Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Janna Shapero, Founder of Urban Healer Wellness Co., located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I have a private in-home massage, therapeutic yoga, and clinical herbal medicine practice. I worked with multi-generational families from children to grandparents, but my core clients are middle age couples with children and retired or semi-retired couples in their 60s-70s.
Tell us about yourself
I always found myself running other people's small businesses in my 20s. I took the initiative, and they trusted me. I learned a lot working for other entrepreneurs. I just wanted to be my own boss, so I took the plunge 20 years ago and have never looked back. I could not imagine working in any other capacity. I cherish my independence, and I still very much love my work and my clients.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
For every successful new iteration of my business, I go within to find the clarity about what I want. I focus on the lifestyle I want to live and the people I want to work with. And then it literally all falls into place. Learning to do the inner work first before 'getting to work' has produced astonishing results for me.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Giving yourself permission to go on cruise control when you need to. You can't always be on. You can't always be in a growth phase. It's a difficult call to make.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Talk to and work with other entrepreneurs and learn from them. My biggest piece of advice is to slow down and really get clear about what kind of lifestyle you want to be living while running your business. People choose businesses without considering what it will actually feel like to run day-to-day 5-7 years down the road. I have watched many small businesses drown in overhead because they were not prepared for the pace and financial demand. Don't just look at the successful ones; the failures will reveal it all. Burnout is more common than you think, especially for women. It's not talked about enough.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.urbanhealer.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urbanhealerco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbanhealerco/
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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