healing to post-secondary students and employees to enhance overall wellness, mental health, and capacity, I am a Black Queer Reiki Master, Toronto-based serial entrepreneur, artist/creator, mindfulness practitioner, certified astrologer, spiritual mentor, writer, and the founder of Raw Redemption and co-founder of Roots Movement Retreats - a self-care retreat for those needing to immerse themselves in self-healing.

In 2019, I was guided by my Ancestors to open OnePeopleTO, Toronto's Decolonizing Wellness & Spiritual Sanctuary, to address the economic and racial disparities in wellness and non-denominational spirituality. More recently, in 2020, after completing a Post-Integration Training with Fluence Training, I began trip sitting, holding psychedelic ceremonies for Black, Brown, and Queer/Trans folks, and working with other organizations to bring an intersectional lens to psychedelic medicine retreats.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Aligning with brands and partners that are committed to doing the work to affect system change in society as a whole. That makes me so happy.

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

As a believer of Human Design, I'm a generator which means the way I am most successful is to just show up exactly as I am and shine in order to generate interest and attention. From there, I am meant to choose which invitations feel best for me. It's reminiscent of how business works, but any entrepreneur knows business can be daunting a lot of times.

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

Dedicate time to self-development practices of all kinds because it will help you feel more comfortable with yourself and show up authentically, which draws in the best partnerships.
Protect your dreams and ideas until you've made a little bit of headway and/or only trust your gems with people you know will be excited for you to develop your idea.
Know there will be ebbs and flows, so be prepared for the stress as well as the success, but it's all worth it.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.onepeopleto.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onepeopleto
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onepeopleto/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/onepeopleto
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onepeopleto/

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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