Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kim Breiland, Founder of The Gumption Life, located in New Hope, PA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a business and mindset coach for service-based business owners who are struggling to create the systems, strategies, and habits that will allow them to create a profitable and sustainable business. I work with driven entrepreneurs who have a message to share, value personal growth over money, and started a business, but they have had only a little success but want to learn how to grow it while still prioritizing their personal life. My clients want to make an income that can support their lifestyle, but they are not into get-rich-quick schemes. They want consistent & steady growth and aren't afraid to put in a little grit and gumption to get them to where they want to be.
Tell us about yourself
I wish I could say there was one thing that got me started on my entrepreneurial journey, but it was truly a combination of things. To start, I always felt like I was meant for "more," but I didn't know exactly what that "more" was. It took time to figure out how I could take what I am good at and what comes naturally to me and turn that into a business idea.
I worked as CMO for an educational startup and wore many hats beyond CMO... the journey taught me about what it takes to grow a service-based business. Then in early 2021, I started a coaching certification program with the intention of becoming a life coach. I quickly grew a successful life coaching business, but most of my clients happened to be business owners. I realized I loved helping my clients overcome business obstacles just as much as the obstacles they were experiencing in their personal life.
In fact, I loved that I could help them have synergy and success in both areas of their life - it is what I now call "whole human" business support. I am motivated by the fact that I get to help business owners live with gumption… a must for entrepreneurship - gumption is an attitude of courage, boldness, & audacity - Audacity is a willingness to take bold risks. The Gumption Life: A firm belief and confidence that you are in control of crafting the life of your dreams!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I find this to be a hard question to answer because what I personally value as business accomplishments are different from how I am measured as a business owner who helps others grow a profitable business. I have helped clients start and grow their businesses - going from no revenue to months of consistent revenue. I have clients reaching 5-figure months and more. But the biggest accomplishments for me have to do with the clients who not only find sustainable business success but they do so while enjoying the day-to-day journey, and all while prioritizing their personal life, too.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner is managing your own mind. Imagine a giant roller coaster with its huge drop, twists, turns, and corkscrews... that's what running a business feels like. It's exhilarating and scary at the same time. But it can really mess with your mind! As business owners, we must be attuned to how we think because it directly affects the way we show up in our business. And how we show up determines the likelihood of our success. It is too easy to get caught up in cycles of fear, perfectionism, and overthinking. Learning to manage our minds as we navigate obstacles is invaluable.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get ultra clear on your vision. From the beginning, you must have a very clear picture of what your business will look like when it is finally done. Have a "model" in your mind for what that dream - the vision - will look like once it is in place. From there, you will reverse engineer the path you must take to achieve that vision.
- Remove yourself from the equation. Building a successful business isn't about YOU. It should be about the clients or customers you serve and the result or transformation your product or service can provide. When you make yourself the focus (ex., My message, My leadership, My strategy, My monthly revenue), your client/customer loses, and then they will go elsewhere.
- Act like a successful business before you become a successful business. From the beginning of your business journey, show up in alignment with your vision of success. You must look, act, and do what you've set out to do. And the only way to do that is to have a clear vision for your business. Every day, ask yourself how you did. And then find the disparities between where you are and where you want to be. The key to overcoming and avoiding failure in business is to evaluate where you are in relation to where you want to be.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thegumptionlife.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGumptionLife
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegumptionlife/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGumptionLife
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-breiland-thegumptionlife/
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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