Road To Seven

“What is it about you and your business that you have set out to say ‘I want to be remembered for this’?”- Hollie Hoadley8 year ago, Hollie Hoadley was an Executive Assistant with a side hustle. Today, she runs Creative Solutions, a thriving six-figure marketing agency that delivers high-performing strategies that keep her clients salivating for more!Hollie didn’t want to create a b2b or b2c business — instead, she built a business that she considers human-to-human.“When it comes to truly niching down to a specific market, absolutely not. I’ll never do it,” Hollie says. “When you really think about it, there’s a whole bunch of humans behind your business — and there’s a whole bunch of humans you’re trying to sell to. They have a need, you happen to have the solution. All you have to do is pair it up!”In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌How Hollie moved from EA to consultant to agency owner — and the challenges she faced along the wayThe potential danger of pigeon-holing yourse

“Our job, as a leader, is to empower somebody to better handle and deal with the circumstances in their life.”- Shelagh CumminsNo great business is built by one person alone. Developing a superstar team is a vital piece of the entrepreneurial puzzle, whether you’re bringing on contractors or employees.But unless you’re very lucky, not every member of your team will perform perfectly right out of the gate. Sometimes, this can be solved through leadership… but sometimes, you need to let go.In this episode, you’ll learn tips and strategies for dealing with both situations.Setting quantifiable goals and expectations is the best way to assess the performance of your team — and figure out if they provide value.If you keep someone on your payroll just because they’re facing challenges in their life, that may make you feel good — but it won’t do your business any favours. There are ways to offer support that won’t burn through your business’s budget!Whether you’re just starting to hire or already have your dream team

“This is YOUR business. You get to run this business the way it works for YOU.”- Shelagh CumminsBoundaries are not only an important part of mental wellness, but also help us from becoming stretched too thin in our professional lives. So, why do so many people have trouble maintaining their boundaries? Why is “no” such a challenging word to say?Many people have this mindset that we need to do certain things in order to grow their businesses. The idea of having boundaries may not even occur to them! But when we say “yes” to the things we don’t want to do, we leave less space or time for the things we DO want to do — and it robs us of our energy, passion, and enthusiasm.Having a hard “no” doesn’t limit your ability to grow your business. It enhances it. When you recognize and honour your hard “no”, you get to choose alternatives that bring you satisfaction and joy.If you don’t like doing Facebook Lives, maybe you love spending time in your Facebook community and building relationships that way, instead.If you a

“Pricing and profitability are key.”- Kizzy ParksKizzy Parks knows a little something about securing government contracts.In fact, she’s landed over $50 million in government contracts — and also runs three separate consulting companies.Through her business GovCon Winners, she teaches service-based small business owners how to secure their own government contracts, using her powerful CTC technique. If you’ve ever considered bidding on a government contract, you’re going to want to listen to this week’s episode of The Road to Seven first!Kizzy and I dive deep on pricing, profitability, and the psychology and preparation behind nailing the perfect pitch. Press play to get started!In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌ ‌The psychological reasons for incorporating your company when seeking government contracts What to take into account when determining your pricing — and how to approach the pitchHow Kizzy grew from a single government contract to $50 million and 3 consulting busines

“We all create our own reality. We all create the truth that we live.”- Shelagh CumminsDo you have a project you’ve been trying to finish lately, or a big goal you’ve been hoping to achieve… but aren’t quite able to find that momentum or spark of inspiration you need?Then you won’t want to miss out on this episode!Sometimes, we can find ourselves surrounded by all of the tools that we could possibly need in order to meet our own goals (training videos, a support network, all sorts of resources), but we still find ourselves held back by one thing: ourselves.We can have the best intentions in the world, but still come up with endless reasons NOT to take the first steps to working towards our goals. The reason can be as small and simple as not wanting to put on your workout clothes — but it can have a major impact on your progress.Our brains can build up incredible walls with the flimsiest of bricks!But we can also use those same brains to knock those walls down.In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌

