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Have you ever heard that saying "Time flies when you are having fun"?
When I sat down for this interview, I went in with intent for it to only last 1 hour. Well, one hour became 2 hours and I will be honest in sharing that it was the best time that I have had in over two years. Having the opportunity to just listen and share ideas with her beautiful soul has enlightened my path.
I would like to introduce to you all Kira Buckley. She is a Clinical Herbalist, Meditation Facilitator, Post Partum Doula, Creative Doula for Entrepreneurs and the Founder & Owner of Heyy Healer . Heyy Healer is a Holistic Wellness, Apothecary and Zen Studio located in DeSoto, Tx.
INTERVIEW
How did the idea for your business come about?
I am a healer and an Intuitive. My gifts that I have comfortable with sharing over the last view years: Clairvoyance is infused into my work. I am not intrusive, I am not a psychic, I don't sell those kind of services. I tie them into whole body session so that looks more like shamanic healing. It's not tarot reading. I tap into The Source as a root worker.
There's a session called Mind, Body, Spirit which according to the Heyy Healer website is Private coaching that includes intuitive and natal chart reading, individual past life/childhood regression therapy, reiki (energy) healing, holistic nutritional regimens and meditation + breathwork. Other services may be included and modified for a tailored experience for each client (I recommend asking about the Human Design Chart reading when you book a session).
What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?
I don’t like working for people. I do not like to have my time dictated to me because I know that I am a "free spirit". But (in the past) I excepted I’m just gonna have to adjust to the life of going to college, finding a career and sticking with it and showing up with this passive exchange of waiting for my employer to give me my money. Everything in my body disagreed with that. However, I went along with it- because culture -because family because that's embedded, as you know, that’s what we do until we are shown a better way... that you can actually do what you want to do and sort of go against the grain.
So at the point where my desire to just do my passion became greater than my need to work for somebody else, that’s when I was all in or nothing and because I put myself on the line, this was before my babies came and it just me. So I’m just gonna figure it out until it works, there was no other option for me. Now did I still have a bunch of jobs like a Jamaican on the side? Yes, I did. I use them as leverage. I was a teacher. I was in massage therapist. I taught a little bit of college English as well. I was a nutritionist. I traveled. I wrote curriculums for schools and churches and everything still tied into holistic health and education. I kept one foot there but all my other time was in building, networking, researching, grant writing, looking for investors.
I was just putting myself out there and this was before Instagram, before you could just make a profile and send it to somebody. I was making media kits and putting them in envelopes sending them off to businesses like, 'Hey this is who I am if you need my services here I am'. So I took the energy of rebelling against the system of working for someone else and I used it to fuel my passion and that’s what drove me to like be completely all in
How did you come up with the name for your company?
It was a hashtag. That is the truth. So I am a writer at heart and back in 2013 I started using Instagram as my visual diary or journal of sorts. I started sharing my thoughts (this is literally me talking to myself so when I look at my feed I want to be able to pour back in to myself and see what I need), as I’m having these conversations with my community: followers, friends, and family I noticed they would greet me as the healer. So I would respond back with that, as a reflection. Instead of Hey Girl! It was Heyy Healer!
My hashtag was Butterfly Movement for a while. This is something I think is important; you are going to evolve and you are going to do it more than once overtime and loosening the reins of your business name will free you up, expand your audience and your money. So I went from the Butterfly Movement to Heyy Healer because it was all encompassing. It wasn’t just women and it wasn’t just a certain age demographic. My clientele expanded to seventy-year-olds and younger (15 and 16 years olds).
How did you keep your customer base during COVID-19?
Mind you, we had only been in our space for four months before COVID hit. We 7 practitioners, including a Licensed MD. We were aloud to stay open because we were considered essential. That did slow down foot traffic but because I came from e-commerce, I just went back to what I knew. I packaged everything up and put it online or customer could order by phone and pick up curbside. My business partner and I would drop off purchases within a 20 mile radius of where our studio was located. Whatever needed o be done to let the community know that I an still here and I need your support just as much as you need the product. We took advantage of that and it worked in our favor. We had to expand our creativety by changing what e-commenrce looked like while having a Brick & Mortar. I also had no issue with asking for help when it came to managing inventory, accounting and business management.
How many hours a day do you work on average and can you describe/outline your typical day?
When I am in the studio it was 12-14 hours a day. I know my role as the Healer. I don't do well with being in the physical space having a constant exchange with people because I am sensitive. So I would typically be in the Zen room or I would be driving around delivering orders at the beginning of the day. In the afternoon and evening I would have sessions/classes/demonstrations/packaging product for the rest of the time, while my children are also on the other side of the studio doing thier homeschooling/unschooling or with a play co-op.
Can you describe/outline your typical day?
Now it is 6-10 hours, which I like better. Being more virtual or focusing more on the e-commerce, it gives me more control as to where to place people throughout the week. I have boundaries now. So I see up to two clients a day and 5-10 clients a week. This allows me to write, create content, focus on courses, Master classes and products. 90% of everything that we sale is made in-house. I encapsulate my own stuff and put all my blends together. When I am not talikng my hands are working. That's the alchemy. My blessing is on every product that is purchased.
How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Let my little unicorns tell you that it is a grand shift that has happened. My girls were home schooled/un-schooled in San Diego already. The social aspects of finding places were they can be around other kids, instead of infront a computer is still a task. It just gave me more time to nurture myself, to show up more whole and sound as a Mama and not throw them into pockets of my day because I am tired. I have boundaries and a certain cut off point. After a certain hour I put my phone on do not disturb and you only email me and I am with my children. So I believe that it has wroked to our advantage.
If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
I don't have regrets, I don't live backwards. But if I could shift anything from the way that i started, I would have done more research and created more relationships with people who were doing something similar to what I wanted to do. I would have looked for mentors in all areas. Not just the advice but in all aspects like finance, branding, marketing, establishing the business, figuring out if I was a sole proprietor or LLC. What I value now with wisdom is knowing that it is okay and it feels so goodto ask for guidance and help. And to respect elders, mentors who have traveled this path already. Honestly thats the only thing that I would change.
What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Disciple, Committment and Passion.
There is a level of discipline and commitment that is required to show up every day. If you dont like what you are doing you are not going to take any risks for it. So you have to decide how much money you are going to make that day, that week, that month. The business will fluctuate no matter if you are a novice or a baby entrepreneur. There are no short cuts to this.
Being an Entrepreneur is the most freeing, exhilarating, and exhausting decision I have ever made. However, I cant go back to working for someone. Working with, Yes. But I will never, I cannot be an employee ever again because I have jumped all the way in.
What entrepreneurial tricks have you discovered to keep you focused and productive in your day-to-day busy schedule?
I love tricks.
I create gentle reminders throughout the day. I set an alarm with my name on it to remind me to pause, or drink water and retreat. So when my alarm goes off I leave. I take my pauses as much as I need them.
Featured product: Zen Boxes
HH Zen Box A ‘bare essential’ starter bundle of all things ‘zen’ to help you relax and reset the mind+body. Boxes include a variety of bath salts, essential oils, tea, sage, palo santo, and a couple of sample supplement packs good for the brain and nervous system. Boxes are tailored to male or female and tailored with add-on products upon request.
