Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mireille (Mimi) Martel, Co-Founder of Portail Phoenix, located in Lévis, QC, Canada.

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

I have many businesses now; I started with teaching classes and yoga training. Then, I grew into selling products that I used in my classes and training to sell online because people couldn't find them otherwise. Then, I grew even bigger and built a virtual studio. Now, we are a much bigger company that has different branches; we have an online shop for yoga accessories, a university for training and workshops for people who want to educate themselves, and a virtual studio for people who want to access classes anywhere in the world.

My customers are people who are curious and want to gain more knowledge. They wonder how they could get better and have better health, including their mental health, spiritual health, their emotional, and their physical health as well. So the customers are people who want to take control of their health and learn more about the subject.

Tell us about yourself

I am a 43 years old mom of 2 little girls. I started teaching yoga around 12 years ago now because I didn't want to work in the career I had (marketing and sells). I felt that my purpose in life was way more than what I was doing, even though I loved my job in the past. I wanted to help, and I still want to help as much as possible people who want to regain power in their general health. I want them to feel good about themselves, and I want them to know that they have everything they need inside themselves. They just need to discover this and trust themselves more and be open and curious to learn more about everything that is possible for them to get better at self-care and to be more autonomous about gaining control of their body, their mind, their emotions, and their spirit. So that's what keeps me waking up every day because I truly believe everybody has the power within.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I now can say that I am able to live from my business and say that I am doing something that I truly believe in, and it's my core value. It is what makes me feel good every day.

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

For me, it was to be able to let go of wanting to control everything, which is what gave me more power and freedom. That's why I wanted to be a business owner because I was gaining freedom, and as the business grew, I saw my agenda getting busier and busier, and I had a lot more hats to wear, and I had to take that decision to jump forward and let go of some of those hats and trust the people I work with and let go of it instead of wanting to control everything. It was one of the hardest things for me as a business owner to let it go and be able to keep on growing. If you don't let go, you saturate, and some people are okay with that, but I wanted to keep on growing because I have a bigger picture in mind.

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

  1. Make sure you invest time to truly decide and confirm what is the mission, vision, and core value of your company and make sure this is always available so that every time you make a decision, you can rely on those principles.
  2. You always have the choice to revisit where you are and change your mind or decide otherwise, and you can always change the vision, the mission, and the core values if you are not aligned with them or if you think you made a mistake. Openness to change your mind is the second tip.
  3. Surround yourself with people who have a similar vision, mission, and values but that are different than you so they can help you grow.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

The best thing about being a business owner is to surround yourself with other people who have the same mentality and fun of being an entrepreneur and creating new things. If you're surrounded by people who work with a different mindset, it will be really difficult and drain a lot of energy, but if you surround yourself with people who are stimulated by the fact that there are ups and downs, but they are still supporting you, it's way easier. They can support you emotionally and morally.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://yogami.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogami
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mimiyogami/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mireille-martel-b1803a76/

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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