Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Tiffany Napper, Founder of Upleveler Society, located in Nashville, TN, USA.

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

I provide coaching and community for creative businesswomen who are ready to step off the hamster wheel and into a life of wild abundance and joy.

Tell us about yourself

During the first decade of my entrepreneurial journey, I earned my business pedigree through running not one but four creative business endeavors: a PR and branding agency, a handbag line, a co-working space for creatives, and a rental property in New Orleans, LA.

Through some hard knocks and a rather winding road, I became not just a good business owner – but a really great one. I had four profitable businesses with no outside funding and no debt! So by 2019, I was ready to start sharing my wisdom with other creative business owners.

In March 2020, I was asked to teach a group of women how to develop systems and cultivate the mindset needed to create an unshakable business that could weather a global shutdown. The webinar was well-received, and thus the Upleveler Society was born.

The stats are bleak: studies show less than 2% of female founders hit $1 million in revenue, and less than 18% ever hit 6 figures. And even though more women started businesses in 2021 (49%, up from 28% in 2019), studies show more than half of them lack mentorship and guidance.

So through my one-on-one coaching and the Upleveler Society mentorship, I want to help creative businesswomen put more money in their bank accounts. But more success and more money don't guarantee happiness. So my mission goes beyond that. I want to help them find joy in the journey, too. I care about my client’s mental health and quality of life just as much as I care about the numbers on their spreadsheet.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Oh gosh, where do I begin? I'm so proud of so many things. But a client and Upleveler member said something to me the other day around a dinner table, and it struck a chord with me. She told me she loved learning from me and being around me because I represent a businesswoman who can have it all - a successful business, a beautiful home, plenty of time for self-care, and joy-filled life. The fact that I am able to represent that... wow. I've worked really hard to get here, and I've made plenty of mistakes along the way. But I'm so proud of this life I've built and the example it sets for other women.

I'm also really proud of my clients who are putting in the work to Uplevel their businesses and their lives. Yes, there are strategies and systems they are implementing, but they are also undergoing mindset transformations, forming connections, and establishing boundaries — things that can't be checked off of a spreadsheet. Seeing the sparkle come back into their eyes after years of burnout or disappointment - that's my biggest accomplishment.

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

Tell me a big business that got to where it is today with only one person... I'll wait.

And yet, I see it happen all the time - you hold tight to your wallet and think you can just watch a Youtube video or listen to a podcast and figure it out. You try to wear all of the hats. But as a result, you delay your ability to make sales, or you make some costly mistakes, and you lose time and money.

That old adage that time is money is true. So figure out who can help you accomplish your goals faster. If numbers aren't your forte, hire a bookkeeper. If you don't know how to launch a sales page, hire someone who can make it for you. If you don't know how to make more money or streamline your operations, find a business coach with experience in your industry.

It can be hard to let someone else in or release some control, but it's even harder to recover from bad cash flow when your business isn't launched or isn't making as much money as it could be.

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

  1. Simplify to amplify. Focus on one offer at a time to reduce confusion in the marketplace and to give your offer time to bloom. One of my friends loves to abide by this rule: don't launch another offer until your first offer is bringing in six figures. It may seem extreme, but it's a valid rule to live by.
  2. Learn to love your numbers. The power lies in them, so make sure you study your data and know your profit margin. Set goals for yourself so that you can pivot if you're not on track or so that you can take your foot off the gas if you've already reached them.
  3. People are what will catapult you to the next level. Not another course or program. Not another podcast. Support changes everything. So focus on growing your circle of entrepreneurs. Find coaches and mentors who can guide you. And if they haven’t walked your desired path, don’t ask them for directions.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.tiffanynapper.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanynapper/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tiffanynapper
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanynapper/

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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