Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Paquetia Goodwin, founder of Paquetia Goodwin Planning & Strategy, located in Concord, NC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Paquetia Goodwin Strategy & Planning focuses on personal and professional development. As a certified career development coach, I teach women and working moms how to create successful career strategies. While I will work/support anyone, I'm passionate about the support I provide working mothers. I do this in a couple of ways to ensure my clients achieve the best results.
First, my coaching experiences create a space for women to acknowledge why a professional and personal change makes sense and why it makes sense now. Together, we will get clear about WHY. We begin by identifying the current challenges and creating clear goals to remediate them. We'll also work on mindset and belief systems because our biggest enemy against taking risks is often inside our heads. We attack those thoughts and behaviors that prevent us from moving forward and replace them with behaviors that lead to progress. We'll also remove the ambiguity from your career path. You will learn how to research the skills and experience you need to bridge the gap and move as necessary. Additionally, your community is such a huge part of your career growth. I'll help you understand why relationship building is a critical path to your success and show you how to do it with precision.
I also own Hayward & Love Stationery. H&L focuses on task/time management frameworks while encouraging incorporating self-care routines into your planning process. The Strategy Journal and the Intention Journal Workbook are my current products and coiled notebooks.
Tell us about yourself
I became a coach out of my own deficit. I struggled early to navigate my career and struggled even more to find someone to guide me. I was unsure how to ask for help or articulate my needs. It led to years of working with little to no reward. I've learned that success is more than desire. Just wanting to be better isn't enough. Understanding where you are, why, and how you got here is transformative. Through my platform, speaking engagements, partnerships, and relationships, I've created an outlet for women to get to the source of what holds them back to permit themselves to move.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'd like to say that seeing my clients gain the courage to move past their fears of failing or starting over. Or hear the joy when someone lands an opportunity they didn't think was in their reach. Client wins are incredible. But my biggest accomplishment is building a business that empowers women while my two daughters cheer me on from the sidelines. It's exciting to do this while they watch. As a woman, a mom, a POC, and a black woman, I know how isolating corporate and professional spaces can be. I also know that it only takes a small pebble to make ripples in a big pond. I'm proud to be a pebble for the next wave of female bosses!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing about being a business owner is owning a business. The highs and lows are akin to parenting. There is no exact science. I've learned to trust myself and permit myself to regroup, make mistakes, ask for help, and celebrate. I try to stay in the moment I'm in and "feel all the feels."
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Find your tribe - get connected to people/groups on the same path as you. You will need the support.
- Get clear about the goal - why do you want a business? Ensure you are anchored to your plan so you don't drift away in a sea of distractions.
- Patience - just because your idea is impressive to you doesn't mean I want to pay you for it. Build awareness. Before you start selling a thing, give people a reason to like you, trust you, and want to be with you.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
My final thought is this. If you are thinking of starting a business, start. Even if you start small, start. Waiting for the stars to align and the heavens to speak to you won't happen. If you don't start, you'll have the same conversation this time next year. There is never going to be a right time. Trust yourself.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.livingliferatedpg.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livingliferatedpg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingliferatedpg/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoachPaquetiaG
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paquetiagoodwin/
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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