How to Know When to Slow Down Your Growing Business | Stephanie DiPisa

Should you slow down your growing business before it breaks you? If you've ever asked yourself that question, or if you've ever asked, am I going too fast, or I can't keep up, or this is happening too fast, or if you're scared that taking a break means you're gonna lose everything, you're gonna lose momentum, this conversation is going to surprise you. I'm talking with Stephanie DePizzo, who started her first business at the age of 40. She built a beautiful company called Solera suncare, and it is on the shelves of different retail markets around the world, like Neiman Marcus to Target. And before pausing to raise her family, she held a senior leadership position in a New York City agency that really supported working with blue-chip brands and baby home and feminine care like Gillette, Hyatt, Swiffer, Duracell, and even Pampers. But here's what makes her story different.

And she deals with chronic Lyme disease.

It's actually a part of the reason why she started this brand, not just for her, but for her children.

And it taught her some things about building a business, like what happens when you keep pushing through and you're afraid to slow down.

How can you end up making some unfortunate business decisions or choices because you always feel like you're behind? You always feel like you're not doing enough. Or you feel like you're not enough. And the biggest fear of all, that if you take time off to take care of yourself and your business or your family, your business will fall apart. Everything will just go down in the dumps. So Stephanie is sharing what it looks like fighting against your own body and how that really doesn't work. And she shares what it has looked like figuring out how to build something that actually lasts without burning herself out. So today we're talking about what it really looks like to run a successful growing and scaling business when your health isn't perfect or life is lifing hard. Life happens hard. And how to make smart or better aligned choices for your future self and your present self in your business when you're scared. And why the best thing you can do for your business might be doing less, not more. So if you're tired of choosing between feeling good and making an income, this conversation is for you. So stay tuned. Welcome to Business with Chronic Illness, the globally ranked podcast for women living with chronic illness who want to start and grow a business online. I'm your host Nikita Williams, and I went from living a normal life to all of a sudden being in constant pain with no answers to being diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses and trying to make a livable income. I faced the challenge of adapting traditional business advice to fit my unique circumstances with chronic illness, feeling frustrated and more burned out than I already was while managing my chronic illness, to becoming an award-winning coach with a flexible and sustainable online coaching business. I found the surprising simple steps to starting and growing a profitable business without compromising my health or my peace. Since then, I've helped dozens of women just like you learn how to do the same. If you're ready to create a thriving business that aligns with your lifestyle and well-being, you're in the right place. Together, we're shifting the narrative of what's possible for women with chronic illness and how we make a living. This is Business with Chronic Illness. When I started my podcast, I was in recovery from a surgery related to my chronic illness, trying to connect with other businesses and searching for a way to keep growing my business without sacrificing my healing or well-being. Podcasting became my most aligned marketing tool. It let me show up consistently without showing up constantly. That's why I created the Start Your Podcast Planner, a digital guide to help you launch a purpose-driven podcast that feels like you. Whether you're starting from scratch or finally ready to get your voice and your story out there, or looking for a sustainable way to grow your business through marketing that converts, this planner gives you everything I wish I had. It's that step-by-step strategies that won't overwhelm you, confidence and building prompts to help you fall in love with your voice and share it with the world, and tools and templates you can use again and again without over-worrying or being concerned about the tech. Most importantly, it helps you turn your story into sales or income that actually feels aligned. If you're ready to grow your audience, attract clients, and share your message in a way that works with your capacity, this is where you start. Tap the link in the show notes to grab your Start Your Podcast Planner, or visit thrivewithnikita.com/podcast-planner. You've waited long enough. Let's get your voice and your story out in the world and build a profitable, sustainable marketing system through podcasting.

Well, I am so excited to have Stephanie on the show. We are gonna dive into some stuff. I feel like we are. I am so excited to have you on. Please tell us how you would describe yourself.

Oh goodness. Well, it's great to be here. I'm so excited to talk to you. Myself? Well, I'm a mom first and foremost. I'm a mom and a founder. I'm a wife, a sister. So I wear a lot of hats like like many of us do. So I would describe myself as like kind of the ultimate multitasker here at this point in where I am in my, in my journey.

Yes. And I was, when I was researching and learning about you and your business, I was just like, this woman has done some amazing things. You have built a business during some really big pivots in your life and in the world even. I think you launched, uh, Solara. During like the pandemic or right before it or during that time? Like, tell us about your empire. That's what I want to call it. It feels like an empire.

Well, thank you. That's the ultimate compliment. We, we'd love for it to be one day. But you're right, I have— Solara came to me during an interesting pivot in my life and in my health. And then it took us a couple of years to build it and formulate it. And when we did put it into the universe, it was late 2019, so it was right before the pandemic, which was, you know, we were only a few months in. We'd only soft launched when the whole world closed down. So we have definitely been through a lot over the last 5 years.

Yes.

And I think what's so cool about this is that this wasn't like what you had been doing. Like this was kind of a pivot point in your life, right?

