Stephanie started her business in 2005 as a yoga teacher and Thai massage practitioner. She shares that it’s taken her awhile to get to where she is today because she felt she needed to have a “regular” job with a salary. Now, she’s retiring after 25 years and is going full speed ahead to make her business a success!
Stephanie Litwin // Body, Mind & Home Wellness // Health // USA // 60s
What motivated & inspired you to start your business?
I knew at an early age I was here to be of service to others in an unordinary way. It’s taken much of my life to learn and grow into the business I started about ten years ago. I’ve had to get past my own self-doubts, continue to move forward by following my heart and be motivated by those that recognize and support my efforts.
What steps did you take to get things going in the beginning?
I started my business in 2005 as a yoga teacher and thai massage practitioner and have since added to my list of services as I felt prepared and ready. The internet in 2005 was not what it is today, so getting the word out was mainly through word of mouth and “leg work” on my part to get myself known. Now it’s full speed ahead to make my business a success. My perseverance, love for helping others and learning from so many (hooray internet!), has kept me motivated and active.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers
It’s only been in the past year or two that I’ve begun building some momentum. I started a blog that fits into my three areas; body, mind & home. My blogs start with a personal experience and then I relate it to how I and/or the reader can grow from my overcoming or solving the issue. My website has also gone through metamorphosis as I have grown into and expanded the services I offer. In recent years I’ve learned, and continue to learn, how to use social media. Pinterest and Facebook are what I use most. I try to pin 20-30 pins a day, (am & pm) including some of my own pins from my blog and website. This practice gets results. Pinterest analyzes what my followers like, so I know what to focus on and to eliminate. I’ve recently made a private Facebook group where I can personally serve my followers better.
What challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge is time management, mainly due to my “regular” job. I often feel pulled in numerous directions. But even after I retire, I still need to be organized and focused. What has helped me most is to keep my thoughts organized. Lists! I have lists by category: do asap, can wait a bit, and long range. I also keep my computer desktop folders organized and few in number. This is a huge time saver when looking for something I saved for later use. I also clean out files every few months. If I haven’t used what I saved within six months, then I’m sure I won’t because it wasn’t important or relevant enough.
Can you tell us about any habits you have/things you do, which set up success every day?
It’s important to not sit for too long…causes brain fog…while working on the computer. So I exercise several times a day. This includes walking my dog, working in the yard/garden or just dancing around the house. If the creative juices start drying up, getting out in nature lubricates them. I also fit in some quiet time each day. This may be sitting in meditation, drinking a cup of tea in the sunshine, reading a book for pleasure or talking to a friend. After all, if I don’t take care of myself, who will?
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Always follow your heart. If you get discouraged, find a way to persevere. This could mean taking a break from working on that dream. It is my experience, stepping back and being a witness to the issues I’m having can be eye opening. This can make the issue clearer in my mind and how to go about making the changes needed. Having someone to talk to about it with can also help, but that person(s) must be able to give positive advice/suggestions and raise your vibration. Criticism has no place in any discussion and is nothing but harmful.
When I face a big challenge, I…
step back and get into a quiet place to reflect on the issue.
The most courageous thing I’ve ever done as an entrepreneur is…
to let go of the fear, believe in me and remind myself that I know that I have much to offer my clients.
If I could go back in time to when I started my business I would tell myself…
to keep going no matter what crosses my path. I can do it!
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
to speak directly from my heart.
My favorite business tool/resource/book/podcast is…
the Pintastic course and using Pinterest.
My favorite quote is…
“Be the energy you want to attract!”
