As I celebrate my 54th birthday this week, I find myself reflecting on my entrepreneurial journey, particularly these past eight years since launching my first online course. The timing feels perfect as I prepare for my upcoming “Plan Your Year” workshop on December 3rd.

My path has been anything but conventional. From teaching yoga in friends’ living rooms in Hamburg to running an international online business from virtually everywhere – it’s been quite the adventure. It all began 11 years ago with a yoga teacher training in Bali. What started as a simple yoga retreat website evolved into teaching across Southeast Asia – Thailand, the Philippines, and Bali. This naturally led to helping other yoga teachers with their websites and marketing, eventually blossoming into creating online courses.

Since then, I’ve launched over 10 courses, created two membership programs, developed a high-ticket offering, and started a podcast featuring incredible guests like Allie van Fossen and Shosanna Raven. My office has been everywhere from a supermarket parking lot in Norway to an overpriced camping site in the UK (chosen purely for the WiFi!). I’ve run my business while traveling Europe in a campervan, living in Bali, and now from my home in Mallorca.

Here are the eight most valuable lessons I’ve learned along the way:

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1. Commit Before You Feel Confident

When I started talking about marketing for yoga teachers, I had zero audience – no blog readers, no followers, nothing. Nobody was waiting for my content. But here’s the truth: confidence isn’t the starting point; it’s the destination.

The journey goes like this: First comes commitment – the decision to move forward despite uncertainty. Then courage – the strength to take action on that commitment. With consistent action comes ability – your skills improve through practice. Finally, after all that, confidence arrives, built on a foundation of experience and results.

Looking back, I can see that this journey wasn’t a straight line – it was a series of small steps, consistent actions, and steady progress. The confidence I have today was built through years of showing up, serving my community, and staying committed to my vision.

2. Keep It Simple

My campervan travels across Europe in 2021 and 2022 taught me this lesson profoundly. Try running an online business from a campervan – it forces you to strip everything down to the essentials! Despite the limitations, I still had a six-figure year selling just one premium program. No complex funnels, no multiple offers – just one solid program that delivered results.

Early on, I thought more was better – more courses, more offerings, more marketing channels. But simplicity isn’t just about having less – it’s about having the right things. When you can only focus on a few key elements, you make sure those elements are rock solid.

3. Energetics Are Important, But Strategy Is Essential

In the wellness space, there’s often heavy emphasis on energy, manifestation, and mindset. While these are important, good vibes alone don’t build a sustainable business. The magic happens when you combine strategic elements with energetic practices.

You need:

• A clear brand message
• An aligned offer suite
• Profitable pricing
• Solid marketing strategies
• Systematic business processes

The universe can only meet you halfway if you’ve built the bridge to get there. Your positive mindset needs practical foundations to stand on.

4. Believe in Your Intuition

Just like I knew Mallorca was right for me the moment my sister suggested it, I’ve learned to trust my business intuition. For years, I ignored these signals, following what my business mentors told me to do, even when something felt off. While their strategies weren’t bad, they never worked as well as they should have for me.

The breakthrough came when I started filtering everything through my intuition. This doesn’t mean ignoring strategy or rejecting advice – it means learning to distinguish between fear and intuition. Fear holds you back; intuition guides you toward alignment.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Niche Down

My journey with niching has been interesting. I started with marketing for yoga teachers, which some thought was already too narrow. Then I experimented with positioning myself as a midlife business coach, but something felt off. I lost that deep connection with my yoga teacher community.

Now I help yoga teachers and heart-led entrepreneurs package their expertise into digital offers and build online businesses. While I work with various wellness professionals, yoga teachers remain my core community. This deep understanding allows me to create better, more targeted solutions.

6. Know When to Hustle and When to Slow Down

Having nearly burned out twice in my advertising career, I’m particularly mindful of this balance. While there are high-energy phases during launches or content creation, I’ve learned to build in recovery time and keep things simple. I structure my business around sustainable growth rather than constant hustle.

7. Be Clear on Your Vision

My vision has evolved from simply wanting to make enough money to live in Bali to something more refined. Today, I want a business that:

• Allows location freedom
• Provides time flexibility for extended breaks
• Serves my community deeply without sacrificing wellbeing
• Creates meaningful impact while maintaining simplicity
• Generates consistent revenue without constant launching

This clarity has become my decision-making framework, leading to conscious choices like restructuring the Blissful Biz Academy.

8. Protect and Strengthen Your Most Important Asset – You

I used to think self-care was selfish when there was work to be done. Now I understand that my business can only grow as much as I do. I invest consistently in personal growth through meditation, EFT tapping, yoga, and Pilates. I’m always learning and evolving – for me, that’s the best part of being an entrepreneur.

While I don’t have everything perfectly figured out, these lessons have shaped both my business and my life. Success isn’t about following someone else’s blueprint; it’s about being clear on what success means to you and building a business that aligns with your values and vision.

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