We’ve been following The Wellbeing Catalyst sound bath sessions since January 2021. It’s a brilliant supplement to our wellbeing regime and provided a great reset from our screen work. We asked Eva Braga Ng Kon Tia, Founder and Soundscapes Creatrix of The Wellbeing Catalyst, about her timely venture.
Q: Hi Eva. Please introduce yourself and The Wellbeing Catalyst. We’ve known each other for a long time since we both worked in the corporate world. What inspired you to launch The Wellbeing Catalyst sound healing consultancy?
I am quintessentially a storyteller. I used to tell brand stories through brand strategy, PR and immersive events. Now I tell stories through sound meditations to unravel untold emotions and help people create a sense of deep relaxation.
The practice of yoga and sound healing was very transformative in my personal life, helping me find balance in my work-life routine and helping me cope with the grief of losing my father. It was quite incredible. The pandemic brought an opportunity for me to rethink of my place and contribution to the world: how could I use my talents, experience and skills to help others in this difficult environment?
The answer came almost naturally, through exploring the essence of my career (storytelling) and reframing it in a new context. I retrain as a sound healer through the College of Sound Healing UK to give me a holistic healing methodology and understanding and voilà! The Wellbeing Catalyst was born in Jan 2021.
Q: You’ve launched your business in the middle of the pandemic, in 2021. It’s a courageous step and a pivotal time to start a new endeavour. Was it a sharp learning curve? What pleasant surprises that you’ve discovered so far?
It is a sharp learning curve. It’s both exciting and daunting. It’s exciting using all my branding and marketing experience in my own project and seeing how transformative the experience can be for others. It’s daunting because of course it’s a new territory, there is an economic crisis looming and because being an entrepreneur is quite different from the ‘comfort’ of being a salary woman and having agencies executing your ideas. An entrepreneur is a CEO, the communicator, the strategist, the salesperson and the financial guardian. One person wearing many hats.
Thankfully, there are quite a few pleasant surprises: the UK government is quite entrepreneur friendly; you achieve a sense of pride when you get your first sale, you learn to celebrate your steps and to use the wisdom of entrepreneur friends. And you get highly creative doing something you believe in and are passionate about. Priceless.
“The UK government is quite entrepreneur friendly; you achieve a sense of pride when you get your first sale, you learn to celebrate your steps and to use the wisdom of entrepreneur friends.”
— The Wellbeing Catalyst
Q: Do the current technology and e-commerce platforms help your business a lot? If not, what do you think could be improved? Does it open up your business to the audience outside the UK too?
This is an exciting time for entrepreneurs because people got used to having services and experiences through the online world. So, it opens up your business to a global audience. The other day for example, someone in Austria attended my Relaxation Friday bi-weekly session, she found me through Eventbrite. My sessions have attendees from Germany, France, UK, USA and Brazil so far. Only the language becomes a barrier in my case, but in theory, my audience can be located anywhere in the world!
Q: Running businesses is exciting but can be quite stressful sometimes. Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs out there?
Indeed, it can be quite stressful and especially when you are a new entrepreneur like me you can easily feel overwhelmed and work 24/7.
My first advice is to learn to take a step back at least once a week and celebrate all the things you have achieved and not only live on a to-do list. Gratitude and celebration are two feelings that fuel our drive.
My second advice is to create a holistic approach to your wellness – by that I mean to educate yourself and set up various ways to maintain your physical, emotional and mental health. I feel the main difference is in the past people would do either this or that. The huge strain that was provoked by the pandemic means it is no longer sufficient. We need to take care of our entire health and wellness ecosystem: educate ourselves about what we eat, how we eat, have a physical activity and have a regular activity that cleanses and energize our minds and emotions like meditations, mindfulness, yoga philosophy or my sound baths.
“My first advice is to learn to take a step back at least once a week and celebrate all the things you have achieved and not only live on a to-do list. Gratitude and celebration are two feelings that fuel our drive.”
— The Wellbeing Catalyst
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