Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Yanira Puy, Founder of Yanira Puy Health & Wellness, located in Atlanta, GA, USA.

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

Balance your life in any role you are at. And I believe you can become a healthier version of yourself; you can thrive and create the life that you want, the life that you are meant to be energetic, have a purpose, be well, and have an impact on the people around you. After 20 years in corporate America, I became a wellness entrepreneur. I empower women to heal themselves from the inside out to become healthier and happier.

Tell us about yourself

My journey started when I was 18, living in the USA and studying English. I was on the bathroom floor and realized I had an eating disorder. And at that moment, I told myself… "Yanira, you are filling yourself up with sugar and junk food, you feel bad, and then you throw up every time you eat this unhealthy food to get it out of your system. There is something wrong with you". By hearing those words in my mind, "There is something wrong with you," I was determined to "cure" myself from bulimia. I got into a quest to eat better, to know about food and what would be right for my body. I didn't want to feel chubby; I was 20 pounds overweight and a very petite girl. In addition to eating better, I also changed my environment, so I didn't have any temptations when I had all these sugar cravings. I kept exercising as well.

Fast forward some years, I became healthy (so I thought), I am eating right, in good shape, have friends, and getting my first master's. Life couldn't get any better than this. At this point, I think I have everything in life. I got a job offer after finishing my first master's degree; I would stay in the States, living the American dream. Then, the job didn't go through because of my visa. It was a dark time for me again. I didn't want to see anybody. I didn't want to relate and socialize because I felt lost without a job or career. I am in the States and full of debt with my family, the university, and not knowing what to do. I thought I was happy, but my emotions and feelings affected my health and wellness. I didn't get it before. I thought I was thriving, but I wasn't. I felt sad and lonely again for the second time in my life. Does a job define me? Is my life coming to an end? Why don't I feel good?

At that point, I started questioning my life, looking for ways to feel whole. I couldn't be healthy just by eating right and exercising. I needed to do more. I needed to heal from the inside out, not the contrary. My emotions and my thoughts affected my wellness and how I felt physically. My bulimia was a product of feeling lonely. My social distance was a consequence of not having a purpose, of thinking I wasn't good enough because I didn't have a job, but it was more than that. I didn't love myself. I keep asking myself about my future and how I could feel happy and healthy. I couldn't keep doing the same thing expecting different results. I needed to change more than my eating habits. I needed to change the way I thought and the way I felt my emotions. I needed to let go. Some years later, I hired a coach to help me in yet another defining moment of my life when I changed my career, and finally, I got it. To be healthy, I not only had to choose the correct macronutrients or exercise. I had to love myself; I needed to define my goals and find my purpose. I needed to take care of my thoughts and love myself. And at that moment which didn't take place at a specific time or date or place, I realized I needed to be the change. I realized if I wanted to be healthy, whole, and empowered, I needed to work on my health and take my life into my own hands, and that is how I learned to heal myself from the inside out. I felt free for the first time in a long time.

And that is how I started fulfilling my purpose, which I learned in my search to be whole, thrive, and become a healthier version of myself. I became a wellness coach and got a master's in health coaching so I could help people learn how to heal themselves and be healthier. I started working with clients in South and North America. I founded my company and co-founded another company, helping individuals and organizations get to a healthy life.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I love that I have been able to help dozens of clients in my coaching practice, hundreds of people with my online programs, and thousands with my webinars, workshops, conferences, and wellness programs.

I have found my true and healthy self. A woman that is capable of anything. A woman that can heal herself from the inside out with all the challenges that come into her life. My whole life changed with this approach, and that's how I help people learn how to heal by working on their minds and body to have a healthy, fulfilling, and happy life.

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

I believe one of the hardest things about being a business owner is believing that you will make it.

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

  1. Believe in yourself. As humans, we are capable of creating the life that we want. I love this quote from Henry Ford and use it every day "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right." Always believe you can.
  2. Live in the present: Here and Now. There is no other place to start doing something than the present.
  3. Have clear goals and make an action plan.
  4. Bonus: Be consistent.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

My life improved exponentially when I started meditating. I do it every morning as soon as I wake up. I would love for you to try it and see how your life can change positively.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://yanirapuy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yanirasaludintegral
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yanirapuy/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanirapuy/

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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