May 2, 2024 • 34 mins
It’s all up to you. When you’re wearing multiple hats and running your own business, all of the rewards and accomplishments are on you - but so are the setbacks and challenges. The incredible journey of solopreneurship is filled with ups and downs and those who have tasted that lifestyle often can never go back to a “normal job.” In this special season finale, Austin and Jannese share their very own stories about what inspired them to branch out into solopreneurship and what keeps them going. And they'll share never-before-heard clips from founders in previous episodes detailing their own Why: the thing that keeps them going through thick and thin that allows them to have complete control of their lives and the ultimate level of financial freedom.
Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business:
For a recap from this week’s episode visit:
Episode 8 Recap with Jannese and Austin
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The views, information, or opinions express during this podcast are
solely those of the individuals involved and do not represent
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or employees. This podcast does not constitute financial, legal, or
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It QuickBooks does not have any responsibility for updating or
(00:22):
advising any information presented. Listeners should verify statements before relying
on them. QuickBooks Money is a standalone into It offering
banking services provided by Green Dot Bank member FDIC. Hey everyone,
I'm Jennie Torres.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
And I'm Austin Hankwitz. Welcome to Mine the Business. Small
Business Success Stories, a podcast brought to you by Intuit,
QuickBooks and iHeartRadio's Ruby Studio. In every episode so far,
we talked with small business owners as they shared their
stories about the ups and downs of owning a small business.
But today we're going to do something a little.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Our incredible guests have dropped so many gems over the
last seven episodes, so for our final episode, Austin and
I are going to reflect back on all of those conversations,
and we're going to tell you our own stories as
well as share with you some never before heard clips
from our previous interviews about what keeps entrepreneurs going.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
That's right, Janie. For this last episode, we're talking about
finding your why, the thing that inspired you to start
your own business in the first place and keeps you
getting up every day and continuing the dream of self
employment through the successes, the setbacks, and everything in between.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I'm really excited for this episode, Austin, because we've heard
some great stories so far, and I have a lot
to share from going on this amazing journey, and I
know you do too.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Oh one hundred percent. It's kind of funny, Janie's I've
always thought of myself actually as an entrepreneur, even since
I was in middle school. I remember living in Denver, Colorado,
school got canceled one day because we had this like
crazy blizzard, and instead of like sledding and building snowmen
(02:05):
with my friends, I decided to borrow my neighbor's snowblower,
teamed up with a few kids around the block, and
we made one hundred and twenty dollars that day, snow
blowing driveways. Like I've always had this weird knack for entrepreneurship,
getting hands dirty to make some cash, as well as
collaborating with other like minded individuals to achieve our general
goals together. So I'm eager to jump into the episode.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
I love that it takes me back to the days
where I had a lemonade stand, and I also saw
the value of having ways of making money that don't
rely on a nine to five. Even with my own parents,
we used to host yard sales. My dad would like
find random things in the neighborhood that folks throughout on
trash day we were a little refinishing and sell them for
a couple dollars. And now apparently that's a thing called flipping.
(02:51):
So I think I had a little bit of a
knack for making money on the side ever since I
was young.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I'm so excited to dive in. So let's do it.
Denise kick us off. Why did you take the initial
leap into entrepreneurship.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
So for me, I had kind of a practical reason
and more of a philosophical one. So I was laid
off actually in twenty fourteen, first and only time, and
it was a really big wake up call for me
because I had been sold this dream, right, this corporate
dream where you get a job, you work there for
(03:25):
forty years and you're good. And as a first generation kid,
I definitely got the message that that was the key
to success. So when I followed that path and it
led me to a position where now all of a sudden,
this career that I've built has been pulled out from
under me, it made me question a lot of that
narrative and it made me never want to be in
a position again to have someone be able to disrupt
(03:48):
my financial stability. So that was the practical reason, but
also I think I was definitely born with a little
bit of a rebel streak. As the eldest daughter. My
parents were very strict, and so I would find little
opportunities to kind of question the status quo. Usually got
me in trouble. But I do feel like I'm just
(04:08):
not really good with having somebody else tell me what
to do. And part of my desire to be an
entrepreneur was the ability to be my own boss.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I love that genis and you know, I think a
lot of people listening right now would also relate to
this sort of like, wait a second. I was told
if I do this, if I go to college, if
I get the degree, if I work for thirty years
or whatever, that this thing might be. I will be happy,
I'll be rich, I'll be retired, I'll be ABC XYZ,
whatever that means to them. And I had the same
(04:36):
sort of wake up call, right. I had realized quickly
after graduating college something I felt that I spent a
lot of dang money on that I didn't have the
answers I was looking for. Sure. I knew calculus and
geography and how many moons were on Jupiter, but I
didn't know how to invest in real estate, build my
credit score, or start a business. And so I realized
(04:58):
really quickly too, that I wasn't alone in this realization, right,
and that a lot of Americans, countless Americans, really had
no idea what the stock market was, how to invest,
how to grow their wealth. So since graduating college in
twenty eighteen, I believe the wealth gap in America has
only grown wider, something that I think we all want
to help shrink. So I want to introduce as many
(05:21):
people to the investor class as possible to help do
that right to not just be these consumers from the walmarts,
the targets, the costcos, but also own the companies they
consume from. And that's why I started publishing my own
personal finance and investing content on the internet. You don't
have to always trade your time for money anymore. You
can passively make money through capital appreciation and dividends, two
(05:44):
things that you'll need to know for sure if you
ever want to retire one day.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yes, absolutely, having ownership of your time is one of
the best things about entrepreneurship. Our first guest on this season,
Grace Wells, was adamant about the immediate benefits of being
your own ball.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
For me, the most rewarding part about being a solopreneur
and owning my own business is the freedom and the independence.
And I think that now that I've learned how to
operate in a world where I don't have to report
to a boss in a linear way like I did before,
it would be so hard for me to go back.
Of course, I have clients and there's lots of people
(06:23):
that I answer to, but it feels so different when
every day you wake up and you're creating something for yourself.
And you're creating a business that's yours. So yeah, I
think that the biggest thing that sort of drives me
and pushes me forward is that sense of freedom and
independence that owning a business brings me.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Being an entrepreneur and having to rely on yourself and
your own instruction is really really important and can be
eye opening for a lot of us. So, speaking of
eye opening the genie, when were your eyes first opened
to see, Wait a second, I can be an entrepreneur, right?
What were maybe some specific things you did that were like, wait,
I can do this, I have what it's Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I love this question because that transition period is something
very scary. I never imagined myself being a full time entrepreneur.
So when I decided that I was interested in taking
the leap, I chose not to jump out of the
plane without a parachute. I took a very strategic approach,
and I really wanted to prove to myself that I
(07:22):
could actually do this. So part of what I started
doing was funneling my paycheck to my four oh one
K and paying myself through the business. So I got
on payroll. I was issuing myself a paycheck equivalent to
what I was earning as an engineer, and I wanted
to do that for at least four to five months
in order to really prove to myself that I could
(07:44):
walk away and still be able to keep my standard
of living. That might be very conservative for some people.
