Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Karen Dean, President of Karen Dean Inc. & Fierce Publishing, located in Middle Musquodoboit, NS, Canada.

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

I am an author, speaker, and resilience expert. Really, everyone could be my customer because I think we can all use a resilience reboot, but my messages usually resonate with women over 30, especially women who are moms and who have been through some hard times in their lives.

Tell us about yourself

Words that describe me are Resilience Expert, Inspiring Speaker, Success Coach, Fierce Leader, Bestselling Author, Mentor, Mom, Survivor, Advocate, and Limit-Pusher.

Life has given me lots of opportunities to learn life lessons. I am now on a mission to share those lessons with the world in hopes of making an impact and helping others to get through the hard times that life will inevitably throw at them. It will be an added bonus if this also helps create a kinder world where people don't have to live through the things that I have lived through.

Through my books and talks, I hope my messages reach the people who need to be inspired and who crave a better life for themselves and their families.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The accomplishment I am most proud of as a business owner is the self-publishing of my first book 41 days after I came up with the idea. We Are Unbreakable is a collection of stories from 22 women about living, working, parenting, and surviving through the first year of the pandemic. I really felt like these stories needed to be shared. The pandemic has had a huge effect on women and presented challenges in how we live our daily lives that we worked for years to overcome, for instance, working outside the home and finding child care for our children. This book went on to become a Canadian and an Amazon bestseller and has made an impact not only on the lives of the contributors but on the lives of everyone who has read their stories. I hope that these inspiring stories continue to be shared for generations to come.

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

One of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner is the juggling act of your business and your personal life. I am a completely solo parent, and it feels like there are never enough hours in the day to do all of the things that I need to do in my business, in addition to being there for my children when they need me, plus sleep, exercise, self-care, and all of the other necessities.

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

  1. Just do it! If you dream of it, do it.
  2. Don't listen to the people who say that you shouldn't or can't do it. That is their limitation, not yours.
  3. Find people who have already been where you want to go and listen to them, learn from them, and follow their advice. You never want to be the smartest person in the room.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://karendeanspeaks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenDeanSpeaks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karendeanspeaks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenDeanSpeaks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karendeanspeaks/


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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