Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jenna Valentine, Owner of Valentine Care, located in Austin, TX, USA.

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

I am convinced that I have the most wonderful 'job' in the world. My business is Valentine Care, and is focused on providing holistic wellness through acupuncture, cupping, health coaching, and other relevant modalities. My clients are anyone who is interested in improving their quality of life, taking ownership of their health, and having a lot of fun while doing it. I'll see any condition but tend to attract people interested in facial care (via Integrative Microneedling) who want to explore health-focused beauty.

Tell us about yourself

My background is actually in the child welfare and juvenile justice world, where I saw a lot of deep trauma. My passion is helping people thrive, and I felt trapped within a broken system. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture allow me to deeply help people within a system of medicine focused on working WITH the body rather than against it. I get to support the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies simultaneously, which is both awesome and super efficient. My clients are my primary motivator. I love them so much, and I am absolutely certain that I have the best clients in the entire world. Working alongside people who are dedicated to finding a way to live balanced, beautiful, and joyful lives is incredibly inspiring. There are no "Mondays" in my life because I wake up excited to see all these courageous humans who are carving out time for their health and wellness.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

This is such a great question. I have to say that it is probably staying intensely committed to authenticity. I find it essential to 'practice what I preach,' to own my areas of struggle, to keep a curious and open mind, to keep my own life, and not overly enmesh in my business. Business ownership is no joke, and most days, I feel like I'm scaling intense learning curves, but that's when I remind myself that being outside of my comfort zone is how I learn and stay far away from complacency. Being "the most me" is the biggest gift I can give my clients as it gives them permission to be "the most them."

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

Well, probably being a single mom and business owner. That's hard stuff. Both feel like my babies, but obviously, my actual child takes precedence. It can feel like I'm never doing enough across the board, but that's when I get to practice compassion for myself. Instead, I can decide to be suuuuper proud of myself for making it all work. (ish).

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

  1. Do informational interviews with other business owners in your desired field. We are here to help you learn from our mistakes! My philosophy is that anyone I can help avoid a mistake that I made reduces the severity of the mistake by 10%. Yay for math karma.
  2. Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. I can't remember who said this quote or if those are the exact words, but y'all get the gist. Just start. Don't wait for everything to be perfect because you'll be waiting forever.
  3. Continue living your life. Do the things you enjoy. Explore new things that you think you might enjoy. It will make you a more well-rounded person and can lead to really cool connections. People are attracted to passion, so be as passionate about the life you are living as possible!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

If someone is reading this and hasn't tried Traditional Chinese Medicine, I encourage you to get curious about it. I'm happy to answer any questions if people want to reach out. There's a great paraphrased quote by Joyce Sunada, "If you don't make time for wellness, you'll have to make time for sickness" - please be proactive about your health. Your body does so much for you all the time and deserves to be well maintained and appreciated!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://valentinecare.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValentineCareWellness/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valentinecarewellness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-valentine-08027b111/

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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