We were lucky to catch up with Christina Guzmán recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christina, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
The funny thing about Imposter Syndrome is that it can rear its ugly head in two different scenarios. Sometimes Imposter Syndrome creeps in when we’re stepping into the person that we were always meant to be — a last-ditch effort by the ego to make us question our worth in order to keep us in a place that feels “safe”. Yet sometimes it creeps in as a sign from our higher selves that we’re showing up in the world inauthentically, hence the feeling of being an imposter. I’ve experienced both scenarios and regardless of how Imposter Syndrome shows up in my life, the one thing that has always helped me step out of it is reminding myself of who I really am through practices like journaling, affirmations, and leaning into the “why” behind what I’m doing. All of these practices help me to overcome the false narratives and limiting beliefs fueled by the ego while also encouraging me to be honest with myself and gain awareness when my motivations might be out of alignment.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m the Founder of Self Love Tonic, a lifestyle brand launching in the Fall of 2023 centered around empowering individuals to cultivate self-love, spread positivity, and step into their higher selves. Our flagship product will be our Self Love Tonic™ Journal which encourages moving past the surface level and into a deeper journaling practice to promote self-discovery, rewrite false narratives, and continue the cycle of growth through an evolving personal development practice that feels in alignment. We’ll also be launching a capsule collection of apparel featuring inspiring messages that encourage confidence and embracing self-love. Included in every order will be an envelope containing two small cards in an initiative we call Mindful Messenger™ where customers will get the opportunity to pay it forward by sharing an uplifting sentiment anonymously out in the world to spread more positivity.
What makes this brand so special is the heart and intention behind it. Outdated beauty standards and social media culture have had a significant impact on the decline of mental health, confidence, and self-esteem across the board, but especially within marginalized gender identities. Our mission at Self Love Tonic is to help people block out the noise and step into their higher selves by giving themselves permission to show up in the world in whatever way feels authentic to them. As they start to rediscover their power, their energy starts to become a ripple effect that we hope will contribute to a shift in the collective mindset around body positivity, feminism, equality, and self-love.
The brand will also have an accompanying podcast called Self Love Tonic: “A Weekly Dose Of Inspiration For Stepping Into Your Higher Self” launching on September 6th which discusses topics around personal growth, self-discovery, and intentional living. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeart Radio.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
If I had to choose the three qualities that have been the most impactful on my journey of entrepreneurship thus far, I would have to say curiosity, self-awareness, and a “fail forward mindset”. Staying curious has allowed me the opportunity to learn through diverse experiences that have taught me lessons that I’ve been able to carry into my entrepreneurial work. Oftentimes, it was the least suspecting experiences that ended up teaching me the most, allowing me to cultivate skillsets that help me to think outside of the box. A huge part of staying curious is not being afraid to experiment, which is where the value of a “fail forward” mindset comes into play. Not every experiment is going to bring about the results that we were expecting, but there is always a lesson attached.
The more we fail, the more we grow and the more we grow, the closer we get to achieving what we set out to do. Through that trial and error process, it’s also important to tap into our intuition and self-awareness. Both will serve as our North Star for ensuring that we’re staying true to ourselves and our mission throughout the journey. There’s nothing like starting a business to make you question everything you’ve ever believed about the world and yourself, but having a strong grasp of who we are and what we’re here to do helps to keep us grounded.
The number one piece of advice that I would give to anyone in the early stages of entrepreneurship is to not be afraid to experiment and try new things. Sometimes starting a new business venture can put us into a state of analysis paralysis because we want to make responsible decisions in hopes of avoiding failure. Growing up, a lot of us have been conditioned to believe that failure should be avoided at all costs. Yet in reality, it’s the process of trial and error that tends to teach us the most impactful lessons that can become powerful catalysts for growth in our lives and our businesses.
I would also encourage new business owners to be honest with themselves and listen to what their gut is telling them despite the opinions of others. There absolutely is value in being open to receiving advice on your journey, but it’s important not to accept everything that people say as unquestionable truth. What works for one business owner, even if they are seeing success, may not be what will work best for you. It’s important to be discerning and tap into our self-awareness to be able to pick up on when something feels out of alignment.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My biggest area of growth in the past year has been consistently venturing outside of my comfort zone, even when I’m terrified. Previously, I had never been one to willingly put myself in networking or social situations, but after moving across the country from California to Nashville, Tennessee, I knew that continuing to do what felt safe wasn’t going to serve me or my family in the long run. Slowly, I started attending events, signed up at a women’s coworking space, joined networking groups, and said yes to new opportunities even though they scared me. The result has been exponential growth that could have never happened if I hadn’t taken the leap to start venturing outside of my comfort zone.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.selflovetonic.com / www.selflovetonicpodcast.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/selflovetonic
Image Credits
Kristin Mansky of Marra Creative Studio Belle Santos