“Nobody puts Layne in the corner.”- LayneLayne, the founder and CEO of Auctionista, is changing the game when it comes to philanthropy.And they’re doing it with STYLE.The day that Layne discovered auctioneering is the same day that they were told that they could never make it in the job. But Layne didn’t let that stop them!  After enrolling and graduating from auction school, Layne founded Auctionista, a live fundraising powerhouse that brings the power of philanthropy, humanity, energy, and entertainment to every event. Layne has worked at over 1000 successful events, raising millions of dollars for charities.And every single opportunity has been through word of mouth.Tune in for a fascinating (and entertaining) conversation about brand-building, strategic hiring practices, growing and scaling gracefully, the pandemic pivot, and resilience.In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌ ‌How Layne made it through an uncomfortable educational experience in the midwest — and found the det

“Your entire health of your business is rooted in the numbers.”-  Shelagh Cummins  Are your emotions around money hurting your business?It’s no secret that numbers can hold incredible power over us. The number on a test, scale, or bank balance can fill us with pride or shame. But letting emotions take the wheel when dealing with numbers doesn’t lead to good decision-making — in fact, it can cloud your judgment, especially when it comes to making strategic choices for your business!    The health of your business is entirely based on its numbers. Being a successful entrepreneur means treating these numbers as data and receiving them without judgment. Your numbers are not a reflection of who you are as a business owner — they are valuable feedback that will help you pinpoint the changes you need to make in order to push your business forward!  Once you’ve made your money mindset shift, you’ll be able to use your business numbers to make strategic decisions in your business… without being held back by emotions. 

“I don’t want to do corporate America… I needed something that was different.”- Precious RodgersHave you tapped into the awesome power of Pinterest for business yet? If not, you won’t want to miss this episode!My guest is Precious Rodgers, a Pinterest marketing expert and ad specialist who helps online entrepreneurs unlock Pinterest’s potential to get more eyes on their content and grow their audience (and email list!).That’s right, Pinterest isn’t just for interior design and recipes! Pinterest is not just another social media platform, either —  it’s a powerful search engine that rewards consistency and design and offers longer-term benefits than platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Used properly, it can be a vital part of your digital marketing strategy!In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌ ‌✔   How Presh grew from being a virtual assistant to starting her own agency — and becoming a Pinterest Badass!✔   The role that cold pitching played in helping Presh land her first cli

“When you can make money from your messaging, the right people are going to start lining up for your offers.”- Shelagh CumminsIn this episode, I’m going to reveal seven areas where women entrepreneurs tend to unknowingly sabotage their own businesses — and in many cases, actually rob themselves of substantial revenue!Be warned — the content in this episode may throw you for a loop. But that’s all the more reason to dive in, as we’re going to be talking about things that you, as a business owner, absolutely need to hear.From hashtags to schedulers, web design to messaging, I want women entrepreneurs to stop getting in their own way and start dominating their niches and standing proudly in their value.   I hope that after listening, you can take a deeper look at your business and make any small (or big!) changes you may need in order to continue your journey on the Road to Seven!  In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌ ‌✔  Why so many business owners try to save money in the wrong

“I just wanted to have choices. I just wanted to be able to do the things that I wanted to do, when I wanted to do them.”- Sandy ForsterIs it possible to move from welfare to millionaire through coaching? It absolutely is — and Sandy Forster is living proof.While Sandy is now a respected money mindset mentor with a bestselling book under her belt, she didn’t always enjoy financial freedom — or even have a solid understanding of finance.At one point, Sandy was $100k in debt, on welfare, and struggling to raise her children. She believed she was “destined to be poor.” With even small money decisions causing her stress, she knew something had to change.Now, she helps other women create lives of abundance and freedom. Tune in for the inspiring story of how she built her brand from scratch!In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌ ‌✔   How The Law of Attraction kick-started Sandy’s amazing (and lucrative) mindset shift✔   How long it took Sandy to move from welfare to millionaire✔   Why

