She Did It Her Way

The adrenaline rush of hustling can be insatiable. The payoff even more satisfying. But how much longer can you go? Do you know when to take a step back?

Ashlyn Carter, founder of Ashlyn Writes, became very familiar with the adrenaline rush of hustle. Her previous career in corporate PR, and her type A personality, had always pushed her towards perfection. But when the stress from her job as a publicist, coupled with planning a wedding, led to her developing an eating disorder, she knew she had to make a career change.

The adrenaline rush of hustling can be insatiable. The payoff even more satisfying. But how much longer can you go? Do you know when to take a step back?

Ashlyn Carter, founder of Ashlyn Writes, became very familiar with the adrenaline rush of hustle. Her previous career in corporate PR, and her type A personality, had always pushed her towards perfection. But when the stress from her job as a publicist, coupled with planning a wedding, led to her developing an eating disorder, she knew she had to make a career change.

She became inspired by Lara Casey's book, Make it Happen, during her recovery time, and was introduced to the online world of creative female entrepreneurs. Already in love with working in female dominated work environments, due to her time as a traveling leadership consultant for her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi, she knew she wanted to be surrounded by that positivity again. She also had a immense desire to help the careers of female entrepreneurs and get their feet off the ground, and the specialization of creative entrepreneurs online added an exciting twist to the mix.

However, when she returned to the work force after her leave of abscene, she went right back to her demanding job as a publicist. With her stress, anxiety, and depression on the rise just two months after coming back, her fiance gave her the extra push that she needed to leave her corporate job once and for all.

With a journalism degree under her belt and a talent for calligraphy, Ashyln Writes was born in February of 2016. In her role at Ashlyn Writes, she acts as a copywriter and calligraphist, and specializes in helping creative female entrepreneurs with launch pages, sequence mapping, and sales page copy; with her primary customer base being small wedding businesses.

When Ashlyn Writes first started, though, it did not have a specific direction. She was taking any work that she could get. From doing marketing work for corporations, ghost writing for people in Atlanta, writing editorial pieces, and calligraphy work, Ashlyn did it all. She loved the work that she was doing, but she soon got overwhelmed and her business struggled to find its identity.

What made her business into the polished organization that it is today was the Illume Retreat in Austin, Texas. The retreat was geared towards creative female entrepreneurs, and acted as a networking event, and helped them relax all while connecting, and learning from professionals in a variety of fields on how to grow their business with intention. They also learned to infuse their story and heart into their business's message and brand. It was here where she gained a lot constructive criticism from these seasoned professionals, and made the ultimate connection with Jenna Kutcher; a wedding photographer and blogger, artist, and educator.

Jenna became a significant impact on Ashlyn's business by asking her to design her launch copy and email sequence for her online course, and because of the great job she did, Jenna recommended Ashlyn Writes to almost everyone in her network. From there, Ashlyn became the go-to-girl for launch copy and all that her company specializes in today, and gained her niche audience which allowed her company to grow and mature.

One of the greatest lessons she's learned along her journey, though, is knowing when to step away from the hustle, and work from a place of rest. Since she naturally is a high strung person, who truely loves to work, she has to remember take that time away to regroup mentally so she doesn't run herself into the ground. Not only that, but making time for the priceless moments and people in her life fuels her genuine happiness, too.

Check out today's episode and listen to the tips and tricks Ashlyn gives on how you can polish up your launch copy, and more about her personal growth and road to finding joy in her workplace!

In this episode you will...

Find the value in whittling down your target audience

Know when to take a break from hustling so you can rest

Figure out a way to get face-to-face with experienced entrepreneurs in your market who can help you launch your business

Learn how to transition your customer service skills and attitude according to your market and clientele

Understand figuring out a price point for your services

Make sure your copy is eye-catching, but retains clarity and doesn't become overwhelming

Be able to find what differentiates your business from others in your market

INSIGHTS

"There's just so much value in going for one thing...and trying to find something in a space that's not being served...the more I wised up about being a business owner...stepping into that fully and calling myself that and rebranding...that's been the biggest change." -Ashlyn Carter

"If you let me, I would work 24/7 because it is so fun to me, especially being a business owner. You get to be the one who toggles the dials and switches things up, and tries things and I'm just kind of an addict to it at times." -Ashlyn Carter

