203 How she launched a business with ZERO prior experience | Rachel Hicks, Founder of U Whitening

PodcastBusinessMarketing

Feb 9

Written By Kelsey Reidl

**Say HELLO to Rachel Hicks!**

U Whitening is a Teeth Whitening Studio located in Belleville, Ontario that is run by Dental Professionals.

Rachel Hicks, Founder of U Whitening

Today I am sitting down with Rachel Hicks, the founder of U Whitening.

This episode is packed with laughs, business advice and actionable tips for any aspiring or early stage entrepreneur.

Oftentimes on the Visionary Life Podcast, I am sitting down with entrepreneurs who are 10 or 20 years into business, and it can be less relatable for those of you just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey.

On today’s show, I sit down with Rachel Hicks who started her business called U Whitening without any prior business knowledge.

U Whitening is a Teeth Whitening Studio located in Belleville, Ontario that is run by Dental Professionals. U Whitening also recently launched home whitening kits, which are SO effective! I have used them myself.

In this conversation, Rachel and I talk about…

How she started a business with no prior experience and no clue what she was doing!
How she found her first few clients & how the word spread from there.
Where the business idea came from
Some of the challenges she's encountered in growing her business
What to do when you're in a Business Slump
Her favourite business podcasts
Her tips for aspiring entrepreneurs

To connect with Rachel head to www.uwhitening.ca or find her on Instagram at @uwhitening.

Click the image below to tune in to this weeks episode 🎙️

You’re going to LOVE this episode.

She shares her tips for starting a business with no experience,
How she found her first few clients.
Where the business idea came from
First few steps in bringing the business to life
How she learned basic business skills
How the word spread from there.
She’s truly the FIRST of her kind with a teeth whitening studio
Biz slump = personal slump
Her fave podcasts, including the
Tips for aspiring entrepreneurs

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Episode Transcript:

You're listening to the visionary life podcast. I'm your host, Kelsey. Rydall, we're hanging out here today because one day, while hiking in Peru, after just having been let go from my dream job, it hit me. There's so much more to life and there's no excuse for not embracing uncertain. And trying new things to really explore our full potential in this lifetime.
On this weekly podcast, you'll hear from successful entrepreneurs, creative thinkers, and visionaries, just like you, so that you feel less alone as you pursue everything you want and deserve in this lifetime. This is a space where big sky thinking is welcomed and conversations about daily. Betterment are essential.
So if. Stop living an ordinary life and start living a visionary life. Then welcome home.
Welcome back visionaries. It is Sunday afternoon at the time of this recording of the intro and, oh my gosh, I feel mega recharged after 36 hours. Completely offline. No Instagram posting, no work. Just time in nature with people I love and just so much. Tivity, which really fuels me up. You guys know I love to adventure and when I can take an entire day to adventure, I just feel so good.
So as you guys know, my business is 100% online, which is such a joy. Uh, but that also means you can always be connected, right? We always have our mobile device. The laptop is so close by. So I really do try to make a conscious effort to completely shut off. Um, in this case, I took 36 hours off of Instagram posting, which is again, maybe for some of you like, wow, good job Kels.
But, uh, for me it just felt really therapeutic to actually schedule that time and to completely disconnect. And I do love working on the weekends once in a while, but after a busy work week, I just needed to separate myself from the devices. We'll say. So without going into too much detail last week, I essentially gave six keynote talks is kind of how I described it to someone the other day.
So some of them were formal trainings. Some of them were workshops that I was facilitating. Some of them were hosting podcasts, interviews, but all things that I needed to be so dialed in for and all things that I was prepping right up until the moment that we were live. And so I felt. I was just in constant fight or flight mode preparing for all of these virtual experiences last week.
So honestly by Friday I was completely wiped. Um, Thursday, I think I slept 11 hours said my aura ring. Um, so I just had to make a conscious effort last week to really take care of myself, to dial in on health habits, like tons of water, my supplements eating really, really good whole foods. Tons of time in nature when I had any minute.
Uh, and for me, a personal goal was 20,000 steps a day just cause I know that baseline that's going to make me feel really, really good. So anyways, um, by Friday night I was just ready to veg out in front of the fire with my husband. Uh, we just had some good shots on Friday night and, um, leading up to a question that he asked me that I wanted to share with all of you today.
Uh, super simple, but being that it's the beginning of February, still kind of the beginning of the new year, he looked at me on Friday evening and said, okay, what's one personal goal, one professional goal, and three miscellaneous goals that you have right now. And you kind of just like threw it on me. And it was just really fun, uh, to actually.
Say things out loud to ask him after that and discuss. And I just thought I would share it with you guys. If you're looking to go deeper with your friends or with your family, ask them that question. One personal goal that they have one professional goal and a miscellaneous goal, or a few miscellaneous goals.
So something for you to try it next time you feel like your conversation is going stale with them. Okay, so onto the show today. So today I'm sitting down with Rachel Hicks, she's the founder of Ew whitening and Rachel and I first connected on Instagram, which is so cool. That's why I love the gram. And I really loved this recording because it's so relatable and packed with laughter and actionable tips.
And Rachel is. In it, like she's in the trenches with all of us building her business. So it was super fun to have this conversation. And I think I say that because oftentimes on the visionary life podcast, I'm sitting down with entrepreneurs who are maybe 10 or 20 or 30 years into business and maybe. It feels less relatable, but that's not this episode.
So on today's show, I'm sitting down with Rachel who started her business called you whitening without any prior business knowledge. And you whitening is a teeth whitening studio located in Bellville, Ontario, Canada, and it's run by dental professionals. And in addition to having the studio space where you can go get your teeth whitened, she also launched the super innovative product called.
Which I can personally vouch for and give a testimonial too, because you can whiten your teeth at home with this medical grade gel, and then she gives you this light and then you put it in a mouth guard and you wear it for 20 minutes a day. It's super easy. So definitely check them. If you feel like your teeth are maybe a little more yellow than you want them to be.
Um, so anyways, in this conversation, Rachel and I are going to talk about some tips for starting a business. When you have no prior experience, she talks exactly about how she found her first few clients. And then what happened from there to continue getting clients. Super practical. Uh, we talk about where she learned basic business skills, the resources that she tapped into some of the podcasts that she listens to for inspiration.
Um, and we go into this concept. When you're having a slump in your business, what that actually could be linked to. So really awesome conversation. If you want to connect with Rachel had to you whitening.ca so let her, you whitening or find her on Instagram at you whitening and as always, please take a screenshot of the episode of you're listening.
