6. How To Start a Business When You Have No Idea What To Do
Is the corporate grind chipping away at your soul? Are you done putting your dreams on hold for someone else’s vision, but the thought of leaving to start your own business feels impossible? If so, this episode is for you. You might be asking yourself, what would you even do? How can you start a business while raising a family? How do you find the right business model that suits your needs?
Feeling like you're stuck is daunting. But the truth is, you have countless entrepreneurial options for starting a new business, some of which you've probably never even considered. This episode is not only packed with ideas for your new business, but you'll also learn how to finally get out of your own way so you can actually explore what's possible for your future.
Tune in this week to dive deep into the world of entrepreneurial possibilities for moms who want to transition out of corporate. I lay out the endless possibilities available for making money on your own terms, show you how to decide what works best for your needs and skills, and you'll learn how to start taking the steps that will allow you to leave the corporate grind behind once and for all.
If you enjoyed today’s show and don’t want to worry about missing an episode, be sure to follow the show wherever you listen to your podcasts. I would really appreciate it if you could share the podcast with others who you think would benefit, and leave a rating and review to let me know what you think!
What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
Why you're stuck with the thought that starting your own business is impossible.
The mindset shift required to start seeing the endless entrepreneurial options available to you.
A wide range of business ideas you might never have considered before.
How to leverage your unique and beautiful brain to create a successful business and finally transition away from corporate.
My tips for deciding what kind of business best suits your needs, passions, and skillset.
Practical first steps you can take right now to decide what direction you want your business journey to go in.
Listen to the Full Episode:
Featured on the Show:
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Full Episode Transcript:
So, you’re done putting your dreams on hold for someone else’s vision. The corporate grind is slowly chipping away at your soul, but the thought of leaving to start your own business feels impossible. What would you even do? How could you possibly make it work while raising a family? Well, mom, get ready, because in this episode we’re dispelling the notion that you’re stuck or out of options. We’re not only going to talk about what you can do for a business but we’re going to talk about how you can get the heck out of your own way to figure it out, so let’s do it.
Welcome to How to Quit Your Job: A Mom’s Guide to Creating a Life and Business You Love. It’s a podcast that helps working moms just like you, optimize your time, manage your mind, and start a business that helps you create more freedom, flexibility, and, yes, fun. I’m business and mindset coach Jenna Rykiel. And I offer practical tips to help you ditch the nine-to-five. I have been exactly where you are, and I know what it takes to make the transition without trading one form of burnout for another. So, let’s get started.
I want to talk about what kind of business you should build because I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, Jenna, I don’t have any good ideas, or I don’t even know where to start. And trust me, I’ve been there. As a mom, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle and it leaves little time to truly explore new possibilities. But I want to tell you that the possibilities are endless on the ways that you can make money on your own terms and really, all it takes is a shift in mindset.
In this episode, we’re going to dive deep into the world of entrepreneurial possibilities for moms who want to transition out of corporate. We’ll explore a wide range of business ideas and where you might be able to start making money from your unique and beautiful brain. So, by the end of this episode, my hope is that you’ll have a better understanding of the different paths you can take, and you’ll be equipped with practical steps to help you get started making yet another decision in your business journey.
Like I’ve said before, the more seamless and quickly you can make decisions, the more successful you’ll be as an entrepreneur. So, I’m here to help you do just that. But more importantly, you’ll also realize that your unique skills, experiences, and passions are valuable assets that you can leverage to create a business you love. So, we’re going to talk about the dangers of an I don’t know mantra. And we’ll break free from that mentality to find ways to open up a mindset of exploration and possibility.
So, whether you’re a seasoned professional looking for a career change or stay at home mom looking to contribute to the family’s finances. This episode has something for everyone who’s thinking about starting a business but keeps getting stuck in the what will I even do phase. So, get ready to get inspired, empowered, and equipped to take the next step towards creating a life you truly love.
The first thing I want to talk about is what’s blocking your vision. There’s a whole host of self-limiting beliefs that restrict you from seeing the breadth of options available to you. So, I want to just take a minute to break down and ultimately dismantle it because without breaking free from this, the longer you’ll stay stagnant. One damaging narrative that I mentioned earlier is the thought, I don’t have any good business ideas. This stems from a pretty subjective lens and it stems from how we view ourselves through that lens.