You know, there's a lot of folks who start businesses
during a job layoff or a transition. But if you
have the opportunity to do this while you're working full time,
I think it's a really smart thing to do because
you can bulk up your emergency savings, you can invest
(08:06):
some money from your paycheck into growing your business, and
you don't have this immediate need to make this payoff
right away. And I want to remind folks how important
it is to understand this is a process. Anybody who
has run a business, who has built a business, will
tell you it does take time. And so I think
having the patience and really putting the systems in place
(08:27):
to make you be able to make that transition safely
and hopefully for the final time, I think it's a
good strategic move. I'm curious for you, Austin, when you
were deciding to take your content creation career to the
next level. What was your process.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I did a very similar thing that you did, Genie.
I did not want to jump into solopreneurship entrepreneurship without
knowing that there was longevity to it, right, And so
for me, I was building my business on the side
while also working full time. And I did that for
an entire year. So I was working forty fifty sixty
(09:07):
hours a week and then from call it nine pm
to one am, I was building my business and I
did that for it really was about a year. So
I did the same thing. I wanted to make sure
that I had what it took to completely say I
can hang up my W two. I kind of come
from this other side of the spectrum where I really
liked my job. I really enjoyed working my W two job.
(09:29):
Sure I worked pretty hard and I was probably underpaid
a little bit, but generally speaking, I really enjoyed the
people I worked with. And it was kind of hard
to take a step back from that and say, no,
I should start my own business and I should double
down on entrepreneurship. And you know, so when I talked
to in that process was my dad. And I think
this is a really big lesson that I learned as
an entrepreneur was you know. I said, hey, Dad, I've
(09:51):
got this thing called TikTok and podcasting and newsletters, and
I'm doing the stuff on the internet. I'm making way
more money doing this than I am with my W
two job. I'm ready to make the transition. And he goes,
I have no idea what you just talked about. Why
would you give up your job to do things on
the internet. What are you talking about, Austin? And so
you know that definitely weighed on me, right. I really
appreciate my dad's perspective and advice, but I ended up,
(10:14):
of course, against his advice quitting my job, which was
the best decision ever. But I think a lot of people,
again take the advice from people that aren't qualified to
give that advice, and sometimes to the detriment of their futures.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yeah, I think it's a good reminder that you have
to believe in the idea more than anybody else, because
usually what happens is everyone calls you crazy until you're successful,
and then they ask you how you did it.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
One hundred percent. It's all about taking what you know,
researching what you don't, and making it happen. I mean,
look at our guest Michael Bain. He was working insane
hours sweating in the kitchens, but he saw a need
adjacent to that world that he could fill and be
much happier doing so he started Moshi Moshi Knives and
never looked back.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Absolutely. Michael is a great example of why we get
into business for ourselves, especially after seeing what it's like
working for someone else. Let's roll that clip.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I think right now, it's been the thing that I
can make the most money with with my skills right like,
and I haven't even reached close to the ceiling, so
it's like, there's still so much more I can do.
I just think it's the best money making opportunity for
me right now. And it's like I kind of forwarded
my ambition in the past four years because I just
(11:31):
worked in a kitchen in the past decade and I'm tired.
So it's nice having a easier life. But as I'm
getting older too, like the desire to push more and like,
you know, the desire to be more successful is there.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I love the various reasons why we started this business,
why we pursued entrepreneurship. I'm curious for you, Austin, what's
your why when those hard times show up, Because they will,
there will be setbacks, and how do you continue going
forward when things do get challenging.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
That's a really good question, you know. I think I
have two answers to this, the first being if you
lay the foundation right, you work with integrity, compassion, honesty,
everything that gives us our uniqueness. Setbacks are going to
be far in view between understanding your business and your financials.
Like the back of your hand is also a really,
(12:25):
really great way to identify these red flags and setbacks
before they happen, which is something I take very seriously,
and quick books is the easiest way for me to
do that. But with that being said, the way I'm
able to get over setbacks, especially if they are very
very big setbacks, is to surround myself with people who
continue to motivate me, educate me, and inspire me to
(12:48):
keep going. I mean, that's the simple answer a setback.
I think every content creator, maybe even yourself included, is
worried about right now. Is this like potential ban for
TikTok And for me that would be pretty I'm certainly
a TikToker, but I'm doing what I can at the moment.
To own my audience by collecting their email addresses, maybe
migrating them to another platform, and back to what we
(13:09):
talked about before, diversifying my revenue streams away from one
specific funnel. So I think that by having sort of
a bird's eye view, a calm, cool, collected perspective on
what this setback might be, and to only remember that
you can control the controllables. That's all you can control, right,
things that are absolutely in your hands, And I can't
(13:31):
control a potential TikTok ban or something else that's completely
out of my hands. So I'm doing the best I
can with the cards I'm dealt.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Yeah, I mean, that's all we can do. We kind
of just have to roll with the punches. I always
tell people that entrepreneurship is the greatest lesson in resilience,
and I had a personal story with my own business
that really made me grateful for the fact that I
am very conservative when it comes to how I set
aside money, because you just never know when there's going
(13:59):
to be those times where there's an unexpected expense or
things are over budget. I had my first live event
last year and I ended up going six figures over
the budget. When it was all said and done, and
that type of situation could make or break a business.
But what I have been really good at, and I
(14:19):
think this is why I like to call myself a
little bit of a money nerd is I have so
many different pools of money that I was able to
kind of reallocate where I had saved some investments and
cash out that stuff so that I could actually foot
the bill and not get into even more debt in
order to cover the expenses of this live event. It
was a really big teaching moment for me because it
(14:40):
was the first time that I had taken on such
a big project. Made me question if I want to
do it again. But I'm just glad that I had
the financial stability and the resiliency in my own business
to be able to weather that really unexpected expense.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Oh my gosh, I could not imagine having to deal
with that. Jendi's I more power to you. You know
that really reminds me, though, of our conversation with Taylor.
You know, she had this crazy tax bill that came
out of blue for her. She had to move, she
had to do all these crazy big things to overcome
that setback, and that challenge, and it really just reminds
(15:16):
me of how resilient entrepreneurs can be.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
I get into this creative flow that fills me up
more than anything, and I think that's when you know
you're doing the right thing, is when your job doesn't
really feel like a job. And so I think, if anything,
that's just like, what keeps me inspired is just the
love of what I do. And I think if you
can find that, like, I feel so lucky to be
(15:43):
able to be doing this for a living and to
enjoy it as much as I do.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
You know, I think a lot of us forget, though,
that we dream and fantasize about being an entrepreneur, about
being a solopreneur and owning our time, owning our business,
and then we get to that point and we're like,
oh gosh, wait, this is a little scary. I'm just gonna,
you know, be a victim to my circumstance and kind
of bow out. Heck, no, I mean, you work so
hard to get here, keep working hard to remain here.