It means so much. You guys, you have no idea how important. Um, for you guys to be sharing the show for it to reach new ears. So it means a lot when you take a screenshot tag me on Instagram at Kelsey Reidel. And if you want to tune into a podcast just about marketing, head over to the marketing hotline, you can find that anywhere podcasts are found.
And that is the other podcast that I host where we talk about you guessed it, marketing. So anyways, let's dive into today's show. Enjoy the episode,
Rachel, welcome to the visionary life podcast. I believe we've been connected on Instagram probably for at least a year or so, and I'm always grateful to Instagram and just social media in general, as much as it can be a nuisance that it also allows me to connect with fellow business owner, fellow visionaries like yourself.
So thank you so much for being. Yeah, no, thank you. I'm so excited. And you were saying that this is kind of your first official podcast. So I feel very excited on that level too, that I get to be one of the first to share your story. Oh yes. I am super excited all around. So before we get into your story, I like to sometimes start with some quickfire questions.
So, first question, where did you grow up and where do you live? Yeah, so I grew up and so I was born and raised in prince Edward county, which is the hot spot in Ontario lately. Right. And then in 2019, my husband and I, we sold our house in the county and moved to Bellville, which is, um, just like a half an hour drive away from the county.
So. I don't think county, but still close enough to go and enjoy all of the perks of the county. And then we've been here. And as of now, we don't have any plans to move, but I definitely think that Bellville move is what started me to really think about our business a little bit more. Um, can you actually crack that open a little bit?
Like why did the move inspire you to think about starting your own thing? So when we lived in the county, we lived in a very exclusive end of the county. Like in the sense of it was, it took, uh, an hour to get to the 4 0 1. So it was kind of like off the beaten track and. Obviously I had business ideas, but I'm like, well, I can't start a business because no one's going to come see me in such a far drive.
Um, so when we moved to Bellville and we're right in the downtown core, it really was like, okay, so. Obviously my vision was teeth whitening and I'm like, okay, we're actually close to civilization now. And I can actually have people come see me. So why don't I just start my business in our house and kind of get the feelers out and figure out what works and what doesn't.
And then it just, it grew from there, but definitely being in an area that gave me more options. For having clients actually to come see you definitely got the ball rolling a lot quicker. When you were living in the county and starting to think about launching a business, did you have multiple ideas that you were kind of juggling?
Like were you just wanting to be a business owner, but not exactly sure. Or were you always set on. Yeah. So when I was living in the county, I was commuting like two hours a day. Um, and like just on the drive home, I just like kept baking. Like I want something more, like I was just getting so frustrated. I was dental assisting at the time and I just kept thinking like, what could I do?
And then, um, so I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, but I definitely knew I wanted a business and. For whatever reason when we got to Bellville. Came to mind, it just happens. And what were some of the first steps you took? So you get the idea. You're like, okay, I know what I want to do now, but then you obviously have to start taking action and bringing this business idea to life.
So do you remember like two or three of the first things you did to actualize this from idea into real business? Yeah, so I was super lucky. Yeah. Even though I was dental assisting. I was also an independent dental sales rep on the side. So I had connections to dental manufacturers and one product was lightning, lightning products, I should say.
So whitening gels. So when I kinda got the idea about teeth whitening, I reached out to them and kind of started playing around and seeing what the real costs were. But of course at that point, I didn't understand. Costs and all the real things of the business, right? Like your revenue, your profit, that was all still like no idea.
I just got an idea on how much it would be to actually see a client. And I thought that's all I really needed to know. So from there I ordered some product and just started, which now that I look back on it, I definitely should have planned it out a little bit more, but ordering in the product, like looking at, from there, like we've completely done a 360 totally different product, totally different everything.
But at the same time, I would have never really learned if I hadn't tried. Right. Like it was really just trying the products and just figuring out from there. Even though it would've been easier to have a little bit more guidance. It was, it was just like learning as you think. I think that almost serves business owners.
Well, like when they're so naive that they're like, yeah, I just ordered the product and I'll figure it out from there. And maybe it's not like the best strategy, but the other side of that coin is you could be so calculated. You go in your hibernation cave for like three years trying to make everything perfect.
And then you've missed out on three years of. Delivering a service, getting testimonials, getting results for clients. So I think the way you do it, I did it as great. Um, so you said you didn't really understand like revenue, like maybe more behind the scenes of running a business. I know a lot of our listeners feel the exact same way and it actually intimidates them about starting.
Where did you actually start to acquire these skills or learn about them? Like how did you start to bring yourself up to speed on what it would truly be to run a business and what skills you needed in order to find success? Visionary. I know you, you're a health nut, and you want to save money on the brands you love and the ones that support your wellbeing.
