Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Melanie Wood, Healing Arts Practitioner located in San Jose, CA, USA.

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

I work in the healing arts, facilitating heart-centered practices for physical, mental, emotional & soul alignment. My services include breathwork, meditation, movement, and energy channeling.

Tell us about yourself

My journey in health and wellness started eight years ago as a personal trainer and yoga instructor. As a competitive athlete for many years, physical health is something I have always focused on, and I would even say it was my safety net for many years. It wasn't until I personally underwent major challenges like grief, anxiety/depression, trauma, abusive relationships, and a 7-year-long chronic illness that I truly began to seek a deeper connection with my SELF. This served as the catalyst to continue my education in the healing arts, becoming certified in three different yoga training, two breathwork programs, a master reiki certification program, EFT tapping workshops, reading, and self-educating, along with my own personal and deep inner healing work.

Every program, workshop, training, and certification I have completed was initially for myself to help me traverse personal hardships. I teach and offer services that I have experienced myself and continue to practice in my daily life.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment yet as a business owner is a contracting position I accepted at a Mental Health facility/hospital in Southern California in 2020. I had never worked in this type of environment before and was unsure if I was even cut out for it. Yet, I felt an intuitive tug to go for it. Working with the individuals I worked with taught me so much about humanity, pain, mental health, trauma, spirituality, energy healing, and most importantly, it illuminated my soul-given gift of holding a safe and sacred space for another individual to heal. It was the most rigorous work I have ever done. The confidence I gained from this position has catapulted me into quantum shifts within my current business, which I am forever grateful for.

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

I think our limiting belief systems and the old stories we tell ourselves are one of the hardest things about being a business owner. It's an active practice... not to overthink, project negative thoughts, insecurities, scarcity mindsets, etc. It has taken me years to understand that, more often than not, I have to get out of my own way and remind myself that I have everything I need within me to manifest a successful, heart-centered business.

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

  1. Inner child work. That little girl/boy/human within us is often the source of our insecurities, negative thought processes & mindsets. The moment we begin to understand, nourish, love, and heal that little child within, we begin to remove those mental roadblocks.
  2. Find an activity that brings you JOY! Dance, sing, cook, paint, play with your pet, etc. Do this every day for a week to elevate your emotions and ignite your creativity. Then, from this heart-centered joy, start brainstorming and writing down those business ideas and let them FLOW!
  3. It's the journey, not the destination, that brings the magick. Yes, you'll mess up, yes, you'll spend money, yes, you'll get angry and frustrated at times... Just as we human beings are continuing to grow, learn, and evolve, so too will your business! If your business is an extension of yourself, there are going to be unexpected turns and bumps along the way, and there will also be unexpected miracles, blessings, and opportunities.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Breathe deeper, ALWAYS trust, flow, then let go & let your inner light shine through your business for the world to see, and you'll be golden.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.melanielwood.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanielwood_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-wood-3108049b/

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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