First of all, thank you! Thank you to all the amazing female founders and all the exceptional PR people who have been in touch with some truly fantastic ideas, people and businesses. I had no idea when I put out the idea of YOMU at the start of this year that there would be such intense demand for people to reach a wider audience.

Thank you!

We are still digital but the print version is coming and I cannot wait to see it come to life later this year.

I have an over flowing inbox of emails that I am working through but I wanted to get this inspiring interview out of the world, sooner rather than later.

Moon Onyx Starr dropped into my in box and this London based self-empowerment expert and motivational speaker, who has been featured in ELLE, Marie Claire, The Observer, Woman & Home, Metro, Fabric Magazine and Conde Nast Traveller, took time out to talk to me about her founder journey and I love it.

Do read to the end and look at how you can connect with this powerhouse woman and check out her retreat in Bali, it looks awesome plus she reminded me, I need to get out of my own way.

Over to you, Moon.

What inspired you to start a company in the health and wellness sector and what do you offer?
The inspiration to start a company in the health and wellness sector started when I found my purpose during the pandemic. After many months of deep reflection and immersion in personal development - reading books, listening to podcasts, audiobooks and journaling - I came to the realisation that my purpose is a reflection of who I am at my core - someone who is spiritual and growth-oriented, someone who loves to motivate, uplift and is passionate about empowering others. 

I started off with a retreats brand called Over the Moon Retreats, hosting beautiful boutique-style one-day wellness retreats in London with a focus on spiritual and self-development. From here, I launched an online membership to provide ongoing support along people’s personal growth journeys. 

The next natural step for me was to rebrand and develop my personal brand as I knew I had a calling for motivational speaking, leading workshops and book-writing.  My business now consists of many different facets:

1. A motivational and self-empowerment expert giving talks and facilitating workshops for corporates and brands such as Snapchat, Stella McCartney, Sweaty Betty, Soho House, Hammersmith & Fulham Council and more. 

2. Running a personal development Membership supporting people along their personal growth journeys. I host 2 live monthly masterclasses via Zoom, provide daily motivational messages, gratitude and journaling prompts, wellbeing challenges and more. 

3. 1-1 Mentoring & Coaching - I support people with confidence building, self-empowerment, self-love, career guidance, finding your purpose and turning it into a personal brand and much more. 

4. Hosting transformative overseas retreats - in fact, I’m planning my next retreat in Bali in November this year. People can email moon@moononyxstarr.com for more details. 

5. Book-writing - I am currently on my book-writing journey to share my perspective and teachings with the world. 

What influenced your services or product design?
I desired for my services to be as much of an authentic representation of myself as possible. I want to serve others in a way that is completely authentic and genuine to me - what I practice is what I preach. As in this world, there is so much noise and we are so influenced by social media and keeping up with others, that I had to spend some time allowing what is not aligned to fall away and uncover the true depths of my being - not the influence of society. 

How I empower myself, is how I help to empower others. 

How does your company uniquely address the health and wellness needs of its customers?
My aim is to help people transform their lives - to help them alchemise their fears and insecurities into strength  and empowerment, turn pain and wounds into purpose, to help people undo social conditioning and open people’s minds to different ways of thinking. 

What major health and wellness trends have impacted your business strategy?
Launching with wellness retreats, which have only been growing in popularity, was a great strategy as it helped me build my community and launch my membership as a result. It was a great way for people to feel my energy in person and also served as a great platform to invite influencers and journalists to to help me spread my message further.

Could you describe a pivotal moment or decision in your company's development? How did it influence your path forward?
Definitely progressing from a retreats brand to a personal brand. Having a personal brand in today’s world, is one of the best decisions you can make. Everyone has a unique story and message to share with the world. Launching a personal brand is one of the more empowering moves you can make as it not only allows you the freedom to work for yourself on your own terms, but also live a life filled with meaning and purpose. 

How do you measure success in terms of health and wellness outcomes for your clients?
Seeing them level up in all areas of their lives - from confidence, self-love, implementing boundaries, overcoming limiting beliefs, career growth, and even launching their own personal brands. Their wins are my wins and I could not be prouder. 

What role does technology play in your business, especially in relation to enhancing health and wellness?
From Instagram and LinkedIn to Zoom and Discord - they have all helped me accelerate my business and connect with people all over the world. 

I currently utilise Instagram and LinkedIn to grow my community, share my work and attract new clients. Zoom allows me to host my live masterclasses without the cumbersome logistics of organising monthly in-person workshops and Discord is the platform I utilise to run my membership, which is user-friendly and allows me to organise all my offerings to members in an organised fashion.

What are the biggest challenges you face in maintaining the integrity and efficacy of your wellness products/services in a rapidly growing industry?
I am an advocate for living in alignment and allowing things to flow as and when they are meant to - do not force anything, allow it to flow. You still need to take inspired action and put in the effort, however, we can easily get caught up in a cycle of pushing and forcing and this in itself acts as our greatest challenge. 

Whatever is meant for you, will come to you. Yes, put in the work and then get out of your own way. 

So, I would say, the main challenges i’ve faced in the past, were trying to force things that were not aligned. I have to remind myself to get out of my own way and allow things to come to fruition when the time is right.  

How do you stay informed and continue to innovate within the health and wellness field?
Personally for me, it’s been a process as learning as I go. The more I have taken action and tried new things, the more I’ve grown in confidence, experience and empowerment. I try my best to silence all the noise and listen to my intuition and allow that to guide me in the right direction. 

And now, the tree is a solid foundation and each branch is aligned and has immense possibility for further growth, expansion and innovation. 

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the health and wellness industry?
Be true to yourself. It is very easy to copy or imitate, but that will get you no where, as it is not a direct reflection of who you truly are. 

This process is harder than we realise, as we have been conditioned to fit into a mould. I would highly recommend seeking the support of a coach or mentor to help you connect back with your true self and create a brand that is authentic to you. 

I would also recommend creating a personal brand as an expert - there is so much scope - the world is yours - the potential is limitless. 

If you are looking for a community of likeminded individuals check out Moon’s membership here and she has programmes https://moononyxstarr.com/1-1-mentoring/ or email directly at moon@moononyxstarr.com and this is the email for the retreat in Bali in November - who wouldn’t want to go on that?

Want to connect on social media? Head over to https://www.instagram.com/moon.onyx.starr?igsh=NDU2d2F0M2ljNmRp

and https://www.linkedin.com/in/moon-onyx-starr/

Natalie