Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Andrea Mausser, Founder of Choose Your Journey, located in New Vienna, IA, USA.

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

My business is Choose Your Journey, which offers mindset renewal and personal development coaching services. I teach adults how they resist and put blocks on what they want to be experiencing ( like weight loss, loving relationships, financial freedom, fulfillment in their career, etc.) so that they can start unblocking and finally getting the outcomes they desire!

Tell us about yourself

I have been married to my husband since 2004, and we have 4 children and live in a small town in Iowa. I realized I was going about life just "checking the boxes" and trying to normalize being on a "hamster wheel of life," and it just left me feeling depleted. In 2018, I started my own personal development by reading self-help books and listening to podcasts by influential people. That led me to seek coaching more for my understanding rather than to create a business. I registered for the Health Coach Institute to get a Health and Life Coach certification. In 2020 we experienced the "shut down" stage of the pandemic, and I had this overwhelming sense of ABUNDANCE! While it seemed everyone around me was extremely stressed and experiencing anxious feelings and thoughts, I felt peace and abundance. I even started to wonder if something was wrong with me. At that point, I realized others could benefit from trading out stress to experience peace, and it got me thinking that maybe I needed to launch a coaching business! That's exactly what I did! In March 2020, I made an announcement on FB live, and Choose Your Journey came into existence! From then on, I started working with women while still working full-time in my corporate job. As time progressed, I found myself so full of life and energy from the coaching sessions I was doing that I wanted to make that my focus and full-time experience. In May 2021, I also launched a podcast, The Heartship Journey, in which I interview guests who have had harrowing experiences in life and how they persevered. In November 2021, I had a guest who had lost her husband to cancer at a very young age, and together they had 3 young children. In talking with her about what life moments mean, I felt this surge of energy that it was time for me to step into my desire to leave my corporate job and be 100% in my coaching business! I gave my notice that very week to my employer and decided that in January 2022, I would be ending my corporate employment and become a full-time entrepreneur!

I am motivated every single day to help the woman who feels she, herself, is on her own hamster wheel of life. Because of the changes and de-conditioning I made for myself; I truly feel I am living my best life and stepping into the highest version of myself! My marriage is full of fun and laughter! I am proud of the mom I am to my children! I am finding abundance in my life daily and experiencing genuine joy and happiness; plus, I love what I get to do! I love the Law of Oneness, which says, "what's meant for you is meant for me; what's meant for me is meant for ALL." I want EVERY woman to live a life that brings her true genuine joy and happiness, and this all happens when we unblock ourselves from what is holding us back!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is when our coaching sessions end and the women have reconnected with who they are and want to be and how to let go of what is not serving them!

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

With the economic conditions today, self-care services, like coaching, are often given lower priority or put on the back burner to be able to take care of family needs. I firmly believe that when women prioritize their self-care, they can take on challenges (like the economy) with greater strength and a fresh perspective because they have internally equipped themselves to have a mindset and live a life of abundance!

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

  1. If you feel it in your heart or your gut, you are MEANT to do it! Your brain will talk you out of it - that's our Ego, which desires to stay in comfort and being safe. Starting your own business is going out of your comfort zone, but when you really have that feeling, even if it's a little nudge, it's a sign you are meant for more!
  2. Find a community that supports and lifts you up! The self-doubt will happen in those moments, especially when you need to reach out to the people who will be there for you to remind you about your gifts and that people need you and to help extinguish the negative self-talk that can start.
  3. Your business, when you first start out, is like that of a newborn baby! With a newborn baby, there are sleepless nights worrying if you are doing it right, but there are also just moments of peace, amazement, and excitement! We wouldn't expect a newborn to do what a 3-year-old or 5-year-old does, yet we compare ourselves to others who have been in the business setting for 3 or 5 years and put greater expectations on ourselves, which leads to more stress!
  4. Bonus: BRING FUN INTO IT! Every day in some way, bring a dose of fun into your business!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://chooseyourjourney.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChooseYourJourneywithAndrea/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chooseyourjourneywithandrea/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-mausser-4524895a/

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.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.