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[00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.680] Hey, Entrepreneurs, it's Steph here with a special invite just for you.
[00:00:05.680 --> 00:00:10.800] Do you want to experience what it's like to be part of our Entrepreneur League community of founders?
[00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.400] Now is your chance.
[00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:21.360] You can join me this month at one of our upcoming Entrepreneurs League info sessions where I'm going to share with you all you're going to get access to when you join the community.
[00:00:21.360 --> 00:00:27.040] Plus, I'll be giving away some big bonuses that you will only be able to get access to when you attend live.
[00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:35.600] Head over to refer.entreprenista.com forward slash info session to join us at one of our virtual info sessions this month.
[00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.640] That's refer.entreparnista.com forward slash info session.
[00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:44.560] Or head over to the show notes right now and tap the link to join us.
[00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:49.200] I can't wait to meet you there and learn more about you and your business.
[00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.880] I would be lying if I didn't say luck plays a tiny part in it, you know?
[00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:58.560] I mean, you can work really hard, but so much of it is timing and the right things happening at the right time.
[00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:07.440] What was, I would say, game-changing for me was, number one, when I first started the business, one of my big clients was actually in telecommunications where I had never worked.
[00:01:07.440 --> 00:01:14.480] But my former head of HR, when I was in-house, had actually said, you need to help us open this new facility in North Carolina.
[00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:16.000] And I was like, oh, cool.
[00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.240] Big brand, you know, a chance to do something.
[00:01:18.240 --> 00:01:21.680] But my expertise was life sciences and that was really my passion.
[00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.480] But I did it and I actually did something for a jewelry company.
[00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:30.480] Again, I was just trying to build and go, but when I decided, no, I'm going to 100% focus on life sciences.
[00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:31.840] That's my expertise.
[00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.640] It really requires a certain skill set to do that.
[00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:38.640] That then allowed me to start to go in a whole different direction.
[00:01:46.320 --> 00:01:52.720] If you've ever felt like building a business was harder than it needed to be, you're going to get so much value out of today's episode.
[00:01:52.720 --> 00:02:00.000] Andrea Johnston grew, scaled, and sold her first marketing agency, and now she is on a mission to help even more women founders.
[00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:08.200] She is now the founder of Fuel for Female Founders and knows firsthand what it takes to turn ambition into a real sustainable success.
[00:02:08.200 --> 00:02:11.240] And she's on a mission to make sure you don't have to do it alone.
[00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:17.480] She is pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to grow your business with more ease, clarity, and confidence.
[00:02:17.480 --> 00:02:29.080] From building a network that actually moves the needle to trusting yourself even when the road gets rocky, she shares the strategies that fuel not just your business, but really for you as a founder.
[00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:43.400] So if you're ready for real talk about building an agency and powerful insights and tangible next steps to build your business and your personal brand, keep listening and get ready to hear Andrea's story and her biggest business secrets.
[00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:47.880] This is the Entrepreneur Podcast presented by Social Fly.
[00:02:47.880 --> 00:02:58.600] It's the best business meeting you'll ever have with must-hear real-life looks at how leading women in business are getting it done and what it takes to build and grow a successful company.
[00:02:58.600 --> 00:03:04.440] It's beyond the Graham with no filters, no limits, and plenty of surprises.
[00:03:07.640 --> 00:03:13.880] Andrea, I am so thrilled to finally be sitting down with you, recording this podcast episode.
[00:03:13.880 --> 00:03:20.520] I want to share with all of our listeners that we initially connected through a mutual connection.
[00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:27.400] Courtney and I had met this incredible man, Colton, through a fellow entrepreneur who introduced us to him.
[00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.280] And when we met Colton, he's like, I have to connect you to Andrea.
[00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:31.800] So that's how we connected.
[00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:45.920] And I feel like everything just goes back to the power of connections and community and relationships and one thing leading to the next, because now we're about to do tons of incredible things together to help impact and inspire even more entrepreneurs.
[00:03:45.920 --> 00:03:48.800] So we'll get into all the good stuff, but thank you for being here.
[00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:49.200] Thank you.
[00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:50.480] No, I'm so excited to be here.
[00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:54.560] And I'm so grateful to Colton for introducing us and making that connection.
[00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:56.480] Yes, no, he is absolutely incredible.
[00:03:56.480 --> 00:04:08.800] And I bet we'll be talking more about him in just a bit, but I would love to know from you, Andrea, when you were growing up, did you always know, were you that kid who, you know, was selling lemonade and always knew they wanted to start their own business one day?
[00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:11.840] I can honestly say no, I wasn't that kid.
[00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.480] I mean, both of my parents worked for the state.
[00:04:14.480 --> 00:04:15.840] My mom was a social worker.
[00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.000] My father was in public education.
[00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:23.040] So I didn't have any role models for business building or in the private sector.
[00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:33.600] It was something that I think really became an area of interest to me once I got into the workforce and I saw how companies were run and I saw sort of the opportunity set.
[00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:35.680] And that's what really wet my appetite.
[00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:42.720] I think the younger me would have said, oh, she's going to be in politics or do something that was more community and civic minded.
[00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:43.920] That's so interesting.
[00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:45.200] So what was your path?
[00:04:45.200 --> 00:04:48.080] What led you to actually start your own business?
[00:04:48.080 --> 00:05:01.200] Well, after about a dozen years working in the pharmaceutical industry and then in various larger communications firms, I ultimately realized like I wanted to build something different.
[00:05:01.200 --> 00:05:08.320] The higher you get in traditional agencies, the less you actually are close to the craft of communications.
[00:05:08.320 --> 00:05:12.960] And my passion was always really being close to clients and doing the work.
[00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:14.800] I love the work.
[00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:23.440] And so I was at that level where it was a lot of Excel spreadsheets and a lot of, you know, the admin part of the business.
[00:05:23.440 --> 00:05:40.360] And I just felt like I could do something different where we could bring clients senior level talent that wasn't so worried about the forecast, but really focused on their business and bringing that expertise crafted over years to really help them advance their business and also to connect more deeply with patients.
[00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:44.920] Because when you're working in the pharmaceutical industry, it's really all about the patients at the end of the day.
[00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:49.160] So I wanted to get back to something that would really allow me to do that in a meaningful way.
[00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:51.080] And that's what led me to start Pure.
[00:05:51.080 --> 00:05:56.840] What were some of those first steps that you took when you said, all right, I'm leaving the corporate world, I'm going to start this on my own?
[00:05:57.480 --> 00:06:03.800] Well, as many things in my life, it was I had just given birth to my second child.
[00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:08.440] I had decided I wasn't going to go back from maternity leave.
[00:06:08.440 --> 00:06:12.520] And so I basically said, peace out, I'm done.
[00:06:12.520 --> 00:06:14.680] I really want to do my own thing.
[00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:18.680] And I just started literally reaching out to contacts.
[00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:20.520] You know, I'd worked in the industry for a long time.
[00:06:20.520 --> 00:06:24.280] I knew a lot of different people, said, I'm going to put out my own shingle.
[00:06:24.280 --> 00:06:25.800] It was, I was a solo person.
[00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:28.120] I had no idea where this might go.
[00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:30.840] And I was really fortunate.
[00:06:30.840 --> 00:06:35.320] And this kind of goes back to why I am so passionate about what you're doing with Entrepreneurista.
[00:06:35.320 --> 00:06:37.720] It goes back to relationships and connections, right?
[00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:44.360] So early on, I was fortunate to have supporters from throughout my career who stepped up and said, We'd love to help you.
[00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:45.960] Like you're so talented.
[00:06:45.960 --> 00:06:48.120] Let us involve you in this project.
[00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:50.520] Or could you come meet with our CEO and do this?
[00:06:50.520 --> 00:06:54.840] So it really sort of started there and then just kind of gained momentum.
[00:06:54.840 --> 00:06:58.120] So talk to me about the evolution of building an agency business.
[00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:11.000] We have so many, specifically, marketing agency owners, PR agency owners, social media agency owners, SEO, web development inside the Entrepreneursa League, because so many women, I think, see the same need that you saw, right?
[00:07:11.320 --> 00:07:19.600] Had a great job, had children, decided wanted to build something on their own, and now they're learning the agency world for the first time.
[00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:22.720] So, you did a lot of things right.
[00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:26.400] And you'll probably tell me you made a lot of mistakes, too, and we'll talk about all those as well.
[00:07:26.400 --> 00:07:30.720] But in those early days, when you were first getting started, you started building this agency.
[00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:36.640] Like, what made your business and you such a success that all of our entrepreneurs can learn from?
[00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:41.840] I mean, I would be lying if I didn't say luck plays a tiny part in it, you know?
[00:07:41.840 --> 00:07:47.840] I mean, you can work really hard, but so much of it is timing and the right things happening at the right time.
[00:07:47.840 --> 00:07:56.880] What was, I would say, game-changing for me was: number one, when I first started the business, one of my big clients was actually in telecommunications where I had never worked.
[00:07:56.880 --> 00:08:04.480] But my former head of HR, when I was in-house, had actually said, You need to help us open this new facility in North Carolina.
[00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:08.320] And I was like, Oh, cool, big brand, you know, a chance to do something.
[00:08:08.320 --> 00:08:11.760] But my expertise was life sciences, and that was really my passion.
[00:08:11.760 --> 00:08:14.800] But I did it, and I actually did something for a jewelry company.
[00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:16.720] Again, I was just trying to build and go.
[00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:23.040] But when I decided, no, I'm going to 100% focus on life sciences, that's my expertise.
[00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:26.080] It really requires a certain skill set to do that.
[00:08:26.080 --> 00:08:29.360] That then allowed me to start to go in a whole different direction.
[00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:38.080] And I got this client who was developing a drug based on the key protein in wine, Resveratrol, which I'm sure you've heard of before.
[00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:42.960] Well, they were developing a series of treatments for different diseases of aging.
[00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:49.200] We got them on the Barbara Walters show, we got them in all of these major talk shows and news media.
[00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:51.280] They were on the cover of magazines.
[00:08:51.280 --> 00:08:52.240] It was huge.
[00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:56.240] And that was really when everyone started going to that CEO saying, Who is doing your PR?
[00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.080] Like, who's doing your communications?
[00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:00.760] So, that really, I would say, was kind of the game changer.
[00:09:00.760 --> 00:09:04.680] And as people started calling, you can never take enough meetings.
[00:08:59.920 --> 00:09:06.520] You can never say yes to enough people.
[00:09:06.760 --> 00:09:10.200] And that networking and those referrals lead to the next thing.
[00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:16.040] So I would say that is what was really kind of a major moment for us as a firm.
[00:09:16.040 --> 00:09:20.120] So tell me what happened next as you were scaling the business.
[00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:25.160] When did you decide to, because you eventually took private equity money, correct?
[00:09:25.160 --> 00:09:25.640] Yeah.
[00:09:25.640 --> 00:09:34.200] So two years into the business, I actually asked my husband if he would leave his management consulting job and help me because I was overwhelmed with back office stuff.
[00:09:34.520 --> 00:09:39.400] And he, being the wonderfully supportive husband that he is, said, yes, I'm all in.
[00:09:39.400 --> 00:09:40.440] Let's go.
[00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:45.240] So we were at about 12 million in revenues.
[00:09:45.240 --> 00:09:48.600] And we knew that we had so much growth opportunity.
[00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:58.840] We had more client asks than we knew what to do with, which is a wonderful place to be, but it's also a dangerous place to be because that's all built on a reputation where you do great work.
[00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:05.560] I also saw that in order for us to be ready to meet the future of communications, we needed more in data and analytics.
[00:10:05.560 --> 00:10:12.280] And in order to build something proprietary and really create a meaningful technology, it was going to cost a lot of money.
[00:10:12.280 --> 00:10:20.840] And when you and your husband are both working at the company and you have two children that will eventually need to go to college, you have to kind of measure what you invest in when and how.
[00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.920] So that's really when we decided, hey, we have so much growth potential here.
[00:10:24.920 --> 00:10:28.760] Let's talk to some people and see what options are available to us.
[00:10:28.760 --> 00:10:35.240] And his best friend happens to be in private equity, doesn't work in the communications or marketing sector, but he gave us great advice.
[00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:39.000] We ended up hiring a banking firm to work with us.
[00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:46.000] And, you know, we had a lot of amazing interests, very flattering offers, but ultimately, I wanted to grow and scale.
[00:10:44.680 --> 00:10:50.560] So I went with a firm that I thought offered that, and they had just taken PE money.
[00:10:50.880 --> 00:10:59.280] And so that allowed us to combine forces and then really grow and at a very exciting rate and into all new areas.
[00:10:59.280 --> 00:11:09.920] Up next, you'll hear all about Andrea's biggest learning lessons: building and growing an agency business and the first steps that she took to get her company off the ground.
[00:11:15.920 --> 00:11:17.200] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:18.240] It's Steph here.
[00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:24.880] As a founder, I know firsthand that building a business can feel so lonely, but it doesn't have to.
[00:11:24.880 --> 00:11:29.520] And that's why we created our Entrepreneursa Founders Weekend Wealth and Wellness Retreat.
[00:11:29.520 --> 00:11:31.680] And I can't wait to meet you in person there.
[00:11:31.680 --> 00:11:45.920] So you're officially invited to join us from April 30th to May 3rd, 2026 at the stunning PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for three transformative days of connection, collaboration, and real business growth.
[00:11:45.920 --> 00:11:48.000] This isn't just another business conference.
[00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:56.400] It is a curated retreat designed to help you build authentic, lasting relationships with women who truly understand your journey.
[00:11:56.400 --> 00:12:03.200] From business panels and workshops to wellness activations and so much more, this is the room that you need to be in.
[00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:14.720] So if you are ready to invest in yourself and your business and your vision and your next level of success, head over to entrepreneurs.com forward slash foundersweekend to reserve your ticket today.
[00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:23.040] That's entrepreneur.com forward slash foundersweekend or head over to the show notes right now and tap the invitation to reserve your ticket.
[00:12:23.040 --> 00:12:24.320] I'll see you there.
[00:12:34.280 --> 00:12:43.880] All right, I have to ask you now: what were all of your biggest learning lessons from going through the process of partnering with PE and rapid growth?
[00:12:43.880 --> 00:12:51.240] Because that sounds very exciting, of course, but running a business, I know how stressful that can be and very overwhelming.
[00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:53.720] So tell me the good and the bad there.
[00:12:54.040 --> 00:12:57.480] So, I mean, I think there's so many things.
[00:12:57.720 --> 00:13:00.040] First of all, I would say I got really fortunate.
[00:13:00.040 --> 00:13:03.640] Our PE backer, you know, Colton was part of that team.
[00:13:03.640 --> 00:13:11.240] Just an incredible group of people, really committed to the success of the founders and entrepreneurs with whom they work.
[00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:14.520] So we had a board, and I got to report to the board.
[00:13:14.520 --> 00:13:23.560] And I say got to because it was one of the things I wanted to evolve to in my career, really understanding the board dynamic, how to report, how to look at financials.
[00:13:23.560 --> 00:13:26.680] We acquired, I think, seven companies in the time that I was there.
[00:13:26.680 --> 00:13:28.120] And I was on the due diligence team.
[00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:43.480] So I had never done MA before, but it was so exciting to be a part of that and to look under the hood of other businesses and determine what would really be accretive to our business versus what really didn't have anything that was going to move us forward as a team.
[00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:45.640] So that was incredibly exciting.
[00:13:45.640 --> 00:13:56.760] You know, I would say on the downside, you are very much focused on growth and you're very focused on what's going to help drive profitability.
[00:13:56.760 --> 00:14:02.280] I would say we were fortunate again that our partner invested a lot in infrastructure.
[00:14:02.280 --> 00:14:03.880] We needed to expand HR.
[00:14:03.880 --> 00:14:05.160] We needed to do more in finance.
[00:14:05.160 --> 00:14:06.840] And that was true with the company that acquired us.
[00:14:06.840 --> 00:14:10.040] They really needed to further enhance their infrastructure.
[00:14:10.040 --> 00:14:12.200] They were very committed to data and analytics.
[00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:14.760] So they wanted to make investments in companies like that.
[00:14:15.040 --> 00:14:21.760] So I think, if anything, it was the areas where they didn't necessarily jump in and give support.
[00:14:21.760 --> 00:14:27.920] Like once we acquired these companies, merging them successfully, getting all the systems integrated.
[00:14:27.920 --> 00:14:34.720] A lot of times that's not sexy, but it really impacts the day-to-day functioning of the teams in the organizations.
[00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:41.440] And when that doesn't go smoothly, and since we were their first acquisition, they learned a lot acquiring us.
[00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:45.040] Like we lost our entire calendar in a day.
[00:14:45.040 --> 00:14:50.160] All forward-looking meetings, everything gone, wiped out when we were migrated to their system.
[00:14:50.160 --> 00:14:52.240] And that was very painful for everyone.
[00:14:53.040 --> 00:14:53.840] Was it an accident?
[00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:54.800] Did they mean to do that?
[00:14:54.800 --> 00:15:00.240] Or it was no, it was a total accident, but it was one of those things where it was like, oh, big lesson learned here.
[00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:02.400] We got to do this differently next time.
[00:15:02.640 --> 00:15:09.280] But so I would say it wasn't without its hiccups, but in the grand scheme of things, I just feel we were so fortunate.
[00:15:09.280 --> 00:15:14.400] And some of that was also the homework we did in deciding which team we were going to go with.
[00:15:14.400 --> 00:15:24.240] Because we had multiple options, doing the homework and understanding who's on the other side of the table as the buyer is very critical for a successful next step.
[00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:26.160] Because for me, I wanted to be a part of it.
[00:15:26.160 --> 00:15:28.080] I knew I wasn't checking out.
[00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.800] I wanted to help grow and build.
[00:15:30.800 --> 00:15:36.560] So having the chemistry and having a shared vision for the future was very important.
[00:15:36.880 --> 00:15:44.640] How much time did you spend having conversations with the potential opportunities to partner together?
[00:15:44.640 --> 00:15:51.280] So were you spending like weeks or years before you agreed to a deal, or was this all something that happened quickly?
[00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:58.640] No, we, I would say it was the better part of a year from the time we hired banking partners.
[00:15:58.640 --> 00:16:06.920] You have to go through so many things that, as an entrepreneur, you don't even know, like quality of earnings, and you have to like make sure you're all buttoned up on your financials.
[00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:11.960] And you know, like many people probably listening to this, we ran our business off of QuickBooks.
[00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:18.360] And so, making sure everything is tied up real cleanly and reported properly.
[00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:21.720] You know, it's a process that alone.
[00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:26.040] And then, developing your pitch deck and then going through the list of potential buyers.
[00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:29.160] Are there ones you're definitely not interested in joining forces with?
[00:16:29.160 --> 00:16:31.480] Are there ones where, yeah, I know a lot about them?
[00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:32.360] That would be really good.
[00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:38.120] So, by the time you actually hit the road to meet with people, you've already spent three or four months.
[00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:40.200] And then you have your roadshows and your meetings.
[00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:42.280] So, it's a lengthy process.
