She Did It Her Way

What have you always been told you're good at? If it hasn't been told to you, what do people always rely on you for? Have you thought of honing those skills and creating a business from it?

For Jen Glantz, founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, the answer was a solid no. When she posted her services as a professional bridesmaid on Craigslist, she just wanted to be there for brides in need of emotional support and advice leading up to their wedding day.

What have you always been told you're good at? If it hasn't been told to you, what do people always rely on you for? Have you thought of honing those skills and creating a business from it? For Jen Glantz, founder of Bridesmaid for Hire, the answer was a solid no. When she posted her services as a professional bridesmaid on Craigslist, she just wanted to be there for brides in need of emotional support and advice leading up to their wedding day. However, in a few hours, her post had gone viral and she was contacted by hundreds of brides across the country. After a brief panic over what she had just started, and a call to her brother, she realized that she had accidentally started a business. Not only that, but she had tapped into a gold mine of a niche, and within week one of her business, she had already appeared on a TV show in Australia promoting it. Her duties as a professional bridesmaid are endless and include being a wedding coach, assistant, an accountant of sorts, and being in the wedding as a bridesmaid. But more importantly, she just wants to be there for the bride and help her gain mental clarity as she progresses toward her big day by listening to her, and giving her logical and informed advice. Listen and enjoy as we here about Jen's quirky road to accidental entrepreneurship! In this episode you will... Learn how to recognize your strengths Know how to organizing a business that fell into your lap Understand how to tailor your services based off the needs of your customer base Figure out how to calculate the worth of your services and business, and build a price point that reflects that Learn to take the knowledge you've gained as an entrepreneur, and spread it to others so they can start businesses of their own, too Know how to choose the right clientele that is in line with the purpose of your business Find out how to managing different streams of income while you're building your business INSIGHTS "It was such an accident, I had no idea that it would blow up like it did, but sometimes we have to really give faith into our weird crazy ideas and see what's going to happen." -Jen Glantz "I really did start this business because I wanted it to be a relationship business. ...I'd never started a business before, and I wasn't even sure if this was a business. It started as a service I wanted to provide to strangers who needed girl support, so that was when I learned it had to be a little bit more than free, and a little bit less than a million dollars." -Jen Glantz "I really do want to empower people to start something for themselves that makes them happy, and that is a little out of the box and different, because why not?" -Jen Glantz "I didn't want to be the kind of person that was left with nothing while building my business...I still wanted to...have my freedom of doing my own work, but still making money...through that exploration...I've really started to do things that I never would have done, that I really enjoy. And that's been really fun; having a dynamic career." -Jen Glantz RESOURCES Jen Glantz LinkedIn Jen Glantz Facebook Jen Glantz Instagram Jen Glantz Twitter Always a Bridesmaid for Hire by Jen Glantz Jen Glantz.com

As you begin to start your business, you may have all the groundwork done and your business plan in motion, but not sure where to start?

Katya Siddall, Co-founder and SVP of Sales and Marketing at Syndio, started out as an investor turned entrepreneur.

As you begin to start your business, you may have all the groundwork done and your business plan in motion; but have you been working on how to communicate with others? You’re about to be boss soon, do you know how to convey information to a staff? Do you know how to coexist and create with personality types that my conflict with yours? Katya Siddall found the answer to those questions to be: not so much.  Already an intense driven, and pragmatic person, Siddall started her professional career as a Combat Nurse in the US Army straight out of high school.  Her time in the military heavily influenced her leadership style and when she became the Cofounder and SVP of Sales and Marketing at Syndio, she became aware of the fact that the way she communicates did not sit well with others. Ironically, Syndio is a people’s analytics company that helps big business communicate and understand their customer bases and staffs effectively, in order to build quality relationships with those networks. Her communication tactics became her biggest hurdle in management, but also her greatest growing lesson personally and professionally. As a result, she has taken steps to understand her employee’s way of comprehension, and fluctuate her tone and attitude as it relates to the situation at hand. Join us as we also delve into her decision to not start her own company, but to acquire one and build it from the ground up, in order utilize her skill sets and make an impact!  In this episode you will… Know if you really want to be an entrepreneur or be in a small startup Find the joy in the hectic lifestyle of being the boss Learn how to transition from being an employee to the boss Understand how to effectively communicate with your employees as a boss Know how to choose likeminded individuals with the same drive to start a business with Figure out how to form a well-oiled machine with your co-founders or business partners  INSIGHTS “I thought before that I had a strong sense of ownership.  I thought that I was driven.  I thought I cared a lot about the business... but holy cow the burden that true ownership brings is absolutely insane.” –Katya Siddall “Once you own a business…there’s no turning back…it’s a commitment of I have to see this through until the last possible minute; whatever this becomes.” –Katya Siddall “I have to do some mellowing and revising of my tone and that is the biggest management challenge for me right now. Remembering that not everyone is the same as I am, and remembering to carefully temper my expectations so I can get the most out of all the people that I work with, even if they are different than me.” –Katya Siddall “I care about building trust with people I work with.  I’m trying to listen to them, empathize with them...and making an effort to understand their problem and solve it effectively…it’s all about them, it has nothing to do with me. So I have to give them what they need. How do they need to hear the information...in order for them to feel comfortable making a decision?”-Katya Siddall RESOURCES Katya Siddall LinkedIn Katya Siddall Twitter Katya Siddall Instagram Trello Give and Take by Adam Grant The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz

Hi She Did It Her Way listeners!

I'm super excited about today's solocast - lots of different things I'm covering so stick with me!

Do you ever get so busy sometimes doing life that you forget to live? Where things become a checklist rather than experiencing it? For example, you’ve got back to back events, meetings, celebrations (that are all amazing and exciting I might add) but sometimes you find yourself not even being able to enjoy them because you’re thinking about the NEXT thing you’ve got coming up. Whether you look at your schedule as a “get to” or “have to” which I always like looking at it from the former point of view. Yet still, sometimes you can't help it slip to the latter.

Hi She Did It Her Way listeners! I'm super excited about today's solocast - lots of different things I'm covering so stick with me! 7 DAY NO COMPLAINING CHALLENGE 7 days of no complaining Join me by using #mywaychallenge on Instagram Why? Because sometimes we need a reset Okay, onto the next... 3 THINGS I'VE OUTSOURCED & LOVE Quip - Quip designs & delivers refreshing tips and tools that simplify and protect oral health. That simple and easy.  Hello Fresh - You guys have heard me talk about Hello Fresh before and how much I love them! They were a life saver when I got back from Europe a week ago. I was able to order a shipment to arrive when I got back so I didn't have to worry about going to the store.  Also, for today's episode I partnered with Hello Fresh! They make cooking fun, easy and convenient.  For first time users of Hello Fresh, use promo code HERWAY to receive $35 off your first order!  LOLA - They are a 100% organic cotton tampons delivered straight to your door. Toxin FREE! Only 1 ingredient - cotton! The founders came on the podcast and their interview will be airing in a few weeks and I absolutely LOVE what they're doing.  Why I'm digging LOLA? Hmmm.....lots of reasons... All organic tampons, no toxins I get to chose how I want to build my box of tampons I receive (super cool and easy to use interface) AND girlfriend, I get to put that stuff on auto shipment, meaning I don't have to think about ordering tampons let alone every being caught not having any in a time of crisis ;) **LOLA is giving She Did It Her Way listeners 65% OFF their first order by using promo code HERWAY at checkout. 65% OFF...say what?! They're practically giving them away...why would you not try 'em out. (And this is NOT sponsored either - I just LVOE what they're doing!) MY 1ST BLOG POST THIS WEEK 3 Easy Ways to Maintain Your Health as an Entrepreneur - stay tuned! My goal for March was to write two blog posts but I'm so happy to still get at least one out! :) HER WAY COMMUNITY (formerly Her Way Challenge) If you've been following along for some of my solocasts then you know one of my goals has been to streamline things when it comes to She Did It Her Way from email, to podcasting and really focusing on what is going to produce the most value for my listeners. Tune in to hear more about WHY I made the switch. And join us in the Facebook Group if you're someone who is looking to launch a business, or has already! It is focused to support, connect and engage women doing go-getter things. Facebook Group  That is it friends! Thanks for following along and don't forget to join me in the 7 day NO complaining challenge! I'm excited to see what I learn from it.  XO, Amanda

What was your dream job when you were younger? As you got older did you realistically see yourself doing it anymore? Was your predicament one that nurtured your dream, or was it a far fetched goal?

