Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michelle Summerfield, founder of Michelle Summerfield Coaching, located in Acton, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I primarily offer life coaching for ambitious women looking to reinvent their lives and build a simpler life filled with calm and ease. My process is a holistic heart-centered approach that allows clients to cultivate a life well-lived by up-levelling their mindset.
The other half of my business is building financial well-being as a freelance writer and editor by providing content that educates and empowers people to take charge of their money.
Tell us about yourself
I started in 2009 as a financial well-being blogger, and my business was born from that. I began with freelance writing in the personal finance community, sharing articles and stories from my life on eliminating debt and managing money better. Slowly I built the writing side of my business.
The coaching side of my business was born out of a layoff in 2015 from my 16-year career in sales and the deep personal journey I went on as a result. Throughout that time, I realized I had overidentified with my job, and it had become a part of my self-worth and identity. And I found that corporate wasn't right for me. I didn't want to have to answer to anyone and was tired of my earning potential being capped.
In the months leading up to the layoff, I kept saying to myself, "There has to be more to life than this." I'd come home in tears from the stress, burnout, and lack of career satisfaction. I wanted to make a big impact in the world, and it wasn't happening doing what I was doing.
The coaching came from a desire to empower women to take charge of their lives, finances, and careers. It was about helping them understand that there is another way to live - that they can build a life that's simpler and filled with calm and ease.
My motivation? I get to show women what they're capable of every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Seeing my coaching clients get real results. There's no better feeling. Knowing that you've had a meaningful impact on someone's life and future is priceless.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Entrepreneurial mindset - 100%. One of the biggest challenges I've had is moving from a full-time employee mindset to an entrepreneurial/CEO-based mindset. When you're a business owner, your brain will throw everything at you to keep you in your comfort zone. But being in business means taking risks, putting yourself out there, and being 100% confident in the value you provide to your clients.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start your business on the side while working your full-time job. Trust me, you'll need the income when your first year ends up being a break-even year.
- Block out all the noise. You need to really constrain what input you allow into your brain. Otherwise, your intuition gets blocked, you wonder if your ideas are really yours or something you've read, and you'll spend an inordinate amount of time comparing and despairing.
- Be consistent. Make sure you keep yourself to a schedule of sending your newsletter, posting on social media, etc. Otherwise, it's just a hobby.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://michellesummerfield.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellesummerfieldcoach
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michsummerfield/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellesummerfield/
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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