Meet Patricia Wires | Founder of The SOFLA Zen Fair Group, & creator of The South Florida Zen Fair

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patricia Wires and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patricia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

My thought process behind starting my own business went something like this:

First and foremost, I always knew I wanted to be my own boss someday. Doing what remained a mystery.
Second, to work from home was the dream!
Third, In the last few years the goal included to work less and get paid more. I’ll let you know when I get there….

The decision to start my own business came after a long, difficult road filled with so many obstacles, limitations, twists and turns: an economic downturn upon graduating an expensive art school, trying to pay off a 6-figure student loan debt with a meager salary, a degree going to waste, floundering on where I fit in professionally, lacking certain experiences and requirements, several ideas and projects not panning out, finding myself moving back in with my parents at age 31, barely paying the bills, medical and health issues worsening over time, etc.

Running parallel to all of that was my spiritual journey. Feeling unfulfilled and like something was missing, or off, I started my spiritual journey. And after getting certified in reiki, I initially thought that would be my business; just running a little side hustle in my home, helping one client at a time, and I even created a meditation program for kids at a homeless shelter, The Lotus House, but then those pesky health issues got worse and ultimately I stopped. Little by little, everything was stopping. I felt like the universe was forcing me to just stop. But doing nothing didn’t sit right with me. I needed a purpose. And so before even starting a business I created an event, The South Florida Zen Fair, which was divinely inspired. I realized I could do most of the work from home…. So with no business, and only a couple of art shows creating/organizing experience, just little ol’ me decided to put on a psychic fair. I created a vision for it and went for it. Turning it into a charitable event was icing on the cake because I donate or volunteer often and I feel best when I am giving and helping others.

It was only after completing the first event, did I look into incorporating and becoming an official business. The thinking is that it would give me more street cred, but also then there would be an officiality to my event organizing of the Zen Fair.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am sure there is plenty that sets me apart from many, and nothing that sets me apart from others. Not sure what though…

What are you most proud of or excited about?
I am most proud of myself for taking an idea and just going for it. Just doing it. And then getting incorporated. Real talk, I have no idea what I’m doing.

How did I get to where I am today professionally?
Oof, that’s a long and complicated story with many twists, turns, obstacles, and limitations! Technically, professionally I am The Circulation Supervisor at the Alvin Sherman Library at NSU! I’ve been working at NSU for the last 10 years this coming February. When I started it was kind of a layover until I figured out what more I wanted to do with my life. It’s been such a rewarding place to work for! I started off as a library assistant, became a mid-level supervisor within my dept. and ultimately when the Circulation Supervisor position opened up, the timing felt right, and here I am! Since I’ve been with the library, it’s felt like it’s where I needed to be in the meantime. Working at the library has afforded me the opportunity to do the Zen Fair on the side.

Though I know I will have to leave the library someday, financially speaking The Zen Fair isn’t there yet, so at the library I remain until the Zen Fair and The SOFLA Zen Fair group can become my main source of income. I will be happy to embrace the new future, but will be sad to leave the library in the past.

