Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kristine Burke, Founder of Masterful U, located in Sheridan, WY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We provide a unique interactive online course of study that helps those who feel worried, alone, and stuck — in struggles or pain — to use simple tools & gentle insights to get unstuck in a matter of weeks without feeling insecure, flying blind, or unrealistic demands so they can have more energy and the peace of mind to enjoy it.

Tell us about yourself

I spent my childhood years in family and community environments that were scarcity-rooted. Though I lacked the words to explain, I always felt something was 'off.' When my life made the connection between our childhood environments and our adult experiences clear to me, it was as if I became fully alive for the first time. As I left weight struggles, bleeding ulcers, anxiety attacks, addictions, relationship struggles, depression, and more behind, I became committed to sharing what I had learned. Today I am passionate about helping others to discover the profound beauty within!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

When I started Masterful U, I was absolutely committed to ensuring that it was an environment of kindness and respect where trust would naturally take root and grow. So I set out to create a collaborative business where the truth is always the right answer and all team members take responsibility for navigating whatever feelings they have in response. My biggest accomplishment is the team's biggest accomplishment, and it happens every time we meet or interact and experience this approach working! It took over a decade to find our way... and it is absolutely game-changing.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The hardest thing about being a business owner is navigating the ever-evolving complexities of people — team members, vendors, customers, partners, and prospects. We all have our gifts and blind spots. That's the way life works. As a facilitator in the classroom, I love providing patient guidance and support as people find their way to inner peace, purpose, and prosperity. On the business side, I find it more challenging to wait for people to work through their process and create an approach that really fits them whenever they appear to be hindering themselves and the business. There's a part of me that still wants to jump in sometimes to say, "Here! Just do it my way." I'm making progress...

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Choose something you love. Creating a business is challenging. If you love what you do, you're more likely to be able to stick with it for long enough to find your groove.
  2. Commit to sticking with it. If you're just going to dabble and see what happens, don't waste your time (or money). Sure, do your research ahead of time. But once you have proof of concept (proof that people will pay for what you do at a price point that will allow you to make a profit), dive in. BE that business and delight in watching it grow.
  3. Remain open to finding out that your approach isn't working. If your service or product is your WHAT, your love of what you're doing is your WHY, and your day-to-day approach is your HOW. The business owners who make it are 100% committed to their WHY, 80% committed to their WHAT (they adjust if needed), and 20% committed to their approach. They will put 100% effort into their approach, of course. But the moment the results show that the approach isn't working, they begin asking, "How can I do this differently? How can I make a better offer? Delight my customers/employees more? etc." How is ever-evolving? Few people realize how rare it is for a business to attain success with its original approach intact. Failure isn't refining your approach. Failure happens when we stick to an approach that's destined to fail for fear of being wrong.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.masterfulu.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/masterful-u/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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