Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ariel Naftali, Founder of Perform With Purpose, located in Denver, CO, USA.

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

I created Perform With Purpose to help mission-driven humans realize their creative potential so that they can spend their working hours feeling more engaged, fulfilled, and impactful. I believe that your relationship with work can be one of the most potent vehicles for psychological, emotional, and spiritual growth. High-performance matters in this journey, and when you have a meaningful purpose for driving that performance, you create a more sustainable pathway for career alignment, satisfaction, and impact.

Tell us about yourself

I became passionate about coaching around purpose and fulfillment because of my own existential wonderings, career frustrations, and the challenges I saw high-performers facing in both sports and business. I spent the beginning of my career climbing the corporate ladder in New York City. I felt the highs of promotions, raises, and fun work cultures. I felt the lows of responsibilities that were either understimulating or overly draining. I wrestled with the subtle sense that I was meant for something more.

After moving from NYC to Denver, pivoting to a career in psychology, and consulting with individuals and teams around performance improvement, I learned that defining success solely as a measure of external outcomes bred an endless cycle of dissatisfaction. I also realized that this feeling of dissatisfaction was really a symptom of meaning deficiency.

We all crave meaningfulness. We all want to feel like we matter in both our BEING and our DOING. My work exists to help you connect your being with your doing so that you can experience the meaning, satisfaction, and fulfillment that you deserve.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think about accomplishments through an internal and external lens. The internal lens is about my personal experience. The external lens is about the experience of those I serve. Internally, my biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been finding gratitude, peace, and fulfillment in the present moment. I no longer see the gap between where I am and where I want to be as a problem to fix or an end state I need to race to.

Externally, my biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been supporting the most incredible humans to make life-changing shifts in mindset and career path. I'm proud to say that every client who has graduated from my signature program, Path of Purpose, has reported feeling more confident and clear about their career path.

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

You have to lead yourself in a way you never have before. No one else can give you the recipe for your success. You will fail, you will face uncertainty, and you will experience rejection on a regular basis. Being a business owner is the hardest endeavor I have ever taken on in my entire life. And it is also the most rewarding. I have never felt more alive, more liberated, or more aligned with my true self. I wouldn't trade this journey for anything.

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

  1. Not all tips are meant for you ;) Consider the source. Do you trust this person? Are they speaking to the truth of your experience? Does their advice make you feel expansive or constrictive? Am I the right source for you? If not, ignore all of the above! If yes, keep reading on.
  2. INVEST IN SUPPORT. Mentors, coaches, therapists, consultants, advisors...find people you trust who can support you mentally, emotionally, and strategically. No one does this alone.
  3. Don't wait to feel ready! Actions of confidence come first. Feelings of confidence come after.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.performwithpurposecoaching.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/performwithpurpose/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arieljayecoaching/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-jaye-naftali/

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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