[00:16:42.280 --> 00:16:50.360] I think it's very worth it to go through a process, but you have to know it's going to take time and it's also going to take time away from your business.
[00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:50.760] Yes.
[00:16:51.080 --> 00:16:55.240] And you have to continue to be running your business just as profitably during that time to get there.
[00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:57.800] That's opportunity.
[00:16:57.800 --> 00:16:58.520] A hundred percent.
[00:16:58.520 --> 00:17:05.080] And you also, you know, a big thing for me is I think I could have done more to communicate with our employees during that period.
[00:17:05.080 --> 00:17:06.280] I was on the road so much.
[00:17:06.280 --> 00:17:07.240] And you have to be careful.
[00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:13.320] You can't talk a lot about what's happening because you don't want to scare clients or anyone in the marketplace.
[00:17:13.320 --> 00:17:23.720] So it's kind of an awkward time, but being as present as you can be for your employees is so important because they see you're not in your office as much.
[00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:27.400] They see you're not as available on your calendar and they're wondering what's going on.
[00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:32.360] And so making sure you make that extra effort to stay connected is really important.
[00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:33.800] Absolutely.
[00:17:33.800 --> 00:17:37.720] So, after this acquisition, you stayed on for a while.
[00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:39.560] What ended up happening next?
[00:17:39.560 --> 00:17:40.840] Well, it was so exciting.
[00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:47.440] We acquired two more companies, and we basically achieved a five-year plan in three years.
[00:17:44.840 --> 00:17:51.120] And our then private equity firm said, Look, you guys are crushing it.
[00:17:51.280 --> 00:17:58.560] And if you want to take it to the next level and do some of these other big acquisitions, I think it's time to look at the next level PE partner.
[00:17:58.560 --> 00:18:01.600] So, we went on the road and we met with a bunch of different firms.
[00:18:01.600 --> 00:18:08.640] We ended up selling to a very, very large PE firm in the marketing and technology space.
[00:18:09.280 --> 00:18:10.320] Amazing partner.
[00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:18.400] At that point, I was running North America, doing about $150 million in revenue, had about 600 plus people in my organization.
[00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:24.800] And after spending another almost year on the road, I have to be honest, I was pretty burnt out.
[00:18:24.800 --> 00:18:27.440] I mean, I was one of the only women on the team.
[00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:28.480] I had two kids.
[00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:32.080] My kids were at that kind of critical point in high school.
[00:18:32.080 --> 00:18:36.720] So, I stayed on almost another year after we did the second deal.
[00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:44.240] And then, just for me, it was time to, I had achieved everything I had ever wanted to from a communications perspective and more.
[00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:48.240] You know, again, I had parents who worked for the state.
[00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:52.160] Like, this was just totally unfathomable to me.
[00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:53.440] And so, I was like, you know what?
[00:18:53.440 --> 00:19:01.840] I'm ready to take a break and refocus on my family and my kids before they go to college and maybe achieve some things that are personally really important to me at this stage.
[00:19:01.840 --> 00:19:05.440] And I was fortunate that financially I was in a position to do that.
[00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:14.960] Do you look back now and you're like, I had this idea to start my own communications firm and grew and scaled it to hundreds of million in revenue, hundreds of employees?
[00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.680] Like, do you just sit back and you're like, oh my gosh, I did that?
[00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.960] Did that happen?
[00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:20.480] No, I mean, I really can't believe it.
[00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:22.880] It's probably how you and Courtney often feel, right?
[00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:29.680] It's like you almost don't even take enough time to relish that accomplishment and like enjoy that success.
[00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:34.040] And I honestly had the most amazing teams in each of these phases.
[00:19:34.040 --> 00:19:50.280] And I am so grateful to the people who really showed up and were so consistent with clients and with these new people that we became part of and so willing to build bridges and create connections because none of this is possible if you don't have the right team with you.
[00:19:50.600 --> 00:20:02.040] And so, yeah, I mean, my husband and I over the last year in particular, as both of our kids are now getting ready to graduate college, we just can't even believe how things played out.
[00:20:02.040 --> 00:20:06.840] And we're so grateful, but we also recognize that it doesn't happen without a lot of hard work.
[00:20:06.840 --> 00:20:07.720] No, absolutely.
[00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:16.920] That's what it takes: hard work, surrounding yourself with the right team and community and really great relationships to help you along the way.
[00:20:16.920 --> 00:20:18.520] Andrew, I have to ask you this.
[00:20:18.520 --> 00:20:23.640] I'm sure there were some mistakes that you made along the way that our entrepreneurs can learn from.
[00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:28.680] Can you share any of the mistakes that actually I like to call them learning lessons?
[00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:30.440] No, learning lessons.
[00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:32.600] That's a good way to phrase it.
[00:20:32.600 --> 00:20:42.520] I think there are many mistakes I made, both in building my business and in the course of going through different transactions.
[00:20:42.520 --> 00:20:57.640] I think in building my business, there were times when, because I wanted to build a business where it was really focused on that client relationship, there were times when I took on a client that I knew in my gut was probably not going to be a good fit.
[00:20:57.640 --> 00:21:02.120] And I knew that maybe we were not on the same page about communications.
[00:21:02.120 --> 00:21:06.280] And I always regretted when I didn't listen to my intuition.
[00:21:06.280 --> 00:21:12.640] So, I think it's so important because that becomes such a distraction and a time sink when it's not a good fit.
[00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:17.360] And to try to keep making it work, actually, everything suffers when that happens.
[00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:22.800] I think the second big thing is, I am a fixer and a doer.
[00:21:22.800 --> 00:21:25.280] So, I tend to like carry a lot of things on my own.
[00:21:25.280 --> 00:21:28.480] I'm not always the best about delegating certain things.
[00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:45.200] And so, I really think it's critical early on to identify areas where your talents are better served focusing on clients or focusing on this aspect of the business, and then hire the right people to do other things, including, you know, nowadays you can hire people to do your laundry.
[00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:48.240] You can hire people to, you know, organize your kitchen.
[00:21:48.240 --> 00:22:00.000] Like, don't be afraid to outsource the things that make sense to outsource, because if you're paying that person 50 bucks an hour and you're making 250 bucks an hour and you're growing your business, like the math makes sense.
[00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:05.200] So, it just frees you up when you delegate and when you identify resources.
[00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:09.040] And that's one of the things I love about the entrepreneurship community, quite frankly.
[00:22:09.040 --> 00:22:16.640] I can quickly search and find all kinds of incredible companies, whether it's I need help with social media or I need someone who has this expertise.
[00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:17.360] I need a lawyer.
[00:22:17.360 --> 00:22:18.320] I need an accountant.
[00:22:18.320 --> 00:22:20.400] You have it all living right in this community.
[00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:23.920] That was not available to me when I started my firm.
[00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:25.920] So, I think that's just incredible.
[00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:27.360] And that's really important.
[00:22:27.360 --> 00:22:41.520] Don't be afraid to delegate and to outsource because I think we could have gone further on our own and wouldn't have felt so overwhelmed if we hadn't hesitated to invest and outsource certain things.
[00:22:41.520 --> 00:22:42.800] I'm so glad you shared that.
[00:22:42.800 --> 00:22:45.440] And look, that's why we started the entrepreneurship community.
[00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:48.880] We didn't have that when we first started Social Fly years ago.
[00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:54.400] So, we created what we felt we really needed and were trying to build and put together.
[00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:58.960] And when you just said that about outsourcing laundry and everything, I'm like, that is like my thing.
[00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:07.240] I'm like, every single thing that I'm not great at or costs less for someone else to do it than the value and the hours of my time.
[00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:08.920] Like I am all for it.
[00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:11.640] And so many women in our community, and you've now worked with some of them.
[00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:15.240] We should talk about Jessica, who now worked with you had reached out to me.
[00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:20.600] Like, who in the community should I work with to work on, you know, building my brand and my new brand?
[00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:21.960] I'm like, talk to Jessica's wages.
[00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:22.440] She's the best.
[00:23:22.440 --> 00:23:23.000] She's amazing.
[00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:24.440] And then you nailed it.
[00:23:24.440 --> 00:23:25.720] She's amazing.
[00:23:25.720 --> 00:23:26.280] Oh, God.
[00:23:26.280 --> 00:23:26.840] She's so good.
[00:23:26.840 --> 00:23:31.320] She spoke at our Founders Weekend event last year and she was just absolutely incredible.
[00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:35.960] And then actually, one of our members, so I have to introduce you to Diana Arango.
[00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:37.960] I'm now one of her advisors in her business.
[00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:39.240] She has a whole business.
[00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:47.000] It's called Chef Post, where her chefs will come cook meals for your whole family for the week, put them in the fridge, pick out all the meals that you want.
[00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:49.480] They do the shopping for you, and it's done.
[00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:52.600] I'm like, that is hours and hours and hours of time.
[00:23:52.600 --> 00:23:53.240] Exactly.
[00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:53.960] Oh, my God.
[00:23:53.960 --> 00:23:54.360] Yes.
[00:23:54.360 --> 00:23:55.160] I love that.
[00:23:55.160 --> 00:24:01.800] And that's exactly what I needed then and need again in my life because it would just save so much money.
[00:24:01.800 --> 00:24:04.360] But also, like, these people are expert at what they do.
[00:24:04.360 --> 00:24:06.840] So you're going to benefit on all fronts.
[00:24:06.840 --> 00:24:07.320] Absolutely.
[00:24:07.320 --> 00:24:15.160] And I think so many times, and I talk to so many members in our community, you know, I hear founders sharing, and especially women, like, well, I can just do it on my own.
[00:24:15.320 --> 00:24:17.720] I don't have the money to spend on that yet.
[00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:21.560] But I always like to reframe with people, but what if you actually spent the money?
[00:24:21.560 --> 00:24:33.560] And maybe when we have to pay someone $15 an hour, $20 an hour to do these minor tasks, and then you can be doing these higher-level things in the business to be earning more, then you'll be generating more in your business.
[00:24:33.560 --> 00:24:38.680] But so often, I don't know if you hear this too, Andrew, I hear women saying, Well, I don't want to spend on doing that.
[00:24:38.760 --> 00:24:41.880] It's like, we have to spend in order to be able to grow.
[00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:45.840] Listen, I was that woman because I didn't come from money.
[00:24:44.840 --> 00:24:49.760] So I felt like every dollar we were spending, if I could do it, like I was going to do it.
[00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:55.200] If I had to stay up all night, if I had to do whatever, and that is not healthy, it's what leads to burnout.
[00:24:55.200 --> 00:25:07.040] And ultimately, you're being short-sighted because if you hire someone to do that and you free up your time to make more money and to build your business, it will come back to you many times over.
[00:25:07.040 --> 00:25:08.720] So I couldn't agree with you more.
[00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:11.760] And I think that is a uniquely female issue.
[00:25:11.760 --> 00:25:17.440] I also used to, you, I know you have a daughter, and it's like I also had a lot of mom guilt.
[00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:20.560] Like, I was the working mom and I was always traveling for work.
[00:25:20.560 --> 00:25:26.640] And so it was like when it was a birthday party or the tennis team had something, I was always the first to volunteer to do something.
[00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:28.320] I was like, yeah, like I need to do that.
[00:25:28.320 --> 00:25:29.760] Like I need a hole in my head.
[00:25:29.760 --> 00:25:34.960] But I couldn't then outsource, well, someone else could bake it or someone else could do this.
[00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:37.360] No, I had to be the mom and do it.
[00:25:37.360 --> 00:25:39.920] And some of that was just stupid, right?
[00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:41.760] Like I was still there for my kids.
[00:25:41.760 --> 00:25:43.840] I was showing up for the things that were important.
[00:25:43.840 --> 00:25:47.280] Some of that other stuff, I don't know who I felt like I had to prove it to.
[00:25:47.280 --> 00:25:50.320] It's just about showing up and being there.
[00:25:50.320 --> 00:25:55.600] And if I could have had, you know, Whole Foods bake the cake, it would have been fine.
[00:25:55.600 --> 00:25:58.160] I'm all for putting a lot of pressure on ourselves.
[00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:01.360] I'm like, I already know I can't cook the thing.
[00:26:01.360 --> 00:26:05.360] I can order it and I want to be there and show up, but I'm not going to be the one cooking anything.
[00:26:05.360 --> 00:26:06.480] You don't want me.
[00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:06.960] Right.
[00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:10.880] Yeah, I don't bake, but yeah.
[00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:16.720] What are some of the biggest challenges, challenges that you're seeing agency owners facing today, right?
[00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:25.280] Marketing agencies have really evolved and changed so much, I would say, especially over the past five, 10 years with social media and all the new technology and everything.
[00:26:25.280 --> 00:26:29.200] What are the challenges that you're seeing agency owners facing right now?
[00:26:30.120 --> 00:26:45.160] I've seen in several of our clients a, I would say, aggressiveness to diversify their capabilities and offering without a lot of thought into, well, what does that look like two years from now?
[00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:52.520] And still kind of incorporating the basics of strategic planning into building their business.
[00:26:52.520 --> 00:26:54.760] I think there's an element of shiny new object.
[00:26:54.760 --> 00:26:58.840] Oh, this AI is really cool, or oh, we should really be doing this in digital.
[00:26:58.840 --> 00:27:06.360] And so there's like a let's go for it without a lot of discipline and rigor around, okay, well, but how are we going to integrate that into the business?
[00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:11.560] How is this going to become a revenue generating aspect of the business?
[00:27:11.560 --> 00:27:19.320] So it's sort of helping them think about that in the context of scaling, but also think about forecasting.
[00:27:19.320 --> 00:27:24.200] I mean, I was lucky, I worked at very large agencies that were part of like Omnicom and Interpublic Group.
[00:27:24.280 --> 00:27:29.480] So I had this great foundation around forecasting and hours management and pricing.
[00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:37.000] And I see people struggle with that as well because they immediately go into these new capability areas and they don't know how to price it.
[00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:38.840] They don't understand what clients are willing to pay.
[00:27:38.840 --> 00:27:43.400] They haven't done a lot of market research to really understand that segment.
[00:27:43.400 --> 00:27:51.800] So I see that as being an area where people just get really excited and they want to chase it or hire somebody who's going to own it.
[00:27:51.800 --> 00:27:54.680] Maybe they don't put metrics around it or accountabilities.
[00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:57.720] And then a year later, they're frustrated because nothing's happened.
[00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:09.240] So how do you help those founders when you're working with these women in your business now to really put together those plans and processes to decide what to focus on and what to do?
[00:28:09.240 --> 00:28:14.360] Because I think all of us business owners, right, we started a business because we have these ideas and we're like, oh, here's the next thing.
[00:28:14.360 --> 00:28:32.480] Let's try it let's do it let's start it guilty over here all day long right right but you can't do everything no you can't and i think again it kind of goes back to sort of i always knew that life science was was something I was uniquely skilled and suited to do because it was my background.
[00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:34.800] And it's also a highly regulated industry.
[00:28:34.800 --> 00:28:39.840] So understanding the regulations and understanding, you know, how to be compliant is super important.
[00:28:39.840 --> 00:28:40.960] You have things like HIPAA.
[00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:46.960] You have regulations around how you can market drugs or pre-approval, how you can talk about drugs.
[00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:58.000] So one of the things was being disciplined about, oh, yes, it's so exciting that these other companies and consumer goods or whatever are interested, but I'm going to stick to my knitting because this is where value is.
[00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:04.240] I think the second thing I try to work with clients on is, okay, why do you want to go after that segment?
[00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:07.200] Is that actually something customers are asking you for?
[00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:11.920] Or is that just something you've seen the competition do well and therefore you think you need to expand there?
[00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:17.440] Or have you met someone who's really stellar that you really want to make part of the team and you think they can bring this expertise?
[00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:23.040] Really understand like what's driving their interest in either expanding or evolving.
[00:29:23.040 --> 00:29:27.440] I am a big believer in clients and listening to clients.
[00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:30.960] We used to meet with clients quarterly at a minimum.
[00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:35.600] And I find a lot of people since COVID don't do in-person meetings with clients.
[00:29:35.600 --> 00:29:38.240] They rely on technology for everything.
[00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:46.000] And in my experience, you cannot replace getting in front of clients face to face to really understand: are they happy with what they're getting?
[00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:48.160] Is the team dynamic working?
[00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:54.880] Are there areas where they wish you had that capability and skill, but they're out here working with a different agency to do it?
[00:29:54.880 --> 00:30:00.360] Like all of that really helps you understand the landscape and how to grow your business.
[00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:06.520] But if you're just relying on Zoom and emails, you're not going to get that kind of really valuable insight.
[00:30:06.840 --> 00:30:21.880] So that's another thing we've actually been talking to a surprising number of clients about: how to schedule and plan those in-person interactions so that you can be really investing in the client relationship, but also getting so much valuable insight back.
[00:30:21.880 --> 00:30:23.080] Does that resonate with you?
[00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:25.400] Yeah, I know that's so helpful to hear.
[00:30:25.400 --> 00:30:31.800] So, what are some of your recommendations for our entrepreneurs who are like having a light bulb moment right now?
[00:30:31.800 --> 00:30:36.600] Like, oh my gosh, I need to get off Zoom and get in person with my clients.
[00:30:36.600 --> 00:30:41.320] How should those meetings be structured and organized to really get as much value as possible?
[00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:45.960] I think so much of it is focused on what is the work with the client?
[00:30:45.960 --> 00:30:47.480] What are the clients' objectives?
[00:30:47.480 --> 00:30:53.640] I got the best piece of advice I ever got in my career at an internship I did when I was in college.
[00:30:53.640 --> 00:31:03.320] This person who was a very senior PR strategist said to me, Andrea, if you're going to do really well in this business, you need to be a kingmaker, not a king.
[00:31:03.320 --> 00:31:06.600] And I have held that advice close in everything I've ever done.
[00:31:06.600 --> 00:31:10.680] It's why it was pure communications, not Andrea Johnston communications.
[00:31:10.680 --> 00:31:25.560] Because I think fundamentally what makes us good communicators is if we are listening to what the client's objectives are, if we have an understanding of the audience's needs, and we can marry those things through exceptional storytelling and activation through the right channels.
[00:31:25.560 --> 00:31:33.240] And so, when you go and you meet with the client and you're having these conversations, it is really important to do more listening than talking.
[00:31:33.240 --> 00:31:39.880] And it's really important to understand how their customer landscape is evolving and changing.
[00:31:39.880 --> 00:31:47.360] And it's important to bring any of those insights with you so that as you're talking, you can help them see and identify ways in which their market is changing.
[00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:55.040] So it's that combination of being insightful and being a good strategic partner, but also leaving room for them to really talk.
[00:31:55.040 --> 00:32:01.440] And don't be afraid to ask the tough questions like, you know, are you happy with the performance of this campaign for the last six months?
[00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:04.080] Where do you think we could have performed stronger, better?
[00:32:04.080 --> 00:32:07.040] It's always a client will oftentimes first say, oh, you guys are great.
[00:32:07.040 --> 00:32:07.680] Everything's great.
[00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:08.560] The team's great.
[00:32:08.560 --> 00:32:12.160] Well, let's talk about specifically this and kind of break it down.
