Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shawn Elliot, Founder of Powerful Eve Nutrition, located in Abbotsford, BC, Canada.

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

I am a registered holistic nutritionist, published author, and partner at Hazel Wellness Center. We provide quality mental health and nutrition counseling. My clients are people who may have suffered from heart disease or are trying to prevent it.

They often have digestive issues, fatigue, weight gain, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and suffer from sleep issues. They usually come to me for help with one issue, but as a holistic nutritionist, I focus on the body as an integrated whole. Working on one issue usually resolves several others.

Tell us about yourself

My initial motivation to study nutrition came as a result of the women in my family suffering debilitating strokes, first my mother and then my sister. I saw the effect this had on their loved ones, and I vowed I would not do this to my family and started reading everything I could on nutrition. The problem was that there was so much conflicting information! Eventually, I went back to school and studied nutrition, and then I understood why the most popular diets, meal replacement plans, and even the Canada Food Guide were keeping people sick and fat.

I believe that everyone has a right to be healthy and energetic. It breaks my heart to see children who are overweight, suffering from type 2 diabetes, and on high blood pressure medication unable to run and play like kids should. If providing information on my blog, videos, Facebook page, and books can help people learn how to find health and balance in their lives. Then I will keep going.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think my biggest accomplishment is transitioning from an online-only business to a physical office that offers both in-person and online counseling. It has been a big learning curve, and every day I have new challenges and opportunities.

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

Honestly, for me, the hardest part has been getting the word out to people that we are available to help them. I know many people who really need help but may not be aware that just a couple of sessions could make a huge difference in their health. Most people take their health for granted or assume it is normal to live on medication as they get older.

Our business relies on people understanding that their health needs to come first so they can feel energetic, pain-free, and live a long life full of vitality and joy. We have become so programmed to just get a pill from the doctor that working with a nutritionist isn't something people even consider.

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

  1. Find something you are truly passionate about because the reality of starting and growing a business is that it is more about consistent actions taken on a daily basis. Being passionate about your goal will keep you motivated when it feels like you are losing money and not making progress.
  2. Have money set aside to pay your bills while you build the business. It always takes longer than you think to start getting business licenses, insurance, advertising, etc., before your customers can even walk through the door.
  3. Ask for help, and don't wait to start until everything is perfect. I thought I had to know and do everything myself when I first started, such as setting up my website and marketing materials, getting insurance, and filing my taxes, but it is impossible to be an expert in everything. I was afraid to post videos or do Facebook Lives because they wouldn't be "perfect," but I have learned that it is better to face the fear and do it anyways.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.powerfulevenutrition.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powerfulevenutrition/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerfulevenutrition/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SElliot_RHNC
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-elliot-powerfulevenutrition/

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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