From Paychecks to Passion: What I Learned Starting My Own Business

It was a bit of a shock when I determined that starting my own business is part of my journey to living my Best Life.  This hadn't been on my radar - as, unlike my Dad, I hadn't always felt that drive to work for myself.  However, as time went on, and I did lots of study in non-corporate modalities, such as yoga, meditation, reiki, nutrition, coaching, etc, it became apparent that that was what 'lit me up', while over time I discovered I was no longer enjoying the corporate life.

Starting my own business was one of the biggest leaps of faith I've ever taken.  After spending most of my life in the corporate world (mostly in the finance industry), I found myself feeling more and more out of place as I further explored yoga and other healing modalities.  I’d done yoga on and off for years, but when I did my yoga teacher training (and the additional trainings after that), I just loved it.  I learned so much, and felt so at home, and at peace while exploring all the possibilities out there. 

Despite the fact that I’d worked in the corporate world for decades, it just didn’t really ‘fit’ anymore.  It was a strange feeling — one that didn’t quite make sense to a lot of people — including me.  A couple of people suggested perhaps I would be better suited doing something more aligned with my own beliefs and values?  I have to admit, it took a little while for me to really accept it — after all, the corporate world was part of my identity for so long — what do you mean it doesn’t fit anymore??!! 

However, the more I immersed myself in yoga, Reiki (energy healing), and various other healing modalities, the more I realized that my heart just wasn’t in the corporate world anymore.  So, I made a choice that felt as exhilarating as it was terrifying — I left behind the comfort of a steady pay check, and jumped headfirst into creating my own business.

Now, you might be wondering, why was it so scary?  Well, for one, I had a close family member who went bankrupt with their own small business.  It was a great business, but things just didn’t align the way they needed to — whether it was the timing, the marketing, or something else.  That experience was always in the back of my mind, a reminder of how easily things could go wrong.  On top of that, I had to confront my own fears – the fear of failing, the fear of putting myself out there, the fear of being judged, and yes, even the fear of not selling anything at all.

But despite all that fear, there was a drive inside me that I couldn’t ignore.  I had knowledge and experience that I wanted to share, and a deep desire to help people live their Best Lives.  In the end, in order to go ahead with it, I thought of all the adventures I’ve had in life, and how I’ve always found a way to navigate through them.  This business, I realized, was just another adventure — one filled with new things to explore, new lessons to learn, and new connections to make.  Regardless of what happens, I’ll still be learning, and growing – and at least I’ve tried, rather than living with regret of what ‘might have been’ had I not had the courage to pursue it.

It took a while for me to work out what I wanted to teach, and how.  I kept thinking of various things I wanted to cover, and it seemed to be much bigger than yoga and a healing modality or two, which is what had been bubbling in the back of my mind over the past few years.  Over time, I realised that what I wanted to do really encompassed helping people live their Best Life.  So I explored that a bit further, bought the rights to the web-site from someone else who had it, and Your Best Life Academy was born.

As I started to build Your Best Life Academy, it became clear that this was the perfect platform for me.  It brought together all the things I wanted to do, and could expand with additional knowledge, and modalities I keep finding that I want to learn as well.  I’ve always had a wide range of interests, and I didn’t want to limit myself to just a couple of things.  With Your Best Life Academy, I could explore anything and everything that appealed to me, from health and fitness, to mindfulness, and building a community.  

I’m also planning to collaborate with like-minded souls, as this is a big topic, a big undertaking, and the goal is to help people – and no one person has all the answers. 

Community will also be an important part of this business, as I noticed how many people are longing for support, understanding, and a sense of belonging, on their own journey to living their Best Life.  It also allows us to all share our learnings, get support from others who might have a different perspective, and feel supported while we learn from others, thereby accelerating our rate of growth.  (Part of my offerings will include women's circle, which also allow women to find their voices in a safe and supportive environment.)

