Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sophee Payne, Founder of Sophee Payne Career Counseling & Coaching, located in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

As a career counselor and coach, I work with professionals feeling stuck in their careers. I focus on supporting people to get clarity and confidence and make big moves in their careers and possibly business. Essentially, I help driven people to go for the dream career they want without letting fear, overwhelm, or uncertainty holds them back any longer.

My clients are typically afraid of the uncertainty that goes into figuring out the next career move, especially when they feel it in their bones that they want to do something very different — but they aren't sure what exactly. Common fears and thoughts include:
- I want to make a change, but I am confused on all the steps to get there
- I don't want to look back and regret not trying for what I really want
- I want to leave a positive impact on the world using my unique gifts, and I don't know if I have accomplished that yet

If this describes you or someone you know, feeling stuck in a career is much more common than you may realize. If you want to be passionate about your career and have opportunities to learn and grow, I can partner with you to figure out realistic next steps and a strategic roadmap so you can get there faster and with greater ease and confidence.

Tell us about yourself

My daily inspiration is from my clients. Their own journey deeply moves me from feeling stuck in their career to creating the clarity and confidence that transforms the way they see themselves and what possibilities are now available for them. I am invigorated that my business allows me to see both personal transformation and also tangible results, like a new job my clients are excited about or a new promotion in a role that aligns with their heartfelt career and life goals.

I believe by facilitating deep transformation; I can change the world to be more of what we truly want it to be. So many of us choose a career and continue to go to work because we feel stuck there, even though it takes us away from what we value most. No one really wins when we are unhappy from doing things we don't like — and the more people do things they don't like, the more the world becomes centered around things that don't matter to anyone. My big-picture dream is to support the creation of a world that reflects the values we truly have.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is going through a thorough hiring process to put together a team to take over the parts of the business that I don't resonate with as much as the coaching itself. I became a coach to coach, not run a business (and all the complexity involved). So before I felt ready, I started working with others to help take me to the next level, many of them are coaches in specific niches. Any good coach believes in coaching, and that means that they receive coaching regularly for their own personal and professional growth.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The business part of the business. I came into this business because I wanted to coach. Not market, be on social media or even sell. That is why having a team I can depend on is so important for me.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Just start. Start imperfectly, or with everything laid out, start with uncertainty, or with 100% confidence, start however you feel right now. It is just important to start so you can start learning.
  2. It is more than okay to start small. In fact, that can even be better than big moves into a market that is largely unknown to you.
  3. Hire support before you think you need it. If you are even thinking about it, you probably need it.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Having your own business is one of the biggest personal development challenges you can take on. For this same reason, it is wonderfully rewarding. I sometimes have to remind myself that my business serves me and my lifestyle, not the other way around. I can design a business that helps me live the life of my dreams, and for anything else, I might as well work for someone else. I wish you the best in your endeavors if you choose to blaze your own path forward in a business!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.sopheepayne.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophee.payne/
Instagram: https://bit.ly/3IPwLeb

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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