We’re our own harshest critics and we often dismiss our skills, interests, and intrinsic value as unexceptional. You might be saying, “But I’m not an expert at anything or I’m not creative enough.” And the reality is, you likely possess a wealth of knowledge and life experience that is immensely valuable to others. Unfortunately, since you live with it every day, you don’t see it as unique or special. We all underestimate the things we do best because it’s hard to imagine being incompetent or uninterested in a space we’ve spent so much time in. This is often a revelation for my clients.
I have endless examples of speaking to women who nonchalantly mention something they enjoy or are good at. And I have to enthusiastically inform them that that’s not normal. Listening to podcasts about data or organizing closets and pantries for fun is not fun for everyone. Oftentimes, the things you enjoy are things other people can’t stand and would absolutely pay to delegate but it’s hard for us to see past the I don’t know in order to get to a place where we can explore the potential.
Another trap is thinking, someone’s already doing that idea, so why bother? There is no such thing as an original idea. Every business has competitors, but your unique perspective and personality is always going to be what differentiates you. If bookstores stopped opening because Amazon existed, we’d miss out on those beloved local havens.
And one of my favorite business examples that was brought to my attention in a marketing class during my MBA is that businesses are successful selling bottled water. Think about it, in the US there is free water everywhere, clean water in our homes and yet people have made a fortune bottling it up and selling it. And there are so many different types of bottled water when you go to any convenience store. It’s a really kind of wild thing to think about. So, it’s important to remember that you aren’t replicating an existing business.
You’re creating your own interpretation through your distinctive voice and vision, one that literally no one else in the world can replicate because you are uniquely you. Your experiences are an asset to your business. So, the problem here is being stuck in the land of I don’t know, but the solution is to replace, I don’t have any good ideas with, I’m figuring out which of my talents and interests can be monetized in an authentic way. Swap self-doubt with curiosity about your innate gifts and interests. Opportunities are everywhere if you’re open to seeing them.
Now that you’re in the, I’m figuring it out mindset instead of stuck in, I don’t know, let’s talk about what types of businesses are out there to get the brainstorming juices flowing. The first I want to talk about is service based businesses. I think that service based businesses are the easiest form of entry into entrepreneurship. And it’s quite impressive how many options there are out there for service based businesses alone. Why is this a potential easy point of entry for moms out there? Because you likely already have high value skills from your career and life experiences that other people need or want and by the way, are willing to pay for it.
The key is identifying what you’re exceptionally good at and that you don’t hate because remember, we’re not building something that we hate, and packaging it as a specific offering. Maybe you have a knack for organization, communication or project management honed from years in a corporate setting. You could easily start a consulting or coaching business that helps individuals or businesses in these areas.
We’ll talk about the benefit of having a niche down the line, but how many people listening can relate to a completely chaotic and disorganized house? Probably the majority of us. Random things that we have no idea why we’re still keeping, closets and back rooms that we refuse to go into because the mess is out of sight, out of mind.
A friend of mine, Megan Cocchiaro, has created a business that literally solves that problem for busy moms, saving them time, money, and stress. And the thing is, Meg, who is a fellow mom entrepreneur, and I can’t even remember how we met, but she participated in my Moms Reenergized group coaching program. She calls herself a natural born organizer. How many of us can relate to being natural born organizers? I surely don’t. And if you do, well, there you go, something that lights you up that other people find miserable. So, there’s your business idea.
So many of us have spent years, even decades, learning really valuable skills in our corporate leadership roles and those can’t be underestimated. A good friend and fellow mom entrepreneur of mine, Jenna Hermans worked in HR for many years. And when she left corporate she started a business applying some of the pillars within her work as an HR professional to creating calm in her own household which she then found was super valuable to other moms in creating calm. She’s now an award-winning author and is rolling out a product which we’ll talk about product based businesses a little later and the product helps moms create calm in their life.