“I show you the path. I never take the wheel.”— Hadriana LeoPersonal finance coach Hadriana Leo (AKA The Money Navigator) teaches women how to be the heroes of their own financial stories!Hadriana started as a traditional financial advisor, something she could do while at home with her daughters. She fell in love with financial service and through truly listening to her clients realized that the traditional advisory business model didn’t allow her to meet their greatest need. “These women really needed someone to journey with them, and not just throw numbers at them,” Hadriana says. “I realized that I had some gifts that I could lend to financial services that would allow me to meet that need and fulfill my own purpose.”Hadriana offers her clients a unique blend of financial knowledge and an ability to provide nurturing guidance and support to help her clients lead richer, more secure lives.In this interview, Hadriana talks about how she let go of her secret Cinderella fantasy and created her own “glass slipp

“You have to be in it for the right reason.”— Ariana JacksonAriana Jackson has a long history of supporting the vulnerable in her community. After adopting her daughter and closing down their therapeutic foster home, Ariana co-founded an assisted living home to support a friend’s foster son who was aging out of foster care and facing homelessness.When Ariana realized how challenging the process was, she also realized her desire to make a larger impact.She started the Direct Care CEO Facebook group and began offering masterclasses to help direct care professionals build thriving practices and improve the lives of those in need.Her trainings include not only how to get licenced, but how to navigate the complex Medicaid system and scale up. “What I believe sets me apart from other coaches out there that may do the same thing is I’m building this component in for not only starting, but for the future,” Ariana explains. “The future to grow, and to scale, and to implement systems in their business.”In‌ ‌this‌ ‌epis

“You’ve got to let go. You have to let people do things their way, because what you care about is the result of their work.”- Shelagh CumminsAre you looking to hire? Are you considering it? Or have you started to hire?If so, you’re not going to want to miss this episode!I’m going to dig deep into the details of what you need to know when stepping into a leadership role in your small business. This includes how to approach the hiring and onboarding processes in order to find the right people for your business, how to assess employee performance using the three Cs (competence, capacity, and communication), how to set fair and effective performance objectives, what to do when a team member falls short — and how to understand what might have gone wrong.As you build your team, your role in your business evolves by necessity. If you’re already well into hiring for your business, don’t worry — you’ll still find a lot of very valuable information here to help you build and nurture an incredible team.In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episo

“We kind of broke a lot of the rules.”- Suzie YorkeSuzie Yorke is on a mission to bring healthy fats back.In this episode, Suzie guides us through her step-by-step journey from coming up with an initial high-fat snack bar concept to having a full line of products on the shelves — including practical, actionable tips on how to secure distribution in Canada!An eleven-time Ironman competitor, Suzie spent years on a low-fat diet — only to hit a wall in her mid-40s. After reading Nina Teicholz’s Big Fat Surprise, she shifted to a high-fat, low-carb diet, and felt better right away. Unable to find convenient, good-fat snacks and seeing an opportunity to help others through food, Suzie launched Love Good Fats, a company that produces high-fat, low-carb, and low-sugar products. In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌ ‌>  How Suzie grew her company from one delicious, high-fat bar to a full product suite  >  The start-up struggles Suzie faced — and how she worked through them > 

“What matters most to your longevity as an entrepreneur is what you do when the going gets tough.”- Shelagh CumminsIt’s not always rainbows and unicorns when we’re building our businesses.When the going gets tough, how you react and the choices you make can have a huge impact.Entrepreneurs tend to love sharing the highlights of their businesses — those breakthroughs that help them tap into their ideal audience, bust through revenue plateaus, or come up with the perfect offer.And it’s great to have that inspiration, don’t get me wrong! I love a good success story as much as the next person.But we don’t often see the lowlights of running a business — the obstacles and setbacks that every entrepreneur deals with on their Road to Seven.Learning how to deal with the lowlights is just as important as celebrating  the highlights!This episode is all about exploring those lowlights — especially the ones that have popped up for so many of us during the last year. You’ll learn key survival strategies for keeping up your