It really was. I, my prior life, I'll call it, you know, in my 20s, uh, I worked in New York and I worked for, in the agency world doing marketing and PR for an agency, working with a lot of big brands, mostly in CPG, no beauty brands. And I left that world behind when I had my first son. And I decided that I wanted to, to stay at home and, and to give that a try and to, to raise my kids. And I have 3 kids. And that same son just graduated high school yesterday. But along that journey, long before his graduation, I kind of came up with the idea for Solara and, and I was doing some consulting work while I was staying at home. So I hadn't kind of fully left the world of PR and marketing. Um, but I was doing it at night, you know, when they're sort of, when they were taking naps, I was really just as a consultant, but once I started to ruminate on the idea of Solara, I decided to jump into that full force and that transported me to a completely different next step in, in my journey. And that's led me to where I am today, which is obviously this is a full-time, a full-time role and we're building every single day.

Yeah. I mean, I love when I have moms on the show because I'm, you know, I joke, I'm like, I have fur babies, but I know it's different. Like I know it's different. My mom, when I was growing up, had a daycare and I used to help her with that and then I just can imagine the capacity conversation we have a lot when managing chronic illness and then also having children and all of that while you're building. I'm going to keep calling it an empire because I feel one day I'm just going to walk into your store and there's like, so this is your space, like, and everyone else, like, I just love it. I love it. I love it. How have you been able to manage your capacity day to day? Chronic illness. Let's talk a little bit. First of all, first of all, what is the chronic illness that you've been kind of navigating through your journey?

Yeah.

So when actually, when I first started kind of coming up with the idea of Solara and working on what that looked like, I, I actually was going through some significant health issues that for a very long time, doctors could not put a label on it. They just couldn't figure it out. And turns out I actually had both Lyme disease and some co-infections. Babesia was the kind of my co-infection. And that really truly threw my whole life for a loop. And it's been an ongoing journey because it was a late stage situation by the time I found the right folks to kind of figure it out and help me through it. I'm very lucky and happy and proud to say that I made it through those tough parts for sure, which I know not everybody has that same story. But it is something that persists, you know, long after the diagnosis and long after you've kind of made it through that initial rough patch. So, so that's what I was dealing with in that moment and continue to deal with even today.

Yeah. I mean, first of all, I wanna shout out the Crohn's, the Lyme community because one of the first guests that I had on my show that talked about chronic Lyme. That community is amazing. Like, I call them like the posse. Like, they are literally the posse. They are so kind and inclusive of not just chronic Lyme, because there are so many co-infections that are amplified because of Lyme, right? And that community has just— one of the first communities that asked me to come and speak at an event. Like, they've just been amazing community, and I don't have Lyme. Like, I'm like, I'm support women who do. So have you found support through sharing your story or connecting with those resources in your own journey?

I have, and I, I could not agree with you more that, that the Lyme community is incredible. And I did not discover that community until after I kind of was working through some of the challenges that I had early on. Because it was so many years ago, I wasn't as on, as much in social media and online as I am today. And so I really went through it trying to find people who I could connect with that really understood. And I was lucky enough living in the New York City area to find a couple of those people. But as time has passed, I found so many more people that were really all so interconnected. And that is one of the great, wonderful things about social media. Is that you're able to see that you're not alone. And there are some amazing advocates like outside of Global Lyme Alliance and Project Lyme, which are amazing. Like there are people like Allie Maresco and the Tick Chicks, you know, that are really out there every single day, sharing the message, connecting people. And I think the— it's such an important part of a healing journey to know that you're not alone and to share resources. And so I wish I had discovered that early on and, and now Thanks to you. I'm open to sharing my story a little bit more. I never realized anybody would care that it would really be such an important thread of where I am today. But the more I speak about it, the more I realize that there are so many people that are dealing with similar things on every level. Not maybe not Lyme, maybe it's celiac, maybe, right? There's so many things. And if we can all help each other and feel less alone in the journey, it's, it's incredibly powerful. To do that.

Yeah, and I appreciate you coming on and talking about it because I, I, I'm always surprised and also nervous sometimes to talk to business owners because it is— there is kind of— I'm hoping I'm changing this. I'm hoping the community and the world of women who live with chronic illness— because we already feel like we have enough stacked up against us as women in general, right? Let's not add on the fact that we got some health issues that are affecting maybe our capacity or energy today, and to talk about it openly But do you feel like going through what you've gone through and still going through has actually added to the reason why your business is successful and why you have found the systems that you need in order to make it work?

