Beyond the Busyness

Combining Self Care With Financial Wellness

We’d like to introduce Beyond the Busyness, a group that was created for women who are busy professionals or entrepreneurs and are in need of more harmony in their lives. Mia Bradford, the founder of Beyond the Busyness, believes that this balance can be achieved through simple self-care strategies and community. By implementing simple self-care practices with financial wellness, long-lasting change can be achieved. To learn more about Beyond the Busyness, check out our interview with Mia below, and discover how you can transform both your professional and personal life.

Mia, what is your background?

I am a budding philanthropist with a passion for holistic health and wellness and financial well being. I am a certified aerial yoga instructor, a 200-hour yoga instructor, an aromatherapist, and a licensed financial professional. I love helping and healing others as they journey towards their hopes and dreams. I received my Bachelor’s in Economics and Spanish-Linguistics from UCLA, followed by my Master’s in School Counseling from New York University. I’ve worked in education for over 15 years as a school counselor, Director of College Counseling, and am now the Director of an early college and career awareness program that I founded for my current school district.

If a customer was to choose between your business and 3 others just like it, why would you suggest they at least give you a try first?

My goal of redefining self-care to include financial well being is a unique value proposition. No one I’ve ever spoken to has heard of self-care and finances coming together. And money can be a stressful point for some. If I can create an experience for women to have a better relationship with their finances and themselves, we would have happier women in the world. To be whole and well we must approach wellness from an integrative standpoint. It’s not just mental, just physical, or just financial. We must address the whole person. I would be honored to guide them along this stage of their wellness journey.

What was it that made you want to start this business?

For several years, I have been on a God-inspired journey that has transformed my life. I want to share part of it with you in case it can help you to live a more harmonious lifestyle of self-care.

God gives us two commands: Love God and love people. At our very core, as women, we want to love and be loved. However, we can’t love others well unless we love ourselves well. Many of us claim to love ourselves, but it isn’t reflected in how we treat our mind, body, and soul on a daily basis.

As one year was coming to a close and others were looking forward to the new year, I found myself in depression. I was feeding my mind negative self-talk. I was in constant physical pain. I was tired, I lacked energy, and I wasn’t on top of my game. I also had some emotional issues around rejection and abandonment that I needed to deal with. The funny thing is that on the outside it appeared that I had it all together–the car, the promotions, the business. But on the inside, I was falling apart and I was experiencing physical issues because I hadn’t taken care of my emotional issues.

Not only was my mind and my body not right, but I also began to move away from the strong money habits I had developed, which led to me accumulating debt. Believe it or not, money habits are not just about dollars and cents; they are an outward manifestation of inner “stuff,” whether that stuff is good or bad.

In the midst of this experience, I was led to create Beyond the Busyness; and that is how my journey began. Beyond the Busyness held me accountable for the lifestyle I wanted to live and model for others. My life’s work is to empower high achieving women to give themselves permission to release the guilt of taking time for themselves. My mission is to create a new definition of self-care that is holistic in nature; focusing on emotional, physical, and financial well-being. After working with me, women have a financial plan in place, are able to practice guilt-free self-care daily, and are working towards wholeness in all areas of their lives.

What are the advantages that come with owning your business?

The advantages that come with owning a business is the ability to create without limits. You make the rules and you can design and implement products and services that you believe will enhance the lives of others.

There are also tax benefits as well, which I love as a numbers girl 😉

Where do you see your business in the next year? In the next five years? The next ten years?

In the next year, Beyond the Busyness will be piloting our financial healing program and preparing to launch our wellness center and wellness scholarship program. In the next five years, I plan to have a comprehensive wellness center providing physical, mental, and financial services to those in the community who are interested in approaching self-care from a holistic standpoint. In the next 10 years, I plan to begin investing in real estate to bring affordable housing to middle-income women in safe communities.

What is your mission statement?

Beyond the Busyness’ mission is to redefine self-care creating a holistic definition that encompasses emotional, physical, and financial well-being. Beyond the Busyness exists to help high achieving women of color examine their relationship to themselves and self-care, make and maintain any shifts needed to make, and develop a healthy relationship to your finances, emotions, and physical wellness.

I host online events focused on building a strong financial foundation, aromatherapy, yoga, and alternative methods of health and wellness. Through carefully curated experiences, I use yoga and aromatherapy as a modality to heal financial mindsets and create a new trajectory in all aspects of life.

What are the biggest issues for running this business?

Marketing! Understanding the ins and outs of marketing and branding escape me. I’m a numbers girl and generally have to outsource this part of my business. However, with little capital, I cannot remain as consistent as I would like. Also, because I am not full time in my business, I am unable to dedicate the amount of time I would like to really take the business to the next level and generate more revenue.

Do you have employees?

I do not have employees at this time. I am currently a sole proprietorship and I outsource for various business needs.

Where can people learn more about your business?

To learn more about my business you can follow me on Facebook and Instagram at Beyond the Busyness. You can also go to www.beyondthebusyness.com to check out how we can help you begin or enhance your wellness journey.