I launched a special blog series to honor and champion other women in business. This is a companion service to a new podcast that is launching on October 1, 2020.
My intention is to share insights of lessons learned by businesswomen and also elevate their services to the greater community. The goal is to inform and inspire other women with ideas in order to empower them to grow their own business ventures.
As a digital marketing strategist, Susan Barron Finn focuses on the development and implementation of social media, inbound marketing and contact relationship strategies to improve online visibility and customer engagement. One of her areas of expertise is with email marketing.
The two of us met as members of Polka Dot Powerhouse – Central RI and are now collaborative partners as part of the CTD Creative Consulting team CTD Creative Consulting team as a collaborator! We will be partnering up to share our individual company services with each of our clients. By doing so, we help businesses grow and succeed.
1. How long have you been an entrepreneur?
I’ve been an entrepreneur since 2002
2. What motivated you to pursue being your own boss?
As a busy mom, with 5 kids and my own mother to take care of in my house, I realized that I would need to create a way to bring income into the household that would not be dependent on someone else’s schedule. The business owner life I created allowed me to work around the nursing schedule, the school schedules, the sports schedules, the playdates, dinner, bus stop….. (You get it…)
3. If you could go back to your younger self, what kind of advice would you give yourself about your pursuit to create your own business?
Don’t care quite so much about what other people think of you. When you show up doing your absolute best – in service to those who need what you have to offer – Honor the value you bring and receive your due.
4. Who influenced you – professionally?
I’ve read and sat in on some of the big marketing and leadership speakers who are still in my head today: Guy Kawasaki, Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, Donald Miller, Marcus Sheridan.
I have embraced business coaching as one of the best investments I’ve made in my business and have been honored to be personally guided by Fabienne Frederickson, Kiva Schuyler, and Dolores Hirschmann.
My takeaways from all of these mentors:
- Show up….in service. Show up….. consistently.
- Answer all the questions people are asking about your business
- Have a plan…but be ready to pivot and/or jump on new opportunities.
- Commitment to revenue.
- Your Net Worth is your Network. Community is EVERYTHING.
5. When was your moment of realizing, “you know what, I got this!”?
Oy….I’ll let you know.
I think I’m almost there.
I always think “I’m almost there”.
We are constantly evolving….As a lifelong learner, new ideas are flowing all of the time…so really, when I think, “you know what, I got this!” – something else pops in to get started on. But what I DO think “I got” – is clarity on who I serve and what my message is…..And that has made all the other aspects of my business flow with so much ease. I know that I serve service-based professionals to show up so they can make a bigger impact on the world. So, I only have to speak to those people and offer the 3-5 things I have that I know will help them work with the people who are already searching for them.
6. How do you keep your momentum going to keep a healthy pace as a business owner?
I found something I love to do and I do it with consistency. I have a weekly commitment to content – a weekly Rise Above Noise Interview. Ever since I founded the Women’s Business Network of SE MA, I realized that my greatest joy is shining the light on other entrepreneurs. So, by creating a weekly opportunity for me to show up inside my ‘happy place’…. The result is that I am showing up consistently. I am creating search-worthy content for my channels (website, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc). I am creating relationships with professionals. I show up as a trusted resource who has the community to help entrepreneurs grow.
7. What advice would you share with someone who is thinking about, or just beginning, managing their own business?
Show up. Show up as an act of service, because right now, there is someone already out there looking for exactly what you have to offer.
Start growing your email list on day one. Your list is your gold. (not kidding). Set yourself up with strategies and systems so that you are able to follow a clear and consistent path to meet goals you’ve identified. (The analogy I use here is….don’t throw spaghetti at the wall…If you’ve got some lovely spaghetti….serve it up with purpose to the right people with just the right amount of your special sauce)
8.What surprised you the most as a business owner?
Yikes…all the THINGS. We get into business to do something we love or feel passionately about…. But the THINGS! Invoicing, taxes, marketing, website stuff, legal stuff. It can feel overwhelming. That’s exactly why it’s important to have a professional community where you can show up with vulnerability and know that you’ll receive not just cheer – but real, honest (sometimes brutally honest) feedback and resources to push you to always be your best version of your business self.
9. Are you more of a every little bit counts kind of person or an all-or-nothing kind of person?
Every little bit counts – especially when it’s authentic.
10.Using a scale of 1 (scaredy cat) and 10 (Debbie Lawler *) as far as taking risks, where would you put yourself?
Hmmmm. Probably a 4.
(*) Debbie Lawler is an American motorcyclist. Lawler is most noted as the first female motorcyclist to beat Evel Knievel’s record.
11. Can you share a favorite quote?
Currently, ‘Your Net Worth is your Network.
My lifelong favorite quote is by Bessie Anderson Stanley:
“What is success?
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded!”
Learn more about Susan here:
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