And just because these two examples already created businesses that solve a problem, doesn’t mean you can’t too. Remember, your business will be unique because you’re unique. I realize that pinpointing your profitable business unique to you sometimes requires guidance. That’s where setting aside time to really think about it and explore comes in. Ask yourself what tasks energize me? What work feels effortless because you’re so naturally skilled? What podcasts, books, or topics endlessly fascinate you? These clues can often illuminate options for what’s next.
I’m someone who really doesn’t vibe with social media. Even before having a business, I posted about once every six months and got lots of crap for it. So it probably wouldn’t make sense for me to start a business where I’m helping with marketing or social media management.
My sister, on the other hand, has a knack for social media in her personal life and even spent much of her career running social media channels for different notable companies and through ad agencies. So, when she went off on her own and created her own marketing agency, that made complete sense. She could apply over a decade of what she learned in the corporate world and offer her expertise to clients in a way that better aligned with her and the season of life that she’s in with three kids. Which, by the way, she started her business three months before her third child was born with a four and two year old at home. So yes, you can do it too.
I could spend this entire episode giving examples of really inspiring service based businesses and the superwoman moms that are behind them. But we’ve got kids to feed and errands to run. So, let’s just run through a broader list to pique your interest and again, get you thinking? So, there’s coaching and consulting. I mentioned this before, and this is the world my business is in. There is general life coaching, business coaching, health coaching, parent coaching and those are all pretty general. But then it’s amazing how narrow focused coaches can get and how they provide solutions to such niche problems.
Just the other day, I spoke to a friend about a business she’s starting, and we got to the topic of business consulting for helping companies through layoffs. Doing it in a way that honors the individuals being laid off but also doesn’t break trust with those that have to rebuild the company after the dust has settled. It’s so specific, what a great problem to solve. Anyone who’s been involved in layoffs knows it’s so messy. And of course, having someone who has navigated many layoffs with over a decade of corporate leadership experience and who has a master’s in social work and background in DEI would certainly help any company.
There’s also tutoring and teaching subjects like math, science or languages, teaching skills like music, art, cooking. Event planning is another great industry, coordination and planning for weddings, parties, corporate events, or virtual events are all necessary. There will always be events to plan, and the vast majority of people hate the process. I know mom entrepreneurs who actually teach you to become an event planner, but also mom entrepreneurs who help companies build more connected teams through events. The possibilities are endless.
One of my favorite clients started a dog walking and boarding business called Mutts and Wiggle Butts. I know, such a fun name. I’m a dog lover myself and it was so much fun to get random pictures of all the cute dogs. There’s also an entire industry of health and fitness, including meal planning, nutrition services, workout planning, getting your body ready for pregnancy.
My pelvic floor therapist recommended a program called The Body Ready Method to help me prepare for baby number 2 which is coming this fall. And it’s so cool to see the wealth of knowledge that has been captured in these workout videos. This is more of a product, but it’s likely a product that stemmed from so many one-to-one clients, which is also how businesses can evolve.
So quickly because I realize that it hasn’t been a quick list anymore. I’ve been giving way more background and we still have those kids to feed. So, there’s also things like website design and development, graphic design, writing and editing, content creation, HR or marketing consulting, logo and branding, social media, management. The list is never ending. Okay, so hopefully the pendulum hasn’t swung too far in the other direction.
The possibilities are endless, which can also be overwhelming. So, like I mentioned before, think about your unique interests and skills, and start building from there rather than sorting through everything out there. We started this episode with, I don’t know what I could possibly do, and now we might be feeling a little overwhelmed with everything that’s possible.
But next, I want to briefly talk about product based businesses. For those with an entrepreneurial spirit but more artistic leanings, product based businesses could be your calling. In this realm you can create a physical or digital product that you manufacture and sell, from handmade jewelry to online courses to custom designed print on demand merchandise. The options span basically every creative passion. If you’re a talented painter or photographer or musician, you can sell your art.
Or maybe if you’re craftier, you could launch an Etsy store selling crocheted blankets, candles, or soaps. If you’re an eloquent writer, you can publish your own books, you can create downloadable PDF guides. And the digital age has truly democratized product businesses for independent creators and it’s amazing. The path can seem daunting, of course, for product based businesses. There’s questions like how will I manufacture and distribute? Where will I source my materials? How can I expand and scale the business?
