At Costron + Co there are many blessings and one for me is that I have the opportunity to work with an inspiring group of humans - the creative, health and wellness entrepreneurs.

Thank you for being of loving service in making the world a more bright and healthy place. Thank you for your vision of putting the people and planet before profit.

Thank you for listening (as much as you’re able) to your heart’s messages of honouring rest and gentleness over striving and pushing.

Sometimes it is ok to just pause, reflect and revise the to-do-list. Maybe even stop for a rest…

As you may already be aware, I am just returning from my maternity leave where we welcomed my daughter Ajla Julienne Li into the world October 28th, 2022. If you haven’t already, I invite you to read my previous journal entry “An Entrepreneur’s Journey into Motherhood” prior to reading this one. It details the processes, systems and operations I had in place to have the opportunity as a business owner to take a maternity leave.

However, there is an invaluable ROI that individuals and businesses need to consider and monitor - Happiness. While most business consultants focus on the strategies to support business initiatives that may indirectly impact happiness, there is a more direct approach to monitoring this invaluable ROI.

As I got older, I also came to fully understand what the comments meant - but I wondered, how could the value of respect for each other and genuine generosity cohabitate with gender inequity that was and continues to be part of my culture’s DNA.

When we considered our goal of supporting social enterprise and heart-centered entrepreneurs we knew that a body of work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was a perfect fit to our existing offerings. Our clients, small business owners, did not have easy access to DEI support that was focused on the needs of small business and small teams. It is Msenwa’s goal to support the raising of all of humanity and this pairs well with the intention of our clients.

But hey – what about those of us left behind? What do we do when we are short a set of hands? I feel it is my turn to have a couple of tips on how to manage the absence of a business partner.

In this month’s journal entry I am called to write about my experience being pregnant as a business owner and all the steps I have taken to ensure that both my businesses are prepared for my absence.

As we reflect on the last two years, we are drawn to focus on why we were called to begin this journey: The seed that started it all. There are many ideals that sit behind the “Co” of our company.

As heart centered entrepreneurs we have a calling to be of loving service placing people and the planet over profit. We are called to create 1) sustainable business models that are accessible and meaningful to our clients, 2) sustainable for our health and wellness, fuelling our purpose to be in the long distance haul of supporting our community 3) and of course profitability that sustains our financial needs.

We all know that success in business is hard work. Hearing this message on repeat just sets us up to grind and push. We get caught up in the idea that if we just push a bit harder, or if we just hustle a bit more then we will achieve our goals. In reality, pushing relentlessly moves us farther away from success.

As we near Summer Solstice in Turtle Island/ Canada with the warmth this season brings, we wanted to share an inside scoop of a practical business operations decision that we made for 2022 Costron + Co marketing. We hope this tangible example gives insight into how pushing relentlessly can move us farther away from how we define success in our businesses.

Your ability to shift your money story to one of empowerment directly impacts your ability to confidently price your offerings as an entrepreneur. It creates a foundation for you to bravely step forward and manage the daily activities that are required as an entrepreneur.

As business owners we often receive the awe inspiring narrative of the ability to make decisions that are in alignment with our own wishes and preferences. Such as what hours to work in a week, when to take vacation, and setting the terms of your responsibilities. I have found that both personally, and in connection with business owners across Turtle Island/ Canada, that honouring self and space is one of the most challenging aspects of entrepreneurship.

Life as an entrepreneur is a constant struggle managing multiple deadlines, being responsible for the work of the business and the executive function, and meeting the needs of your team - if you are fortunate to have a team’s support. How do we know when to push towards a goal? To ease off? Or to bless + release a goal?

Low motivation and creativity as an entrepreneur can be one of the most challenging aspects of being a business owner. We’ve all been there. This was exactly me this morning, upon waking I could feel the resistance to accept how I was feeling and surrender to rest. The idea of honouring the need for rest led to judgement and the desire to ignore the way I was feeling. I have responsibilities and people that are depending on me today and I need to show up for them. The weight, crushing. The fog, thick.

Have you ever been doing something mindless when ‘suddenly’ the solution to your challenge appears? Ever looked up at the sky and had an epiphany?

Most of my approaches and solutions have been found when I am not thinking about it – when I let my own wisdom and heart guide me. Sometimes I lose track of this past experience and forget to leave myself space in my calendar; to just be, to reflect on my business and life.

As I write this journal, I am sitting on an airplane (for the first time since March 2020, but that’s another story!) en route to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. An unexpected trip in response to the recent news that my father-in-law passed away. Naturally, I am feeling a lot… sad, in trust, exhausted, grateful, highly sensitive, a strange sense of calm, supported, on edge, loved, overwhelmed.

Lessons from the road have given us perspective on approaches to business, have strengthened our emotional resiliency and with the help of a friend and a children’s book, Good Luck, Bad Luck that in the middle of a curveball that life has thrown your way there is a whole lot to be grateful for.