Honestly, if you currently feel like quitting your online business, you’re going to want to read this post.
On August 6th 2019 I incorporated my consulting business, e-queen inc.
I spent $3000 getting a contract drawn up for a client that after four months of negotiations fell through.
I spent the last year and a half of my life working with the same client – supporting her in building her multi six-figure earning income implanting passive revenue strategies in her business to help her scale without needing to work 24/7 but if I can be honest with you – I resented it – a lot.
When I quit my corporate job as a social media strategist managing over 10 clients – I did so because I was tired of making the people around me successful while I felt like I was drowning – and yet, I ended up in the same position just one year after I quit.
On December 4th 2019, after the contract fell through (hello universe), after my income was cut (hello universe), I decided to leap. (Hello universe shoving me out of the nest)
Showing up to my desk every day was an uphill battle – I was pushing buttons for someone when I desperately wanted to push buttons for myself. The truth? I always knew I wasn’t meant to work for one person – I’ve always known that I was meant to be my boss.
When I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada. The CEO of my own life.
The universe, god, divine, my higher self (call it what you want) has been guiding me ever since.
The last month since leaving has been a wild fucking ride. I’ve gotten and followed over 6 business ideas, creating new websites, developing new branding, new email lists, creating new social media accounts, some which you have seen, some which you have not – and what I failed to realize in all of these businesses was that it wasn’t the business at the end that attracted me – it was the building phase that I loved.
I love sitting down at my computer and designing beautiful websites for incredible missions. I love playing with social media every single day and engaging with people in those communities.
But none of those business ideas truly worked. And I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. I was TRYING god damn it, I was giving it my everything. I was up until 2 am, back up at 6 grindings working hard, using the tactics I’ve implemented and successful used in other business to grow my own, studying the art of persuasion, mastering funnel design – things I’ve done for clients over and over and over again – pressing forward and it never truly resulted in any progress.
This week amidst what felt truly like a mental breakdown – I broke through the struggle. I’d been begging the universe, god, divine, spirit for clues – signs, anything to help me figure out my path.
The first clue came via my Mother. She said to me as I was bawling my eyes out – why don’t you let it be easy, do web design, graphic design, social media strategy it’s what you’re good at.
I ignored her – “It’s not supposed to be easy,” I thought.
That night I didn’t sleep until 4 am my anxiety was so bad. But I surrendered some more and asked the universe for more guidance.
I woke up the next morning and thought to myself “it’s time to get realistic and apply for a part-time job”. The thought made me wanna puke. I hate working for other people, I’m not good at it but when I open Facebook and saw a part-time position for a front-desk clerk at a meditation studio – I thought “Okay universe I see you”.
I haven’t redone my resume in 4 years since I quit my corporate job.
So I got to work redoing my resume.
And as I went through my job experience, as I wrote out my skills, what I’m truly good at, I got the real reason I was writing my resume – not to land a job as a part-time desk clerk – but to realize that I know what the fuck I’m doing and I’ve been training for this my entire life.
I went to school for Graphic Communications Management, understanding the design process for various media formats from start to finish.
I minored in Marketing with a focus on digital media – how to use the online space to generate an impact for companies and brands.
I went on to get my post-graduate degree in public relations and social media management. Helping companies manage how they look with the rise of social media and the online space.
At my first job out of college I successfully planned and executed over 100 events for the Toronto Zoo’s PR department and increased revenues by 23%.
I later moved into the Development division helping to restructure their corporate communications strategy increase the number of donors and investors for some of the Zoo’s largest development projects – like the creation of the Wildlife Health Centre.
I left that job to join a start-up organization in Toronto that supported students in finding scholarships. I launched their social media platforms, increased engagement and wrote highly engaging copy for our email marketing.
During this time I always had freelance clients in various industries doing logo design, social graphics and web design.
I quit that job with no additional jobs lined up and was hired two days later as the social media strategist for a small ad agency in Toronto. I managed the social media strategy and ads for over 11 clients at one time and over 33 different social media accounts – AT ONCE. Content calendars, graphics, copywriting, scheduling, reporting — I did it all for two years.
I worked with Tabasco, Dole Canada, Shiesedo, Alcan, Stagg Chilli and many more. For two years I increased their engagement rates, doubled followings and analyzed social media analytics like a fucking ninja. I attended Social Media Marketing World in San Diego twice to grow my skills and met Jasmine Star before she was anyone massive.
I left that job to pursue my own business.
After 6 months of network marketing, I took on what I thought would be a part-time role helping an incredible coach with graphic design, email marketing, and maintaining her website.
That role turned into me guiding that business to build passive revenue streams so the owner could live her fucking life. I did it. In 1.5 years we successfully took her passive revenue streams from 8% of her monthly income to nearly 50% of her income. The brand blew up and I supported that expansion every step of the way. Designing graphics, migrating her website and creates sales funnels that work even when she wasn’t.