All of these worries and concerns may arise, but just like we talked about in earlier episodes, you don’t need to know the how right now. It’s amazing how once you take one step, options for the next steps actually reveal themselves. Now, what I will say, and this is important for both service based and product based businesses, depending on the business model, you want to be careful about starting a business that will require a lot of time from you. In this season of life, that’s hard to come by, time that is.
So, if you start a business making baby quilts, remember you’ll have to invest time making the baby quilts. And it might be something you really love and enjoy, but when you have to make 100 quilts in order to break even in your business, you may not enjoy it as much anymore. Of course, you can hire out and that’s part of the growth phase of the business, but I just want you to take your time and energy investment into consideration when thinking about the type of business.
This is also why I think service based businesses are a little easier initially unless you aren’t responsible for the constant production of a specific product. For instance, there’s a big difference between selling amazing cupcakes and having to make those in your kitchen each week, and probably on nights and weekends, which wouldn’t be as fun, versus the online course I talked about earlier, which required a pretty big time commitment initially. But now can be sold and make the creator money without a lot of continuous updating and energy spent on the product itself.
There are so many options, even beyond service and product based businesses. There’s a whole world within avenues like selling products on Amazon and the sharing economy in general, things like Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, and other platforms that allow you to create income fairly easily. These systems didn’t exist 10 years ago, and they open up so many opportunities to make money.
There’s also a whole world of income through the internet, but I’m not even going to go there, but know that it exists, things like blogging, podcasting, content creation, YouTube. These avenues take time but if it scratches an interest or passion, it might be worth looking into. As long as your business offers value or solves a problem that people with money are willing to buy, that makes it an easier route. And as long as your business offers value or solves a problem that people with money are willing to buy, you’re set.
And if you have a business that solves a problem, but your ideal customer doesn’t have money, because that happens often for folks who are looking to get into the nonprofit space. There are business models within the nonprofit world, such as grants and government funding that can finance you and your goals. The point of this episode isn’t to dissect and explain every option, because there is definitely a podcast out there that already covers that topic.
The goal of this podcast is to drive home the point that the possibilities are endless. You just need to give yourself a little time and space to think and allow yourself to step out of the, I don’t know zone and into the, I’m figuring it out zone, which is a much more fun space to be in. And be prepared because oftentimes there’s no clear cut skill or interest that screams, start a business doing this. Inquisitiveness can be your guiding light. Think about what topics most fascinate you. What could you cheerfully discuss for hours over coffee with friends? That’s a clue about what services and products could be viable for you.
I had a client who came to me and was completely clueless on what she wanted to do, but she knew she wanted to start a business so that she could create supplemental income for herself and her family. She’s a single mom by choice and just a complete badass truly. And when we got to talking about what she enjoyed and her zone of genius, data kept coming up. And it’s interesting because initially she thought that it was nothing notable that she liked learning about and playing around with data, again because we tend to think that there’s nothing unique about what we like.
I had to drill it into her that listening to podcasts and reading articles about data is not normal and there’s something there. So, she started a data consulting business and helps small businesses collect, understand, and see where they can add value to their bottom line by using data. At the end of the day, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Businesses succeed when you truly lean into what makes you authentic and distinctive.
Your personality, communication style, life experience and personal narrative shapes how you’ll approach and deliver your offerings. All it takes is shaking off the limiting beliefs that blind you from seeing those immense gifts. Embrace and trust in your uniqueness, the skills, the interests. That’s what will make this entire process a lot more enjoyable as well.
Okay, so we’ve walked through overcoming those mindset blocks, exploring service and product based business models, unearthing your areas of expertise through curiosity, and leaning into what makes you irreplaceable. So, what are the key takeaways? Replace, I don’t know what to do with I’m discovering the right opportunity. Get radically honest about your talents and what energizes you. Reframe your thinking. Your ordinary skills are extraordinary to others. And have confidence that your perspective shapes an offering no competitor can recreate.
