Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sachin Sudra, Founder of Sunistanai, located in Calgary, AB, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
SUNISTANAI IS THE POINT WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL'S DESIRES AND NEEDS CONVERGE.
All products are handcrafted and made locally with love + care by me. Based in Alberta, Canada, I am an Ayurvedic Wellness & Nutrition Educator and Certified Yoga Instructor. I teach, empower, and inspire people of all diversities and ages to cook Ayurvedic food for one's unique lifestyle and yoga practice. I specialize in teaching effective tools for regulation and self-healing through nutrition and wellness.
I am the founder of Sunistani Ayurvedic Products & Namaste Cooking, a grassroots, community-based company that set out to educate and inspire people on the Ancient Indian healing art of Ayurveda. I act as a community advocate for preserving this ancient Indigenous knowledge through lectures and classes. I believe in returning to the kitchen as a communal gathering space for resilience through health and wellness.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Sachin Kevatha Vishwakarman Sudra. I live and play in the Territory of Treaty 7 on Turtle Island. What got me started on my business was when I started teaching community cooking classes at the local organic grocery store while in art school studying art in relationship to the body, my ancestral knowledge, and Vedic science and philosophy. I started teaching community classes on Ayurvedic cuisine, with a focus on the healing alchemy of spices. It was the first opportunity of many that came allowing me to facilitate classes with the intention to inspire, create a sensory-engaged experience, and share with others the benefits of an Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle.
From there, I went on to teach people in a diverse range of spaces. I have since instructed yoga retreats and studios, festivals, events, and non-profit organizations.
What motivates me each day is the light, knowing that every day is a new one, anything from the past cannot be changed. Only what I do today since it is a new day. So what motivates me each day is the chance to inspire others and bring love and light to others. Inspiring others is the path.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Teaching youth from a range of underserved communities, I feel most fulfilled sharing my knowledge and learning from others, as well as imparting the importance of self-care, mental health, physical nutrition, and wellness to youth.
Designing my own product line of Ayurveda healing products, which are crafted by myself, integrating both local plant and herbal medicines with ayurvedic herbs. The name of this product line is Sunistanai, which in Gujrati is defined as 'the point where an individual's desires and needs converge.' In Greek, 'sunistanai' means to stand together.
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been creating an experience for others to learn more about Ayurveda for their health and wellness and witnessing the joy that they feel from having inspiration from the wellness experience and how they use those tips in their life for the betterment of their life.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I always have every task on my mind; I am always thinking about what needs to get done!!!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make a business plan and go over what your intention is with the business you want every day.
- Develop a team of people that can support you & that you trust.
- Have a self-care routine daily, exercise, meditate, eat on time, breathe and take breaks.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I would like to share that running your own business is lots of fun and gives you the creative edge to manifest whatever you desire. It also allows you to dream big and do what you love. Never stop manifesting and creating what you want; the world needs people like this, as creative ideas and opportunities to collaborate are what make our world beautiful. Being an entrepreneur has allowed me the freedom to travel, meet new people, have experiences, make money, go more into my own myself and find the deeper meanings to life.
For anyone on this path, I would suggest treating your self-care routine like your secret world, just like batman going into the Batcave to his layer full of computers and cool tools. Just like this, use your daily mornings as a place for your self-care mediation, that weight training, dance, yoga, sports, art, crafts, nature, driving, games, family, relationships, friends, mentors, elders, and cooking.
Whatever it may be, use your self-care as a time daily to focus on your spiritual practice. There is too much focus on generating income and less on mental health. They go hand and hand. So take your time, breathe, take time out, down work yourself to the ground. Instead, celebrate any small success you have had; this will bring out the reward factor and motivate you more to continue following through and completing tasks. From someone who learned the hard way, burning out, and working it has made all the difference. I still am learning, and that is what makes this journey so satisfying.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://sunistanai.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sachin.sudra
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sachinsudra/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachinsudra/
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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