During this role, I grew resentful. I was seeing hundreds of women come through our business every day but not all of them made it…most of them didn’t move the needle forward —- and it was usually because of the tech shit. They couldn’t figure out how to do the things that came so f*cking easily to me and it was fucking frustrating.
And in December – I quit because I thought what I deeply wanted to do was help everyday women be better mentally and physically.
Since December I’ve been asking for clues. The universe has been giving me ideas and I’ve been following them to the point of failure and then switching gears.
My mom was the first.
Second I started the worthyofit mission. The goal? Take the tech-stress out of building online businesses and support coaches in getting their courses and missions out to more people. But I was over sighted and there was such a big demand that I couldn’t keep up. And again, I was pushing the buttons for other people.
I abandoned that business model and moved instead into helping women become their best selves – something I am still deeply excited to do – by launching the worthyofit membership.
Here’s the next clue from the universe – 90% of the women in that group are building their businesses. The universe connecting me with people who need the skills that I have.
And then finally, after a night of anxiety – wondering how the fuck I was going to pay my rent (because the universe also increased it) – I decided to put a website I had sitting around up for sale. I sold it for $497 within 4 hours.
It was the easiest call I’ve ever had and it was my highest income date since I quit on December 4th.
But the universe didn’t stop there. 12 other women reached out to me needing and wanting websites. 12.
All of them said the same thing – they can’t figure out the tech. it’s overwhelming but they know that a well-designed website is critical to creating passive revenue – duh, I’ve known that since before I care to remember.
A little overwhelmed but also certain that I could deliver exactly what these women needed – I asked the universe for yet another sign and went to bed. I woke up in the morning to an email from my own brand Worthyofit.
The email was simple. I wrote it on December 31st when I was batch creating the content for that brand for the month but I had completely forgotten about it.
It said “If you’re looking for a sign, this is it. Go, leap, get messy.”
And I leapt – because I sent myself my own damn sign and I’ve been sending myself my own damn signs all along.
Yesterday I had 4 client calls. I connected with 4 women with incredible missions and gifts and I know that I have the skills to support them not just with web-design but with the mindset for growing a business, with a social media strategy that works – and isn’t grounded in having a million followers. (because you don’t need a million you just need a few)
What I know to be true is that I was born to run a business.
I’ve been running businesses and doubling their impact in the world since I was fucking 20 years old and after months of avoiding my gifts – because I DO NOT want to become one of those women who pose with expensive cars and tells you that my life is better than yours and you need my programs to succeed – I’m stepping into my truth.
And here’s my promise to you.
I will never sell you something you don’t need.
I will never give you a strategy that I don’t know works.
I will never build you a website that isn’t beautiful, functioning and fucking powerful on desktop and mobile (because if your website isn’t mobile-friendly – honestly you better quit while you’re ahead).
I won’t tell you that you need to quit drinking to make it.
I’ll just support you through the mess of building your own business, but the reality is – that it is a mess. Every fucking moment of it is a mess – but that’s also what I love about it.
I spent the entire day yesterday redesigning my website. I didn’t get up to eat and I barely peed. I completely forgot social media existed and at the end of the day – I went to bed 5 minutes after my head hit the pillow with a knowing in my bones that even though I don’t want to walk among the fraudulent “how to make 6 figures in 10 seconds” crowd that I have a gift, I’ve always had a gift, I’ve trained myself to excel in this field and when you find that gift – you don’t ignore it. You share it with the world.
Building businesses is my passion.
Building beautiful spaces on the internet come easy to me.
Understanding how to grow on social media – is something I’ve always known – but also something I fucking trained for.
I’ve been preparing for this moment my entire life – and I’ve been doing the very thing I’m meant to do all along.
I went from making $35K a year to making over $100K by doing wtf I’m good at – because honestly, not everyone is.
I have 6 years of formal education in this industry. And I have 7 years of formal corporate experience. I was made for this.
If you’re running a business.
If you’re ready for a no BS community that’s strategy, action and value-packed, if you’re ready to get uncomfortable building a business that’s founded on PASSIVE revenue — you can join me for the messy ride in my new Facebook community.
And if you need a website – get at me because I’m building my portfolio up and offering a truly unbelievable package.
And babe, you’re already doing it.
Hi Cora-Lynn! This email is so powerful and really spoke to me. I have been having the exact feelings lately — SO sick of working my ass off for mediocre salary with very little allowed time off…I literally feel like a slave to my employer and the massive student debt I accumulated only to be in this frustrating and very discouraging situation. I started trying to figure out how I could start my own business about 2 years ago and faithfully followed you and your previous partner mentioned above (among many others) and spent literally thousands on courses, but could never nail down an idea/service to really get behind, believe in, and put into motion. Thank you for re-igniting that fire! I appreciate you openly sharing your story and am excited about what 2020 has in store or us both ;-). Kristin Michelle
Hi CL! I signed up for the freebies but can’t access them or are they available when I get accepted in the FB group? thanks in advance xo