Yeah, I, a million percent, I think yes. And I feel like, you know, when you're in the moment, you're like, why am I going through this? Like, why? And, and now I kind of feel like. Well, now I'm starting to understand it and that my own personal, like, experience with Lyme. I was very fortunate enough after going through many doctors that didn't know what it was to find a few that did. And, and one of them in particular, Dr. Pamela, Pamela Yi, I can't say enough good things about, but really opened my eyes to this world of integrative medicine and integrative healing. So not just all natural, like a mix of conventional and homeopathic and all kinds of things to help. Treat and rebuild the immune system. And it was there that I learned about ingredients that I actually use in our products today. And it was there that I learned that what I put in my body and on my body actually matters a lot to my healing journey for inflammatory purposes, for, for many reasons. And so if it wasn't for that experience, I don't think our formulations would've ended up as at the time they used the word clean. We're always careful with those kinds of words because it's not like a regulated term, but informed us to take out some of the very common sunscreen ingredients that are known to be disruptive to our endocrine system, build up in our bloodstream, cause inflammation, all things that people with chronic illness have to pay attention to. Inflammation is like, you know, a huge one. And so I do think it's informed that incredibly, and it's what sets our brand apart is that we, we do have a North Star. Sunscreen is such a popular category right now. People are jumping right into it because it's trendy. And but, but this has really been our mission from day one, 5 years ago. So I think because of that, we have a very loyal community and can continue to be a part of other people's healing journey too.

Yeah. And I'm glad you brought like how this journey has reflected into the way you approach products, like creating a product that affects our bodies. There's not a lot of, uh, how do I say this in the most politically correct way I can say? There's a lot of brands that don't care a flip about what's in their products and how it affects the endocrine system, especially when it comes to women. Right. It's just like, just like there hasn't been a lot of research in the medical world comparatively to male versus to women. It's the same thing in the beauty industry and the wellness industry. One of my good friends, Nikita Williams, she talks about this a lot about how we're just supposed to take it. Like we're just supposed to, we're just supposed to take it. And so for you as a founder and as the creator and like the formulating these products, what has been something that's been eye-opening that you would think more people should consider when they're considering creating a product knowing it's going on a woman's body?

Yeah, I wish more people would ask exactly that question. And I know there's like a variety of schools of thought. The cosmetic chemist might have a completely different opinion than I have, or maybe a dermatologist might also disagree with my perspective, but the way I see it is that I'm not a fan of saying that chemicals are bad. I don't think they are. I think there's plenty of amazing chemicals. Everything's a chemical that are wonderful. So we should never label it as natural versus not, but I will say I wish more testing would be done on specific types of ingredients. That are known to be endocrine disruptive, specifically for women. A category that I look at besides sunscreen, obviously I feel that way. Fragrance is another one, right? Like little things like that where they say, oh no, no, it's safe. It's safe at the use levels that we are using them at. But the truth is, I personally believe all of it builds up in our body. And so yeah, this one has a little bit and this one has a little bit and this one. But when you add it up in one single day of all the things, and then over time, all the things, I think we do have to take a bigger look at the trends of women's health now versus 10 years ago. We're dealing with so many more challenges with hormones and infertility and things like that, that I think overall we should be encouraging tests and on things that we thought previously were completely fine and safe. Yeah, it's opening Pandora's box.

I know, I know, it is a huge conversation. I mean, it really is. I mean, it really is. But I definitely appreciate you sharing that because I think the more— I think the point of me asking that question, and loved your answer, is bringing awareness to whatever spaces we're navigating. These are the type of questions we, we need to be asking to create awareness around having these conversations and actually having research being done. Because if we don't know that's right, even something to think about, no one's gonna care. It's like, I was listening to a podcast episode recently and it was with, uh, my favorite girl, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, right now. Like, I cannot get enough of her. And Sarah Blakely. And they were talking about— I want to say they were talking about the industry as far as like shoes, just women's shoes, right? And she was watching something on like CBS and a Good Morning America show. And it was like, I think it was some famous designer who's a man who was like saying basically, I wouldn't— I don't, I don't want a shoe that is comfortable for a woman. Like, if, if that happens, I don't want a comfortable shoe. Like, I don't want to be in business if my shoe is comfortable. And I thought, how nice for you to say, because you don't have to wear them. Like, how nice, you know, what a thing. And I think In general, we have a lot of these products, to your point, that we have because they're main— they're not wearing them. They're not collectively putting all of these things on to even think, oh, this is probably not healthy long term. We have to advocate for ourselves. So I love that you shared, like, yeah, what you did. So thanks.

Or at least ask the questions, you know. Like I said, I know in the world of beauty there's a lot of disagreement between, say, someone on my end that would be like, I'm so conscious of specific ingredients, and be perhaps a cosmetic chemist that is looking at the science and the data from that perspective. So, you know, there's multiple ways of approaching it, but I think if you're someone like we are that has had a health need or has had a challenge to overcome where looking at those things and removing them from our day-to-day where it has had healing effects, I think you have to question the overall picture of long-term. Yeah, that long-term effects.

Yeah, long-term.

And nowadays they're being used younger and younger and younger. We're seeing all the teenage girls are like young preteens, you know, getting into the world of beauty at much earlier, much earlier timeframe with not a lot of restriction on what's being put in the product or on their skin.

So, so true.

