Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alexis Goggans, Founder of Be Bold Services, located in Aurora, Colorado, USA.

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

Be Bold Services is on a mission to transform the world of work into a force for sustainable, socially conscious, and strategic impact. Since 2018, Be Bold Services has provided leadership coaching to professionals, business mentoring to social impact entrepreneurs, and equity consulting to organizations implementing climate and sustainability initiatives. Our services include:
• Equity audits for programs and organizations
• Equity statement and strategic plan development
• Equity action planning and metric setting
• Leadership and business coaching for executives and entrepreneurs

Tell us about yourself

I am a trusted instructor, a coach for social impact professionals, and a strategic equity consultant on a mission to help individuals and organizations realize their bold vision for a better world. I'm the mind behind Be Bold Services, a small consulting firm that provides leadership coaching to professionals, business mentoring to social impact entrepreneurs, and equity consulting to organizations implementing climate and sustainability initiatives. I am also co-founder of the Institute for Coaching Excellence, an ICF-accredited coaching school that offers a Certificate in Life, Leadership, and Executive Coaching.

I started my first business after landing my dream job and becoming disillusioned from the toxic work culture, apathy, and lack of desire to radically shift society. With so many social and ecological systems collapsing, I realized that humanity was facing an existential crisis, and we needed to boldly shift our trajectories if we were ever going to create the sustainable, life-affirming, innovative society I know is possible.

In the past, I was an urban planner, a sustainability analyst, a community organizer, a convener, and a trainer. I'm currently working as a leadership coach, business mentor, and sustainability advisor to social impact professionals and organizations across the United States. Since starting my first business in 2018, I've provided more than 1,000 hours of coaching to entrepreneurs, executives, and social impact leaders.

I would describe myself as a dynamic professional with a passion for decolonization studies, systems thinking, and personal and organizational development. Whether working one on one or with organizations, I lead with curiosity and authenticity firmly believing that moving the world towards deep equity requires bold new ways of living, working, and leading.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Having worked hard enough to maintain a steady client load has given me a deep sense of autonomy and agency. For the first time in my life, I have a wonderful work-life balance with ample downtime and the flexibility to craft the lifestyle I want.

For example, a year ago, I was able to fulfill my dream of living abroad and traveling the Caribbean for six months while working full-time for myself. I also don't work Fridays and take two weeks off every quarter to travel, unwind, and be human.

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

Finding your niche and building an audience can be a struggle. It's easy to want to please everyone and do a little bit of everything in the beginning. But then you end up casting a wide net and reaching many people instead of your people. You may even find yourself tempted to dim your light or soften your approach for an easy opportunity instead of speaking your truth and doing the work that excites and inspires you.

Finding your voice and niche requires consistent self-reflection, experimentation, and courage. It's not always easy to "do you," but when you lean into authenticity and follow your excitement, great things happen for you and your clients.

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

  1. Develop a personal system for managing your business (and life). I recommend creating daily, weekly, and monthly practices for managing to-dos, calendar invites, meetings, emails, invoices, and projects so that you can develop rhythms that help you balance work projects with life commitments. A big part of this system should be identifying boundaries/guidelines for how you manage your time and getting clear on what practices you can employ to stay focused and organized.
  2. Incorporate social governance, sustainability, and ethics into your business model. We are living in unprecedented times. With so many social, political, economic, and ecological systems on the brink of collapse, consider how your business can be a part of the solution. It's not enough to want to make money or have a great idea. We've got to be conscious of the impacts of racism, sexism, class privilege, overconsumption, etc., on our work and identify strategies that allow our work to be a force for good. At the very least, get clear about any way your business may be creating harm or contributing to socio-political and ecological unrest and how you can reduce or mitigate those impacts. A values statement with commitments is a great place to start!
  3. Get a coach. Starting a business can be daunting. By working with a mentor, coach, advisor, or peer group, you are more likely to stay invested in your goals, work through challenges, and develop the confidence you need to succeed. So much of entrepreneurship is a mental game, and you will struggle unnecessarily if you don't invest in a support team that will lift you up and helps you feel resourceful.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.bebold-services.com/

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/be-bold-services/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-goggans-pcc-9a459441/

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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