Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in career coaching, but not sure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with John Arms of Voyageur U, located in Minneapolis MN.
What's your business and who are your customers?
We teach people career freedom. Our customers are professionals who are stuck, laid off, experiencing ageism, or otherwise "Unfree" in their career.
Tell us about yourself
I got started by cutting my own trail, then saw millions of people struggling just as I was.
So I created the roadmap for those who want to leave corporate gigs, but don't know how. The biggest motivator is watching our members feel good about themselves again after they have started their own thing. The pride, satisfaction and joy of being one's own boss is amazing.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Helping 200+ people go from struggling from job to job to thriving in their own thing.
What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
1. Reflect. You get farther when you sit on a rock and think about what you are good at and what brings you joy in work. Reflect deeply on this. It matters.
2. Get organized. Chasing random things will kill you. The discipline of Traction, a simple forecast spreadsheet and a good calendar goes a long way.
3. Have faith. You will lose customers. You will stumble. You will fail. You will want to quit. Stick with it. Have faith in yourself even when no one else does.
If there was one thing you could do repeatedly to help grow your business, what would it be?
Satisfy customers so much they brag about us without prompting.
What are some of the things you put in place to maintain a healthy work/life balance?
Health comes first. Always. Family time. Reading time. Exercise time. These come first then the work. You are better with your work when work comes second to health.
Who are some of your favorite entrepreneurs and why?
Every single one of our members. They are brave and bold.
Professor Scott Galloway, because he's so brutally honest. Mark Lacek because he's so damn good at it, and is so approachable.
Resources I'd recommend are: Traction, our own program, LinkedIn, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and for my purposes the move Office Space. It reminds me what we're working toward.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
America is waking up to 75 long years of what many of the people in our community call "Normalized Corporate Trauma" - 30 years of outstanding service gone in a flash.
Working 7 am to 7 pm, weekends, after the kids go to bed - always-on is horrible for people.
Toxic cultures, toxic people - Work first then family, health and down time second.
Ageism, racism, sexism in the workplace.
Work-based planet killer - traffic and commutes.
Where can people find you and your business?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnarms/
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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.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check us out and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.