None of it was easy! And I think for most people, none of it was easy for them either. We all face challenges, some similar, and some unique. To explain how I overcame my challenges, one would need to know what those challenges were/are, but also know that I continue to face challenges today. I briefly mentioned in a previous question some of those challenges. The biggest challenge/obstacle to starting my own businesses has been financial. Student loans. Groan! My 6-figure student loan debt is a combined total of federal and private student loans, which are the hardest to repay, especially the private student loans- mostly because the companies in charge of repayment remain unregulated and are able to get away with predatory policies and practices that go unchecked and unchallenged. If I could give one piece of advise to anyone, is don’t do it! Avoid student loans at all costs! The economy crumbling at the time I graduated didn’t help either. I was never able to live on my own, or save up for a rainy day because of those loans. It’s only within the last few years that I started being able to save a little, and that’s from taking on side-jobs. The other big challenge I faced was my health. Was in a pretty bad car accident back in 2006 and suffered a lot of muscle/tissue damage and spine issues ever since that never really healed or got better over the years now matter how much exercise, stretching, physical therapy, etc I went through… repeatedly. Every handful of years there would be a surge of pain forcing the whole process all over again. In 2010 my spine was twisting in opposite directions. In 2015/2016 it was finally discovered the source of my back/spine pain originated from a cyst on spinal cord that ultimately had to get removed through surgery because it was interrupting certain motor-skills, not too mention numbing of my legs and extreme nerve pain akin to fibromyalgia and daily migraines. I had major spine surgery in September 2019, amidst my event planning for the first Zen Fair which would take place January 2020. Though I was in incredible pain and needed a ridiculous amount of rest and sleep, I trudged through it to continue planning and organizing. Through all the that the worst pain were the years leading up to the surgery when it all seemed so hopeless and I felt like I was going to be in incredible amounts of pain all day every day forever. I used to hope I wouldn’t wake up in the mornings. Those years were a mixture of emotional pain and physical pain. The most intense pain was post surgery. If you’ve never had your spine cut open, you have no idea. You also have no idea how much we use and need our upper backs (more than our lower backs) until that’s the thing that’s broken! Then tragedy struck November 2019 when my father passed away. I was still recovering from my surgery, and while I was convalescing in my own room, he was quickly dying of cancer in the room next door. And I couldn’t even help. I could barely wipe own my butt and had to be bathed like a baby! For real. That was the most heartbreaking thing to go through.

To be honest overcoming the challenges, and your success, comes from your mindset, your perspective, your strength of will and determination. Just do it, just start, start anywhere, and keep going. Just keeping moving forward.

The financial struggle is still a challenge. I started the Zen Fair with the extra $1,000 I had painstakingly saved up over the course of 2-3 years of side jobs. Yes, that is all I managed to save up. Womp womp. And since I had defaulted on my loans I couldn’t get approved for any loans. Instead of waiting for conditions to improve, or own literally anything that I could use as collateral, I went for it! I bankrolled the Zen Fair with only $1,000 and a pipedream! I just put that energy out into the universe that if I built it they would come and the money would come…. and it did!

I still struggle with pain and my recovery has been sooooooo slow. I soldier through the pain to continue my slow progess of stretches and strength training. I go through months of nothing before I make even a little leeway. It’s brought on other health issues I never used to have before and now see doctors for. I’m too young to say things like, “my cardiologist…” and yet here I am. Some days the pain is not bad, and some days the pain is real bad. And I miss my dad every single day. But you trudge along. You keep moving forward. When my dad passed, I thought it would be prudent to postpone the Zen Fair, but in my heart I knew my dad wouldn’t want me to cancel or postpone. He would want me to finish what I started, to see my project through to the end. To feel that sense of completion of a project well done. In spirit was the only way he would be able to attend, so I continued, no matter how much I hurt physically and emotionally. And I still continue trudging along at my old snail pace fueled by determination. And I’m not going to lie: somedays I’m low on fuel.

I’ve learned a lot of lessons along the way. Nike was right, just do it! Well, the only thing they got wrong was that the statement needs a good f*ck. Hah! Just f*cking do it! You don’t have to have a degree in the thing, or have researched the hell out of something and be an expert. If you wait until you think you’re ready or feel ready, you’ll never do it. We never feel ready. Just start, and then absolutely research and learn along the way. Ask others who you think know the answers, and even find yourself a mentor if you can. The important thing is taking the first step toward your goal, which is to start.

Turn your dreams into reality by creating goals to achieve them, otherwise they remain dreams. That’s why they’re called dreams. Create small achievable goals that help you tackle the big goal one step at a time. Ask yourself what can I achieve today, or this year? This is really helpful when you are looking at a really big goal/project.

Inspiration and motivation do not get you through anything. Those come and go and never last. It’s determination that fuels you. You have to be determined to do the thing, and determined to finish the thing.

