Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anneliese Arend. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Anneliese thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I officially started my business in 2020 and I started it because one of my (many) hobbies was sparking joy in people; enough for them to approach me. I was selling only my sugar scrubs and at the time it was a nice side source of income but I didn’t think anything bigger of it. Fast forward to now; 2023; and I am running a full business with more products than I imagined I would sell. I am so happy with where I am but it also came with pains.

Prior to shifting this from a hobby to a business, I wish i would have asked more questions and i wish i would have searched for more classes on all the beginning business needs. Starting a business from an idea is technically easy, the hard part is putting all of the steps into action as well as making sure you’re operating within the legal bounds. All while having a brain injury, being neurodivergent in general just made it harder.

Something I tell people that are new to all of this is what I wish i would have heard in the beginning;
Its going to be hard in ways you cannot anticipate. Don’t try to please everyone because you can’t. Art doesn’t have to be perfect in order to be perfect for someone else’s perception.

Anneliese, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello! I am Anneliese or nickname; Ahnee. I am a Yoga teacher, a Yoga Mindset coach, and a maker of art and self-care products. Where you’ll see me is……
in a class teaching Yoga practices with little to no movement and guiding you to connect with your breath as well as teaching Yoga practices based on the current Moon cycle.
Sometimes I’m selling my products like sugar scrubs, bath salts, jewelry, and candles at markets locally around Kalamazoo. All these things I do and I offer are part of my passions, my Dharma, my life’s path.
The Yoga Mindset Coaching piece rooted in the psychotherapy IFS(internal Family Systems) and Parts Work. This client lead work; to help guide and find disturbances in unregulated parts of your body; is the most passionate piece of my business. It is truly the basis for “perception check”.
Helping people discover self-care, joy, and peace is the most rewarding and humbling feeling.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media can feel a bit like a monster for small business owners. I find the algorithm changes and can feel like you’ve lost. My advice; stay authentic. If that’s doing videos on your stories so people can see your face or just simply posting your work when you remember….consistently and being authentic count. Being an influencer and being a small business owner is different, know that you can have a good online presence without adding stress to making sure you’re video taping every step of the process.
Also, play around! We are all human and playing with audio, filters, quotes, whatever it is, do it with curious joy.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

The one thing that comes to mind is when I took a managerial course at Davenport university. I didn’t know what i’d learn in that class but i stayed open and curious. The one thing i always pass on from it is the ” Eisenhower Matrix” or the “Urgent-Important Matrix”. This matrix is designed to help you make decisions based on actual urgency/ priority level.

Instead of pausing, taking a step back, and assessing where that task falls instead of assuming where it should be, I find most humans, especially in the capitalistic society we live in today, operate from the “urgent” portion for every task.
That class literally checked my own perception, I started to start shift into taking that pause to step back and go, ‘where does this fall, really?’.
It overall was a great tool to gain an awareness on operating outside of the ‘fight or flight’ mode to create and keep a clear course and goal.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.perceptioncheck.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perceptioncheckco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Perception-Check-Co-100072576460415/

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