(16:11):
You mentioned resiliency. That is so so important for people
listening right now to realize is entrepreneurship isn't always flowers
and unicorns and rainbows. It sometimes is a lot of resiliency.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Absolutely, as they say, anything worth doing is worth working for,
and even through the ups and downs, it's so important
for us to celebrate our victories wherever we can. And
I'm curious for you, Austin, why do you celebrate victories
and how do you do it?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
How I celebrate victories is you know, certainly I like
to go on vacations. I like to spend time with
my family. I like to go out with my friends.
You know, I live here in Nashville. It's a lot
of fun. But something else I like to do, and
I try and do this every single quarter throughout the year,
is I reflect upon the last three months and I
write down to my journal what I had achieved right,
And sometimes when I look back to what I have
(17:00):
written in this journal back in twenty twenty, twenty twenty one,
twenty twenty two, I'm just like, oh my gosh, if
I come so far. And I think a lot of
that self reflection is really important for other people listening
right now to do because you don't know what you
don't know. And I guarantee you in two, five, ten years,
you're going to be doing stuff that you right now
would have never imagined.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
It's so true. You know, when I think about why
it's important for me to celebrate victories, it's because entrepreneurship
has given me a real gift, which is the ability
to own my time, and to celebrate my one year
anniversary of becoming a full time entrepreneur. I actually ended
up taking my mom to Paris. Oh wow, yeah, I
(17:43):
mean it was an incredible mother daughter trip. We've never
traveled together before that, so it was an opportunity to
make a lot of memories, but especially because she was
declared cancer free a little bit before that, and so
for me it was just a really important mile stone
for both of us in entrepreneurship was at the center
(18:04):
of why I was even able to take this trip.
You know, I didn't have to request PTO and you
have to worry about the budget. I was really able
to just be present and make these really really memorable
moments matter. And I think that's the reason why we
have to get really good at enjoying those benefits that
do come from entrepreneurship, because it is so worth it.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Oh my gosh, Paris, that sounds incredible. I am so jealous.
I've never been, and I'm thrilled for your mom to
be cancer free. Being able to be there for family
members when things get challenging is one of the benefits
of entrepreneurship that you really just can't put a price on.
You can measure profits and overhead and output all day long,
but the ability to take care of your family, not
(18:47):
just financially, but with your time and your physical presence
is just an immeasurable benefit.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
That really reminds me though, of our conversations with Michael
and Daniel j. They're a father and son team who
co founded the t shirt business that Lazy Butt Club,
and not only did they find a way to work together,
but they also made sure that as entrepreneurs, they make
time for each other outside of work and prioritize their family.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
And let's throw to that clip real quick.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
What keeps me going is the fact that we have
had success and I've seen that it's possible, and then
that it's happened a few times actually, where we've had
different viral videos over the span of the last coming
up on three years. So when the views are low
and the sales are low, I just keep going because
I know it's possible now.
Speaker 7 (19:35):
Yeah, I was just going to say, what keeps me
going over the years and everything is knowing that you're
an entrepreneur and you can actually have your own destiny
by working more hours, working harder, and not really trying
to be successful, but just trying to keep working. And
the thing that keeps us going really well is knowing
(19:56):
that we do get to be lazy when we're not
doing well. And it used to be that you were
just always trying to make money, but now since we're
so busy, we're always trying to take time off and
go golfing, and that's a easier way to do it.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
And the same thing for Jordan Rose, right, she's an
Etsy seller and the owner of Fresh Prince of SF.
She was very clear about how important owning her time
is and how as entrepreneurs we don't have to ask
for PTO. We don't have to go ask for someone's
permission to go take a family trip or celebrate someone's achievements.
It's just so powerful.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Yeah, she gave us some really great insights into what
keeps solopreneurs going.
Speaker 8 (20:39):
I wrote a letter to myself when I left the library,
and my sister told me to do that, it says
to me, like you left the library. You left your
nine to five for a reason. I always love libraries
and I'm happy to sub there, but I know, like
as a lifestyle, it doesn't work for me anymore. And
(21:00):
when I get exhausted doing what I'm doing now, I'm
still happier than I've ever been in my whole life.
And in the beginning, when I was really questioning, like
struggling to have anyone see my work or whatever it
may be, you know, I was struggling to get money
(21:21):
in my pocket after having very comfortable nine to five
that gave me a consistent amount of money each week.
I would open that letter and say, like, don't panic,
everything's fine.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Coming up after the break.
Speaker 9 (21:36):
When I went freelance, the reason I did it was
so that I could live a fuller life, whether that
was travel, whether that was pursuing comedy.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
We'll be right back with mine the business. Welcome back
to Mind the Business. Small business stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby
Studio and into It QuickBooks. You know, one of the
(22:06):
things that despite entrepreneurship being so fabulous, it does get
lonely at times. And so I think that's one of
the reasons why it's been really important for me to
build community. I know, for somebody who is like a
first generation business owner like me, my family still doesn't
understand what the heck I do, and so it's been
(22:26):
really important for me to create community, find folks who
actually get the struggles that we're going through, and it
can be very lonely as well. From somebody that works
from home, I've had to become very intentional about creating
this space where I can ask for help and know
who to contact for resources, and community can do more
than just give you a hand when you need it.
(22:47):
It's also a place where we can help out others
and even thrive ourselves. Our guests Sierramani Mae looked around
and didn't see any environmentally sustainable options for faux hair care,
so she said about creating one herself, founding her own company, Rebundle.
Now she's a community leader at the forefront of that
entire industry.
Speaker 10 (23:07):
I'm excited by how much more work there is to
be done in this space. I think that we've done
a great job bringing awareness to this industry and the
way that the product has been made and distributed For
the last several decades. So that was really motivating in
the beginning to like sort of spill the beans and
(23:28):
like shine a light on the space that I didn't
think was getting the attention it deserved. But now a
couple of years in, I'm motivated by the real possibility
of making this segment of the beauty industry more aligned
with the way the rest of the beauty industry operates.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'm curious for you, Austin, how's community played a role
in your own journey.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Oh my gosh, community was major. I mean, to your point,
working from home, not being around people, but making all
these random friends on the internet, Like it feels wow,
I've got all these followers and potential friends and people
that care about what I have to say, but it
gets really lonely. So you know, for me, I would
say that having that community not just to look toward
(24:15):
as it relates to specific problems or challenges that I'm facing,
but also I love connecting with new content creators or
new small business owners who are really excited to begin
their entrepreneurial journey and sharing with them. Oh my gosh,
I tried this, it worked great. You need to do
it too, or oh my gosh, I made this mistake.
(24:35):
Avoid it at all costs. This is not what you
want to be doing or spending your time doing. I
just that to me is what really fires me up.
You know, in building community outside of entrepreneurship can be
just as important. I think a lot of entrepreneurs fall
victim to like hustle culture and always on, always working.
Got to be working my twelve fifteen, twenty four hour
(24:55):
days like these just crazy things. You know, It's okay
to take a break and go hang out your friends,
or go take your dog for a walk, or go
you know, just get outside, touch grass, right, all these
things that are so important that the headlines and the
Internet might make you think is like, wait, no, that's
that's not what entrepreneurship is about. Well, they're wrong. Entrepreneurship
is about owning your time and spending your time the
(25:16):
way you want to. If that is connecting with other
entrepreneurs and building that side of your community, or connecting
with your friends and your existing community outside of work.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Absolutely, a big part of how community has helped me
is having a kind of pool of people who can
give me access to connections and resources that I didn't
even know existed. For example, I am coming out with
a new book and my book proposal coach, my agent.
