We were lucky to catch up with Taylor Wessel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Taylor, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Being a business owner presents a LOT of challenges (from integrating your website with other platforms to pricing services and marketing to the right audiences) BUT, it’s yours. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Your mistakes are yours, just as much as your successes. Truth be told, the entrepreneurial world is not for everyone…but I absolutely love it (challenges and all)!
By the time I launched Taylored Health in 2020, I had done the “regular job” thing (at a wellness start-up) for 6 years. And it had major perks which included: stability in hours, income and time commitment; regular lunch breaks; and weekends off BUT it lacked flexibility; there was a monetary cap; and creativity was limited by someone else’s vision.
After building this successful start-up, wearing many hats and seeing (firsthand) what it takes to “make it”, I was ready to try it myself and take on the next big challenge. This drove me to finally walk away from the consistency of a “regular job” into the crazy, hustle-y world of entrepreneurship.
Have I looked back? Sure. Especially at the beginning when I was go-go-going and clients weren’t coming in consistently yet. But my thought about returning to a “regular job” was more along the lines of “wouldn’t it just be easier?” rather than “I miss that”. Which is how I knew I needed to keep going…
Taylor, 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?
With 13+ years of experience as a Nutritionist, my holistic approach helps women struggling with burnout, adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism rebalance their hormones to increase energy, lose weight, get ahold of sugar cravings once and for all and more. After working in health clubs, integrative doctors’ offices and restaurants, plus helping to open a successful wellness center in Hinsdale, IL, I now run my own practice (Taylored Health).
At Taylored Health, I offer one-on-one coaching, classes and group programs. I also lead corporate wellness workshops and events where I teach tips, tools and techniques to improve overall health, thus productivity in the workplace.
My philosophy is: healthy should not be boring or restrictive and doesn’t look the same for every person. My ‘taylored’ approach is designed to inspire and motivate people to create new habits that are easy, approachable and (most importantly) sustainable. Small steps, BIG results!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
At the beginning, my vision for Taylored Health was to help women lose weight without dieting, calorie counting or slaving in the gym. I hired a business coach (for $3.5k) who worked with me intimately for 3 months (and then some), and helped me develop my first program which was a 12-week group weight loss program. We covered everything from website creation and marketing to email campaigns and launch strategies.
And it was a flop…. While I had 3-4 interested clients, only 1 was ready to pull the trigger…and that’s hardly a group program.
So I had to pivot.
As I tried to figure out what that meant for me, I started to share more about my personal journey which included irregular menstrual cycles, weight fluctuations, mold toxicity, adrenal fatigue and a hypothyroid diagnosis. This generated a lot of interest which led me to my niche of “helping women struggling with burnout, adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism rebalance their hormones to increase energy, lose weight and get ahold of sugar cravings once and for all”.
The ultimate pivot was dropping my 12-week group weight loss program (that had become my baby) and offering one-on-one coaching instead (which has been a big success!).
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
Funding for my business was potentially easier than some as I worked from home, by myself and for myself. I didn’t have overhead or employees. I needed enough money to hire a business coach and enroll in a business course; get (and keep) my website and other platforms up and running; maintain a strong WIFI signal (for virtual coaching sessions and classes); buy a good camera, lighting system and microphone (for shooting YouTube videos and podcast interviews); attend networking events; and purchase branded materials, books, courses, etc.
When I launched Taylored Health in 2020, I was working full-time which meant I was bringing in money to support my spending. Then, a year and a half later, I walked away from this job (with a little over $20k in savings) and was able to make ends meet on this along (plus contracting work and scrappy side jobs)…
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tayloredhealth4you.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taylored_health_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tayloredhealth
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/in/taylor-wessel-mnt-55155939
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TaylorWesselMNT
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDaPowGbjOhHJ7jt22GRg0Q
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/taylored-health-chicago?osq=taylored+health
- Other: Google Reviews: https://g.page/r/CVYFlJJbHA3CEAg/review