Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carolanne Champagne, owner of Champagne Acupuncture, located in Montreal, QC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I thrive in assisting people to reach greater well-being through the holistic approach of Chinese medicine. I help people who suffer from anxiety or stress find their sustainable inner balance and calm. I also help women who want to live in harmony with their menstrual cycle get rid of their pain and hormonal imbalance. Through acupuncture and Tuina, a Chinese therapeutic massage, I am able to aid people and greatly improve their quality of life.
Tell us about yourself
I worked for five years as a programmer before I decided that I had more to offer the world than staying behind a computer screen. I had the desire to develop nourishing human interactions based on people’s research on well-being. I want to help others elevate their quality of life. Reconnect people to their bodies and needs so that they have a life where they feel aligned. I believe our well-being is our own responsibility, and we are all, as humans, on the hunt for happiness and contentment. So to help people attain that state in their day-to-day life by easing their physical and emotional pain is truly what motivates and fulfills me.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
That I am starting to own and shine through the skills that make my services unique, I often incorporate Tuina and Chinese craniosacral therapy during my acupuncture treatments to elevate the healing process to a new level. And very few acupuncturists do these kinds of whole holistic treatments. I’m proud to get noticed and recommended for the uniqueness of my services and how they can affect people emotionally. Having the courage to put my uniqueness forward has helped me get better known and distinguishes me from my peers.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
To manage my energy. To find the balance between personal life, working in the clinic, and working on the business. Being a solo entrepreneur teaches me to do what I always tell my patients: manage your energy, not your time. Energy is our prime resource, and it can be hard to get back once you push yourself too far. Being a solo entrepreneur means that we ARE our business. If you want a healthy business, you need its sole resource to be healthy and thriving, too: YOU.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Establish systems as early as possible that are scalable and will allow you to grow in the future. For example, I use a really good online booking and charting system that automates many repetitive tasks. I also put in place a system for my cash flow management (see the Profit First method!)
- Better your mindset. Set yourself for success and get rid of the scarcity mindset. This takes time and repetition since our brain is wired to think of danger first. Listening to podcasts about entrepreneurs and greatness has helped train my mind to accept abundance in my life.
- Have a vision, not of where you want to be, but of what you want to leave behind. What do you want to be remembered for? What do you want your contribution to the world to be? And then let that vision guide your actions and who you are.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I observe that being an entrepreneur is most and foremost all about personal development. So don’t be scared of failure since it doesn’t exist in personal development. Only opportunities to better yourself as a person exists. So get yourself out there!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://champagneacupuncture.ca/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/champagneacupuncture
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/champagne.acupuncture/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolannechampagne/
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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