Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sara Thingvold, Owner of Sara Thingvold Professional Services, located in Ashby, MN, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I take a Servant Leadership approach as an Executive and Life Coach, Consultant, and in my Training Programs. Most of my clients include: individuals, organizations, and couples who would like to:
- Deepen and strengthen their overall health and well-being, and increase self-awareness, self-regulation, and emotional intelligence.
- Have healthier and happier relationships at work, at home, or both.
- Create a roadmap to achieve their dreams and goals, and live life with more purpose and meaning.
- Cultivate stronger servant leadership attributes.
Tell us about yourself
I started coaching and training others as a sophomore in high school, and athletic coaching continued to be a passion for the next twenty + years. I am a Husker Volleyball Alumni from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. My first career job out of college was in the financial industry. I thought perhaps coaching would take a back seat, and I would work my way up into training roles. However, I married in 1993 and got right back into coaching without skipping much of a beat. We had two children, and I love being a wife and mother. I hit my dream job for sure.
However, leadership, coaching, and training were still in my blood. I had been building my briefcase personally and professionally along the way. Added more education, and in 2009, I launched my professional business stepping away from athletic coaching and into my career as an executive and life coach. Partnering alongside others helps them discover their purpose, identify core values, and harness their strengths, all unlocking their potential and reaching their personal and professional dreams and goals. This motivates me every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Naming one biggest accomplishment is tough. I am thankful that I thoroughly enjoy and feel blessed in the work I do and that I have a supportive husband. I coach, train, consult, nationwide, write, and will be publishing a second book soon. Yet, I am most humbled and honored when people feel safe and supported in sharing their personal and professional stories with me. Exchanging stories that are authentic experiences takes vulnerability and trust. Having a reputation as being trustworthy support, encourager, and confidant for others, I would say this is one of my biggest accomplishments.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things as a business owner is being intentional in investing in one’s overall health and well-being. Some people might call it having balance. As a solopreneur, there are many roles and responsibilities. For me, I have noticed that my social well-being can take the hardest hit - quality time with my husband, family, grandson, and friends. Managing my mindset of how much I think about and how I feel (anxiousness, stress, and tension) about my work is essential because otherwise, it can creep into unwanted territory. Self-care for me is keeping anchored with my faith as my foundation and living my purpose within my core values. This generates energy with thankfulness within and maintains healthy relationships while still being productive.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be sure that the business you start is something you enjoy and thoroughly enjoy doing.
- Make decisions that align with your core values and utilize your strengths.
- Create and implement a self-care roadmap - taking into consideration delegating and hiring out what drains you and keeps you stuck, robbing you of energy, happiness, and purpose.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Work like you don't need the money, and it is nice to be important; however, it's even more important to be nice.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://sarathingvold.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaraThingvold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarathingvold/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SaraThingvold
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarathingvold/
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.
