Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sharon Wentz, Founder of Sharon Wentz Yoga LLC, located in Greater Seattle Area, WA, USA
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At sharonwentz.com, I host online yoga classes, meditation, and workshops. My students can attend live or practice on demand anytime, anywhere. My typical clients are people who love to move and challenge their bodies. Many are athletes, or people who love to walk, hike, bike, and dance, and some who work many hours at a desk all day and can't wait to get on their mat to explore all of the movements their bodies crave.
Tell us about yourself
After teaching yoga and training yoga teachers in Chicago for 16 years, my husband and I decided to move back to my home state of Washington (a longtime dream of ours). After teaching in Chicago for 16 years, I'd met clients from around the world who came to live in the city, and as people grew and changed, they would move on to new places or return to their place of origin. I stayed in touch with my clients who'd moved away and had made a promise that at some point (when I became tech-savvy), I would create an online offering so that we could practice together again.
It wasn't until the pandemic hit that I was thrust into the project. With my Chicago clients staying home, a fellow business owner/student gave me some tips on a wonderful platform (Kartra) that would allow me to create a portal to host classes online and on demand. I jumped right in, despite knowing very little about starting an online business, let alone using special software. It wasn't easy, and I'm still learning (I still don't consider myself tech-savvy!), but I wouldn't trade the challenges I've encountered for anything. It's forced me to learn a new entrepreneurial language that's improved my skillset and reconnected me with people that enrich my life while doing what I love.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Along with starting my online business, co-writing and co-leading a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training program (at Bloom Yoga Studio in Chicago) has been one of the biggest projects I've embarked on. Writing our manual the first year took about 80 hours, and we continue to edit things every year (12 years and going strong). Thankfully it's only a few hours each year to update, but it keeps me in check with what has changed in the yoga world, the evolution of the body, the current mental and physical health needs of our society, and budding scientific research findings. What these two large projects have taught me is how to be flexible, give myself permission to change, make mistakes, and be less rigid. I've retired the inclination towards perfection, which has liberated me, and I have found growth and joy in taking chances.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things about being a business owner is letting go of perfection. It can be stifling to think you must know all the ins and outs before you begin. Give yourself time to execute the dreams and visions you have, don't be afraid to ask for help, and keep moving forward.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Take other business owners' advice!
- Believe in your ability to learn something new, even if it's at a snail's pace. Don't doubt yourself. You are alive right now in this world, and you are, by nature, a creative being.
- Follow your dreams even if you feel fear, it'll be a great ride with more ups than downs, and the downs will help you evolve into something better if you let them.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.sharonwentz.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonwentzyoga/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonwentz/
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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