Yeah. If we just, you know, educate people, people should be able to make whatever choice that they choose is right for them. They should just be aware, right? I think that's the— that's my only thing. Just be aware and then make the decision that's right for you. Do I have a cocktail, like, on occasionally on Friday nights? Yes, 100%, you know what I mean? So it's like about what's balanced in your life and what makes sense in your life. But I do think there are things that we're putting in our body and on our skin multiple times a day, every single day, and that really should get a little extra scrutiny, in my personal opinion.

I, I feel— I feel you. I think those of us with chronic illness understand the collective load of things, right? When it comes to capacity, when it comes to stress, we understand that, oh, you didn't just wake up with a chronic illness today, or you didn't just have a flare-up today. Like, there's been layers and layers, and we have become much more aware about those things. And so the way we see the world, right, it's a lot different than if you are not living with that and one day all of a sudden waking up with a chronic illness and realizing, oh no, this happened over time.

That's exactly right. And, and sometimes over long periods of time where you can then not really put a finger on exactly what may have caused it in the first place. So yeah, I agree.

I think what's really interesting about your story, Stephanie, is that you did this in the middle of your life. Like, like at this point of your life, I just turned 38 and I was thinking I'm kind of pivoting in a way in my business, and I was thinking if I was coming from a corporate environment and then I was like, I'm gonna start a business, my husband would look at me like, what are you talking about, Jen? Like, don't do it. So like, how— what has been some of your— like, what was, what was the motivation? And then also, was it like, was there fears around like doing this at this point?

Oh yes, completely. So I really started it as kind of a mom on a mission. I have 3 kids, like I mentioned, and 2 of them actually have adverse skin reactions to chemical sunscreen. They're, they're the kids that get the burning, the itching, the rash. And so we were on vacation one year and I was putting it on my son, a very popular spray, over and over and over thinking that's, well, that's what you're supposed to do, right? And it really didn't end well. It ended up in the doctor's office and the dermatologist. And, and that's where I really learned about the way that sunscreen works and how it does— the chemical sunscreen absorbs and it builds up into the body. And if you have sensitive skin, if you have autoimmune issues, whatever your case may be, it can then cause a reaction that's unpleasant. And so that's really where the idea came from. And back then, so we launched 5 years ago, 2 years it took us to formulate. So we're talking like a good 7 to 9 years ago when this was a problem for me and he was little, but there wasn't a lot on the market. Um, we didn't invent zinc oxide. It's been around forever. I mean, we all had it in the '80s and put on the bright colors like lifeguard zinc., but it wasn't pleasant. It was like toothpaste and white. And so I just was trying to find a solution and I couldn't find one I loved. And so I said, oh, I think I can maybe, let me see what I can do. And, and so I kind of stumbled on it. I didn't set out saying I really want to own my own business one day. And I stumbled into it and through a lot of research realized I wasn't the only one with the problem. And then I decided to kind of try to solve it for my family and when we launched it, it really, like, it must have— other people must have been able to relate because we, we really gained quickly a following and retail interests, and then it kind of grew from there. So it was like almost like an accidental, you know, entrepreneurship, but it's been a wild, wild ride.

I can't imagine. I mean, it's such a different— I mean, you've been in business and you've been for— so first you formulated the— I'm sure you work through, like, you know, formulating the product, finding the right before you came to like the market, if you will, with the product, right? And so that's right. While you were building and testing this, what kind of like mind drama that you have around, okay, is this gonna work? Am I crazy? Like, were there those thoughts and how did you work through them?

A million percent. In fact, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have those thoughts every single day. And I think anybody that owns any business whatsoever, whatever it is, probably has those thoughts at least 10 times a day, you know, because it, the highs are highs and the lows are lows and your day can look just like this. And I think for me, that was something I didn't know.

Right.

And so you kind of learn it very fast and then you strap in for the ride, but it's definitely not easy. It's not for the weary. That's for sure. These are things that perhaps I didn't realize kind of entering it in the way that I did. I, I never owned my own business before outside of consulting. And so it truly was from the ground up. I was learning it, but trial by fire, you know, and I don't come from the industry and that's the other piece, which I think, to be honest with you, was a superpower in the moment because you don't know what you don't know. And so you continue to push and push and push things that maybe if you'd been in the industry for a while and you kind of get a little jaded, right? Formulation being one of them. We kept hearing, you can't do that. You can't do that. And we're like, no, no, no, you can, you can, you know, and we figured it out. But yeah, it was a long road. That's for sure.

I can't imagine. I mean, what I hear in that is like determination and also just like, it seems like because it was a personal mission of like, I have to make this work, even if it's just not like for my kids. I know that like my kids have this and they're dealing with this and I might be dealing with this. Was there a part of you in this industry, especially of all industries? I feel like anything like— no, skincare, beauty, it's like the one of the hardest industries in general to like do anything in.

It is.

So it is. What was your motive? Like, what was your constant, like, grounding foundation of like, this is hard as heck. But I'm going to keep going.