There is an abundant universe of business ideas tailored to your lifestyle once you open your eyes to see the possibilities. Continue tuning in each week as we delve deeper into strategies for confidently leaving your corporate career to build a business and life you love. From overcoming fears and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset to taking action to create your own unique income streams, this podcast will be your guide for methodical, empowered action. You’ve probably been burnt out and starving for autonomy long enough. I’ll be here with you every step of the way as you create a reality that’s more fulfilling than you could have imagined.
Thank you so much for listening to me and I hope you’re feeling inspired to figure out what type of business you want to build. Ask yourself, what would this look like if it were fun, and follow that lead. I’ll talk to you soon and hope you’re taking care of yourself today and every day. You can’t pour from an empty cup. I’ll see you next Wednesday.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of How to Quit Your Job: A Mom’s Guide to Creating a Life and Business You Love. If you want to learn more about how I can help you stop making excuses and start making moves, head on over to www.jenna.coach. I’ll see you next week.
Welcome to How to Quit Your Job: A Mom’s Guide to Creating a Life and Business You Love. It’s a podcast that helps working moms just like you, optimize your time, manage your mind, and start a business that helps you create more freedom, flexibility, and, yes, fun. I’m business and mindset coach Jenna Rykiel. And I offer practical tips to help you ditch the nine-to-five. I have been exactly where you are, and I know what it takes to make the transition without trading one form of burnout for another. So, let’s get started.
I want to talk about what kind of business you should build because I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, Jenna, I don’t have any good ideas, or I don’t even know where to start. And trust me, I’ve been there. As a mom, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily hustle and bustle and it leaves little time to truly explore new possibilities. But I want to tell you that the possibilities are endless on the ways that you can make money on your own terms and really, all it takes is a shift in mindset.
In this episode, we’re going to dive deep into the world of entrepreneurial possibilities for moms who want to transition out of corporate. We’ll explore a wide range of business ideas and where you might be able to start making money from your unique and beautiful brain. So, by the end of this episode, my hope is that you’ll have a better understanding of the different paths you can take, and you’ll be equipped with practical steps to help you get started making yet another decision in your business journey.
Like I’ve said before, the more seamless and quickly you can make decisions, the more successful you’ll be as an entrepreneur. So, I’m here to help you do just that. But more importantly, you’ll also realize that your unique skills, experiences, and passions are valuable assets that you can leverage to create a business you love. So, we’re going to talk about the dangers of an I don’t know mantra. And we’ll break free from that mentality to find ways to open up a mindset of exploration and possibility.
So, whether you’re a seasoned professional looking for a career change or stay at home mom looking to contribute to the family’s finances. This episode has something for everyone who’s thinking about starting a business but keeps getting stuck in the what will I even do phase. So, get ready to get inspired, empowered, and equipped to take the next step towards creating a life you truly love.
The first thing I want to talk about is what’s blocking your vision. There’s a whole host of self-limiting beliefs that restrict you from seeing the breadth of options available to you. So, I want to just take a minute to break down and ultimately dismantle it because without breaking free from this, the longer you’ll stay stagnant. One damaging narrative that I mentioned earlier is the thought, I don’t have any good business ideas. This stems from a pretty subjective lens and it stems from how we view ourselves through that lens.
We’re our own harshest critics and we often dismiss our skills, interests, and intrinsic value as unexceptional. You might be saying, “But I’m not an expert at anything or I’m not creative enough.” And the reality is, you likely possess a wealth of knowledge and life experience that is immensely valuable to others. Unfortunately, since you live with it every day, you don’t see it as unique or special. We all underestimate the things we do best because it’s hard to imagine being incompetent or uninterested in a space we’ve spent so much time in. This is often a revelation for my clients.
I have endless examples of speaking to women who nonchalantly mention something they enjoy or are good at. And I have to enthusiastically inform them that that’s not normal. Listening to podcasts about data or organizing closets and pantries for fun is not fun for everyone. Oftentimes, the things you enjoy are things other people can’t stand and would absolutely pay to delegate but it’s hard for us to see past the I don’t know in order to get to a place where we can explore the potential.