Of course, the building a new business path hasn’t been without its bumps.  Take my website, for example.  I bought a site that was designed for coaches, thinking it would be a perfect fit.  But it turned out the platform I had bought had changed from the time that I researched it, and now there was only one technical person behind it, and nothing worked the way it was supposed to.  It took weeks to get anything fixed.  So I spent a bit of time creating my website – then did it again, using another template, as the first one didn’t work properly!  (I’m not telling how web-sites I created on their platform!) 🤫  

Then they changed ownership, and decided to change their whole business strategy, and it just didn’t work for me anymore.  Unfortunately I had used a card without insurance attached to it to buy the web-site, so I wasn’t able to get my money returned (as it wasn’t ‘fit for purpose’).  Let’s just say, lesson learned — always make sure bigger purchases are protected prior to buying!

And also do your research, to make sure it is exactly what you want. Make use of the free option, to see if you find it easy to use, and understand. Read recent reviews - don't rely on old ones, as things change, making it no longer what you wanted. And it's important to get this right, if you can. As at November 2025, I'm in the process of changing websites (to my third provider), and it's a manual process to copy everything over. It takes time, and it's not fun. (Lesson: Take your time to do your research, and ask around, and ensure your research is current - websites are important, and not easy to swap over if you have a number of products, funnels, and blogs.)

I was so excited about everything I wanted to offer that I started creating a stack of courses and bundles each time I got a new idea.  It’s great, in that I have a lot of ideas, and a lot of information on each of them.  But guess what?  Many of them are not yet finished, which means they’re not out there helping anyone yet. (As at November 2025 I've finished a lot more of them - however there are a few courses that need additional videos (eg. yoga, tapping, meditations) that are yet to be completed.)  I will continue to work my way through them, and will release those that are near completion when I get a chance to do the remaining videos. (Lesson: make sure you have some good places to record, that aren't too noisy/dark, etc. And get some good equipment to help you.) 

My first offering (Busy Life Health Boost Bundle) is part of a collaboration, which I'm excited about. It's a fantastic opportunity to join with other like-minded people, and all help each other, and get our offers out to all of our combined clients.  We all contribute at least one offering that is normally paid, but will be free for a short time.  We will be sending out the coupon code to get the offerings for free via our emails.  So if you want the opportunity to get a some helpful courses and bundles for free (you get to choose which ones you like!), sign up for our newsletter, where we let people know of upcoming offerings!  I am so excited to be a part of this! (Lesson: Look for people to collaborate with - ideally those will complementing businesses eg. meditation & wellness, or gyms & physios, etc.)

My first available course is a free course on core values, called The Values Code:  Unlocking Your Best Self.  This mini-course is designed to help you discover the power of aligning your core values (what is most important to you) with your daily decisions.  This written course (video coming) has a handout to guide you, and is designed to help you with clarity around who you are, and who you want to be, so you can incorporate this intention and purpose into your life. Identify what truly matters to you, align your values with your goals, and refresh your current values, so your life journey is more fulfilling and purposeful. (Lesson: Offer free content that aligns with your vision, and helps people, so they can see what you do.)

We have also released our Awaken Your Soul Purpose course to help you uncover your Soul Purpose. So once you have clarity around your own personal values, and your own Soul Purpose, you have a great roadmap to follow to live your Best Life, so you feel fulfilled, happy, and confident, while contributing to the world in your own unique way, that feels right for you. As this is a live course, I'm offering a few beta (testing) sessions for free, so people can get the information (in this case their Soul Purpose), while I receive feedback on how to improve the course, as well as testimonials. (Lesson: sometimes you need to give in order to receive. This allows you to hone your offer, and receive testimonials, which help people determine if they want to do the course or not.)

