Guest User 11/25/19 Guest User 11/25/19

MAD LOVE MONDAY | Sharon Mellott

My name is Sharon and I’m the proud owner of a photo booth company called fotobüth. My journey to becoming the owner of a photo booth business is different than most. To be honest, it wasn’t something I set out to do or even considered looking into.

A friend of mine originally owned fotobüth and was running it as a side hustle. Her primary business was growing and she simply didn’t have the time to continue to invest in fotobüth and give it the love it needed to grow. I initially looked into it out of pure curiosity, but the more questions I asked the more interested I became.

In June of 2018 I purchased fotobüth and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!

When I first took over fotobüth I was pretty nervous. I knew very little about the industry, but knew enough to know I was entering a competitive market. I wouldn’t consider myself to be computer savvy either, so to say I was overwhelmed by all of the cords and technology to make this baby run smoothly was an understatement! I have to be able to set this up how fast… and in the dark? What if something goes wrong? I spent hours in the basement practicing how to quickly set-up the booth and how to take it down so I’d be able to do it at an event without being stressed.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned in the past year is you need to believe in yourself and in your product.

Otherwise, how can you expect other people to? I’m also the owner of an Interior Design company called Weaver Design Inc.. I may not of had any experience in the photo booth industry when I first purchased it, but I already had the skills to run a business. Although fotobüth is currently a side business for me, it has grown to be so much more than JUST a side hustle. My passion for this industry has evolved over the past year and I’m always anxiously waiting for the next event. I enjoy meeting new people and I’m excited for the potential this company has to grow. My favorite part has been customizing the photo booth to make it my own. I’m always trying to think of new things I can add-on to make fotobüth stand-out against my competitors in this ever-evolving industry.

Running a business certainly comes with its challenges and is not for the faint of heart – the hustle is real folks! I’ve contemplated giving up more often than not, which is why I feel it’s so important to surround yourself with people that will continue to uplift you. Sometimes the only way to push through the difficult times is to have a little faith and to keep putting one foot in front of the other. If it was easy, everyone would do it! At the end of the day, it all comes down to the fact that I love what I do. Watching people come together and get outside of their comfort zone, share some laughs makes all of those struggles worth it. There is no greater gift.

One thing I love about being a business owner is that you are in control and there really is no limit as to how far you can take it.

There is something so empowering in knowing that you’ve created something that is 100% your own and watching a business grow is the most rewarding thing I can think of. There are no words. Being an entrepreneur has really pushed me to live outside of my own comfort zone and to embrace the discomfort in the unknown.

I’m so glad I found the YEGBOSSBABES community. It can be challenging to find a mentor in your industry or even someone to talk to that can relate to the struggles that come with being a business owner. I cannot say enough about how fantastic it is to have a community of strong, like-minded entrepreneurs to share experiences with. There is so much we can learn from each other!

Sharon Mellott | fotobüth
instagram.com/fotobuthyeg
facebook.com/fotobuthyeg/

Guest User 11/18/19 Guest User 11/18/19

MAD LOVE MONDAY | Tanya Nafe

I am the owner of Sweet Bouquets Cupcakes in Edmonton. I specialize in floral cupcakes and cakes. There are a lot of bakers in the Edmonton area but I am proud to say that I am the only baker who specializes in floral cupcakes to this extent. I created the company because I love gifting baked goods to friends and family and what is better than receiving a beautifully designed flower arrangement that you can eat?

Photography by: Claudine Lavoie Photography

As a child my mother would bake us the coolest cakes. I grew up counting down the days until I could choose a cake from her cookbook for my birthday. And as I grew older, I started sharing her love for baking by treating my friends to cakes and puff pastries on a regular basis. It became my way of showing people I care for them. It grew into a business where customers know when they purchase cupcakes from me, it’s been made with love and they can gift it with love to someone else.

I believe in coming from a place of yes and kindness.

And that is how I run my business.

I want each and every customer to feel they are not only valued but appreciated for supporting my dream. When they knock on my door and leave with cupcakes or cakes, I want them to leave feeling happy. I have been blessed to have customers become friends and I hope to continue not only growing my business but my amazing group of friends as well that have blossomed out of this business venture.

As my company continues to grow, I’d like to focus more on teaching. I would love to see more people create stunning floral creations to continue spreading joy with cupcakes. Now that I have built a solid business, I’d like to place more focus on turning my business digital with online tutorials and videos. I am in the process of creating a paid Facebook group that will be a community for bakers of all backgrounds and skill levels to come together, learn from each other and encourage each other to build strong, solid businesses.

I absolutely love being an entrepreneur. I am solely in control of where I take my company. I can grow it as fast or as slow as I need, in the direction I feel is best for myself, my family and my company. Being able to work for yourself is such a freeing feeling and Having my kids look up to me Can’t even be put into words. For them to see what you can create with hard work and your hands is a life lesson they can’t learn anywhere else.

There were times when I started where I wondered if I’ll ever sell a bouquet or cupcakes. Whether people would even pay what I charge. I had a constant battle of feeling like I’m charging too much but also worrying that I’m selling myself short. But my husband constantly reassured me I have to believe in my product and it would speak for itself. And that has absolutely been the case. It’s one thing to be able to create a beautiful cupcake but I needed people to love the taste as well. And I have been fortunate that my tried and true recipes not only look good but tastes just as amazing as it looks.

I have been fortunate to be able to grow a consistent Instagram following that has not only given me international recognition but also brings in local orders. Instagram and Facebook has been a huge part in me not only receiving orders from the States but also student who fly in for one on one lessons. As my company continues to grow I will now be turning to YouTube and Pinterest to continue growing a wider audience.

