Ask UPLIFT: Galia Collaborative
Owning and operating a small business is a journey. Whether it’s slinging drinks, hiring employees, navigating finances, learning new tax codes, or carving out a space to make your own, each journey is different. UPLIFT is Women of Cincy’s directory of women-led products, services, and businesses. Each month, we ask one or more UPLIFT entrepreneurs about their journeys, and we discover a new business and a new path to entrepreneurship.
This month, we talked with Dr. Ashley Solomon of Galia Collaborative about the journey of entrepreneurship.
Why did you start your business?
Galia began as a hope to modernize mental health care for women. Girls and women have long been struggling under the weight of the world's expectations with far too few resources and support. We are here to elevate the impact on girls and women by strengthening their mental health.
How has starting a small business changed your mindset or how you see yourself?
I had always heard that entrepreneurship was for extroverts, risk-takers, and big-picture thinkers, so I never saw myself as having the "right" makeup for this role. But deciding that I would do it anyway helped me discover that there are as many versions of entrepreneurship as there are women starting businesses, and they are all valid. It's really changed how I see my own gifts and strengths.
How do you take care of yourself while running a small business?
I find time to completely disconnect from my professional self to restore and be ready to pour back into people and my business. For me, that looks like boundaries around email, taking walks outside, and sinking into an audiobook on the drive home.
What support systems do you rely on, professionally and/or personally?
I rely on my team to keep me grounded and connected to our purpose. I rely on the community of women business owners in Cincinnati to lift each other up and empathize with the challenges. And I rely on my partner and kids to remind me that at the end of the day, it's our connection that matters most.
What advice do you have for people wanting to start a small business?
It is so important to find the right balance between asking others for support and guidance and finding your path. It's easy to get bogged down in the perspectives of others and lose sight of our inner compass. Find a few trusted mentors, and then work on getting to know your gut.
Thank you, Ashley! You can find Ashley at Galia Collaborative. You can check out all of our UPLIFT business here.