[00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:14.000] Are you working with any other firms?
[00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.840] Can I ask what you're doing with them?
[00:32:15.840 --> 00:32:19.120] What are the things that you like about how they're working with you?
[00:32:19.120 --> 00:32:20.880] Those are great ways to get insights.
[00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:28.400] You're not necessarily looking to compete, but how can you use that to inform ways you can be enhancing the relationship with your client?
[00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:29.840] I love that you shared that.
[00:32:30.080 --> 00:32:33.360] I worked in sales essentially my whole life.
[00:32:33.360 --> 00:32:37.760] And I remember you just brought me back to sales training, like right when I graduated college.
[00:32:37.760 --> 00:32:42.800] And I remember my manager saying, you know, whoever speaks the most loses, essentially.
[00:32:42.800 --> 00:32:51.600] Like you have to, if you're in sales, you have to be the listener, especially if you're in consultative sales to understand what the needs are so you can make the right recommendations and solutions.
[00:32:51.600 --> 00:32:59.840] I love how it's like these things early, very early in our careers made such an impact and stayed with us for such a long time.
[00:32:59.840 --> 00:33:12.800] I want to talk a bit about business development strategies because you grew huge agencies by landing some of the most well-known clients in pharma and other industries.
[00:33:12.800 --> 00:33:16.480] What was your secret to success landing these clients?
[00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:18.160] And what do you recommend for others?
[00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:21.680] I mean, so first of all, it goes back to having the right team, right?
[00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:23.520] Because you can't be expert at everything.
[00:33:23.520 --> 00:33:35.480] And so, having people who were really good at whether it's gastrointestinal diseases, and I don't want to be too technical, but like that's something that's kind of very consumer-oriented.
[00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:40.280] So, someone who comes from more of a consumer health background is really going to be able to talk the talk there.
[00:33:40.280 --> 00:33:57.560] Having someone who's very skilled in rare diseases or oncology and can go very deep into the science and understand how different biological mechanisms translate into the potential impact of this drug and being able to talk about that in a way that like a patient or a caregiver can understand is really important.
[00:33:57.560 --> 00:34:07.400] So, having the right team, because when you show up for these clients, if you can talk their talk, but you can also paint a picture for them that connects emotionally, that's what wins the day.
[00:34:07.400 --> 00:34:11.000] So, team number one, absolutely the most important thing.
[00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:31.320] I think, secondly, is I put in a ton of time and effort networking and building relationships, whether it was with venture capitalists who invest in the pharmaceutical and biotech space, whether it was with CEOs, board members, advisors, so that our brand was associated with those relationships and those other companies.
[00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:35.960] And that's really important because, again, it kind of goes back to my red wine example.
[00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:39.080] When people see great work, they want to know who's behind it.
[00:34:39.080 --> 00:34:45.400] And so, your best source of referrals is great work for other companies where they talk about the great work you're doing.
[00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:48.520] So, all of those things really played a critical role.
[00:34:48.520 --> 00:35:01.160] But I spent a lot of time in person, face-to-face, going to meetings, planning dinners where we would bring people together on the client side, even if they weren't clients, to facilitate conversations and dialogues.
[00:35:01.160 --> 00:35:08.760] We participated in a lot of big events in our industry where we would donate our time and donate our expertise to help them.
[00:35:08.760 --> 00:35:11.720] But then, people associated us with those events and activities.
[00:35:11.720 --> 00:35:19.520] So, you know, I think in some ways, social media is so fantastic because it allows you to reach so many all at once.
[00:35:19.840 --> 00:35:24.640] But you can't do that and sacrifice these other ways of networking and connecting.
[00:35:24.640 --> 00:35:38.320] I mean, there's so much efficiency to be gained digitally and through social, but there's still a lot to be said for when you connect with people on a relationship level and how much more willing they are to champion you in your business.
[00:35:38.320 --> 00:35:39.440] That is so true.
[00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:45.360] And I feel like, you know, with Entrepreneurista, we started the community during, you know, 2020 when everyone, we were all stuck inside.
[00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:46.480] No one was going anywhere.
[00:35:46.480 --> 00:35:48.400] So we had to bring everyone together virtually.
[00:35:48.400 --> 00:35:50.080] That's what everyone was asking for.
[00:35:50.080 --> 00:35:55.120] But then about a year in when we started the community, it was everyone's ready to get out and get together.
[00:35:55.120 --> 00:36:04.080] So we started doing these in-person events and we were just able to see, you know, it's amazing when these relationships can start, whether it's on LinkedIn or in a community or through an introduction.
[00:36:04.080 --> 00:36:14.320] But when you get together in person, there's just nothing more powerful because you can, you know, feel each other, see each other's body language and actually build these close, real relationships.
[00:36:14.320 --> 00:36:17.840] And we, we had our Founders Weekend event last year.
[00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:24.560] And actually, we just announced our new Founders Weekend event that's going to be our retreat in April 30th of 2026.
[00:36:24.560 --> 00:36:27.040] And last year, Andrew, I wish you were at the event last year.
[00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:28.160] Me too.
[00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:29.200] You'll be at the next one.
[00:36:29.200 --> 00:36:30.000] It was just I am.
[00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:32.480] I'm actually getting my early access ticket this weekend.
[00:36:33.600 --> 00:36:38.480] So, I mean, everyone was just able to just build these deep relationships together.
[00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:47.360] And then, you know, months later, everyone's telling us, you know, I signed 10 new clients because of referrals and introductions from the people that I met in that room.
[00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:49.520] And that's what everything, that's what it's all about.
[00:36:49.520 --> 00:36:53.520] It's about how can we come together and help each other grow?
[00:36:53.520 --> 00:36:58.720] Because again, there's so much power in the online digital space to bring us together.
[00:36:58.720 --> 00:37:07.720] But as you just shared before, like get together with your clients, get in person with people if you can, because that's when the even deeper magic can really happen.
[00:37:07.720 --> 00:37:15.080] And I love like even some of the regional things that are going on in Entrepreneurista, like, you know, the meetups in Boston or the meetups in Raleigh-Durham.
[00:37:15.080 --> 00:37:19.800] Like it's been so exciting to see opportunities to get together in person with people.
[00:37:19.800 --> 00:37:26.120] So I think you've done a masterful job of creating that balance between online and offline.
[00:37:26.120 --> 00:37:43.320] And I think like the online piece of it, I just can't underscore enough like how fortunate we are to live in a world where Entrepreneurista exists and where you can at the search bar on your app find a bunch of like-minded women and help each other grow and scale your businesses.
[00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:46.040] Like that's just insane and awesome.
[00:37:46.040 --> 00:38:02.440] And I think the more we can take advantage of that and learn about the other incredible talent and businesses that exist within Entrepreneurista, the more we can all help each other build these businesses because there's so much complementary and synergistic talents in your community.
[00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:03.960] It's just, it's really awesome.
[00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:04.920] Oh, thank you.
[00:38:04.920 --> 00:38:08.120] I tell people every day, I feel like I talk about this on social media all the time.
[00:38:08.120 --> 00:38:14.920] I literally cry every single day just getting messages from women in the community and everyone connecting and just seeing what's happened.
[00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:17.400] Like this is why we started it.
[00:38:17.400 --> 00:38:24.680] And just to see the impact of everyone coming together to connect and build businesses together, there's, there's nothing better and more powerful.
[00:38:24.680 --> 00:38:25.560] And I'm so excited.
[00:38:25.560 --> 00:38:26.760] And we have to share with everyone.
[00:38:26.760 --> 00:38:31.080] So you're going to be leading our agency owner power Group.
[00:38:31.080 --> 00:38:36.760] So, as I shared before, we have so many agency owners and marketing agency owners specifically in the community.
[00:38:36.760 --> 00:38:42.440] And who better than you to lead and help everyone grow and scale their business?
[00:38:42.440 --> 00:38:43.320] Because it's not easy.
[00:38:43.320 --> 00:38:48.720] Growing a service-based business, growing an agency business, someone who has done it as well, it's really hard.
[00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:59.280] But when you have the support and help of someone like you who's done it and scaled a really big business to be able to help all of us, there's definitely nothing better.
[00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:10.800] So, coming up, Andrea shares all about her agency owner Power Group and how you can learn from and work with Andrea right inside the Entrepreneurista League to grow and scale your business.
[00:39:13.360 --> 00:39:19.760] Founders are always asking us, What has been the secret to our success building multiple seven-figure businesses?
[00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:21.200] Do you want to know how?
[00:39:21.200 --> 00:39:22.880] It's our community.
[00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:30.480] We created the Entrepreneurista League for founders like you because the most successful entrepreneurs do not navigate business alone.
[00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:36.320] We navigate the challenges and opportunities with the support of people we know, love, and trust.
[00:39:36.320 --> 00:39:40.160] The relationships you build in business will be the key to your success.
[00:39:40.160 --> 00:39:42.320] Trust me, it's how we've done it.
[00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:48.000] And I'm giving you access to everything we've used to grow and scale our businesses over the past decade.
[00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:52.320] Plus, you're going to meet your new best friends in business right inside the community.
[00:39:52.320 --> 00:40:14.720] Our members have access to everything we've used to grow our businesses over the past 10 plus years, from in-person events to virtual events, business education, funding resources, office hours with myself and other top founders in your industry, press opportunities, and access to our community platform where you can instantly get all of your business questions answered.
[00:40:14.720 --> 00:40:21.440] You can join us in the community over at refer.entreprenista.com forward slash join us.
[00:40:21.440 --> 00:40:27.200] That's refer.entrepranista.com forward slash join us to join the community.
[00:40:27.200 --> 00:40:30.600] Or head to the show notes right now and tap the link to join.
[00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:32.360] I cannot wait to meet you.
[00:40:33.640 --> 00:40:39.000] Yeah, to tell everyone about your eight-week program that is coming up that our members can join.
[00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:40.520] Yeah, I'm actually really excited.
[00:40:40.520 --> 00:40:43.800] I'm going to be working actually with Carrie next week.
[00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:54.280] I think we have an hour in the community where we're going to be sort of previewing some things and giving me a chance to get to know some of the folks in the community that have been active already.
[00:40:54.280 --> 00:40:55.720] So I can't wait.
[00:40:55.720 --> 00:41:02.520] I think that for me, a lot of it is going to be because of the great work that's been done, how do we build on that foundation?
[00:41:02.520 --> 00:41:11.240] And how do we continue to help business owners feel like they are constantly learning those tips and tricks that are going to help them scale and grow their business?
[00:41:11.240 --> 00:41:15.800] And how can we also share some of the things to your earlier questions that didn't go well?
[00:41:15.800 --> 00:41:19.480] And what are those lessons learned so that you can avoid those pitfalls?
[00:41:19.480 --> 00:41:29.320] I mean, I often say I would not do a lot differently because had it not been for those mistakes, I would not have been able to grow and to do the things I did as my career continued.
[00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:34.840] I wouldn't have been able to found the two new companies I've founded and be growing in those new directions.
[00:41:34.840 --> 00:41:42.200] But at the same time, I really wish I could have shortened the timeframe between lesson learned and actioning, right?
[00:41:42.200 --> 00:41:45.000] So I hope that we can bring some of that to the group.
[00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:56.520] And I really hope we can foster a lot of mentoring even within the group because I can talk until I'm blue in the face, but ultimately, again, it goes back to developing those relationships and how do we help each other.
[00:41:56.920 --> 00:42:01.640] So I'm really excited to see what the community's goals and objectives are.
[00:42:01.640 --> 00:42:03.560] I'm excited to bring my experience.
[00:42:03.560 --> 00:42:11.560] I have a lot of amazing and talented friends who I think would make great guests to impart some nuggets of knowledge here and there.
[00:42:11.800 --> 00:42:16.000] So much that I've even continued to learn working with Jessica, who you mentioned earlier.
[00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:21.200] Like, I think the more we can pay it forward and share that with each other, the stronger we are.
[00:42:21.200 --> 00:42:21.760] Absolutely.
[00:42:21.760 --> 00:42:24.000] No, it is going to be so good.
[00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:31.200] So, for our entrepreneurs in the community that are listening to Andrea right now, head over to the show notes.
[00:42:31.200 --> 00:42:36.320] We will have the link there so you can register for Andrea's agency owner power group.
[00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:39.280] It is going to be so, so impactful.
[00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:43.520] But I want to get back into a few more questions for you, Andrea.
[00:42:43.840 --> 00:42:49.520] What do you know now that you just wish you knew when you were first starting your business that you want to share with everyone?
[00:42:50.720 --> 00:42:58.080] I really wish I knew that I didn't have to put so much pressure on myself all the time and try to be all things to all people.
[00:42:58.080 --> 00:43:03.840] It goes back to what we were talking about with outsourcing and being willing to delegate.
[00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:09.840] I really wish I knew that that was number one, okay, and number two, that it would be worth the investment.
[00:43:09.840 --> 00:43:22.320] That as challenging as it may have felt at the time, and as much as I felt like I had to do all that on my own, oh my God, I would not have been so burnt out, and I would not have been, I went through a lot of personal health stuff as well.
[00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:33.440] And I feel like I could have saved myself so much from a just overall wellness perspective if I had just been more comfortable letting other people play a role.
[00:43:33.440 --> 00:43:34.960] Yes, no, I'm glad you share that.
[00:43:34.960 --> 00:43:38.400] It's again, it's all about delegation, but asking for help.
[00:43:38.400 --> 00:43:42.400] And when you need it, like, there's so many people, and Courtney and I learned this through our whole journey.
[00:43:42.400 --> 00:43:48.880] Like, so many people want to help, but the only way to get help and to find resources, is we all have to be willing to ask for help.
[00:43:48.880 --> 00:43:49.920] And like, it's okay.
[00:43:49.920 --> 00:43:50.800] There's nothing.
[00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:58.880] It's actually, it's so good to ask for help because it shows that like you're a leader and you realize where you can't do absolutely everything.
[00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:00.360] None of us can do absolutely everything.
[00:43:59.360 --> 00:44:03.320] It's impossible to do absolutely everything and we shouldn't do that.
[00:43:59.840 --> 00:44:05.160] So you're exactly right.
[00:44:05.960 --> 00:44:17.080] In fact, a friend of mine who's a coach, she said recently on LinkedIn how she had injured herself and she is a fixer and doer like we are and she likes to do a lot of things herself.
[00:44:17.080 --> 00:44:22.440] And she actually had to ask for help because she's in a cast and she can't walk or go upstairs.
[00:44:22.440 --> 00:44:35.560] And she was like, it was like life-changing when she realized by allowing other people to be the fixer and doer, you also bring so much fulfillment and joy to them, as well as release all of this tension and responsibility for yourself.
[00:44:35.560 --> 00:44:36.440] So you're absolutely right.
[00:44:36.440 --> 00:44:41.880] It's that asking for help and being willing to acknowledge like what you don't know and that that's okay.
[00:44:41.880 --> 00:44:44.680] But it's a hard, it was a hard lesson for me to learn.
[00:44:44.680 --> 00:44:49.800] I, a lot of times I'll hear people start a sentence or a question with like, I have a silly question or I have a stupid question.
[00:44:49.880 --> 00:44:53.560] I'm like, no, there's no such thing as a silly or stupid question.
[00:44:53.560 --> 00:44:54.760] Like all questions are important.
[00:44:54.760 --> 00:44:55.400] They're all valid.
[00:44:55.400 --> 00:44:59.160] It's how we're all able to learn together and help each other.
[00:44:59.160 --> 00:45:01.720] So it's like, ask the question, ask for help.
[00:45:01.720 --> 00:45:06.280] Like let us all come together to help each other and we can all do so, so much more together.
[00:45:06.280 --> 00:45:07.480] Oh, you are so right.
[00:45:07.480 --> 00:45:16.360] That is absolutely something we have to stop saying because asking the questions is part of learning and growing and there is no bad question or stupid question.
[00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:17.320] Yeah.
[00:45:17.320 --> 00:45:18.040] Ask the question.
[00:45:18.040 --> 00:45:21.960] So speaking of asking questions, I have a very important question for you, Andrea.
[00:45:21.960 --> 00:45:27.480] What are the business tools and solutions that you're using right now in your business that you cannot live without?
[00:45:27.480 --> 00:45:30.360] I always end up hearing about new things that I don't know about here.
[00:45:30.360 --> 00:45:33.160] So, excited to hear what you're what you're using.
[00:45:33.480 --> 00:45:37.080] Well, it's probably not going to be anything that transformational, to be honest.
[00:45:37.720 --> 00:45:50.080] I definitely am experimenting with some different AI, you know, everything from like fathom and note-taking to using enterprise-wide chat GPT, which I've actually found very valuable from a directional standpoint.
[00:45:44.920 --> 00:45:52.320] I'm a huge fan of different travel apps.
[00:45:52.480 --> 00:45:53.840] I still travel a lot.
[00:45:53.840 --> 00:46:02.560] And so, whether it's, you know, good old Expedia or just taking advantage of a lot of the airlines have such better apps now than they've ever had.
[00:46:02.560 --> 00:46:07.200] Like, I don't use a travel agent, I just like to be able to do it myself and manage it.
[00:46:07.200 --> 00:46:12.640] I just find the amount of apps that we have today are game-changing.
[00:46:12.640 --> 00:46:18.720] Like, I can do everything from timekeeping to managing travel to dealing with things at home.
[00:46:18.720 --> 00:46:26.320] Like, the fact that you can connect your house to your nest system and like manage your air conditioning and heat, like, as crazy as that sounds.
[00:46:26.320 --> 00:46:34.240] So, I would say a lot of my technology is geared toward managing my whole life as opposed to just workplace technology.
[00:46:34.480 --> 00:46:36.400] You know, I'm still a fan of a lot of the basics.
[00:46:36.400 --> 00:46:42.960] Like, I still think that the Google corporate solutions are fantastic and I love how integrated they are.
[00:46:42.960 --> 00:46:48.000] I found those to continue to be a tremendous offering and a great way to scale your business.
[00:46:48.320 --> 00:46:56.160] I think QuickBooks is another thing, which again, like it's just gotten so much more sophisticated over the years, and the online platform is fantastic.
[00:46:56.160 --> 00:47:06.960] So, again, nothing really transformational, but things that I find like I couldn't do running this business and having a second business without having these solutions in place.
[00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:11.840] Isn't it amazing when you think about like how you grew this huge business without these tools years ago?
[00:47:11.840 --> 00:47:15.520] Like, no AI, no, no AI, I know, no Canva.
[00:47:15.520 --> 00:47:18.640] I mean, come on, like, what did we do?
[00:47:18.680 --> 00:47:19.400] I know.
[00:47:19.440 --> 00:47:25.600] I mean, I'm using these AI tools every single day, and I'm like, how, how did I, how did I function?
[00:47:25.600 --> 00:47:31.480] I had to just write an email to Vermaly's school, and I just put it into ChatGPT.
[00:47:31.480 --> 00:47:33.480] I'm like, these are the points that I want to make.
[00:47:33.800 --> 00:47:35.080] And it spit it out for me.
[00:47:35.080 --> 00:47:39.480] And I said to my husband, I'm like, oh, here's the draft of the email that I'm going to send to the school.