What was your dream job when you were younger? As you got older did you realistically see yourself doing it anymore? Was your predicament one that nurtured your dream, or was it a far fetched goal? As today's guest, Bridgette Mayer Johnson, dealt with a unsteady and rough childhood, coupled with a lack of financial backing, having a career in the arts didn't seem like a career path that would lead to a fruitful future. But she believed in her love for beautiful paintings and environments, and in 2001 she started Bridgette Mayer Galleries; which is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to that, she has recently opened up an art consulting firm outside of Los Angeles, California. In her 16 year entrepreneurial career, she has been able to expand her expertise in numerous art related fields, that allow her to express passion in whatever form she chooses. Listen in as we hear Bridgette Mayer's path to success! In this episode you will... Know how to see the potential in yourself to be an entrepreneur Differentiate between an employee and entrepreneur mindset Know your business's place in your market Figure out how to tailor your business to fit what you want to do in your industry Understand the challenges your business will face as you enter into your market Learn the benefits of creating strong relationships with your network and community Find out when and how to create multiple facets to your business Learn how to grow from your struggle INSIGHTS "I had been operating as an owner/entrepreneur in every single job experience that I've had...it was just a defining moment that I realized that I knew a lot about the gallery industry. I knew a lot about the operations of running a business and it was my time to start stepping in that direction." -Bridgette Mayer "So many exciting things have happened for me professionally; things I could never predict. Part of it was stepping on the path to doing what I was truly being called to do." -Bridgette Mayer "No, I don't want to be an employee; I'm operating as an owner. And if I am an owner, essentially I can try anything within marketing and promoting artists, and I can really take on operating a top notch gallery business" -Bridgette Mayer "To go through college and succeed in that, and then to jump into the art world with zero money, and build a multi million dollar business is not a typical story in my industry. So I wanted to put it out there to share with entrepreneurs, and women; with artists, with creative people, to inspire them and give them an example that you can have a challenging life, and you can have a dream to do something and turn it into something and be very successful at it. RESOURCES Bridgette Mayer Gallery Website Bridgette Mayer Website Bridgette Mayer Facebook Bridgette Mayer Instagram Bridgette Mayer Twitter Bridgette Mayer Pinterest Bridgette Mayer Linked In The Purple Cow by Seth Godin

Imagine if you quit your job to start a luxury business based on want and confidence, the day of 9-11?

That was the predicament of today's guest, Donna Mondi, owner of Donna Mondi Interior Design. The odds were stacked against her and the growth of her business was slow and steady, but her immense drive and passion to be the best interior designer kept her going.

Imagine if you quit your job to start a luxury business based on want and confidence, the day of 9-11? That was the predicament of today's guest, Donna Mondi, owner of Donna Mondi Interior Design. The odds were stacked against her and the growth of her business was slow and steady, but her immense drive and passion to be the best interior designer kept her going. Now her company has been awarded one of Chicago's Top 15 Best Designers by BuildDirect Blog and is a Silver Key Winner of the Home Builders Association. Despite the credibility of her business, she is still learning tricks of the trade, especially how to celebrate her company's current successes. Because as a business owner it is hard  to not look what's next on the horizon. Stay tuned as she adds She Did it Her Way to her list of accomplishments! In this episode you will… Know how to stand out amongst amateurs in your field Find out how to choose a quality staff Utilize your platforms and toy with your marketing strategy to see what works best for your business Figure out how to be your own hero in times of crisis Learn to celebrate and appreciate your successes Realize the best way for you to track your businesses progress INSIGHTS “If I knew then what I know now, I don’t think I ever would have made that leap because I would have been too aware of what I was missing. So it’s probably a good thing that ignorance saved me from myself.” –Donna Mondi "I just kept working; I kept going at it. I didn't really have a great plan B. I don't believe in plan B, because you won't make plan A work. So you just have to be patient and make it work." -Donna Mondi "Show up for work and work will be there." -Donna Mondi "I'm so determined; I can't fail. That's not an option. And I think that fear of failure keeps me driving forward...I just want to be the best...I'm just super driven and it probably came from a deep dark place of thinking I couldn't do something [and]being determined to prove that I could. And not only could I, but I could do it really well." -Donna Mondi RESOURCES Donna Mondi Linked In Donna Mondi Facebook Donna Mondi Instagram Donna Mondi Twitter Donna Mondi Pinterest #AskGaryVee DailyVee "Traction" by Gino Wickman Planoly Dropbox Slack Basecamp