Keitah Martens-Shaw on Building and Selling Businesses That Matter

Keitah Martens-Shaw’s entrepreneurial story began not with a polished business plan but with a personal struggle. 

After a cervical cancer diagnosis in her early 20s, she saw firsthand the lack of thoughtful, meaningful ways to support people facing mental health challenges. This gap led her to launch a mental health gifting company from her garage. 

She didn’t have a team or funding: just purpose, resourcefulness, and drive. In this episode, Keita reminds listeners that starting a business doesn’t require confidence or readiness; it just requires action. Whether it’s securing a domain or posting your first social media update, the important thing is to begin.

Start with Purpose, Not Perfection

Keitah notes purpose can be the most powerful foundation for a business. Her business story begins with a simple, values-driven idea that grew into a global operation without funding, a full team, or a detailed business plan. 

Instead it illustrates how small, consistent actions, like registering a domain or securing a social handle, can snowball into something meaningful over time. The key lesson? There’s no such thing as the “perfect time” to start. Action creates clarity, and momentum comes from simply taking the first step

Let Emotion Lead (Then Know When to Let Go)

Building a business often means investing emotionally, not just financially or strategically. But what happens when it's time to step away? 

Keitah reflects on the emotional complexity of selling a business that’s tied to personal identity and purpose. She offers insight into navigating the practicalities of a sale: contracts, negotiations, and choosing the right buyer, while also honouring the emotional process of letting go. For young founders, it’s a real look at the human side of entrepreneurship, and a reminder that sometimes growth means making space for something new.

Build with the Life You Want in Mind

Entrepreneurship offers the rare opportunity to design not just a business, but a lifestyle. Keitah explains how founders can build with intention: crafting a business model that supports personal freedom, flexibility, and long-term well-being. 

Through the example of a wellness-focused startup, she demonstrates how aligning your work with your values can make business feel energising rather than exhausting. It’s a must-listen for anyone looking to balance ambition with lifestyle, and growth with sustainability.

Every Business Starts with a Problem

At the heart of most successful businesses is a clear problem worth solving. Keitah unpacks how lived experience can spark powerful, practical ideas that resonate with real people. 

Whether it’s a lack of support, inefficient systems, or poor access to resources, recognising and responding to those pain points can become the launchpad for something impactful. 

Listeners will be inspired to reflect on their own frustrations and how those moments might hold the seeds of their next great idea.

Highlights

• 00:45 What inspired Keitah’s first business idea

• 01:45 Launching a mental health gifting company from her garage

• 02:52 Transitioning out of her first business and why she sold it

• 03:48 Creating a centralised platform for retreat discovery

• 05:42 Why no one feels ready, and why you should try anyway

• 06:48 The joy of learning something new with every venture

• 07:02 Keitah learnt when selling her first company

• 08:31 Why emotional ties can complicate business decisions

• 10:36 Discovering a love for business development

• 11:29 Finding (and losing) work-life balance

• 12:46 Favourite part of running a business: making something you love

• 14:46 Motivation shifts over time, here’s how to track it

• 16:05 Using retreats, meditation, and journaling to stay aligned