How to build your dream business

Are you doing what you dreamed of doing? Imagine if you could just get your business to work for you. If you had the time, the budget and the confidence for it to become the success you're dreaming of.

When I think back to my first business, outside the world of advertising it makes me smile.

It was the first time I ventured outside of the corporate world. I had come up with different ideas that I thought were a perfect fit for my skill set over the years but I never followed through and launched them. Finally I believed this was the one.

I had recently moved back from New Zealand and most of my friends had settled down. I could see there was a market for a social events company. Facebook had recently launched and was growing. So I founded my first business. It wasn't a financial success but I learned so much.

My first event was a roaring success. I used my network and launched a fun pub quiz.

But then I made lots of mistakes. I blamed the recession for the failure of the business. And it played a central part. But there were other issues that looking back seem obvious:

• I wasn't clear about what I offered. Some people thought it was a dating business, some thought it was networking, an events business for tourists.
• It didn't attract enough of the right clients.
• My marketing strategy wasn't right. I used a leprechaun as the "mascot."

However the foundations of a legacy business were there. I learned skills that I would use in the future. I failed forward.

I built a list of over 1,500 people. I had a successful Facebook Page in 2009, long before anyone else. In fact, John Dunne, a veteran digital expert told me that I had built an amazing level of followers with my Facebook ad campaign for an incredibly low CPM. Which was amazing because prior to this business I had no digital media experience!

It taught me so much. And it gave me the space I needed. My Dad had terminal cancer. He died in 2010. In many ways the business helped me have a focus away from the loss I was experiencing.

Maybe you can relate to this. Perhaps you think life is getting in the way of your success. Or maybe you're on the cusp of something great and it just needs a tweak. Because that's what happened for me.

I stuck it out until 2012 when I went back to paid employment. This time in a digital agency, where I lead a team of talented account managers and as a company we won many awards.

Next time up, I was ready to make my new business a success. This time I stayed closer to my core skillset. I worked as a Media Consultant. I grew my business to six figures. BUT this time out, while I loved the agencies I worked for and the people, I didn't love the work or being at a desk for long periods.

Another curve ball arrived at my door, when in 2017 my beautiful daughter was born, and had a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. I knew I couldn't sustain the hours of "advertising agency life." So what to do?

Has that happened to you? Have you flitted back and forth with your "well paying job" and your "heart centred mission?"

I really wanted to have my own business.

Next time out I let my heart lead the way. At a Mum and Baby course the teacher told me that kid's yoga would really help my daughter and her mobility. Long story short, I retrained as a yoga teacher. I used all the skills I had learned from my first business. I reached out to my network. I built a website, I created a list. And I started to teach yoga.

I started it to help my daughter in her development. On my journey with Síofra I discovered ways to help her and as often happens, help me too. Kids Yoga, Prenatal Yoga and Baby Massage. I decided to offer these as services in my new business.

I really loved connecting and helping to support new Mums and parents.

To help them to have the birth experience that they wanted, and then to get through the fourth trimester. I worked in schools, teaching yoga to kids.

But the funny thing was that I couldn't escape marketing. Long before the pandemic hit, other yoga teachers started to approach me to ask for help with their marketing. And then as we all moved online I got more requests to help with booking systems, content strategy, lead magnets, membership development, marketing.

As time passed, I realised that yoga was a beautiful detour for me, that introduced me to wonderful people, that helped me to heal and taught me skills that I could share with my daughter to help her develop and reach her potential.

She's going to primary school in September.

I found my way back to my original career of over twenty years, but I changed the container to suit my new life.

I created the M.A.R.K.E.T. method, my proven framework that helps socially conscious businesses to make peace with marketing. Dare I say, some say that they love it after working with me!

It's built on over twenty years of marketing experience. With an important twist. I'm not "just" a marketing consultant. I've created, built and launched five brands successfully.

Some of those experiences brought me deep learning, some great financial wealth. But this business is building into my legacy business that brings both of those together.

Do you want to learn how to do the same?

To identify what your dream client based business would look like. To think about what really suits your life right now, and what you want to create for your future. To learn how to attract the right clients to work with you. Sound good? 

Join me for my FREE Two day interactive workshop on How to Attract your Dream Clients and start your journey with me. Here's the link for more information:

https://elainewalshmcgrath.lpages.co/dream-client-interactive-workshop/

Let's get your business working for you and get the flexibility and balance that you want.