So many people that have put this together were because
(25:46):
of community. I have a mentor who introduced me to
a lot of folks who have now been able to
be a part of this awesome project. And so I
think it's important to foster community because that is how
you can potentially find out that next tool that going
to help make success easier for you and your business,
like QuickBooks money.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I couldn't agree more. Janis Now we've talked a lot
about ourselves here, but I really want to dive deeper
into your why Why do you keep going? Why do
you keep doing it? Give me the number one reason?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
So I love the fact that now I get to
write my own rules. I am someone who really enjoys
the fact that no day looks the same and I
get to live and work in a way more creative
zone than I could before. This is the freedom that
entrepreneurship gives you. It's really the ability to create a
career and really dictate how you spend your time your energy.
(26:42):
For me, most importantly, it's been that I am my
own safety net as an entrepreneur. I don't have to
worry about somebody laying me off. I don't have to
worry about you know, it's not in the budget. There's
a real power that comes from being able to be
your own money printer as a business owner, and I
feel like it helps me walk around in the world
(27:03):
with a little bit of more confidence, you know, just
that I have the ability to create the life that
I want, I have the skills to do it. And
most importantly, it's like I don't have to decide if
I have time for family, if I have time for friends,
if I have time to invest in my own health
and self care. There is a real power that comes
(27:27):
from entrepreneurship, and that really is my why. It's kind
of like, yeah, I get to run things. I am
the writer of my script.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Ooh, I love it. I'm right there with you. I
remember commuting an hour each way to work every day.
I remember sitting in the kitchen and eating my boxed
lunch in silence with my little headphones in listening to music.
I was always on call if my boss needed me,
and it was like ten forty five at night my
phone was ringing, and that was the same for the weekends.
(27:58):
Right today, I have the freedom to spend my days,
my evenings, and my weekends any way i'd like. I
also work from home, which means I save a lot
on gas now, But you know, to that point, the
flexibility also gives me an extended amount of time with
my dad, who's in his late seventies. I'm his primary caretaker,
and there's nothing more special to me than being able
(28:18):
to run over to my dad's house, make him some lunch,
and just make sure he's good for the rest of
the day. I also love having him over for dinner,
something I was never home to do because I wouldn't
get home till seven, eight, nine o'clock at night sometimes.
So to your point, having the flexibility, having that confidence,
knowing that you are your own boss, you can write
your own script, but also taking that extra time to
(28:40):
do something other than just leisure, but also something really
meaningful to you, I think is my why and what
keeps me going. I love being able to spend time
with my family, my friends, and having that you know,
extra couple hours a day or several hours a week,
even of just saying I want to do this because
this makes me happy. Be and I totally agree with
(29:02):
the confidence side, of the equation talking about how you
feel like you can control your own destiny because your skills.
I think that's what's so important too about being an
entrepreneur gene Is is people's skills never go away. Your
tools can go away, your computer can break your you know,
whatever you use equipment wise to make and produce your
products or services. Those can go away the deterior over time.
(29:24):
But your knowledge as to how you can do that
and monetize your unique and specific information and perspective will
never go away. And I think once people unlock and
have that light bulb moment of what that knowledge is
to them, because everyone has their own you know, specific
unique perspective, experience, know how as it relates to a product,
(29:46):
to service, a just general idea that they can monetize
and build upon. I mean, heck, I have no idea
how to sharpen a knife, but Michael does and he's
using that to generate revenue and just spend his time
as wisely as possible to make the most amount of money.
Sydney Holmes same thing with her company. No ifspr like,
I don't know how to do any of that stuff,
(30:07):
but these people know how to do those things and
then also kind of have that perfect work life balance
flexibility that we've been talking about.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
One hundred percent. Sydney really spelled it out when it
comes to why she keeps ongoing as an entrepreneur.
Speaker 9 (30:22):
I think the thing for me is the freedom of
being able to be a solopreneur. I think it's a
double edged sword, right, Like, if I'm not working, I'm
not making money. But at the same time, like when
I went freelance, the reason I did it was so
that I could live a fuller life, whether that was travel,
(30:44):
whether that was pursuing comedy, whatever it was. Like when
I got married a couple of years ago, I took
a full month off. So I think it's definitely the
freedom of being able to kind of choose the people
I work with, do what I want to do, take
time off if I need to take time off, and like, yes,
you are working a lot more, but the trade off
is not only do you keep all the money, but
(31:05):
you also have the ability to set those boundaries. It
is a tough balance, but anyway, Yeah, I think the
freedom is the thing that keeps me going. It's very
hard to give.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Up, and I think at the end of the day,
that's why we all do what we do. From Grace
Wells discovering the flexibility of working for herself, to Michael
Bain going from washing knives at all hours in a
kitchen to sharpening them on his own time, or from
Taylor Randall having the option to generate income with something
she's passionate about, to Michael and Daniel Jay being able
(31:35):
to work and enjoy life as a family, to Jordan
Rose catering to an audience she loves and making money
doing it all the way to Sierra Amani May being
able to make an impact and help the people within
her community, and Sydney Holmes improving the quality of her
personal life by taking control of her working one. I
think we can all see a through line here. It's
(31:55):
about the options, It's about the freedom. This is what
entrepreneurship is all about.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
I couldn't have said it better myself, Janie, what an
incredible season. Oh my gosh, all of these guests we've
had across the last several episodes. I've had so much fun.
I've learned so much from these people, and thanks again
for breaking down your why.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Absolutely at the end of the day, I think most
of us do this for more than just money. We
want the ability to be our own boss. We want
the ability to control our own businesses. We want to
give back to the community and to other entrepreneurs, and
we want to make money.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
We definitely do. I love, love, love seeing my own
community of solopreneurs and entrepreneurial friends building over time. I'm
glad you are now part of that community as well, Janie,
and I'm super super excited to hear that your business
is growing exponentially over time. I'm sure well.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
And now we have an amazing community of listeners here
on Mind the Business, Small Business Success Stories. Austin, thank
you for another great episode.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Thank you for a great season.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
You're very welcome, and thank you all so much for listening.
You can find me on social media at jocierro Di
netto podcast.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
And you can find me at Austin Hankwitz. You can
follow into It QuickBooks on all social media at QuickBooks.
To get the tools you need to start, run and
grow your business, head to QuickBooks dot com today.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Don't forget to follow this show wherever you listen to
podcasts so you can stay up to date on future seasons.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
And we also want to hear from you, so be
sure to leave a rating and a review.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
See you next time.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
This podcast is a production of iHeartRadio and Into It QuickBooks.
