"Almost every market there are still huge needs not being met" with Corinne Segura
Photo credit Pamela Gutrath
Corinne Segura is a blogger and green building materials specifier. Her website My Chemical-Free House launched in 2016 with the mission to help those with environmental sensitivities choose healthy materials for new builds and renovations. Corinne has grown the blog from a small side project to a full-time business in its own right and also provides one-on-one consulting services for building material selection. She is developing an eco-friendly prefabricated house that will launch in 2022.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I’m from Vancouver, Canada and studied in Toronto, completing a degree in Anthropology and International Development studies at the University of Toronto.
But in 2013 my life took a very sharp turn. I developed severe multiple chemical sensitivities and severe myalgic encephalomyelitis. I became unable to work and I struggled to find housing that met my needs. I decided that building a tiny house on wheels was the best way to provide housing for myself that I could tolerate with my environmental sensitivities.
I started the website to share what I was learning in my build about building with healthier “greener” materials.
I then decided to further my education by becoming certified as a Building Biologist Practitioner and taking other related courses that could help me become an expert in this subject.
What inspired you to start your business?
At the time of starting the website, there were only a couple of books out there on choosing eco-friendly materials, with low offgassing of chemicals, in other words, materials safe for folks with chemical sensitivities. This was even less information online on the topic.
I began the website because I saw a need to provide information online about green building materials.
It didn’t start as something I thought would be a full-time income!
I slowly started to monetize the site with ads, then with affiliates, and it was a couple of years into building the site that I started offering one-on-one assistance on choosing building materials.
Where is your business based?
I started the business on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, but I’m now living in South America as a digital nomad.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
I started the website as the first step. Little by little I learned the technical aspects of website development, marketing, and SEO while furthering my education on green building. I built up detailed articles on the website over a number of years as my own knowledge progressed.
Consulting grew out of this website naturally, as more people found the website and needed individualized help.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Most people find me via Google, by searching for something and coming across one of my articles.
The most important thing I have done is to fill unmet needs in the market by providing articles on those topics so that people can find me.
I am also active in social media communities. By helping people with problems on those platforms and by being part of the community myself when I need help, I have become well known in the multiple chemical sensitivity community.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge has been working with a chronic illness. On top of multiple chemical sensitivity, I have severe myalgic encephalomyelitis.
The way to work with this has been to build things up little by little and to continue to find revenue streams for the website that involve only flexible work on my part so that I can rest on days I need to rest, and take breaks whenever I need to.
How do you stay focused?
It has not been difficult to stay focused. My illness does not allow me to work a regular job. This business is something that I need to do to support myself. I have no backup plan. That is enough to stay motivated and focused!
I also have a strong sense of a mission about what I want to accomplish in this life and what I would like to contribute to help people with chemical sensitivities live a better life. My clients are often suffering in housing that is causing them intense symptoms, and many are homeless. There is a lot that needs to be done to help this population.
If I can’t focus because I’m not feeling well then I take a break.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
In the beginning, I was providing a unique service on the blog, so at that time it was easy to stand out. I continue to differentiate myself in a more competitive market by providing a brand that is devoted to honest reporting. It doesn't matter if a product doesn’t have an affiliate program, if they are good I will list them or write about them. If a company that is an affiliate messes up, I will report on that. People know they are getting very honest and unbiased opinions from me.
I also continue to provide original research and personal testing comparisons of materials.
I’m always looking for needs in the market that are not being met and filling those needs if I can.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
I haven’t needed to do marketing because there is such a huge need in the market for the kind of information I provide. There is more demand than supply in some areas of what I do.
In the beginning, though, it was all about getting myself out there in the places where my people are discussing issues or looking for information, and they got to know me that way.
I sometimes do interviews and podcasts but it’s not the main driving force.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
I wish everyone knew that in almost every market there are still huge needs not being met. It’s an illusion for some people on the outside that most markets are saturated. Even in saturated markets, there is always a need for excellence.
I also want people to know that you can still accomplish something even if you have great limitations. I have been 95% bedbound on average for most of the time I have been working. I have limitations on energy and the ability to speak. I do things little by little and work around my limitations.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
I like the work of conscious entrepreneurs like Marie Forleo and Tim Ferris. They both feature others similar to them on their channels and I have found a lot of new inspiration that way.
I have not found that books on business are worth the time. I have found better and more succinct business advice in podcasts and interviews personally.
I like the podcast Side Hustle Nation for bloggers (and others starting side hustles).
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
I don’t use many tools, I like to keep things simple. Gmail’s “canned responses” is probably the only generic tool I use that isn’t a technical tool for websites.
I also use Mailerlite for my email list which is robust but easy to learn.
Who is your business role model? Why?
I like how Marie Forleo works from the heart, from a place of honesty and a high level of integrity. That is not something I have seen modeled so publicly before.
And while I don’t know many people working with my level of disability, I have watched and been inspired by folks like Laura Hillenbrand and Jen Brea who created a novel and film, respectively, while living with the same illness and level of disability as me.
How do you balance work and life?
By creating a very flexible schedule I can take breaks when my body needs to. I generally can take breaks if and when a friend needs me as well.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
I like to watch stand-up comedy to laugh. To relax I like reality TV because it takes very little mental power. I also watch videos made for relaxation like ASMR and online Reiki. I do some breathing exercises, visualizations, and meditations as well.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
I am launching a prefabricated home that is designed for folks with environmental sensitivities, or really for anyone interested in eco-friendly homes. My other main focus this year is to produce a lot of articles for the website.
How can our readers connect with you?