Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Vidya Ramachandran, Founder of Warrier Strategy LLC., located in Gilbert, AZ, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My mission is to help women be more bold & true to themselves, so they can shake things up (and breakthrough norms & systems that no longer work) to create their impact in the world. How? By identifying what areas of their lives need to be recalibrated, so they are living & leading in a more revitalized and sustainable way.
Tell us about yourself
What first got me started on working on my own business was knowing that I didn't want others who were on a life trajectory they thought they 'should' be on but really wasn't for them to feel like they couldn't change their path. Because no matter where you are in life, it's ok to choose a path that's true to you.
My own experience as a Ph.D. student began with so much excitement, anticipation, and 'changing the world's energy. But within 16 months, I had to face the truth - I was miserable. I had been doing everything' right.' I'd gotten good grades in school, went to a good college, bought a condo when I was supposed to, got my MBA, and found a really good job in a department where I was climbing up the ladder. I only left to take this next step, thinking that it would bring me more personal and professional fulfillment. But instead, the joy, vibrancy, and color had all leached out of my life, and I felt like I had dug myself into a hole that I couldn't climb out of.
Knowing that it doesn't have to be that way and seeing the personal impact of empowering women to be more bold & true to themselves are two things that motivate me each day. Because what seems like small, personal changes can lead to the greater change we want to see within organizations and communities and more generally in the world.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Helping a client really connect with what she wanted, and hearing later from her that she stood up for herself and said no to something that wasn't a good fit, even when everyone else around her, including her family, though she should say yes. And by saying no to that, she was available to say yes to an opportunity that came by later.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I feel like these two go hand in hand - the overwhelm from all the different strategies that claim to be 'the' way to build a business and the isolation (which can spark more overwhelm) that can come from building a business on your own.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find your community, even if it's a couple of people you connect with - so you can support each other on your business journeys and remind each other to laugh once in a while.
- Connect to (and honor) your natural energy rhythms - it was a gamechanger for me, and since I've incorporated it into my work, it's really been helpful for my clients and community as well.
- Run everything through your own filter - just because something works for someone else doesn't mean it's the best fit for you. Life is an experiment, so in that spirit, experiment with everything and see if it's right for you. I'm all about individualizing based on your unique experiences and circumstances (which is also why #2 is so important).
- A bonus tip :) Define what success means to you - on your terms, not on anyone else's.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.vidyawarrier.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vidya.r.warrier/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidyaramachandran/
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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