Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business services but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ashlee Sang, Founder of Ashlee Sang Consulting LLC., located in Bloomington, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I run a consulting business that equips conscious and caring business owners with values-aligned brand messaging strategies so they can grow their revenue and their impact.
I work with super smart, accomplished, ambitious people. They’re often multi-passionate and need outside perspective to find the common thread between all their experiences. I filter everything in their head and heart into a cohesive brand. It’s all about taking confident, meaningful action to create a business that feels and does good.
Tell us about yourself
I come from the international development sector—I was in Senegal in West Africa before freelancing on the side, then moving to local nonprofits. I’ve always done communications work in just about every capacity.
Now, I’ve been consulting full-time for almost 4 years. I work with clients at the strategy level so that all their future marketing and operations decisions are values-aligned and focused on their target audience.
I’m an Enneagram 1, so I’ve always been driven to advocate for the things that make our world better. I do that formally as a 1% for the Planet member, but business for good is baked into everything I do. My goal is vicarious impact—by working with visionary founders, social entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders, I’m sharing their messages that matter and facilitating their impact, which then trickles back down to me.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Every time I get on a call with a client and they have a lightbulb moment. They see their business with a fresh perspective. They see themselves with new confidence. They see their vision or values come to life more clearly. It’s an honor every time they trust me to peek behind the scenes of their business and their brains.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There’s a really steep learning curve with entrepreneurship with lots of moving pieces. And each time you get momentum and feel like you have firm footing under you, things change. That challenge and constant evolution is part of the fun, but it’s also difficult, especially when you’re a solopreneur.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Lead with your values. That’s how you’re going to stand out and connect on a human level with the people you want to reach. Values cut through all the clutter and go straight to the heart of what you and your audience care about. They’re the common thread between all your content pieces, all your offerings, partnerships, everything.
- Get clear on a specific audience. Figure out how to align your brand values with those of your target audience. That intersection makes every decision quick and easy, saving you so much time, energy, and money. Plus, you can always expand your audience and your offerings, either when opportunities present themselves, out of necessity, or because you have the momentum to grow.
- Get outside perspective! We’re just too close to our own business to always know what choice to make or how to communicate what’s inside our heads and heart. It can be via a free or paid community, a coach or consultant, a business bestie, or a life partner—anyone who can validate what you’re feeling, hear what you’re thinking, and poke holes in your process when needed.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://ashleesang.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleesangconsulting/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleesangconsulting/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshleeSang
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleesang/
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.
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