Another trap is thinking, someone’s already doing that idea, so why bother? There is no such thing as an original idea. Every business has competitors, but your unique perspective and personality is always going to be what differentiates you. If bookstores stopped opening because Amazon existed, we’d miss out on those beloved local havens.
And one of my favorite business examples that was brought to my attention in a marketing class during my MBA is that businesses are successful selling bottled water. Think about it, in the US there is free water everywhere, clean water in our homes and yet people have made a fortune bottling it up and selling it. And there are so many different types of bottled water when you go to any convenience store. It’s a really kind of wild thing to think about. So, it’s important to remember that you aren’t replicating an existing business.
You’re creating your own interpretation through your distinctive voice and vision, one that literally no one else in the world can replicate because you are uniquely you. Your experiences are an asset to your business. So, the problem here is being stuck in the land of I don’t know, but the solution is to replace, I don’t have any good ideas with, I’m figuring out which of my talents and interests can be monetized in an authentic way. Swap self-doubt with curiosity about your innate gifts and interests. Opportunities are everywhere if you’re open to seeing them.
Now that you’re in the, I’m figuring it out mindset instead of stuck in, I don’t know, let’s talk about what types of businesses are out there to get the brainstorming juices flowing. The first I want to talk about is service based businesses. I think that service based businesses are the easiest form of entry into entrepreneurship. And it’s quite impressive how many options there are out there for service based businesses alone. Why is this a potential easy point of entry for moms out there? Because you likely already have high value skills from your career and life experiences that other people need or want and by the way, are willing to pay for it.
The key is identifying what you’re exceptionally good at and that you don’t hate because remember, we’re not building something that we hate, and packaging it as a specific offering. Maybe you have a knack for organization, communication or project management honed from years in a corporate setting. You could easily start a consulting or coaching business that helps individuals or businesses in these areas.
We’ll talk about the benefit of having a niche down the line, but how many people listening can relate to a completely chaotic and disorganized house? Probably the majority of us. Random things that we have no idea why we’re still keeping, closets and back rooms that we refuse to go into because the mess is out of sight, out of mind.
A friend of mine, Megan Cocchiaro, has created a business that literally solves that problem for busy moms, saving them time, money, and stress. And the thing is, Meg, who is a fellow mom entrepreneur, and I can’t even remember how we met, but she participated in my Moms Reenergized group coaching program. She calls herself a natural born organizer. How many of us can relate to being natural born organizers? I surely don’t. And if you do, well, there you go, something that lights you up that other people find miserable. So, there’s your business idea.
So many of us have spent years, even decades, learning really valuable skills in our corporate leadership roles and those can’t be underestimated. A good friend and fellow mom entrepreneur of mine, Jenna Hermans worked in HR for many years. And when she left corporate she started a business applying some of the pillars within her work as an HR professional to creating calm in her own household which she then found was super valuable to other moms in creating calm. She’s now an award-winning author and is rolling out a product which we’ll talk about product based businesses a little later and the product helps moms create calm in their life.
And just because these two examples already created businesses that solve a problem, doesn’t mean you can’t too. Remember, your business will be unique because you’re unique. I realize that pinpointing your profitable business unique to you sometimes requires guidance. That’s where setting aside time to really think about it and explore comes in. Ask yourself what tasks energize me? What work feels effortless because you’re so naturally skilled? What podcasts, books, or topics endlessly fascinate you? These clues can often illuminate options for what’s next.
I’m someone who really doesn’t vibe with social media. Even before having a business, I posted about once every six months and got lots of crap for it. So it probably wouldn’t make sense for me to start a business where I’m helping with marketing or social media management.
My sister, on the other hand, has a knack for social media in her personal life and even spent much of her career running social media channels for different notable companies and through ad agencies. So, when she went off on her own and created her own marketing agency, that made complete sense. She could apply over a decade of what she learned in the corporate world and offer her expertise to clients in a way that better aligned with her and the season of life that she’s in with three kids. Which, by the way, she started her business three months before her third child was born with a four and two year old at home. So yes, you can do it too.