[00:47:39.480 --> 00:47:41.160] And he's like, you couldn't just write that yourself.
[00:47:41.160 --> 00:47:42.280] And I'm like, I could have.
[00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:45.640] It would have taken me 25 minutes to write that.
[00:47:45.640 --> 00:47:49.400] And I just, it was done in 0.5 seconds.
[00:47:49.400 --> 00:47:53.720] Well, and I'm using it to write job descriptions because those can take forever.
[00:47:53.720 --> 00:47:57.640] So, ChatGPT, you know, what would a good job description for this role be?
[00:47:57.640 --> 00:47:58.840] And it puts together something great.
[00:47:58.840 --> 00:48:06.280] Yeah, you go in and edit it, but it takes five minutes instead of like 45 minutes of looking around at other companies and how do they talk about this job.
[00:48:06.280 --> 00:48:10.920] And then you can also get like, what is a good salary range for this position in this market?
[00:48:10.920 --> 00:48:12.920] Chat GPT, like I love it.
[00:48:12.920 --> 00:48:14.200] It's so awesome.
[00:48:14.200 --> 00:48:15.000] It is incredible.
[00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:31.400] We're actually about to start working with an AI expert who can come into the business and look at all the areas of our business to figure out how to automate different areas, how to zap and do all the things, all the technical things to make everything more efficient that I'm not an expert in.
[00:48:31.400 --> 00:48:43.560] And we're like, we got to bring in the expert to figure out how to do this because I truly believe AI, like if we are not in the forefront of understanding AI in our lives and our businesses, like we're going to be left behind.
[00:48:43.560 --> 00:48:48.600] We might not be in business anymore because other people will be ahead and doing this in their business.
[00:48:48.600 --> 00:48:49.800] You're totally right.
[00:48:49.800 --> 00:48:55.960] I was talking to somebody at an agency last week and he was saying that they're really working with Copilot.
[00:48:55.960 --> 00:49:04.040] And he was telling me some of the things they're doing with Copilot and how many hours a day it is saving him, even just managing email.
[00:49:04.280 --> 00:49:07.240] And I'm like, oh my God, like I got to start experimenting.
[00:49:07.200 --> 00:49:10.120] There's, it just feels like every day something new is popping up.
[00:49:10.120 --> 00:49:21.840] So bringing in that expertise to help you understand you kind of like have to have it today, or it's so easy to get lost in all of these different potential functionalities.
[00:49:14.840 --> 00:49:22.320] Absolutely.
[00:49:22.720 --> 00:49:26.880] I'll tell you the AI tool that I'm testing right now is called Fixer.
[00:49:27.200 --> 00:49:28.240] And have you heard of this?
[00:49:28.720 --> 00:49:30.960] Yes, but tell me what your experience is.
[00:49:30.960 --> 00:49:34.480] So they had been running a whole ad campaign on social media.
[00:49:34.480 --> 00:49:36.640] So Caitlin, our head of partnerships, saw the ad.
[00:49:36.640 --> 00:49:45.920] And I'm always essentially complaining about I can't get to all of my emails in my inbox because I get hundreds of emails every single day.
[00:49:45.920 --> 00:49:51.040] And I had a guest on our podcast years ago, and she said this to me, and I haven't gotten that out of my head.
[00:49:51.040 --> 00:49:53.840] She's like, email is where productivity goes to die.
[00:49:53.840 --> 00:50:08.000] And I have not been able to get that out of my head since then, but it is true because I tell Courtney, I'm like, I would spend, I would spend my whole day in my inbox just answering and replying to people and not be able to actually work on building the business and being with the community because that's how many emails I get.
[00:50:08.000 --> 00:50:12.640] So Fixer, long story short, telling you the whole background story, tell me the whole background story here.
[00:50:12.880 --> 00:50:19.440] It will draft all of your replies and it will learn your voice and how you speak to people as well.
[00:50:19.440 --> 00:50:23.840] And it will find if you need to set up a time to connect, it will connect to your calendar.
[00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:25.200] It'll suggest the right times.
[00:50:25.200 --> 00:50:28.080] And if you accept it, then it'll book the time on your calendar.
[00:50:28.080 --> 00:50:34.640] And it records, it does the same thing as a lot of the other AI tools that will record your meetings on Zoom, send all of the notes.
[00:50:34.640 --> 00:50:41.440] So it does what a lot of these AI tools do, but it has that email component as well where it will draft all of your replies.
[00:50:41.440 --> 00:50:41.840] Yeah.
[00:50:42.160 --> 00:50:43.920] Oh my God, I love that.
[00:50:43.920 --> 00:50:45.680] So, yes, everyone, go ahead to the show notes.
[00:50:45.680 --> 00:50:52.960] I'll link out to our special referral link that I'm happy to share now that we're testing this tool and I'll send it over to you, Andrea, as well.
[00:50:52.960 --> 00:50:54.000] Yes, please.
[00:50:54.480 --> 00:50:59.880] We're turning this into a whole AI episode, but I think it's really important to talk about this because this is the future.
[00:50:59.880 --> 00:51:00.600] It really is.
[00:51:00.600 --> 00:51:01.080] It is.
[00:50:59.600 --> 00:51:05.720] I mean, even like Voxer for me has been game-changing, which isn't AI, but it's a great tool.
[00:51:06.040 --> 00:51:13.240] And the thing I find challenging, though, right, is like I have a client who's on Slack and they want me to get on Slack and add their channels.
[00:51:13.240 --> 00:51:18.280] And then I've got clients who are on Voxer and others who are WhatsApp users.
[00:51:18.280 --> 00:51:28.040] And that's like, I think the hardest part now is so many organizations have their preferred channels and their preferred ways of communicating.
[00:51:28.040 --> 00:51:30.680] And it's like trying to stay on top of it all.
[00:51:30.680 --> 00:51:32.280] And that's also a scaling thing.
[00:51:32.280 --> 00:51:42.680] So if something like Fixer can help manage the email portion of that and also do some of these other things, like amazing, then it's like a few less things you have to do every day.
[00:51:42.680 --> 00:51:49.000] How do you decompress from just all of the pings across all of these channels and everyone who wants to reach you?
[00:51:49.000 --> 00:51:53.480] Like, how do you just take time for yourself and stop the noise?
[00:51:53.480 --> 00:51:55.880] I'm a big fan of the digital detox.
[00:51:55.880 --> 00:51:58.040] So I like to spend time.
[00:51:58.360 --> 00:52:01.400] My daughter is studying in Australia, actually.
[00:52:01.400 --> 00:52:04.440] And so I had the opportunity to go and spend time with her.
[00:52:04.440 --> 00:52:07.320] And we took her spring break together to New Zealand.
[00:52:07.320 --> 00:52:09.160] And it was the most magical place.
[00:52:09.160 --> 00:52:14.600] But I share that because I told everyone at work, I'm shutting completely down.
[00:52:14.600 --> 00:52:16.680] I will not be available.
[00:52:16.680 --> 00:52:21.000] And other than to take photos and videos, I did not use my phone.
[00:52:21.000 --> 00:52:22.760] And I was very present.
[00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:25.720] And I gave myself the gift of that two weeks with her.
[00:52:25.720 --> 00:52:26.520] I mean, she's in college.
[00:52:26.680 --> 00:52:30.440] Like, this is kind of the last gasp of getting this time together.
[00:52:30.440 --> 00:52:32.520] And we made incredible memories.
[00:52:32.520 --> 00:52:34.760] And I don't regret shutting down.
[00:52:34.760 --> 00:52:36.120] Nothing caught on fire.
[00:52:36.120 --> 00:52:38.600] There was no like horrible stuff that happened.
[00:52:38.600 --> 00:52:51.280] And, you know, I got to make these memories that I will never have an opportunity to make again and really experience this beautiful and incredible country that offered so many adventures and opportunities to connect with nature.
[00:52:51.600 --> 00:52:57.360] And when I don't have that kind of opportunity, which is pretty much every day, I do believe in connecting with nature.
[00:52:57.360 --> 00:53:10.160] I'm a huge fan of hiking and walking and just immersing yourself in whatever the environment is that you have available to you and using that to just kind of breathe and really relax.
[00:53:10.160 --> 00:53:16.960] And that's something that I've only allowed myself to do in this new chapter of my life.
[00:53:16.960 --> 00:53:30.800] And that is probably my biggest regret in the former chapter of my life as I worked so much and I didn't appreciate the importance of having those times to disconnect and really just free your brain to do something totally different.
[00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:42.240] And now that is such a big part of my life, really incorporating walks and getting outside and making sure that I have those times when it is not about what's going on on my phone or my computer.
[00:53:42.240 --> 00:53:44.640] And it's really life-changing.
[00:53:44.640 --> 00:53:46.080] Yeah, no, it's so important.
[00:53:46.080 --> 00:53:55.680] And you just reminded me after we finished recording this episode, I'm going out for my 15-minute walk in between calls today because I've learned too, it's so important.
[00:53:55.680 --> 00:53:56.720] You have to get outside.
[00:53:56.720 --> 00:53:58.080] You need to feel the sun.
[00:53:58.080 --> 00:53:59.120] You need to be in nature.
[00:53:59.120 --> 00:54:05.280] Because if we don't take care of ourselves and our body and our mental health and our physical health, we can't take care of our business.
[00:54:05.280 --> 00:54:06.720] We can't take care of our families.
[00:54:06.720 --> 00:54:08.400] It's just not possible.
[00:54:08.400 --> 00:54:15.680] And so many of us just are, you know, working on this, you know, hamster wheel or treadmill of just trying to keep going and going and then burn out.
[00:54:15.680 --> 00:54:20.480] And that's not a good way to build a business or to raise a family.
[00:54:20.480 --> 00:54:24.880] And I'm grateful to my dog because he actually forces me in the morning.
[00:54:24.880 --> 00:54:26.240] Like, I don't have a choice.
[00:54:26.240 --> 00:54:28.720] If he wants a walk, you know, he's definitely my dog.
[00:54:28.720 --> 00:54:31.800] My husband's like, you wants a walk, honey, it's on you.
[00:54:31.800 --> 00:54:39.080] So, it's great though, because I have that automatic built-in, he's not going to be happy unless we spend a half hour getting a walk.
[00:54:39.080 --> 00:54:42.600] So, even if it's 6:30 in the morning, it's giving me that time.
[00:54:42.600 --> 00:54:45.960] And I don't have a choice, I can't just get sucked into email.
[00:54:45.960 --> 00:54:48.040] So, I'm very grateful to my dog.
[00:54:48.040 --> 00:54:49.320] That's so good.
[00:54:49.320 --> 00:54:52.760] Andrea, what is your biggest business secret?
[00:54:53.400 --> 00:55:04.120] I would actually say my biggest business secret is you cannot replace consistency.
[00:55:04.120 --> 00:55:06.360] I will always show up.
[00:55:06.360 --> 00:55:14.680] It may not be perfect, but I am not a person who will not give it 100% in the moment.
[00:55:14.680 --> 00:55:19.720] And I believe that nothing replaces that consistency and hard work.
[00:55:19.720 --> 00:55:22.920] I'm a firm believer in getting 1% better every day.
[00:55:22.920 --> 00:55:24.360] I'm always learning.
[00:55:24.360 --> 00:55:27.160] I always

Prompt 2: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 3: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 4: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Prompt 5: Context Setup

You are an expert data extractor tasked with analyzing a podcast transcript. 
I will provide you with part 2 of 2 from a podcast transcript. 
I will then ask you to extract different types of information from this content in subsequent messages. Please confirm you have received and understood the transcript content.

Transcript section:
 Because if we don't take care of ourselves and our body and our mental health and our physical health, we can't take care of our business.
[00:54:05.280 --> 00:54:06.720] We can't take care of our families.
[00:54:06.720 --> 00:54:08.400] It's just not possible.
[00:54:08.400 --> 00:54:15.680] And so many of us just are, you know, working on this, you know, hamster wheel or treadmill of just trying to keep going and going and then burn out.
[00:54:15.680 --> 00:54:20.480] And that's not a good way to build a business or to raise a family.
[00:54:20.480 --> 00:54:24.880] And I'm grateful to my dog because he actually forces me in the morning.
[00:54:24.880 --> 00:54:26.240] Like, I don't have a choice.
[00:54:26.240 --> 00:54:28.720] If he wants a walk, you know, he's definitely my dog.
[00:54:28.720 --> 00:54:31.800] My husband's like, you wants a walk, honey, it's on you.
[00:54:31.800 --> 00:54:39.080] So, it's great though, because I have that automatic built-in, he's not going to be happy unless we spend a half hour getting a walk.
[00:54:39.080 --> 00:54:42.600] So, even if it's 6:30 in the morning, it's giving me that time.
[00:54:42.600 --> 00:54:45.960] And I don't have a choice, I can't just get sucked into email.
[00:54:45.960 --> 00:54:48.040] So, I'm very grateful to my dog.
[00:54:48.040 --> 00:54:49.320] That's so good.
[00:54:49.320 --> 00:54:52.760] Andrea, what is your biggest business secret?
[00:54:53.400 --> 00:55:04.120] I would actually say my biggest business secret is you cannot replace consistency.
[00:55:04.120 --> 00:55:06.360] I will always show up.
[00:55:06.360 --> 00:55:14.680] It may not be perfect, but I am not a person who will not give it 100% in the moment.
[00:55:14.680 --> 00:55:19.720] And I believe that nothing replaces that consistency and hard work.
[00:55:19.720 --> 00:55:22.920] I'm a firm believer in getting 1% better every day.
[00:55:22.920 --> 00:55:24.360] I'm always learning.
[00:55:24.360 --> 00:55:27.160] I always try to progress and move forward.
[00:55:27.240 --> 00:55:28.840] Doesn't mean I don't make mistakes.
[00:55:28.840 --> 00:55:37.720] It doesn't mean that I don't screw up on a regular basis, but I am very committed to that and to really trying every day to be better.
[00:55:38.040 --> 00:55:45.320] And that I think ultimately is what led to my success in business because I wasn't afraid to evolve and change and learn.
[00:55:45.320 --> 00:55:50.920] And it's what has allowed me to create this whole new chapter in my professional life.
[00:55:50.920 --> 00:55:55.000] So, I would just say, don't give up, you know, constantly.
[00:55:55.320 --> 00:56:00.040] I wake up in the morning, and a friend of mine once said this: you have to choose happiness when you wake up.
[00:56:00.040 --> 00:56:01.160] It is a choice.
[00:56:01.160 --> 00:56:04.360] Well, so is consistency in how you're going to show up at work.
[00:56:04.360 --> 00:56:12.120] And so, I choose that, yes, I'm going to get up and I'm going to give it my all and I'm going to be there and I'm going to come with energy and optimism.
[00:56:12.120 --> 00:56:15.600] So, I would say it's as simple as that on some level, and it's as hard as that.
[00:56:16.160 --> 00:56:23.040] Well, your energy is infectious and I get so excited every time I get the honor of even talking to you.
[00:56:23.040 --> 00:56:33.280] And I'm so excited that so many members in our community are going to get to build incredible relationships with you and learn from you inside the community and inside the power group as well.
[00:56:33.760 --> 00:56:34.560] I can't wait.
[00:56:34.800 --> 00:56:35.600] It's going to be so good.
[00:56:35.600 --> 00:56:36.560] Everyone, go.
[00:56:36.560 --> 00:56:42.000] Well, I'm going to tell you in just a minute how to find Andrea everywhere in the show notes, of course, but I have to ask you this, Andrea.
[00:56:42.000 --> 00:56:44.800] What does being an entrepreneurista mean to you?
[00:56:45.120 --> 00:56:47.440] It really means being part of a community.
[00:56:47.440 --> 00:56:51.120] Like I was not a person in college who was in a sorority.
[00:56:51.120 --> 00:56:59.440] So this is something where I really feel part of something special that is all women that, again, these like-minded, similar goals.
[00:56:59.440 --> 00:57:00.560] Like, I love it.
[00:57:00.560 --> 00:57:01.760] It's so special.
[00:57:01.760 --> 00:57:06.080] And it feels like we're part of a movement.
[00:57:06.080 --> 00:57:14.000] And it's only through creating these relationships and helping each other move toward that that we will all be successful.
[00:57:14.000 --> 00:57:23.840] And so it just means so much to me to have these other women around that you can tap into and that I can learn from and who I can help and who I can nurture.
[00:57:23.840 --> 00:57:28.800] I mean, that to me is just the most special thing about what you've created.
[00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:30.720] It is truly a community.
[00:57:30.960 --> 00:57:33.360] I'm so glad that you're here and you're part of it.
[00:57:33.360 --> 00:57:41.520] Andrea, share with everyone where can they find you, follow you, work with you, share all of your links and handles and channels, all the places.
[00:57:41.520 --> 00:57:42.800] And everyone, head to the show notes.
[00:57:42.800 --> 00:57:44.640] We're going to link out to everything right there.
[00:57:44.640 --> 00:57:46.240] LinkedIn is where it's at for me.
[00:57:46.240 --> 00:57:48.720] I'm a big LinkedIn girl, so find me there.
[00:57:48.720 --> 00:57:49.680] LinkedIn girly.
[00:57:49.680 --> 00:57:49.840] Yes.
[00:57:49.840 --> 00:57:50.240] Oh my gosh.
[00:57:50.240 --> 00:57:54.320] We didn't get into that today, but we'll have a, we'll do a LinkedIn live and talk all about LinkedIn.
[00:57:54.320 --> 00:57:56.720] How about that in just a couple of weeks, Andrea?
[00:57:56.720 --> 00:57:59.160] Because we are all about LinkedIn.
[00:57:59.160 --> 00:58:01.080] And everyone, go on LinkedIn.
[00:58:01.080 --> 00:58:02.360] There's so much free reach there.
[00:57:59.680 --> 00:58:03.320] We'll talk more about it later.
[00:58:03.480 --> 00:58:07.480] But Andrea, thank you so much for being here and sharing your story.
[00:58:07.480 --> 00:58:12.760] I'm Stephanie, and this is the best, and I would say most fun business meeting I've ever had.
[00:58:13.080 --> 00:58:14.360] Hi, Andrefranistas.
[00:58:14.360 --> 00:58:22.520] It's Steph here, and I hope today's episode has left you feeling inspired and with some actionable tips that you can apply to your own business.
[00:58:22.520 --> 00:58:29.880] The way we've grown our community and resources is by sharing content like this for years and asking for help along the way.
[00:58:29.880 --> 00:58:35.400] So here's where we need your help so we can continue to make as much impact as possible together.
[00:58:35.400 --> 00:58:45.080] If you can leave us a five-star review and extra credit if you share this episode on Instagram, LinkedIn, or DM it to a founder friend who would benefit from hearing it.
[00:58:45.080 --> 00:58:52.440] Not only would it mean the world to us, but you sharing this episode is going to help someone who just may need to hear what we share today.
[00:58:52.440 --> 00:58:55.480] And you know I love nothing more than giveaways and prizes.
[00:58:55.480 --> 00:59:02.200] So every month I'll be giving away a one-on-one session with me to someone who has shared the episode and left a review.
