Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in mental wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stacy Saindon, Founder of Sisu Relational Services, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

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

Sisu Relational Services is a private therapy practice in Minneapolis, MN. I work with people who are experiencing grief, trauma, and relational wounds and want to cultivate joy. I provide individual, couples, and family therapy, grief group coaching, workshops, and consultation. My brave clients are people who want to move through the pain of grief and trauma and live a life of joy and peace.

Tell us about yourself

I strongly identify as a yogi, mother, wife, sister, and motherless daughter, which all launched me into the helping profession. My mom lost her mother when she was 12 years old. This unprocessed loss shaped and impacted how she walked in the world. The memory of my grandmother was a co-parent in our family system growing up. Like a cob-web, grief clung to the eaves of our home and was a backdrop to how my mother parented. I lost my mom to ovarian cancer when I was 24 and had no helpful template on how to grieve well. That inspired me to do my own grief work and to light a way for others' paths to healing. I wish my mom had a program like this when she was a child.

My Grieve & Love Well program is a love letter to her. Now that I am mothering two daughters changing my inter-generational family legacy of grief is important. I have taught my children that grief is really only love in disguise. That when we love someone or something deeply, we will also grieve it deeply. It's not only OK to love deep and grieve deep, but it's necessary.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am thrilled to share that I've created a grief coaching program called Grieve & Love Well that helps people get relief from the pain of their grief while staying connected to their loved ones. The program offers psycho-educational modules on grief, weekly support groups, and a private Facebook group for daily support. This six-month program helps people understand what it means to grieve, honor what was lost and create a future full of both joy and connection with their loved ones. Since grief for most people is taboo, I am proud to have created a program that dismantles the myths of grief, puts words to un-mentionable pain, and helps grievers live a life of joy and meaning.

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

I am a big-picture person; I get energized by ideas and possibilities. The small details of, let's say, learning technology and taxes take a lot of focus and attention. My biggest learning curve is to be patient with the parts of running a business that are not my strong suit.

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

  1. What do you daydream about? What sparks joy and energy? THAT is what you need to turn into a business. Something that gets you into your flow. Even if there is a lot of competition, no one is like you or has your exact way of providing a service.
  2. Farm out tasks that aren't your strengths. I've hired a business coach, a biller, a tax accountant, etc. Those tasks drain me.
  3. Don't give up, and don't take it personally if your beta product isn't "successful." Tweak it, be objective, and take in feedback. Don't tie your worth to your product, or you'll have only two options: success or failure. Humble yourself to learn and grow.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Life is short. It has been transformational to create a business that gets me in my flow, gives me the flexibility to be home with my family, and has an impact on helping others. No more overworking for a system that burns me out.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.sisurelationalservices.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083368321053
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacy_saindon/

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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