I started planning my business when I was in my last semester of University (studying for a Finance degree). At that point, it was a non-profit that I was planning, that focused on hosting events and getting different speakers to come talk about various spiritual topics, while also selling products like crystal necklaces, and the like. (I totally forget how the non-profit part of it came into play, sorry haha.) I submitted my plan to a Business Plan competition that my school ran, and I received feedback that my idea was not really feasible as there were already spiritual mentors like Wayne Dyer speaking on PBS, so why would people want to come out to events? Also, making a website was very expensive, where was I going to get the money?
It was at that point that I realized - 'Ok, I've got to leave this mainstream way of thinking! These people don't get me, or my project!' (Enter teenage angst - I am so mizaundastood!!!) - and I realized if I was really going to do this, I was just going to have to leave other people's voices of doubt behind, and jump in.
I created my own website virtually for free (more on that in a bit), changed my plan around to better suit my skills + desires, and upon graduating University, asked my Grandfather for a $5000 loan so I could focus on starting up my business without having to work another job, at least for the first few months.
I didn't really intend to be full-time right away, but that's just what happened.
Even though I applied for several jobs a few months after starting my business, I didn't get any of them (which was weird since I'd gotten every job I'd ever applied for minus 1 before that!) - but you know what, I think I was just subconsciously sending out the message - don't hire me! I don't actually want to take orders anymore! I want to be my own boss and do this healing thang!
So somehow I did it. I created crystal necklaces, and did a bit of meditation coaching - I usually made enough to just get by, and I had a fantastic time doing it. I didn't feel like I was missing out because I wasn't making as much as my friends, I was so satisfied and thrilled by my 'work', I just kept going and going!
What were the first products + services you offered? How did you decide on them?
Oh my goodness. This is a funny question. At the start, I honestly just threw out anything and everything. I had so many ideas, I didn't know how to filter them, or what to focus on. Some of them came to me in meditation, and some of them I just said - 'Oh this would be cool, maybe I'll try this!'
Here is the list of ever product or service that I offered when I started:
- Crystal necklaces
- Custom crystal necklaces
- Meditation coaching
- Business consulting
- Meditation space creating (interior design for your sacred space)
And there are probably more that I now forget. I had no takers for the business consulting or the meditation space creating. I had 2 clients sign up for meditation coaching (1 of whom is still a regular client - how cool!) - yet I had lots of people want crystal necklaces, once I started selling them at markets, and putting pictures of my creations on Facebook. Interestingly enough, Krista, who is also featured in this series, was the first person ever to sign up for a custom crystal necklace - something that later became the backbone of my business.