Yeah, I think it was the core of why I even wanted to do it in the first place, which is why I think, you know, like I said, as the category explodes right now, trend-wise, like people look at data and they're like, it's the fastest growing category in skincare, let me hop on the bandwagon. But for us, like genuinely, there was a reason that I really wanted to solve this problem. For my kids. And then the more research that I did, the more outside professionals that we got involved. I'm not a formulator, right? So we have an amazing chemist, dermatologist, estheticians, holistic medical doctors. Like, we really put together a team of people that felt the same way. And the more I realized some of these ingredients are not good for us, like, so for me, that was really where I was like, I cannot give up on this because the proof is there. Even the FDA right now is reevaluating some of the sunscreen filters it allows here in the United States, which Europe doesn't allow.

Right.

And so, right. And so I think it just really fueled me of like, we've got like, this is not right. Like, we have to, we have to find a way through it. And I've learned a lot over the years, things that I was really concerned about or had a problem with early on. I've come to learn through research and data maybe weren't as scary as I thought and vice versa. So it's evolved through the years, but I think that's what's kept me getting up every day, day after day. And, and I get some of the messages that I get from our customers are life-changing. Like I'll hear from someone that has chronic illness of how this is the only product they can use that doesn't give them a rash on their face or someone that went through skin cancer and, and, and Mohs surgery and trusts our products, you know, so for me, like, that's, it makes you feel like, okay, there is a need for this and we're solving that need for someone. And as long as we're doing that, I feel good. I feel good about it, you know, and makes the harder days a little easier.

Yeah. Right.

Because there's some hard days. There's some hard days.

Yeah.

It is not sunshine and roses every day. Like Instagram definitely feels that way. You know, when you see all the entrepreneurs launching things, it looks looks like so glamorous and amazing. And yeah, not a lot of times do people show the, the peek behind that curtain is sometimes not beautiful.

Yeah. And you know, that is so true. And we keep it real and legit on this show. Like, yes, you do.

That's why I was excited to talk to you. Like, let's be real with each other because we're not in it alone. We're not, you know.

And I think, I think, you know, for me, because I, I talk to a lot of business owners, there's a handful of business owners that I feel like like they have in, in a way have had a relatively smooth go of business, but the majority of people have that rollercoaster, like business itself. And I think to your point, like Instagram and just, I think the way we've been taught about business by other business gurus, if you will, gives us the impression sometimes that the ups and downs are really aren't that bad. They don't really happen as often as we think they do, and that you have it wrong and that's why it's not working versus like, no, we're all still trying to figure this out, especially if you've never done it before.

That's right.

I wonder too, Stephanie, if, if in your life, like being a mother and then living with chronic illness— I know with chronic illness there's definitely like, I didn't expect that, I didn't know that, okay, I thought I had it right, but I definitely gotta have it right now.

Right.

Did having that kind of prerequisite before you built, started building this support you in the really hard times?

I think so. I definitely think so. Because when you are dealing with something like we do with chronic illness, I feel like every day you're fighting for something. Every single day you're fighting maybe for a doctor to hear you. You're, you're fighting to find the solution that works for you that maybe, you know, didn't work for other people. Like, I think there's always something that you're trying to like, you know, overcome. And so it makes you a little— makes you tough. Yeah.

Makes you tough.

Yeah. And, and, you know, and yeah, so I think in that respect, it's definitely prepared me in a lot of ways. And even mentally, because being an entrepreneur can be very lonely, you know, it can be. And so can having chronic illness. Like, it— you can feel very isolated and alone. And, um, you know, you find ways through that, through community and through research and all the things. And so I think there's some synergy there. Maybe that I only just realized saying that out loud right now that I was like, oh, I never really thought about that. But it, it, it's true. They both can be kind of lonely journeys, but also rewarding when you get to the other side of it. But the flip side of that is that when you're dealing with chronic illness and you're an entrepreneur or any profession really, but especially the highs and the lows, I, I've noticed for me have become harder because I, sometimes ignore the signs of when I start to know the times I need to rest, or I know the times that things are getting a little haywire, what stress does. And then because of that, I think it exemplifies even more my symptoms, right? Like when I stop listening to myself and, and I have been not listening to myself right now, you know? So that's the other side of the equation is like, I think it can also take its toll maybe a little quicker or in a bigger way. Than someone without chronic illness.

Yeah, no, I— yes, right? Like, yes. I, I'm curious to know, is that because of where you are in life and business that you have found yourself ignoring what you know within yourself? Like, no, I probably need this, but I'm going to do this instead. Is there a pressure from the outside or whatever that adding to the way you're moving through the world right now?

Yes, I think, yes, I think without a doubt for sure. Because in my case, like we're still a family-owned brand by choice. And so we still have a lean and mean team by, by choice right now. We, we've not ventured out into the world of venture capital or private equity. We get the calls all the time, but for now this is the right fit. But because of that choice, A lot does fall on my shoulders, right? Because this is our life savings. This is everything that our family has, you know, put in and believes that it's going to be something and it has been. But because of that, I think the pressure is definitely there for no days off and no, you know, so I have to really constantly remind myself because my personality is to just keep going, keep going. It's just another hour. It's just another meeting. It's just, you know, I am not going to miss my kids anything. Right. And so I'm doing the call from the car and the way And not having that downtime to recharge and relax does take its toll for sure. And I have not been listening to that. We're in our peak season. So to me, every moment feels like a missed opportunity, but to my body, every moment that I miss is like a little fire that gets ignited and over time, not good.

