Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in coaching but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lindsay Gordon, founder of A Life of Options LLC., located in San Francisco, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a career coach for analytically minded people, and I work with senior leaders who have invested 10+ years at their company and are undecided about whether it's time to make a change and move on. I take them through a highly structured process to end their waffling about staying or going so they can be DECIDED and move forward with their life.
Tell us about yourself
I'm an incredibly curious person, and I am in my third career so far (engineering, technical support, and career coach), with many more to come. I fell into coaching when I started talking to new hires on our team at Google about how to think about their career, and I followed the serendipity through to certification as a coach. I love getting to make a huge impact on peoples' lives while bringing my creativity, engineering brain, frameworks, and compassion to my work.
My purpose in life is to structure people's thinking so they can make decisions and move forward to explore experiences and live life. I see waffling about career decisions (sometimes for 10+ years!) as an unacceptable barrier to people doing what they want to do and feeling fully alive. It's absolutely exhausting to ask yourself the same questions over and over again, and there's immense freedom when you are finally DECIDED in a way that feels good to you.
I do this work because I create a huge ripple effect on families, workplaces, and communities when my clients are fully alive and engaged in their life.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
It was a huge honor to be named as one of Forbes Next 1000 upstart entrepreneurs who are redefining the American dream in 2021. I'm also incredibly inspired by the courage my clients have to make the choices they do, and I truly see their outcomes (becoming grief counselors, writing books, working on climate change, etc.) as my impact on the world.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Navigating the ups and downs of owning a business is not for the faint of heart. It's so hard to weather the quiet times and remind yourself that it doesn't mean your business is dead.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Do it in the way that works for you, not the way that everyone else says you should run a business. Design it for your needs and strengths and in a way that supports your life.
- Surround yourself with an incredible community of other business owners who will know the experiences you're going through and help you through the hard times.
- Go for it, but also don't be afraid to change your mind in the future. There is absolutely no shame in deciding that business ownership is no longer for you and doing something else that is a better fit. Business ownership is not always as glamorous as it's made out to be, and there are many wonderful things about working for someone else!
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Running my own business has given me way higher highs and way lower lows than my corporate job ever did. It's been a wild adventure that has taught me so much about myself and my resilience and given me opportunities to meet incredible people. If doing your own thing is the right fit for you, I'm cheering you on!!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.alifeofoptions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alifeofoptions
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-life-of-options/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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