We all have struggles in our business – but it's what we do to keep moving forward that makes all the difference in the world.  Kelsey went through a LOT this year, but she keeps moving forward and is more secure and content with her business than she ever could have imagined.

Businesses go up and down, you have wins and losses.  But they aren't failures.  Remember that other people have gone through it.  What separates people from being successful and not is that they keep going even during adversity.

Kelsey had a multiple six-figure business helping businesses grow their Instagram accounts.  She did it through a referral network and making it easy for customers to refer her to others while providing excellent customer service.  With roughly 50 customers at any given time, she had 2 team members working alongside her and they were crushing it.  This was until Instagram changed the way that growth happened organically and she went from $20,000 months to nothing.

She closed up shop and started over!

Kelsey had to deal with losing her business while still following up with her clients.

She had just gotten her book advance so she knew she had a few months to pay the bills.  Her husband was still in school and working part-time.  There was no real fallback plan.

When it came to following up with her clients – they were all so caring and thoughtful.  Only 2 of the 50 were upset in any way.  It is all a testament to providing quality service and going above and beyond expectations.  Communication was always key as well.

Over Communicate!

We tend to be afraid to deliver bad news, or assume when people want to talk to us it's bad news.  Instead of avoiding it, if you reach out proactively and rip the band-aid off you'll get better reactions.

Don't hold all the stress and pain when you're worried about the reactions you're going to get.  I myself get stressed when clients want to chat thinking I did something wrong.  Or assume they think I'm doing something wrong.  Trust yourself, trust your clients and customers and do your best!

Trust the Universe

The book advance came right before this all went down.  Timing is amazing!  What would it have been like to be managing 50 clients while also writing this book that was the dream?

Kelsey had said she would like to get out of her business by the end of the year.  Her business was all-consuming and she didn't have room for anything else in her life.  But she was making good money so felt bad letting it go – it felt irresponsible.  This forced her to start over and it was better than she could ever imagine.

Every new transition is uncomfortable, even if it's good.  With each transition, it comes with loss and grieving, even the good ones.  Before you notice the upgrade there is change and transition and a sense of loss and mourning.  It's going to be uncomfortable and that's ok.  You just have to be willing to put in the effort.

Mentorship!

Writing a book was the intention prior to Kelsey getting into marketing.  She new years ago that she'd need an audience before she would be able to get a book deal.  That's how she got into marketing – and why the book got put on the back burner.

What came out of me was mentorship – not marketing.  She wouldn't have gotten her dream without women investing in her.  Any time of resource or season, the right woman would pop into her life.  She also put herself out there!  99 times out of 100 incredible women invested in her.  

Kelsey has a Mastermind program “Dream to Done”

It was another source of revenue for her during this time.

She lets them in on what's going on in her world.  They went through planning through a crisis because of what Kelsey went through.  And now it's changing into an eCourse because it better suits her personality.  It's important to know what works for you and what makes you light up!

Rebranding her business

Kelsey encourages you to check in with your self.  Even if that means finding a therapist.  It might seem too out there but work with someone on practicing on how things in your life feel aligned or off.

In the spring, she had a gut feeling that things were going to change.  She reached out to her web designer and copywriter about setting up time in the fall to rebrand her business.  It was perfect timing when October came around.  She started to fall into what she wanted to do and how she felt about her new path forward.

With ups and downs, having a community around you is everything.

Having support from friends and family can be everything when funds are tight and you're taking time to dream about your business.

Kelsey struggled a lot right after the rug was pulled out from under her.  It taught her that she'll be ok and that fear and joy exist simultaneously.  Her friends offered support AND money and that meant a ton to her.  Incredible support and community help.  

She knew how long that book advance would go for and if she could bring in a little and her husband could bring in a little then that advance lasts a little longer. She picked up a little bit of work here and there to extend the runway.

Creating avenues for income!

Kelsey got scrappy.  She did websites or side projects for people to try and bring in money.

One of those was creating the Your Course Toolkit.  She reached out to all her friends (yours truly included) to get a bundle of 25+ courses that would be sold for $99.  It's a win-win for everyone because we all get to grow our audiences.  And beyond that – it made Kelsey's heart sing to bring her community together and everyone profits a little bit around it.  And the biggest winner is the consumer.

What's next for Kelsey?

It's all about simplification.  She feels clearer than she's ever been.  Funnel goes from:

• Podcast
• Book
• Day-long workshops
• Dream to Done program

It feels good and more aligned and simple and she's really excited about it.  Moving more into writing and speaking.

What You'll Learn

(4:20) Who is Kelsey?
(6:06) How her business went from multiple six figures to nothing.
(10:44) How she balanced all the emotions?
(14:44) Be proactive with communication.
(17:42) Trust the Universe
(22:27) Mentorship!!!
(26:58) Program called Dream to Done
(28:28) Rebranding her business
(33:44) Finding your support network
(37:58) Creating new avenues for income
(44:44) Where is she headed now?

Resources

Course Toolkit – 25+ courses for $99
Amber McCue – Our Business Coach/Mentor