Yeah. Do you feel like in this season right now, in this space right now, that there's anything in the earlier version of your business, like before you got to this space, that you're looking at implementing to give you more of that capacity to be able to say no without your— without fear of like, okay, this is the, the end of it. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah.

I think a couple of things. I think in the beginning, sort of the— I don't say like the naivete, like of not being as aware or focused on some of the external elements, like whether it's retail partners being the gold standard or specific milestones financially, all the things. Like in the beginning, it was just like, let's put this into the universe and see what happens and take things as they come and be like very strategic. But then at one point it grew so fast and you're like, say yes to everything. And we want to be in every big retailer and every, and, and that comes with a price. I think what what I've been trying to do over the last 6 to 9 months is always a pivot, right? Is go back to our roots and say, wait a minute, maybe we, to be successful, we don't need to be in every store in all of America where we are today, right? Like we, we have a lot of ways that you can define success and maybe getting back to that. And that has been helpful because saying no sometimes is quite freeing.

Yes.

Because we were saying yes to everything for a long time.

Yeah.

And it stresses the system, right? Like Yes. The business system, the personal system, the whole system.

Yes.

Um, yeah. And asking for help. That's the other thing. Like we're now growing enough where we can hire some people full-time and, and relinquishing some of that responsibility has been very freeing to open up a little bit of space for maybe a meditation in the morning or, you know, things I'm working on, Nikita.

I'm working on. No, I get it. You know, it's. Cause we're— I'm curious, when you first started your business, were you still like at the— were you still really going through chronic illness? Like, were you aware that was chronic Lyme? Was it, or were you kind of like, oh, we know it's chronic Lyme, now we're finding our tools to deal with it, while you like started building Solera?

Such a good question. I actually started building Solera and took a whole year off Um, so we, we really would've launched in 2018 if, if Lyme hadn't changed my journey. So I was starting to formulate and come up with the idea and everything many years ago. And, and it was dur— in that time, I was like, that's when I was dealing with maybe the worst of the worst. And, and I didn't know it. I, I didn't know it. The doctors thought I, the number of diagnoses that I had were wrong, were scary. I mean, some of the things that they thought I had or needed to treat me for. And so that was a whole year of wrong decisions medically. And that paused all the Solara work because I couldn't, I, you know, if you had to ask me then if I'd ever have a business, I'd say, oh gosh, there's no way. I couldn't even think. I couldn't, my, my brain didn't work at all. And so I was like on a roll and then it just like screeching halt. My body just didn't, couldn't do it. And then as I got further down in my healing journey, I think it inspired me even more of like, I don't want to just make a zinc sunscreen. Now we're going to make something that's good for us. Like before, I didn't know all these other ingredients that I didn't want and then went through this whole process and spent a lot of time with Dr. Yee and Dr. Cameron and learned. And so I think it was all happened for a reason because the formulations we came up with after the fact were very different than what— where they started before I paused. So it's funny how the world works.

Yeah. You know, it's really cool too, because what I hear in that is that I do this on the show. So you might be like, Nikita, whoa. It sounds like in that space of being like, oh, we were on this momentum, we're going, we were going. And then your body said, no, we're not. We have to pause. That the best part of what needed to come into the world happened when you did. When you reset, when you took a moment to really prioritize, okay, I, there is nothing else I can do. And it sounds like maybe now you're in the season where that might also be something that's coming forward again of being like, I know you run this runway, but are we, are we in a space where we actually need to like reset a little bit to kind of get back into that space? And that's what it kind of sounds like you're moving into right now.

You're so right.

Yes.

The answer is yes, because it was definitely an awakening moment over the past, you know, 6 to 9 months. I started getting my symptoms again. I started, you know, all the things. And you're right. Like it, it also makes you question like, okay, what can I be doing differently? Can I lead differently? Can we, can we structure differently? What changes do we have to make? Frankly, because it's not sustainable. For me personally, like, I don't, if I continued on that path, I'm not really sure where physically or health-wise I would be at the end of that year. Wouldn't be good. And that would have meant that all this wasn't, it wasn't, it was for nothing, you know? And so you're right. It's that time you just have to, you know, clear things out and restart again. Yeah.

It sounds like a question I love to ask is like, what keeps you grounded in the growth? Because I think when we feel like when we're scaling, when I'm talking to like CEOs who are building these empires, I'm like, there's a fear. And I think for a lot of folks who aren't quite there yet, who haven't even gotten to that point, one of the biggest fears I hear from them, and I think this kind of needs to trickle down from here down, is like the fear of like, what if I get too big and it crashes? And I, and I'm like, well, How does it look like to be in that space to be like, actually, you can turn the faucet down a little bit and readjust? Is that possible? As scary as it is, is it something we can do? Because I think a lot of folks who are getting growing and wanting to scale, that is a huge fear, especially for those living with chronic illness, because they're like, if that happens, I'm gonna be broke. Like, like broken physically. And I don't want that to happen, right?

