Hello. Hello!!! Alison here! I’m back, feeling like we have been friends forever, with a business pep talk you NEED to hear. How do I know this? Because most of us have experienced the feelings of disillusionment that come when things happen veeeery differently than we expected.
If you’re nodding your head thinking, “Oh my word YES.” Read on, because this week’s podcast with Shauna Metcalf is FOR YOU my friend.
How would I describe Shauna? I'd say she is an amazing mother, a fabulous woman, and a business owner extraordinaire. Plus, she has horses. How cool is that?
Currently, she is running her own women's clothing boutique, but she actually started her career as a dental hygienist (PLOT TWIST!!)
Why did she make such a huge career jump?
Like a lot of women I've had on this podcast, Shauna was too busy working for someone else. She craved freedom (don't we all?), she wanted to spend more time with her family, and so, she took a leap of faith and started her own business!
Today, she tells us all about how she did it and where she's going now!
The Business Origin Story
Every single person I interview on my podcast is a superhero, and Shauna is no different! And like every superhero, she’s got her own business origin story.
Believe it or not, Shauna was a full-time dental hygienist before she discovered the world of business. She lived on a farm with her husband and two cute daughters plus, wait for it, TWO HORSES!!
She and her husband were working opposite shifts. They never really spent any time together. I’m sure most of us can understand that.
“No more!” decided Shauna. She wasn’t going to let her circumstances stop her from having quality family time anymore.
She wanted a change but didn’t know where it was going to come from. Lucky for her, she stumbled upon my 0 to $100k System. Her dad helped her with the money needed to start and she spent all of her free time, which wasn't a lot, working on her business. Shauna said, “When there's something that's really important to you, you'll find a way to make time for it, even if you don't really feel like you have the time.”
WOWIE, that is so true and it sure has paid off for Shauna.
At first, Shauna didn't really know what direction she wanted to go; she just knew she wanted to be her own boss and have her own business. If you’re thinking she must have had some sort of business background giving her a head start, hold your horses! She was scared at first, but Shauna decided, “I'll just figure that out when the time comes.”
A Boutique Business, You Said?
Without thinking twice on a product, she started with the first one that came to mind: clothes! Knowing full well that eventually, as she learns the ropes to selling, she can then find what she is really passionate about, and start selling that. She started ordering samples, took photos, and posted them on Facebook groups. AND MADE HER FIRST SALE!! (While she was on vacation nonetheless.)
Before you think things were always peaches and cream, read on! Shauna got four influencers to help promote her business. She was so excited, yet none of them made any sales. She could’ve let that put her in a funk and given up, but she didn’t!
Shauna primarily leveraged Facebook groups to sell her products. Soon, she felt like the rules in the Facebook groups she used were too restrictive, so she started her own Facebook group to sell her products. (Say whaaat?!)
Today, she has about 3,000 people in her FB group and just made her first HALF MILLION DOLLARS! (HOLY CATS!) I don’t know if your jaw just dropped, but mine did when she told me that.
Note to self: If you don’t like the rules, make up your own!
Top 10 Takeaways
- If you don't like the rules, make up your own!
- It's alright to change directions in your business journey.
- There are many different platforms to sell your product on.
- When there's something that's really important to you, you'll find a way to make time for it.
- It is ok to learn things are you go.
- Baby steps are important.
- Learn from your mistakes and victories.
- Start small in order to grow.
- Don't be afraid to “fail”. That's how you learn.
- Believe in yourself
