Teacher Turned Entrepreneur

How Tiny Things Create Transformative Changes

Ever thought about how the greatest of achievements could stem from simple, often ignored ideas?

What you’ll hear today is the story of an impressive stationery line built out of a tiny thought of making kid-friendly thank you notes that encourage children to create art, practice writing, and learn the humble yet powerful lesson of gratitude.

Ashley Campbell, my guest for the show today, does not just curate the products her company sells, but has instead designed and patented the product that is now being praised by parents and children all over the world.

She is the Founder of the Coral and Blue Paper Company, a patented and trademarked line of stationery that’s designed to make thank you notes easier for kids to do.

An idea that seeded out of her family’s long-held tradition of giving thanks, Ashley saw the immense potential in turning the idea into a business when she discovered that the stationery that her kids really needed did not exist. There were other products out there, but not the kind of notes that would provide kids with the necessary design support that she saw a need for.

Ashley developed her design and thus created the key – to unlocking an innovative, immersive small business idea.

Today, she sits with me to explain how she did that to become a product designer and entrepreneur as a stay-at-home mom and her thoughts on patenting, innovating, and creating something remarkable out of a thing that could seem very little at the beginning.

Of the many emotions and lessons shared during our conversation was the idea of spreading joy to the community through work. Ashley shares how her company has helped children in Africa overcome trauma, battle PTSD, and experience subtle joys using her thank you notes and how they’re using it to express their most sincere emotions on paper.

Here's a quick look into the episode.

[03:35] Meet Ashley Campbell, product designer and entrepreneur, and learn why she decided to build a business that makes stationery for kids.

[06:58] How to get your kids to sit down and just start writing – don’t tell them what you’re going to make them do, arrange the environment, the markers, paper, and all necessary stationery, to get them to start writing.

[08:54] How to protect and patent your design/ product as a business owner: reference: US Patent and Trademark Office

[010:19] Ashley explains her sales structure and what is driving most of her sales

[012:47] Ashley’s thoughts on giving back to the community through her company and how her thank you notes are helping as trauma therapy for children in Africa

[15:35] Ashley talks about her children’s response to her business and the different ways in which they’re using the thank you cards to express their love, concern, and gratitude to people, including thanking those who’re providing their service in different ways.

[18:03] The ups and downs of Ashley’s entrepreneurial journey, in particular, the challenges of being a stay-at-home entrepreneur mom.

[19:27] How does Ashley balance work and personal life as a mompreneur? (and her advice on limiting time spent on social media) She also explains how the Planoly app helps plan her social media usage.

[24:12] Ashley’s book recommendation for you: The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

[24:38] A peek into Ashley’s next milestones and why she wants to pull back and get back to the basics

[27:48] Why starting with small batch production can be helpful for your business

[29:07] Where to connect with Ashley

About Ashley Campbell

Ashley Campbell is the Founder and Product Designer at Coral and Blue Paper Company, a stationery manufacturing company that designs and sells thank you notes for children.

Have you ever thought about starting your day with intention?

I know it sounds a lot like goal-setting.

And it IS just that… minus the chaos.

Intention-setting involves defining your most urgent goals for the day. It's about picking your top 3 goals out of, maybe, 20?

Today's guest teaches you to prioritize yourself by effectively setting your intentions and achieving a delicate balance in life and work.

Meet Liz Bigger, burnout coach for entrepreneurs, owners, business leaders, and managers and Founder of the Burnout Solver program that helps people bust worry and overcome burnout.

Liz dug her way into the world of coaching (and holistic wellness) while on a journey to heal herself from Leaky Gut Syndrome. She reinvented herself over the years while also growing her wellness and coaching business.

In this episode, she sits with me to share the most important lessons about coaching, wellness, and entrepreneurship that she's gathered from her years of experience. She explains the irreplaceable importance of communication skills, setting boundaries, defining your intentions, and finding discipline and motivation as a coach and entrepreneur!

Of the many things discussed, one that has me captivated, is Liz's fundamental morning ritual. She shares how and why planning your mornings the right way has an unimaginable influence on the rest of your day.

Here's a quick look into the episode.

[02:31] The entrepreneurial spirit, quilting, and dealing with her health issues.

[05:03] Liz shares about realizing the benefits of meditation and using energy medicine and sound therapy to heal your gut and how that led her into the holistic healing journey.

