Today I’m happy to introduce you to Marcia, whose blog I have been reading for a while (The 123 Blog). Marcia also spoke at our #JoziMeetup and if you’re organising your life in any way (personally or financially) she’s the queen!
- Tell us about yourself, a bit of background.
My name is Marcia. I’ve been married to Dion for 20 years and we have adorable (but sassy) 6-year-old boy/ girl twins, Kendra and Connor. I’m passionate about living life intentionally which is one of the reasons I’m always taking photos as I feel this lets me stop and notice beautiful moments in my life.
I started my coaching and speaking business after coaching my own staff for about a year and seeing what an impact that made in their lives. I also ran a “financial freedom” group at my work where we had about 10 people all talking budgets/ expenses/ debt reduction plans for about a year.
I first did general coaching (finances/ personal life/ goals/ business, etc.) and then I specialized in time management, goals and organizing.
This was a good decision for me because of the specialization, I’ve appeared on TV, written a couple of books and been interviewed on the radio and in print media about time management, goals and organizing.
- What were you doing before you started this business?
I’ve worked and am still full-time in financial services, specifically insurance, for the last 21 years.
3. Is your business full time or part time and why?
It is full-time. I considered going part-time after my twins were born but that was before the reality of having twins hit me, and then I happily went back to work 🙂
I also realized that I really like having the security of a known salary every month, and I’m happy to dabble in the business end for discretionary income.
4. How do you juggle the responsibilities of being a mom with your work?
It helps that I’m organised but the main thing is that I realise which things are a priority for me and my family, and I’m very happy to let the rest go. For example, it’s always been important for me to cook healthy and nutritious meals for my family but I’m very happy to outsource all the cleaning. 🙂
I also have a virtual assistant for my business. This way I can do the things only I can do – coach, speak, write, blog – but she can attend to the other bits of the business that don’t need my specific input after I set up the system. Trisha is the 3rd virtual assistant I’ve had, and we have been successfully working together for 5 and a half years now. Using a virtual assistant is probably the best business decision I have ever made.
5. Do you have a business plan? If so, can you share a bit about your strategy to make it successful?
I’ve always had a business plan. Some periods in my life it has been easier to implement than others though. Pre-kids everything was easier to do. 🙂
One thing I coach clients on is to focus their efforts and not chase everything. For example, there are many ways to market but not all means suit or will interest everyone. Evaluate all the things out there and decide on the best ways for you.
I often get asked to advertise and I know that is not for me for two reasons: 1) I’ve tried it before and got exactly zero enquiries and 2) with a service like coaching, you want to feel comfortable with the person so actual enquiries come from people who read my blog/ newsletter or who have heard me speak, or have a friend who has been coached by me.
Speaking, however, is very easy for my personality (!) and a way I can reach many people at one time, and they get a sense of who I am and whether they’d like to work with me. Win-win
6. How do you get clients/ market yourself?
See above. Primarily through my website, newsletter list and word of mouth. “My friend told me about you” is something I often hear. Or someone will get on my list and buy my book or a little product to check me out, and a year or so later, they’ll approach me for coaching 🙂
7. What’s your biggest challenge right now?
Sales of online products. I don’t know what’s going on online…. but sales of my online products is much less than it has been in previous years.
Any suggestions would be most welcome!
8. Did you need a lot of money to start off? And how long was it before you made a profit?
No, I really just needed a basic website to start, and with time, I added other things I needed, like a mailing list service, e-commerce functionality, etc. I run very lean so I made a profit almost immediately. The key thing for me was that I have always had a full-time job alongside the business so there’s no pressure on me to make money to meet living expenses.
9. What makes Take Charge Solutions unique from other brands?
My coaching approach is very customizable – I don’t believe in a one size fits all approach. I do have systems but I determine a unique and customized action plan according to my clients’ unique personalities and tendencies.
10. Share with us your social media links and website.
Website
Book
Please connect with me online – I love to build relationships 🙂 and don’t forget to download your free Time Management Purpose Pack from my website.
Marcia, we can only aspire to be as organised as you! Thanks for keeping us on our toes! You make it all seems so very easy!
Thank you, Heather! I loved answering all your questions 🙂