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

Alright, Jenny thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

The most important experience I have had in a job comes from leaving a solid job to explore a new side of me. I left a full time job in 2016 and decided to stay at my current location in Los Angeles California. I had moved there on an ex pat contract and was due back home in Sweden after a year. However, something inside me said I should stay and explore life in Los Angeles longer. I was not 100% sure but my intuition was strong and convinced me it was the right thing to do. My mind opened up to new ideas, new people and new places. I was blown away by how much I had inside of me that just never got a chance to bloom as I was fully occupied with my day to day responsibilities with my job – which I loved and was quite happy at – but which kept me in a – for me – narrow environment. A couple of years later I had manifested start up funding for a new kind of co-working space and certificates to teach Meditation and work with Reiki Energy Healing!

Jenny, 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?

I am currently living in Stockholm, Sweden with my 2 kids and husband. I have a background in marketing and business development from New York, Los Angeles and Stockholm – both ad agency side and brand side. I love developing brands or expanding brands. I guess I like to see things moving – myself, my projects, energy… With an MBA from the University of Stockholm and a couple of years working at one of the first digital banks there, I moved from Stockholm to New York, the year was 2000. I was 25 and started working for an ad agency managing high-end fashion brands. The tempo and expectations were extremely high and to balance myself I would hit the gym and also do yoga to stay sane. My favorite part was Savasana, when you are laying in dead mans pose at the end, meditating. I felt very at home in that position.

One of my projects at work was His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit to New York for his teachings. I was fortunate enough to get a ticket. I was blown away not only by the teachings, but the energy in the room, the gentle smiles on peoples faces and the immense feeling of peace. What had I stepped in to? From seeds planted by my mother as a child, such as the Silva Method classes with meditation, tree hugging and acupuncture, this was when one of the bigger plants started to take shape.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I think the most helpful for succeeding in my field being a Meditation Teacher is to stay true to yourself. Teach from your own experiences, your strengths and your vulnerabilities. Be open and share what feels important for those around you. People will relate and have matching pictures from their lives and get attracted to your offering. Another thing is to let it take some time. Don’t rush and if something doesn’t feel right, then adjust. Add trust into the process, and keep going. Don’t wait for things to happen, you have to put them in motion to signal that you are ready to step into a new responsibility. Flow, adjust… and relax. Meditate on things. Listen to that inside voice, your intuition.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had to pivot quite drastically when I had to fold my co-working business in Los Angeles. We were funded in March 2020 just when the pandemic closed down everything. We took our time to set up the back-end booking system, website, furnished our spaces, prepared marketing and so on.

When we finally were able to open up – several months later than planned – we had a great traction. We had over 1400 customers, created a great community, doubled our sales and even had celebrities come to work in our spaces! We had so much fun seeing our ideas flourish and people enjoying our offering. From a powerpoint to an actual business, what a great feeling.

However, having opened up much later than expected due to the pandemic and the fact that physical locations are very expensive in Los Angeles, we adjusted our financial plan and noted that our second round of funding was needed no later than the fall of 2022.

We were working full time with our day to day chores at the co-working space and on top of that we were pitching financial institutes and private investors all hours of the day. We even did a personal funding campaign. Nothing lead to funding. Not even tech companies found investors during this time. The market was at a stand-still. We tried in any way we could to stay open but as the bank account was starting to fade, we decided to close down.

It was a very tough process, financially and emotionally. Our own little business was not going to survive. It was heart breaking.

Today, I am happy to have gone through this process. What a great teaching! I learned so much from this whole process and I know what to do differently in my future projects. I also know that I can survice a tough hardship like this one and still love the experience I had with it. This is applicable to anything in live, once you get some perspective on it. It was not only a business experience, it was a true life experience.

I bring this story with me today in my role as Meditation Teacher and realize how much it has expanded me as a human being.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://insighttimer.com/jennyberglundcastro/
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/find_rhythm
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennybcastro
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-berglund-castro/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/findrhythm https://www.bokadirekt.se/places/find-rhythm-med-jenny-54819

Image Credits
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