Meet Amy Jackson

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amy Jackson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Amy, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?

Years ago, I was a minister, and I was completely burned out. I believed at the time that I was only doing my best if I was completely depleted, a sign that I was serving everyone around me to my fullest. But that is a lie. In order to show up in healthy and helpful ways, we have to take care of ourselves. I’ve learned that regularly getting quiet alone time is critical for my self-care. This can be quite a challenge with two elementary-aged kids! But taking a moment to breathe or meditate in my room, or sitting outside on the porch to enjoy a cup of coffee have become sacred moments for me. Additionally, my body needs gentle movement every day. My favorites are gentle yoga and walking. These both soothe my nervous system and instantly help me feel better. It might only be a 5 minute walk or a couple of yoga poses, but I try to fit in some movement every day. Perhaps my biggest self-care practice, though, is self-kindness. I mess up, I forget things, and I don’t do as much as I’d like. So actively showing myself kindness and compassion each day, reminding myself that I’m human, is absolutely essential for my mental and emotional health. All of these help me show up for my customers and students in healthy and helpful ways. And, because I run a wellness center, these practices are especially helpful! I want to show others what it looks like to fit self-care into real life, and I can only do that if I’m practicing self-care myself.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am the owner of The Perch, a wellness center in Aurora, IL. We are focused on helping people rest, heal, and grow, and we offer yoga classes, mindfulness workshops, retreats, and more. It’s a unique space where you are safe to show up as you are, take care of yourself, and gain practical tools to take into your normal schedule. We recently expanded by moving into a much larger space so we can host more people for our retreats and workshops. The flow of the space helps people feel even more relaxed when the come to The Perch. One of the most unique things we offer is our day retreats that combine a number of activities that you usually don’t experience all together. For instance, one retreat included Qigong, restorative yoga, sound healing, and bracelet making. Another included walking meditation, creating air plant terrariums, and meditative painting. Our focus is always on creating a warm, welcoming space where you can truly rest. Our space feels like a safe haven in a world that is so focused on productivity, hustling, and speeding up. We also have a store (online and in person) that offers great books and tools to help you experience some rest at home, including two books that I wrote: Unhurried, and 31 Days of Self-Kindness.

My overarching goal for all we do at The Perch is to help people feel comfortable in their own skin. You are amazing! And I want you to know that.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Curiosity: Get comfortable with not knowing everything. There’s no shame in saying, “I don’t know.” You can always learn. One of my favorite things to say: “I’m not sure, but I can find out.” Get curious. Ask questions. Google. Read and listen to podcasts. Curiosity is about being a lifelong learner and trusting that you can figure it out as you go. Get curious about people and ask great questions. What are they looking for in your business? Why do they come to you? Get to know other business owners in your area and share ideas and hardships. Nobody knows everything, so don’t act like you do. I’ve learned that most people aren’t looking for an expert; they’re just looking for someone else who is on the journey and maybe 1-2 steps ahead of them.

Make a Decision and Trust Yourself: Owning your own business means you have to make the decisions, which can be both terrifying and exciting. Some of my friends struggle to make decisions for their business because they want to research it a little more and feel 100% confident. What I’ve found, though, is you’ll never feel 100% confident: you just have to go for it. Trust yourself to make good decisions with what you know, and trust yourself to pivot as you need to. This also means getting comfortable with making some mistakes along the way. Sometimes I put all my energy into a retreat that flops because it’s on a bad weekend for our community. I use these as learning moments, and it helps me make more informed decisions for the future.

Tracking Numbers: One of the most helpful things I do in my business is track numbers. There is a sense that many business owners just don’t want to look at the numbers, but my numbers are how I make informed decisions. It’s so important that I know where I’m at. I track my revenue by type of offering (yoga, retreat, workshop, etc.), attendance in yoga classes, expenses for retreats, and more. This has helped me understand the rhythms of my business and lean more into what’s working. This helps me plan better and also project income. And this means I can make more informed and confident decisions for my business.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

One of my favorite books is Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown. It feels like essential reading for entrepreneurs. She talks about how difficult it can feel when you’re out on your own, different than others. But the best way to walk through life is authentically. She writes that we need to have a strong back, soft front, and wild heart. In other words, we stay true to our convictions and values, we stay vulnerable and curious and open to others, and we keep our heart wild and always following our passions, even if no one else understands. One of the best parts of the book, though, is her discussion about belonging to ourselves. In this world, we won’t always feel like we belong, but we can always be a safe place for ourselves.

What I’ve learned is that I want to live my life my way and run my business my way. I can learn from others and I can be inspired by others, but, ultimately, I have to do things that fit who I am and what I’m about. It often feels like you’re going out on your own. But the beautiful thing I’ve discovered is that when I do this, I find others who are doing this, too. Out in the wilderness, there are a whole bunch of us living our authentic lives and running businesses our own way, and it’s absolutely beautiful. Trust yourself, stay true to who you are, and you’ll find kindred spirits along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theperchplace.com
• Instagram: @theperchplace
• Facebook: @theperchplace
• Other: Just Press Pause podcast (https://www.theperchplace.com/just-press-pause)