Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cathy Bales, owner of NSM for Wellness, located in Oakville, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
To put it simply, I help people get unstuck! I'm not the 'what'… the business strategy, life goals, decision tree side of things. I'm not the 'why' – helping you find your purpose and vision.
I'm the 'how' – the practical toolbox of how to get there from here.
There's a lot of wisdom out there about how to live your best life: gurus, books, sound bites on TikTok and Instagram, even clichés (cause they all contain valuable truths) but so many of us just don't know how to actually move the needle towards health and wholeness. That's where I come in. I hand you the secret decoder ring that actually helps you tackle things like productivity killers, decision fog, fear, inner turmoil…all the chaos beneath the surface, so you can get back clarity, alertness, focus, and ultimately, improve your overall enjoyment of life. It's like a shortcut to progress. I love this Hawaiian proverb: you can't stop the waves, but you can learn HOW to surf.
In this crazy, fast-moving, ever-changing world, we need RESILIENCE - the ability to ride the waves of life. Resilience is more than just a buzzword. It is a necessary (and learnable) trait! It helps reduce the mental, emotional and physical effects of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm. In fact, it has become a key differentiator between high performers and those who fall under the pressures of everyday life.
But HOW do we BUILD resilience? Is it even possible? The answer is a resounding YES, and it's easier than you think! And that's what I do: I train individuals and corporate teams on HOW to build their resilience and THRIVE! What makes me different in my field is that what I teach is so simple that kids can do it (I said simply…not easy!), but it is used by the military, first responders, Olympic level athletes, and fortune 500 executives as a high-performance toolbox. It also has 30 years of peer validated research behind it. This toolbox has literally CHANGED MY LIFE...and this is why I am so passionate about passing it on to as many people as possible.
Tell us about yourself
In a nutshell, I've been there! You know that place where you're in survival mode, barely existing: feeling crummy day in and day out, exhausted all the time, struggling to get through the day, having a short fuse with the people you love, and finding everything hard. Even more frustrating is the hopeless feeling of being aware that there HAS to be a better way but not knowing HOW to start to fix it!?
That was me 20 years ago….and it was a long journey back! If I can help even one-person short circuit their journey back to feeling good and loving life again, I'm all about it!
The Google machine was my friend for a long time as I was trying to figure out how to heal from the inside out…but eventually, it all became confusing. There is so much conflicting information out there!! In light of this, I needed to get a good foundation about what my body and brain need to heal and restore in order to better discern what makes sense and what doesn't. So, I enrolled in a holistic health coaching program. To graduate, I had to submit case studies; my case studies became my clients, and my clients sent me referrals. The next thing I knew, I had a business!
I actually never set out to have a coaching practice. But now that I do, I am so thankful for the privilege of walking alongside people as they find their way back to wholeness. The thing is…life is too short to just be surviving. We need to find a way to thrive…WAVES and all!! And if I can help someone find their way back to that place, it lights my fire!
I have come to understand two very important things in the last 20 years of my own journey:
- Our bodies are incredibly designed to be self-healing...and a pill is often NOT the answer!
- Learning how our body and brain work is a pivotal stepping-stone to finding health and wholeness again.
So that's what I do. I provide clients with important foundational knowledge and then equip them with a very robust toolbox that springboards their wellness journey.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
The biggest accomplishment that my business has brought about is my own self-development. I'm a different person than when I started. My practice has made me have to live what I teach, which has helped me elevate my own game. This self-development work has been transformational for me personally – it has impacted my relationships tremendously and helped me show up better in every area of my life: at work, at home, and even at play!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As a lone ranger, my biggest challenge is having to learn ALL the nitty-gritty of running a business. Things like:
• finding the right accountability tools to support my clients
• the marketing bits: how to nurture my email list, update my website, and keep up with my social media
• the accounting: invoicing, taxes, etc.
• figuring out how to make money! LOL
These are not my happy place, but they are essential to running a tight ship.
It's definitely a steep learning curve!
Having said that…even those parts have become an asset! My kids are older now and in the business world. It's really fun to be able to contribute to those conversations with some informed knowledge.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
My number ONE tip would be this: don't wait to have it all figured out to start! SO often, I would have an idea and then make sure I worked out all the details before I launched, only to figure out that it was not the right option and needed to pivot. If I had just started – albeit imperfectly - I would have saved myself a lot of time and energy and landed where I needed sooner. This was a biggie for me, and it was rooted in fear of failure. But when we hit snags, it's where the learnings happen. It's where the course-correcting happens. It's not actually failure … it's refinement! And it's what leads us to what we're meant to do.
Secondly, make sure to network and rub shoulders with other entrepreneurs / solo-trepreneurs. Chances are you're all struggling with the same issues, and some will be ahead of you in the journey, and you can learn from them and short circuit your own path. It's also encouraging and rejuvenating to be able to help others too.
Thirdly, identify and work on your own limiting beliefs – they are real! Things like 'imposter syndrome' can really keep you stuck or even derail you. Find someone who can help you hammer those out. These are the kinds of things that are hard to tackle on our own. You need community. That same group of entrepreneurs is a great place to start.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.nsmforwellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nsmforwellness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nsmforwellness/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ckbales
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathy-kanemy-bales/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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