Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lee Mariano, Founder of Alexidom Coaching, located in Dumfries, VA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

As a Confidence and Leadership Coach, I help ambitious, aspiring women leaders gain the confidence to no longer stay silent and speak with authority, so they can create the life they want for themselves without guilt or apology. The women I work with are no longer willing to play small or remain unseen. They're focused on rediscovering their voice and reclaiming their power.

They're tired of being overlooked, under-appreciated, or ignored, either due to life circumstances or adversity. They're no longer willing to be held back from what they want and are ready to change how the world sees them and how they see themselves. Through 1:1 coaching or with my Group Program, I work with women on a journey to evolve, change, and grow as they remove the barriers and beliefs holding them back so they can succeed on their own terms.

Tell us about yourself

My journey to success is full of twists and turns. I doubted myself and my ability to get where I wanted, make the income I desired, and have the level of authority in the corporate world. In 2020, I knew it was time for me to use my life experience and expertise as an Executive and Corporate Coach to help other women fulfill their dreams. To do that, it was important for me to start with the limiting beliefs so many women held that prevented them from even believing they could accomplish their dreams.

Each morning I wake up with absolute belief in what I'm doing. So many women are on the cusp of achieving their dreams, whether it's getting a C-Suite title, being offered a promotion with more money, or starting their own business. And in order to go to that next level, they need someone helping them along the way, walking with them in their purpose as they rediscover who they are, so they can become who they are meant to be. That's what I love about coaching, and that drives me to keep pushing every single day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Taking so many clients from uncertain about their next steps to a 6-figure business. Clients come to me because they don't know what to do next. They have a lot of ideas but are afraid of how to move forward. My coaching program provided them with clarity, confidence, and the power to take that next step. To create their business plan. To leave behind all the negativity and do it for themselves. I'm so proud of all my clients because they first chose themselves and made a decision to leave behind the old ways of thinking, and my coaching program helped them get there.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Recognizing that you can't do ALL the things. I want to help every single woman who comes to me, and I can't. Not every potential client is a good fit for me, and that was a hard thing to understand at first. I wanted to open my arms (and my calendar) to every single person with every single need, and that's just not possible.

I had to recognize that there are specific women who benefit the most from my coaching, and that's a good thing. Those are the women I have to focus on because coaching is life-changing, and my clients deserve the very best of me and what I can provide.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Focus on one client to make one offer to get a primary result. Others will gravitate to you, and you'll provide amazing secondary results, but start with one client that you know you can serve. What is the one offer you KNOW you can provide that will help someone move the needle, change their life, or give them that one thing they've been looking for?
  2. Don't get caught up in the shiny object syndrome. There are a lot of gurus out there trying to tell you that their way is the "only way." If you're uncertain about your business and the results you can provide, you'll go from one "best solution" to another. Focus on what you need first by identifying your client, your offer, and how you're going to serve them. Then go from there.
  3. Slow down. Yes, fortune favors those who move fast. But as you move, make sure you're building the right foundation. Changing your business model, client model, and cost strategy every month because there was no time spent at the front to really understand what you wanted to do will frustrate you and make you lose faith in yourself.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://alexidomcoach.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlexidomCoaching
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachleemariano/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leemariano/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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