I could spend this entire episode giving examples of really inspiring service based businesses and the superwoman moms that are behind them. But we’ve got kids to feed and errands to run. So, let’s just run through a broader list to pique your interest and again, get you thinking? So, there’s coaching and consulting. I mentioned this before, and this is the world my business is in. There is general life coaching, business coaching, health coaching, parent coaching and those are all pretty general. But then it’s amazing how narrow focused coaches can get and how they provide solutions to such niche problems.
Just the other day, I spoke to a friend about a business she’s starting, and we got to the topic of business consulting for helping companies through layoffs. Doing it in a way that honors the individuals being laid off but also doesn’t break trust with those that have to rebuild the company after the dust has settled. It’s so specific, what a great problem to solve. Anyone who’s been involved in layoffs knows it’s so messy. And of course, having someone who has navigated many layoffs with over a decade of corporate leadership experience and who has a master’s in social work and background in DEI would certainly help any company.
There’s also tutoring and teaching subjects like math, science or languages, teaching skills like music, art, cooking. Event planning is another great industry, coordination and planning for weddings, parties, corporate events, or virtual events are all necessary. There will always be events to plan, and the vast majority of people hate the process. I know mom entrepreneurs who actually teach you to become an event planner, but also mom entrepreneurs who help companies build more connected teams through events. The possibilities are endless.
One of my favorite clients started a dog walking and boarding business called Mutts and Wiggle Butts. I know, such a fun name. I’m a dog lover myself and it was so much fun to get random pictures of all the cute dogs. There’s also an entire industry of health and fitness, including meal planning, nutrition services, workout planning, getting your body ready for pregnancy.
My pelvic floor therapist recommended a program called The Body Ready Method to help me prepare for baby number 2 which is coming this fall. And it’s so cool to see the wealth of knowledge that has been captured in these workout videos. This is more of a product, but it’s likely a product that stemmed from so many one-to-one clients, which is also how businesses can evolve.
So quickly because I realize that it hasn’t been a quick list anymore. I’ve been giving way more background and we still have those kids to feed. So, there’s also things like website design and development, graphic design, writing and editing, content creation, HR or marketing consulting, logo and branding, social media, management. The list is never ending. Okay, so hopefully the pendulum hasn’t swung too far in the other direction.
The possibilities are endless, which can also be overwhelming. So, like I mentioned before, think about your unique interests and skills, and start building from there rather than sorting through everything out there. We started this episode with, I don’t know what I could possibly do, and now we might be feeling a little overwhelmed with everything that’s possible.
But next, I want to briefly talk about product based businesses. For those with an entrepreneurial spirit but more artistic leanings, product based businesses could be your calling. In this realm you can create a physical or digital product that you manufacture and sell, from handmade jewelry to online courses to custom designed print on demand merchandise. The options span basically every creative passion. If you’re a talented painter or photographer or musician, you can sell your art.
Or maybe if you’re craftier, you could launch an Etsy store selling crocheted blankets, candles, or soaps. If you’re an eloquent writer, you can publish your own books, you can create downloadable PDF guides. And the digital age has truly democratized product businesses for independent creators and it’s amazing. The path can seem daunting, of course, for product based businesses. There’s questions like how will I manufacture and distribute? Where will I source my materials? How can I expand and scale the business?
All of these worries and concerns may arise, but just like we talked about in earlier episodes, you don’t need to know the how right now. It’s amazing how once you take one step, options for the next steps actually reveal themselves. Now, what I will say, and this is important for both service based and product based businesses, depending on the business model, you want to be careful about starting a business that will require a lot of time from you. In this season of life, that’s hard to come by, time that is.
So, if you start a business making baby quilts, remember you’ll have to invest time making the baby quilts. And it might be something you really love and enjoy, but when you have to make 100 quilts in order to break even in your business, you may not enjoy it as much anymore. Of course, you can hire out and that’s part of the growth phase of the business, but I just want you to take your time and energy investment into consideration when thinking about the type of business.
