[quote style=”boxed”]Consistency, especially in your communications with your clients and potential clients. This has a lot to do with developing a newsletter and scheduling it to go out on a consistent basis. Nowadays it takes a lot to move a prospective client to a paying client and consistency helps in this.[/quote]
In the course of a diverse 20-year career in all aspects of executive, internet marketing, social media and entrepreneurship, Suni has proven to be a skilled executive, visionary entrepreneur and an adroit problem solver. After working for a small marketing company, Suni made the decision that changed her life forever. “I finally realized that I should be an entrepreneur! I was working in a small company and was basically doing everything. That was when I realized that I had the skills I needed to do this on my own.”
Without a mentor or coach to guide her, Suni immersed herself in books on marketing and success. She soon discovered how to use online marketing to build her business. It appealed to her because it was low-cost, had a broad reach, and she could work from her laptop sitting at home.
Today, Suni is a serial entrepreneur and small business coach who helps aspiring women business owners make the transition from struggling entrepreneurs to amazing successful entrepreneurs. Suni started her coaching business to help other women entrepreneurs deal with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of starting and growing a new business.
By blending energy dynamics and good solid business skills, Suni helps business owners create a steady stream of ideal clients into their business by marketing their services with complete integrity so they can let their light and passion shine in the world through the inspired work they do.
She offers a wide range of coaching programs and services – all geared to help business owners start and grow their businesses successfully – turning their passions into profits and prosperity.
To learn more about growing your business and collaborate with other like-minded women visit . Here you can also sign up for our newsletter and receive our much talked about guide on how to Get More Clients.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently launching a professional association for women entrepreneurs.
Where did the idea for International Association of Divine Women Entrepreneurs come from?
I’ve been working with women entrepreneurs for awhile and have come to realize we are social beings. The International Association of Divine Women Entrepreneurs was born out of a passion to connect women who are ready to create, collaborate, and contribute to changing the world. We gather people and ideas together through online content, tele-courses, individual/group coaching and retreats.
We seek to unite under a common goal of helping one another to succeed and thrive in business. We are blessed to share in a commonality of growing businesses and yet know that we might each choose to grow in different ways.
At IAODWE, we think big. We have lofty but attainable goals. With the hopes that together, we can change the world. And as we creatively leverage our presence in the business world we learn to not only survive in a changing economy, but to thrive in the midst of it.
How do you make money?
My business is based on a membership style model. Members pay on an annual basis.
What does your typical day look like?
Although my workdays vary somewhat, I am usually in my office between 9 and 9:30 a.m. But first things first, obviously the first think I do is make some coffee and get the kids ready for school. Since I drop them off, I will sometimes head to the track field to walk/run. Then when I get home I begin working on something of my own: writing or editing, a blog entry, or something else. Then I check e-mail, blogs, and all social networks. After about an hour, I eat breakfast (no, for some reason I don’t feel like eating until I’ve been up for an hour or two). After breakfast, I focus on project work such as writing content for future courses, tape videos and make audio records. I take a lunch break at noon and sometimes run errands. After few more hours of project work, it is time to pick my child up from school. My goal is to wrap up my work each day by the time I pick the kids up (I prefer to put in about 5-6 hours per day) although there are days when I work longer hou rs. On Fridays, I do throw in a team meeting to discuss what to work on for the next week.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I listen to what my clients want and what they are going through in their businesses. From here I create various training programs and products that are geared to help them in their business.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
I see a lot of movement being focused around how western women are truly going to change the world, which goes back to Dalai Lama’s famous words “The World Will Be Changed By The Western Women”. Like the Dalai Lama, it is my belief that the western woman holds much power to change our world into a more peaceful, harmonious and unified community that truly celebrates differences rather than separates because of them. It is this understanding that women are starting to create businesses that are meant to change the world by using their true passions. With that said, these women who are starting their “passion businesses” are faced with insecurities, unworthiness and sometimes shear fear about starting a business or they have found themselves just stuck in their current business. IAODWE was designed as a place not only as a way to help women authentically market their business but to allow a means for them to collabor ate with one another through networking opportunities. Even if they just want to express their feeling on the private forum, they have a community to share what ever it is that is on their mind. Knowing someone out there has gone through the same obstacles and can offer support.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
My worst job was working for a company where I was the social media manager and consultant for our e-store dealers (there was about 256 of them). I created a training program for the e-store dealers to go through on social media marketing, but the owners were dead set on the main focus being Google (Google this, Google that). In actuality there are a lot more components to online marketing other than Google and it proved really difficult to help our e-store dealers when I felt we needed to also focus on other areas of marketing such as planning and the strategic side of it. It got to the point that the owners wanted me to create only Google+ accounts for all the dealers instead of helping and guiding them so they understood social media and marketing as a whole.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
Not wait so long to get things going. Women undoubtedly are emotional beings. We tend to let the negative feelings get to us. I had to overcome a lot of extra baggage (feelings of not knowing enough, who am I to help these women, not to mention the FEARS). It took a lot to move forward. Although because of this, I am better able to help women with their obstacles that are holding them back.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Consistency, especially in your communications with your clients and potential clients. This has a lot to do with developing a newsletter and scheduling it to go out on a consistent basis. Nowadays it takes a lot to move a prospective client to a paying client and consistency helps in this.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
In the beginning stages of my creative business, my biggest struggle was with myself! I failed at this miserably. Self-doubt was definitely my biggest hurdle. I was so worried that no one would like my products and coaching services, and that no one would want to spend their hard-earned money to buy them. I remember telling my husband, during one particularly bad self-doubting episode, that everyone and their brother was a business coach, why would they want to buy my stuff? Why bother? He said something that has stuck with me to this day. He said “So what!? Everyone might be doing something similar, but no one else owns your vision, your thoughts, or your ideas. That’s what people want.”
