Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tanya Stricek, founder of Tanya Stricek Coaching Services, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

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

I help midlife women learn mindful eating, ditch diets & create flexible menopause health without counting calories or M&M's!

Tell us about yourself

I'm a Registered Dental Hygienist turned Nutritionist who is passionate about weight-inclusive health for menopausal women. As a Registered Health Professional, I've had to take medical histories for over 20 years. A top complaint from clients: weight gain. Women are so very hard on their bodies as they age. We try to do the things that "worked" at 25 and get frustrated when our bodies turn against us.

This is something that I completely understand, as I am also in midlife. I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. My body has changed. It's hard to come to grips with. Here's what turned things around.
My mom passed away the year I turned 50. She'd been in a nursing home for five years, confined to a wheelchair and then a bed. When I roamed those halls and got to know the other residents, I learned about the FULL lives they led BEFORE they ended up here. Each person there had a legacy.

One was a dedicated grandmother. Another is a retired professor. There was the opera singer with dementia who spoke French. That's what her husband told me, as he showed me pictures of her when she had a voice. He was her voice now. Whomp. I thought, one day, this could be ME. I started thinking about what I wanted for the next phase of my life. Worrying about my weight seemed so unimportant.

I decided to count memories over calories, I started The Fullness Podcast, and The Fullness Method to help older women make conscious food choices and live fuller, more self-compassionate lives.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The biggest accomplishment as an owner of a weight-inclusive nutrition business is modeling risk-taking for my daughter! Showing up at my laptop, on social media, and taking risks as a one-woman show takes some mindset work. I show up so I can show my daughter, and her friends, that they can do what they set their minds to. I also love to see inclusive weight thinking trickling down to a younger generation. This is the generation that is open to acceptance and diversity of bodies. We need this.

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

Showing up at my laptop, on social media, and taking risks! Seriously, running a one-woman show while also doing contract work for a large nutrition company takes some energy. Organization and time management are a struggle some days. Juggling competing priorities is also a challenge. Leaving a 9-5 job and a health profession to create my own daily structure hasn't been easy. But it does have some perks!

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

  1. Start. Start anywhere. Stay in action.
  2. Make mistakes. Learn from them. Keep going.
  3. Work on your mindset EARLY if you find fear is in your way. Don't know where to start? Find a mentor.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Creating a business has been the most rewarding time of my life, aside from creating a human being! This has been an experience in personal growth and resilience.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.tanyastricek.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amindfulnutritionist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amindfulnutritionist/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.