Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jésabel DC, founder of The Lifestyle Lab, located in Granby, QC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is The Lifestyle Lab, where I teach skills for modern-day life. My first class, which is out now, is The Inbox Organization Class, where I teach how to turn your Gmail inbox into a calming space of communication. My main customers are women entrepreneurs, most of which have anxiety and/or ADHD.
Tell us about yourself
Three years ago, I got hired as a virtual assistant for a writer from the Chicago Tribune. She had hired me to organize her Gmail at the request of her therapist because the number of emails she was receiving was giving her severe anxiety. As it turns out, a huge majority of entrepreneurs have anxiety, ADHD, or sensory overload issues that get triggered by information-heavy spaces like their inboxes. I started wondering if other entrepreneurs were having the same issues. I put out a $20 ad in a newsletter advertising myself as "The Marie Kondo of Inboxes" and ended up getting 16 new clients! So I started working with entrepreneurs, and I got to know Gmail inside and out, playing around with features that no one knew existed. I turned all of this knowledge into this online class so that more people could have access to this style of anxiety management!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
It would have to be the mere fact of making money out of an idea. Before making my inbox class, I was giving 1-on-1 sessions, and I started out at $20/hour, and within a year, I was charging $200/hour. That, to me, is the indication that I made something that was worthwhile and had an offering that no one else was offering.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Motivating yourself. 100%. You're going to have moments where no one seems to care about what you're doing, and you have to keep telling yourself that it has value. That's incredibly hard. It's like being at a college party where no one is paying attention to you. You can't just wait until someone validates you. You have to grab yourself a drink, introduce yourself and break that ice yourself because no one's gonna pay attention to you unless YOU find yourself valuable.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start with a goal (for example, start a podcast).
- Set micro goals (for example, come up with 20 podcast topics, find a podcast name, etc.).
- Do one micro goal every day. Slowly but surely is the way to go in order to not burn out.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thelifestylelab.co/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelifestylelab.co/
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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