[00:59:02.200 --> 00:59:05.080] So send me a personal DM over on Instagram.
[00:59:05.080 --> 00:59:09.960] I'm at Steph Jill Carton once you've done it, so you can be entered to win.
[00:59:09.960 --> 00:59:15.720] Wishing you a productive week ahead and stay tuned for another impactful episode next week.

Prompt 6: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 7: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 8: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Full Transcript

[00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.680] Hey, Entrepreneurs, it's Steph here with a special invite just for you.
[00:00:05.680 --> 00:00:10.800] Do you want to experience what it's like to be part of our Entrepreneur League community of founders?
[00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.400] Now is your chance.
[00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:21.360] You can join me this month at one of our upcoming Entrepreneurs League info sessions where I'm going to share with you all you're going to get access to when you join the community.
[00:00:21.360 --> 00:00:27.040] Plus, I'll be giving away some big bonuses that you will only be able to get access to when you attend live.
[00:00:27.040 --> 00:00:35.600] Head over to refer.entreprenista.com forward slash info session to join us at one of our virtual info sessions this month.
[00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.640] That's refer.entreparnista.com forward slash info session.
[00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:44.560] Or head over to the show notes right now and tap the link to join us.
[00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:49.200] I can't wait to meet you there and learn more about you and your business.
[00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.880] I would be lying if I didn't say luck plays a tiny part in it, you know?
[00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:58.560] I mean, you can work really hard, but so much of it is timing and the right things happening at the right time.
[00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:07.440] What was, I would say, game-changing for me was, number one, when I first started the business, one of my big clients was actually in telecommunications where I had never worked.
[00:01:07.440 --> 00:01:14.480] But my former head of HR, when I was in-house, had actually said, you need to help us open this new facility in North Carolina.
[00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:16.000] And I was like, oh, cool.
[00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.240] Big brand, you know, a chance to do something.
[00:01:18.240 --> 00:01:21.680] But my expertise was life sciences and that was really my passion.
[00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.480] But I did it and I actually did something for a jewelry company.
[00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:30.480] Again, I was just trying to build and go, but when I decided, no, I'm going to 100% focus on life sciences.
[00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:31.840] That's my expertise.
[00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.640] It really requires a certain skill set to do that.
[00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:38.640] That then allowed me to start to go in a whole different direction.
[00:01:46.320 --> 00:01:52.720] If you've ever felt like building a business was harder than it needed to be, you're going to get so much value out of today's episode.
[00:01:52.720 --> 00:02:00.000] Andrea Johnston grew, scaled, and sold her first marketing agency, and now she is on a mission to help even more women founders.
[00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:08.200] She is now the founder of Fuel for Female Founders and knows firsthand what it takes to turn ambition into a real sustainable success.
[00:02:08.200 --> 00:02:11.240] And she's on a mission to make sure you don't have to do it alone.
[00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:17.480] She is pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to grow your business with more ease, clarity, and confidence.
[00:02:17.480 --> 00:02:29.080] From building a network that actually moves the needle to trusting yourself even when the road gets rocky, she shares the strategies that fuel not just your business, but really for you as a founder.
[00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:43.400] So if you're ready for real talk about building an agency and powerful insights and tangible next steps to build your business and your personal brand, keep listening and get ready to hear Andrea's story and her biggest business secrets.
[00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:47.880] This is the Entrepreneur Podcast presented by Social Fly.
[00:02:47.880 --> 00:02:58.600] It's the best business meeting you'll ever have with must-hear real-life looks at how leading women in business are getting it done and what it takes to build and grow a successful company.
[00:02:58.600 --> 00:03:04.440] It's beyond the Graham with no filters, no limits, and plenty of surprises.
[00:03:07.640 --> 00:03:13.880] Andrea, I am so thrilled to finally be sitting down with you, recording this podcast episode.
[00:03:13.880 --> 00:03:20.520] I want to share with all of our listeners that we initially connected through a mutual connection.
[00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:27.400] Courtney and I had met this incredible man, Colton, through a fellow entrepreneur who introduced us to him.
[00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.280] And when we met Colton, he's like, I have to connect you to Andrea.
[00:03:30.280 --> 00:03:31.800] So that's how we connected.
[00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:45.920] And I feel like everything just goes back to the power of connections and community and relationships and one thing leading to the next, because now we're about to do tons of incredible things together to help impact and inspire even more entrepreneurs.
[00:03:45.920 --> 00:03:48.800] So we'll get into all the good stuff, but thank you for being here.
[00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:49.200] Thank you.
[00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:50.480] No, I'm so excited to be here.
[00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:54.560] And I'm so grateful to Colton for introducing us and making that connection.
[00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:56.480] Yes, no, he is absolutely incredible.
[00:03:56.480 --> 00:04:08.800] And I bet we'll be talking more about him in just a bit, but I would love to know from you, Andrea, when you were growing up, did you always know, were you that kid who, you know, was selling lemonade and always knew they wanted to start their own business one day?
[00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:11.840] I can honestly say no, I wasn't that kid.
[00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:14.480] I mean, both of my parents worked for the state.
[00:04:14.480 --> 00:04:15.840] My mom was a social worker.
[00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.000] My father was in public education.
[00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:23.040] So I didn't have any role models for business building or in the private sector.
[00:04:23.040 --> 00:04:33.600] It was something that I think really became an area of interest to me once I got into the workforce and I saw how companies were run and I saw sort of the opportunity set.
[00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:35.680] And that's what really wet my appetite.
[00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:42.720] I think the younger me would have said, oh, she's going to be in politics or do something that was more community and civic minded.
[00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:43.920] That's so interesting.
[00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:45.200] So what was your path?
[00:04:45.200 --> 00:04:48.080] What led you to actually start your own business?
[00:04:48.080 --> 00:05:01.200] Well, after about a dozen years working in the pharmaceutical industry and then in various larger communications firms, I ultimately realized like I wanted to build something different.
[00:05:01.200 --> 00:05:08.320] The higher you get in traditional agencies, the less you actually are close to the craft of communications.
[00:05:08.320 --> 00:05:12.960] And my passion was always really being close to clients and doing the work.
[00:05:13.200 --> 00:05:14.800] I love the work.
[00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:23.440] And so I was at that level where it was a lot of Excel spreadsheets and a lot of, you know, the admin part of the business.
[00:05:23.440 --> 00:05:40.360] And I just felt like I could do something different where we could bring clients senior level talent that wasn't so worried about the forecast, but really focused on their business and bringing that expertise crafted over years to really help them advance their business and also to connect more deeply with patients.
[00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:44.920] Because when you're working in the pharmaceutical industry, it's really all about the patients at the end of the day.
[00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:49.160] So I wanted to get back to something that would really allow me to do that in a meaningful way.
[00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:51.080] And that's what led me to start Pure.
[00:05:51.080 --> 00:05:56.840] What were some of those first steps that you took when you said, all right, I'm leaving the corporate world, I'm going to start this on my own?
[00:05:57.480 --> 00:06:03.800] Well, as many things in my life, it was I had just given birth to my second child.
[00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:08.440] I had decided I wasn't going to go back from maternity leave.
[00:06:08.440 --> 00:06:12.520] And so I basically said, peace out, I'm done.
[00:06:12.520 --> 00:06:14.680] I really want to do my own thing.
[00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:18.680] And I just started literally reaching out to contacts.
[00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:20.520] You know, I'd worked in the industry for a long time.
[00:06:20.520 --> 00:06:24.280] I knew a lot of different people, said, I'm going to put out my own shingle.
[00:06:24.280 --> 00:06:25.800] It was, I was a solo person.
[00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:28.120] I had no idea where this might go.
[00:06:28.920 --> 00:06:30.840] And I was really fortunate.
[00:06:30.840 --> 00:06:35.320] And this kind of goes back to why I am so passionate about what you're doing with Entrepreneurista.
[00:06:35.320 --> 00:06:37.720] It goes back to relationships and connections, right?
[00:06:37.720 --> 00:06:44.360] So early on, I was fortunate to have supporters from throughout my career who stepped up and said, We'd love to help you.
[00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:45.960] Like you're so talented.
[00:06:45.960 --> 00:06:48.120] Let us involve you in this project.
[00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:50.520] Or could you come meet with our CEO and do this?
[00:06:50.520 --> 00:06:54.840] So it really sort of started there and then just kind of gained momentum.
[00:06:54.840 --> 00:06:58.120] So talk to me about the evolution of building an agency business.
[00:06:58.120 --> 00:07:11.000] We have so many, specifically, marketing agency owners, PR agency owners, social media agency owners, SEO, web development inside the Entrepreneursa League, because so many women, I think, see the same need that you saw, right?
[00:07:11.320 --> 00:07:19.600] Had a great job, had children, decided wanted to build something on their own, and now they're learning the agency world for the first time.
[00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:22.720] So, you did a lot of things right.
[00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:26.400] And you'll probably tell me you made a lot of mistakes, too, and we'll talk about all those as well.
[00:07:26.400 --> 00:07:30.720] But in those early days, when you were first getting started, you started building this agency.
[00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:36.640] Like, what made your business and you such a success that all of our entrepreneurs can learn from?
[00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:41.840] I mean, I would be lying if I didn't say luck plays a tiny part in it, you know?
[00:07:41.840 --> 00:07:47.840] I mean, you can work really hard, but so much of it is timing and the right things happening at the right time.
[00:07:47.840 --> 00:07:56.880] What was, I would say, game-changing for me was: number one, when I first started the business, one of my big clients was actually in telecommunications where I had never worked.
[00:07:56.880 --> 00:08:04.480] But my former head of HR, when I was in-house, had actually said, You need to help us open this new facility in North Carolina.
[00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:08.320] And I was like, Oh, cool, big brand, you know, a chance to do something.
[00:08:08.320 --> 00:08:11.760] But my expertise was life sciences, and that was really my passion.
[00:08:11.760 --> 00:08:14.800] But I did it, and I actually did something for a jewelry company.
[00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:16.720] Again, I was just trying to build and go.
[00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:23.040] But when I decided, no, I'm going to 100% focus on life sciences, that's my expertise.
[00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:26.080] It really requires a certain skill set to do that.
[00:08:26.080 --> 00:08:29.360] That then allowed me to start to go in a whole different direction.
[00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:38.080] And I got this client who was developing a drug based on the key protein in wine, Resveratrol, which I'm sure you've heard of before.
[00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:42.960] Well, they were developing a series of treatments for different diseases of aging.
[00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:49.200] We got them on the Barbara Walters show, we got them in all of these major talk shows and news media.
[00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:51.280] They were on the cover of magazines.
[00:08:51.280 --> 00:08:52.240] It was huge.
[00:08:52.240 --> 00:08:56.240] And that was really when everyone started going to that CEO saying, Who is doing your PR?
[00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.080] Like, who's doing your communications?
[00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:00.760] So, that really, I would say, was kind of the game changer.
[00:09:00.760 --> 00:09:04.680] And as people started calling, you can never take enough meetings.
[00:08:59.920 --> 00:09:06.520] You can never say yes to enough people.
[00:09:06.760 --> 00:09:10.200] And that networking and those referrals lead to the next thing.
[00:09:10.200 --> 00:09:16.040] So I would say that is what was really kind of a major moment for us as a firm.
[00:09:16.040 --> 00:09:20.120] So tell me what happened next as you were scaling the business.
[00:09:20.120 --> 00:09:25.160] When did you decide to, because you eventually took private equity money, correct?
[00:09:25.160 --> 00:09:25.640] Yeah.
[00:09:25.640 --> 00:09:34.200] So two years into the business, I actually asked my husband if he would leave his management consulting job and help me because I was overwhelmed with back office stuff.
[00:09:34.520 --> 00:09:39.400] And he, being the wonderfully supportive husband that he is, said, yes, I'm all in.
[00:09:39.400 --> 00:09:40.440] Let's go.
[00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:45.240] So we were at about 12 million in revenues.
[00:09:45.240 --> 00:09:48.600] And we knew that we had so much growth opportunity.
[00:09:48.600 --> 00:09:58.840] We had more client asks than we knew what to do with, which is a wonderful place to be, but it's also a dangerous place to be because that's all built on a reputation where you do great work.
[00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:05.560] I also saw that in order for us to be ready to meet the future of communications, we needed more in data and analytics.
[00:10:05.560 --> 00:10:12.280] And in order to build something proprietary and really create a meaningful technology, it was going to cost a lot of money.
[00:10:12.280 --> 00:10:20.840] And when you and your husband are both working at the company and you have two children that will eventually need to go to college, you have to kind of measure what you invest in when and how.
[00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:24.920] So that's really when we decided, hey, we have so much growth potential here.
[00:10:24.920 --> 00:10:28.760] Let's talk to some people and see what options are available to us.
[00:10:28.760 --> 00:10:35.240] And his best friend happens to be in private equity, doesn't work in the communications or marketing sector, but he gave us great advice.
[00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:39.000] We ended up hiring a banking firm to work with us.
[00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:46.000] And, you know, we had a lot of amazing interests, very flattering offers, but ultimately, I wanted to grow and scale.
[00:10:44.680 --> 00:10:50.560] So I went with a firm that I thought offered that, and they had just taken PE money.
[00:10:50.880 --> 00:10:59.280] And so that allowed us to combine forces and then really grow and at a very exciting rate and into all new areas.
[00:10:59.280 --> 00:11:09.920] Up next, you'll hear all about Andrea's biggest learning lessons: building and growing an agency business and the first steps that she took to get her company off the ground.
[00:11:15.920 --> 00:11:17.200] Hi, Entrepreneurs.
[00:11:17.200 --> 00:11:18.240] It's Steph here.
[00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:24.880] As a founder, I know firsthand that building a business can feel so lonely, but it doesn't have to.
[00:11:24.880 --> 00:11:29.520] And that's why we created our Entrepreneursa Founders Weekend Wealth and Wellness Retreat.
[00:11:29.520 --> 00:11:31.680] And I can't wait to meet you in person there.
[00:11:31.680 --> 00:11:45.920] So you're officially invited to join us from April 30th to May 3rd, 2026 at the stunning PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for three transformative days of connection, collaboration, and real business growth.
[00:11:45.920 --> 00:11:48.000] This isn't just another business conference.
[00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:56.400] It is a curated retreat designed to help you build authentic, lasting relationships with women who truly understand your journey.
[00:11:56.400 --> 00:12:03.200] From business panels and workshops to wellness activations and so much more, this is the room that you need to be in.
[00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:14.720] So if you are ready to invest in yourself and your business and your vision and your next level of success, head over to entrepreneurs.com forward slash foundersweekend to reserve your ticket today.
[00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:23.040] That's entrepreneur.com forward slash foundersweekend or head over to the show notes right now and tap the invitation to reserve your ticket.
[00:12:23.040 --> 00:12:24.320] I'll see you there.
[00:12:34.280 --> 00:12:43.880] All right, I have to ask you now: what were all of your biggest learning lessons from going through the process of partnering with PE and rapid growth?
[00:12:43.880 --> 00:12:51.240] Because that sounds very exciting, of course, but running a business, I know how stressful that can be and very overwhelming.
[00:12:51.240 --> 00:12:53.720] So tell me the good and the bad there.
[00:12:54.040 --> 00:12:57.480] So, I mean, I think there's so many things.
[00:12:57.720 --> 00:13:00.040] First of all, I would say I got really fortunate.
[00:13:00.040 --> 00:13:03.640] Our PE backer, you know, Colton was part of that team.
[00:13:03.640 --> 00:13:11.240] Just an incredible group of people, really committed to the success of the founders and entrepreneurs with whom they work.
[00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:14.520] So we had a board, and I got to report to the board.
[00:13:14.520 --> 00:13:23.560] And I say got to because it was one of the things I wanted to evolve to in my career, really understanding the board dynamic, how to report, how to look at financials.
[00:13:23.560 --> 00:13:26.680] We acquired, I think, seven companies in the time that I was there.
[00:13:26.680 --> 00:13:28.120] And I was on the due diligence team.
[00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:43.480] So I had never done MA before, but it was so exciting to be a part of that and to look under the hood of other businesses and determine what would really be accretive to our business versus what really didn't have anything that was going to move us forward as a team.
[00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:45.640] So that was incredibly exciting.
[00:13:45.640 --> 00:13:56.760] You know, I would say on the downside, you are very much focused on growth and you're very focused on what's going to help drive profitability.
[00:13:56.760 --> 00:14:02.280] I would say we were fortunate again that our partner invested a lot in infrastructure.
[00:14:02.280 --> 00:14:03.880] We needed to expand HR.
[00:14:03.880 --> 00:14:05.160] We needed to do more in finance.
[00:14:05.160 --> 00:14:06.840] And that was true with the company that acquired us.
[00:14:06.840 --> 00:14:10.040] They really needed to further enhance their infrastructure.
[00:14:10.040 --> 00:14:12.200] They were very committed to data and analytics.
[00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:14.760] So they wanted to make investments in companies like that.
[00:14:15.040 --> 00:14:21.760] So I think, if anything, it was the areas where they didn't necessarily jump in and give support.
[00:14:21.760 --> 00:14:27.920] Like once we acquired these companies, merging them successfully, getting all the systems integrated.
[00:14:27.920 --> 00:14:34.720] A lot of times that's not sexy, but it really impacts the day-to-day functioning of the teams in the organizations.
[00:14:34.720 --> 00:14:41.440] And when that doesn't go smoothly, and since we were their first acquisition, they learned a lot acquiring us.
[00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:45.040] Like we lost our entire calendar in a day.
[00:14:45.040 --> 00:14:50.160] All forward-looking meetings, everything gone, wiped out when we were migrated to their system.
[00:14:50.160 --> 00:14:52.240] And that was very painful for everyone.
[00:14:53.040 --> 00:14:53.840] Was it an accident?
[00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:54.800] Did they mean to do that?
[00:14:54.800 --> 00:15:00.240] Or it was no, it was a total accident, but it was one of those things where it was like, oh, big lesson learned here.
[00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:02.400] We got to do this differently next time.
[00:15:02.640 --> 00:15:09.280] But so I would say it wasn't without its hiccups, but in the grand scheme of things, I just feel we were so fortunate.
[00:15:09.280 --> 00:15:14.400] And some of that was also the homework we did in deciding which team we were going to go with.
[00:15:14.400 --> 00:15:24.240] Because we had multiple options, doing the homework and understanding who's on the other side of the table as the buyer is very critical for a successful next step.
[00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:26.160] Because for me, I wanted to be a part of it.
[00:15:26.160 --> 00:15:28.080] I knew I wasn't checking out.
[00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.800] I wanted to help grow and build.
[00:15:30.800 --> 00:15:36.560] So having the chemistry and having a shared vision for the future was very important.
[00:15:36.880 --> 00:15:44.640] How much time did you spend having conversations with the potential opportunities to partner together?
[00:15:44.640 --> 00:15:51.280] So were you spending like weeks or years before you agreed to a deal, or was this all something that happened quickly?
[00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:58.640] No, we, I would say it was the better part of a year from the time we hired banking partners.
[00:15:58.640 --> 00:16:06.920] You have to go through so many things that, as an entrepreneur, you don't even know, like quality of earnings, and you have to like make sure you're all buttoned up on your financials.
