Today we’d like to introduce you to Princess Cole.
Hi Princess, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My entrepreneurship journey began in 2011. I started out making jewelry, but my heart wasn’t in that, so it didn’t last long. Soon after, I started a cake company, Cakes Galore. At the time, I was living in Connecticut but in 2012, I moved to Stone Mountain… I promoted myself baking a bunch of different cheesecakes and cupcakes and taking them to the barbershop where my dad cuts and selling my pastries there.
Then, I began attending networking events as a vendor, and I almost always sold out my entire table of goodies. Those events allowed me to connections with many different people, and thanks to my dad, I was able to make connections and work with people like Celcil Dowdell, owner of Silk Magazine, Jagged Edge and more. I eventually started planning and hosting my own events, as well as filling cake orders for birthday parties, photoshoot parties, and other events, I even left business cards on buses, trains, stores and malls. I reached a point where people would stop me and know who I was. Handing someone you’ve never seen before a business card and having them tell you, “I know this company, I have one of these cards” was liberating. Even more so when you walk into a store and someone shouts, “hey, you’re the one that makes those cheesecakes, they’re bomb af!”
I started to lose my love for baking. Maybe it had something to do with a bakery I was about to lease that had been empty for years being snatched from under my nose because someone put down a deposit before I had a chance to. So in 2018, I made the hardest decision I had to make business-wise. I shut it all down. No more making cakes. In 2016 I started blogging and since I shut down Cakes Galore, I was able to focus on that and share my love for yoga, meditation, herbalism and my life as a parent. In late 2018, I ended up opening a yoga studio in Stone Mountain where I not only offered yoga classes but meditation and pole fitness classes as well. I’ve been doing yoga for over 20 years (and pole fitness since 2010), so this felt like a calling. Things got difficult as it got towards the end of 2019. I knew the area, so it shouldn’t have been surprising to me when crime was happening right across the street from my studio, I so closed it. The pandemic happened shortly after, so I likely would have closed it down anyway.
Here I am in 2022, sharing my yoga, meditation and herbalism knowledge online until I’m ready to open up another studio and share these offerings in person, which includes yoga and meditation classes, sound baths, onsite herbalism workshops and more. I’ve done a lot of different things, and many of those things don’t even seem like they go together, like baking cakes and teaching pole fitness classes. But multiple streams of income is a thing, and I don’t want to be a one-trick pony. I encourage everyone to do everything they love and make it worth it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m not gonna lie and say it has been easy because it most definitely has not. Building connections was a struggle for me because I’m an introvert. If you see me doing something out in public, just know that I’m nervous in the inside, I’m sweating, and I probably want to vomit lol. Another struggle was having to learn things along the way. I didn’t go to college for business, I was in the medical field. So everything I learned about running a business was through a lot of mistakes. I knew nothing about marketing, nothing about accounting, and a lot of little things most people don’t even realize they need to know.
As you know, we’re big fans of Aikido Enchanted. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Aikido Enchanted is the name of my herbalism company. I am an herbalist and I specialize in educating people about herbal medicine and how to use food as medicine. Herbalism is something I used to practice within my own family, but I wanted to be able to share it with the public. I think what sets me apart from others is the fact that I truly believe that there is a plant for every illness, and I make it a priority to let people know that THEY are in control of their own wellness. What I’m most proud of when it comes to Aikido Enchanted is that it is a platform where people can come and learn. I believe my purpose is to educate and that is what Aikido Enchanted is allowing me to do. I also offer herbalism courses, sell spiritual items, herbal supplements, dried herbs, and medicinal seeds for anyone who wants to grow their own medicinal plants.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
One of my biggest supports is my younger sister, Ashanti. Although we are miles apart, she’s only one call away. Not only is she my second pair of eyes, making sure I fix any typos on my website and social media posts like I do for her, she always listens to my business ideas.
My good friend Siri, When I say her friendship is unmatched, I mean that. Aside from my sister, she is the only other person I go to when it comes to inside knowledge about my next moves. I wouldn’t trust anybody else with the things she and I talk about.
Pricing:
- Intro to Herbalism Course – $150
- Back to Nature Herbalism Course – $300
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aikidoenchanted.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aikidoenchated
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aikidoenchated
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgOrPZqjtmTrVNcxEflNpg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_theherbalyogi
