Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ryn Gargulinski, Founder of Rynski Life, located in Cape Coral, FL, USA.

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

My business is bringing happiness to life – your life. I do this through spiritual life coaching, as well as Reiki, writing, art, and consulting. Rynski Life is the name of my brand that brings all these services together. My customers are smart, creative, and fun people who want to add another layer of fun to their world.

Tell us about yourself

I always knew I wanted to share my writing and art with the world. But I was also always too scared to actually start my own business. I instead glommed onto full-time jobs that left me just comfortable enough not to have to take the big leap. Then the newspaper where I was working as a journalist shut down and fired us all. I had just bought a house, and the real estate market had just crashed. I couldn't sell and move. I had to stay and find a way to support myself. That's when my business began. It started with writing and art. It grew into coaching, Reiki, and consulting when I knew I wanted to help people on a deeper level. I wanted to help others get the same joy out of life I was getting since I had entered recovery from alcoholism in 1999. We were born to be happy, joyous, and free. If you're not – let's talk!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

When the newspaper shut down and left me and my colleagues jobless, I made two promises to myself:

• I would never again put all my eggs in one basket.
• I would never again end up as a full-time employee at the mercy of a big corporation's whims.

That was in 2009. I've been my own boss, with several income streams, ever since. Woohoo! My biggest accomplishment has been keeping those promises and making a solid living, year after year after year.

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

Fighting the urge to work myself to death. Like many, I thought the harder you work, the more success you'll achieve. So I worked and worked and worked and worked – 12-hour days. Six or seven days a week. I realized I was my own boss and a money-making business owner – but I wasn't having any fun. The most demanding boss I ever had was me! I have since learned to loosen the reins. Relax. Enjoy what I'm doing. Know the universe will always take care of me. And it does.

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

  1. Be yourself. Don't try to become the person you think people want you to be just to attract the customers you think you want. I had a photoshoot once where the photographer dressed me up in "professional-looking" garb to attract a higher level of clients. It wasn't me. It was horrible. We all do our best work when we're authentic and true to ourselves. I never used those photos.
  2. Tap into your passion. One of my favorite quotes says something like: "When you're doing something you love, you never work a day in your life."
  3. Relax. Don't work yourself to the bone. It is possible to make money, be successful and run a thriving business – all while having fun.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Yes. Another quote I adore: "Leap, and the net shall appear." If you sit around waiting for the time to be "right" to move forward, you'll always find an excuse why it's not. In my case, I needed a big shove from above to take the plunge into owning and running my own business. Ask the universe to guide you and give you the courage you need...along with the customers. You may be amazed at what happens.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ryngargulinski.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryngargulinski/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryngargulinski/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rynski
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryngargulinski/

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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