Gwen Kafka – Entrancing Life

The beginning of building a business is one step, but when obstacles pop up, they can be hard to overcome. Sometimes facing them could lead to a whole new pathway. 

Gwen Kafka, the owner of Entrancing Life, came in contact with an obstacle that prevented her from working, but that didn’t stop her from trying something new

“I had worked at Stanford University Medical Center for 16 years in coronary care. I had an accident there, so those injuries kept me out of work for three and a half years,” Kafka said. “When my doctors could not help me get out of pain because I was diagnosed with three conditions that there’s no cure for, they suggested I try hypnotherapy, and I laughed at them,” Kafka said.

Kafka wanted to learn a little more about hypnotherapy and began taking a short course on it. Thus began her journey with a new passion. After branching out and grasping the unique opportunity she was given, Kafka has been a certified Medical and Master Hypnotherapist, achieving recognition and success in her work. 

“I’ve had over 100 radio interviews in the United States and Canada since 1998, and Woman’s World Magazine did a full-page story on me,” Kafka said. 

But getting there wasn’t easy. As Kafka started her business before the internet became universally used, letting people know about her practice was challenging. 

“I was terrified since the computer stuff was relatively new back then; all my advertising was writing stories and stuff for magazines and making my fliers,” Kafka said. 

Without any solid backbone to keep her business from crumbling, she had reason to worry. According to Zen Business, 20% of businesses fail within their first year. Various reasons like poor management or a small market can lead a business to an early end. 

One difficult issue that often arises is determining optimal pricing for their businesses. When each woman manages their business, placing proper value on their services is crucial. It can be challenging to walk the line between undervaluing and overselling yourself, resulting in bankruptcy or fewer patrons. 

“The hardest thing that I had to decide was how much to charge people…figuring out what my worth was,” Kafka said. “But I want people to be able to come to see me… if somebody couldn’t afford it, that was not a reason not to see me. I’ll say, ‘You figure out what you can give me,’ and I’ll accept that.”

Kafka has managed to overcome these difficult hurdles and run a thriving business she’s passionate about. She has been a successful hypnotherapist for over 20 years.