Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joshua Warren, Owner of The Dream Incentive, located in Merrillville, IN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Dream Incentive provides life and spiritual coaching, personal and professional development services to working professionals that want to stop surviving and start thriving in their purpose. We offer services to coach our clients in making realistic and impactful changes to propel them towards the life of their dreams. This includes self-discovery, process improvement, brand development, marketing consultation, and much more. The objective is to help individuals that have trouble organizing their thoughts and dreams meet their challenges head-on, discover the barriers that hinder their success, and meet them head-on.
Tell us about yourself
I started The Dream Incentive after noticing that friends and acquaintances had trouble overcoming past traumas and their effects, defining their dream life, and organizing a realistic plan of action to see their dreams manifest in their real lives. At first, I didn’t see what I do as a gift. I actually struggled with understanding why so many people gravitated to me to talk about the things that were troubling them. After developing my own self-care, personal, and business development process, I discovered the value in offering a safe space for rainbow personalities (individuals that have varying dreams that may be challenging to organize into their destiny) to work through barriers that hinder their progress and create realistic action steps to build a sustainable and fulfilling life for themselves. After developing my process, I realized the value that it brings to communities that have a lot of distractions but fail to offer solutions to the sorts of problems my clients encounter. Thus, The Dream Incentive was born to give individuals an incentive to live their deepest dreams.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is speaking in front of a room full of healthcare workers for a self-care conference at the tail end of the pandemic. As a professional healthcare administrator, I know firsthand how challenging it was for caregivers during the COVID-19 outbreak. For many of them, the work was tumultuous, and the hours were long. You may not have had the luxury of sheltering in place and had to spend countless hours sacrificing your health and safety to answer the call of a healthcare professional. This had a major effect on many healthcare workers mentally, physically, and emotionally. Being able to offer them support, encouragement, and tips to take their power back after the fallout of the pandemic made a huge impact on me. It showed me that all the hardship and trials I’d endured as a new business owner were worth it and that my services were absolutely necessary. Seeing the positive impact that my words had on individuals who spend more time caring for others than caring for themselves is a direct objective of the work I set out to do with The Dream Incentive. It gave me the motivation I needed to continue pressing forward to bring programs and events to the people that need these services the most.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the toughest things that I’ve dealt with as a new business owner is the fact that you wear all the hats. When you work for a company, you only serve one position. As a business owner, you run the entire show until your operation begins to afford you funding to bring on a team. The challenge of learning all these components and doing them to the best of your ability can be overwhelming, but the freedom you have to build it out your way, make mistakes, and discover what works best to progress is priceless. Now I see every obstacle as an opportunity to learn something new.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
First, I would advise new business owners to prepare themselves mentally and emotionally. Sometimes you may feel like everything you’re doing isn’t yielding any results, but every little step counts towards the overall success of your business.
Second, ensure that you have a board of directors. These are people that you can lean on for expertise and support when things may be tough, or you don’t know the next step to take. Going it alone is a sure way to meet disaster.
Finally, have a clear vision and an intense burning desire to help solve a problem. You need to have both to overcome doubt, fear, and fatigue. What you bring to the world is much needed, and you’re the only one that can deliver it the way that you can. Define and refine your vision and ensure that you have a reason for realizing it that is powerful enough to get you through hardship. That’s how you ensure your success.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
The Dream Incentive is on the rise and can be found on our website thedreamincentive.com. We are an online coaching platform that offers online and live services, including events, trainings, consultations, platform creation, and so much more. If you have a dream that you aren’t sure how to manifest, call or connect with us today. Give yourself an incentive to live your deepest dreams.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thedreamincentive.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedreamincentive/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedreamincentive/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedreamincent
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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