I surprised myself in the hot seat
Solopreneurship breaks your ego, it exposes every fear and insecurity.
Whatever your vision is, going to your next level requires the willingness to face your fears.
To stay laser-focused, accountable, and genuinely curious to see where your vision can actually take you.
And I wholeheartedly recommend that you don’t do it alone.
I quit my last corporate job 11 years ago without a plan, just a desire to make the next chapter of my life feel truly meaningful.
For over a decade I wore every hat: coach, consultant, business development, payroll, bookkeeping, the office cleaner, you name it.
But looking back, I realize I didn't build the foundation alone.
Back in 2021, three of my friends helped me shape my very first business strategy in my San Francisco living room: the brand, the marketing, the website. The bones of everything I run today.
Along the way, I got support from coaches, group programs, mentors, and entrepreneurs a few years ahead of me.
I went all in, building my business by the seat of my pants, without a clear strategy or client pipeline. I kept experimenting, and doubled up on what worked.
In January, I joined Sidebar at one of my friends’ invitation and finally gave myself something I'd never had: a board of directors.
This week, I took the hot seat with my Sidebar group.
I had never articulated my full strategy with intention and clarity. I shared my revenue data and YOY trends, and plans for the rest of the year. It was humbling.
Then someone in the group asked me:
What does wild success look like for you three years from now?
What came out of my mouth surprised me. I could imagine growing this business to a point where I need to bring in other coaches.
I would not have seriously considered that amplified vision alone. I loved the nudge.
A compelling and achievable vision is how all great things start.
Growth doesn’t just come from vision and inspiration. It also comes from an expanded capacity to tolerate challenges.
A few years ago, one of my largest clients dropped from $200K a year to a small fraction of that, almost overnight. It taught me to stop waiting for clients to find me. To scale with focus and consistency.
One of the hardest parts of growing to your next level is having to make an identity shift.
For me, it was going from corporate to coach. Then, from coach to CEO of my own business. Most never make that second leap. The survival odds in coaching businesses are not great (5-10% make it past 2 years), and there's a reason for that.
The CRINGE of reaching out, putting yourself out there, never fully goes away.
I realized I couldn't grow my business without highly skilled coaching, peer support, and networking.
As the proverb goes, if you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go with others.
INSIDE OUT LEADERSHIP ACCELERATOR™
6th annual cohort
Every September for the last five years, I've guided a cohort of ambitious, purpose-driven, heart-forward women leaders to step into their next level.
I designed IOLA to share the insights I discovered from coaching hundreds of clients, proven transformational inner work that creates quantum leaps, and from my own journey as a conscious solopreneur. Women going through the program experienced transformations that led to stepping into bigger roles or scaling their business.
It has sold out every single year.
This year the theme is …
AMPLIFY
With this cohort I’m planning to take IOLA to its next level. I’m taking a quantum leap personally and in my business, and will guide you to do the same.
More details coming soon
Next week I'm opening early bird applications, with a first-ever incentive I'm excited to share.
IOLA has sold out every year, so if you already know this is for you, reach out now to secure your spot. I’m opening 8 seats for this cohort, to ensure high touch support and intimate connection within the group.
Have a great weekend!
XO
Ramona
P.S. If you lead a team, think about a woman stepping into a bigger role this year. Reply and I'll share how companies are bringing their high-potential women into the program as a talent investment.