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Great question. So first thing was, I really dug into politics. It was just finding a bunch of different podcasts that had insights. And then from there looking into, um, different options in the community that helps with starting businesses. Um, so there was one, um, program that was linked here and reaching out to them.
And that's where. They really helped me understand, okay, this is what startup costs are. And then this is actually what you need to get started. And this would be your break even point. And then that's when I was like, okay, even though I still don't fully understand it, it was just starting to kind of paint a picture that I was like, okay.
This is starting to make a little bit more sense because I definitely didn't have a business background. So learning this was interesting, but it definitely helped. I really found with hearing different shows, especially like yours, when you do have different people on. And sometimes it's just hearing the most random piece of information that just kind of makes something that you've heard somewhere else, just click.
And you're like, oh, That makes sense. So true. And I am totally like you, like when I need to learn something, I go straight to podcasts because I think that's just the way I acquire info. I'm not necessarily someone to sit down and read through a whole book. I like to be either walking or just like doing work while listening and I absorb it and you're right.
There's usually a nugget in there that I'm like, oh, that's what I need to do right now. And then everything kind of comes together. So it's incredible to have. Uh, like a robust free resource at our fingertips. And sometimes even I'll search, if I want to learn about like search engine optimization, I'll just search that in podcasts and then listen to like four episodes.
And I feel like I'm a master after that, then it's the domino effect, right. It just all comes together. Uh, what do you feel were some of the other crucial elements in starting your business? Like either setting up your branding or figuring out a certain skillset, what were some of those other early pieces that had to come together in order for you to launch?
I really found, and maybe it was just because it's such a personal care service was that I really had to get the basics of the service. Under, like really broken down, like what worked, what was the feedback like? So what I found was really helpful is I really pushed my warm market, like the friends and the family members, and just got them in the chair and try to the different products, materials.
And then I launched and actually started to get more of a cold market. And, um, that's when. It was great to kind of figure out what was working and what wasn't. So then once I had a better idea of my product, Then that's when I was able to actually bring the marketing together because I realized there's lots of different ways.
Um, you can do teeth whitening and I decided to actually build my own gel, so like our own brand. And that was huge for us because then that actually launched us into marketing because we weren't just marketing that we were teeth whitening. We were marketing you whitening. So that was, that was big, was really starting from the basics of actually doing this.
And then building the brand on top of the service. Mm oh my God. I can't wait to crack that open a little more. Uh, but before we get there, Aside from testing on your friends and family, how did you find your first paying clients that were not friends and family? Do you remember like how those first few strangers came through the door and found you whitening?
Yeah, it definitely was word of mouth from the friends and family. That's what said that's definitely what got us our first few cold clients. And it was great because then it also kind of took the almost scariness away of it because it's kind of like, they were warm market. Like you don't know them, but at the same time, it's like you had a connection and it just, it felt less nerve-wracking and still, uh, Made everything run a little bit smoother because of course, when you actually get into the cold market and it's like, that's when it feels real, you're like, oh, I am a business, but that warm market definitely helped 150.
And I think that is for anyone who has like a service-based business. That's the best way to get your first few clients that you don't know is gift your service at a low cost or no cost to your friends and family, your current network. If they love the results, guess what they're going to do. They're going to Blab about it to 10 of their friends.
And, uh, I think often people, they want to just. Like get outside their current bubble right away. They're like, I don't even want to tell my friends and family about my business. Just send me random leads from town. And it's like, that's not how it works. Like you got to start building with the community that you have, give them some remarkable results.
And then the word starts to spread from there. Exactly. Aside from word of mouth. Is there any other way that you currently promote your services? Yeah. So now, since we've expanded, we are more quote unquote mainstream marketing. So we are doing like the social ads and we're working with a couple of different companies to kind of figure out our next steps for, um, expanding our marketing.
But right now, um, to really. Get the cold market. We are really utilizing social ad platforms. For sure. So exciting. So you say that you're in an expansion phase or you're expanding right now, at what point did you start to realize that you needed to continue to grow? Like was your in-person practice becoming fully booked?
Was it COVID that made you realize you need to tap outside of your current town? What was the initial factor in being like? We need to go. Yeah. So if you would ask somebody who's actually coming from the business field and they saw what was going on before we expanded, they would have said absolutely not because we, we really weren't at a point to get a bigger location.
