Natalia Szyszka is an entrepreneur taking a firm seat at the table. In this instalment of our empowering series, we interviewed Natalia to find out what inspires her at work, her goals for this year and to unveil her career story so far.

Can you introduce yourself? 

My name is Natalia Szyszka, I’m a Life Motivator, creator and entrepreneur. I run my own little business where I teach people all about non duality, self contemplation and how to deal with anxiety and mental health struggles on a daily basis. I also have my own little shop where I sell planners, cards and prints to accompany you on your journey of self discovery. This is my biggest passion, and after going through an enlightening and the hardest moment of my life at 25, I knew this was what I needed to do and share with the world. This business is run under my own name: Natalia Szyszka.

I also run 2 other businesses, alongside my family! I direct and manage Arkana UK, the official distributor of Arkana Cosmetics in the UK. This is where I’m able to help other women fall in love with their skin and prioritise their self care. Arkana is a brand of highly professional cosmetics, but also has a strong message of a conscious approach towards ourselves and our skin. To tie this all up I also help co-run our small family business which is Natcare Beauty Cosmetology Centre based in Maidenhead. It’s safe to say my days are busy and taken over by running multiple businesses.

What did younger you want to be when you grew up? 

This changed a lot. As a child who moved to the UK at the age of 6 I struggled to find my own identity. Who am I, where do I belong, who should I be? I never had a clear vision of what I wanted to be, if anything I knew I wanted to follow my passions and do what I love rather than follow a path of unhappiness. There never was a strain on me to become someone in particular, it was a free flow to just embrace life and see where it takes me. But I definitely was never the type of kid that dreamed about being a princess, famous or rich, maybe that’s because my family always showed me that what we have is already amazing. I had a creative side to me, so maybe a little part of me was hopeful I’d end up doing something creative! 

How different is that from where you are now? 

Not much! I definitely do what I love. I have more clarity on who I am and where I should be, running the businesses that I do. I’m definitely exploring more of my creativity daily, and found that I enjoy marketing along the way of entrepreneurship. Who will I be in 10 years? No idea, but I don’t want to know, I’m enjoying the journey instead of the destination. 

Can you tell me about your career journey so far? 

My first job was a part time position at a jewellery company. It entailed organising and displaying jewellery in a few big high street shops. This was when I thought I wanted to be a fashion stylist after leaving school and completing education in fashion and styling. It soon turned out I really didn’t enjoy it, and desperately wanted to find my way out. I was miserable every day. I worked there for 6 months before taking a huge leap of faith and quitting. At the time of this job, I was attending IIN (institute of integrative nutrition) and was falling in love with health and coaching. I remember rewatching a lesson where we had a motivational speaker. It was after that speech I took the courage to quit my job and stop feeling miserable. I was lucky enough to fall back onto our family run business (the cosmetology centre) and was employed there as a receptionist. This helped me pay for my school. Little did I know that over the years this would be the place I’d discover I actually like working here and become one of the directors! 

Along the way my family opened Arkana UK. Initially I was in charge of marketing and later became sole Director. Now I do a little bit of everything (as you do as a business owner) but still find most passion in marketing and social media. 

Then later in life, after I hit my big breakdown at 25 I discovered non duality and self contemplation. I opened the door to opportunity and started this business slowly but surely. I run this business under my own name, and my first product was my signature self contemplation card deck. I was called to do this and immediately stuck myself in this project. There was nothing like it out there which motivated me to do it even more! It’s all been a journey of finding what I love, trying things, quitting, and starting again, but it’s been great. It’s given me confidence and taught me a lot about business.

Have you ever experienced gender discrimination at work?

Not blatantly, but there’s definitely an essence and an energy you get at times where your gender plays a role. When it comes to my business Natalia Szyszka where I teach non duality and self contemplating, I found its much harder to grow and be seen in this industry, as it’s become a norm that over years and years it was men that shared the spiritual word more. You know, those older wiser men with long beards… It’s slowly changing but you still don’t get many younger women having the recognition for their shared teachings. Subconsciously I think people still trust older, wiser men in this field. It will take some time to build trust and re-teach society that women, and younger ones too, have a lot of wisdom to share. 

How did you find your courage to step out on your own and become your own boss?

I always knew I wanted to be my own boss. Looking up to my mum who also took the plunge to be self employed I had her as an idol. But also my personality was always one that never did well being told what to do. I like having freedom to decide the creative flow of where my business can go, I like the rush of being in charge of decisions, creations or fixing issues. It was a no brainer for me to take the leap and be my own boss, because I had that vision with me whilst I was growing up from my mum’s courage to do the same. I also had the help of my family to take the plunge. Their years of experience helped a lot here! But also I think my creativity and desire to create was so strong I knew I needed to do things for myself, my own way! 

Were there any setbacks?

