Startups & Self-care: The Power of Building a Business from a Place of Passion, Purpose and Purity of Intention

An example I use is, ‘If you’re looking for a new house, write down an actual street rather than one or two suburbs. Write down how you want the house to look, and even include descriptions and functions of the inside and outside.’ Over the years I’ve written many lists. Once I write them I usually stick them in a drawer and forget about them. I lo

even get the chance to advertise. I’ve always been amazed what can happen when I focus my energies on a particular outcome. By now I was ready to sell the business because I had my next progression all lined up. I was chatting with a customer, telling her how Sodashi was getting busier and I’d have to consider selling The Health Cottage soon. She s

But I learnt that true innovation only takes place when people are given the opportunity to put forward their ideas, take ownership of their ideas and implement them. It won’t work if they have to ask permission for every part of the process, or feel they’ll be micromanaged in the process. In fact, they will stop asking.

For this reason, I get those I mentor to write lists of what they want to attract into their lives or businesses. I tell them to be as specific as they can without limiting the outcome.

The marketing basics I believe will never let you down are: Having a great product. Treating your customers well and listening to what they say. (Happy customers are your best sales force.) Providing authentic and valuable education.

Beauty therapy treatments are more functional—the client is looking for a specific result. But spa treatments, while still results-focused, are all about the experience. They should be a beautiful blend of effectiveness and relaxation, something that ultimately supports the customer’s wellbeing.

Some people start businesses with the goal of making a difference in the world. They are innovators, and they want to change the status quo. I’m one of those people. I wanted to change the way people thought about the products they were applying to their skin. I wanted them to believe that what they put on their skin should

In any major transition, you’ve got to find the support you need to help you get through it. It might be talking to a therapist, or having a mentor or business coach. It might be finding a networking or mastermind group. It might be using therapies like meditation, Kinesiology or Bowen therapy. It might be some or even all of these.

But I ran into the same problem most pioneers face: we were way ahead of our time. ‘All-natural’ wasn’t a thing in 1999. So instead of simply being able to sell the Sodashi products on their merits, I had to spend a huge amount of time educating the market about why all-natural was important when it came to skin care, and how our unique formulation