"No matter what the service is that you offer giving that really elevated, high level experience with touch points, client magazines, gifts, [and] making sure that it feels just as luxurious as booking something else...[I saw] how that really gave a lot of value. It helps me command the prices that I knew were worth it." -Ashlyn Carter

RESOURCES

Ashlyn Carter LinkedIn

Ashlyn Writes Website

Ashlyn Writes Facebook

Ashlyn Writes Instagram

Ashlyn Writes Twitter

Illume Retreat

Paul Jarvis

Jenna Kutcher's Website

Make it Happen by Lara Casey

Design your Day by Claire Diaz-Ortiz

90 Day Year by Todd Herman

What was the weirdest diet you've ever tried? What work out infomercial have you bought into recently? If not a super pumped infomercial, what workout trend have you gotten swept up into?  How long did you stick to these? Did they even work?

Well today's guest, Nagina Abdullah, has been on the weight loss rollercoaster herself. Always athletic, and trying every diet from Weight Watchers to South Beach, she was never able to achieve the body that she wanted, or keep off any weight she did loose. More importantly, nothing she ever tried got her excited. And so, like every other method, her health and fitness motivation faded. However, her determination returned after she had two kids, and she found that adding certain spices to her healthy meals helped her loose weight without exercise! This eventually led to the creation of her weight loss program and blog, Masala Body.

What was the weirdest diet you've ever tried? What work out infomercial have you bought into recently? If not a super pumped infomercial, what workout trend have you gotten swept up into?  How long did you stick to these? Did they even work?

Well today's guest, Nagina Abdullah, has been on the weight loss rollercoaster herself. Always athletic, and trying every diet from Weight Watchers to South Beach, she was never able to achieve the body that she wanted, or keep off any weight she did loose. More importantly, nothing she ever tried got her excited. And so, like every other method, her health and fitness motivation faded. However, her determination returned after she had two kids, and she found that adding certain spices to her healthy meals helped her loose weight without exercise! This eventually led to the creation of her weight loss program and blog, Masala Body.

Masala Body is all about helping women on the go find easy and healthy ways to loose weight, by using spices like cinnamon, tumeric, and cayenne in their meals. Growing up in an Indian household, Nagina was always exposed to meals loaded with a multitude of spices and flavors. She said the joy of life was in her childhood dishes, and by learning their health benefits and strategically adding them to her snacks and meals, she was able to loose 40 pounds in nine months!

After struggling with her weight for 35 years, she ended up being 20 pounds under her pre-baby weight, and had finally reached her dream body. Not only that, but she had gained an excitement in her new diet that she hadn't had before, which made her stick to her regiment and keep the weight off. She had to share her progress and her method with others, so she started her blog that has now evolved into a coaching business. Since its creation in 2013, Masala Body has helped over 500 women loose up to 40 pounds.

When Masala Body first started, she had no intention of monetizing it or really expanding it. The blog simply acted as an escape from her demanding job as a management consultant in New York City. It was when she hit an audience of 500 people that she got her first paying client, gained two more, that she knew she had a profitable business on her hands. She kept her full time job, though, for the income and stability. So she switched to a less demanding role at her company so she could invest time into her business and grow her blog.

Before she switches to her blog full time, she wants to increase its profitability, and match what she has to invest in Masala Body for its success. These expenses have included classes in becoming a perfect copywriter, learning different softwares, tips in increasing her blog's publicity, and hiring business coaches. But she has faith in her business and the power of her guidance, and with stats like hers and her own experiences with her diet, Masala Body's effectiveness goes without saying!

Hear more about the benefits of adding spices in your diet, how she juggles two jobs, and how Nagina makes loosing weight fun!

In this episode you will...

Learn to obtain profitability in your business so you can have the confidence to take the leap from a stable job to become a full time entrepreneur

Make a business out of a personal struggle in order to help others

Know what your key metrics are that signify growth in your business

Get comfortable with investing a large amount of money into expanding your business and becoming a CEO and founder

Figure out what elements in your life can be eliminated or cut down so you can focus on growing your business

Find the health benefits of adding certain spices in your diet

INSIGHTS

"I was just amazed and thoroughly thrilled that people were paying me to help them for something I did...I had always had a full time salary and that's just how I thought you made money. And so for me to actually pitch my services and coach women to loose weight, something that was so personal to me and help other women do the same thing, and see them go through that; it was completely fulfilling." -Nagina Abdullah

