Interested in escaping the 9-5 to start your own service based business but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jen Shultz, Founder of The Non-Nine-to-Five™, located in Austin, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At The Non-Nine-to-Five™, I provide rich education and deep support for conscientious women who know in their hearts/they know way deep down that they are NOT meant for a 9-5 job but are meant to make a difference as business owners. I teach and coach them how to quit their 9-5 jobs and create successful and sustainable self-employment so they can go out and impact others in a massive way. The women I work with were born to be deep thinkers and feelers who heal, educate, lead, and create change on their own terms.
Tell us about yourself
In 2010 I quit my job as a teacher at a high-performing charter school in The Bronx in NYC. Leading up to this, I was experiencing massive depression/anxiety; I believed I was a loser, I thought I could never measure up, I was exhausted, and I felt like I would not amount to anything. YET, I was also receiving a small, intuitive nudge that I was meant to leave my full-time job and create change/impact others on my own. I have always known I was put on this earth to help others, but I didn't realize until this time of my life that I was meant to do it on my own terms.
Within three months of leaving my job, I started my first business, Teacher on the Go!, where I brought education to kids one-on-one, so I could really hone in on what that child needed. I was able to have candid and compassionate conversations with parents, and I "called the shots." I didn't have anyone telling me what I could and could not say; I wasn't expected to attend meetings that were pointless, there was no bureaucratic red tape, etc.
After doing Teacher on the Go! for about 2+ years, I realized my next step was to teach others how they could do exactly what I had done - quit my job, stand on my own two feet (without a job), find/pursue my Non-Nine-to-Five purpose!
I have now been the Founder & Leader of The Non-Nine-to-Five™ for almost nine years (9 years is this coming September, yay!). What motivates me each day is the knowledge that I created something that comes from my heart and my soul. I know that The Non-Nine-to-Five™ was created from my intuition, and that is something that no one could ever take away from me. It is priceless, and I have the honor and privilege of supporting women every single day so they can go out and support others and impact others just as I am. It is a beautiful domino effect to create change and transformation.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Not giving up. I have been self-employed now for close to 12 years in total. There have been so many times I have thought, "I don't know if I can really do this." "I don't know if I really have what it takes." "Maybe I am just not cut out for this." BUT each time I have heard that voice, my intuition and my heart have spoken directly to me, telling me to stay with it. I am so grateful I have had all these years because I am 100% completely aligned with my purpose.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Not giving up! Haha. Truly! It is easy to just go back to a job where you have a steady paycheck and the various benefits that are just handed to you. BUT, to stay on the path of doing work that completely aligns with your heart and soul and not giving up is MASSIVE.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Listen deeply to your intuition. If you are called to be in business, answer the call.
- Get support. Do not try and do this alone. I have worked with my business mentor and coaches for close to 9 years, and I would not give it up for anything.
- Follow what is in your heart. Try to let go of comparing yourself to what you see on social media. Comparison will rob you of your own true self-expression.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.thenonninetofive.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenonninetofive
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenonninetofive/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenshultz/
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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