Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emily Journey, President and CEO of Emily Journey and Associates, located in Columbus, OH, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Keyword: Website Maintenance Packages.
Business leaders who want to fire their SEO agency or web developer. We work with established business owners and decision-makers who understand the value of professional website support.
We talk with business leaders from diverse industries about their website problems and goals every day. When a new client shows up on our doorstep, they’ve often been put through the wringer by their most recent website maintenance service provider.
A surprising number of people feel held hostage by their website developer–who fell off the face of the earth soon after launching the website.
I’ll go ahead and say it. Poor communication and lack of professionalism are serious problems in my industry.
Tell us about yourself
It's not enough for me to wake up every day and look for ways to help people. Helping people is the result of what I do—the application of my core values and my skills. But helping people is not what drives me. When I started as a freelancer ten years ago, I was 42 years old, unemployed, and struggling with addiction. I was motivated by my need to pay the bills and have a better life. I saw an opportunity to start my own business by learning WordPress. That was in 2012. Today, I love being an example of a woman in leadership—a woman who uses her power and voice to create positive change in her industry. That power to lead and inspire others is what motivates me today.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I've figured out a way to hire more women into technology positions. It's not difficult to attract and hire women when you treat them with respect, trust them with autonomy, and compensate them fairly.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
To grow the business I have today, I had to stop comparing myself to other business owners and trust my own ideas. Getting over that mindset hurdle was difficult because I didn't have a track record of success. It felt safer to use the ideas that other business owners had already tested. It took courage for me to test my own ideas and endure the failures that would inevitably result from some of my ideas. I've learned that failure is an important element of success.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Hire a business coach.
- Look for opportunities to meet people in person.
- Embrace failure as an opportunity to learn.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://emilyjourney.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/webdevsuccess
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyjourney/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyjourney/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.