This is also why I think service based businesses are a little easier initially unless you aren’t responsible for the constant production of a specific product. For instance, there’s a big difference between selling amazing cupcakes and having to make those in your kitchen each week, and probably on nights and weekends, which wouldn’t be as fun, versus the online course I talked about earlier, which required a pretty big time commitment initially. But now can be sold and make the creator money without a lot of continuous updating and energy spent on the product itself.
There are so many options, even beyond service and product based businesses. There’s a whole world within avenues like selling products on Amazon and the sharing economy in general, things like Airbnb, Uber, Lyft, and other platforms that allow you to create income fairly easily. These systems didn’t exist 10 years ago, and they open up so many opportunities to make money.
There’s also a whole world of income through the internet, but I’m not even going to go there, but know that it exists, things like blogging, podcasting, content creation, YouTube. These avenues take time but if it scratches an interest or passion, it might be worth looking into. As long as your business offers value or solves a problem that people with money are willing to buy, that makes it an easier route. And as long as your business offers value or solves a problem that people with money are willing to buy, you’re set.
And if you have a business that solves a problem, but your ideal customer doesn’t have money, because that happens often for folks who are looking to get into the nonprofit space. There are business models within the nonprofit world, such as grants and government funding that can finance you and your goals. The point of this episode isn’t to dissect and explain every option, because there is definitely a podcast out there that already covers that topic.
The goal of this podcast is to drive home the point that the possibilities are endless. You just need to give yourself a little time and space to think and allow yourself to step out of the, I don’t know zone and into the, I’m figuring it out zone, which is a much more fun space to be in. And be prepared because oftentimes there’s no clear cut skill or interest that screams, start a business doing this. Inquisitiveness can be your guiding light. Think about what topics most fascinate you. What could you cheerfully discuss for hours over coffee with friends? That’s a clue about what services and products could be viable for you.
I had a client who came to me and was completely clueless on what she wanted to do, but she knew she wanted to start a business so that she could create supplemental income for herself and her family. She’s a single mom by choice and just a complete badass truly. And when we got to talking about what she enjoyed and her zone of genius, data kept coming up. And it’s interesting because initially she thought that it was nothing notable that she liked learning about and playing around with data, again because we tend to think that there’s nothing unique about what we like.
I had to drill it into her that listening to podcasts and reading articles about data is not normal and there’s something there. So, she started a data consulting business and helps small businesses collect, understand, and see where they can add value to their bottom line by using data. At the end of the day, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Businesses succeed when you truly lean into what makes you authentic and distinctive.
Your personality, communication style, life experience and personal narrative shapes how you’ll approach and deliver your offerings. All it takes is shaking off the limiting beliefs that blind you from seeing those immense gifts. Embrace and trust in your uniqueness, the skills, the interests. That’s what will make this entire process a lot more enjoyable as well.
Okay, so we’ve walked through overcoming those mindset blocks, exploring service and product based business models, unearthing your areas of expertise through curiosity, and leaning into what makes you irreplaceable. So, what are the key takeaways? Replace, I don’t know what to do with I’m discovering the right opportunity. Get radically honest about your talents and what energizes you. Reframe your thinking. Your ordinary skills are extraordinary to others. And have confidence that your perspective shapes an offering no competitor can recreate.
There is an abundant universe of business ideas tailored to your lifestyle once you open your eyes to see the possibilities. Continue tuning in each week as we delve deeper into strategies for confidently leaving your corporate career to build a business and life you love. From overcoming fears and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset to taking action to create your own unique income streams, this podcast will be your guide for methodical, empowered action. You’ve probably been burnt out and starving for autonomy long enough. I’ll be here with you every step of the way as you create a reality that’s more fulfilling than you could have imagined.
Thank you so much for listening to me and I hope you’re feeling inspired to figure out what type of business you want to build. Ask yourself, what would this look like if it were fun, and follow that lead. I’ll talk to you soon and hope you’re taking care of yourself today and every day. You can’t pour from an empty cup. I’ll see you next Wednesday.
Thanks for listening to this week’s episode of How to Quit Your Job: A Mom’s Guide to Creating a Life and Business You Love. If you want to learn more about how I can help you stop making excuses and start making moves, head on over to www.jenna.coach. I’ll see you next week.
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