Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Laura Best, Founder of Passion Collective, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Passion Collective helps professional women rediscover their passion and purpose. We serve mid-career professional women who are looking to rediscover what lights them up in work and in life.
Tell us about yourself
I started Passion Collective in 2014. I was a burnt-out marketing leader and a new Mum, and I was craving the community of other women. I wanted to rediscover the things that lit me up both in work and in life, but the conversations weren't out in the marketplace. I really wanted to bring women together to explore the idea of lighting ourselves up, doing meaningful work, and rediscovering our creativity. As soon as I began to do that, women started to open up, and I realized that we had a real opportunity to bring women together and make a difference.
Our "Passionados" range from being in their mid-20s to being in their mid-50s. Our women are in many different chapters of their lives, so it's hard to talk about just one thing that motivates me every day but what I think about on the hard days is how if we can just get one woman to reach out to another woman, that can create a huge spark that can transform either one of those woman's lives. We often don't know at the moment the change that we have created, and some months or even years later, we hear about the effect Passion Collective is having on women, and that's truly what motivates me to continue doing what we are doing.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I am really proud of our Passion Collective On Demand platform, which we launched 6 weeks into the Covid-19 lockdown as a way to better serve our Passionado community while we were all disconnected. I'm so glad we took the leap and launched that platform because now, more than 2 years later, we're able to connect women globally and can meet our Passionados where they are. It wasn't an easy thing to create, especially during the lockdown, but we had a huge amount of support from our community and from our sponsors.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There are two things! One is retaining focus and staying true to the path you're setting for yourself. There's always a temptation to try new things and change everything up, but you have to stick to your strategic plan. The other thing is having to continually put yourself out there and take a leap. And certainly, in our business, where we produce events and hope people show up, you really have to believe in what you're doing.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Figure out what you're passionate about. If you're not passionate about what you're doing, it's going to be extremely difficult to sustain your business!
- Build a community of people who will support you, tell you the truth, give you ideas, and help you along the way.
- Hire a bookkeeper (:
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Always remember that you have more power than you realize. Remembering our strengths is one of the best things we can do for ourselves every day, whether we are an entrepreneur or not.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.passioncollective.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/passioncollectivecommunity/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passioncollective/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/passion-collective/
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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