Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Steph Morgan, Founder of Steph Into Wellness, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I support women and folks in the LGBTQIA2S+ community to reduce their pain, improve movement, and gain a deeper understanding of their bodies and nervous systems. My tools are trauma-informed manual therapy and somatic coaching.
As a Somatic Coach, I help people with healing the after-affects of traumatic or overwhelming events. This is a profound way of working through deeply conditioned patterns - like anxiety, chronic pain, fear, stress, etc. Direct work with mindful attention to the body brings the nervous system back into regulation, positively affecting mood, confidence, and the capacity to meet life's challenges with vitality.
As a Manual Therapist, I specialize in treating scars. I work with all sorts of scars, including from surgery, injury, amputation, burns, etc. I especially love working with humans on their gender affirmation and c-section scars. I am very sensitive to the fact that there can be a lot of emotion and pain around scars - I always work within peoples' comfort zones. I also provide Trauma-Informed Bodywork and Medical Acupuncture treatments.
I'm a Registered Massage Therapist, Medical Acupuncture Provider, and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in training.
Tell us about yourself
My body started to hurt when I got a desk job. I loved working at the World Wildlife Fund but sitting all day manifested in chronic pain. When I got injured playing soccer, I had wonderful people help me manage that injury and the chronic stuff, too. I knew then that I wanted to do the same for others. I contemplated this for a few years as I worked as an active travel guide with a company called Backroads.
Eventually, I took the plunge and went to Massage Therapy school. This was just the tip of the iceberg. Once I graduated, I realized there was SO MUCH MORE to learn about the nervous system and pain science. I started digging, and here I am, knowing a lot more but still holding a shovel. :)
After working in clinics for a few years, I decided I wanted to run my own business so that I could build my dream practice! I currently split my time between my business and working in a clinic. It is a nice balance for now while I build my practice.
I am motivated by the humans I interact with - everyone is amazing in their own way, doing incredible things if I can help someone understand their body a bit better so that they can shift away from pain and toward movement/flow/freedom/joy, I am ecstatic!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I have successfully created a safe space for Queer folks to feel comfortable in their bodies. Specifically, I have seen success with gender-affirmation surgery scars feeling less painful, having more movement, and looking smoother. I'm also really proud of the fact that I've had a consistently busy schedule since going out on my own at the beginning of this year (2022).
Can I share another one? Somatic Coaching can be a bit challenging to explain, so I feel very accomplished in having clients who are seeing great success in regulating their nervous systems. Specific, real-world examples are:
- reduced frequency and intensity of panic attacks
- higher self-esteem in order to come out to more family members
- overcoming the psychological/emotional effects of a traumatic fall
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I second guess myself all the time. It takes a lot of self-love and patience to get through these moments. I always go back to remembering that I know a lot. I have important information to share. I want to help people heal, and I need to trust that I can do that.
It is hard to bump into that self-doubt wall, but the more I move forward in my business, the more success I see with clients and the more motivated and confident I get. I also do a lot of work in therapy and on my own to figure out where my fears are rooted. This is incredibly helpful for keeping my chin up and flowing forward.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Ask for help - other people have so much knowledge that they're happy to share... don't let that go to waste!
- Slow down - running your own business can make it feel like you always have to be doing something...but isn't the point to have freedom and flexibility? Slow down and take care of yourself.
- Have fun - there are parts of running a business that is tedious and needs to be done. Be sure to have EXTRA fun doing the parts you love so that the tougher parts feel really worth it.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Stay curious and be silly. I deeply believe that if we stay curious, we'll discover and do things beyond what we thought possible. If we are silly day to day, and we don't take ourselves too seriously, everything feels lighter and more simple.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.stephintowellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephIntoWellness1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephintowellness1/
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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