"There's multiple health benefits of adding spices to your diet, like high inflammation, less water rentention, increased fat burning, and decreased appetite...I lost 10 pounds in my first month without any exercise by changing what I was eating and adding these fat buring spices...and over the course of nine months, I lost 40 pounds." -Nagina Abdullah

"After a lifetime of struggle, to have my dream body after two kids...I couldn't believe it. I would look at myself in the mirror everyday and say, 'How could this have happened so easily when I struggled for the last 35 years,' and that's when I started my business." -Nagina Abdullah

RESOURCES

Nagina Abdullah LinkedIn

Masala Body Website

Masala Body Facebook

Masala Body Instagram

Nagina Abdullah Twitter

Sweet Spice Cheat Sheet (MasalaBody.com/Shediditherway)

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

How much longer are you going to represent a brand that doesn't fulfill you? When will you take the leap and showcase yourself as your own boss, with a business that encompasses your passions?

For Britney Kolodziej, founder of JAM Marketing Group, that moment came when she received the message that she was going to be a speaker at a blogging convention in 2016. As head of the marketing department at a fitness corporation, she had been dabbling in the blogging world personally, but primarily professionally as a marketing tool for the company. On a whim she decided to apply to be a speaker for the convention, but when she unexpectedly landed the gig, she began questioning if she wanted to use that platform to represent the company or herself. The opportunity had showed her what she was capable of achieving, and ignited her drive to start her own business.

How much longer are you going to represent a brand that doesn't fulfill you? When will you take the leap and showcase yourself as your own boss, with a business that encompasses your passions?

For Britney Kolodziej, founder of JAM Marketing Group, that moment came when she received the message that she was going to be a speaker at a blogging convention in 2016. As head of the marketing department at a fitness corporation, she had been dabbling in the blogging world personally, but primarily professionally as a marketing tool for the company. On a whim she decided to apply to be a speaker for the convention, but when she unexpectedly landed the gig, she began questioning if she wanted to use that platform to represent the company or herself. The opportunity had showed her what she was capable of achieving, and ignited her drive to start her own business.

She knew that her business would be marketing based, because she was in love with the concept of intentionally growing a business and building a business's worth; which she had done with her department at her previous job within two years. She decided her business would specialize in online marketing, and her clientele would be small businesses. However, she had a few more ends to tie up before the convention.

She began working on her business's minimum viable products (MVPs) , which are basic features that any start-up should have in order to adopt early consumers. Her MVPs were a company name, website, a few blog posts, at least one client, and an enticing factor in exchange for emails.

To focus on this, she realized she had to leave her corporate job once and for all, and gave them a four-week notice. After her last day, she shared her business with her peers on social media, and accomplished the goals she had set for her herself by the convention!

In order to effectively grow her business, while navigating life without a steady income, she had to set up a minimum viable income. By giving herself a budget that she could operate by comfortably, she was able to gain confidence in how she managed her business. This empowered her to make smart business decisions when entering into new contracts, pitches, and gaining new clientele.

Even though she was making great strides in her budding business, she was met with the loneliness involved in the early stages of entrepreneurship. One piece of advice she offers to new business owners is to never do it alone. She stresses the importance of finding a community of people like you to talk to or offer guidance. If you can't find your tribe,  you could end up feeling isolated talking to people who don't understand the stage you're at in your life, or work yourself into a depression. So, she created her podcast, Marketing in Yoga Pants, to offer support for women like her who were just getting their foot in the entrepreneurial door, and needed to know what to do, and have a network of women to talk to.

Tune in and learn more about how Britney started her business and got it off the ground within 90 days!

In this episode you will...

Know how to represent yourself as the owner of your own company for the first time

When to let go of an old job to focus on growing your business

Be able to pull together your Minimum Viable Product when your building and presenting your business.

Determine and operate off of your Minimum Viable Income

Learn the importance of having a confidant in the early stages of being an entrepreneur

Make every move and decision intentionally

INSIGHTS

"This whole building a business world is much more of my thing...[it is] where my heart is...I got bit by the bug...I think I've always been destined to be my own boss...and it's...the best thing I ever could've done for myself." -Britney Kolodziej

"I took a hard look at my living expenses...and it was smaller than what I had even though it was, and that allowed me to kind of operate not out of a place of fear, but out of a place of empowerment, and I think that is what allowed me to succeed...I wasn't fearful that I wasn't going to make that money." -Britney Kolodziej

