Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dana Corey, Founder of Dana Corey Coaching, LLC., located in Portland, OR, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are a high-performance strategic coaching company. I help seasoned, successful business owners get beyond being overloaded and swamped to having a profitable business that runs itself without sacrificing all of their time, attention, and energy. My clients typically have been in business for over three years, have a topline revenue of over $500K, and are committed to achieving excellence while living a full and multifaceted life. 87% of my clients double their revenue within a year of working with me. 92% clock 33% fewer hours at work by the end of our engagement. 99% report that they are truly satisfied with their work/life balance.

Tell us about yourself

I've lived and traveled all over the world. I was born in France, but my first language was Japanese. My first school was in Geneva. Although my parents hail from Brooklyn, I didn't call the U.S. "home" until I was 11. Growing up in so many different cultures taught me that we all want the same fundamental things: happiness, security, safety, and freedom. Along with that, I was also raised in an entrepreneurial family. My father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather all owned businesses, and as my husband likes to say, back multitudes of generations where my ancestors were peddling in shtetls in Russia.

The combination of the above with a naturally adventurous and slightly rebellious spirit has made being in business almost a forgone conclusion. I was meant to be a business owner, and what better way to help people while living according to my epigenetics than to be a business coach? I believe growing a business is all about personal growth. It's about challenging our assumptions, pushing our boundaries, and finding out what we are really capable of achieving. The pursuit of my own personal development, as well as my clients', inspires me daily and motivates me to be the best I can be.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

That the work I do with my clients becomes the foundation of their multifaceted growth year over year, including revenue, profit, team, and also, creativity, inventiveness, and satisfaction; maybe even more important to my heart is that long after our initial engagement, my clients become some of my closest friends. I believe that is a testimony to the impact of the work we do together.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The roller coaster of sales. All entrepreneurs have their nervous systems wired into their sales. When doing well, income affirms success and gives positive feedback, but when times are slower, the lack of revenue is used as a judgment on their capabilities, as a metaphorical whip to flay themselves for not being good enough. Learning to regulate their nervous systems is something I work on with all my clients.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Balance is bullshit. There is no way to balance your personal life and your business life completely. Instead, think of it as a pendulum. Some stages of business need more of your energy, but not forever. Your personal life needs more of you over the long haul.
  2. Business is based on relationships. Make sure you have solid relationships with colleagues, past clients, potential clients, current clients, community, friends....everyone! You never know how those relationships can impact your success.
  3. As a business owner, you have two priorities: #1 Make the cash register ring. #2. Overdeliver on your promises (sales). This manages your reputation so you can continue to do #1.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.danacorey.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danacorey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danacoreycoaching/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danacoreycoaching/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.