We were lucky to catch up with Michelle Gillis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
The mission of the North Star is to cultivate a diverse community of women by creating opportunities through spiritual growth, wellness. service, and discovery for women who are seeking authentic connection to empower themselves and the girls and women around them.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Michelle Donice Gillis, Ph. D. I am a writer, yogi, mom, wife, and small business owner. For over 20 years, I was an educator. After moving to Nashville, i bought the rights to a franchise, but after a year i realized it wasn’t in alignment with the type of work that I wished to do so i sold it and put all of my energy into The North Star. In addition to the North Star community, there is also a brick and mortar space located at 330 Mallory Station Road, Suite B3, Franklin, TN where I host small group “worthshops” and private yoga lessons. The adjacent retail space has items from women-owned businesses, many of them local! The concept is to give women a place to “come home to themselves.”
All of this is more than just a job for me. I truly believe it is why I am here on this planet. I want to see women lives powerfully and authentically!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I believe the most effective strategy for growing my clientele is to have integrity and to show authenticity. I know as a small business owner i worry a great deal about finances, but I will never allow profits to get in the way of people. I strongly believe that every business transaction is a relationship. It’s an opportunity for me to show kindness and love to another person and to give them an opportunity to operate in their power and their greatness. Maybe my years of being a teacher have formed my thinking here, but for me it’s more than just the sell. Each transaction is an investment in another person’s life. Furthermore, I want to always stay in my own power and to never stray from what I know is right. For that reason, I believe it’s important not to cut corners or to compromise in anyway. I know that I can’t be perfect, but I sure as hell can be excellent!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I initially owned a franchise here in Nashville that was not in alignment with my personal values. I wanted to do deeper work with a more diverse group of women so it was imperative for me to pivot. I tried to make the transition as seamless as possible and to show love and grace during the process, but I knew in the end I had to do what was best for me. After all, my business is called The North Star and I wrote a book called Following Your North Star. It would have been incredibly disingenuous if I had continued on the path I was on…It didn’t feel right…It didn’t feel like me, so I had to leave when it probably didn’t make sense to others.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thenorthstarllc.com
- Instagram: The North Star-Franklin
- Facebook: The North Star Franklin
- Linkedin: Dr. Michelle Donice Gillis
- Twitter: Michelle Donice
- Yelp: The North Star Franklin
Image Credits
Judith Hill Photography