S3 Episode 4 - Navigating Successful Business Pivots: Knowing Your Why with Kerstin Martin

02/20/24 • 40 min

Have you ever thought about making a pivot in your business?
Running a business as a solopreneur comes with many rewards - the ability to be your own boss, work on projects you feel passionate about, and set your own schedule.
However, it also comes with challenges. As the sole person steering the ship, pivoting your business can feel risky and stressful.

Join us for an insightful conversation with Kerstin Martin, an expert solopreneur herself, as she discusses her lessons learned from her 3 successful business pivots made over her entrepreneurship journey.
Here are some key highlights from our conversation for anyone considering a business transition:
1. Trust Your Intuition
When facing big changes, self-doubt and fear creep in. However, beneath those surface emotions, your intuition knows the right path. Kerstin advises tuning into that inner wisdom during pivots, rather than ignoring it.
2. Create a Financial Safety Net
One strategy that enabled Kerstin to pivot with more peace of mind was building a safety net - both financial and emotional. Before transitioning her business, she made sure she had at least 6 months of living expenses saved up. Knowing the basics are covered allows you to focus fully on your new endeavor, versus worrying about paying the bills at the same time.
3. Connect to Your 'Why'
When things feel challenging, it's easy to lose sight of why you started down this path. Kerstin recommends journaling or writing a short mission statement to crystallize your motivations and vision. Revisiting this reminds you what called you to this work, and what awaits on the other side of the discomfort that naturally arises during change. It reconnects you to the joy and purpose that initially launched your solopreneur journey.
Navigating business pivots poses unique challenges for solopreneurs. However, by tapping into personal strengths like intuition, patience, and clarity of purpose, you can shepherd your company through seasons of change. What matters most is learning, listening, and taking the next right step from a place of courage and care - for both your business and yourself.
Kerstin Martin is an experienced Calm Business educator and late-bloomer solopreneur who built a successful internet business with only a small audience and no ads. As a neurodivergent HSP, she is passionate about teaching overwhelmed solopreneurs how to build, grow, and scale calm and profitable businesses without the hustle.
Her online courses and educational products focus on leveraging simplified systems, gentle marketing, and organic growth. Kerstin believes in acting from a place of integrity and kindness to build a business that fuels a joyful, rich, and grounded life.
You can connect with Kerstin here:
Website: https://mycalmbusiness.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerstinmartin/

Previous Episode

S3 Episode 3 - Exploring the Patterns that Shape Us: Therapeutic Exploration with Starla Sholl

Have you ever noticed yourself falling into the same patterns of thinking or behavior and felt frustrated that you keep repeating those cycles? Or perhaps you have certain emotional reactions or triggers that seem disproportionate to the situation at hand?
Join us for an insightful conversation with Starla Sholl, a renowned clinical social worker, as we talk about how our unconscious core beliefs—often originating in childhood—can unintentionally direct our choices and relationships in adulthood. Starla explains why insight into these patterns is the first step toward rewriting old narratives that may be holding us back.
Join us as we explore: what key experiences may have laid the foundations for the stories we subconsciously tell ourselves, how to identify repetitive thought loops before they spiral, and tools to shift engrained neural pathways with compassion and consciousness.
Here are the key takeaways from our conversation:

Gain clarity on unconscious beliefs and patterns that limit you
Release stuck emotions and trauma to clear inner blocks
Develop self-compassion and dissolve feelings of shame
Discover your authentic self and reclaim personal power
Create meaning and purpose aligned with your soul

Starla meets you where you're at with no judgment, only compassion. Her devotion is to help you remember the wholeness already inside you. Past clients often return to her years later for that unique caring presence as they navigate new chapters of life.
Starla Sholl, LCSW is a clinical social worker in private practice. Her approach integrates a foundation of psychodynamic psychotherapy with alternative and experiential healing modalities, including Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy, somatic work, subtle energy work, and breathwork. Her style of therapy also is influenced by her study of indigenous and shamanic healing.

Her 35+ years of experience, plus her training and experience with alternative healing methods, give her clients the opportunity to experience growth and healing in a very different way than with other therapists.
You can connect with Starla here:
Website: https://www.yourwellnessoptions.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/starlasholl/

Next Episode

S3 Episode 5 - Elevate Your Presentation Skills: The Art of Storytelling with Marianna Swallow

Are you ready to take your presentation skills to the next level and captivate your audience like never before?
As a presenter, speaker, or facilitator, nailing the opening of your presentation is crucial. A standard "Hi, my name is..." might be safe, but it's often forgettable. Your introduction sets the stage – make it count!
Join us for an insightful conversation with Marianna Swallow, a renowned presentation skills expert and coach, dedicated to transforming individuals into confident leaders on stage, at conferences, and in meetings.
Here are some key highlights from our conversation:

Embrace nervousness as a sign of caring and improve your public speaking with proven mental tricks and body-based relaxation techniques.
Learn the art of crafting a strong opening that hooks your audience using videos, stories, interactivity, and startling statistics.
Discover how to adapt your public speaking skills to virtual platforms by focusing on preparation, interactivity, and engaging your audience effectively.
Uncover the secrets for creating impactful speeches with Mariana's top 3 speech cheat sheet for last-minute speeches.

Whether you're just starting or are a seasoned pro, infusing the magic of a good story can set you apart. It's about connecting, inspiring, and leading with authenticity. So if you're crafting your next presentation or speech, remember, your story has power.
Marianna Swallow is The Speak Easy Coach. Her mission is to make presentations easy and enjoyable for everyone – one speech at a time. Her expertise lies in helping clients share their story in a way that creates audience connection. She works with individuals, executives, and teams to help them develop and deliver clear and confident presentations, all while making the process fun.

A lifelong performer, she’s a graduate of the Second City Conservatory. She currently performs stand-up and storytelling in Chicago. She holds a BA from Northern Illinois University, and an MFA from Goucher College.
You can connect with Marianna here:
Website: https://www.mariannaswallow.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariannas/