KATIE KERVIN

Why did you decide to join 90 Day Business Launch?

Though I hadn’t been at my job at the time for very long, I was feeling restless. I had been thinking about going out on my own for a while, but hadn’t figured out how to make the leap and was just feeling very stuck on how to even begin, not to mention getting my mindset to a place where I felt like I actually COULD do it. I actually just started Googling “business coach for women” (or some such phrase), because while I didn’t think I knew what I really wanted to do, I was looking for inspiration from somewhere that was very specific to (wannabe) women entrepreneurs. I found you, read some of your blog posts, and impulsively signed up. I knew that I needed (and still need, let’s be honest) accountability help and didn’t want to lose any of the awesome momentum you had helped me create!

What were you doing work-wise when we started working together in the spring of 2018 – and what are you doing now, 8 months later?

I was working full time in marketing at an architecture firm, and doing some freelance writing and editing on the side (aka working way too much). It was a very good job, and I am actually grateful that I didn’t decide to strike out on my own any earlier than I did. But I am now in my 10th week as a full-time solopreneur, offering marketing and copywriting services to architecture and design clients.

What was your biggest takeaway from our work together?

This is a surprisingly hard question! There are so many takeaways from working (and continuing to work) with you. Perhaps the biggest is just that I COULD FREAKING DO IT. Things don’t have to be perfect and neat–it’s OK to be a work in progress even as I’m DOING IT. I missed some deadlines along the way, but you helped me set attainable goals with super clear steps to get what I needed to do. Also so important for me was to home in on, and practice talking about, exactly what I do and offer.

Think of someone who is currently in the shoes you wore when we first started working together. What advice do you have for her?

Don’t be too hard on yourself (which I know very well is easier said than done), but also keep moving forward! Even with small steps. I often put too much on my plate, procrastinate, and haven’t even participated as fully as I would have liked in some of your programs. But I try not to dwell too long in the things I’m not doing “right,” or things that I’m slightly disappointed in myself about. Shake that off, and keep pushing because ultimately you are probably doing awesome.

Is there anything that’s been a game-changer for you when it comes to your business that you can share? We’d love a good resource or a mindset/productivity tip!

Biggest for me has been to be very intentional about the way I talk about myself and my business, and not to minimize what I’m doing. Too often I think women fall into self-deprecation and not celebrate their own badass accomplishments. Talk about yourself confidently the way you WANT other people to see you, even if you don’t feel it in the moment! This is a continual struggle for me, and takes constant practice.