More Than a Crowdfunding Campaign

In 2021 I raised $10,000 in 30 days to start The Conscious Wellness Club brand.

I had no budget. No degree. No industry credibility. My boyfriend (now fiancé), Griffin, fronted me $300 for my first product sample and I insisted on paying him back. The minimum order quantity was 500 units, and I had no way of paying for it, but I knew I’d figure it out.

There’s always a way.

For me, that way was going to be through crowdfunding: an all-or-nothing business launch model. You set a goal, a timeline, and if you don’t reach that goal, your project gets cancelled. No one’s card gets charged, and none of the funds get released.

At the time, I was studying and I knew it wasn’t my path. Every day I felt like I was doing myself a disservice. Not showing up for myself. Not showing up as my highest self. I’ll be honest, I was lost. I ended up missing a week of classes to go to Los Angeles with Grif. It was impulsive. Neither of us really remember why we did it, but that trip lit a spark in me.

I came back wanting to build something — something that was mine. Something scalable. I didn’t know exactly what my future would look like, but I knew I wanted to create something I could always come back to, no matter how much I changed.

While studying, I was also completing a health coaching certification and a separate nutrition diploma online. I was taking my self-education and wellness seriously. I started reading and writing. Creating digital downloads in Canva became a creative outlet, so I launched a website where I could offer them for free.

For months, I was looking for a journal to complement my routine, but I couldn’t find one that was built around the dimensions of wellness — something that included prompts for reflection, but also functional day planning. So I thought, why not make one myself? I stayed up all night working on it for weeks. It consumed me. And morning routine videos consumed my TikTok feed, so I took my shot and one of my first videos went viral with over 3 million views.

That was my sign.

I started gaining followers, and people were downloading my digital products. Crowdfunding came to mind, so I told Griffin I had to go all in on social media to launch this journal I had been working on, and he was fully behind me — He had just left his 9-to-5 to build something of his own.

My journal draft wasn’t what he was expecting. It was 300+ pages. It was real, not just a template. As soon as the sample was ordered, I dropped out of school and quit my job. I didn’t over think it. I had passion, purpose, and drive — the kind that pushes you to take risks and build something real.

As soon as the sample arrived, I started sharing it everywhere. I launched a Kickstarter campaign, but after just two days, it was clear I wouldn’t hit my goal, so I cancelled it. I wasn’t giving up, though. I kept talking about it, and a month later, I relaunched and exceeded my goal.

Launching a Kickstarter in December tells you how little I knew at the time.. I found out later it’s the worst possible month to run a campaign.

Production of the 500 journals started soon after. I continued posting on social media and this was when the brand deals started coming through. This is how I started my social media career and for the months to come, it allowed me to keep showing up, keep building, and keep talking about my journal.

Half my inventory came by air, the other half by freight. It was surreal seeing a mail courier pull up with a truck packed top to bottom with boxes. They were mine — something I’d be sharing with hundreds of people who all had a similar goal: to work on their wellness.

I packed and shipped every order from my kitchen table. I sent out gift copies too. Shortly after that I started seeing The Conscious Wellness Club Journal everywhere — Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest — just as I was getting ready for my next trip back to Los Angeles. But this time, I was moving there for a full month. It truly felt like a full-circle moment.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: when you’re genuinely aligned with your purpose, clarity comes.

The Conscious Wellness Club Journal was the start of something much bigger than a brand. That chapter brought deep alignment and clarity, not just in business but in my life as a whole. For the first time, I felt connected to my purpose and confident in the direction I was headed. Every challenge, every late night, and every risk I took started to make sense. It wasn’t just about launching a product; it was about building something real that reflected who I was becoming, creating community, and providing value.

The timing of the launch, paired with my temporary move to Los Angeles, became a turning point. It gave me the space to dream bigger, refocus, and trust myself more than ever before. Looking back, that period laid the foundation for everything that’s come since — and everything still to come.

Written with love,

Sophie Annaston

Shop the journal on Amazon here.

+ Shop my book, A Book About Wellness available on Amazon