"Those...girls on our couch in our yoga pants, top knot tight, hunched over a MacBook, alone, trying to figure this business thing out...I am working to bring us together so we don't feel that isolation. So we can support each other while we're supporting ourselves, and maybe find a little place online...and in real-life to connect to each other, because I don't think you can do this alone." -Britney Kolodziej

"You don't have to have every single thing planned out...but [also] every single decision you haveto make, try to make it intentionally. Try to think it about what you're grounded in, and where this decision may take you, and that's where it becomes fulfilling. That's when you start making meaningful changes." -Britney Kolodziej

RESOURCES

Britney Kolodziej LinkedIn

Britney Kolodziej Twitter

JAM Marketing Group Website

JAM Marketing Group Facebook

JAM Marketing Group Instagram

Marketing in Yoga Pants Website

Marketing in Yoga Pants Instagram

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Search for Significance by Robert McGee

Man Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Asana

Acuity Scheduling

What is causing you to not believe in your creative dreams? Is it practicality? Is it the fear of taking an entrepreneurial leap?

Alisha Byrd specializes in helping the creative woman dissect these questions and come up with a sound business plan to make their hobby or idea into a profitable business.

To her, there is nothing that a savvy person can't make money from, and works with clients from authors to dog lovers in monetizing their loves. With her website and blog The Alisha Nicole, she guides clients thoughts so they can gain clarity on their business venture, and acts as a support system so they can overcome their fears as new business owners.

What is causing you to not believe in your creative dreams? Is it practicality? Is it the fear of taking an entrepreneurial leap?

Alisha Byrd specializes in helping the creative woman dissect these questions and come up with a sound business plan to make their hobby or idea into a profitable business.

To her, there is nothing that a savvy person can't make money from, and works with clients from authors to dog lovers in monetizing their loves. With her website and blog The Alisha Nicole, she guides clients thoughts so they can gain clarity on their business venture, and acts as a support system so they can overcome their fears as new business owners.

She knows the hectic road all too well, through her experience with her first business five years ago. Coming from a job that pushed her to the point of an anxiety attack, she needed to express herself in a way that brought her joy. At the time it was creating jewelry, and it was a relaxing hobby that she knew she was good at. 

Unfortunatley, she was soon confronted with the reality that she didn't know how to run a business. With no one to look to on how to save her struggling line, her business failed because she didn't know how to effectively market and brand her product.

She found herself on the floor of her living room overwhelmed by the lack of traffic of her business, and accumulating bills. Determined to see her business through, she went on intense Google searches, read as many business books as she could,  and tried to learn from trial and error. She also began a blog as a place to vent about her life as a clueless business owner.

To her surprise, her blog began to attract a substantial following. She started receiving emails on how to turn an abstract idea into a business, and her blog content began to switch into a guidance platform. Feeling a shift in her priorities, she said she could no longer sit on the floor and create jewelry anymore. She knew she had to follow this path that was being laid before her, and do what her heart loved which was being mentor to other struggling entrepreneurs like herself.

Her first step was finding an appointment model for her coaching sessions and a price point. Initially charging $35 for hour long sessions, she realized she wasn't making enough money to reinvest in her business. She slowly started raising her prices and figuring out how to match the quality of her service to those price points.

As she raised her price points, she was also able to access a market that was serious and dedicated to working with her and starting their business. To manage her clientele she played with a few models, but has recently begun open enrollment time frames for block sessions, like her popular e-course 90-Day Blue Print. By allotting sessions in this manner, she is able to focus on herself, evolve the business further, and be more accessible and useful to clients.

Hear more about Alisha's story of letting go and starting new!

In this episode you will...

Find out how to take your idea or hobby as a creative person and turn it into a profitable business

Know how to match the quality of your services to a price point

Learn how to find a dedicated and enthusiastic clientele

Figure out how to manage your clientele volume

Identify the best ways to connect with you clients

Know when to let a failing business venture go and transition to your new calling

INSIGHTS

"I really love helping creative women ditch that fear around starting a business, and then helping them also to gain clarity to what they really want to do. And once they have that clarity, I help them to monetize that...but doing that from something that they truly love, and are truly passionate about." -Alisha Byrd

"I really think it'simportant to have someone...that just provides you with that guidance of figuring out the people you want to target, and the purpose behind why you want to target them." -Alisha Byrd

"I knew when I needed to transition into focusing on the blog and in coaching when honestly I wasn't as thrilled to sit down and make jewelry anymore...and I kinda walked towards what my heart was pulling me towards. And that was really just creating incredible content and working with people who started out just like me." -Alisha Byrd

RESOURCES

The Alisha Nicole Website

The Alisha Nicole Facebook

The Alisha Nicole Instagram

The Alisha Nicole Twitter

The Alisha Nicole Youtube

The Alisha Nicole Pinterest

Acuity

Asana

You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer

Was your entrepreneurial dream completely different than the careers you had two masters degrees in? When you decided to go for it, did your family hold an intervention to tell you that you were nuts?