Always. I don’t think a business journey is ever smooth. Not only is business constantly evolving, so are you as a person. Things change, things end, things come up. Some of the setbacks where money related, and funding certain projects can become difficult. Especially now with the cost of living crisis etc, we are working even harder and seeing slower progress. 

What is your biggest achievement to date? 

Taking Arkana UK to where it is today. We started off with a little business in our house, packing parcels in our kitchen! Now we have a big online store, small warehouse, training centre, partner salons and have held multiple big events in London. It’s crazy to think how far we’ve come. 

What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in your career so far? 

I don’t believe in mistakes. There’s been lots of things we did that could be classified as “mistakes” along the way, but I see them as lessons, as things that happened to show us what works and what doesn’t. Without these mistakes I wouldn’t improve and make business better. 

How did you overcome that?

By seeing mistakes an opportunity to learn and grow from them. Seeing what doesn’t work helps us improve. 

What’s the one thing you wish you had known prior to embarking on your career journey as an entrepreneur? 

How much time it truly eats up and how expensive it is! Being an entrepreneur takes over your life quite literally. At most times it’s great because I do what I love, but sometimes it builds so much you find little time for the things that are non business related, the little things that also bring you joy. Sometimes you work first thing in the morning all the way to the late evening. You don’t have set working hours, which can interfere with personal life. It all sort of blends in, which with time can cause exhaustion and burn out. 

Financially, it’s also a rollercoaster! Running businesses looks easy on the outside, but on the inside it’s a money hoover. The money just keeps going out, because you’re constantly investing in your business so it grows. It can take many years before you see real big profits. I think many entrepreneurs can agree here! 

Do you think taking a seat at the table/building a career in a male dominated industry is hard? 

It can be. I think we still live in a male driven world. Women still struggle to have their voice heard. It’s still a fight for women to be taken seriously and professionally. But women hold so much power, resilience, and creativity that they were made for this! They are excellent business owners when they put their head into it, and surpass the struggles. 

How do you advocate for gender equality and inclusivity within your workplace/in your business?

By not giving up. By showing up as a women who is an entrepreneur. By not shunning men because I’m a woman. Both genders have room and space to exist. Both can be entrepreneurs. It’s not one way or another. It’s not women over men or vice versa. It’s showing the world both men and women can co exist in business. I’m lucky enough to work and have a team of both women and men which creates a lot of diversity and interesting perspectives. 

What encourages you to not give up?

Loving what I do. It’s not a chore when it’s your passion. 

If you could tell younger you three things, what would they be? 

1. Don’t worry about tomorrow focus on your today. 
2. Do the things YOU love, not the one society wants you to do
3. Being unique is the best gift

Looking forward, what changes or improvements do you hope to see in terms of gender equality and women’s empowerment in your industry?

Seeing women step up and be brave enough to run their own businesses without the need of approval of men. I see this a lot in the beauty industry. A lot of women are incapable of starting their own business because their male partner either disapproves or has issues with it. I hope women can find their own two feet to stand on and shine without needing men to give them a green light. 

But also, equality. Neither women or men are better. There is space for us all, in every capacity. 

Who or what inspires you the most? 

My mum and myself. 

What is a mantra, quote, or idea that you live by? 

Life lives me.

When do you feel your most empowered?

When I do what I love, and share my work with the world. This is when I feel most me. 

What do you think the key to success is? 

Allow yourself to fail. Failure isn’t weakness it’s our biggest growth. Shake yourself off and go again. 

Do you think you’re successful? 

Yes, in my own way. Not the way society defines success, but the way my heart feels it.

How do you prioritise self-care and work-life balance in your demanding career?

This is a big thing for me! I’ve learnt as an entrepreneur you NEED to schedule in self care to remain healthy and sane. I spend as much time in nature as I can, switch off in the evenings and watch my favourite sitcom, see friends and family, have self care baths and journal! 

What do you hope to achieve this year? 

More steady growth for our businesses without sacrificing peace and happiness. I’m not putting any numbers to it, but growth in general, and to reach more people.

What goals do you have for the next five years? 

To have a well established business in all of our businesses. For them to run more automatically creating room to focus myself on the things I love in business. To upgrade our warehouse in Arkana UK, expand our training at the Cosmetology Centre and grow and be more known as a Life Motivator on my Youtube & Podcast at Natalia Szyszka

How can we, as readers and potential customers, support you in that?

Come follow me on my social media and our business accounts, where we are always sharing what we love. Maybe pop a like or comment now and then, this helps tremendously. You can find myself on Instagram at @nataliaszyszkaa and Arkana UK at @arkanauk . Having you with us is the biggest compliment ever. And if you feel like it, you can listen to my podcast or watch my YouTube videos, and let me know what you think. You can find all this on my website www.nataliaszyszka.co.uk.