Anyone who gives a damn about the community around them and wants their startup to make the world a better place.
Hands up if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed. Wow, that’s a lot of hands! You’re clearly not alone.
Although starting a business can be REALLY EXCITING, did you expect to have SO MUCH TO DO? Are you feeling really busy? All.the.time?
There are a million things to do when you’re starting a business. Somehow you’re ticking them off your to do list and getting some things done. But none of it feels very structured. Are you actually focusing on the right things?
You wonder if there’s a better way. But you don’t have the time to even sit down and think about HOW to fit all of the pieces together. Let alone really think about WHAT you should be doing in the first place!
until now.
Because you’ve had enough of feeling like you’re failing. You are ready to take back control! You are ready to make a plan. To feel confident in your decisions. And to KNOW that this business is really going to work.
Because you know what? Without YOU, without YOUR business, that problem you’re trying to solve in the world will STILL EXIST. The world needs you to make this work.
And I am going to help you. I am going to help you change the world!
I founded Step & Stone to create a space where you can make sense of all the noise in your head. A place to get the help you need to structure your thinking so you can get REALLY clear on who you’re in business for. To know how you’ll reach them, and why it all matters.
Because, sometimes, turning your amazing ideas into thoughts and actions isn’t something that can be done alone. Sometimes you need help to focus on the next move you need to take. And help to get other people’s attention along the way.
It’s time to get your business off the ground.
Your moment is now.
what I want for you
I want you and your business to change the world. I want you to KNOW that you can make it work and that you can thrive as a business owner. I want you to be bold! To stop listening to the voice in your head that tells you it’s scary. I want you to get exactly where you want to be.
Why? Because I’m your biggest fan. And I’m going to help you focus on the work that really matters.
here’s what I believe….
You don’t actually need to have business experience to succeed in business. What you do need is determination, tenacity and the willingness to figure a lot of things out along the way. And be able to accept some help to get you there.
Because support is crucial. Whether you’re on your own in business or have people around to help, having someone at hand to bounce ideas and emotions off of is essential.
why do I care so much about your business?
I know how great it is to step off the ‘expected’ path of education, career, retirement, and run my own business. It’s AMAZING to be your own boss, come up with ideas, and work your little behind off to make those ideas a reality! I love bringing clarity and joy to the people I now get to work with, and I LOVE that people express gratitude for my support. We should all be able to wake up in the morning and love the idea of what’s coming in the day ahead.
And then there’s the doom and gloom of the future. It scares me. Unless we act now, it may not be a very nice place for future generations. I don’t have my own idea on how to save the world, but I have what I think is the perfect mix of skills to support those who do. My duty is to help them to stick around! And I get great satisfaction from helping clients feel like it’s easy to be strategic in business and to make things happen THEIR WAY.
Bravery, confidence, and adventure also really excite me. Sometimes I simply have to take a leap and hope I land on my own two feet (more on that below). Other times I need to have a bit more of a plan in place (like my never-ending quest to see the world!).
Oh, and in my spare time, I Thai box. (So don’t mess with me, ha ha!)
how did I figure it all out?
As my tattoo says, I was born to do this. My brain was built to function in a logical, structured way and even as a kid I was fascinated about how business works. I went on to get my degree in Management & Organizational Behavior from New York University, and then (somewhat by accident) ended up in the financial services sector turning big ideas into reality for nearly a decade.
At any one time, I had up to 5 different projects on the go, with multiple to do lists for each one. I became really good at developing strategy. I figured out which pieces went where and how to follow the steps. I learned how to get people to engage and take action. When things didn’t quite go to plan, I taught myself to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective.
I was considered ‘successful’, but the more I climbed up the corporate ladder, the more I hated it. I didn’t want that corner office. I didn’t want to manage a large team. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life doing work that really didn’t matter.
And so, I left. With no idea of where I wanted to head.
I knew I was smart. I knew I had potential. I knew I was made for bigger things. Yet I had no idea what those things were.
What I had forgotten was how much I LOVE connecting with people and helping them improve. I realised I wanted to make a difference through my work.
After a few months of figuring all that out, I eventually made my way to a coaching school and that started me out on my exciting new path. Take two intensive coaching programs, add 3 months of working with my own business coach plus hours of learning, absorbing, networking, and building relationships with organisations such as UnLtd, Climate-KIC, and the School for Social Entrepreneurs – and (cue the music) I present to you…well, ME!
here’s what I know.
Starting a business is HARD WORK. When I was starting out, people told me to expect it to take LONGER and cost MORE than I expect it to. I remember thinking I’d be different. That since I was going to work REALLY hard on it and be super motivated, it wouldn’t take THAT long.
Boy was I wrong! Even though I had lots of previous business experience, there was a lot of new stuff to learn. I had to learn how to apply it to starting my own business –without the support network of colleagues and others who had done it before. And without people who ‘get it’. I had to figure out how to pay the bills. I had to face rejection. I had to face fear. I had to face my own insecurities about feeling like an imposter. I had to try, learn, change, and try again.
And, you know what? It worked. I turned a profit within the first 18 months AND made an impact by helping amazing people take their business to a new level.
So now I want to help you along your journey. And I want to help you get there faster than if you were doing it on your own. Avoid the mistakes I made and learn the tricks to make it work for you, too.
making it your business to give a damn
There are lots of business people out there who just don’t get it – they only understand business in terms of pure profit and not in terms of the impact on the world around the business.
And there are a lot of ethical people out there who care a lot about social justice, the community, the environment and general well-being. But they don’t have the business skills to develop a sustainable strategy, turn that into a plan and take the right action.
And then there’s me. I bring both sides together and help you get clear and confident in the foundations of your business so you can make smarter decisions and see the impact that you long for!
So whether you’re just getting started with your business or you’re a year or so down the road, you can take back control and really, REALLY get your business off the ground.