[07:42] The rewards of being a coach

[09:41] How coaching works for Liz and the huge importance of communication in coaching. She says, "If you know how to communicate effectively, it clears out a lot of your conversations that only need to happen once now instead of 10 times."

[15:36] The importance of prioritizing yourself and self-care practices that you could implement in your everyday lives.

[17:36] Liz's tip #1 for you: Set boundaries for your day. Define your hours of work and spare time for yourself and your family.

[19:52] Liz's tip #2 for you: Have the perfect morning ritual, especially if you're an entrepreneur. Set your intention for the day, maybe even write it down.

[22:35] Entrepreneurship as a beautiful, double-edged sword: Being an entrepreneur, you have complete control of your time, meaning you have to dig deep to draw the line between motivation and discipline.

[24:14] How to create a to-do list that doesn't overwhelm you: pick your top 3 things to do for the day instead of 20, find out your most urgent list of to-dos.

[30:11] Where to connect with Liz

About Elizabeth Bigger

Elizabeth Bigger is an author, burnout coach, and entrepreneur with an inspiring journey into entrepreneurship. She loves to help others to achieve the goals that allow them to live their best life. She specializes in lifestyle changes necessary due to burnout and has recently leaned into the need for coaching on dating by popular demand.

Are you one of those people who wants to change the world?

Some of us fail miserably in fulfilling our highly ambitious resolutions in life.

As the initial upsurge of enthusiasm that causes us to chase the most challenging of things dies out, we're left with multiple excuses not to push past hurdles and remain in the 'state of comfort' that we've always been in.

You may feel that the problem is you are not trying hard enough. But it isn't. It's not you; it's not that you're not fighting; it's your goal setting that's at fault.

And just as every other problem in life has a remedy, there's one for this too… and it's setting intentional habits.

Today, join me in an incredible conversation with Christian Corley Anderson on the She Turned Entrepreneur Podcast about using habits to power your dreams. Christian is the Owner-Operator at Be Free Fitness. She's a people person who dedicates her time to helping individuals grow, both in life and at work.

In a candid conversation, Christian takes us through her beautiful journey of getting over body health and image issues by moving in small steps to get healthy. She also shares her process of overcoming obstacles using the power of self-motivation, habits, and consistency.

So, if you're someone who believes in aiming for the most challenging goals, this episode will teach you the power of moving in small steps and how they snowball over time to help you discover your true purpose.

Here's a quick look into the episode. Jump to the sections if you'd like to hear them first:

[02:26] Meet Christian, and hear her journey through entrepreneurship

[05:21] Pushing through adversity using the power of resilience. Christian explains how her passion for transforming the lives of people like herself pushed her through tough times and helped her overcome uncertainty.

[07:03] The role of Christian's family in helping her overcome fear to chase her purpose

[08:21] The power of habits in helping you keep up with every important aspect or activity of your life

[010:27] What you can do when feeling down to regain your inspiration and encouragement – "I'm a big advocate for 'baby steps equal huge leaps over time'."

[011:57] The books that inspired Christian to do more in life: The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins, Boundary Boss by Terri Cole, Eat Smarter by Shawn Stevenson

[13:22] All about Christian's podcast (Fighting to Be Free) and how it helps women navigate their wellness journeys

[14:17] Christian's tip #1: Set habits because those are what help you overcome the stress during those times when it's hard to push through.

[14:49] Christian's tip #2: Find balance in your life and work and step out of the pressure for a few mins when you think you can't balance it.

[15:14] Christian's tip #3: Deep, restorative breathing is an essential part of our lives and helps our mind and body keep composure at any time.

[15:29] Christian's tip #4: Exercise is super-important to help you feel physically, and mentally confident.

[15:37] Are you chasing your dreams on your own terms? Here's what Christian has to say to you to help you in your journey.

[19:22] The next big steps for Christian in her business!

[20:21] Where to connect with Christian.

About Christian Corley Anderson

Christian Corley Anderson is the Owner at Be Free Fitness. She helps women learn to love themselves again through healthy eating, exercise, and a community of like-minded women.

Building on dreams that matter

It all starts with a dream… one that has you mapping the next big route to its doors… that gets you to gather any and every bit of information necessary to keep you in line with it.

This time, we're revealing one that was listed in the records since high school.

Ever since she can remember, Furtesha Woods wanted to be an entrepreneur. The dream was hazy at the beginning, with her vaguely wishing to side with the finance industry, but eventually showed up as a vision of educating and empowering families about financial freedom.

Deciding to branch out of the traditional career pathway of college education, Furtesha explored various individual courses she deemed fit for an instructor of family finances. In a career that fiercely exploded over the years, Furtesha roped in the licenses in insurance, legal, and real estate and became a realtor gathering over 17 years of experience helping clients navigate their home-owning requirements. In addition, Furtesha acquired an accounting degree and is an advocate of imparting financial literacy to families, children, and anyone who needs it.

To explain her infectious energy would be difficult, but as she suggests, it's the outcome of her impatience and urge to do the next big thing.

My conversation with Furtesha was a breath of fresh air for multiple reasons, including her rawness in explaining the pain of change. She narrated her experience juggling two full-time jobs, educating people about finances, and putting all her expertise into action, but still choosing to do it all by herself for 14 years… that's over a decade!

Furtesha explains how her business sky-rocketed since she stopped resisting change, explored new spaces and spent time on things that demanded her most attention. Despite calculated and uncalculated risks, she ventured into brokerage by growing her team and has since never looked back.

If there's one thing I was to highlight from our conversation, it would be Furtesha's willingness to chase her passion… and courage to dive into spaces that seemed off-reach. Here are some lessons you'll learn today:

>> Why you are better with a team than by yourself

>> Why the real estate business space is unbreakable and evergreen

>> How to stay present in life

Also, here's a quick look into the episode. Jump to the sections if you'd like to hear them first:

[03:40] Meet Furtesha Woods, Owner and Broker at Woods Realty

[05:32] Why starting her own brokerage was Furtesha's entry to a more financially free space

[07:34] On gathering the courage to get into brokerage despite the challenges

[010:18] How Furtesha's priorities have shifted once she's staffed, recruited, and expanded her workspace to bring in more people

[012:58] Why it's never a bad time to step into the real estate business

[15:33] The big B-word of balance and how Furtesha implements it as a mom, wife, entrepreneur, and working individual: practicing mindfulness, setting priorities, and being present.

[19:44] Furtesha's podcast and how it offers marketing to grow her business

[23:21] Furtesha's resource recommendations for you: Books – Go-Giver by Bob Burg, What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey

[25:04] Where can you find Furtesha online?

About Furtesha Woods

Furtesha Woods is the Founder and Broker at Woods Realty, an independently owned and operated realtor services business. Furtesha was born and raised in the Nashville area. Her accounting degree and 20 years of finance experience helped her to launch her real estate career and now seventeen years later, her joy and happiness comes from helping families become homeowners.

Taking A Deep Dive into The Podcast Sphere

Now more than ever, we are seeing a rapid rise in the number of people entering the podcasting space. The categories, varieties, and themes have all hence fiercely multiplied over the past decade.

Health. Wellness. Films. Entertainment. Life Coaching. Or even podcasting. You name it; Apple Podcasts has it.

Podcasts are the best way of marketing yourself and your brand authentically. And being a guest on others’ shows is one way to get that done right.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Today’s guest set up a lucrative career by offering premium podcast guest services to entrepreneurs wanting to market themselves through podcasts. She is a soaring entrepreneur, ex-VA, and podcasting geek. Her genius is everything you need to fight imposter syndrome, inhibitions and pitch yourself effectively as an aspiring guest influencer!

Meet Kristin Molenaar, CEO and Founder at YesBoss Virtual Agency, a digital agency that helps entrepreneurs elevate their visibility and influence as a podcast guest, so they can scale their business without becoming a full-time marketer. Kristin founded her agency after learning the benefits of direct marketing via podcasts through her personal experience as a guest on different shows.

In this episode, Kristin candidly breaks down her journey into becoming an entrepreneur, starting from failed multiple ventures as a VA and trying to become a guest on podcasts. She touches on her decision to start an agency and how her team helped her land the first (and almost unbelievable) podcast guesting opportunity!

Atop everything is Kristin’s advice for entrepreneurs wanting to make their way into successful podcasts, including how to just show up for the event. You’ll take away many valuable insights from the conversation, including:

>> How to fight imposter syndrome

>> Influencer power

>> Nurturing a lasting relationship with podcast hosts

The best way to figure out if the aforementioned works? The episode itself. It is proof of Kristina’s confidence and ability to show up as the personality that she is, even while signing up to be a guest on She Turned Entrepreneur.

