If you are hesitant about launching a coaching or consulting business, here is your sign! As we close out the year, I’d like to share my story of how I started and grew my business.

From Side Hustle to Full-Time Entrepreneur

After earning my MBA in Marketing in 2009, I was ready to take on the world! While working in sales and marketing full-time for corporations across the DC Metro area, I turned my hobby since high school, web design, into a full-fledged business in 2013.

At that time, because I didn’t need my side hustle to finance my life, I was charging low prices, sometimes as low as $250 for a website (hint: learn from me and do not do this). As more time passed, I became more unfulfilled with my career, and in 2018, I knew that I wanted to pursue full-time entrepreneurship. I received four signs from God that I was supposed to make that jump at the beginning of 2019 and started aggressively paying off debt and living a more budgeted lifestyle for the remainder of the year.

Once January hit, I put my notice in and started my first day of full-time entrepreneurship on February 1, 2019. But, I still had one problem: my prices were not going to be able to pay my bills, so I needed to raise them and get clients who would pay those prices, FAST!

In the midst of this, I  found a business coach on Facebook with a hefty price tag. And I knew then that although I didn’t have the money to pay for it, I made it my mission to find it (and I did!). It was here that I learned how to quadruple my pricing while learning how to offer valuable services. My work and my team also grew, and the reality set in that I could do this and support myself solely from my business!

Lesson Learned: Invest in yourself as an entrepreneur wherever possible!

Evolution is Necessary

After designing websites for over a decade, I met so many entrepreneurs at different points in their careers.  My focus and target audience evolved as I did. The journey was necessary because I learned so much about the type of value I wanted to offer as an entrepreneur. While developing relationships with my clients, I realized I was passionate about helping entrepreneurs and showing them how to earn full-time income working for themselves. This is when I realized it was in my heart to launch a coaching and consulting side of my business. Through lots of trial and error came my Simply Branded, Marketing & Maintenance, and Market, Profit & Grow programs, all focused on coaching, consulting, and developing entrepreneurs. 

Lesson Learned: If you feel that pull to help people beyond simply offering your services, go for it! It is a sign that you are meant for something bigger.

And Then Came a Podcast!

I’ve always wanted to do a podcast and have even explored the idea independently. But it never felt quite right until I decided to do it with my best friend Lauryn, a fellow entrepreneur who recently went full-time with her business. This is how 2 Mics 2 Glasses was born. We discuss everything from how I prepared for full-time ownership to the divine intervention that led to me finally taking the leap and going full-time with my business. We also get personal and share our entrepreneurship journeys and lessons learned. You can listen here and find it on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.

Lessons Learned and Takeaways

My journey from a side hustle to growing a thriving coaching and consulting business has been an amazing experience filled with valuable lessons and growth. My evolution as a business owner reflects my passion for branding and marketing and my desire to empower other entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams. It’s a reminder that following your passion and embracing change can lead to incredible opportunities. If you feel a calling to help others or pursue your entrepreneurial dreams, don’t hesitate to take that leap of faith. 

Here are some final takeaways from my journey:

• Your journey’s ups and downs teach you lessons. Coaching and consulting are ways to share those lessons with others.
• You ARE capable. Kill the self-doubt and go for it. Your unique experiences and insights can be a guiding light for someone else’s journey.

Thanks for sharing my journey, and I hope this helps others identify and follow their calling!

AMW Marketing and Design is a boutique branding, web design, and marketing firm specializing in helping service businesses and non-profits upgrade their online presence, automate processes, and increase search traffic. Ready to elevate your branding and marketing strategy? Contact us to schedule your free fit call today.