Um, but I really felt restricted being in my home because we just had one chair. So I felt like we were missing out on bridal parties and a couple of sessions, or just like you and your best. Do you want to go do something like, it really sucked to only have one chair. So I just felt this heart tug that was like for us to actually grow, we need to do it when we're not ready, because for us to get more revenue, we need to be able to see more people, regardless if we have the clientele right now or not.
So. It's we kind of did it backwards. Like we definitely weren't at a spot that was like, it's not like we were making so much money. It was like, oh my goodness, we need to be bigger. It was more. Okay. We are plateaued and we need to figure out how we can make more money. So that's when we decided to build into a commercial storefront and we now have three rooms, so we have three waiting rooms and it's great because now we can see multiple people at the same time.
Um, and do those bridal parties or just those fun date days. And it's been. That is so exciting. And congratulations for taking that leap before you really felt like you were ready or prepared. Um, did that come with any challenges or has it presented challenges going from running an in-home business to, oh my God.
Now we lease a space and we are practicing, you know, in this bigger studio. Many of you know, that I studied to become a holistic nutritionist many years ago. And even though I'm no longer practicing, I still take my health very seriously, especially in the winter. When I feel like everyone around me is feeling subpar in one way or another.
And part of my daily routine is Sandhu call black elderberry syrup as well as their black elderberry gummies. Sam call black elderberry is the original black elderberry. So you may not have heard of black elderberries before, but they have been used for centuries in traditional folk remedies and they're prized for their anti-inflammatory properties.
I've been extremely fond of this brand since my days, studying nutrition because of its potency and efficacy in supporting my immune. And at the first sign of a tickle and either mine or Dave's throat, we are reaching for the Samburu call. I just can't afford to take days off work as an entrepreneur and Sam buccol helps me stay well.
So not only does it taste amazing, the gummies are actually better than candy, but this stuff actually works. And I'm really excited to be using Sam boo called daily immune drink powder. So when I'm sick of drinking water throughout the day, I just crack a pack of the immune powder and it tastes like Kool-Aid, but without the sugar and with way more benefit.
So if you want to save on your next order of Sam call, get 15% off of any order over 9 99 or more@sambuccolusa.com. So S a M B U C O L usa.com. And be sure to use the code visionary. Teen at checkout. So again, save 15% by using code visionary 15 at Sam usa.com. Yeah, it's been definitely kind of like a day by day learning curve.
But it's been great. We are super lucky that we left out with like a great space, so great landlords and that kind of stuff, but it has been interesting, especially with COVID with the lockdowns, um, navigating, losing that revenue. Um, because we have had to be closed during certain areas. Um, so we've definitely been pivoting and trying different things.
So for example, how you got that whitening kit was we did launch a home care option because when we just kept getting put in. Put into lockdowns it, well, you can see anybody. So we're like we, how can we get our brand out there without actually having people in chairs? So we worked with our manufacturer and built that home kit option.
And that was super helpful because we were able to pivot and really gear that towards the holiday season. And then also gearing it towards people, not in the Bellville area. So it's been able to help us expand that way. And then from there we just keep every day, we just keep thinking, okay, what else can we do to just keep our brand growing?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And is the vision to continue with the in studio whitening and then also to grow the home kit portion? Like how are you seeing the future of your business? Right. Yeah, for sure. Definitely. Um, near future, we hope to keep our in studio going strong, but also really expanding on those home kits for throughout on Canada, ideally to really push that.
And, and then far future, we hope that after our home kits have been out in a boat, that we would also be popping. Other in studio locations too, but of course that's, um, that's like our big dream goal, but definitely our near future goal is just to get our home kids. Of our close geographic area.
Unbelievable. I love how you're so clear on the vision of where you're going.
Yeah, well, you will. I mean, it's just a matter of like time and platform building and testing, marketing strategies. We always want it to be an overnight success, but it's usually a few years in the making and it really does take time. And then you might have that hockey stick growth that we all want, which is like, oh my God, everything's working.
And it all starts to compound into, you know, the success that you one day dream of. Right. And I feel like everyone says that to me takes time. And of course you just want to be. Come on. It's like expect to set up the Facebook ad and then the next day, like see sales in your inbox and then you look and you're like, none.
What do you mean next week? None. No true. And you can get so frustrated and I heard it through a lot of different podcasts and it's, it's so easy to be like, oh, I know they're right. But it's so hard to actually let it sink in is when you see businesses that are at different growth stages, but they're also along different parts of their journey.