A quick look into the episode:

[03:09] Meet Kristin Molenaar, CEO at Yes Boss Virtual Agency

[03:47] What is podcast guesting?

[05:53] Kristin's first step into public speaking and how it related to being a podcast guest.

[06:05] Fighting imposter syndrome by allowing her team to step in for her and how Kristin landed the idea of making podcast guest booking.

[09:26] How to uncomplicate things for yourself as an entrepreneur: With reference to Greg McKeown's book, Essentialism, Kristin explains that you need to learn how to monetize and market what you do.

[10:22] Why entrepreneurs crave freedom first and the finances later.

[11:40] Why you need to put yourself in front of people who would benefit from your skills or services – "I would be generous with my knowledge and my time and my resources with the person in front of me. And what ended up happening is those people ended up sending referrals to me."

[13:32] Podcast guesting is all about networking, collaborating and exchanging skills and value

[17:20] Kristin's advice for entrepreneurs searching for the right podcast to be a guest.

[20:01] General advice from Kristin if you're looking to guest on podcasts: Get out of self-doubt and get started on your path. Think of podcast guesting as an opportunity to connect – your job as a guest is just to show up, connect with the host in a meaningful way, and be in the moment.

[21:38] There are three conversations that you want to think about having on a podcast interview – the first is your transformation story. "Being able to articulate why you are both relatable and inspirational.”

[22:31] The second kind of conversation on a podcast is case studies.

[23:30] The third kind of conversation to have on a podcast is your methodology.

[30:04] How Kristin's agency helps entrepreneurs by taking up all administrative things, including done-for-you services like managing podcast guests, scheduling, PR prep, and teaching your team how to pitch for you.

[33:44] Where to find Kristin

About Kristin Molenaar

Kristin Molenaar is the CEO of YesBoss Virtual Agency. She helps entrepreneurs elevate their visibility and influence as a podcast guest so they can scale their business without becoming a full-time marketer!

How Important Is It to Choose the Right Business Partner?

A dream of starting a business is a dream of a better future.

Though the process of getting your business started is often full of errors, you can avoid them by equipping yourself with the right information.

ONE irreplaceable aspect is finding the right people to partner or team up with.

And I know it's a tough call to make... especially when you have your family and acquaintances, you'd be obviously drawn to bring in. But as you might well know, growing your business requires you to find a team that would move it forward, genuinely invest in it, and be honest and reliable. And finding someone who matches all these criteria is a rarer-than-the-rarest sight.

Mom, attorney, investment property owner and entrepreneur, Krista Crawley joins me in this episode to share the lessons she learned from quitting her full-time job as an attorney, losing her first business due to the fraud done by her manager, finding the business idea that matched with her personality, skills, and interest, and living a life she loves.

Krista stresses the importance of doing the necessary research before starting your business, including a thorough understanding of the market, your team, and business profitability.

What's the most inspiring about Krista's career is her ability to pull herself back up even when everything started falling, which she attributes to following her intuition and being determined.

I'm amazed by her personality and aura… I mean… When was the last time you heard someone pursue a career in so many different industries in parallel?

I'm sure you'll enjoy the conversation as much as I did!

Here are a few highlights from the episode.

●      The metrics to consider when doing market research for your business

●      The right way to choose your business partner

●      Why it's essential to always be on the lookout for the "next big thing" in life and career

Also, if you want to take a quick look into the episode, here's a sneak peek:

[03:25] Krista's story: How she went from attorney to full-time entrepreneur.

[17:22] Krista's investment property, love of design, and opportunity to host Jen Hatmaker, American best-selling author, speaker, and blogger.

[20:53] Risk-taking: Why Krista decided to move forward with her business despite the challenges.

[21:17] Krista talks about her childhood and explains how it led her to develop a scarcity mindset in the later stages of life.

[25:44] What kept Krista going during her tough days with the business?

[26:43] Why Krista believes in just doing "the next right thing" (as inspired by Glennon Doyle) -- "You don't need to worry about that decision today. That's tomorrow's decision."

[28:00] How Krista sets boundaries at work and home to have quality time for each despite having a busy family and her mantra of "quality over quantity."