That's right. And I'll let you know on the flip side, because that's exactly what we're doing right now is we're trying to turn down the faucet because it really like following COVID and, you know, it in all the great ways that you want it to. And with that comes a price tag and then you start to realize, okay, well, to stay focused and to stay growing and to stay who we want to stay, what changes do we need to make? And is it taking on a bunch of capital and growing as fast as we can and trying to sell it? Or is it taking a pause, remembering who we are, and stay, you know, true to who we are. And that might mean slowing the growth just a touch to make sure everything that we're doing is intentional. And, and that's what we chose to do. We chose to keep it intentional because I'd like to be here for the long haul. The goal wasn't to just hurry up and build something fast and quickly sell it. And the goal is to be around for a long time and continue to make products that people need. And to do that, we have to stay true to who we are and not dilute what we built. So I'm hoping that that's the right decision. It seems to be working okay. So for anybody contemplating that, so far so good. We're all right. We're all right.

I think you'll be fine.

We might have to do a 6-month check-in, but we're good today, Nikita. We're good today.

I think you'll be fine. You know, something that I have, just my, Part of my mission and part of my like goal is I get that people burn out in their businesses and I get it. Like, I know that happens, but I would like for people to be like, I never burnt out. I just grew differently. And that is where I want to continue to grow. And like, I get that we're going to do things where it's like, oh, that was maybe not the best decision. I think for those of us living with chronic illness, there's a tendency when we take those pauses to feel like now we have to catch up. So we make a lot of decisions based on catching up, right? Like this fear of like, I'm already behind. So we make some of these decisions in that space. I call it the fear, the fear paradigm space. We're making those decisions from that space. And that's what ultimately I feel like creates the burnout. It creates the, like all these decisions. And I just hope that when people hear these conversations, They're not, they, they hear it and say, oh, okay, there's a different way I can do this. And my foundations matter and your why matters. And the reason why you're doing what you're doing matters. And so do you, like you, the person running the business matters, right? Yes.

Yes. All of those things. Yes. Because without that, I think it's easy to get lost. It's easy to get swallowed up in the whole process. And it can be dangerous, you know, dangerous for health, dangerous financially, dangerous for all the things. And I love what you said about, you're right about making decisions from a place of fear. And I've found in my experience, every time I do that, it doesn't end up the way that I would like it to. And that sometimes taking the extra beat, the extra moment to dial it down, remove the fear, wait till you can make a sound decision, whether it's health-wise or for the business, it tends to always be the better choice. It's just hard to learn how to do that when you feel like, like you said, you're always trying to catch up. I love that you said that, cuz I think so many of us, especially with chronic illness, can probably relate to that. Like, oh gosh, well, if I take tomorrow to like reset and like get myself like physically and health-wise back on track, what will the next day look like? Oh my gosh. You know, but if you can reset that thinking to like maybe the next day will be even more productive because Right. But that's hard. That's hard to reset your mindset.

It's hard. Yeah. No, it is. It is really a challenge, especially if that's the way you've been thinking. That's the way you've been operating. I think it's really difficult.

That's right.

Steph, can you tell me? I keep calling you Steph because you remind me of a good friend. I just call Steph. I'm like, Steph. Oh, good.

My good friends call me Steph too.

Okay, sweet. What is one thing you want us to know about your product? And about what your dreams are for it going forward in the space that's like grounded in where you really want it to be.

Right.

Well, I think what I'd love people to know is really our mission and what makes us different, because, you know, I think there's a lot of clutter and a lot of things happening in the beauty industry right now. And it can be a confusing space as a customer. And as a business owner, for sure. So I think for me, really staying true to who we are and that being the message that people can take away is that if you are searching for something that you haven't been able to find, maybe you're dealing with something health-wise, or maybe it's just a lifestyle choice, that you can come to our brand and feel confident that you can find a solution on, in our, in our assortment because not only am I saying that, you know, but we've gone through all the extensive testing and the third-party credentials to prove that out from a clean ingredient, safety, efficacy. We really credential everything that we say specifically because it's built for people that have a need, and we want people to trust what they're putting on their skin and not just what we're saying. Marketing can be crazy, we all know that. So You know, so I think for me that's like the most important thing is for people to feel like they can find a solution on our shelf and feel really confident in putting it on their skin or their family's skin. Yeah, I think that would be— that would be good.

Yeah. So you can go and like connect with Solara and the company. We'll have everything in the show notes for you guys to go check out where we can find you, where are you in stores or online and all of that jazz. I have one more question for you.

Sure.

What is something that you believed at the very beginning of this journey that you thought 100% is true that now you know, nope, that it was not true at all?

Well, that's a great question. Oh my goodness, do we have a few more hours?