[00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:11.960] And you know, like many people probably listening to this, we ran our business off of QuickBooks.
[00:16:11.960 --> 00:16:18.360] And so, making sure everything is tied up real cleanly and reported properly.
[00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:21.720] You know, it's a process that alone.
[00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:26.040] And then, developing your pitch deck and then going through the list of potential buyers.
[00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:29.160] Are there ones you're definitely not interested in joining forces with?
[00:16:29.160 --> 00:16:31.480] Are there ones where, yeah, I know a lot about them?
[00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:32.360] That would be really good.
[00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:38.120] So, by the time you actually hit the road to meet with people, you've already spent three or four months.
[00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:40.200] And then you have your roadshows and your meetings.
[00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:42.280] So, it's a lengthy process.
[00:16:42.280 --> 00:16:50.360] I think it's very worth it to go through a process, but you have to know it's going to take time and it's also going to take time away from your business.
[00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:50.760] Yes.
[00:16:51.080 --> 00:16:55.240] And you have to continue to be running your business just as profitably during that time to get there.
[00:16:55.320 --> 00:16:57.800] That's opportunity.
[00:16:57.800 --> 00:16:58.520] A hundred percent.
[00:16:58.520 --> 00:17:05.080] And you also, you know, a big thing for me is I think I could have done more to communicate with our employees during that period.
[00:17:05.080 --> 00:17:06.280] I was on the road so much.
[00:17:06.280 --> 00:17:07.240] And you have to be careful.
[00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:13.320] You can't talk a lot about what's happening because you don't want to scare clients or anyone in the marketplace.
[00:17:13.320 --> 00:17:23.720] So it's kind of an awkward time, but being as present as you can be for your employees is so important because they see you're not in your office as much.
[00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:27.400] They see you're not as available on your calendar and they're wondering what's going on.
[00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:32.360] And so making sure you make that extra effort to stay connected is really important.
[00:17:32.680 --> 00:17:33.800] Absolutely.
[00:17:33.800 --> 00:17:37.720] So, after this acquisition, you stayed on for a while.
[00:17:37.720 --> 00:17:39.560] What ended up happening next?
[00:17:39.560 --> 00:17:40.840] Well, it was so exciting.
[00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:47.440] We acquired two more companies, and we basically achieved a five-year plan in three years.
[00:17:44.840 --> 00:17:51.120] And our then private equity firm said, Look, you guys are crushing it.
[00:17:51.280 --> 00:17:58.560] And if you want to take it to the next level and do some of these other big acquisitions, I think it's time to look at the next level PE partner.
[00:17:58.560 --> 00:18:01.600] So, we went on the road and we met with a bunch of different firms.
[00:18:01.600 --> 00:18:08.640] We ended up selling to a very, very large PE firm in the marketing and technology space.
[00:18:09.280 --> 00:18:10.320] Amazing partner.
[00:18:10.320 --> 00:18:18.400] At that point, I was running North America, doing about $150 million in revenue, had about 600 plus people in my organization.
[00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:24.800] And after spending another almost year on the road, I have to be honest, I was pretty burnt out.
[00:18:24.800 --> 00:18:27.440] I mean, I was one of the only women on the team.
[00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:28.480] I had two kids.
[00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:32.080] My kids were at that kind of critical point in high school.
[00:18:32.080 --> 00:18:36.720] So, I stayed on almost another year after we did the second deal.
[00:18:36.720 --> 00:18:44.240] And then, just for me, it was time to, I had achieved everything I had ever wanted to from a communications perspective and more.
[00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:48.240] You know, again, I had parents who worked for the state.
[00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:52.160] Like, this was just totally unfathomable to me.
[00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:53.440] And so, I was like, you know what?
[00:18:53.440 --> 00:19:01.840] I'm ready to take a break and refocus on my family and my kids before they go to college and maybe achieve some things that are personally really important to me at this stage.
[00:19:01.840 --> 00:19:05.440] And I was fortunate that financially I was in a position to do that.
[00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:14.960] Do you look back now and you're like, I had this idea to start my own communications firm and grew and scaled it to hundreds of million in revenue, hundreds of employees?
[00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.680] Like, do you just sit back and you're like, oh my gosh, I did that?
[00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.960] Did that happen?
[00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:20.480] No, I mean, I really can't believe it.
[00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:22.880] It's probably how you and Courtney often feel, right?
[00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:29.680] It's like you almost don't even take enough time to relish that accomplishment and like enjoy that success.
[00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:34.040] And I honestly had the most amazing teams in each of these phases.
[00:19:34.040 --> 00:19:50.280] And I am so grateful to the people who really showed up and were so consistent with clients and with these new people that we became part of and so willing to build bridges and create connections because none of this is possible if you don't have the right team with you.
[00:19:50.600 --> 00:20:02.040] And so, yeah, I mean, my husband and I over the last year in particular, as both of our kids are now getting ready to graduate college, we just can't even believe how things played out.
[00:20:02.040 --> 00:20:06.840] And we're so grateful, but we also recognize that it doesn't happen without a lot of hard work.
[00:20:06.840 --> 00:20:07.720] No, absolutely.
[00:20:07.720 --> 00:20:16.920] That's what it takes: hard work, surrounding yourself with the right team and community and really great relationships to help you along the way.
[00:20:16.920 --> 00:20:18.520] Andrew, I have to ask you this.
[00:20:18.520 --> 00:20:23.640] I'm sure there were some mistakes that you made along the way that our entrepreneurs can learn from.
[00:20:23.640 --> 00:20:28.680] Can you share any of the mistakes that actually I like to call them learning lessons?
[00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:30.440] No, learning lessons.
[00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:32.600] That's a good way to phrase it.
[00:20:32.600 --> 00:20:42.520] I think there are many mistakes I made, both in building my business and in the course of going through different transactions.
[00:20:42.520 --> 00:20:57.640] I think in building my business, there were times when, because I wanted to build a business where it was really focused on that client relationship, there were times when I took on a client that I knew in my gut was probably not going to be a good fit.
[00:20:57.640 --> 00:21:02.120] And I knew that maybe we were not on the same page about communications.
[00:21:02.120 --> 00:21:06.280] And I always regretted when I didn't listen to my intuition.
[00:21:06.280 --> 00:21:12.640] So, I think it's so important because that becomes such a distraction and a time sink when it's not a good fit.
[00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:17.360] And to try to keep making it work, actually, everything suffers when that happens.
[00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:22.800] I think the second big thing is, I am a fixer and a doer.
[00:21:22.800 --> 00:21:25.280] So, I tend to like carry a lot of things on my own.
[00:21:25.280 --> 00:21:28.480] I'm not always the best about delegating certain things.
[00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:45.200] And so, I really think it's critical early on to identify areas where your talents are better served focusing on clients or focusing on this aspect of the business, and then hire the right people to do other things, including, you know, nowadays you can hire people to do your laundry.
[00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:48.240] You can hire people to, you know, organize your kitchen.
[00:21:48.240 --> 00:22:00.000] Like, don't be afraid to outsource the things that make sense to outsource, because if you're paying that person 50 bucks an hour and you're making 250 bucks an hour and you're growing your business, like the math makes sense.
[00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:05.200] So, it just frees you up when you delegate and when you identify resources.
[00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:09.040] And that's one of the things I love about the entrepreneurship community, quite frankly.
[00:22:09.040 --> 00:22:16.640] I can quickly search and find all kinds of incredible companies, whether it's I need help with social media or I need someone who has this expertise.
[00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:17.360] I need a lawyer.
[00:22:17.360 --> 00:22:18.320] I need an accountant.
[00:22:18.320 --> 00:22:20.400] You have it all living right in this community.
[00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:23.920] That was not available to me when I started my firm.
[00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:25.920] So, I think that's just incredible.
[00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:27.360] And that's really important.
[00:22:27.360 --> 00:22:41.520] Don't be afraid to delegate and to outsource because I think we could have gone further on our own and wouldn't have felt so overwhelmed if we hadn't hesitated to invest and outsource certain things.
[00:22:41.520 --> 00:22:42.800] I'm so glad you shared that.
[00:22:42.800 --> 00:22:45.440] And look, that's why we started the entrepreneurship community.
[00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:48.880] We didn't have that when we first started Social Fly years ago.
[00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:54.400] So, we created what we felt we really needed and were trying to build and put together.
[00:22:54.400 --> 00:22:58.960] And when you just said that about outsourcing laundry and everything, I'm like, that is like my thing.
[00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:07.240] I'm like, every single thing that I'm not great at or costs less for someone else to do it than the value and the hours of my time.
[00:23:07.480 --> 00:23:08.920] Like I am all for it.
[00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:11.640] And so many women in our community, and you've now worked with some of them.
[00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:15.240] We should talk about Jessica, who now worked with you had reached out to me.
[00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:20.600] Like, who in the community should I work with to work on, you know, building my brand and my new brand?
[00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:21.960] I'm like, talk to Jessica's wages.
[00:23:21.960 --> 00:23:22.440] She's the best.
[00:23:22.440 --> 00:23:23.000] She's amazing.
[00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:24.440] And then you nailed it.
[00:23:24.440 --> 00:23:25.720] She's amazing.
[00:23:25.720 --> 00:23:26.280] Oh, God.
[00:23:26.280 --> 00:23:26.840] She's so good.
[00:23:26.840 --> 00:23:31.320] She spoke at our Founders Weekend event last year and she was just absolutely incredible.
[00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:35.960] And then actually, one of our members, so I have to introduce you to Diana Arango.
[00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:37.960] I'm now one of her advisors in her business.
[00:23:37.960 --> 00:23:39.240] She has a whole business.
[00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:47.000] It's called Chef Post, where her chefs will come cook meals for your whole family for the week, put them in the fridge, pick out all the meals that you want.
[00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:49.480] They do the shopping for you, and it's done.
[00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:52.600] I'm like, that is hours and hours and hours of time.
[00:23:52.600 --> 00:23:53.240] Exactly.
[00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:53.960] Oh, my God.
[00:23:53.960 --> 00:23:54.360] Yes.
[00:23:54.360 --> 00:23:55.160] I love that.
[00:23:55.160 --> 00:24:01.800] And that's exactly what I needed then and need again in my life because it would just save so much money.
[00:24:01.800 --> 00:24:04.360] But also, like, these people are expert at what they do.
[00:24:04.360 --> 00:24:06.840] So you're going to benefit on all fronts.
[00:24:06.840 --> 00:24:07.320] Absolutely.
[00:24:07.320 --> 00:24:15.160] And I think so many times, and I talk to so many members in our community, you know, I hear founders sharing, and especially women, like, well, I can just do it on my own.
[00:24:15.320 --> 00:24:17.720] I don't have the money to spend on that yet.
[00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:21.560] But I always like to reframe with people, but what if you actually spent the money?
[00:24:21.560 --> 00:24:33.560] And maybe when we have to pay someone $15 an hour, $20 an hour to do these minor tasks, and then you can be doing these higher-level things in the business to be earning more, then you'll be generating more in your business.
[00:24:33.560 --> 00:24:38.680] But so often, I don't know if you hear this too, Andrew, I hear women saying, Well, I don't want to spend on doing that.
[00:24:38.760 --> 00:24:41.880] It's like, we have to spend in order to be able to grow.
[00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:45.840] Listen, I was that woman because I didn't come from money.
[00:24:44.840 --> 00:24:49.760] So I felt like every dollar we were spending, if I could do it, like I was going to do it.
[00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:55.200] If I had to stay up all night, if I had to do whatever, and that is not healthy, it's what leads to burnout.
[00:24:55.200 --> 00:25:07.040] And ultimately, you're being short-sighted because if you hire someone to do that and you free up your time to make more money and to build your business, it will come back to you many times over.
[00:25:07.040 --> 00:25:08.720] So I couldn't agree with you more.
[00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:11.760] And I think that is a uniquely female issue.
[00:25:11.760 --> 00:25:17.440] I also used to, you, I know you have a daughter, and it's like I also had a lot of mom guilt.
[00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:20.560] Like, I was the working mom and I was always traveling for work.
[00:25:20.560 --> 00:25:26.640] And so it was like when it was a birthday party or the tennis team had something, I was always the first to volunteer to do something.
[00:25:26.640 --> 00:25:28.320] I was like, yeah, like I need to do that.
[00:25:28.320 --> 00:25:29.760] Like I need a hole in my head.
[00:25:29.760 --> 00:25:34.960] But I couldn't then outsource, well, someone else could bake it or someone else could do this.
[00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:37.360] No, I had to be the mom and do it.
[00:25:37.360 --> 00:25:39.920] And some of that was just stupid, right?
[00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:41.760] Like I was still there for my kids.
[00:25:41.760 --> 00:25:43.840] I was showing up for the things that were important.
[00:25:43.840 --> 00:25:47.280] Some of that other stuff, I don't know who I felt like I had to prove it to.
[00:25:47.280 --> 00:25:50.320] It's just about showing up and being there.
[00:25:50.320 --> 00:25:55.600] And if I could have had, you know, Whole Foods bake the cake, it would have been fine.
[00:25:55.600 --> 00:25:58.160] I'm all for putting a lot of pressure on ourselves.
[00:25:58.160 --> 00:26:01.360] I'm like, I already know I can't cook the thing.
[00:26:01.360 --> 00:26:05.360] I can order it and I want to be there and show up, but I'm not going to be the one cooking anything.
[00:26:05.360 --> 00:26:06.480] You don't want me.
[00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:06.960] Right.
[00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:10.880] Yeah, I don't bake, but yeah.
[00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:16.720] What are some of the biggest challenges, challenges that you're seeing agency owners facing today, right?
[00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:25.280] Marketing agencies have really evolved and changed so much, I would say, especially over the past five, 10 years with social media and all the new technology and everything.
[00:26:25.280 --> 00:26:29.200] What are the challenges that you're seeing agency owners facing right now?
[00:26:30.120 --> 00:26:45.160] I've seen in several of our clients a, I would say, aggressiveness to diversify their capabilities and offering without a lot of thought into, well, what does that look like two years from now?
[00:26:45.160 --> 00:26:52.520] And still kind of incorporating the basics of strategic planning into building their business.
[00:26:52.520 --> 00:26:54.760] I think there's an element of shiny new object.
[00:26:54.760 --> 00:26:58.840] Oh, this AI is really cool, or oh, we should really be doing this in digital.
[00:26:58.840 --> 00:27:06.360] And so there's like a let's go for it without a lot of discipline and rigor around, okay, well, but how are we going to integrate that into the business?
[00:27:06.360 --> 00:27:11.560] How is this going to become a revenue generating aspect of the business?
[00:27:11.560 --> 00:27:19.320] So it's sort of helping them think about that in the context of scaling, but also think about forecasting.
[00:27:19.320 --> 00:27:24.200] I mean, I was lucky, I worked at very large agencies that were part of like Omnicom and Interpublic Group.
[00:27:24.280 --> 00:27:29.480] So I had this great foundation around forecasting and hours management and pricing.
[00:27:29.480 --> 00:27:37.000] And I see people struggle with that as well because they immediately go into these new capability areas and they don't know how to price it.
[00:27:37.000 --> 00:27:38.840] They don't understand what clients are willing to pay.
[00:27:38.840 --> 00:27:43.400] They haven't done a lot of market research to really understand that segment.
[00:27:43.400 --> 00:27:51.800] So I see that as being an area where people just get really excited and they want to chase it or hire somebody who's going to own it.
[00:27:51.800 --> 00:27:54.680] Maybe they don't put metrics around it or accountabilities.
[00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:57.720] And then a year later, they're frustrated because nothing's happened.
[00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:09.240] So how do you help those founders when you're working with these women in your business now to really put together those plans and processes to decide what to focus on and what to do?
[00:28:09.240 --> 00:28:14.360] Because I think all of us business owners, right, we started a business because we have these ideas and we're like, oh, here's the next thing.
[00:28:14.360 --> 00:28:32.480] Let's try it let's do it let's start it guilty over here all day long right right but you can't do everything no you can't and i think again it kind of goes back to sort of i always knew that life science was was something I was uniquely skilled and suited to do because it was my background.
[00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:34.800] And it's also a highly regulated industry.
[00:28:34.800 --> 00:28:39.840] So understanding the regulations and understanding, you know, how to be compliant is super important.
[00:28:39.840 --> 00:28:40.960] You have things like HIPAA.
[00:28:40.960 --> 00:28:46.960] You have regulations around how you can market drugs or pre-approval, how you can talk about drugs.
[00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:58.000] So one of the things was being disciplined about, oh, yes, it's so exciting that these other companies and consumer goods or whatever are interested, but I'm going to stick to my knitting because this is where value is.
[00:28:58.000 --> 00:29:04.240] I think the second thing I try to work with clients on is, okay, why do you want to go after that segment?
[00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:07.200] Is that actually something customers are asking you for?
[00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:11.920] Or is that just something you've seen the competition do well and therefore you think you need to expand there?
[00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:17.440] Or have you met someone who's really stellar that you really want to make part of the team and you think they can bring this expertise?
[00:29:17.440 --> 00:29:23.040] Really understand like what's driving their interest in either expanding or evolving.
[00:29:23.040 --> 00:29:27.440] I am a big believer in clients and listening to clients.
[00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:30.960] We used to meet with clients quarterly at a minimum.
[00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:35.600] And I find a lot of people since COVID don't do in-person meetings with clients.
[00:29:35.600 --> 00:29:38.240] They rely on technology for everything.
[00:29:38.240 --> 00:29:46.000] And in my experience, you cannot replace getting in front of clients face to face to really understand: are they happy with what they're getting?
[00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:48.160] Is the team dynamic working?
[00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:54.880] Are there areas where they wish you had that capability and skill, but they're out here working with a different agency to do it?
[00:29:54.880 --> 00:30:00.360] Like all of that really helps you understand the landscape and how to grow your business.
[00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:06.520] But if you're just relying on Zoom and emails, you're not going to get that kind of really valuable insight.
[00:30:06.840 --> 00:30:21.880] So that's another thing we've actually been talking to a surprising number of clients about: how to schedule and plan those in-person interactions so that you can be really investing in the client relationship, but also getting so much valuable insight back.
[00:30:21.880 --> 00:30:23.080] Does that resonate with you?
[00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:25.400] Yeah, I know that's so helpful to hear.
[00:30:25.400 --> 00:30:31.800] So, what are some of your recommendations for our entrepreneurs who are like having a light bulb moment right now?
[00:30:31.800 --> 00:30:36.600] Like, oh my gosh, I need to get off Zoom and get in person with my clients.
[00:30:36.600 --> 00:30:41.320] How should those meetings be structured and organized to really get as much value as possible?
[00:30:41.640 --> 00:30:45.960] I think so much of it is focused on what is the work with the client?
[00:30:45.960 --> 00:30:47.480] What are the clients' objectives?
[00:30:47.480 --> 00:30:53.640] I got the best piece of advice I ever got in my career at an internship I did when I was in college.
[00:30:53.640 --> 00:31:03.320] This person who was a very senior PR strategist said to me, Andrea, if you're going to do really well in this business, you need to be a kingmaker, not a king.