Support and encouragement from my friends and family really helped me work through my periods of self doubt in the beginning stages of my creative business. I still have those moments and thoughts periodically and when that happens, I look back at my past experience and know if I just do it (whatever it is that I’m worried, or doubtful about) that I will be happy and things will work out. People can’t find you or your products if you don’t put yourself out there!
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
They say that it’s all about the list….well when you are just starting you really don’t have a list. Or you may be just struggling to get people to sign up for your list. A quick and rather easy way to grow your list is through tele-summits. Another great way to grow your list is through speaking events. I have never been one to do much speaking, I don’t like getting in front of other people (this is something I am still working on)…which is why I love the idea of hosting tele-summits. There is a lot of behind the scenes work, but it is all worthwhile when you see your list actually growing.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?
This is a vary difficult question, because the one thing that would make the world a better place that I would absolutely love to change still has yet to be accomplished. And quite honestly I am not sure if it will ever be nonexistent. I know as a nation, we are still working on it and internationally it is still prevalent…..and that is prejudice. Can you imagine what it would be like if we could all live in harmony regardless of race, ethnicity, religion and everything else that goes with being prejudice. The only thing that I can do to help is to make sure I am living my life without prejudice and hope that others are watching and will learn from example.
Tell us something about you that very few people know?
A lot of people know I like to write about business and marketing. What they don’t know is that I am actually in the process of writing my first NOVEL. I have spent numerous nights staying up late writing. We’ll have to wait and see what my creative juices have cooked up.
What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
I had my developers create productivity software “Time & Productivity Success Software” that is exclusive to my members only. I absolutely love it….it keeps me on track with everything that I have going on. I also like Coaches Console, it helps to keep the backend of my businesses running smoothly. I like it’s follow-up system, like they say “It’s all in the follow-up”. I also like working with Central Desktop. Ah the world of project management systems – there is a plethora of choices out there and I feel like I’ve tried them all. I started using Central Desktop a couple of years ago and it remains one of my favs. We use it for project management (keeping track of who is doing what) and also for all of our company files & information (how to do stuff aka SOP guide). It’s a pretty comprehensive system all around and functions very much as a virtual office space.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
I love the book by Napoleon Hill “Think and Grow Rich”. I feel all of the principles presented are very relevant today. Without a doubt “Think and Grow Rich” will help you with your mindset. There are many many other books with the same universal theme, such as “As A Man Thinketh”, “The Magic of Believing”, “The Science of Getting Rich” to name a few. However the real key is to not “Think and Grow Rich” but to take action and grow rich. All the thinking in the world will not make you a penny. It’s when you put those thoughts in action does the real magic happen…Have passion, then take action!
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?
1. Richard Branson: All I can say here is “WOW”. He really wants to change the world.
2. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore: Blakemore studies the brain, and she’s fascinated with how we respond to social situations.
3. And of course Chris Brogan: Just because I like to keep abreast of all the new marketing stuff.
When was the last time you laughed out loud? What caused it?
There is not a specific time. My youngest (who is 5) is a true born comedian. She is ALWAYS making us laugh by coming up with something goofy. Whether it’s her “rain dance” (to make the “rain” GO AWAY) so she can go outside and play to her silly facial expressions. Kids are really what makes life worth living.
Who is your hero?
I would have to say my son. He is in the military and will be completing his tour for good in November. We are definitely excited and fortunate to have him back home with us. All I can say here is…I never knew a real hero until my son became one.
As a women business owner, how do you handle being a mom and a successful owner?
To be frank, being a mom is no picnic. Add running a business to that, and things can get complicated and out of hand in no time. I get it. I’m a mom, I have a business, and my last two children are far from driving age. I am astounded at how moms run a successful business and cultivate a family at the same time. Not just doing it, but doing it well. In my experience, I have found a few things that help me to keep on task and keeping it together as a mom and a business woman.
First I make sure all my priorities are in order. Being a parent is all about choices and priorities. Being a business owner is also about choices and priorities. Every decision you make, whether about organizing or keeping it together should come out of a list of priorities you have set in place from the beginning.
Second, I try to keep communication open and have strict boundaries in place. This means communication and boundaries with your partner, spouse, children, employees and anyone else who will be affected by your business hours and location of your office (especially one in your home).
And I always make time for myself. As a mom, it’s easy to get wrapped up in doing for others in work and in our families. Make sure you also are doing things for yourself, so you have it within you to give back. The way I do this is to go out for pedicures and participate in Yoga classes. I love pedicures and Yoga, it’s how I relax and unwind. Whatever it is, take the time out for yourself and you’ll be a happier, more well-adjusted parent and business owner.
What is your biggest accomplishment/achievement?
I was recently asked this question and this is what I said “This is my greatest accomplishment. Being here and having this opportunity. My greatest accomplishment isn’t in the past; it’s the present, this moment, the “right” now. I am living my greatest accomplishment with every minute, every hour of every day”.
Connect:
Suni Taylor on Twitter: @SuniTaylor
Suni Taylor on LinkedIn:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.