Our executive producer is Malay Sosha, Our supervising producer is
Nikia Swinton, and our writer is Eric Lijah.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Our Head of post production is James Foster. QuickBooks Money
is a standalone Into It offering banking services provided by
Green Dot Bank member FDIC only. Funds and envelopes earn
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The views, information, or opinions express during this podcast are
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those of Intout, QuickBooks or any of its cornerstone brands
or employees. This podcast does not constitute financial, legal, or
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the info is comprehensive, accurate, or free of errors, and
the information presented is for general information purposes only. Into
It QuickBooks does not have any responsibility for updating or
(00:22):
advising any information presented. Listeners should verify statements before relying
on them. QuickBooks Money is a standalone into It offering
banking services provided by Green Dot Bank member FDIC. Hey everyone,
I'm Jennie Torres.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
And I'm Austin Hankwitz. Welcome to Mine the Business. Small
Business Success Stories, a podcast brought to you by Intuit,
QuickBooks and iHeartRadio's Ruby Studio. In every episode so far,
we talked with small business owners as they shared their
stories about the ups and downs of owning a small business.
But today we're going to do something a little.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Our incredible guests have dropped so many gems over the
last seven episodes, so for our final episode, Austin and
I are going to reflect back on all of those conversations,
and we're going to tell you our own stories as
well as share with you some never before heard clips
from our previous interviews about what keeps entrepreneurs going.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
That's right, Janie. For this last episode, we're talking about
finding your why, the thing that inspired you to start
your own business in the first place and keeps you
getting up every day and continuing the dream of self
employment through the successes, the setbacks, and everything in between.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I'm really excited for this episode, Austin, because we've heard
some great stories so far, and I have a lot
to share from going on this amazing journey, and I
know you do too.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Oh one hundred percent. It's kind of funny, Janie's I've
always thought of myself actually as an entrepreneur, even since
I was in middle school. I remember living in Denver, Colorado,
school got canceled one day because we had this like
crazy blizzard, and instead of like sledding and building snowmen
(02:05):
with my friends, I decided to borrow my neighbor's snowblower,
teamed up with a few kids around the block, and
we made one hundred and twenty dollars that day, snow
blowing driveways. Like I've always had this weird knack for entrepreneurship,
getting hands dirty to make some cash, as well as
collaborating with other like minded individuals to achieve our general
goals together. So I'm eager to jump into the episode.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
I love that it takes me back to the days
where I had a lemonade stand, and I also saw
the value of having ways of making money that don't
rely on a nine to five. Even with my own parents,
we used to host yard sales. My dad would like
find random things in the neighborhood that folks throughout on
trash day we were a little refinishing and sell them for
a couple dollars. And now apparently that's a thing called flipping.
(02:51):
So I think I had a little bit of a
knack for making money on the side ever since I
was young.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I'm so excited to dive in. So let's do it.
Denise kick us off. Why did you take the initial
leap into entrepreneurship.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
So for me, I had kind of a practical reason
and more of a philosophical one. So I was laid
off actually in twenty fourteen, first and only time, and
it was a really big wake up call for me
because I had been sold this dream, right, this corporate
dream where you get a job, you work there for
(03:25):
forty years and you're good. And as a first generation kid,
I definitely got the message that that was the key
to success. So when I followed that path and it
led me to a position where now all of a sudden,
this career that I've built has been pulled out from
under me, it made me question a lot of that
narrative and it made me never want to be in
a position again to have someone be able to disrupt
(03:48):
my financial stability. So that was the practical reason, but
also I think I was definitely born with a little
bit of a rebel streak. As the eldest daughter. My
parents were very strict, and so I would find little
opportunities to kind of question the status quo. Usually got
me in trouble. But I do feel like I'm just
(04:08):
not really good with having somebody else tell me what
to do. And part of my desire to be an
entrepreneur was the ability to be my own boss.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I love that genis and you know, I think a
lot of people listening right now would also relate to
this sort of like, wait a second. I was told
if I do this, if I go to college, if
I get the degree, if I work for thirty years
or whatever, that this thing might be. I will be happy,
I'll be rich, I'll be retired, I'll be ABC XYZ,
whatever that means to them. And I had the same
(04:36):
sort of wake up call, right. I had realized quickly
after graduating college something I felt that I spent a
lot of dang money on that I didn't have the
answers I was looking for. Sure. I knew calculus and
geography and how many moons were on Jupiter, but I
didn't know how to invest in real estate, build my
credit score, or start a business. And so I realized
(04:58):
really quickly too, that I wasn't alone in this realization, right,
and that a lot of Americans, countless Americans, really had
no idea what the stock market was, how to invest,
how to grow their wealth. So since graduating college in
twenty eighteen, I believe the wealth gap in America has
only grown wider, something that I think we all want
to help shrink. So I want to introduce as many
(05:21):
people to the investor class as possible to help do
that right to not just be these consumers from the walmarts,
the targets, the costcos, but also own the companies they
consume from. And that's why I started publishing my own
personal finance and investing content on the internet. You don't
have to always trade your time for money anymore. You
can passively make money through capital appreciation and dividends, two
(05:44):
things that you'll need to know for sure if you
ever want to retire one day.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yes, absolutely, having ownership of your time is one of
the best things about entrepreneurship. Our first guest on this season,
Grace Wells, was adamant about the immediate benefits of being
your own ball.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
For me, the most rewarding part about being a solopreneur
and owning my own business is the freedom and the independence.
And I think that now that I've learned how to
operate in a world where I don't have to report
to a boss in a linear way like I did before,
it would be so hard for me to go back.
Of course, I have clients and there's lots of people
(06:23):
that I answer to, but it feels so different when
every day you wake up and you're creating something for yourself.
And you're creating a business that's yours. So yeah, I
think that the biggest thing that sort of drives me
and pushes me forward is that sense of freedom and
independence that owning a business brings me.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Being an entrepreneur and having to rely on yourself and
your own instruction is really really important and can be
eye opening for a lot of us. So, speaking of
eye opening the genie, when were your eyes first opened
to see, Wait a second, I can be an entrepreneur, right?
What were maybe some specific things you did that were like, wait,
I can do this, I have what it's Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I love this question because that transition period is something
very scary. I never imagined myself being a full time entrepreneur.
So when I decided that I was interested in taking
the leap, I chose not to jump out of the
plane without a parachute. I took a very strategic approach,
and I really wanted to prove to myself that I
(07:22):
could actually do this. So part of what I started
doing was funneling my paycheck to my four oh one
K and paying myself through the business. So I got
on payroll. I was issuing myself a paycheck equivalent to
what I was earning as an engineer, and I wanted
to do that for at least four to five months
in order to really prove to myself that I could
(07:44):
walk away and still be able to keep my standard
of living. That might be very conservative for some people.
You know, there's a lot of folks who start businesses
during a job layoff or a transition. But if you
have the opportunity to do this while you're working full time,
I think it's a really smart thing to do because
you can bulk up your emergency savings, you can invest
(08:06):
some money from your paycheck into growing your business, and
you don't have this immediate need to make this payoff
right away. And I want to remind folks how important
it is to understand this is a process. Anybody who
has run a business, who has built a business, will
tell you it does take time. And so I think
having the patience and really putting the systems in place
(08:27):
to make you be able to make that transition safely
and hopefully for the final time, I think it's a
good strategic move. I'm curious for you, Austin, when you
were deciding to take your content creation career to the
next level. What was your process.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
I did a very similar thing that you did, Genie.
