Early on in my life, I realized that I had a creative knack for both conceptional design, and problem-solving. Being a positive person, I never saw problems as a negative thing. I saw them as an opportunity to come up with a solution. So, I went to school for Graphic Design, excelled at it, and shortly after graduation I started my first Design business. I knew that in order to be able to apply all my skills, I needed to be self-employed. A regular job never allowed me to utilize my full potential. Although I had great design and marketing skills, I had no business skills at all. That was a huge problem. I floundered, and I was able to deliver for my clients and help them market their business, but was struggling to make a profit with mine.

Then one day, I decided that I needed to grow. Enough was enough, I said. "What do I need to learn to be more successful?" I asked myself. More confidence was the first thing on my list. So I auditioned for a local play, because what better way to help my confidence then to get up on stage in front of a room full of strangers? Well, I got the lead role, which included 7 monologues. I did it, and not a half bad job, if I may say so myself. From there I joined Toastmasters an international organization that helps with public speaking and entered every speech contest I could. Next, I knew I had to learn the business side of things. Along with learning on the fly, normally "what not to do", I looked for opportunities to learn from successful business owners. I found a business networking group, started a mastermind group with some successful businesses, joined the local Chamber of Commerce and read a ton of books.

Now that I started to gain quite a bit of business building skills as well as my marketing skills, I felt the need to help other business owners avoid all the mistakes I made over the years. My first "Business coaching" job was taking on a leadership roll at the business networking group and leading all the meetings along with growing the group. After that, I became President of the Chamber helping it grow as well as helping grow the annual Home Show year after year.

All that time I was working with the Chamber and running my own marketing, design and print business I thought I was smart enough to do it all on my own. That I had learned all I needed to, to be able to run a successful business. Boy, I could have not been more wrong. I was able to deliver a great product with fantastic service, but that is not enough. I didn’t have any processes in place for predictable leads and conversions, didn’t have systems in place in order to leverage my resources, I didn’t have a handle of my profitability and I didn’t have proper pricing, bundling, upsell/downsell options available.

So, I ended up burning myself out, selling the business at way below market value and getting out of the business all together. The burn out had a tremendous affect on my personal life as well. My marriage deteriorated, I wasn’t fully there for my kids and was not very happy.

I needed time to clear my head, so what better way then to work with your hands. I spent the next few years working with a Master Carpenter and learned a great deal about renovating all aspects of a house. But more importantly it gave me a chance to clear my head, give me some perspective and vigorously renew my passionate to help other business owners.

Now, I am even more passionate about helping business owners succeed after having experienced the real pain that comes from owning a business that is struggling. Most business owners put their heart and soul along with a ton of sweat and tears into making their businesses succeed. I am here to teach them that there is a better way to make that dream happen.

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As I continue to see success in my coaching clients it came clear to me that there is a huge gap with traditional bookkeeping between businesses being merely CRA compliant and planning for success. So, I sought out a business partner that not only had the accounting skills, but had the vision for helping people as I did. I found that and more in Maria and together we have created some amazing solutions that sets our clients up for success.