[31:31] Krista talks about the legacy she's leaving her kids and how she teaches them that there's no difference between what a man and a woman can accomplish

[35:39] Krista's three pieces of business advice for you

[42:52] Krista's upcoming projects and plans for the future

About Krista:

Krista is a mom, attorney, investment property owner and an entrepreneur.

Is there even such a thing as social media overwhelm?

Social media overwhelm is a legitimate concern that most entrepreneurs (like me) face in our journeys.

We find it a scary struggle putting ourselves out there for people to see, think, analyze and engage.

Despite this, brands, businesses, and entrepreneurs spend scores of money marketing themselves, their products, or services to their target audiences.

…AND it's undoubtedly worth the effort

There are two reasons:

ONE, social media marketing is HERE TO STAY (and is already the primary source of generating leads for many businesses).

And TWO, when used in the right manner, social media marketing can offer perks you never thought you could achieve (which includes showing yourself authentically to people at large).

So yes, by not making use of what’s available through these platforms, we’re missing out on a lot of opportunities.

The advantages of social media for entrepreneurs and businesses are many. But most importantly, it saves you time. Why pitch to individual leads when you can instead market to your target population all at once?

So where do we start? How do we discover what it takes to be a successful social media marketer?

This episode answers those questions for you. Rebecca Hoover, my guest for this podcast episode, is an expert social media marketing specialist with a background in business management.

In this episode you'll learn actionable strategies and processes to set up, launch, and grow your social media profile and find new customers for your business.

Rebecca offers tips for entrepreneurs wanting to level up their social media engagement and find customers for their business. And if you're marketing on a local level, you would benefit from her tips to keep away social media overwhelm and stay on the top of technological advancements!

Curious?

Jump to these sections of the episode to take a glance at the talking points:

● [03:46] Rebecca's path to becoming a social media marketing specialist, her background in business management, and why she says running events are like the "mini version of running a business".

● [06:38] Social media strategies for finding new customers for a brand -- 1) Using paid advertising to expand your business across geographies, 2) Creating organic content with clear calls-to-action, 3) Creating a separate website for franchising to keep it away from the main website.

● [09:12] Rebecca's advice of strategies for individual entrepreneurs and franchisees marketing on a local level -- post behind-the-scenes of product making or photos of past jobs with clients or before-after photos of your product (whichever is relevant), make the best first impression to your leads and respond to reviews and comments actively.

● [11:37] How to battle the overwhelm of social media -- pick what platforms you're comfortable with or hire or outsource someone to manage them for you.

● [12:43] How to schedule (or batch) your social media

● [13:25] Why it works best to be real and relatable on social media

● [14:06] The two challenges Rebecca faces with social media -- getting people to really see the value you provide and tracking and making improvements

● [15:40] How to stay on top of the changing technology

● [17:00] Rebecca's advice for becoming a successful social media marketer

● [17:56] How to connect with Rebecca

About Rebecca:

Rebecca Hoover is a Social Media and Marketing Specialist for an international franchise company in the education sector. She has been working in the franchising industry since 2015 by supporting franchisees in marketing, social media and business operations. In addition to her support role, she also runs and manages the national social media pages for those four brands through content creation, paid advertising, and engaging with followers and potential leads.

Were You Born to Chase A Career Different from What You've Chosen?

Some things just come naturally to us.

Plain. Simple. Effortless doings.

But for some, it takes another person to point it out to realize that it's indeed a skill they're gifted with.

Maybe they knew it before but never thought of it as bankable expertise.

Or maybe it became so much a part of them that it ceased to be work and became a recreation instead.

Whatever the case be, let's imagine that you just discovered what that ability is for you. What'll be your next step?

Would you fret, or would you listen… to that voice that says build on it?

Today, I’m talking to someone who listened to that voice.

A former military spouse and career legal professional turned entrepreneur; Angela bid adieu to her career in law to traverse a life of her calling -- as a travel advisor.

Because she had traveled extensively with the military in the past, she had the knowledge and experiences to offer her friends and family, who would, in genuine amazement, suggest she get associated with the travel industry. (Talk about experiences!)

But how do you think she felt about it then?

Still, weighing the opportunities and options in hand, Angela realized how doable and dependable that path could be, especially as someone good at it!

