The Courage to Pivot and Reimagining Entrepreneurship with Chantelle Selkridge
This week’s guest, Chantelle Selkridge
Herbalist & Owner of Rooted Bush Teas and Mom of 3
Episode Description
When faced with other opinions of what our lives should look like as mothers, as entrepreneurs, as women, nobody knows how to best navigate our lives better than we do.
And in today’s episode, we dig into the challenge of following our paths in the face of pushback with Chantelle Selkridge, mom of three, herbalist and owner of Rooted Bush Tea.
Chantelle’s journey to becoming a mom and starting her Canadian-based business selling Caribbean tea was not a direct path. It ebbed and flowed and zig-zagged in all kinds of ways she didn’t envision.
What didn’t waver was Chantelle’s faith in herself.
When it’s time to pivot
Chantelle had her first son when she was 18 in 2008. A year later, she went to school for community outreach and development. While she was inspired by the idea of community development, the work wasn’t there.
So she pivoted.
In 2015, she started Akoma Afro Dance Studio. Chantelle wasn’t an expert on dance, but she loved African Caribbean dance, and that it honored her heritage. She rented a space, hired a dancer and a drummer, and began collecting clients. Then the pandemic hit in 2020.
She pivoted again.
At this point in her life, her second son was born and she became pregnant with her daughter. Her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. They talked a great deal about the herbs their ancestors used for healing. In Canada, there was little to no access to these herbs.
Chantelle visited Saint Kitts and Nevis where her parents are from, and collected the herbs for her father. It was then she realized how disconnected she was from her heritage, and how important it was that she pass on Caribbean wellness practices to her children. Chantelle built the business slowly, one day at a time, and finally launched last fall.
What I love about Chantelle’s story is that it’s not linear by any means. Pivoting involves admitting that something isn’t working the way we expected and reimagining what our businesses, and what our lives might look like.
Ebbs and flows
When her babies were young, Chantelle focused on her kids during the day and her work at night. Whenever a task felt too overwhelming, like building a website, for example – she found that breaking that task into smaller tasks made it more manageable.
“I had to really break it down to feel like I was accomplishing something because when I had those big things, I felt like I was doing nothing,” Chantelle said.
She registered her business in the spring of 2020 and didn’t launch and start selling tea until November 2021.
I love the transparency of this timeline. Building a business is not an overnight thing. It takes time – sometimes years!
Since her younger children started preschool, Chantelle has been able to focus more on her business and hone her entrepreneurial spirit. Our days won’t always be a perfectly equal blend of motherhood and entrepreneurship. Sometimes the roles will ebb and flow based on what our lives look like at any given moment.
We are the sources
I first met Chantelle on a networking call and vividly remember her children being in the room with her. I was so grateful to see her show up just as she was that day. It sticks in my mind because it’s something I’m working on myself.
Just like Chantelle’s journey hasn’t been linear, it hasn’t been without pushback, either. She grew up in a traditional home, and sometimes her innermost circle didn’t understand her entrepreneurial choices — why wouldn’t she just choose a safe job with a straight, predictable path?
Starting these businesses was hard, and it continues to be hard.
Even as her children become older, she doesn’t feel like she’s “on the other side” because there’s always something else.
Which brings up one of the most important questions working moms will face:
How do we keep going in the face of doubt?
For inspiration, Chantelle listens to positive affirmations and inspiring music, which help her honor her feelings and remember that, in her words, she is the moneymaker, the attraction, the source of the business itself.
“Believe in your business, but more so, believe in yourself. Because honestly, sometimes businesses come and go, and you can believe in a business, and it didn’t work. But if you believe in yourself, you can acknowledge when to pivot, that you’ll find another idea, that something else can come to you,” she said.
Notable Quote from Chantelle
“Believe in your business, but more so, believe in yourself. Because honestly, sometimes businesses come and go, and you can believe in a business, and it didn’t work. But if you believe in yourself, you can acknowledge when to pivot, that you’ll find another idea, that something else can come to you.” (42:43)
“Knowing that you are the source, you are the moneymaker, you are the attraction. It’s you. It’s your story. Knowing that will help you be your biggest advocate, because it’s all coming from you. So when someone wants to tell you about your business, or tell you why you shouldn’t do something, you’ll be like, ‘Excuse you.’” (43:02)
Resources & Links
Learn about Chantelle Selkridge’s company, Rooted Bush Tea, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
And check out the books she’s into right now – Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph.D., and Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously by Osho.
Learn more about Project: Mom and follow us on Instagram at @projectmompodcast.
Do you want to share your motherhood journey on the podcast? Email me at projectmompod@gmail.com.