My Journey to Owning My Own Business.

My small business story in a nutshell

by Lana Reed

All good stories are at heart adventure stories with risk and love and journeys into unknown territories. This is no less true for the origin story of small businesses and the crazy people who start them (in this case, that’s me). Just like in the fairy tales of old and happy-ending movies of new; its not often that the story veers into the legal and financial details. No one sees the contracts, the loan terms, and the drafts of spreadsheets placing precious pennies in each column. I want to change this. I want to bring it all into the light!

Details of naivety at the beginning, embarrassing faux pas, and ‘#fails’ provide hearty laughs and an approachable start. At the other end of the spectrum; comprehensive liability insurance and solid client contracts are the stuff a solid business is made of. From spending overheads to prioritizing competing budget line items to determining how much to charge. I’ve had to learn a lot. The way I learned was mostly the hard way and I suffered some hard knocks but I got back up again and I've got systems now and spreadsheets and strategies and I’m ready to share. Where do you want to go?

what motivates me?

Talking about the realities of owning your own small and growing business is important to me. When in my own path, pitfalls and resource draining detours have been avoided; it’s been due to the sound advice of experienced others. Mentors have been crucial pillars of support in building my business. I have personally experienced the power of meaningful mentor support and assistance. With hindsight I can compare the process with vs. without support and I can admit that I wish I’d stepped back from my stubborn lone wolf approach a little sooner, to be honest.

Empowerment via Partnership

Starting your own business might be new territory but you aren’t alone. Others have walked in this province before and some are willing to walk with those just setting out. That’s me! I want to make growing pains less painful for yoga teachers brand new to the business aspects of yoga. The goal of mentorship is to productively share and serve in a way that empowers others through practical information sharing and strategy sessions. I’m confident that the right partnerships will add value for both the participants.

Just want to teach?

Never-mind the rest of the stuff? I get that. If you think this is your forever happy place then its possible you might not benefit considerably from a Wild Thing Mentorship but if you're….

Ready to fledge?

Many yoga teachers get a start in the studios that host them. If you daydream about what might be possible, imagine more freedom, or increased independence then planning ahead for a strong solo start can make transitioning out to fly a much kinder experience. If you are contemplating stepping your career up a notch or just considering your options a sit-down, talk-it-out, Q&A session could hold gold. A mentorship might be a great place to consider what’s possible in a more concrete way; find out more here.