“I will give anyone advice on their images and what they should be doing.”- Trina TurlCould branding photography be the missing ingredient your business website needs?Trina Turl specializes in capturing vibrant, stunning images that help small businesses and brands stand out from the crowd!A former wedding photographer, Trina shifted to photography for small businesses, shooting interiors, products, and small groups. She also provides magazine-quality stock images at accessible prices through her new business, Clio & Fox.Branding photography is a specialty Trina shifted to after joining small business communities on Facebook and realizing the value she could bring. “Once you become part of the small business community, you kind of see what they need, and it’s not really being addressed by strictly commercial photography. It’s a nice blend of the wedding, in the way that you’re interacting with people,” Trina explains, “But there’s also a lot of planning and thinking ahead of time that goes into it, which

“Today, we’re talking about increasing your sales, but our strategy to do this is not necessarily what you think it’s going to be!”- Shelagh CumminsIncrease your revenue, and you’ll be able to invest in your business, serve more people, and make an even bigger impact. But you don’t want to increase your sales by doubling the time that you’re working or holding gimmicky flash sales where you decrease the value of your offers. In this episode, you’re going to learn the secret to increasing your sales... without increasing your hours, creating more offers, or making more pitches!There are a few things that contribute to your sales: your offers, your pricing, your lead generation, and your positioning. Of all of those things, positioning is the most important.Your lead generation is made up of things such as webinars, launches, landing pages, and ads, but the reality is that there is no point spending money on those things if your positioning hasn’t been perfected!Your positioning determines how you and your offe

“This group, despite all the impact they have, remain the most overlooked and undervalued sector of the economy by banks, by investors, and the general public.”- Shelagh CumminsDid you know that more than half of all new businesses are run by sole proprietors, with two employees or fewer?These microbusiness operate on a smaller scale with leaner operations, and tend to use contractors, rather than employees. They’re often dismissed as “cottage industry” or cute little “side hustles.” Not everyone believes in their power. Investors generally don’t consider them and Canada’s COVID-19 support passed them by.Even though microbusinesses are widely overlooked by banks, investors, the government, and even the general public, they play a huge role in the economy, at both local and global levels.A huge percentage of microbusinesses are run by women entrepreneurs, and they often hire other women entrepreneurs as contractors — helping these other women grow their own microbusinesses and earn more money!When women succee

“We offer all of our team a day every month that they can go and volunteer at their favourite cause, and we’ll pay for that.”- Desirée BombenonHow do you shift from a profit-driven business to a purpose-driven one? And what are the benefits?Desirée Bombenon wanted to become a community builder — so she made a commitment to utilizing her business as a force for good.Her company, SureCall, is a former after-hours virtual reception service that has transformed into a global business optimization company. Part of this transformation included levelling up the company culture, something Desirée achieved through developing strong company values, encouraging community involvement through PTO for volunteering, and hiring a Culture Champion.“We have all of these engagement KPIs that we utilize,” Desirée explains. “And that Culture Champion, their role is to ensure the team understands how to utilize these platforms, how to stay engaged, how to use the volunteer hours, all of those things.” In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Ro

I hope you’re ready for a spicy episode today! This week’s topic is gender equity in the workplace.My guest is Paul Harrietha, co-author of the excellent book ‘The Invisible Rules: What’s Really Holding Women Back in Business—and How to Fix It’, which is based on the personal insights of 50 senior female executives, including some high-profile Canadian business leaders. Paul’s wife is a senior executive at a large corporation, and Paul became interested in gender equity after realizing that she and her colleagues faced unique challenges and setbacks when climbing the corporate ladder… while their less experienced male peers received promotions into senior leadership positions.This prompted Paul to do some soul-searching and identify some of his own hidden biases.While Paul’s expertise is on gender equity in the corporate world, there are a shocking number of parallels to gender equity in entrepreneurship.In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode of the Road to Seven podcast,‌ ‌you’ll discover:‌ ‌Why so many women leave the corpora