I did not want to jump into solopreneurship entrepreneurship without
knowing that there was longevity to it, right, And so
for me, I was building my business on the side
while also working full time. And I did that for
an entire year. So I was working forty fifty sixty
(09:07):
hours a week and then from call it nine pm
to one am, I was building my business and I
did that for it really was about a year. So
I did the same thing. I wanted to make sure
that I had what it took to completely say I
can hang up my W two. I kind of come
from this other side of the spectrum where I really
liked my job. I really enjoyed working my W two job.
(09:29):
Sure I worked pretty hard and I was probably underpaid
a little bit, but generally speaking, I really enjoyed the
people I worked with. And it was kind of hard
to take a step back from that and say, no,
I should start my own business and I should double
down on entrepreneurship. And you know, so when I talked
to in that process was my dad. And I think
this is a really big lesson that I learned as
an entrepreneur was you know. I said, hey, Dad, I've
(09:51):
got this thing called TikTok and podcasting and newsletters, and
I'm doing the stuff on the internet. I'm making way
more money doing this than I am with my W
two job. I'm ready to make the transition. And he goes,
I have no idea what you just talked about. Why
would you give up your job to do things on
the internet. What are you talking about, Austin? And so
you know that definitely weighed on me, right. I really
appreciate my dad's perspective and advice, but I ended up,
(10:14):
of course, against his advice quitting my job, which was
the best decision ever. But I think a lot of people,
again take the advice from people that aren't qualified to
give that advice, and sometimes to the detriment of their futures.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Yeah, I think it's a good reminder that you have
to believe in the idea more than anybody else, because
usually what happens is everyone calls you crazy until you're successful,
and then they ask you how you did it.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
One hundred percent. It's all about taking what you know,
researching what you don't, and making it happen. I mean,
look at our guest Michael Bain. He was working insane
hours sweating in the kitchens, but he saw a need
adjacent to that world that he could fill and be
much happier doing so he started Moshi Moshi Knives and
never looked back.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
Absolutely. Michael is a great example of why we get
into business for ourselves, especially after seeing what it's like
working for someone else. Let's roll that clip.
Speaker 4 (11:09):
I think right now, it's been the thing that I
can make the most money with with my skills right like,
and I haven't even reached close to the ceiling, so
it's like, there's still so much more I can do.
I just think it's the best money making opportunity for
me right now. And it's like I kind of forwarded
my ambition in the past four years because I just
(11:31):
worked in a kitchen in the past decade and I'm tired.
So it's nice having a easier life. But as I'm
getting older too, like the desire to push more and like,
you know, the desire to be more successful is there.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I love the various reasons why we started this business,
why we pursued entrepreneurship. I'm curious for you, Austin, what's
your why when those hard times show up, Because they will,
there will be setbacks, and how do you continue going
forward when things do get challenging.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
That's a really good question, you know. I think I
have two answers to this, the first being if you
lay the foundation right, you work with integrity, compassion, honesty,
everything that gives us our uniqueness. Setbacks are going to
be far in view between understanding your business and your financials.
Like the back of your hand is also a really,
(12:25):
really great way to identify these red flags and setbacks
before they happen, which is something I take very seriously,
and quick books is the easiest way for me to
do that. But with that being said, the way I'm
able to get over setbacks, especially if they are very
very big setbacks, is to surround myself with people who
continue to motivate me, educate me, and inspire me to
(12:48):
keep going. I mean, that's the simple answer a setback.
I think every content creator, maybe even yourself included, is
worried about right now. Is this like potential ban for
TikTok And for me that would be pretty I'm certainly
a TikToker, but I'm doing what I can at the moment.
To own my audience by collecting their email addresses, maybe
migrating them to another platform, and back to what we
(13:09):
talked about before, diversifying my revenue streams away from one
specific funnel. So I think that by having sort of
a bird's eye view, a calm, cool, collected perspective on
what this setback might be, and to only remember that
you can control the controllables. That's all you can control, right,
things that are absolutely in your hands, And I can't
(13:31):
control a potential TikTok ban or something else that's completely
out of my hands. So I'm doing the best I
can with the cards I'm dealt.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Yeah, I mean, that's all we can do. We kind
of just have to roll with the punches. I always
tell people that entrepreneurship is the greatest lesson in resilience,
and I had a personal story with my own business
that really made me grateful for the fact that I
am very conservative when it comes to how I set
aside money, because you just never know when there's going
(13:59):
to be those times where there's an unexpected expense or
things are over budget. I had my first live event
last year and I ended up going six figures over
the budget. When it was all said and done, and
that type of situation could make or break a business.
But what I have been really good at, and I
(14:19):
think this is why I like to call myself a
little bit of a money nerd is I have so
many different pools of money that I was able to
kind of reallocate where I had saved some investments and
cash out that stuff so that I could actually foot
the bill and not get into even more debt in
order to cover the expenses of this live event. It
was a really big teaching moment for me because it
(14:40):
was the first time that I had taken on such
a big project. Made me question if I want to
do it again. But I'm just glad that I had
the financial stability and the resiliency in my own business
to be able to weather that really unexpected expense.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Oh my gosh, I could not imagine having to deal
with that. Jendi's I more power to you. You know
that really reminds me, though, of our conversation with Taylor.
You know, she had this crazy tax bill that came
out of blue for her. She had to move, she
had to do all these crazy big things to overcome
that setback, and that challenge, and it really just reminds
(15:16):
me of how resilient entrepreneurs can be.
Speaker 5 (15:19):
I get into this creative flow that fills me up
more than anything, and I think that's when you know
you're doing the right thing, is when your job doesn't
really feel like a job. And so I think, if anything,
that's just like, what keeps me inspired is just the
love of what I do. And I think if you
can find that, like, I feel so lucky to be
(15:43):
able to be doing this for a living and to
enjoy it as much as I do.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
You know, I think a lot of us forget, though,
that we dream and fantasize about being an entrepreneur, about
being a solopreneur and owning our time, owning our business,
and then we get to that point and we're like,
oh gosh, wait, this is a little scary. I'm just gonna,
you know, be a victim to my circumstance and kind
of bow out. Heck, no, I mean, you work so
hard to get here, keep working hard to remain here.
(16:11):
You mentioned resiliency. That is so so important for people
listening right now to realize is entrepreneurship isn't always flowers
and unicorns and rainbows. It sometimes is a lot of resiliency.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Absolutely, as they say, anything worth doing is worth working for,
and even through the ups and downs, it's so important
for us to celebrate our victories wherever we can. And
I'm curious for you, Austin, why do you celebrate victories
and how do you do it?
Speaker 2 (16:39):
How I celebrate victories is you know, certainly I like
to go on vacations. I like to spend time with
my family. I like to go out with my friends.