In the end, starting Your Best Life Academy has been one of the most rewarding adventures I’ve embarked on.  Yes, it’s been challenging at times, and yes, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes (but who hasn’t)?   My first video was a prime example.  I made a smoothie, and was talking about it on camera, and needed everyone to see the actual smoothie.  I was tipping the cup toward the camera, and noticed that the cup had a large chip – front and centre of the camera – nice and clear, just to make sure that nobody missed it.  And then I proceeded to tip the smoothie – right onto the table, right into the camera!!  🤦🤷‍♀️🤣🤣

The bonus of this is that I got a great story out of it, and everyone had a good laugh – including me, as seriously, wouldn’t you check the cup first?  And not spill it on the table??!!   But every step of the way has taught me something valuable —about having a sense of humour, about business, about people, and about myself.  I’ve learned to embrace the uncertainty, to trust in my ability to adapt, and most importantly, to keep moving forward, no matter what.  (But also rest if I need to – I often get so excited that I work long hours, and then get caught up in what I’m doing, and forget to take a break – or even eat! 🤭)

So, if you’re thinking about starting your own business, or if you’re in the early stages, and feeling overwhelmed, remember this - it’s okay to be scared.  It’s okay to make mistakes.  What matters is that you keep going, keep learning, and keep believing in what you’re doing.  Your Best Life, and your best business, are waiting for you on the other side of that leap.

P.S.  I have tested SO many different software packages during my journey so far.  Some I love, some are a bit unstable/temperamental, and some are powerful yet complicated.  One of my favourites is one that helps with Social Media, and is called SmarterQueue (note this is an affiliate link, so if you buy, at no additional cost to you, I might receive a small commission).  I recommend it to everyone, as I find it really intuitive and helpful.  You can link your social media accounts, and they provide all the tools you need to create pretty much any post you want to, and then schedule it according to the categories (which you choose).  You can also recycle posts, which is helpful. Very easy, flexible, and powerful.  I use it to schedule posts in advance, so even if I am away, or run out of time, I know new posts are still going out.  If you want to grow your business with less burnout and more clarity, try SmarterQueue free for 30 days — no credit card needed, zero risk.   As I said, it’s one of my favourite software packages – I hope you love it too!  😊   

1. What will I learn from this blog?
You’ll learn how I moved from corporate life into living my Soul Purpose, the fears I had to move through, and the simple steps you can use to create a life that feels true to you.

2. Why do you share your personal story?
Because real stories help us feel less alone.  I feel it’s important to share the ‘real life’ – because not everything goes according to plan, perfectly, all the time.  I also want you to see what’s possible for you, too, even if fear is loud, or life feels uncertain.

3. Will I get practical tips?
Yes.   Along with the emotional side, I share easy steps, reflections, and ideas you can start using right away.

4. Do I need to have everything figured out before I start my own journey?
No.  You can begin exactly where you are. Small steps, honesty, and courage are enough.

5. How does this connect to living my Best Life?
When you understand your fears, values, and dreams, you can make choices that feel aligned — and that’s the heart of living your Best Life.

6. What if I’ve tried before and feel disappointed?
You’re not alone.  This blog will encourage you, remind you of your strength, and help you reconnect with hope and possibility.  There are many ways, and many paths, to live your Soul Purpose – and it might take a few goes to find the right one for you.

7. Can beginners benefit from this?
Absolutely.  Everything is explained in simple language so you can take your next step with confidence and ease.

Try managing your social media with SmarterQueue free with an extended trial period of 30 days — no credit card needed, zero risk — and take the daily pressure off.

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We have also created stand-alone pages in the 7 life segments with all blogs, freebies, and paid products grouped together, so you can easily find and review items of interest to you.  Click on the links below to find the areas of most interest to you!  

Life Purpose & Best Life - Health & Wellness - Relationships - Abundance - Personal Growth - Peace of Mind - Spirituality & Energy.

This blog shares my personal story, experiences, and insights. It’s here to inspire you and offer gentle guidance, but it’s not professional medical, financial, business, or psychological advice.

Everyone’s path is different, and your choices, results, and experiences will be unique to you. Please use your own judgment and seek qualified support where needed.

By reading this post, you agree that Your Best Life Academy isn’t responsible for any decisions or outcomes based on this content. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and move at a pace that feels right for you.