Well when Michelle Dempsey quit her job as a teacher to become a blogger, this was exactly what she faced. Though instead of letting them act as deterrents, she used them as fuel to her fire and was determined to prove her family wrong, and her gut right. Now a successful and published writer, with a content marketing and brand consulting business (to name a few hats of hers); she provides lifestyle and career advice to readers with her blog, and helps clients rebrand or build their business.

Was your entrepreneurial dream completely different than the careers you had two masters degrees in? When you decided to go for it, did your family hold an intervention to tell you that you were nuts?

Well when Michelle Dempsey quit her job as a teacher to become a blogger, this was exactly what she faced. Though instead of letting them act as deterrents, she used them as fuel to her fire and was determined to prove her family wrong, and her gut right. Now a successful and published writer, with a content marketing and brand consulting business (to name a few hats of hers); she provides lifestyle and career advice to readers with her blog, and helps clients rebrand or build their business.

Through her website, Michelle Dempsey Very Well Written, visitors can learn about some of the services she provides such as: brand storytelling, digital strategy, website design, as well as copywriting and content writing. Her blog and radio show also provide free tips on marketing and rebranding with posts like, '3 Things You Can do to Boost your Brand Before Summer (And Make More Money)', and 'The 5 Ways You're Screwing Up Your Marketing Plan'.

Initially, her blog and writing acted as outlet for her frustrations as a new mommy with a baby who was constantly sick, and trying to balance a career along with it. To her surprise, her blog gathered steam, and she was contacted by someone from high school who worked for Creative Child; a parenting magazine. They wanted to publish her work, and it showed her that she could make a career out of writing which had always been dear to her.

Due to a rough upbringing, writing had always acted as a way to express herself. She was fascinated by the art of using words to convey emotions, and her journal was attached to her hip.  So after she saw that she could write professionally and get published, she went for it and took it up full time.

She set three publication goals for herself: be published by Elite Daily, Huffington Post, and Scary Mommy. Elite Daily was her first conquest, but Huffington Post and Scary Mommy proved to be a harder task. Nonetheless, she achieved all three goals within three months!

From her blog, her content and marketing business organically grew. People were impressed with how she used the media to market her blog and her personal brand, and started looking to her for her expertise. A year and a half later, she is considered the marketing guru of south Florida! She also uses her personal brand to empower women, work on personal development, productivity, and tackle the world of entrepreneurship.

Come join us for another episode and hear how Michelle owned her identity as a writer, and continues to expand her career!

In this episode you will...

Learn how to find your new identity as an entrepreneur

Know how to grow your personal and business brand

Figure out how to float financially in the early stages of entrepreneurship

Find ways to increase your website's SEO

Understand why you should invest in quality services that grow your business

Know when to dial up and down your drive in order to give yourself some rest

INSIGHTS

"Pride can be your worst enemy, but at a certain point it can really drive you...there was no way I was going to let myself be wrong. I had to prove everybody wrong...and I'm finding, as I connect with entrepreneurs, that's the attitude. You have to have this insatiable drive to prove everybody wrong, to make yourself successful, and if you really believe it, it's going to happen." -Michelle Dempsey

"I want to grow. I don't like being complacent...I like to think that if I made it this far, I can make it that much further...I had to make a name for myself and I think that comes from the lack of confidence and some of the things I dealt with growing up that now that the tables have turned, I want to go as hard and as far as I can." -Michelle Dempsey

"The second you get comfortable, I feel like the rug is going to be pulled from up under you. You have to just believe in your craft enough to know that you're good and you're desirable and you are offering something that people should have. But at the same time, know that there's 3,000 people at your heels trying to run you down. Nobody's ever at the top, everybody wants more." -Michelle Dempsey

RESOURCES

Michelle Dempsey Very Well Written

Michelle Dempsey LinkedIn

Michelle Dempsey Facebook

Michelle Dempsey Instagram

Michelle Dempsey Twitter

ProFemmes

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Trello