[00:31:03.320 --> 00:31:06.600] And I have held that advice close in everything I've ever done.
[00:31:06.600 --> 00:31:10.680] It's why it was pure communications, not Andrea Johnston communications.
[00:31:10.680 --> 00:31:25.560] Because I think fundamentally what makes us good communicators is if we are listening to what the client's objectives are, if we have an understanding of the audience's needs, and we can marry those things through exceptional storytelling and activation through the right channels.
[00:31:25.560 --> 00:31:33.240] And so, when you go and you meet with the client and you're having these conversations, it is really important to do more listening than talking.
[00:31:33.240 --> 00:31:39.880] And it's really important to understand how their customer landscape is evolving and changing.
[00:31:39.880 --> 00:31:47.360] And it's important to bring any of those insights with you so that as you're talking, you can help them see and identify ways in which their market is changing.
[00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:55.040] So it's that combination of being insightful and being a good strategic partner, but also leaving room for them to really talk.
[00:31:55.040 --> 00:32:01.440] And don't be afraid to ask the tough questions like, you know, are you happy with the performance of this campaign for the last six months?
[00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:04.080] Where do you think we could have performed stronger, better?
[00:32:04.080 --> 00:32:07.040] It's always a client will oftentimes first say, oh, you guys are great.
[00:32:07.040 --> 00:32:07.680] Everything's great.
[00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:08.560] The team's great.
[00:32:08.560 --> 00:32:12.160] Well, let's talk about specifically this and kind of break it down.
[00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:14.000] Are you working with any other firms?
[00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.840] Can I ask what you're doing with them?
[00:32:15.840 --> 00:32:19.120] What are the things that you like about how they're working with you?
[00:32:19.120 --> 00:32:20.880] Those are great ways to get insights.
[00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:28.400] You're not necessarily looking to compete, but how can you use that to inform ways you can be enhancing the relationship with your client?
[00:32:28.400 --> 00:32:29.840] I love that you shared that.
[00:32:30.080 --> 00:32:33.360] I worked in sales essentially my whole life.
[00:32:33.360 --> 00:32:37.760] And I remember you just brought me back to sales training, like right when I graduated college.
[00:32:37.760 --> 00:32:42.800] And I remember my manager saying, you know, whoever speaks the most loses, essentially.
[00:32:42.800 --> 00:32:51.600] Like you have to, if you're in sales, you have to be the listener, especially if you're in consultative sales to understand what the needs are so you can make the right recommendations and solutions.
[00:32:51.600 --> 00:32:59.840] I love how it's like these things early, very early in our careers made such an impact and stayed with us for such a long time.
[00:32:59.840 --> 00:33:12.800] I want to talk a bit about business development strategies because you grew huge agencies by landing some of the most well-known clients in pharma and other industries.
[00:33:12.800 --> 00:33:16.480] What was your secret to success landing these clients?
[00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:18.160] And what do you recommend for others?
[00:33:18.480 --> 00:33:21.680] I mean, so first of all, it goes back to having the right team, right?
[00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:23.520] Because you can't be expert at everything.
[00:33:23.520 --> 00:33:35.480] And so, having people who were really good at whether it's gastrointestinal diseases, and I don't want to be too technical, but like that's something that's kind of very consumer-oriented.
[00:33:35.480 --> 00:33:40.280] So, someone who comes from more of a consumer health background is really going to be able to talk the talk there.
[00:33:40.280 --> 00:33:57.560] Having someone who's very skilled in rare diseases or oncology and can go very deep into the science and understand how different biological mechanisms translate into the potential impact of this drug and being able to talk about that in a way that like a patient or a caregiver can understand is really important.
[00:33:57.560 --> 00:34:07.400] So, having the right team, because when you show up for these clients, if you can talk their talk, but you can also paint a picture for them that connects emotionally, that's what wins the day.
[00:34:07.400 --> 00:34:11.000] So, team number one, absolutely the most important thing.
[00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:31.320] I think, secondly, is I put in a ton of time and effort networking and building relationships, whether it was with venture capitalists who invest in the pharmaceutical and biotech space, whether it was with CEOs, board members, advisors, so that our brand was associated with those relationships and those other companies.
[00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:35.960] And that's really important because, again, it kind of goes back to my red wine example.
[00:34:35.960 --> 00:34:39.080] When people see great work, they want to know who's behind it.
[00:34:39.080 --> 00:34:45.400] And so, your best source of referrals is great work for other companies where they talk about the great work you're doing.
[00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:48.520] So, all of those things really played a critical role.
[00:34:48.520 --> 00:35:01.160] But I spent a lot of time in person, face-to-face, going to meetings, planning dinners where we would bring people together on the client side, even if they weren't clients, to facilitate conversations and dialogues.
[00:35:01.160 --> 00:35:08.760] We participated in a lot of big events in our industry where we would donate our time and donate our expertise to help them.
[00:35:08.760 --> 00:35:11.720] But then, people associated us with those events and activities.
[00:35:11.720 --> 00:35:19.520] So, you know, I think in some ways, social media is so fantastic because it allows you to reach so many all at once.
[00:35:19.840 --> 00:35:24.640] But you can't do that and sacrifice these other ways of networking and connecting.
[00:35:24.640 --> 00:35:38.320] I mean, there's so much efficiency to be gained digitally and through social, but there's still a lot to be said for when you connect with people on a relationship level and how much more willing they are to champion you in your business.
[00:35:38.320 --> 00:35:39.440] That is so true.
[00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:45.360] And I feel like, you know, with Entrepreneurista, we started the community during, you know, 2020 when everyone, we were all stuck inside.
[00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:46.480] No one was going anywhere.
[00:35:46.480 --> 00:35:48.400] So we had to bring everyone together virtually.
[00:35:48.400 --> 00:35:50.080] That's what everyone was asking for.
[00:35:50.080 --> 00:35:55.120] But then about a year in when we started the community, it was everyone's ready to get out and get together.
[00:35:55.120 --> 00:36:04.080] So we started doing these in-person events and we were just able to see, you know, it's amazing when these relationships can start, whether it's on LinkedIn or in a community or through an introduction.
[00:36:04.080 --> 00:36:14.320] But when you get together in person, there's just nothing more powerful because you can, you know, feel each other, see each other's body language and actually build these close, real relationships.
[00:36:14.320 --> 00:36:17.840] And we, we had our Founders Weekend event last year.
[00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:24.560] And actually, we just announced our new Founders Weekend event that's going to be our retreat in April 30th of 2026.
[00:36:24.560 --> 00:36:27.040] And last year, Andrew, I wish you were at the event last year.
[00:36:27.360 --> 00:36:28.160] Me too.
[00:36:28.400 --> 00:36:29.200] You'll be at the next one.
[00:36:29.200 --> 00:36:30.000] It was just I am.
[00:36:30.000 --> 00:36:32.480] I'm actually getting my early access ticket this weekend.
[00:36:33.600 --> 00:36:38.480] So, I mean, everyone was just able to just build these deep relationships together.
[00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:47.360] And then, you know, months later, everyone's telling us, you know, I signed 10 new clients because of referrals and introductions from the people that I met in that room.
[00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:49.520] And that's what everything, that's what it's all about.
[00:36:49.520 --> 00:36:53.520] It's about how can we come together and help each other grow?
[00:36:53.520 --> 00:36:58.720] Because again, there's so much power in the online digital space to bring us together.
[00:36:58.720 --> 00:37:07.720] But as you just shared before, like get together with your clients, get in person with people if you can, because that's when the even deeper magic can really happen.
[00:37:07.720 --> 00:37:15.080] And I love like even some of the regional things that are going on in Entrepreneurista, like, you know, the meetups in Boston or the meetups in Raleigh-Durham.
[00:37:15.080 --> 00:37:19.800] Like it's been so exciting to see opportunities to get together in person with people.
[00:37:19.800 --> 00:37:26.120] So I think you've done a masterful job of creating that balance between online and offline.
[00:37:26.120 --> 00:37:43.320] And I think like the online piece of it, I just can't underscore enough like how fortunate we are to live in a world where Entrepreneurista exists and where you can at the search bar on your app find a bunch of like-minded women and help each other grow and scale your businesses.
[00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:46.040] Like that's just insane and awesome.
[00:37:46.040 --> 00:38:02.440] And I think the more we can take advantage of that and learn about the other incredible talent and businesses that exist within Entrepreneurista, the more we can all help each other build these businesses because there's so much complementary and synergistic talents in your community.
[00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:03.960] It's just, it's really awesome.
[00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:04.920] Oh, thank you.
[00:38:04.920 --> 00:38:08.120] I tell people every day, I feel like I talk about this on social media all the time.
[00:38:08.120 --> 00:38:14.920] I literally cry every single day just getting messages from women in the community and everyone connecting and just seeing what's happened.
[00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:17.400] Like this is why we started it.
[00:38:17.400 --> 00:38:24.680] And just to see the impact of everyone coming together to connect and build businesses together, there's, there's nothing better and more powerful.
[00:38:24.680 --> 00:38:25.560] And I'm so excited.
[00:38:25.560 --> 00:38:26.760] And we have to share with everyone.
[00:38:26.760 --> 00:38:31.080] So you're going to be leading our agency owner power Group.
[00:38:31.080 --> 00:38:36.760] So, as I shared before, we have so many agency owners and marketing agency owners specifically in the community.
[00:38:36.760 --> 00:38:42.440] And who better than you to lead and help everyone grow and scale their business?
[00:38:42.440 --> 00:38:43.320] Because it's not easy.
[00:38:43.320 --> 00:38:48.720] Growing a service-based business, growing an agency business, someone who has done it as well, it's really hard.
[00:38:48.960 --> 00:38:59.280] But when you have the support and help of someone like you who's done it and scaled a really big business to be able to help all of us, there's definitely nothing better.
[00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:10.800] So, coming up, Andrea shares all about her agency owner Power Group and how you can learn from and work with Andrea right inside the Entrepreneurista League to grow and scale your business.
[00:39:13.360 --> 00:39:19.760] Founders are always asking us, What has been the secret to our success building multiple seven-figure businesses?
[00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:21.200] Do you want to know how?
[00:39:21.200 --> 00:39:22.880] It's our community.
[00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:30.480] We created the Entrepreneurista League for founders like you because the most successful entrepreneurs do not navigate business alone.
[00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:36.320] We navigate the challenges and opportunities with the support of people we know, love, and trust.
[00:39:36.320 --> 00:39:40.160] The relationships you build in business will be the key to your success.
[00:39:40.160 --> 00:39:42.320] Trust me, it's how we've done it.
[00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:48.000] And I'm giving you access to everything we've used to grow and scale our businesses over the past decade.
[00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:52.320] Plus, you're going to meet your new best friends in business right inside the community.
[00:39:52.320 --> 00:40:14.720] Our members have access to everything we've used to grow our businesses over the past 10 plus years, from in-person events to virtual events, business education, funding resources, office hours with myself and other top founders in your industry, press opportunities, and access to our community platform where you can instantly get all of your business questions answered.
[00:40:14.720 --> 00:40:21.440] You can join us in the community over at refer.entreprenista.com forward slash join us.
[00:40:21.440 --> 00:40:27.200] That's refer.entrepranista.com forward slash join us to join the community.
[00:40:27.200 --> 00:40:30.600] Or head to the show notes right now and tap the link to join.
[00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:32.360] I cannot wait to meet you.
[00:40:33.640 --> 00:40:39.000] Yeah, to tell everyone about your eight-week program that is coming up that our members can join.
[00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:40.520] Yeah, I'm actually really excited.
[00:40:40.520 --> 00:40:43.800] I'm going to be working actually with Carrie next week.
[00:40:43.800 --> 00:40:54.280] I think we have an hour in the community where we're going to be sort of previewing some things and giving me a chance to get to know some of the folks in the community that have been active already.
[00:40:54.280 --> 00:40:55.720] So I can't wait.
[00:40:55.720 --> 00:41:02.520] I think that for me, a lot of it is going to be because of the great work that's been done, how do we build on that foundation?
[00:41:02.520 --> 00:41:11.240] And how do we continue to help business owners feel like they are constantly learning those tips and tricks that are going to help them scale and grow their business?
[00:41:11.240 --> 00:41:15.800] And how can we also share some of the things to your earlier questions that didn't go well?
[00:41:15.800 --> 00:41:19.480] And what are those lessons learned so that you can avoid those pitfalls?
[00:41:19.480 --> 00:41:29.320] I mean, I often say I would not do a lot differently because had it not been for those mistakes, I would not have been able to grow and to do the things I did as my career continued.
[00:41:29.320 --> 00:41:34.840] I wouldn't have been able to found the two new companies I've founded and be growing in those new directions.
[00:41:34.840 --> 00:41:42.200] But at the same time, I really wish I could have shortened the timeframe between lesson learned and actioning, right?
[00:41:42.200 --> 00:41:45.000] So I hope that we can bring some of that to the group.
[00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:56.520] And I really hope we can foster a lot of mentoring even within the group because I can talk until I'm blue in the face, but ultimately, again, it goes back to developing those relationships and how do we help each other.
[00:41:56.920 --> 00:42:01.640] So I'm really excited to see what the community's goals and objectives are.
[00:42:01.640 --> 00:42:03.560] I'm excited to bring my experience.
[00:42:03.560 --> 00:42:11.560] I have a lot of amazing and talented friends who I think would make great guests to impart some nuggets of knowledge here and there.
[00:42:11.800 --> 00:42:16.000] So much that I've even continued to learn working with Jessica, who you mentioned earlier.
[00:42:16.000 --> 00:42:21.200] Like, I think the more we can pay it forward and share that with each other, the stronger we are.
[00:42:21.200 --> 00:42:21.760] Absolutely.
[00:42:21.760 --> 00:42:24.000] No, it is going to be so good.
[00:42:24.000 --> 00:42:31.200] So, for our entrepreneurs in the community that are listening to Andrea right now, head over to the show notes.
[00:42:31.200 --> 00:42:36.320] We will have the link there so you can register for Andrea's agency owner power group.
[00:42:36.320 --> 00:42:39.280] It is going to be so, so impactful.
[00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:43.520] But I want to get back into a few more questions for you, Andrea.
[00:42:43.840 --> 00:42:49.520] What do you know now that you just wish you knew when you were first starting your business that you want to share with everyone?
[00:42:50.720 --> 00:42:58.080] I really wish I knew that I didn't have to put so much pressure on myself all the time and try to be all things to all people.
[00:42:58.080 --> 00:43:03.840] It goes back to what we were talking about with outsourcing and being willing to delegate.
[00:43:03.840 --> 00:43:09.840] I really wish I knew that that was number one, okay, and number two, that it would be worth the investment.
[00:43:09.840 --> 00:43:22.320] That as challenging as it may have felt at the time, and as much as I felt like I had to do all that on my own, oh my God, I would not have been so burnt out, and I would not have been, I went through a lot of personal health stuff as well.
[00:43:22.320 --> 00:43:33.440] And I feel like I could have saved myself so much from a just overall wellness perspective if I had just been more comfortable letting other people play a role.
[00:43:33.440 --> 00:43:34.960] Yes, no, I'm glad you share that.
[00:43:34.960 --> 00:43:38.400] It's again, it's all about delegation, but asking for help.
[00:43:38.400 --> 00:43:42.400] And when you need it, like, there's so many people, and Courtney and I learned this through our whole journey.
[00:43:42.400 --> 00:43:48.880] Like, so many people want to help, but the only way to get help and to find resources, is we all have to be willing to ask for help.
[00:43:48.880 --> 00:43:49.920] And like, it's okay.
[00:43:49.920 --> 00:43:50.800] There's nothing.
[00:43:50.800 --> 00:43:58.880] It's actually, it's so good to ask for help because it shows that like you're a leader and you realize where you can't do absolutely everything.
[00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:00.360] None of us can do absolutely everything.
[00:43:59.360 --> 00:44:03.320] It's impossible to do absolutely everything and we shouldn't do that.
[00:43:59.840 --> 00:44:05.160] So you're exactly right.
[00:44:05.960 --> 00:44:17.080] In fact, a friend of mine who's a coach, she said recently on LinkedIn how she had injured herself and she is a fixer and doer like we are and she likes to do a lot of things herself.
[00:44:17.080 --> 00:44:22.440] And she actually had to ask for help because she's in a cast and she can't walk or go upstairs.
[00:44:22.440 --> 00:44:35.560] And she was like, it was like life-changing when she realized by allowing other people to be the fixer and doer, you also bring so much fulfillment and joy to them, as well as release all of this tension and responsibility for yourself.
[00:44:35.560 --> 00:44:36.440] So you're absolutely right.
[00:44:36.440 --> 00:44:41.880] It's that asking for help and being willing to acknowledge like what you don't know and that that's okay.
[00:44:41.880 --> 00:44:44.680] But it's a hard, it was a hard lesson for me to learn.
[00:44:44.680 --> 00:44:49.800] I, a lot of times I'll hear people start a sentence or a question with like, I have a silly question or I have a stupid question.
[00:44:49.880 --> 00:44:53.560] I'm like, no, there's no such thing as a silly or stupid question.
[00:44:53.560 --> 00:44:54.760] Like all questions are important.
[00:44:54.760 --> 00:44:55.400] They're all valid.
[00:44:55.400 --> 00:44:59.160] It's how we're all able to learn together and help each other.
[00:44:59.160 --> 00:45:01.720] So it's like, ask the question, ask for help.
[00:45:01.720 --> 00:45:06.280] Like let us all come together to help each other and we can all do so, so much more together.
[00:45:06.280 --> 00:45:07.480] Oh, you are so right.
[00:45:07.480 --> 00:45:16.360] That is absolutely something we have to stop saying because asking the questions is part of learning and growing and there is no bad question or stupid question.
[00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:17.320] Yeah.
[00:45:17.320 --> 00:45:18.040] Ask the question.
[00:45:18.040 --> 00:45:21.960] So speaking of asking questions, I have a very important question for you, Andrea.
[00:45:21.960 --> 00:45:27.480] What are the business tools and solutions that you're using right now in your business that you cannot live without?
[00:45:27.480 --> 00:45:30.360] I always end up hearing about new things that I don't know about here.
[00:45:30.360 --> 00:45:33.160] So, excited to hear what you're what you're using.
[00:45:33.480 --> 00:45:37.080] Well, it's probably not going to be anything that transformational, to be honest.
[00:45:37.720 --> 00:45:50.080] I definitely am experimenting with some different AI, you know, everything from like fathom and note-taking to using enterprise-wide chat GPT, which I've actually found very valuable from a directional standpoint.
[00:45:44.920 --> 00:45:52.320] I'm a huge fan of different travel apps.
[00:45:52.480 --> 00:45:53.840] I still travel a lot.
[00:45:53.840 --> 00:46:02.560] And so, whether it's, you know, good old Expedia or just taking advantage of a lot of the airlines have such better apps now than they've ever had.
[00:46:02.560 --> 00:46:07.200] Like, I don't use a travel agent, I just like to be able to do it myself and manage it.
[00:46:07.200 --> 00:46:12.640] I just find the amount of apps that we have today are game-changing.
