Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey by launching a yoga and wellness business, but not sure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Laura R. Karch Gries, co-founder of Awakenings Health Magic Seeds, located in Raleigh, NC, USA.

Tell us all about your business...

The facility offers Acupuncture, Thai massage, traditional Chinese medicine, and acupuncture and counseling services. We have also recently started a Podcast called Magic Seeds. Magic Seeds advises helping people alchemize their relationships with themselves, family, friends, foes, and their careers into success stories.

What's your background and motivation to grow as a solopreneur?

A long time ago, when I was 18, I broke my neck and became paralyzed. I traveled the world and utilized every therapy in the books for years to regain my ability to move from my neck down... and I did. Not entirely, but to this day, 27 years later, I am still trying to perfect my ability to move and process the trauma. This kind of trauma could have taken me down and been the foreground and background to my whole life. This process made me want to share, with the world, the value of these holistic therapies as a post-acute way of living. Everybody's story is just a bit different from each other, but the essence is the same. As a whole, I am a pleased person who loves life and lives life to the fullest. I have a passion for passing the tools to be happy onto others, which is what we teach the people who go to our wellness center and now who listen to our podcast.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I raised excellent and happy children and had an incredible, comfortable, and loving relationship with my husband and business partner. Being a full-time mom and still juggling a successful business, being 45 and still very healthy and fit, and having a very balanced life between work and personal life. In past companies, I've not been so lucky. You know the old saying that if you are successful in your career, you are not so successful with your personal life or vice versa. My husband and I have been highly conscious of this and have balanced the two...and we live very well healthy balanced lives.

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

Balancing absolutely everything, so all aspects of my life are healthy. Staying present and respectful seems to be the key, and this is what I try and teach everyone around me.

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

  1. Do what you love. I like to try things on...a lot of things. If they stick, I know I will stick with it long-term; it's not just an exciting thing. There has to be a passion, something that speaks to your heart. Then, even during the most difficult of times (and there will be many), your heart will guide you to the end of that tunnel.
  2. Do your research. Don't just jump in; make sure you understand the ins and outs and don't try to reinvent the wheel...9 chances out of 10, some of your versions are out there; you have to tweak it to make it "yours."
  3. When you fall, or you fail ( and there will be many), get back up, brush yourself off, learn from your mistakes and Do Life Again. It's just "life." We have so many ups and downs. Learn to be a piece of seaweed, keep your roots planted firmly in the earth, be flexible with the waves, and stand tall when the turmoil is over.

Where can people find you online?

Website: https://awakeningshealth.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurakarchgries/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share then email community@subkit.com, we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.