We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gayle Fowler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gayle below.

Alright, Gayle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I had been running my own business for five years and it was my husband’s idea that I needed to “get a job.” Ummm, I do have a job and my business is growing so rapidly that I am having trouble keeping up as a one-woman shop. Well, I decided to throw it out to the universe and see what happens.

I have my own Healing and Metaphysical shop and was just starting to really see my business flourish, but my income wasn’t the same as what I earned working a full-time job as a Project Director. So, with the persistent urging by my husband, I decided to start applying for a full-time remote position. I made up my mind and told myself that I would accept a position if it is 100% remote and that I wouldn’t have to be the one doing the work. I wanted to provide guidance and direction based on my vast decades of experience as a Manager/Director with a successful track record of managing staff and projects for both the private and government sectors.

I was recruited by a staffing company for a project in Puerto Rico. It was 100% remote, and I would be the subject matter expert who would provide the project with my findings and recommendation. Unfortunately, Puerto Rico experienced a natural disaster that shut down everything and then the Pandemic hit. A year and half later, I was contacted by the same staffing company, and they told me that the person I interviewed with for the Puerto Rico project had a new project and that he asked them to bring me on board immediately, do whatever it takes. This project met all of my requirements and it cost more money than I had expected. It was the best decision to accept the position and I was able to work on the project and still continue with my personal business after hours.

Unfortunately, the contract for the company I worked for was not extended so the project ended, and I was assigned to another project. The new project required much more of my time, and I was placed in a leadership role that added more stress. Ten months after starting the project, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, not that bad, but I needed to make changes to my diet immediately. I changed my diet and was losing weight, but my blood sugar levels were still on the higher end of the spectrum. Then a month later, I was diagnosed with aggressive lobule carcinoma, a type of breast cancer that only 15% of women have. The good news was that it is curable and requires a lumpectomy and with no chemotherapy. Okay, well like everything I encountered in my life, I faced this head on and moved forward with the treatment plan.

I was only out for three workdays plus the weekend and returned back to work the following Monday after the lumpectomy. Upon my return to work, I shared the good news that no cancer was found in my lymph nodes and that they got all of the cancer. I shared the good news with the client, and she did the odds thing, she sent a message to the Project Director’s boss asking if there was a “management issue.” What? I only gave her the update that stated that I didn’t know how much dealing with the diagnosis of cancer affected me. I made the decision to leave the project and asked the Project Director to release me from the project. He reluctantly did so, and I felt a sense of release. I am a professional and I don’t like playing this type of emotionally draining games.

The following week, my blood sugar levels dropped significantly. It continues to drop and is now in the normal range. I am going through my radiation treatment now and am doing just fine. I did not want to close my business because that is something that I love doing. What I learned from all of this is that working a regular job may not be the best for your mind, body, and soul. If you don’t have joy in your life, your body may rebel and you may find yourself having to listen to its complaints, e.g., diabetes and cancer, in order to take care of you. If you are happy as a business owner, keep moving forward and make decisions based on growing your company and maintaining a happy life.

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 Gayle Fowler, and I am the owner of GEAF Gifts, LLC in Arvada, Colorado. I am a certified Reiki Master Teacher, Urban Shaman, Medical Intuitive, Channel and Empath. I started my own business back in 2015 and have expanded my services to having a metaphysical shop in my office space where I make and sell tools to help people on their healing and spiritual path. I offer energy work sessions, Reiki certification classes, spiritual growth classes and conduct ceremonies and home healings. I just had my first healing for healers’ retreat, and it was amazing! I am an odd combination of an analytical thinker needed evidence and being a spiritual counselor and mentor. I have my MBA and love helping people start their own business. I teach a class called “Universal Business 101” that teaches the foundation of setting up a metaphysical-based business.

I moved into my office space at the St. Andrew Lutheran Church Healing Art Center in Arvada. This November will be my eighth years at the center. I found so much joy in helping people to heal themselves and navigate their way through their spiritual growth. I focus on working with my clients and students to find their gifts and not force them to try to be like everyone else. We are all born with unique gifts, we just need help in finding out what they are. I love seeing my clients getting better after each session and love it when I see that they are ready to move on without my guidance. They do return for “maintenance sessions” but that is solely up to them to determine when they want to come back. I also have seen many of my students flourish and some have even started their own business.

I love helping people and seeing them get better and move forward on their path. We are all unique and that is what makes us who we are. There is no cookie cutter approach to a successful business, there is just the pursuit of doing things that makes us happy and brings joy to ourselves and others. Follow your heart, it will not steer you wrong!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I always put everyone’s needs before my own. I was taught to offer help, but never ask for assistance because it would inconvenience them. I have spent over five decades of helping others, and in some cases to my own detriment. My recent health condition has forced me to realize that I need to take care of myself as well and that it is okay to “no” and I try not to feel guilty.

I always teach my students that they need to be heart-centered healers and that they are not to give all of themselves in the process. Well, I need to practice what I preach. ;)

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Initially I started participating in fairs/events to get my name out into the metaphysical community. I provided a sample of what I did, and I also sold my wares. I offered full hour healing sessions to those who came to see me at the event offering a discounted rate if they booked that day for a future appointment. Eventually it turned into referrals through word of mouth where my students, clients or peers started sending me new clients.

It’s all about networking and letting people know what your business offers and what sets you apart from the rest. I host my own fair and I remind the healers and readers to offer a discounted session if the person booked for a session for a future date while at the fair. Once the potential leaves, there is no way to ensure that they will set up an appointment in the future, regardless of the special pricing offer. I personally have had an average of 10 – 15 new sessions for each fair that I have hosted or participated in over the last few years. Some regular clients just stop by to take advantage of the discounted price for a full session. Either way, I generated future income from a single event. I never force anyone to book a future session, if they were satisfied with the short sample session at the event, they will not hesitate to book another appointment. I also have a flyer that explains the discounted event special, and I have had several new clients that I had never met because they booked a future session with one of my assistants at the event.

I find it fascinating that when I meet new people, I get the response of “Oh you’re Gayle, I have heard a lot of good things about you, your business and events.” I’m always amazed and flattered when I hear that from a complete stranger. Word of mouth is the cheapest way of building your business, but you have to ensure that what is being said about your business in the community is a positive one. It’s hard to undue any negative comments, so be aware of how you and your business presents itself to your target audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.geafgifts.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/GEAFGifts/

Image Credits
I am the one who took all of the pictures I sent.