Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cortina Jenelle Caldwell, Founder of House of SOLEIL, located in Asheville, NC, USA.

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

House of SOLEIL is a collection of work towards planetary, ancestral, + individual healing rooted in nature connection, actualizing equity, and ultimately creating alignment + belonging. Through our environmental service work, community design, equity consulting, entrepreneur coaching program, podcast, wellness retreats + gatherings, storytelling, + publishing, we curate space for transformation, connection, and wellbeing from individual to planetary levels. We work at intersections to build a cooperative ecosystem that centers on sovereignty + creativity. ‌

Everything we do invites nature as a co-facilitator, classroom, and sacred gathering space. ‌‌We honor and acknowledge the legacy of Black, indigenous Earth wisdom that we have the privilege of learning from by the generations of organizers, scientists, astrologers, entrepreneurs, farmers, creatives, and architects that came before us. We are a constellation of intergenerational environmentalists, holistic wellness coaches, entrepreneurs, creatives, organizers, and educators. By honoring their contribution and making ours, we move humanity forward for the good of all.

Tell us about yourself

I am a proud millennial, born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains and descending from generations of Black Appalachian & indigenous farmers, artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and creatives. Since the age of 12, I have been an entrepreneur, learning at my grandmother's hands. To date, I feel compelled to continue a legacy of entrepreneurship, creativity, and community building as Founder & Brand Strategist for Cortina Jenelle Branding Agency, working with purpose-driven brands, organizations, and entrepreneurs.

I am the Founder & Creatrix of the House of SOLEIL, a sanctuary for entrepreneurs, communities, and individuals seeking to re-imagine systems and strategies for alignment, liberation, + belonging through nature connection and cooperation. Also, Founder & Creative Community Organizer for Afraka Designing Emergence (adé PROJECT), a project-based coop serving the Diaspora with mutual aid, heritage + cultural reparation work, and decolonization tools. Additionally, I served as Co-Founder of Mountain Business Equity Initiative (MBEI), Program Director for WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition Community Relations Director & Communications Director for LEAF Community Arts, as well as various other management roles, Board of Director appointments, and leadership positions. I work intentionally at the intersections of spirituality, holistic wellness, and creativity.

Ultimately, my work is fueled by my personal mission – to serve as a mission partner to purpose-driven brands, entrepreneurs, freelancers, nonprofits, retreats + spiritual destinations ultimately scaling their profitability by re-imagining, designing, or managing human-centered, equitable systems that support holistic wellbeing.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

So far, my biggest accomplishment has been designing, writing, and self-publishing a book - my first book, "How to Heal the Planet from Wherever You Are: Leaning Into the Cosmic + Planetary Link Between Ancestral Healing, Collective Liberation + Creative Entrepreneurship"- which came out Spring/Summer of this year. As a child, I loved nature and words before I could write in cursive, so for my life to come around full circle to be writing in order to educate, inspire, connect and organize around environmental stewardship and social responsibility is a dream come true. The book was published under the House of SOLEIL. It will continue to be a publishing house for other creatives, entrepreneurs, content creators, and cultural organizers to share their messages, visions, and stories.

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

One of the hardest things about being an entrepreneur is committing to the personal evolution that starting, sustaining, and expanding that business will require. There will be challenges that test your character, your values, and your boundaries. In the midst of difficult moments or hard decisions, you WILL cultivate perseverance, resilience, inner strength, faith, hope, and good vibes for yourself and model it for others. Ultimately though, you will have to decide how far and long you are willing to go, how you will advocate for yourself as a business owner, and the extent of the investment you are willing to make in your dreams and vision. If you can evolve and grow with your business, or at least surrender to the process of growth that it requires of you, it can be one of the most liberating, abundant, and awe-inspiring things you will ever do.

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

  1. Take personal inventory as early and often as possible. This will do several things! First, it will cultivate a practice of reflection and self-awareness. Second, it will give you a sense of your values and connect you with your mission more authentically. And it will also create a culture for your business or organization that encourages accountability, integrity, and social responsibility in others as you start to build a team or call on support.
  2. Get clear on how you want to share power, make decisions, create pathways to ownership/wealth (or not!), and the kind of culture you want to build. If you're honest and proactive about this, you will likely start the kind of infrastructure you need early on. You could start an organization, a cooperative, buy a farm, launch a project or freelance your services to others. Make sure your form matches the function and supports growth.
  3. Make a divine intervention list! List things you can do for yourself when you need a break to take care of your mental, physical, emotional or spiritual health. This is to help you help yourself when faced with burnout, stress, anxiety, writer's block, etc. When you hit a wall, do something from your list or explore and add something new!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

For those interested in ordering a copy of my book, you can visit - https://houseofsoleil.org/product/how-to-heal-the-planet-book.

For those interested in working with me for holistic coaching or participate in SOL Coaching Circles, you can start that at https://houseofsoleil.org/coaching.

For those interested in holistic wellness retreats, join the waiting list of available experiences at https://mailchi.mp/bc326c00cc37/retreat-waiting-list.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://houseofsoleil.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cortina.jenelle/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortinajenelle/

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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