Following your passion is the biggest lie ever told! Feeling and being passionate about things is not the human condition. It’s not common, and we don’t see it often. Social media is lying. Those people on a mission and doing what they’re passionate about are few and far between, and everyone else is selling you a lie to make money. Don’t buy it. I learned not to try and figure out what to do with my life based on what I’m passionate about. This makes most of us feel bad because we realize we’re not passionate about anything. We like things and love things, sure, but that’s not the same as passion. If you don’t believe me. Look up the definition of passion. How often do YOU feel that way? Rather, look for joy, look for bliss! Look for what satisfies and fulfills your soul (or heart).

Define success for yourself. Step away from the idea and lies that we’re told of what success looks like, of what success should be, what makes us successful, of the kind of lifestyle you should want when you’re successful. All of these are unattainable for most of us. Make your own definition of success, and make your success realistic and obtainable. It’s perfectly okay if your definition of success looks nothing like “the American Dream”. When I started reiki, I decided that if I helped one person feel better, then I was successful. Well,. I did that! Success! And every person I helped after was icing on the cake.

Believe in your own awesomeness, your own amazingness, and your own attractiveness. We all have gifts and we all take up space on this planet in our own unique ways. No one yous better than you, so go you it up out there! You just might wind up surprising yourself by finding out just how amazing you already are. And most importantly believe in yourself. Know that you are capable of far more than you even think you are.

Love yourself! Loving yourself helps you realize how awesome and capable you are.

Every set back and rejection is a lesson the universe (or whatever higher power you believe in) is teaching you. It prepares you for the bigger better things coming your way.

Never fake it until you make it. Faking it means you’re being phony. People who matter see through that sh*t. Your success lies with being true to who you are.

I want the world to know about my brand is: SINCERITY. I am always me… probably because I lack the energy. I keep it real sprinkled with kindness and magic fairy dust. But also quality. I value quality over quantity, so I will always strive to make the South Florida Zen Fair a wonderful experience for attendees, vendors, presenters, and volunteers alike.

What I want the world to know about my story is: The f*ck if I know! Haha! No really, if you’ve been reading up until this point I have mentioned that I basically don’t know what I’m doing and I’m figuring it out as I go.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
(as long as I had the energy for it) I would see what kind of activities were happening at the time:

Metaphysical workshops or classes (so location would vary)
Take us to get energy healings or psychic readings done somewhere
Food festival or food and wine festival
Yellow Green Farmer’s Market (that place is huge!)
Have lunch at The Alchemist Cafe in Wilton Manors
Sushi and stroll (hopefully) at Morikami Japanese Museum & Gardens
Lincoln Rd mall
South beach hotel bar crawl (just walk along Collins and pop into a string of hotels and enjoy a little of something at each place, plus theres’ the historical factor to some of those hotels)
Hike at Everglades National Park (airboat tour also)
Las Olas Ave
A Ghost tour at Deering Estate
Line dance at Round Up
Maybe gamble a little at The Hard Rock Hotel (go to a concert or comedy show if there’s one we’re interested in) or Gulfstream Village
Spa day at Thermae Retreat in Fort Lauderdale
Frost Museum and planetarium or Miami Planetarium
Try to be extras in a movie if any are filming at the time

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My sister Cathy (Zumba instructor and Reiki practitioner). She is my best friend, inspiration, and sounding board! The Zen Fair came about through talks with her and us entertaining the idea of hosting meditation or reiki circles at our house, which was being renovated for a while and never in condition to host guests! Being the oldest sibling, she helped raise my brother and I because my parents worked multiple jobs to keep food in the pantry and a roof over our heads. For a long time, I considered her my second mom until I got older and then she became my friend.

Cathy is the real MVP event day organizing all the energy healers and psychic readers, as well as managing the bookings and schedules for them. Check her out @cathy_withac_wires on INSTA!

Also shout out to my friends Charlotte Jimenez, Sabrina Romero, Sherrie Foglia Joo, and Steven Lebowitz for volunteering at the Zen Fair both years. I honestly could not do the event without their help! I am blessed with such amazing friends who want to support me and my dreams. Their love and support make me want to be better, to succeed, to be worthy of their love.

Website: www.southfloridazenfair.com

Instagram: @soflazenfair

Facebook: @soflazenfair

Image Credits
Patricia Wires, Poster designed and created by Patricia Wires