Coconut Whisk Baking Co. was an idea that came to me in the middle of my shower one night in January 2018. I remember vividly feeling this surge of energy and elated giddiness. It was something that I have never ever felt before (not even exaggerating) I rushed to Myles and told him about my idea and the rest is history.
I was so confident and sure that THIS was it. I didn’t think about the possible hurdles and obstacles. OR the endless hours I had to work to bring this to life.
I just KNEW in my heart that I had to say “YES” and take action.
We’re only less than 3 month into this startup journey but wow, I’ve learned and discovered a lot about myself and what it truly means to be living with purpose.
Here are the top 5 things that I’ve learned that I hope helps you with your next big idea and venture:
- If you’re going to partner with your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife, make sure that the foundation for your relationship is SOLID. Starting a business with your loved one is the best thing ever but also it could be the worst thing ever; if you don’t be careful. I wish we took more precautions with this. Setting boundaries and making sure that you both communicate is so important. Giving each other roles, expectations and separate responsibilities helps when you’re in the trenches of work and stress. It’s also important to take breaks and do fun things together outside of work and business. Myles and I try to do date night once a week and we also try doing daily things together that helps improve our relationship. Currently we are reading the Relationship Cure together (yes, we even bought two copies to read before bed every night haha!) and The Five Love Languages (a classic!). I think the relationship with your partner is the most important thing after self-care, so treat your significant other and your relationship with the utmost respect and commitment.
- Community is everything. From the very beginning, we expressed our idea to our closest friends, trusted peers and family members. We also quickly got connected with business mentors and those in the food community. If it wasn’t for the help and encouragement from our tribe, I don’t know if Coconut Whisk would be where it is today.
- Self care is crucial. Lemme repeat that: SELF CARE IS CRUCIAL. I have a tendency to get obsessed with ideas and go after them like a mad scientist (like Rick from Rick & Morty). With that being said, it’s kinda cool to get infatuated with your brilliant idea, but don’t let go of your duties and responsibilities. And of course, self care is the most important one of all. You might think you’re some kind of martyr but in the end, it’s not sustainable and you to sacrifice your mental and physical health (never a good idea). There were a few weeks where I was in continuous stress mode and not eating the best. That took a toll on me. Now, I make sure that I leave time for myself to relax and rest. I do this by taking time in the morning for myself, doing healthy meal preps, exercising, practicing yoga and journaling.
- Organization is everything. It’s even more so with a business. To keep my sanity and everything else in my life steady and functioning (like this blog), it’s so important to keep everything in place and take time to plan out your week and month. Keeping binders, spread sheets and simply a planner is key to making sure your personal and business life keeps thriving.
- Your dreams and ideas matter. I’ve realized that if I would’ve allowed fear to stop me on that snowy night in January, I wouldn’t have been able to meet the people that I have, personally grow the way I did or make the kind of impact that we’re now making. I had no idea that this startup would resonate with so many people the way it did. We’ve met the most supportive and encouraging locals. We’ve met presidents of animal organizations who are grateful for our commitment. We’ve connected with the most brilliant business owners in the area and made friends with innovative entrepreneurs. We’ve received grateful messages from families saying how thrilled they are that we are offering more vegan options into the market. This wouldn’t have happened if I allowed fear to take over. And so my advice to you is to NEVER allow your inner critic to dull your light. You are meant to create something beautiful in this lifetime.
Even if you weren’t meant to start a business, I KNOW you were meant to start something. A blog, a new hobby, a family, anything. For me, I truly believe that I’ve been building up to this all my life. I feel as though I was truly born to create and build businesses. This might be my one and only or this might be the 1 in 10 companies that I launch. All I know is that this makes me come to life. I can envision myself working on this everyday of my life and never getting sick of it (okay maybe I will someday, but let me enjoy my naive ways right now).
Yes, there are some poop filled moments, but in the wise words of Elizabeth Gilbert, everybody has their own shit sandwich to eat, we just have to make sure that it’s worth it : )
Chase your dreams, dear friend.
I believe in YOU.
xo Bella