[00:46:12.640 --> 00:46:18.720] Like, I can do everything from timekeeping to managing travel to dealing with things at home.
[00:46:18.720 --> 00:46:26.320] Like, the fact that you can connect your house to your nest system and like manage your air conditioning and heat, like, as crazy as that sounds.
[00:46:26.320 --> 00:46:34.240] So, I would say a lot of my technology is geared toward managing my whole life as opposed to just workplace technology.
[00:46:34.480 --> 00:46:36.400] You know, I'm still a fan of a lot of the basics.
[00:46:36.400 --> 00:46:42.960] Like, I still think that the Google corporate solutions are fantastic and I love how integrated they are.
[00:46:42.960 --> 00:46:48.000] I found those to continue to be a tremendous offering and a great way to scale your business.
[00:46:48.320 --> 00:46:56.160] I think QuickBooks is another thing, which again, like it's just gotten so much more sophisticated over the years, and the online platform is fantastic.
[00:46:56.160 --> 00:47:06.960] So, again, nothing really transformational, but things that I find like I couldn't do running this business and having a second business without having these solutions in place.
[00:47:06.960 --> 00:47:11.840] Isn't it amazing when you think about like how you grew this huge business without these tools years ago?
[00:47:11.840 --> 00:47:15.520] Like, no AI, no, no AI, I know, no Canva.
[00:47:15.520 --> 00:47:18.640] I mean, come on, like, what did we do?
[00:47:18.680 --> 00:47:19.400] I know.
[00:47:19.440 --> 00:47:25.600] I mean, I'm using these AI tools every single day, and I'm like, how, how did I, how did I function?
[00:47:25.600 --> 00:47:31.480] I had to just write an email to Vermaly's school, and I just put it into ChatGPT.
[00:47:31.480 --> 00:47:33.480] I'm like, these are the points that I want to make.
[00:47:33.800 --> 00:47:35.080] And it spit it out for me.
[00:47:35.080 --> 00:47:39.480] And I said to my husband, I'm like, oh, here's the draft of the email that I'm going to send to the school.
[00:47:39.480 --> 00:47:41.160] And he's like, you couldn't just write that yourself.
[00:47:41.160 --> 00:47:42.280] And I'm like, I could have.
[00:47:42.280 --> 00:47:45.640] It would have taken me 25 minutes to write that.
[00:47:45.640 --> 00:47:49.400] And I just, it was done in 0.5 seconds.
[00:47:49.400 --> 00:47:53.720] Well, and I'm using it to write job descriptions because those can take forever.
[00:47:53.720 --> 00:47:57.640] So, ChatGPT, you know, what would a good job description for this role be?
[00:47:57.640 --> 00:47:58.840] And it puts together something great.
[00:47:58.840 --> 00:48:06.280] Yeah, you go in and edit it, but it takes five minutes instead of like 45 minutes of looking around at other companies and how do they talk about this job.
[00:48:06.280 --> 00:48:10.920] And then you can also get like, what is a good salary range for this position in this market?
[00:48:10.920 --> 00:48:12.920] Chat GPT, like I love it.
[00:48:12.920 --> 00:48:14.200] It's so awesome.
[00:48:14.200 --> 00:48:15.000] It is incredible.
[00:48:15.000 --> 00:48:31.400] We're actually about to start working with an AI expert who can come into the business and look at all the areas of our business to figure out how to automate different areas, how to zap and do all the things, all the technical things to make everything more efficient that I'm not an expert in.
[00:48:31.400 --> 00:48:43.560] And we're like, we got to bring in the expert to figure out how to do this because I truly believe AI, like if we are not in the forefront of understanding AI in our lives and our businesses, like we're going to be left behind.
[00:48:43.560 --> 00:48:48.600] We might not be in business anymore because other people will be ahead and doing this in their business.
[00:48:48.600 --> 00:48:49.800] You're totally right.
[00:48:49.800 --> 00:48:55.960] I was talking to somebody at an agency last week and he was saying that they're really working with Copilot.
[00:48:55.960 --> 00:49:04.040] And he was telling me some of the things they're doing with Copilot and how many hours a day it is saving him, even just managing email.
[00:49:04.280 --> 00:49:07.240] And I'm like, oh my God, like I got to start experimenting.
[00:49:07.200 --> 00:49:10.120] There's, it just feels like every day something new is popping up.
[00:49:10.120 --> 00:49:21.840] So bringing in that expertise to help you understand you kind of like have to have it today, or it's so easy to get lost in all of these different potential functionalities.
[00:49:14.840 --> 00:49:22.320] Absolutely.
[00:49:22.720 --> 00:49:26.880] I'll tell you the AI tool that I'm testing right now is called Fixer.
[00:49:27.200 --> 00:49:28.240] And have you heard of this?
[00:49:28.720 --> 00:49:30.960] Yes, but tell me what your experience is.
[00:49:30.960 --> 00:49:34.480] So they had been running a whole ad campaign on social media.
[00:49:34.480 --> 00:49:36.640] So Caitlin, our head of partnerships, saw the ad.
[00:49:36.640 --> 00:49:45.920] And I'm always essentially complaining about I can't get to all of my emails in my inbox because I get hundreds of emails every single day.
[00:49:45.920 --> 00:49:51.040] And I had a guest on our podcast years ago, and she said this to me, and I haven't gotten that out of my head.
[00:49:51.040 --> 00:49:53.840] She's like, email is where productivity goes to die.
[00:49:53.840 --> 00:50:08.000] And I have not been able to get that out of my head since then, but it is true because I tell Courtney, I'm like, I would spend, I would spend my whole day in my inbox just answering and replying to people and not be able to actually work on building the business and being with the community because that's how many emails I get.
[00:50:08.000 --> 00:50:12.640] So Fixer, long story short, telling you the whole background story, tell me the whole background story here.
[00:50:12.880 --> 00:50:19.440] It will draft all of your replies and it will learn your voice and how you speak to people as well.
[00:50:19.440 --> 00:50:23.840] And it will find if you need to set up a time to connect, it will connect to your calendar.
[00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:25.200] It'll suggest the right times.
[00:50:25.200 --> 00:50:28.080] And if you accept it, then it'll book the time on your calendar.
[00:50:28.080 --> 00:50:34.640] And it records, it does the same thing as a lot of the other AI tools that will record your meetings on Zoom, send all of the notes.
[00:50:34.640 --> 00:50:41.440] So it does what a lot of these AI tools do, but it has that email component as well where it will draft all of your replies.
[00:50:41.440 --> 00:50:41.840] Yeah.
[00:50:42.160 --> 00:50:43.920] Oh my God, I love that.
[00:50:43.920 --> 00:50:45.680] So, yes, everyone, go ahead to the show notes.
[00:50:45.680 --> 00:50:52.960] I'll link out to our special referral link that I'm happy to share now that we're testing this tool and I'll send it over to you, Andrea, as well.
[00:50:52.960 --> 00:50:54.000] Yes, please.
[00:50:54.480 --> 00:50:59.880] We're turning this into a whole AI episode, but I think it's really important to talk about this because this is the future.
[00:50:59.880 --> 00:51:00.600] It really is.
[00:51:00.600 --> 00:51:01.080] It is.
[00:50:59.600 --> 00:51:05.720] I mean, even like Voxer for me has been game-changing, which isn't AI, but it's a great tool.
[00:51:06.040 --> 00:51:13.240] And the thing I find challenging, though, right, is like I have a client who's on Slack and they want me to get on Slack and add their channels.
[00:51:13.240 --> 00:51:18.280] And then I've got clients who are on Voxer and others who are WhatsApp users.
[00:51:18.280 --> 00:51:28.040] And that's like, I think the hardest part now is so many organizations have their preferred channels and their preferred ways of communicating.
[00:51:28.040 --> 00:51:30.680] And it's like trying to stay on top of it all.
[00:51:30.680 --> 00:51:32.280] And that's also a scaling thing.
[00:51:32.280 --> 00:51:42.680] So if something like Fixer can help manage the email portion of that and also do some of these other things, like amazing, then it's like a few less things you have to do every day.
[00:51:42.680 --> 00:51:49.000] How do you decompress from just all of the pings across all of these channels and everyone who wants to reach you?
[00:51:49.000 --> 00:51:53.480] Like, how do you just take time for yourself and stop the noise?
[00:51:53.480 --> 00:51:55.880] I'm a big fan of the digital detox.
[00:51:55.880 --> 00:51:58.040] So I like to spend time.
[00:51:58.360 --> 00:52:01.400] My daughter is studying in Australia, actually.
[00:52:01.400 --> 00:52:04.440] And so I had the opportunity to go and spend time with her.
[00:52:04.440 --> 00:52:07.320] And we took her spring break together to New Zealand.
[00:52:07.320 --> 00:52:09.160] And it was the most magical place.
[00:52:09.160 --> 00:52:14.600] But I share that because I told everyone at work, I'm shutting completely down.
[00:52:14.600 --> 00:52:16.680] I will not be available.
[00:52:16.680 --> 00:52:21.000] And other than to take photos and videos, I did not use my phone.
[00:52:21.000 --> 00:52:22.760] And I was very present.
[00:52:22.760 --> 00:52:25.720] And I gave myself the gift of that two weeks with her.
[00:52:25.720 --> 00:52:26.520] I mean, she's in college.
[00:52:26.680 --> 00:52:30.440] Like, this is kind of the last gasp of getting this time together.
[00:52:30.440 --> 00:52:32.520] And we made incredible memories.
[00:52:32.520 --> 00:52:34.760] And I don't regret shutting down.
[00:52:34.760 --> 00:52:36.120] Nothing caught on fire.
[00:52:36.120 --> 00:52:38.600] There was no like horrible stuff that happened.
[00:52:38.600 --> 00:52:51.280] And, you know, I got to make these memories that I will never have an opportunity to make again and really experience this beautiful and incredible country that offered so many adventures and opportunities to connect with nature.
[00:52:51.600 --> 00:52:57.360] And when I don't have that kind of opportunity, which is pretty much every day, I do believe in connecting with nature.
[00:52:57.360 --> 00:53:10.160] I'm a huge fan of hiking and walking and just immersing yourself in whatever the environment is that you have available to you and using that to just kind of breathe and really relax.
[00:53:10.160 --> 00:53:16.960] And that's something that I've only allowed myself to do in this new chapter of my life.
[00:53:16.960 --> 00:53:30.800] And that is probably my biggest regret in the former chapter of my life as I worked so much and I didn't appreciate the importance of having those times to disconnect and really just free your brain to do something totally different.
[00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:42.240] And now that is such a big part of my life, really incorporating walks and getting outside and making sure that I have those times when it is not about what's going on on my phone or my computer.
[00:53:42.240 --> 00:53:44.640] And it's really life-changing.
[00:53:44.640 --> 00:53:46.080] Yeah, no, it's so important.
[00:53:46.080 --> 00:53:55.680] And you just reminded me after we finished recording this episode, I'm going out for my 15-minute walk in between calls today because I've learned too, it's so important.
[00:53:55.680 --> 00:53:56.720] You have to get outside.
[00:53:56.720 --> 00:53:58.080] You need to feel the sun.
[00:53:58.080 --> 00:53:59.120] You need to be in nature.
[00:53:59.120 --> 00:54:05.280] Because if we don't take care of ourselves and our body and our mental health and our physical health, we can't take care of our business.
[00:54:05.280 --> 00:54:06.720] We can't take care of our families.
[00:54:06.720 --> 00:54:08.400] It's just not possible.
[00:54:08.400 --> 00:54:15.680] And so many of us just are, you know, working on this, you know, hamster wheel or treadmill of just trying to keep going and going and then burn out.
[00:54:15.680 --> 00:54:20.480] And that's not a good way to build a business or to raise a family.
[00:54:20.480 --> 00:54:24.880] And I'm grateful to my dog because he actually forces me in the morning.
[00:54:24.880 --> 00:54:26.240] Like, I don't have a choice.
[00:54:26.240 --> 00:54:28.720] If he wants a walk, you know, he's definitely my dog.
[00:54:28.720 --> 00:54:31.800] My husband's like, you wants a walk, honey, it's on you.
[00:54:31.800 --> 00:54:39.080] So, it's great though, because I have that automatic built-in, he's not going to be happy unless we spend a half hour getting a walk.
[00:54:39.080 --> 00:54:42.600] So, even if it's 6:30 in the morning, it's giving me that time.
[00:54:42.600 --> 00:54:45.960] And I don't have a choice, I can't just get sucked into email.
[00:54:45.960 --> 00:54:48.040] So, I'm very grateful to my dog.
[00:54:48.040 --> 00:54:49.320] That's so good.
[00:54:49.320 --> 00:54:52.760] Andrea, what is your biggest business secret?
[00:54:53.400 --> 00:55:04.120] I would actually say my biggest business secret is you cannot replace consistency.
[00:55:04.120 --> 00:55:06.360] I will always show up.
[00:55:06.360 --> 00:55:14.680] It may not be perfect, but I am not a person who will not give it 100% in the moment.
[00:55:14.680 --> 00:55:19.720] And I believe that nothing replaces that consistency and hard work.
[00:55:19.720 --> 00:55:22.920] I'm a firm believer in getting 1% better every day.
[00:55:22.920 --> 00:55:24.360] I'm always learning.
[00:55:24.360 --> 00:55:27.160] I always try to progress and move forward.
[00:55:27.240 --> 00:55:28.840] Doesn't mean I don't make mistakes.
[00:55:28.840 --> 00:55:37.720] It doesn't mean that I don't screw up on a regular basis, but I am very committed to that and to really trying every day to be better.
[00:55:38.040 --> 00:55:45.320] And that I think ultimately is what led to my success in business because I wasn't afraid to evolve and change and learn.
[00:55:45.320 --> 00:55:50.920] And it's what has allowed me to create this whole new chapter in my professional life.
[00:55:50.920 --> 00:55:55.000] So, I would just say, don't give up, you know, constantly.
[00:55:55.320 --> 00:56:00.040] I wake up in the morning, and a friend of mine once said this: you have to choose happiness when you wake up.
[00:56:00.040 --> 00:56:01.160] It is a choice.
[00:56:01.160 --> 00:56:04.360] Well, so is consistency in how you're going to show up at work.
[00:56:04.360 --> 00:56:12.120] And so, I choose that, yes, I'm going to get up and I'm going to give it my all and I'm going to be there and I'm going to come with energy and optimism.
[00:56:12.120 --> 00:56:15.600] So, I would say it's as simple as that on some level, and it's as hard as that.
[00:56:16.160 --> 00:56:23.040] Well, your energy is infectious and I get so excited every time I get the honor of even talking to you.
[00:56:23.040 --> 00:56:33.280] And I'm so excited that so many members in our community are going to get to build incredible relationships with you and learn from you inside the community and inside the power group as well.
[00:56:33.760 --> 00:56:34.560] I can't wait.
[00:56:34.800 --> 00:56:35.600] It's going to be so good.
[00:56:35.600 --> 00:56:36.560] Everyone, go.
[00:56:36.560 --> 00:56:42.000] Well, I'm going to tell you in just a minute how to find Andrea everywhere in the show notes, of course, but I have to ask you this, Andrea.
[00:56:42.000 --> 00:56:44.800] What does being an entrepreneurista mean to you?
[00:56:45.120 --> 00:56:47.440] It really means being part of a community.
[00:56:47.440 --> 00:56:51.120] Like I was not a person in college who was in a sorority.
[00:56:51.120 --> 00:56:59.440] So this is something where I really feel part of something special that is all women that, again, these like-minded, similar goals.
[00:56:59.440 --> 00:57:00.560] Like, I love it.
[00:57:00.560 --> 00:57:01.760] It's so special.
[00:57:01.760 --> 00:57:06.080] And it feels like we're part of a movement.
[00:57:06.080 --> 00:57:14.000] And it's only through creating these relationships and helping each other move toward that that we will all be successful.
[00:57:14.000 --> 00:57:23.840] And so it just means so much to me to have these other women around that you can tap into and that I can learn from and who I can help and who I can nurture.
[00:57:23.840 --> 00:57:28.800] I mean, that to me is just the most special thing about what you've created.
[00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:30.720] It is truly a community.
[00:57:30.960 --> 00:57:33.360] I'm so glad that you're here and you're part of it.
[00:57:33.360 --> 00:57:41.520] Andrea, share with everyone where can they find you, follow you, work with you, share all of your links and handles and channels, all the places.
[00:57:41.520 --> 00:57:42.800] And everyone, head to the show notes.
[00:57:42.800 --> 00:57:44.640] We're going to link out to everything right there.
[00:57:44.640 --> 00:57:46.240] LinkedIn is where it's at for me.
[00:57:46.240 --> 00:57:48.720] I'm a big LinkedIn girl, so find me there.
[00:57:48.720 --> 00:57:49.680] LinkedIn girly.
[00:57:49.680 --> 00:57:49.840] Yes.
[00:57:49.840 --> 00:57:50.240] Oh my gosh.
[00:57:50.240 --> 00:57:54.320] We didn't get into that today, but we'll have a, we'll do a LinkedIn live and talk all about LinkedIn.
[00:57:54.320 --> 00:57:56.720] How about that in just a couple of weeks, Andrea?
[00:57:56.720 --> 00:57:59.160] Because we are all about LinkedIn.
[00:57:59.160 --> 00:58:01.080] And everyone, go on LinkedIn.
[00:58:01.080 --> 00:58:02.360] There's so much free reach there.
[00:57:59.680 --> 00:58:03.320] We'll talk more about it later.
[00:58:03.480 --> 00:58:07.480] But Andrea, thank you so much for being here and sharing your story.
[00:58:07.480 --> 00:58:12.760] I'm Stephanie, and this is the best, and I would say most fun business meeting I've ever had.
[00:58:13.080 --> 00:58:14.360] Hi, Andrefranistas.
[00:58:14.360 --> 00:58:22.520] It's Steph here, and I hope today's episode has left you feeling inspired and with some actionable tips that you can apply to your own business.
[00:58:22.520 --> 00:58:29.880] The way we've grown our community and resources is by sharing content like this for years and asking for help along the way.
[00:58:29.880 --> 00:58:35.400] So here's where we need your help so we can continue to make as much impact as possible together.
[00:58:35.400 --> 00:58:45.080] If you can leave us a five-star review and extra credit if you share this episode on Instagram, LinkedIn, or DM it to a founder friend who would benefit from hearing it.
[00:58:45.080 --> 00:58:52.440] Not only would it mean the world to us, but you sharing this episode is going to help someone who just may need to hear what we share today.
[00:58:52.440 --> 00:58:55.480] And you know I love nothing more than giveaways and prizes.
[00:58:55.480 --> 00:59:02.200] So every month I'll be giving away a one-on-one session with me to someone who has shared the episode and left a review.
[00:59:02.200 --> 00:59:05.080] So send me a personal DM over on Instagram.
[00:59:05.080 --> 00:59:09.960] I'm at Steph Jill Carton once you've done it, so you can be entered to win.
[00:59:09.960 --> 00:59:15.720] Wishing you a productive week ahead and stay tuned for another impactful episode next week.