Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kathryn Birchwood, creator of Income Idea Incubator, located in Toronto, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I’m Kathryn Birchwood, and I help women create work they’re excited to do - the work they were put on this earth to do. So they can stop dragging themselves to jobs where they’re disengaged and feel overworked, underpaid, and stuck. Instead, they wake up eagerly - even on Mondays - and enjoy the freedom and fulfillment of being in control of their time, income, and life.
My audience is the frustrated working woman over age 40, who is SO fed up with the drudgery of work that has no meaning to her that she’s ready to scream. The woman who knows that she was meant for more...and feels that she’s wasting her life. And I’m not talking about a woman who’s merely looking to switch jobs because I am NOT a career coach. I like to say that she’s “outgrown” jobs because she’s had other jobs, but they stifle her, so what she really needs is to do her own thing. But she’s not sure what she could do, and often she has no clue how to even get started.
Tell us about yourself
I think we tend to gravitate towards working with people who are similar to ourselves. And that’s the case with me: I found my way to do this because I used to be one of those women. I know so many who just grit their teeth to go to work, and honestly, I think it’s a colossal waste of human potential. What motivates me is knowing that I can help a woman like that to get unstuck, understand the value of her skills and experience, and feel confident in choosing her own path, doing what makes her truly happy. Because life is too short!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
For me, it's the feeling of satisfaction when a client makes the realization that her life doesn't have to remain the way it's been. Because once she makes that mental shift, everything else falls into place. She never looks at herself the same way because she's effectively become a new person. It's magical! And I'm honored to play a role in it.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing is when your friends don’t understand why you do what you do, why you want to work so hard building a business when you could “play it safe” and be a corporate drone. But luckily, I have business friends who get it. 😊
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- For the “Wonder Woman” types out there, don’t try to do it all yourself. In the beginning, you may have to be the Jill-of-all-trades and do everything. Consider it as learning how things should be done properly, so you’ll know what to ask for when you farm it out. But you don’t need to do all of it all of the time.
- No woman is an island. Join networks and be sure that some of them are for women only because we do business more collaboratively than men, who tend to be more competitive.
- Know your key business numbers so you can gauge performance – they’re not as complicated as you might think.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
I believe that your life is a series of choices. Wherever you find yourself is the result of the options you've made. Don't pay attention to what other people are doing because they've made their own choices - which are neither right nor wrong; they're just different. So if you don't like your situation, simply make a deliberate choice about what you really want, and go get it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://incomeideaincubator.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynbirchwood/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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