Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and nutrition but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tanya Church, Owner of TLC Holistic, located in Guelph, ON, Canada.

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

I run an online private practice where I use food as medicine and other natural remedies to help clients reach their long-term health goals when they have tried everything, and nothing seems to help. I am often the last resort but the final resort, so I am ok with that.

My clients are those who are tired of feeling unwell and are looking to address the root causes of what is robbing them of the life they want to live, be it low energy, trouble sleeping, inability to lose weight, chronic pain, etc. I am also a recipe creator and have a thriving community via the TLC Community, a space where I share all my recipes, brand reviews, knowledge, and everything about my personal holistic life and journey.

Tell us about yourself

Just over a decade ago, my own health came to a crucial point where I was extremely unwell and on the brink of an autoimmune disease. I had suffered from health ailments my entire life, and never once did anybody suggest to me that it could be diet related. When I had exhausted all other avenues, I decided to see a Holistic Nutritionist for my health, and it changed my entire life.

Over the last decade, I have changed my diet and way of life slowly but surely and am in better health and feel more vibrant today at 41 than in my 20s and 30s. A few years into my own journey, I left my career and went to school to dedicate my life to the practice of Holistic Nutrition and associated modalities so I would be able to give the gift of health to as many people as possible. I wanted to see others who felt like there was nothing left to change their lives the way I had.

My very own journey continues to motivate me every day because of the way I feel and my entire outlook on life. I know firsthand that everybody needs a customized approach and that when we truly work on root causes and give the body what it needs, the body will thrive. Seeing my clients thrive and watching them go from hopeless to hopeful and reach the health goals they never imagined they could is the reason I do what I do.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Running my private practice authentically and choosing to be unapologetically myself every day, resisting the urge to fit into the more cookie-cutter umbrella of what a holistic nutritionist should be. I am human like everybody else. I don't strive for perfection, and I will never hide that from my clients as the human connection that we form with others becomes one of the greatest bonds and successes when you are on a journey as a life long and profound.

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

Wearing every single hat. There are naturally some things that you thrive, excel in, and genuinely love doing within your business, and there are others that are exceptionally challenging, and you dislike immensely, for example,  my accounting. But when you are running a business on your own, you are in every single department, and it can sometimes become overwhelming.

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

  1. Research everything before jumping in. This is something I didn't really do.
  2. Ask for help. Other business owners are a wealth of knowledge as they have been through it before.
  3. Pace yourself and remember growth takes time, but if you want it, you will achieve it.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, most people think my job is about telling you "what you can" and "what you cannot" eat or putting you on a crazy restrictive diet making life miserable. For me, this could not be further from the truth. I consider myself a mentor, cheerleader, and educator on my client's journeys. I take clients from knowing what they probably should be doing to actually doing these things so they have an understanding and framework that they can continue to build upon. Food is engrained into every single facet of our lives.

Therefore, we need to love what we eat and eat what we love. I use food as medicine in ways that work for every single client on a highly customized level because we are all unique and need different things to heal and thrive.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.tlcholistic.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlcholisticfood/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tlcholistic/

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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