I'm like, well, there's so many things.

There are so many things. Where do I even No, I think for me, I don't know. I thought that owning my own business, my own brand was going to be a bit more linear, that it was getting really hard in the beginning and then kind of get easier as we grew and I learned more and all the things. And I would say that's not been the case at all. Every day is a new adventure learning experience and it's more of an up and down every single day. And I think if I knew that sooner, I would have felt a little bit more confident in my own abilities because when that happens to you and you don't realize that's the way that it goes when you own a business, you think you're doing something wrong. You're second guessing. You're, and I think that's something that I'd want my, my previous version of myself to know is that this is actually normal. The up and down is never going to change if you're building something special. And so I love that you shared that.

I needed to hear that reminder because I know that to be true, but I, I needed to hear that, that That's, you know, part of the reason why I started asking that question, because there's a lot of messaging that will tell us about things and we're thinking there's only one way to do one thing. And you're like, but there isn't. You know that you've seen it work for other people and you see companies, you know, ebbing and flowing, but somehow we get in our head like, no, you're failing because you're down this month, this part of the year. Right.

That's right. Or you have one upset customer or one account that you wanted to get, but they said no. The truth is in 6 months from now, they could say yes, you know? So these are things that I think if I knew then maybe I'd be less hard on myself. And I, I think the social media too has been such a blessing in the fact that I can connect with community and my brand can be shared in places that I could never afford to advertise, like back in the old days. The downside of it as an entrepreneur or someone building something with chronic illness is that sometimes it is, easy, even as a grown adult, to forget that you're seeing the highlights. And so to not compare someone's journey, because every journey looks completely different, and most of the time it's not as upward as maybe you would think for others as well.

I feel like I would want to tell people there are more lows than there are highs. Just, just be prepared for that and be like, that's normal. That's actually normal.

Yeah, see, I needed to hear that today because it's been a day, it's been a Monday, and I'm like, oh my gosh, why did I do this again. No, you're right, you're, you're right. I really like that you said that because it's— it is true. But the highs are what keeps us going, and we hope that eventually it evens out, right?

Yeah, and it really does, it really does. It's just, I think, the expectation— we're not failing, we're just becoming, we're just moving through, we're just growing through. And it's such a good reminder. And I think for those of us living with chronic illness We also make it mean that our chronic illness is making this even harder, harder, harder, harder, harder. And it's like, well, I think it's hard for other people too. It's a different kind of hard, but they are also having lows. They're also having this ups and downs kind of experience. And I don't wanna give my chronic illness more power than it already has to give it all this credit for creating the mayhem. That's also life, right?

Right.

So, right. I, I'm glad that you shared that for you too. It's like, yeah, it's not, it's not all ups and downs, like just not all up.

No, it's not, it's not all up, and it doesn't get easier, just the challenges become different. That's really so what it is, and it's just learning how to navigate that with less stress in your mind and your body, and that's a daily learning process.

Absolutely. Well, I so appreciate you coming on and chatting with me.

Appreciate you having me.

This Fabulous. I feel like the last time I talked to you, when we were like doing a pre-chat, I was like, I feel like I can talk to you forever. Oh, I love it.

I feel the same way. We need to do this more often, my friend, because you know what? Maybe we would both like feel okay. All right. I can now tackle tomorrow. I'm not alone here.

Yes, I love it. I love it. Well, if everybody wants to find you, tell them real quick. Well, of course we'll have this in the show notes. Where can they find you online?

So on our website, it's solarasuncare.com, which is also our handle for social media is @solara. Solarisuncare, and we have products from Blue Mercury to Whole Foods and Target if you want to buy us online as well.

That's awesome. So excited. Well, thank you so much again.

Thanks for having me. It was so great to talk to you.

That's a wrap for this episode of Business with Chronic Illness. If you would like to start and grow an online coaching business with me, head to the show notes to click a link to book a sales call and learn how to make money with chronic illness. You can also check out our website at www.craftedtothrive.com for this episode's show notes and join our email list to get exclusive content where I coach you on how to chronically grow a profitable business while living with chronic illness. Until next time, remember, yes, you are crafted to thrive. So let me tell you about one of the tools that has quietly become the heartbeat of my business over the years. It's HoneyBook. I use it for everything. No, seriously, everything. It's how I book my podcast guests, bring on new one-on-one clients, even manage group coaching calls when my other platforms decide that they want to have a meltdown. From contracts and payments to contact forms to task reminders, HoneyBook keeps all of the moving parts in one place. And it is all automated. And here's the real kicker. It works with my capacity. Whether I'm having a low energy week or need to automate a bunch of stuff in one go, or just create a system that makes it easy for me to run a flexible business, HoneyBook gives me that freedom to still move my business forward. If you are looking for a central hub to help help you work smarter, not harder, I highly recommend you checking it out. So if you head on over to the show notes, you'll get 50% off your first year. And yes, that's my affiliate link, but I only share what I actually use and love. HoneyBook is my jam, and I hope you check it out.