Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Erica Solis, Founder, and CEO of Poppy Life Care, located in Newport Beach, CA, USA.

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

We serve families & individuals living with mental health challenges and autism spectrum disorders. We create customized treatment algorithms by connecting holistic services easily accessible anytime and anywhere. Our programming is cutting edge with world-class clinicians specializing in Mindfulness-Based Stress Therapy (MSBR), Nutritional Psychiatry, Yoga Therapy, and Music Therapy. Ultimately we have set forth to eradicate the issues related to accessibility to services, siloed medicine, and an overprescribed culture. There is a lack of easily accessible resources, and it is difficult to connect with in-person services; our solution easily connects people with the right services on demand. We are a heavily reliant culture on western medicine, and there is a lack of an integrated, holistic approach. In addition, our children, teens, and young adults are being overprescribed with little to no other options being presented to parents or young adults. Our holistic services provide an alternative way through long-term lifestyle changes and healthier habits, creating a path to sustainable change and improved quality of life.

Tell us about yourself

I love all things startup and wellness! My journey with some of the brain health challenges we work with originally motivated me to start Poppy Life Care. I personally have dealt with anxiety & depression and know the impacts of them all too well. As I began to heal myself and started to implement several health practices intentionally, I saw how my life began to change and evolve. I started to heal my mind, body, heart, and spirit. It is a journey and a lifelong one. We never "come to," and the minute I thought I knew all of the answers, the universe began to change the questions. That said, I have grown and healed through practices such as meditation, yoga, mindfulness, nutrition, and music therapy. I have seen and felt the profound impacts on my life. It would be a disservice to my soul brothers and sisters not to share what I have learned about self-healing. I simply want to do my part in the evolution of a better and more balanced world.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Serial Entrepreneur, 2x COO scaling companies to revenues of $200m. I have been recognized as an outstanding entrepreneur/leader by Octane OC, Red Herring, California Business Journal, and OC Business Journal. I am proud of my track record of helping startups and small businesses thrive. I am grateful for all the learnings and lessons in business and look forward to continued success.

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

HAHA! A lot! In all seriousness, it is keeping the passion of my heart and not getting bogged down by administration or tasks that take me out of my passion for the mission. The mission energizes me, so keeping the balance between my WHY and the nuts and bolts of keeping a business alive is critical to my continued motivation and, of course, the company's long-term success.

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

  1. Make sure you are passionate about it, and you truly care because there are going to be days when you want to give up or it "feels too difficult" what keeps me going in those times is that I truly care. I truly want to see this mission succeed beyond me.
  2. Have a balance between work and life because if you are killing yourself to keep your company alive, it will only hurt you at the end of the day, which in turn hurts your business. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so take time off, eat well, manage stress, and have faith. Starting a business requires a lot of faith.
  3. Hire and recruit great talent. People that are willing to learn and are dependable in their roles. This will free you up daily and enable you to keep the company growing. VERY IMPORTANT to have a team. Like Steve Jobs said, "Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people."

Where can people find you and your business?

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

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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