Brave is the Secret Sauce - Diane Cunningham Ellis

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Diane Cunningham Ellis, a business strategist, marketing coach, and mastermind facilitator based in Irving, TX, USA.

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

I am a Business Strategist and Marketing Coach for Christian women entrepreneurs and small businesses. I love mentoring coaches, counselors, creators, online teachers, speakers, and authors as they start or scale their businesses using courses and communities using my “Create Market Deliver” Framework.

For over 26 years, I have worked with women from their 20’s to their 70’s to create their dreams. One of my recent clients just increased her income by $15,000 last year using a simple strategy I taught her using a group coaching format.

Tell us about yourself

My first career was as a mental health therapist with my Master’s Degree, working in addictions and the Employee Assistance Program EAP. I loved this, and yet it was cut short when a private practice client chose suicide, and then I was named in a lawsuit. This tragedy led me on a career transition into the world of full-time coaching and consulting and seeking my purpose. I am constantly reminded of this as a God-given calling in my life as I help women build businesses that empower them. I am motivated each day to serve my clients, students, and mastermind members so that they can magnify their message, create revenue and live the brave life they deserve!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I founded the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs in 2010 and led it as the president for 7 years before selling it to the next president. Now I am back in NACWE as a paid member and leader, a full-circle moment! I am proud of the courage I had to create this beautiful community and then the willingness to pass it on to future generations.

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

One of the hardest things about being a business owner is stepping into our brilliance, owning our expertise, and being visible. It is an ongoing practice I learn and teach in my Brave Business School and Braver Together Mastermind. I often say, “Brave is the secret sauce” because entrepreneurship is 90% mindset, and your business is a habit.

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

I call this my Brave Recipe, and the three simple tips are:

  1. Be Real: show up as your authentic self to share stories and truths behind the scenes.
  2. Ask for Help: get the support you need with a business coach, virtual assistant, or mastermind, so you know you are not alone and you can move faster in your zone of brilliance and brave.
  3. Take Action: Boldly take inspired action daily to keep the momentum, release your fears, and serve the clients you are called to serve. Then repeat all of this! Visit www.BeBraveToday.com for the free mini-course on this 3-step framework.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://dianecunningham.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianeCunningham
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianecunninghamellis/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianecunninghamellis/

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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