Today, she teaches by example to her daughters the beauty of being defining your own success. She shows them the immense potential they have in the world that they've yet to explore.

Plus, she has the life she could only dream of in the past.

And that means more time with her family, less time stressing, and more time doing what she loves doing -- traveling.

In this episode, Angela sits with me to narrate her awe-spiring journey into becoming an entrepreneur and travel advisor with Beautiful Travel Tomorrow. She helps people plan, organize, and finalize their travels for Disney, Universal, Florida beach vacations, and beyond.

You'll learn:

>> Why your skills ARE essential and valuable

>> How to choose what career path you'd like to have

>> How to become a travel agent or advisor

>> The perks of being in the travel industry (and what you need to sustain in it)

Here are some noteworthy moments from today:

●      [03:42] Angela's reasons and route to becoming a travel advisor. "I just realized that I wanted to do something that was a little more upbeat and happier, it's more fun than the legal industry. And I wanted to be able to spend more time with my family. [...] And because we had traveled so much with the military, I had found myself helping friends and family with their trips. And they would often mention you should be a Travel Advisor or you should be a travel agent."

●      [08:38] Upcoming trends in the travel industry and how the pandemic has called a lot of people to see more of the world

●      [11:57] Angela speaks about her two daughters, who are enrolled in a conservatory ballet program (pre-professional ballerinas -- how cool!).

●      [12:30] The most gratifying parts of being an entrepreneur for Angela -- helping her daughters learn what makes them happy, exploring online learning, and showing them that they can connect with people anywhere in the world at any time, and that the world has endless opportunities in store for them.

●      [14:36] How does Angela get in the right mindset every day with everything else going on around?

●      [17:36] Angela speaks about starting her upcoming podcast titled the Good Enough Mompreneurs, for which she's anticipating a January launch and her reasons for starting it -- including supporting mompreneurs and female entrepreneurs getting on track with their dreams. She also shares how Rick Mulready's podcast encouraged her to start hers.

●      [18:54] Why you need to realize your worth and your talents

●      [19:27] What if you could just believe in yourself and your ability to do amazing things?

●      [20:29] Golden tips from Angela -- #1 Find out what it is that you really want.

●      [20:52] Golden tips from Angela -- #2 Assess what your values are -- what is important to you? What are you good at?

●      [21:05] Golden tips from Angela -- #3 Value what other people say you're good at. Do not doubt.

●      [21:42] How you can connect with Angela

About Angela:

Angela is a travel agent and owner of Beautiful Tomorrow Travel, a travel agency for trips to Disney, Universal, Florida beach vacations, and beyond. Before she got into the travel industry, Angela worked in the legal industry for over two decades.

As a stay-at-home mom who worked in corporate America for years after college, often overworking herself trying to fit into a male-dominated industry, Heather Pillow found herself on the verge of bankruptcy.

Not many people knew about it then.

One day, she attended an event that talked in depth about intimacy and sex in relationships and why they're an essential part of our lives.

It was insightful, yes… But more than that, the event had Heather discover a business opportunity, a wellness and intimacy community and company that helps women get over intimacy issues and live a life they desire.

Heather realized that there was an incredibly large audience for her business, even though it wasn't talked about so much back then.

Call it the entrepreneurial spirit or intrinsic motivation… but some ideas are just worth chasing. (As this one turned out to be for Heather...)

And you'll know it when they come to you...

Yes, sometimes, they seem to be a little off the path you're currently into.

You'll have tough times and unforeseen situations.

But if your business offers services or products that make another person's life better, you need to sail through them.

As Heather and I dive into her story of establishing herself in an industry that needed to stop being considered taboo, you'll take away a few inspiring nuggets of information, including:

● Why demand drives a business: Heather shares how she discovered a huge market for her business and that it could be sustained in the long run.

● Why there’s no substitute for hard work. If you want to set a business that sustains, you need to put in the effort.

● How to manage time and schedule events to strike the right balance with your work and personal space.

● Why you need to ask for help when you need it (even if you’re a mompreneur who wants to do it all by herself!)

● Being open and honest about your mistakes with your kids to help them learn from them.

● And much more!

Want to take a quick look into the episode? Here's a sneak-peek:

[03:58] Heather's story: From bankruptcy to an incredibly successful business (that's blossomed since day one)!

[08:41] Heather shares her thoughts on helping people navigate intimacy issues and why topics like these need to cease being taboo.

