Client Case Study Kate Hutcheson - When I Grow Up

Client Case Study Kate Hutcheson - When I Grow Up Um, do you know that Ive coached hundreds of women since I started offering dream career guidance in 2008? And that these women are freakin rock stars, leaving soul-sucking jobs and traveling the world and launching creative, grown-up businesses and simply doing work that fits their lifestyle goals? Well ya do now and youll hear their stories firsthand in my  Client Case Studies series!  I cant believe I havent profiled Kate here! A full-time project manager, shes now queen of the side hustle at  The Efficient/Creative. If youre busy telling yourself that you cant figure out the What and How of your dream business  and  work with your ideal clients in a years time, Kates here to prove you wrong. Why did you decide to work with me, a creative career coach? I wanted to work with a career coach because I knew that I wasnt happy at my job but I wasnt sure where I might be happy long-term and I wanted some professional guidance. Ive held a LOT of jobs since my first job at 16 in a lot of different industries. Im definitely one of those multi-passionate people, but I was tired of bouncing around and I wanted to find what felt like a legitimately good fit. My only real must-have was the need to work with creative people or in a creative industry.   When I was researching career coaches, I was concerned that a traditional coach [that is, a coach who didnt target creative people and industries] wouldnt really understand or honor that creative need. When I found you, though, I could definitely see myself in your niche. It was clear that honoring multi-passionate, creative women is SO important to you. What were you doing work-wise when we started our sessions? When we started working together, I was a full-time Project Manager for a small company. Im thankful for my time there because it gave me a good base for growing my skills (and honing in on what I wanted and didnt want for my own business). What was your biggest takeaway from our time together? Its amazing to think about it, but less than one year after our first session, Im running my own freelance Virtual Assistance and Project Management business (The Efficient/Creative). Ive got a fantastic, growing client base thats full of people I LOVE working with. Ive been so grateful for your guidance and enthusiasm. Theres no way that I would be where I am now if I hadnt worked with you. Was there anything else you tried to do as a career between the time we stopped our sessions and what you do for work now? If so, how did it inform your current business? The business itself went through a couple of brief iterations where I was trying to find a workable business model. I think a year ago, those sorts of bumps would have felt like failures and they might have set me back emotionally more than they do now. Now, I really see those as part of the process of building your own business. Working with other women in similar stages of business development through your former client groups has helped that growth. We work together to keep each other accountable, but also to remind each other when we need to show ourselves grace and compassion. What would you tell someone now that was in your shoes when we first started working together? Whats your best tip to allow them to make a grown-up living doing what they love? There is room for everybody at this giant table of opportunity. It doesnt matter that there are a gazillion other virtual assistants on the planet; Im not targeting the same people as all those other VAs. And keeping that ideal client in mind impacts every other aspect of the job. When I know that I really want to work with women who are artists, crafters, or creative entrepreneurs, I can speak directly to them with my website, my marketing materials, etc., and we will find each other. So thats my tip: dont be afraid of how saturated your market might be; figure out who YOU are speaking to and speak directly to them. Whats on the horizon for your business? Wed love to hear about any upcoming offerings or goals! Im crazy excited about what 2018 is going to hold for my business! Ill have new openings for ongoing clients in the next few weeks, PLUS Im aiming to launch my first training program, Project Management 101 for Creatives in late Q2! Im really excited about that; I think there are a lot of creative people out there who feel like they can never finish what they start. They get overwhelmed by planning or just think that developing a process inhibits their creativity. I want to show people how legitimately fun, creative, and simple it can be to map out a process and ALWAYS be able to reach your goals. Are you interested in working one-on-one with me? Those on the waitlist will get an email TODAY that gives you first dibs on those spots AND my brand new Discover Your Dream Business program. Sign up  here   you got nothing to lose your dream biz to gain!