Megan Yelaney: Community, Hands Down, Has Been the Lifeline.

Everyone pivots. If you are an entrepreneur, you know that pivoting is part of the life cycle of owning a business. In this episode, we talk to Megan Yelaney, a successful online business coach who pivoted from the world of health and fitness network marketing to online business coaching. The pivot, for Megan, was the realization of what she loved the most about her business and following the passion that lead her to where she is today.

During our conversation, Megan provides great advice on how to ensure your pivot is leading you in the direction that will help you find your success. Somewhere between finding what you loved as a child, serving your clients and doing what you love is where your success lies. She talks about how to find your “Secret Sauce” in business and is the differentiator between you and everyone else.

Additional Resources
• Megan’s Website
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Pretty Awkward Entrepreneur Podcast

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Megan Yelaney is a business mentor, podcaster, and speaker whose passion truly lies in helping women build businesses that allow them to thrive in their marriages as much as their bank. She is an expert in unique framework development, something that makes her clients stand out in their niche by being their 100% authentic self. Meg is also a wife, and fur mom to her mini Goldendoodle Luna, actress and singer, and die-hard Harry Potter fan. She truly hopes to help as many women as possible build wealth for themselves & their families in a way that lights them up every single day.

Kelly L. Gabel: Business Owners are NOT One Size Fits All | Episode 03

STC Co-Host Kelly Gabel is in the hot seat this episode! It is always amazing to sit down and find out new things about people you know and love. The opportunity to interview Kelly was a lot of fun and eye-opening! She is articulate, smart, and really knows her tech – even if she can’t fix my cell phone.

Kelly is a multi-passionate entrepreneur who runs the show solo! This is why she is so dedicated to empowering other female entrepreneurs to be able to know and understand the basics of business tech. Kelly is proof that being a “solopreneur” doesn’t have to be hard. Especially when you have community support and have your tech stack simplified. Listen to this episode and learn more about Kelly and how she felt alone and had very little support to finding her niche and her success through community.

Additional Resources
• Kelly’s Website
• Tech-Savvy Academy
• It Takes a Village FB Community
• ITAV Soloprenuer Mastermind
• Become a Patreon Supporter

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Joelene Mills: Don’t Get Stuck in Someday | Episode 02

Messy action is the only way to ensure you don’t get stuck in “someday”. Even after having a very successful wedding photography business, where she was shooting 69+ Weddings per year, she still ended up stuck in “someday” when it came to her coaching business. Listen to Joelene tell it like it is, as she was stuck in the “someday I will…” phase of running her business and how community helped her understand she doesn’t have to go it alone.

Additional Resources
• Joelene’s Photography Website
• Joelene Mills Business Coaching
• The Business Suite
• It Takes a Village FB Community
• ITAV Soloprenuer Mastermind

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Kindred Spirits & Natural Transgressions | Episode 01

Join us on our first episode where we talk about the STC Podcast, the ITAV Mastermind, and where and why it all began!

As we finally admit that we have never really met each other outside of zoom! And how, even though we live on opposite sides of the border and don’t hang out in the “same circles” we both felt an immediate connection.

Listen as we discuss how relationships and community can happen both organically or through hard work, and how both are great and require intention. As we provide insight into our businesses and personal relationships.

In this very first episode we touch on our flagship mastermind, It Takes A Village Solopreneur Mastermind, and how it has become a big part of our community. By using the hive-mind method, where each person that joins us is equally invested in the success of the others, our community has grown larger than we could have expected.

Additional Resources
• Kelly’s Website
• Joelene’s Website
• It Takes a Village FB Community
• ITAV Soloprenuer Mastermind
• Become a Patreon Supporter

Listen, rate, and subscribe!
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Celebrate with us! 🎉

We are super excited and a little bit nervous. (Well, Joelene is nervous, Kelly is a rock…)

Why – you ask? Because we are entering a new phase of our partnership! One that is going to help more women with their business journey and bring the community that we dreamed of building to a much larger audience!

No seriously. What to know how?

We are LAUNCHING THE SUCCESS THROUGH COMMUNITY PODCAST!

Everything is currently in the works, but seeing as today is International Podcast Day, we thought it was the perfect day to tell everyone.

Here is what we can share today:

Our Podcast Mission

The STC podcast is a podcast for women, by women. Women who are looking to support each other’s individual success through community.

Through the STC Podcast, we are providing listeners with a chance to learn the stories behind other women in business. Speaking to female solopreneurs and talking through their successes, struggles, and celebrations. We’ve all heard it takes a village to raise a child, we believe this is also true to build a successful business.

Our hope is to help listeners build their community, grow their businesses, and go from overwhelmed to empowered through authentic connection!

We are looking for guests!

Would you like to be on the podcast? We are looking for female entrepreneurs, coaches, and creators to be on our podcast. There may be an opportunity to train/speak with our exclusive mastermind members and our free Facebook community as well..