You know, I live here in Nashville. It's a lot
of fun. But something else I like to do, and
I try and do this every single quarter throughout the year,
is I reflect upon the last three months and I
write down to my journal what I had achieved right,
And sometimes when I look back to what I have
(17:00):
written in this journal back in twenty twenty, twenty twenty one,
twenty twenty two, I'm just like, oh my gosh, if
I come so far. And I think a lot of
that self reflection is really important for other people listening
right now to do because you don't know what you
don't know. And I guarantee you in two, five, ten years,
you're going to be doing stuff that you right now
would have never imagined.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
It's so true. You know, when I think about why
it's important for me to celebrate victories, it's because entrepreneurship
has given me a real gift, which is the ability
to own my time, and to celebrate my one year
anniversary of becoming a full time entrepreneur. I actually ended
up taking my mom to Paris. Oh wow, yeah, I
(17:43):
mean it was an incredible mother daughter trip. We've never
traveled together before that, so it was an opportunity to
make a lot of memories, but especially because she was
declared cancer free a little bit before that, and so
for me it was just a really important mile stone
for both of us in entrepreneurship was at the center
(18:04):
of why I was even able to take this trip.
You know, I didn't have to request PTO and you
have to worry about the budget. I was really able
to just be present and make these really really memorable
moments matter. And I think that's the reason why we
have to get really good at enjoying those benefits that
do come from entrepreneurship, because it is so worth it.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Oh my gosh, Paris, that sounds incredible. I am so jealous.
I've never been, and I'm thrilled for your mom to
be cancer free. Being able to be there for family
members when things get challenging is one of the benefits
of entrepreneurship that you really just can't put a price on.
You can measure profits and overhead and output all day long,
but the ability to take care of your family, not
(18:47):
just financially, but with your time and your physical presence
is just an immeasurable benefit.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
You know.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
That really reminds me though, of our conversations with Michael
and Daniel j. They're a father and son team who
co founded the t shirt business that Lazy Butt Club,
and not only did they find a way to work together,
but they also made sure that as entrepreneurs, they make
time for each other outside of work and prioritize their family.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
And let's throw to that clip real quick.
Speaker 6 (19:15):
What keeps me going is the fact that we have
had success and I've seen that it's possible, and then
that it's happened a few times actually, where we've had
different viral videos over the span of the last coming
up on three years. So when the views are low
and the sales are low, I just keep going because
I know it's possible now.
Speaker 7 (19:35):
Yeah, I was just going to say, what keeps me
going over the years and everything is knowing that you're
an entrepreneur and you can actually have your own destiny
by working more hours, working harder, and not really trying
to be successful, but just trying to keep working. And
the thing that keeps us going really well is knowing
(19:56):
that we do get to be lazy when we're not
doing well. And it used to be that you were
just always trying to make money, but now since we're
so busy, we're always trying to take time off and
go golfing, and that's a easier way to do it.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
And the same thing for Jordan Rose, right, she's an
Etsy seller and the owner of Fresh Prince of SF.
She was very clear about how important owning her time
is and how as entrepreneurs we don't have to ask
for PTO. We don't have to go ask for someone's
permission to go take a family trip or celebrate someone's achievements.
It's just so powerful.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Yeah, she gave us some really great insights into what
keeps solopreneurs going.
Speaker 8 (20:39):
I wrote a letter to myself when I left the library,
and my sister told me to do that, it says
to me, like you left the library. You left your
nine to five for a reason. I always love libraries
and I'm happy to sub there, but I know, like
as a lifestyle, it doesn't work for me anymore. And
(21:00):
when I get exhausted doing what I'm doing now, I'm
still happier than I've ever been in my whole life.
And in the beginning, when I was really questioning, like
struggling to have anyone see my work or whatever it
may be, you know, I was struggling to get money
(21:21):
in my pocket after having very comfortable nine to five
that gave me a consistent amount of money each week.
I would open that letter and say, like, don't panic,
everything's fine.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Coming up after the break.
Speaker 9 (21:36):
When I went freelance, the reason I did it was
so that I could live a fuller life, whether that
was travel, whether that was pursuing comedy.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
We'll be right back with mine the business. Welcome back
to Mind the Business. Small business stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby
Studio and into It QuickBooks. You know, one of the
(22:06):
things that despite entrepreneurship being so fabulous, it does get
lonely at times. And so I think that's one of
the reasons why it's been really important for me to
build community. I know, for somebody who is like a
first generation business owner like me, my family still doesn't
understand what the heck I do, and so it's been
(22:26):
really important for me to create community, find folks who
actually get the struggles that we're going through, and it
can be very lonely as well. From somebody that works
from home, I've had to become very intentional about creating
this space where I can ask for help and know
who to contact for resources, and community can do more
than just give you a hand when you need it.
(22:47):
It's also a place where we can help out others
and even thrive ourselves. Our guests Sierramani Mae looked around
and didn't see any environmentally sustainable options for faux hair care,
so she said about creating one herself, founding her own company, Rebundle.
Now she's a community leader at the forefront of that
entire industry.
Speaker 10 (23:07):
I'm excited by how much more work there is to
be done in this space. I think that we've done
a great job bringing awareness to this industry and the
way that the product has been made and distributed For
the last several decades. So that was really motivating in
the beginning to like sort of spill the beans and
(23:28):
like shine a light on the space that I didn't
think was getting the attention it deserved. But now a
couple of years in, I'm motivated by the real possibility
of making this segment of the beauty industry more aligned
with the way the rest of the beauty industry operates.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
I'm curious for you, Austin, how's community played a role
in your own journey.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
Oh my gosh, community was major. I mean, to your point,
working from home, not being around people, but making all
these random friends on the internet, Like it feels wow,
I've got all these followers and potential friends and people
that care about what I have to say, but it
gets really lonely. So you know, for me, I would
say that having that community not just to look toward
(24:15):
as it relates to specific problems or challenges that I'm facing,
but also I love connecting with new content creators or
new small business owners who are really excited to begin
their entrepreneurial journey and sharing with them. Oh my gosh,
I tried this, it worked great. You need to do
it too, or oh my gosh, I made this mistake.
(24:35):
Avoid it at all costs. This is not what you
want to be doing or spending your time doing. I
just that to me is what really fires me up.
You know, in building community outside of entrepreneurship can be
just as important. I think a lot of entrepreneurs fall
victim to like hustle culture and always on, always working.
Got to be working my twelve fifteen, twenty four hour
(24:55):
days like these just crazy things. You know, It's okay
to take a break and go hang out your friends,
or go take your dog for a walk, or go
you know, just get outside, touch grass, right, all these
things that are so important that the headlines and the
Internet might make you think is like, wait, no, that's
that's not what entrepreneurship is about. Well, they're wrong. Entrepreneurship
is about owning your time and spending your time the
(25:16):
way you want to. If that is connecting with other
entrepreneurs and building that side of your community, or connecting
with your friends and your existing community outside of work.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Absolutely, a big part of how community has helped me
is having a kind of pool of people who can
give me access to connections and resources that I didn't
even know existed. For example, I am coming out with
a new book and my book proposal coach, my agent.
