Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jenalle Dion, Founder of Wakeful Travel, located in North Vancouver, BC, Canada.

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

Wakeful Travel is the ceremony companion company for psychedelic explorers, retreat centers, clinics, and other wellness brands–creating tools that aid in transformation and self-exploration. We serve three groups of people.

For seekers, these tools currently include a Wakeful Integration Journal for preparing, navigating, and integrating a high-dose experience. And the 6-Week Intention Journal supports you through a microdosing protocol.

For therapists, guides, and coaches, we offer the above journals at wholesale costs, or they can join our affiliate program where they can refer their clients to the journals.

For organizations in the wellness space, Wakeful Travel provides end-to-end journal creation services. This means that if a brand is looking to develop a hard-cover or coiled journal to support their clients' or participants' journeys, we have their back. Not only do we consult them on the actual contents of the structure, but they are able to white label our already produced content from our journals and develop new content to make their journal unique. We handle all communication with manufacturers, designers, artists, shippers, and brokers. We turn the difficult and lengthy process of developing a journal into an easy one so that the brand can focus on what they do best-providing incredible experiences for supporting personal growth.

Tell us about yourself

From selling lemonade on the street as a kid to doing nails throughout highschool, to consulting people in holistic nutrition and lifestyle habits after college to being a full-time freelancer, I've always felt drawn to entrepreneurship. Because I experienced a rocky childhood, stuck in between my parent's messy divorce, I vowed to myself that my adult life would make up for it. That I would explore the world. Adventure far and wide. Have a career doing something I love, and in an industry I believe in. I promised myself that I wouldn't settle. And I can proudly say at age 28, I haven't. Because I was so interested in soaking up new cultures, feasting my eyes on fresh sights, and meeting young backpackers from all over the world, I wondered... "How could I create something to support other travellers in their explorations?" That's when I realized that I wanted to create a Mindful Travel Journal that could not only help explorers document their experiences but also manifest and plan their trips and learn how to travel more ethically and sustainably.

There weren't many guided travel journals out there, so I got to work. And that was my motivation. To create something that no one had before. At the time, I was working full-time in content marketing for a retreat start-up. I was so obsessed with the idea of creating the journal that I would go to work at 7, work for a couple of hours before starting the 8 hours at my job, eat dinner, get outside and move my body, and then be back at the office until 10 pm working on the project. Eight months later, I received a $20K loan for entrepreneurs under the age of 30. I was planning to launch an epic Kickstarter campaign and had a videographer crew working on the campaign vid. I was all ready to launch. And it was March 2020... COVID hit. And I was about to launch a travel journal... when no one was traveling. But after joining an online conference full of other business owners in BC and Alberta, I transformed from feeling totally defeated to overflowing with resilience, inspiration, and passion. I was ready to pivot.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think the pivot was my biggest accomplishment. Instead of focusing on external travel, I transitioned to focusing on internal travel. Integration is often a missing piece of many people's psychedelic experiences. By creating journals for both macro dosing and micro dosing, I could support people in a creative and accessible way.

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

Having so many incredible opportunities but having to say no to a lot of them! Which relates to being able to always balance and prioritize. It's a constant dance. But I love it.

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

  1. Starting a business in an industry or space in which you already have a foot in the door or connections is a game changer. I worked 6 years in content marketing in the psychedelic space, so those relationships have really benefited my business.
  2. Be patient. It takes time. I still haven't made the full transition focusing solely on my business. I'm excited for that jump, but I know it comes with time.
  3. See no one as competition and always start or end a partner conversation with "how can I support the work you're doing." This is the way I've always approached relationships, and I've made not only incredible connections with folks but also strong friendships.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.wakefultravel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wakefultravel/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wakefultravel/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wakefultravel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenalle-dion/

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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