How Jessica Hawks Built & Scaled Her Online Coaching Business
What inspired you to pursue a career in coaching?
I had always desired a career where I could travel, work from home, make my own schedule and feel creatively fulfilled. Even though I wanted all of those things, they felt completely out of reach for me. Especially since I had dropped out of college. When I discovered the online business world, I felt like I had hit a gold mine. I quadrupled my corporate income within 4 months of working online. I wanted to tell everyone that would listen about the amazing opportunities there are online because I knew that there were tons of other young people who felt the way that I did. That's when I started using TikTok for marketing and my thought that there were tons of others like me was TRUE. I had hundreds, thousands of people coming to me wanting to learn. This inspired me to create the Digital Millennials Masterclass and Digital Creatives Academy.
Being able to help others create a life that they love is so rewarding to me. I can give them all of the tools and information they need, but it's up to them to implement it. I want them to feel equipped to grow and problem solve as a business owner so that their business is truly sustainable.
What was the most valuable lesson you learned when you started and grew your business?
Two things.
1. There will never be a better time than NOW.
2. You will never stand out by trying to imitate someone else.
1. There will never be a better time than NOW. Oftentimes, we wait for a moment of inspiration to hit us in order to start something new. We put our dreams off and tell ourselves "maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, next month." Ultimately, the root of this issue is that you are terrified of losing your comfort zone. While that's fair, you will never grow without pushing yourself beyond this. It took me 7 months to officially launch my business because I was scared. Eventually, I came to a point where I realized it was scarier to stay exactly where I was. Look at your goals objectively and assess whether they align with your current actions. If they don't, it's time to make a change. Focus on your next step instead of your next 50 steps.
2. You will never stand out by trying to imitate someone else. Starting a new business is scary, so we often tend to look towards others for what our plan of action should be. While I think having a coach is incredibly valuable and important, they are there to provide you with correct frameworks and business values, not to give you an EXACT blueprint of who you should be. The same theory goes for other business owners that you are looking towards. If you try to be like someone else, you will always be two steps behind them. Imitation kills creativity, and it's EXTREMELY important to create more than you consume as a business owner. Focus on ways that you can be innovative, even if it seems like no one else is doing it. That's when you'll stand out and create your own path, becoming magnetic to your dream clients.
What advice can you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Focus on your own wants, not the wants of others. When you decide to take the path less walked, tons of people will decide to spring their unwelcomed opinions on you, good or bad. TUNE THEM OUT. What worked for your grandparents, parents, siblings, friends, doesn't need to work for you. Society has told us that there is one path to follow when in reality, there are an uncountable amount. Instead of taking the judgement you may feel from others and letting it consume you, let it fuel you. Use that to prove to yourself that your own wants are extremely important, and when you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything in the digital age we live in. Develop your "why." This will be the root reason you started your business. Maybe it's to travel the world, to be able to take care of your health, or to provide for your family. Write it down. In fact, write an entire commitment letter to yourself. When you're doubting yourself or are in a slump, refer back to your "why" and let it realign you with what you truly want for your life.
Remember that starting a business is not linear. Often, you see the highlight reel of success stories. But what you don't see is all of the late nights, 12 hour days, tears, fatigue, frustration and dedication that went into it. There are typically way more chapters to someone's story than you perceive. This means that you WILL experience extremely difficult times, and that is normal. What will make or break you is whether you decide to stick to your goals even during the tough times.
What was the most challenging moment in your career and how did you overcome it?
The fear of what my friends and family would think of me. I was never a huge social media person. I like having my private life and I don't enjoy being perceived by others. So the thought of needing to show up consistently on social media, especially in video format, TERRIFIED me. You start to construe every possible "what if." What if they think I'm weird, what if they talk behind my back, what if I fail, what if, what if, what if. Instead of constructing potential future scenarios that haven't even happened yet, look backwards instead. Look at all of the times that you've been presented with a difficult situation or something that scared you. Look at how you pushed forward and proved to yourself that you can overcome adversity. Look to the past PROOF rather than the future hypotheticals. This will help you develop the courage you need to keep pushing forward. Growth comes from discomfort. Every single time you push yourself out of your comfort zone, it becomes easier and easier. Before you know it, those things that scared you are second nature and now your current fears are overcoming situations that seemed unattainable or impossible before. □