CEO Stories 085: How to Pivot Your Audience and Offerings

Business Coach Mariana Ruiz hustled to begin her coaching business while on maternity leave. Then over the years she has expanded and her mission and her offerings to serve even more people. She’s sharing the story of how she created her success today. Mariana was an entrepreneur since she was a child.  She had lemonade stands growing up and even created a business at the age of 7 collecting cans by paying for them and turning them in for a larger profit.  She never wanted to cheap anyone! Both of her parents were from Venezuela where they had higher education degrees, but they were not recognized in the US when they moved here.  Both of her went on to get another master’s degree. She thought this was the path she also needed to go. She was interested in brain neurology and her first job was as an ICU brain surgeon nurse.   She took the profits and started investing in real estate.  She felt like going to school to continue more education was not the direction she wanted, even though her parents pushed this. She felt like she could continue to climb the corporate ladder or pursue her side coaching business.  Her daughter was born at only 2 pounds and spent a lot of time in the hospital. Her only choice was to hustle the consulting business while taking care of her daughter.   Even now, her parents do still push that she needs a master’s degree to be successful.  Mariana had to learn to be confident in herself and her choices. She wanted to do a lot and not just learn about doing in school. Before making the jump full time into her consulting business, it was just about having a consistent routine to get the nursing job done, sell real estate, and pursue the coaching side hustle.   When she first made the jump, it was a little chaotic.  She had to really dip into her spiritual side with words of affirmations.  She just needed to remind herself that it was going to be ok. She focuses on getting up before the kids are awake to do the mindset work.  If she does not, she feels like she spends the entire day just reacting and not prepared.   She started off as a health coach simply from losing 80 pounds after her first baby.  She was a nurse and knew she could help other people lose their weight. Mariana utilized facebook for this first endeavor.    After learning how to do this in the health coaching, she decided to start teaching moms how to start a business.  Eventually, she branched out from just moms to everyone. After branching out to all individuals, she branded Impact Driven Entrepreneurs.       Her big focus is helping ethical businesses that make a difference.    She has the consulting where she does local corporate marketing.  She has to be 100% behind their mission. Then she has the online side where she does group coaching.  She will add one on ones, but she keeps it to two online programs that she runs. To keep from jumping into new ideas, she remembers that there are so many places to grow in the current things that she is already doing.  If she wants to add more offerings, she will give things to her existing members. Mariana’s biggest advice to others would be to trust yourself.  It’s ok to get it wrong but trust yourself. Entrepreneurship is all about failure and learning the lesson.