Coming from a science background, Elizabeth views what some would call failures as experiments that just need a little tweaking. Just because you don't get the results from your marketing campaign on the first try doesn't mean it failed. It means you have more information to work with next time. Odds are you're not going to be perfect, but you can learn from everything you try. Sometimes you learn what to do, sometimes you learn what not to do, but you're still learning.

Elizabeth originally studied chemistry, biology, and environmental studies. Then she did summer lab research and was so frustrated. She knew that spending the next seven years researching in a lab wasn't for her. So, she applied to law school. Think about not only what you want to do, but how doing it will affect you. Do you need to break up your day with walks and movement? Do you need to be around people? Or maybe you desperately need to work on your own to get anything done. Pay attention to what you need, and act on it.

Elizabeth's switch from financial planning and estate planning to small business advising happened because people kept asking. It can be difficult to see what we're good at because it's easy for us. Only, just because it's easy for you, doesn't mean it's easy. When people keep asking you to help them do something, remember what Elizabeth says, "Sometimes the best businesses are ones that happen almost accidentally."

For full links and show notes visit compassopod.com/005

Starting out having graduated with a degree in dance left Kate with a need for side income almost immediately. Her first side hustle, managing website and newsletters for Mary Kay reps, not only taught Kate the importance of having multiple streams of income, but gave her her first steps in online work. If one stream dries up, then you’re still ok, with another few streams supporting you.

In traditional employment, the path to promotion is often pretty straight forward. Being self employed, you tend to cover all rolls at once. Keeping an eye on the shifts in your industry, you can also give yourself a promotion by learning the skills and rewriting your job description. While social media manager and social media strategist are very different jobs, one clearly lead to the other for Kate.

Many of us hesitate to bring up the subject of money. That’s one of the reasons we discuss it on Compass, it’s a difficult subject and we need to be more open with each other. I love this piece of advice Kate received from Paul Cheney: if people were saying yes to the price, if everyone was saying yes, that I wasn’t asking enough and if I was too busy that I couldn’t take on any more clients, that I wasn’t charging enough either.

For full links and show notes visit compassopod.com/004

Baking then computer science, back to baking again, now finances, Heather is no exception to the truth that it's our winding paths that lead us to where we need to be.

Being location independent brings with it some special challenges, along with the host of benefits. We know all about the flexible hours and the ability to chase the sun no matter the season, even if that part is way over glamorized. There's another side to the story, too. Your tax situation can get messy awfully quickly, and it's best to find out your obligations before they become a problem.

And while you don't have to start with baking, but it's good to get a sense of the numbers in running a small business. There are also exams and an apprenticeship of sorts, plus annual continuing education requirements. It's a process and one that those of us who use accountants greatly appreciate.

For full links and show notes visit compassopod.com/001

Look back to what you wanted to be as a child; Alyssa did her first big school project on interior design, and life looped back for her as an adult. When we're at our most creative, as children, we often know more about who we are and what we want than as adults. So, think back... what did you want to be?

You're never going to feel ready, so why not just find a starting place and get going. Alyssa learned how to build a website while nursing her newborn son. Steal time if you need to and start as small as you have to, but start. The next year will come no matter what you do, so why not do what you can to propel your business forward.

When you're starting from scratch, you need samples, a portfolio, proof of some sort. You can do a few jobs for free to build your portfolio or Alyssa says, if she had it to do again, she'd host a party to show people her home as it's own sample. A way of saying, if you like what I've done here, then see what I can do for you.

For full links and show notes visit compasspod.com/002

At a young age Natalie took on the persona of newscaster, truly getting into the roll by carrying a hand made microphone constructed from aluminum foil and a paper towel tube. As time passed she switched her focus to PR, only to become disenchanted with what traditional PR entails. As we have found, life tends to be a series of loops, and for Natalie, this meant coming back to PR from another angle, podcasters.

When Natalie found PR she knew it was a great fit. "I knew I was good at talking to people, networking with people, making connections, putting myself out there and representing brands or people or anything of the sort." While it's not always easy to see your skill sets, it pays (literally) to sit down and figure out what they are. The things that come easiest to you are exactly what someone else has difficulty with and will pay you to handle. Just because it's easy for you, doesn't mean it's easy.

While finding her way between leaving the PR program at college and becoming a VA, Natalie studied recreational therapy. This allowed her to step back and take a look at the kind of life she wanted to live. Natalie realized that she wanted to make sure the living of her life came first. Set your priorities and then build around them.

For full links and show notes visit compassopod.com/003

A quick note to say hi and give a little bit of a guide as to what's to come