After two years of Chaplaincy training, I felt prepared to serve the Midcoast area with weddings, memorial services, and seasonal celebrations. But, how to create a real business out of my passion for leading ceremonies was a mystery to me.
I signed up for the Venturing Forth class to work on business planning in late February of 2020. After a few short weeks of classes, the pandemic brought my plans to a grinding halt, but I still had the desire to create a business plan.
I re-enrolled in the January 2022 class and completed my business plan for Ritual Lab: Ceremonies for People and Planet. I’ve been slowly and diligently working the plan: website, marketing, business bank account, keeping the books up to date—all the tasks that don’t come naturally to my artistic and free-spirited nature.
Managing my business and personal finances was the next area of growth, so I went back to NVME and took My Money Works to learn more about budgeting and tracking expenses. During this class, I made an important discovery: I need retirement savings! That thought had never occurred to me, so I promptly picked up more work and opened a retirement savings account to start building a nest egg.
While it’s challenging to define a market for spiritual care services, my entrepreneurial efforts are slowly gaining traction. It’s an ongoing grind to manage and maintain the administrative aspects of Ritual Lab, but it would have been impossible without NVME. The knowledgeable, friendly staff, high-quality programming, attention, accountability, and structure are crucial in the agonizing task of pulling a dream into reality and keeping the business going when faced with obstacles. Their ongoing support is invaluable.
I’m now on the guest faculty at The Chaplaincy Institute of Maine, teaching classes and workshops on a regular basis. I also have a number of clients whom I support to help them define their purpose and develop spiritual practices to further their pursuits.
Lots of positive growth is blooming at Ritual Lab!