That it's hard because you kind of you're like, oh, why aren't we there? But really it's tough. I'm sure a lot of wonderful things have happened in growing your business. I'm curious, is there a particular milestone or moment that you've celebrated that you are super proud of? It really was launching into the commercial space because, uh, teeth waiting is, uh, it's kind of an interesting service.
It's this weird service where. If you're looking for your teeth to be whitened, where do you go? Right. And so us actually launching a, just a teeth whitening studio seems to be a first of its kind. And we've been super excited about it because typically either you're going to go to your dentist and pay an arm and a leg, or you're going to go to a spa or.
There's lots of actually different options for people doing teeth whitening. Uh, but at the end of the day, the really interesting thing is teeth whitening is not regular. Which interesting. So that's why you can see teeth lightening being performed by non-dental professionals, but it means that they're not providing as strong of a gel as if you were, if you were actually at your dental office.
So the super interesting thing was when I started. Looking into this and just being from dental sales was, um, since I am a dental professional and have access to dental grade products, we have actually brought that dental grade gel into a spa-like environment, which is super exciting. So we literally kind of are the first of our kind and to actually have multiple rooms.
And it's just a full teeth whitening space that. I've yet to see a done with the same quality or knowledge. That is so cool. Like what a interesting story to tell, because I feel like most of the founders that I've had on this podcast, they have not found themselves with such a unique visionary business model, but you truly have kind of like combined multiple industries and crafted like the, I don't know, just kind of the.
Mid point of what you saw you liked in dental teeth whitening, what you saw, maybe it was working with like a spa kind of teeth whitening service, and actually found like this perfect middle ground that you can serve in your own unique way. And I feel like that doesn't happen every day. So it's really neat to hear from somebody like you, who has kind of found this, um, open space, I guess I'll call it.
Uh, and have you found anyone even around the globe doing similar or no. No. Like really looking into it, it looks like, yeah. You're either getting it at one of those two options or you have a dental professional doing it outside, but it's usually home-based or mobile based. No, one's really cracked into an actual, specific, larger.
And of course it makes you wonder like, oh no, what are you doing? But at the same time, it's like, maybe we just somehow has kind of jumped the gun and maybe we actually have found something that no one else has thought of yet. I'm curious because you know, when you're starting a business, everyone's always like, okay, what's your niche?
What's your dream client avatar, like, describe who they are. Who his teeth whitening perfect for? Or is this like a niche that's kind of for everybody? Yeah. Great question questions. This is what I struggle with a lot in the beginning was of course podcast. And if you're thinking about marketing, it's like, who's your avatar?
Who are you marketing towards? So I have this avatar in my mind, and then we launched into our storefront and. Complete opposite of our avatar was coming in. So we went from, cause I guess really at the end of the day, teeth whitening is appealing to. So many different people for so many different reasons.
And it's definitely made marketing tricky because you aren't really sure where to gear all of your ad campaigns towards, because it is so all over the map. But, um, it is nice that you do have lots of options, but we are still really playing around and trying to work through that day by day of figuring out how to market, because.
It doesn't seem to be just one, one person. I find it so interesting. Just like, thinking about your business from a case study perspective, because yeah. It's like your avatar. They all have a dream come true future, which is to have whiter teeth, but their starting point could be that they're an old man who just smiled for the first time.
And he's 60 years old and his teeth are yellow or it could be like a 17 year old who's on Tik TOK. Who's constantly filming herself. Realize, you know, and, but both that 60 year old man, and that 14 year old girl have the same aspiration. So it's like, how do you collect the people who have an aspiration for whiter teeth?
So, yeah, it's such an interesting, um, just like, I guess thing to think about how you effectively market to a diverse group of people. But they all have the same dream come true outcome. Exactly. And I feel like I like a squirrel brain sometimes when I sit down to try to figure it out, cause you're like, oh, maybe I should go this way or that way.
And we're still trying to figure it out, but it definitely is interesting having a service that isn't geared towards one specific sector for sure. And, um, It's still in day by day. You just have to like stock people who are in the coffee aisle or who are picking up bottles of red wine and be like, here's my business card.
Literally. It's so funny. Um, so what does a typical work week look like for you at this point in your business and entrepreneurial. Yeah. So, um, it, I really try to be at the studio Wednesday through Sunday and then Mondays and Tuesdays, I try to, um, do more of the behind the scenes. And then I also am still dealing with the dental sales a bit too.
So mixing that in. Um, but during the week, Been a give and take of actually seeing the clients and then doing all the behind the scenes. So it's been busy and I'm excited for us to continue to grow, but every day is different. Yup. Yup. Typical, I guess entrepreneurial answer. Like every day I just kind of go with the flow.
It's all different. And you focus on what's the most important thing right now. If I'm not seeing clients right. Exactly and fingers crossed, you know, uh, restrictions will be fully lifted to it and masks we gone because I'm really excited for masks to be no longer. Yeah. I imagine with trying to get to people's teeth while they're wearing a mask, it's a little bit of a challenge.
