Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carly Merryweather, Founder of Carlyita Co., located in Whistler, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a virtual assistant and owner of Carlyita Co. I have been in business since 2019 and have fallen in love with the craft. I never saw myself as an entrepreneur and would follow the crowd growing up. Since moving out in 2017 and -as cliche as it sounds- falling in love with traveling, I searched for a way to bring those passions of working for myself and having the ability to travel together. I help creative entrepreneurs feel empowered in their businesses by allowing them to unleash their full potential with a sustainable, potent business. Over the years, I've helped clients with email marketing, social media, email management, web design, organization, and other general admin tasks! I love to learn new tools and tasks that can help me help you grow your business with ease. I mainly focus on supporting creative entrepreneurs, including relationship therapists, live coaches, virtual assistants, marketers, and other freelance entrepreneurs.
Tell us about yourself
I'm Carly Merryweather (she/her). I have a passion for traveling and seeing new cultures around the world. I have been to fifteen countries to date and hope to expand that number each year. The reason that I started my business was to create that freedom in my life to be able to travel and continue to work remotely. Before I started my business, I had traveled around, but I was always in the cycle of "stay stagnant, work as hard as I can for as long as I can, take ALL of my savings and travel until it ran out, come back home, rinse, repeat." I craved the life that I saw on Instagram and Youtube or exploring and traveling full-time. My inspiration took me to Pinterest, where I searched for Freelance jobs that I could work on while living remotely. I found Virtual Assisting. Cue angel singing Virtual Assisting was the solution. I started my business and quickly replaced my part-time retail income, just in time for a global pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, I moved around a lot in my own province, as international travel has been difficult. The best part of running a business that isn't location-dependent is that when I get to a new destination, I don't have to worry about finding a job and making money ASAP. I can settle in and know that my job and my business are ready to support me the way that I support others.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner has been creating a sustainable business that I have. As I mentioned, I was quickly able to replace my part-time retail income; Since I left retail and went full-time in my business, it has been able to support me throughout hard times. I have not been able to take my business internationally much yet, but I plan to next year! Throughout my time in business, I have been able to inspire my friends and family to create their dream lives, and multiple of my loved ones have started their own businesses!
Earlier this year, I was able to get a taste of the digital nomad lifestyle and spent two months in Bali with my partner and my best friend. Another accomplishment that I've been able to achieve with my business is to redefine what success looks like. It has not been an easy journey. Before I started a business, success to me was strictly how much money was in my bank account. Success was the financial wealth that you were able to create. Now, I value community over money. I value experiences over money. My idea of money and wealth has shifted from the fear of scarcity and lack of money to know that if I have a great community around me, the money will flow. I did not start a business to become a millionaire. Of course, it would be nice, but every decision that I make, every move that I make with my business, is built on the value of freedom and travel. A successful evening means not working and rather spending time with friends. A successful evening is being surrounded by beautiful nature rather than a mansion.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner, especially being a business owner who works from home, is loneliness. Humans thrive in a community. Humans need community. It is hard to create that community around you when you work from home with no coworkers. This is something that I have taken for granted for years at retail jobs.
I would say another hard thing about being a business owner when you have no prior experience is how to run your business legally and safely. As a business owner, you are in charge of EVERYTHING. Taxes are not something that you want to mess with, so ask for help. Hire an accountant.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- You don't have to do it alone.
You can absolutely find all of the information online to start a business. You can absolutely figure everything out and create a thriving business all on your own. You can, but you don't need to. There is power in the community. There is power in surrounding yourself with motivated people. People who have been where you are and are growing themselves. There is power in getting an outside perspective when life seems impossible. You could do it on your own in a few years, or you could tap into someone's energy and someone's vibration and do it in a few months. Hiring a coach or a mentor or a membership or even joining a free Facebook group can be GAME-CHANGING. - There is no one-size-fits-all of business.
We are all different. We have different birth charts. We have different Human Designs. We are all wired differently. There is no one-size-fits-all of business. Things that work for that coach or that mentor that you aspire to be may not work for you! The paradigm of business, of coaching, of being an entrepreneur is always shifting. There is no path that you are destined to take. There is no formula to becoming a millionaire. I've seen so many coaches and mentors online telling people that they need to take 1:1 clients, then start a group coaching program, then make that program evergreen, then make a certification, then start an agency, etc. That may work for them, but it may not work for you. If you want to jump right into an agency, I support you. If you only want to have 1:1 clients because that's your favorite way to support, more power to you! This is YOUR business, and YOU get to decide the timeline. - You are ready.
I've been guilty of not promoting a course because it wasn't quite ready yet. I've had friends not start a business until their website was perfect. It's hard to unlearn those habits that we've spent our whole lives building. I want to give you permission just to start. You have a beautiful message to share with the world, and someone is out there, ready to hear what you have to say! Do it and do it scared.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.carlyita.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/837089926949531/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlyita.co/
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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