[09:51] Heather's interest in helping other female entrepreneurs came by as she continued working on her business. It wasn't planned but turned out to be a greatly rewarding experience.

[13:08] Heather's advice for women thinking about leaping from their day job to full-time business, and why she thinks you could very well quit a job if it's exhausting you -- "Anything is better than being sick because of work."

[16:21] Heather's secret to finding balance in work and personal life: time management, asking what you need, scheduling, not being afraid to ask for help.

[20:03] The epidemic of mommy martyrs: how to prioritize yourself above anything else.

[22:47] Heather shares how she is available for her family whenever they need her: perks of being an entrepreneur.

[25:05] Heather doesn't hide her mistakes. She explains why.

[26:24] Heather's plans for the future, including finishing writing her book (The Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership)!

Enjoy!

About Heather Pillow:

Heather Pillow is a sexual health and wellness consultant and Founder of Heather's Pure Romance, a business that sells a variety of useful intimacy and wellness products for women. She has spent the last fifteen years empowering, educating and entertaining thousands of women around the globe about their bodies and relationships, and in the process, has built a multi-million dollar organization of more than 400 fellow consultants. She now divides her work time between her clients and her team helping them develop their successful businesses. She also teaches intimacy classes at conferences around the US.

What is your idea of a successful business model?

I'm always excited to see how the business space has something unique to offer to people. Today's guest adds to that uniqueness quotient by not only introducing a brilliant business model but also using a standalone approach to marketing.

If you think social media apps are the only way to sell to your target audience and reap profits, then know that for the longest time, Jen Fosse's number one source of sales and marketing has been Etsy -- even when direct marketing through different social media channels has been on a rapidly rising slope.

Though you might feel like a needle in a haystack on the platform initially, that's only true until you've explored it well enough.

So contrary to popular belief, Jen explains, there's no dearth of opportunities on Etsy -- there are plenty of options for you to start, build, and grow your business. You just need to match your product with the right buyer.

Easier said than done? You may then ask me -- why do some businesses sink?

As Jen explains, one reason could be that Etsy shoppers do not usually go for the generic -- there has to be a unique factor that makes you stand out from so many others.

To take your business even further, you might need to spin your extra genius on it, as Jen did by introducing a membership model for her product-based business.

Today, we're talking about Jen's unique model of membership, its benefits, marketing and selling on Etsy, and crossing the six-figure mark with your business (while it's still a side-hustle!).

The most valuable takeaway from this episode, in my view, is Jen's distinct ability to stay ahead of the trends…ALWAYS. Through extensive research and by staying up-to-date on the latest advancements in her industry of genius. What do you think?

Here's the roadmap to our conversation today:

● [02:40] Jen's journey to entrepreneurial success -- how she turned her love for woodworking into a full-time profitable business.

● [06:23] Why Jen went ahead with the membership model for her business -- creating a community where people are genuinely interested in helping each other become successful.

● [08:34] Why you need to show your consumers how to use a product you're advertising -- "If somebody really is online looking for a product, they would like to see how it's going to look if they use it."

● [011:37] How Jen stands out in the crowd among all other Etsy shops -- by getting ahead of the trends and choosing a unique business model. "You can get in with trends that are old, or you can try to be ahead of the trends. So, I was trying to get ahead so that my products were unique."

● [13:22] Why you need to look around different platforms and absorb everything you need from people you can learn from-- to stay ahead of the trends.

● [14:28] The common myths around selling on Etsy and how Jen busts them, including why the market is not oversaturated.

● [16:08] How to balance work and family by keeping them both separate

● [17:39] How to deal with bad advice and keep away from comments of people who don't understand what you're doing.

● [19:40] Three tips to create your entrepreneurial journey on your own terms -- advocate for yourself, build the mindset foundation, and know that it's not too late to start anything.

● [22:26] Jen's upcoming podcast on starting and growing your own Etsy business, called Building Your Etsy Empire.

● [23:49] Where to connect with Jen

Do not forget to listen in!

About Jen Fosse:

Jen is a side-hustle woodworker turned six-figure Etsy shop owner turned business coach at Wood Craft Blueprints. She also has a podcast called Building Your Etsy Empire that helps Etsy shop owners launch, grow, and sustain their business.

Connect With Jen:

Website | Instagram

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