Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emily Williams, CEO of Champion Mindset Consulting LLC., located in Plano, TX, USA.

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

Hi, I'm Emily & I'm the founder of Champion Mindset Consulting LLC. I provide mental performance coaching for athletes who have big goals and are serious about their sport! Up until this point, I've worked with about 17 or 18 different sports. However, my biggest sports population is gymnastics, with ballet/dance coming in second place. I'd say the large majority of my athletes are gymnasts and dancers from about age 10 to age 18, give or take. Through mental performance coaching, I am able to provide the most effective form of performance enhancement by utilizing sport psychology concepts. Right now, I provide one on one coaching sessions in person at my office in Plano, TX, as well as via video call for athletes who are out of state or training in other countries. I have another training program launching soon that will run online for athletes anywhere & I hope to expand the CMC team in the future!

Tell us about yourself

I had a very roundabout way of getting to where I am today. I grew up doing ballet for 14 years until I went to college. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and then went to PA (physician assistant) school, where I planned to graduate and work in sports medicine/orthopedics. The goal was always to help athletes; however, I ended up experiencing some unforeseen medical challenges myself and was unable to finish PA school. I had planned on being a PA since the age of 16, so I had no backup plan. Once I realized I was going to have to switch gears, I was still looking for a way to be involved with helping athletes "get better." After taking some time to research things, I decided to begin my master's in sports and exercise psychology while also working in a PT clinic to help athletes get back on the road to recovery. Once I graduated with my master's, I worked with some athletes doing mental performance coaching while also still working in the PT clinic. After a few years of doing both, I decided that it was time to start my own business, and now here we are in 2022...CMC is officially three years old and on the rise! When my medical issues arose, and I was forced to pull out of PA school, I felt like my world had been completely flipped upside-down. Everything I had worked so hard for was pulled out from under me, and I had no clue what I was going to do. Looking back, it's crazy to see how all of the puzzle pieces fell together. Never would I have imagined I'd be running my own business, but I absolutely love what I do & know this is exactly where I'm meant to be!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would say one of my biggest accomplishments as a business owner has really just been the growth I've seen. I launched my business in the fall of 2019 and then went straight into COVID. Businesses never just immediately take off as soon as they're launched. Growth happens slowly...and heading into a pandemic slowed things down even more. It really wasn't until late 2020/early 2021 that things started consistently trending upwards again. Fast forward to 2022, and I've seen significant growth this year, especially in the past three months! I'm working with more athletes than I ever have before (spanning across ten states and three countries!), I've got a step-by-step online training program launching for gymnasts soon, I'll have one launching for dancers after that, and am currently in the process of mapping other ways to expand and potentially grow the CMC team. All that said, I would still say the most rewarding accomplishment has been helping all of my athletes reach their goals. I accomplish my goals when I help them reach theirs, and there is no better feeling than watching these kids achieve their dreams. Every time I get a text or a video of one of my kids accomplishing something they've been working so hard for, I am just beaming inside. That's what fuels my fire!!

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

For me personally, the hardest thing that comes with being a business owner is finding some kind of work-life balance. I recently hired a social media team to help me with some marketing, but outside of that, I'm still 100% hands-on in every area of the business. I pride myself on how involved I am with my athletes. I check in on them fairly often outside of our sessions, which I believe really helps build trust. When that trusting relationship is built, the coaching sessions are more effective because the athlete feels much more comfortable opening up. I love pouring into my athletes, but I also have to balance that with taking care of the more "business-y" tasks. The work is truly never done. I'm entirely convinced that it is impossible to ever actually complete a to-do list as a business owner. I struggle with this because I feel like my responsibilities are never "done" which makes it very hard for me to stop working. Learning to carve out time and find balance is definitely the hardest thing for me.

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

  1. Feel the fear and do it anyway - you will never be "ready." Just jump, and you'll figure it out as you go.
  2. Launching a business requires more work than anything else - make sure you love what you do!
  3. Never stop working on yourself - personal growth is essential.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.championmindsetconsulting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChampionMindsetConsultingLLC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/championmindsetconsultingllc/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilywilliams715/

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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