Balancing work and life is a bit of a challenge. I have 3 children ages 11,9 and 8 with a husband who works in Texas, USA. So finding the time to juggle mom, wife and business owner can get a bit tricky and I would be Lying if I said that some days I don’t lose my mind. It’s a fine line that I walk but I enjoy every minute of it, even the late nights, early mornings and late school pick ups (sorry kids). Gym time for me is must, it’s where I shut off my phone, blast some music and just focus on strengthening my body and mind.

I base my work around the gym as it’s an important part of helping me stay sane.

I am looking forward to connecting with like minded women who have a drive to push themselves and other people around them to higher grounds. Being able to have a tribe of women who not only wants to see you succeed but also what’s to be a part of helping you reach your goals is what society needs. Women lifting up other women so we can all be successful.

Tanya Nafe | Sweet Bouquet Cupcakes
instagram.com/sweetbouquetscupcakes
facebook.com/sweetbouquetscupcakes

Guest User 11/11/19 Guest User 11/11/19

MAD LOVE MONDAY | Caterina Snyder

I know a lot of people say that they were born as entrepreneurs and that they left their jobs to pursue their passion or their true calling, but I’m not one of them. Not even close. The truth is that although I’ve always been very driven and outwardly successful, in my education, career, for most of my life that was a pretty picture I painted, not a reflection of my inner reality.

I know a lot of people say that they were born as entrepreneurs and that they left their jobs to pursue their passion or their true calling, but I’m not one of them. Not even close.

The truth is that although I’ve always been very driven and outwardly successful, in my education, career, for most of my life that was a pretty picture I painted, not a reflection of my inner reality.

The truth is that I struggled HARD behind the scenes and I never fit in. Not even a little bit. I was bullied from elementary school to high school. I was sick all the time and had chronic infections, brutal migraines, and insomnia. In fact, I was on a pretty regular schedule of major burnouts every 10 years (age 15, 25 and 35) and minor burnouts every 2 years. Despite all this, my ambition, work ethic, and need for approval and validation allowed me to excel in University, skip my masters and go straight into a fully funded Ph.D. program, AND have a lot of pretty impressive jobs… all before I was 30.

But I was living a lie and lies will always fall apart. I was constantly plagued by self-doubt and anxiety.

And even though my transcripts and resume are impressive I quit my Ph.D. program after 2 years because I basically had a nervous breakdown. I've also been fired from 3 different jobs! The people I worked with in my corporate phase mostly hated me, even when I didn’t get fired because I was constantly rocking the boat and pushing the envelope. And let's be honest, in our vanilla society, disruptors are rarely valued, especially when they're fat feminists who are loud AF and are challenging everything you hold dear. But as ugly and miserable as that struggle was, I persisted. I got back up. Again. And again.

I learned from my ‘mistakes’ and all the rejection but not in the way you might expect. Instead, I didn’t tone myself down or try to be more likable… well, that’s a lie, I did try but that failed too. In short, I refused to go quietly into the night and conform to what the world told me I ‘should’ be. And that’s how I met entrepreneurship.

I wish I could say that it was this romantic love at first sight introduction, but the truth is we got off to a rocky start. I didn’t leave my job because I had the courage to change my life, I left on medical leave. Then I spent the next 4 uninspired years trying to make a go of it with in-the-box consulting work. I was eventually financially successful, but I had SERIOUSLY jerky clients. And then things got really bad. Lol. I went 9 months without a single client. My hubby supported us, but we nearly maxed out our credit and cashed in most of our savings. In this time of ‘failure’, however, I did something that the Universe had been waiting 38 years for me to do.

I stopped apologizing for who I was and stepped up to be the leader I was born to be.

It began, in earnest, when I met a life coach, named Glenda Lane. She told me something that blew my mind. Something I had never considered. She said, “You’re a Unicorn, thank God you’re not normal!” In my 38 years on earth, I had never once considered that being so weird was actually an advantage?!? A reason why people might like me instead of disliking me and pay me more instead of less?!? Suddenly, the world of entrepreneurship started to look very different. And I realized something that would, over the next two years, change everything in my life and business. I realized that the only rules were the ones YOU CREATE. In truth, there are NO RULES. No right way and wrong way. And this knowledge set me free.

I finally stopped apologizing for who I was and instead started screaming it from the rooftops. I stopped talking about what I do and instead talked about what I believe because that’s what actually matters. And it worked. Like BIG TIME. People began to see me differently and a community rapidly built itself around me. This is turn gave me the courage and insight to pursue what had always been my true passion and greatest gift, helping other Unicorns realize they’re Unicorns and then using that unicorness (totally a word!) to build confidence, community, and world-changing movements.

In the year following my 9-months-with-NO-clients phase I made $150K, landed my first $50k+ client, and went from working with assholes to working with the kind of Unicorns that are shattering ceilings, debunking myths about who we ‘should’ be, and completely reinventing in an utterly unique way, how we define success.

And the icing on the cake? I even have a team of badass Unicorns who help me do this!

So the next time you think that Entrepreneurship is all about struggle or that you’re never going to make an impact, have a community, or be loved for who you really are… STOP that runaway train of self-sabotage and KNOW THIS: Each of us is a magical fucking unicorn and that all you need to do is let her out.

Caterina Snyder | Brand Consultant & Coach
https://caterinasnyder.com/
https://www.instagram.com/caterina.snyder/
https://www.facebook.com/caterinasnyderconsulting/