What feels unique about supporting a business owner through Xcelerate rather than someone who's navigating growth all on their own?

 What feels unique is that Xcelerate lets you know that you are not doing this alone. There is always a willingness to share, to ask questions, and to help when someone raises their hand. The way that this matters and shows up is when you are matched with a coach based on your needs, whether that be road mapping, project management, or mindset–it's designed for you. 

In 2020, Xcelerate gave me my first opportunity to be a coach and to facilitate peer groups. That made me realize that when you have access and a community of other women who believe in you and say,” you can do it,” why would I not want to participate? And so I can say that a lot of us don't have mentors, coaches, or someone to give us a try, and Xcelerate gave me a try.

Another thing that I love is this attitude of I am in it with you. We're all growing, navigating, and learning together, and this builds confidence. And when you build confidence, confidence will change everything. 

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How has Xcelerate and working with Xcelerate influenced the way you think about your role and the outcomes you hope to create for women entrepreneurs in your professional consulting business?

 The biggest difference when I coach inside Xcelerate versus Exit Bliss is the relationships. At Xcelerate, I’m not pitching my services. I am there to serve. I am there to show up as their friend and as their number one cheerleader. My focus is simple: What do I need to do to get you unblocked right now?

After that first meeting, that's where everything shifts for them. We both realize the dynamic is not about compensation or scope. It is again, about serving, and so I'm able to be honest with them and say: “Hey, here's what I've been through. This is how you solve it, and here's how I think you can move forward.”

The outcome that I'm hoping to create for women entrepreneurs is confidence rooted in community, and that we should always be thinking about community over competition. It’s knowing that it's okay to tell somebody the messy parts in your business and be vulnerable without judgment. And I know because I've learned from just being around and networking that somebody in this community has the answer. They’ve got the resource you need and possibly that opportunity that you're looking for. 

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How has the Xcelerate community shaped the way you show up as a mentor, collaborator, and entrepreneur? 

 It shows up as knowing that I have a whole community behind me. Anything I can do to provide that opportunity or resource for you, that is what I'm going to do because there's an abundance, and there's enough for everyone. 

As a collaborator, it reminds me that I am not isolated. We show up for each other. We sit on panels together. We attend each other’s launches. We attend events together. Sometimes we barter coach-to-coach services. This type of collaboration builds trust and momentum. 

As an entrepreneur, I feel psychologically safe. This has been a part of my own growth. I've never felt like I was being judged. I never felt like I was competing. And honestly, it's this mantra or motto–I'm not doing this alone. We're doing it together. 

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How does being both a giver and a receiver of support shape the way you show up for others?

 I love this question, and truth be told, I put myself in their shoes. The biggest way this shows up in my coaching is listening. A lot of us don't get a chance to really be listened to, and the time we spend as coaches is short. So I take it very seriously that this is the amount of time that we have together.

How much can I provide you with at that time to get you to the next level? When I think about listening, it’s also about checking my own biases, right? I might assume they need this one thing, but truthfully, they might need something else. So that has helped me pause and listen to what each individual needs.

And if I don't have the answer, I'll say that, and I'll say, “Hey, I'll look into it,” or “Let me connect you with someone I actually trust.”

Part two is being a receiver. I learn a lot from the women that I coach. Sometimes I feel like they should be a coach too. They’ll share different ideas, different tools, and even their stories, which makes me better. And I think that storytelling and sharing with each other are ways for us to learn how to sell one another. 

Folks are buying and doing business with us because of our story. Not always because of this product, or not saying the products are perfect, right? You can also buy products from Xcelerate businesses by going to the website to check out their online directories. That is a resource that we all use to keep everything we can in this ecosystem. And we grow faster when we grow together. 

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 When you think about the bigger shifts happening in entrepreneurship, what does changing the face of success in business mean to you? And how does your coaching play a role in that? 

 Changing the face of success is looking in the mirror. Success isn't someone else's measurement. It's you. Not everybody wants to own a billion-dollar business, and that's okay. The real question is, “Are you where you want to be? And do you have the capacity to maintain it?”

To me, success is about freedom. Freedom to spend time with your family, freedom to work from anywhere, and freedom to use your voice and be authentic. Financial growth matters, but it's not the only thing that counts. How it shows up in my coaching is I meet people where they are.

A lot of women don't want to manage teams, right? They don't want to scale their business to that level. They want their businesses to feel fun, aligned, and sustainable, which is one thing that we, as Exit Bliss, think about: business continuity and why you have it.

Are you having fun in your business? And if you're not having fun in your business, something does fundamentally need to change. And helping owners to define success on their own terms instead of chasing someone else's dream is always one of my top objectives. 

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Can you tell us about a moment this year when you saw what increased access to coaching made possible for a business owner you supported?

One of the moments this year that I noticed with business owners is seeing the smile on their face when they finally feel organized. This increased access to coaching helped them operationalize their businesses in a way that actually felt doable. 

Setting up systems like a CRM and project management tools really helps them see that you can declutter. You can declutter by putting this list or delegating these other things to other folks. Gaining that clarity allowed them to be more productive now. These tools shift their confidence and when we would get back together, they’d share with me, “Hey, I like this, but I don't like that.” Or they’d share a demo with me, “Can I show you what I did?” I loved seeing that months later, and they're using the tools we put in place. 

Ownership like that does not come without support. Showing them they didn't have to spend a lot of money on IT consultants or on systems that did not serve them. You can choose the technology that you use. You can choose how you work and the ways of working. I want to show you that: let's right-size this for your business and let this be a baseline. 

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Looking ahead, what gives you the most confidence about the direction Xcelerate is heading in and the entrepreneurs who are rising through our community?

 One word, resilience. Despite the challenges nonprofits in the community face, Xcelerate has stayed visible, relevant, and committed to the mission. Xcelerate is creating a true pipeline. So you come in, go in the intake through Matea, you get support, you build your confidence, and then you get matched with an awesome coach like me. (You can always ask for the woman with the purple hair!)

This is moving them towards the broader ecosystem that women-owned businesses need. And can come back for more support–whether it’s financial support, sharing their experience with another woman, or even volunteering. 

We love Xcelerate, and we are a part of that pipeline. We're living, living proof that this program and this organization are for us, made for us, made by us. We continue to be that glue in that. Xelerate is not just helping people build their businesses; Xelerate is building an ecosystem.