It's strange exactly. When we were at some vendors shows, um, prior to Christmas, a lot of people were like, oh, this is really interesting, but like, I'm not too concerned because I have a mask on right now and I'm like, oh great. So let's help. As soon as the masks are off, we'll beat you Vizier. Oh my gosh.
Honestly, you think like your biggest area of opportunity is Tik TOK celebrities. Constantly talking and showing their teeth to millions of people or thousands of people, the TechTalk you whitening a pillar. Um, okay. So we forgot to get back to the quickfire questions. So we're going to close out just by me asking you.
I think I went on a totally different tangent because this has been so much fun, but you've talked a lot about podcasts being integral in your journey. Do you have any suggestions for podcasts, for people who are looking to learn more about business or one that you're currently learning from? Yeah. So, um, one that I find really fun and it's not necessarily fully business-based, but it's more just kind of being on the.
The entrepreneurial journey and just dealing with, you know, everyday life and, um, it's empower her. It's a fun one. And it it's really interesting. It helps me kind of. Feel human again, because it's so easy to get wrapped up in like, Ugh, I'm not doing this or I haven't done this yet. Um, so it just kind of helps you come back down and be like, okay, wait if you're having an off day, it's okay to have an off day.
Yes, yes. Yeah, that sounds awesome. I've never heard of that podcast. So I'll definitely link it in the show notes for every. Do you have any tips for aspiring entrepreneurs, people who are listening to this podcast who maybe want to start a business similar to yours. Um, but maybe they just need some motivation or a dose of inspiration from.
I would recommend really doing research. And hopefully you're coming from a point where either you had experience with whatever you're looking to do. Um, because I really would have failed if I wasn't coming from the dental world, because I was super lucky to have had the actual chairside hands-on experience with the products.
And then. Moving into the sales end of the products. Like I was just able to wrap it all into one with a nice little bow because I had the hands-on and then the sales end. Um, so I really would recommend, if you are trying to start a business, hopefully you have kind of behind the scene access to see what it would actually look like to do the business from all aspects, because.
You know, there's always points to a business that you don't realize. And if you don't have your hands in all of those areas, then you might not understand it and it might not be worth it. Right. You have to make sure that you really do understand all of it. Yeah. Yep. Do your due diligence before you just dive right in.
Right. Um, and final question. Is for anyone listening and I'm sure you've been through it where they're in that state, where they're just kind of in a business rut, like, you know, you wake up some mornings and you're just like, everything's a mess. Life is chaos. My business is, I don't know what to do today.
How do you deal with those entrepreneurial ruts and what do you do to get out of them? So I'm definitely still working on, we all wear, um, I would say. As much as you hear it, um, through different podcast or just different streams of wherever, you're get your content. Is it so common to them say, you know, get outside and, you know, eat healthy and all that kind of stuff.
And I really do find that if I have kind of got myself into a slump, especially business slump, it's weird to notice that it's kind of like. All connected. Like usually if you feel slumped in your business, you're probably feeling a little off elsewhere as well. So I would really recommend, um, kind of figuring out all together what's going on because you know, the business is you and your you or your business and your business can only go so far.
If you're not doing so hot yourself. Oh, yeah. That one really resonates with me and something I often ponder is like, when I hit a wall in business, is there something that I need to deal with personally? Like yeah. Is my eating off? Do I need to like, have a conversation with somebody who I've been putting that off?
There's usually something personal that can crack open my next level of business growth or just getting out of that red so to speak. Yeah, exactly. Oh, my gosh, Rachel, this has been so fun. It's nice and refreshing to hear from somebody like you. Who's like on this growth journey and who shares so openly.
Uh, if people want to connect with you as a person or they want to connect with you whitening as a business, tell us all the places they can go find it. Yeah. So, um, on socials, we are you lightening and it's just the letter U so you lightning and then, um, online it's www.ulightning.ca and that's. That's pretty much where everything is.
Perfect. Yeah. And I'll link both of those in the show notes, as well as the resources you recommended. Um, thank you so much. First of all, for sharing your story on the podcast, I loved using your kit. So easy. First of all, the unboxing experience was really nice. Like everything is just packaged perfectly and easy.
Um, and then the ease of use of at-home whitening was really cool. Like I've done the crest white strips before, which I found kind of gross to be honest. They're just kinda like, I don't know, weird and slimy, and they slip off your teeth, but with the mouth guard and the light that you put in people will have to go to your website to see how it all works.
I found it really simple, and I liked that you only have to do it on a cycle. So thank you for that wonderful gift. And I will certainly be reordering and recommending your product to anyone who is looking for at home whitening. So thank you so much, Rachel. Awesome. Thank you. Hey visionary. Are you ready to launch your business?
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