We do not have specific topic requests, as we are looking to know more about you, your business and how community has helped you grow.

If you are interested in more details please email us with your information/media kit at support(at)successthroughcommunity.com
Subject: PODCAST GUEST

We are looking to BE guests!

Kelly and I would like to support you and your community and would love to collaborate with other amazing female business owners!

Please note, we are not interested in preaching or training but rather, sharing our story. Sharing how finding the right support system can help any business grow. How having a community can change your life and your business. How no one has to go through the struggles of entrepreneurship alone.

If you would like to learn more about how we can collaborate and have us as guests, please reach out, via email at support(at)successthroughcommunity.

Subject: PODCAST INTERVIEW

We are very excited about this new adventure and are hoping you are going to join us on the journey.

Two Easy to Adopt Habits for Success

Do you know what sets the uber-successful apart from the wannabe entrepreneurs?

It’s not money, brilliant ideas, or even powerful friends.

All of those things (and more) are nice to have and do tend to come with success, but they’re not a requirement for success. In my experience, what is a must-have, is a good attitude. Without good habits and the proper mindset, you’ll constantly be battling your own brain, and that’s exhausting.

You will allow yourself to believe your ideas are no good
You will remain convinced that you aren’t smart enough
You will be certain that someone else did it (whatever “it” is) better

And before you know it, you’ll have talked yourself right out of launching your new program, asking for a partnership, or writing your book. In no time at all, you’ll be back at your day job, working away on someone else’s business because you don’t have the confidence to create your own.

But a simple mindset change derived from good habits can make all the difference.

Dress for Success

Ladies, this one is for you. When we work at home, it’s easy to fall into a habit of wearing sweatpants and T-shirts to the office. After all, why dress up just for the dog?

But if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to instantly shift your mindset in the right direction, ditch the yoga pants and break out the lipstick. You’ll suddenly find you feel more professional, more confident!

Approach Everything From a Place of Abundance

Too many would-be and new entrepreneurs operate with a scarcity mindset rather than approaching business from a place of abundance. Rather than telling yourself that you can’t afford to join that mastermind or attend an event, reframe your thoughts.

When the thought “I can’t afford to attend that event,” crosses your mind, stop and ask yourself, “How can I earn the money to invest in this trip?”

Keep in mind, when I say abundance, I don’t mean just a money mindset. When we approach business (and life) from a scarcity mindset, we tend to believe that in order for one person to win, another must lose. That, simply, isn’t the case.

Invest your thoughts for all parties to leave feeling they have accomplished something, making it a win-win for everyone.

By reformatting your thoughts, you’ll turn that negative talk into positive solutions that help you grow.

Important Tip For Your Next Networking Event

Thanks to the internet, the world has become a smaller space. You can now use social media to meet someone on the other side of the world and create a network with that person. Seriously, just look at Kelly and me – we are in two different countries!

This is all relatively new in the world of business – creating so many connections where having face-to-face contact was not always possible to do. Does anyone even remember the business scene in the days before the world-wide-web? I do – networking was really only at award events or trade shows.

When networking face to face was the only way to network, it was a lot easier to know the intentions of those around you. Today people are a lot more cautious, with good reason. So, here is a quick tip for the next time you attend a networking event.

BE HONEST

You need to tell those you network with who you are and what you have to offer. And be completely transparent. If you know that there are other things on the market similar to yours, then let them know and let them know what makes your product superior to those others.

If you don’t know about similar products, then be sure you do thorough research into all aspects of what might be available and what other companies might be creating. You don’t want to get stuck looking inexperienced or unknowledgeable.

Spreading your wings and growing your business is a scary endeavour. If you do your homework and approach it with honesty and integrity, you’ll create a strong network for your business, in no time flat!

The Village’s next virtual networking night is in a few days, you should join us, we’d love to get to know you and your business better!

Do You Have a Business or a Hobby?

At last week’s meeting, we had a great conversation focusing on “Showing up for your business.” One of our members said something that surprised me.

“Everyone needs to take their business seriously, after all, it isn’t a Jobby!”

I had never heard the term “Jobby” before. When I asked about it, she explained that a “Jobby” is when people say they have a business but do not take it seriously. The company is treated less like a job and more like a hobby = “Jobby.”

See why it stuck with me?

I see it all the time: someone has decided to start their own business, so they build a website, start selling their product, and jump right in! It is excellent and brave, but it isn’t always the right thing. Online business owners can easily “open their doors for business” without a firm business plan. Some may test the waters to see if they attract any clients, and some start doing this online work as a side gig while working their full-time job.

If this is how you opened your business and now you are in elbows deep, can you tell if you have a business or if it is still just a hobby?

My first business started as a hobby; I loved taking photos of my kids. A hobby traditionally is an activity that pleases you and you do in your spare time. On the other hand, a business provides a service or products to clients, has business hours, and strives to make a profit.

Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine if you are working on a business or a hobby:

Do you have firm business hours, or are you working irregular hours as your family or full-time job allows?
Do you make the most of your business hours or work time by working as efficiently as possible? Or do you get distracted by social media or other behind-the-scenes tasks?
Do you have a business plan that includes expected profits for one year?
Do you make opportunities happen or wait for them to come to you?
Do you withdraw every penny from your account after clients pay you? Or do you give yourself a pay structure and reinvest some of your profits into software, training, or other business expenses?

If you were unsure before, you should now know if your business is indeed a business or a “Jobby.”

Common Networking Mistakes to Avoid

When it comes to networking, you always want to make sure you do it right so you can grow your business. However, knowing what to do is one thing; knowing what not to do is something else entirely.

You might think you’re doing everything right, but if you’re not making the connections you expected, then perhaps you have fallen into some of the networking traps out there and didn’t even realize it.

Here are some common networking mistakes and how you can avoid making them in the future.

Not Getting Help: A lot of us struggle asking others for help. Networking is all about making connections, though. People don’t know what you need unless you ask them.
Use your personal or professional network and ask them to help you. You need to be connected to the right people. The more people you have getting the word out about you, the better, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Not Maintaining Your Relationships: It’s very easy to lose touch with people, even though it has never been so easy to stay connected. Maintaining contact with your current network and all of the people in it will help you grow.

Follow up with people – mentors, colleagues, and other contacts – on a regular basis to see how they’re doing. I am sure they would love for you to keep them up to date on you as well. Just remember, don’t make it all about you; you will want them to know what you’re up to while also finding out what they’ve been up to.

Not Taking Advantage of Social Media: We live in a day and time where networking is really all we do all day, every day. Social media has made it easy to connect around the world, and if you’re not using it, you’re missing out on a great opportunity.

Start using great networking sites, such as LinkedIn, to make professional connections. This isn’t the only social media platform you should be using, but it’s a great place to start and a way to get your name out there.

Not Making In-Person Connections: Yes, we are in a day and time where social media is super-important to networking, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop meeting people in person. You should never do that. I know that Covid-19 changed the world, but you can’t continue to do everything over the internet.

If your online connection is not local to you, then use a multitude of different technologies like Zoom, which are at your fingertips, to make the world a much smaller place and meet up with people on the other side of it.

Not Being Grateful: Gratitude is often forgotten when it comes to networking. When someone helps you, being grateful will go a long way.
After having a conversation with someone in person or online, send them a quick thank you note for their time. It’s a small thing, but letting people know they are appreciated will go a long way and encourage them to want to speak with you again.

Not Making Sure It’s a Two-Way Street: When someone helps you out and makes a positive connection for you, then you have to be sure that you give back in some way. You especially can’t keep going back and asking for help without giving back in return. Relationships don’t work that way.

If you can avoid making these common mistakes, then you should be able to create a large and successful network for your business.

Join us inside the Village, start networking, and build those relationships today!

Why Networking is Important

If you’re not networking, then you’re missing out on a great tool for your business that could help you become more knowledgeable, gain new clients, and spread the word about your business.

Here are nine reasons why you should be networking for your business.

Increased business – This is the most obvious reason why you should network in your business. When you get other business leads through networking, you can believe that they are going to be high quality leads. These leads can be turned into clients.

Networking opens many doors – When you network, you are opening yourself up for opportunities that you wouldn’t have otherwise had. Partnerships, joint ventures, speaking engagements, increased sales, and client leads are some of the doors that will be opened to you.

Just remember, tick with the opportunities that align best with your business values and goals. Otherwise you’ll find yourself chasing rainbows instead and not really growing your business after all.

Business contacts – You’ve heard it for years: it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When you connect with other people, you open yourself and your business up to so many different resources. Not only do you get the person or company you network with, but you also get all of the people that individual or company have created a network with.

Having multiple groups of people you can rely on in your time of need, is important to getting things done and getting them done right the first time.

Advisors – The people you network with are likely a wealth of knowledge. You can learn so much from your network if you take advantage of it. Make sure who you speak with understands you and your goals and is looking forward to helping you achieve them, without stepping on anyone’s toes while doing it.

Becoming known – When you network and get your face and name out there, you can begin to show yourself to be an expert in your field, thereby boosting your reputation.

Stay positive – Having a network of like-minded, supportive, and positive people has a tendency to rub off on you. It can only help you grow and thrive as a business owner.

A confidence builder – By getting out there and networking on a regular basis, you will build your confidence. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll become a pro at networking and meeting new people. The more you do something, the better you get, so don’t give up on it.

Friendships – It might be surprising to see how quickly you can befriend someone who has so many business interests in common with you.

Helping others – Remember, you’re not the only one networking when you meet someone new. This means that you could be that expert on that one thing that no one else is, and you’ll take pride in knowing you helped grow your industry.

See? So many reasons why networking is important for any business.

So – what are you waiting for? Register for our next Networking night!

The next one is August 3rd!