Work often requires us to be accurate, mentally clear and performance driven, whereas our home life and personal pursuits call for emotional wellness, creativity and motivation. Therefore, our daily activities tend to relentlessly pull our minds, bodies and souls in different directions. This can lead to a discrepancy between what we would like to do and what we normally end up doing. We promise to sleep earlier, eat healthier and achieve several other goals. Though these are great starts for self-improvement, there is another way to approach your life and business, as Tessa Arnold, co-founder and COO of Snapback Energy and founder of Balance of You Co., has personally learned.
Arnold sees her experience leading Snapback Energy, a health supplement company she co-created with her late husband, as one that has immensely challenged her and taught her a lot. When she began taking on more responsibility in the company as her husband’s health faltered, she realized how much she needed to focus on personal wellness. This realization, as well as her desire to help others, resulted in the founding of her second company Balance of You Co., a coaching and consulting company that pulls its wisdom from the Ayurvedic lifestyle.
In Arnold’s words, she is a “wholistic” entrepreneur and business owner, or a person who is creating a venture with a new mindset—understanding the ingredients for a profitable and impactful organization while also respecting their mind, body and soul in the pursuit of that.
For Arnold, this means practicing yoga, meditating, eating well, giving herself rest and spending time with loved ones. However, for other “wholistic” entrepreneurs, it can vary. The main takeaway is that our biggest success stories can lie behind our approach toward health and wellness. By taking care of ourselves, we can unlock our inner potential for greatness and feel and think better about the world and ourselves, making a strong impact on the results of our endeavors.
Arnold is seeing the effects of other “wholistic” entrepreneurs and thought leaders on a large scale. The idea of business is shifting from its traditionally finance-oriented focus to a human-centered, almost philanthropic lens. People are thinking about how to be sustainable, impactful and innovative just as much as they’re thinking about driving a profit. Arnold believes these changes will only serve to enhance the happiness and quality of life for all people. She specifically works to raise awareness about the mind, body and soul connection in “wholistic” entrepreneurship.
As the leader of two companies, Arnold finds herself bringing wellness into the conversation despite preexisting notions that it isn’t important in business. She has seen many executives and business leaders embrace these changes too. Boardroom discussions now merge business deals with authentic conversations about how everyone is doing. Arnold is hopeful that these practices can become a norm for all entrepreneurs and organizations to integrate into their philosophies.
However, these changes require a restructuring of belief systems to become possible. The thoughts we have about ourselves, our loved ones, money and achievement are major ones, but Arnold encourages everyone to also take stock of the subconscious beliefs we have and how they may keep us from fulfilling our dreams. She hopes her work as a coach and guide will enable people to gain agency over their lives and take small steps to become an improved version of themselves.
Wellness and the mind, body and soul connection have only become more relevant for Arnold’s day-to-day activities during her career as an entrepreneur. She feels happier and more authentic in her work when she sets clear boundaries about which routines to follow and which things to abstain from. Even though these decisions take willpower, they fuel her to be a balanced and energetic person.
“I aim to help others find their paths to personal wellness and raise the vibration of the world. There’s so much in life that can challenge and discourage us,” Arnold says. “It’s the responsibility of people with a platform and resources to encourage others and lift them up—ultimately, cultivating a better world through mindfulness, creativity and connection.”