So many people that have put this together were because
(25:46):
of community. I have a mentor who introduced me to
a lot of folks who have now been able to
be a part of this awesome project. And so I
think it's important to foster community because that is how
you can potentially find out that next tool that going
to help make success easier for you and your business,
like QuickBooks money.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
I couldn't agree more. Janis Now we've talked a lot
about ourselves here, but I really want to dive deeper
into your why Why do you keep going? Why do
you keep doing it? Give me the number one reason?
Speaker 1 (26:16):
So I love the fact that now I get to
write my own rules. I am someone who really enjoys
the fact that no day looks the same and I
get to live and work in a way more creative
zone than I could before. This is the freedom that
entrepreneurship gives you. It's really the ability to create a
career and really dictate how you spend your time your energy.
(26:42):
For me, most importantly, it's been that I am my
own safety net as an entrepreneur. I don't have to
worry about somebody laying me off. I don't have to
worry about you know, it's not in the budget. There's
a real power that comes from being able to be
your own money printer as a business owner, and I
feel like it helps me walk around in the world
(27:03):
with a little bit of more confidence, you know, just
that I have the ability to create the life that
I want, I have the skills to do it. And
most importantly, it's like I don't have to decide if
I have time for family, if I have time for friends,
if I have time to invest in my own health
and self care. There is a real power that comes
(27:27):
from entrepreneurship, and that really is my why. It's kind
of like, yeah, I get to run things. I am
the writer of my script.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Ooh, I love it. I'm right there with you. I
remember commuting an hour each way to work every day.
I remember sitting in the kitchen and eating my boxed
lunch in silence with my little headphones in listening to music.
I was always on call if my boss needed me,
and it was like ten forty five at night my
phone was ringing, and that was the same for the weekends.
(27:58):
Right today, I have the freedom to spend my days,
my evenings, and my weekends any way i'd like. I
also work from home, which means I save a lot
on gas now, But you know, to that point, the
flexibility also gives me an extended amount of time with
my dad, who's in his late seventies. I'm his primary caretaker,
and there's nothing more special to me than being able
(28:18):
to run over to my dad's house, make him some lunch,
and just make sure he's good for the rest of
the day. I also love having him over for dinner,
something I was never home to do because I wouldn't
get home till seven, eight, nine o'clock at night sometimes.
So to your point, having the flexibility, having that confidence,
knowing that you are your own boss, you can write
your own script, but also taking that extra time to
(28:40):
do something other than just leisure, but also something really
meaningful to you, I think is my why and what
keeps me going. I love being able to spend time
with my family, my friends, and having that you know,
extra couple hours a day or several hours a week,
even of just saying I want to do this because
this makes me happy. Be and I totally agree with
(29:02):
the confidence side, of the equation talking about how you
feel like you can control your own destiny because your skills.
I think that's what's so important too about being an
entrepreneur gene Is is people's skills never go away. Your
tools can go away, your computer can break your you know,
whatever you use equipment wise to make and produce your
products or services. Those can go away the deterior over time.
(29:24):
But your knowledge as to how you can do that
and monetize your unique and specific information and perspective will
never go away. And I think once people unlock and
have that light bulb moment of what that knowledge is
to them, because everyone has their own you know, specific
unique perspective, experience, know how as it relates to a product,
(29:46):
to service, a just general idea that they can monetize
and build upon. I mean, heck, I have no idea
how to sharpen a knife, but Michael does and he's
using that to generate revenue and just spend his time
as wisely as possible to make the most amount of money.
Sydney Holmes same thing with her company. No ifspr like,
I don't know how to do any of that stuff,
(30:07):
but these people know how to do those things and
then also kind of have that perfect work life balance
flexibility that we've been talking about.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
One hundred percent. Sydney really spelled it out when it
comes to why she keeps ongoing as an entrepreneur.
Speaker 9 (30:22):
I think the thing for me is the freedom of
being able to be a solopreneur. I think it's a
double edged sword, right, Like, if I'm not working, I'm
not making money. But at the same time, like when
I went freelance, the reason I did it was so
that I could live a fuller life, whether that was travel,
(30:44):
whether that was pursuing comedy, whatever it was. Like when
I got married a couple of years ago, I took
a full month off. So I think it's definitely the
freedom of being able to kind of choose the people
I work with, do what I want to do, take
time off if I need to take time off, and like, yes,
you are working a lot more, but the trade off
is not only do you keep all the money, but
(31:05):
you also have the ability to set those boundaries. It
is a tough balance, but anyway, Yeah, I think the
freedom is the thing that keeps me going. It's very
hard to give.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
Up, and I think at the end of the day,
that's why we all do what we do. From Grace
Wells discovering the flexibility of working for herself, to Michael
Bain going from washing knives at all hours in a
kitchen to sharpening them on his own time, or from
Taylor Randall having the option to generate income with something
she's passionate about, to Michael and Daniel Jay being able
(31:35):
to work and enjoy life as a family, to Jordan
Rose catering to an audience she loves and making money
doing it all the way to Sierra Amani May being
able to make an impact and help the people within
her community, and Sydney Holmes improving the quality of her
personal life by taking control of her working one. I
think we can all see a through line here. It's
(31:55):
about the options, It's about the freedom. This is what
entrepreneurship is all about.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
I couldn't have said it better myself, Janie, what an
incredible season. Oh my gosh, all of these guests we've
had across the last several episodes. I've had so much fun.
I've learned so much from these people, and thanks again
for breaking down your why.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Absolutely at the end of the day, I think most
of us do this for more than just money. We
want the ability to be our own boss. We want
the ability to control our own businesses. We want to
give back to the community and to other entrepreneurs, and
we want to make money.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
We definitely do. I love, love, love seeing my own
community of solopreneurs and entrepreneurial friends building over time. I'm
glad you are now part of that community as well, Janie,
and I'm super super excited to hear that your business
is growing exponentially over time. I'm sure well.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
And now we have an amazing community of listeners here
on Mind the Business, Small Business Success Stories. Austin, thank
you for another great episode.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
Thank you for a great season.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
You're very welcome, and thank you all so much for listening.
You can find me on social media at jocierro Di
netto podcast.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
And you can find me at Austin Hankwitz. You can
follow into It QuickBooks on all social media at QuickBooks.
To get the tools you need to start, run and
grow your business, head to QuickBooks dot com today.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Don't forget to follow this show wherever you listen to
podcasts so you can stay up to date on future seasons.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
And we also want to hear from you, so be
sure to leave a rating and a review.
Speaker 1 (33:36):
See you next time.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
This podcast is a production of iHeartRadio and Into It QuickBooks.
Our executive producer is Malay Sosha, Our supervising producer is
Nikia Swinton, and our writer is Eric Lijah.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Our Head of post production is James Foster. QuickBooks Money
is a standalone Into It offering banking services provided by
Green Dot Bank member FDIC only. Funds and envelopes earn
annual percentage yield apy can change at any time. Money
movement services provided by Intuit Payments, Inc. Licensed as a
money transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services.
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