Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Loukia Mastrodimos, Founder, and CEO of Midlife in Bold, Inc., located in Chicago, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Midlife in Bold, Inc is dedicated to normalizing the conversation about what's possible for women in the middle of life. We are a pro-aging business with the mission of encouraging and helping midlife women to go after their wildest dreams. Through our proprietary program, The Midlife Without Regrets Method™, midlife women create the life they want to live instead of settling for a life that no longer serves them so that they have no regrets. We help them overcome limiting beliefs and fears to move forward without feeling guilty or selfish for finally making themselves a priority. Our framework is based on the BOLD methodology, which stands for Brave, Optimistic, Limitless, and Decisive. As clients progress through the framework, they become more clear, confident, and decisively take action on creating a new path for the rest of their lives.
Tell us about yourself
I have reinvented myself more times than I can count! I spent the majority of my professional life dedicated to the service of public education. After a 20-year career working as a high school teacher and school administrator, I gave up the security of a 6-figure salary, pension, and benefits and headed into the wild experience of entrepreneurship. As I sat in my office day after day feeling completely unfulfilled and purposeless but being paid really well, I thought to myself, "Is this as good as it gets?" After years of struggle with self-worth, money, and an array of liming beliefs about what was possible for a woman in the middle of her career, I finally invested in my own coach. That experience paved the way for me to see that I had options. So, when I started Midlife in Bold, I knew that there was a hole in the market...one that addressed the needs of women in the middle. Young enough to do something about our future but old enough to be filled with decades of fear and past failures to keep them stuck. So, what drives me every day is the knowledge that there are a lot of GenX and Baby Boomer women out there who feel frustrated, trapped, and alone in this daunting idea they have about recreating their life, and we are here to fill that gap in the market and encourage them to take BOLD action.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is starting! I let my own fears about showing up online with my wrinkles and all my imperfections as a 50-something woman and without knowledge about how social media really works stop me from starting for a long time. Once I decided I could show up and do a Facebook LIVE without filters and the perfect words because my voice and story were valuable to share and could help others, I pushed past my fear, and the rest is history. Starting Midlife in Bold has allowed me to create a connected and meaningful community of midlife women from one end of the United States to the other, and we are creating a movement of BOLD midlife women who are just getting started!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As a small business owner, the hardest part for me is growth and wearing the many hats that come with that growth. Don't get me wrong; I'll take growth every day, all day. But, learning to let go, hire help, and the delegate is challenging for me. Navigating the growth means learning to use my expertise and stand in my 'zone of genius and let the things I'm not best at go. Still working on that, but I'm making progress.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The first tip I have for anyone who wants to start a business is to just show up from a place of service. Show up, let yourself be seen, offer value, and your confidence will start to grow. The second tip I have is don't think you can create and run a business on your own. I have had a team of business coaches to guide me, and I would make that same investment again and again and again. The third tip I have is that nothing is permanent. If a product doesn't sell as well as you hoped, a launch doesn't sell out; it's not permanent. Take your emotions out of business and look for the lesson. Look at the metrics to see what you can improve upon the next time. There's always another iteration of your business you can improve upon.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Starting a business has been the biggest masterclass in my own personal growth and development. I did a lot of personal work on myself on my worth, confidence, and money mindset. Had I not taken the time to do that, I don't believe I would be here today as a successful business owner.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.midlifeinbold.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midlifeinbold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midlifeinbold/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/midlifeinbold
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loukia-mastrodimos/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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