We recently connected with Ellen Hockley and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ellen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

After my second child was born, I realized the work I was doing was never going to be profitable. At the time, I was running a maternity and postpartum apparel brand. I loved the brand and the concept, but I didn’t have the capital or the emotional capacity to build it the way I had envisioned.

This realization didn’t come easily. But as I began to accept it, I could see I’d been grappling with it for a long time. I knew something had to change, though I wasn’t sure what. I was still on parental leave and needed that time for myself and my new baby, yet I felt a pull to create.

One morning, a friend, a fellow second-time mom and entrepreneur local to me, called. She was struggling in her business and didn’t know who to talk to, or even how to articulate what she needed. We met for what turned into an impromptu two-hour conversation. At the end, she looked at me and said, “Can I pay you for this, monthly?”

That was the beginning of Ellen Hockley Consulting. I had always assumed I’d become a business consultant after I sold Evergreen, but I didn’t expect it to unfold so naturally. That moment gave me the final push I needed to let go. I put Evergreen on the market and hoped for the best. It didn’t sell, and I ultimately donated the remaining inventory, but in doing so, I created the emotional and mental space to fully step into consulting.

At first, I didn’t have a clear vision or business plan. But I knew clients needed what I had to offer, nearly a decade of small business experience, navigating entrepreneurship as a solo founder, building a business through the pandemic, and exiting in 2021.

Over time, my niche became clear: women like me. Many were newly postpartum, building or dreaming of building small, solo-led businesses. They needed both strategic guidance and a thought partner. Someone who understood not just business, but the life surrounding it. Through this work, I also began to see a deeper gap, loneliness. So many founders, especially mothers, are building in isolation. And we’re not meant to do this alone.

In the spring of 2024, alongside a co-founder, I launched SAGE Women to support female founders in Northern New Jersey. What started as a small idea has grown into something far more meaningful than we imagined, a space to connect, support one another, and build together.

I’ve realized over the past few years that I love building people up, helping them shape their stories and creating the space they need to thrive.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’m a seasoned entrepreneur and a mother, a Leo, and a 4/6 Generator. I’m a business strategist, podcast co-host, and community leader devoted to supporting women as they build meaningful work on their own terms. I’m deeply committed to helping women create sustainable, values-driven businesses. With over a decade of entrepreneurial experience, I’ve founded and led ventures including a sustainable event planning firm and Evergreen Activewear, an apparel brand inspired by the changes and challenges of motherhood.

Through Ellen Hockley Consulting, I support early-stage, purpose-driven female founders, especially those navigating postpartum career shifts, in building businesses rooted in intuition, values, and practical strategy. With fifteen years of entrepreneurial experience, three business launches, and one exit, I blend inner wisdom with real-world tools to help women move past limiting beliefs and create strong foundations for long-term success. Whether you’re just starting out or re-evaluating your current business, I believe that supporting female entrepreneurs creates a ripple effect across families, communities, and beyond.

My commitment to this work extends beyond consulting. I’m also the co-host of Good Ideas & Bad Decisions, where we explore the messy, real-life journey of entrepreneurship. And to directly address the loneliness many founders experience, I co-founded SAGE Women, a warm and inclusive Northern New Jersey community built on the principles of Wisdom, Experience, and Reflection, where female founders gather to connect, support one another, and build smarter businesses together.

We’d appreciate any insights you can share with us about selling a business.

IIn 2021, I sold my first business, my first baby, Greater Good Events. We were coming out of the pandemic, I was one year postpartum with my first child, and I had already launched Evergreen Activewear. I was broken and burnt out, and I just wanted it to be over. At the same time, I knew deep down that there was someone, or a team, who would want the business. I tapped into my network and found the right fit. It took months to work through the process, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I had spent years building a profitable, recognizable name in the NYC events scene, and I was committed to seeing that legacy continue.

Selling a business on your own can be incredibly challenging, and honestly, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” If you’re considering a sale, find an attorney you trust, you’ll need someone to guide you through the process.

It’s also critical to align with the new owners on the transition plan and begin documenting your SOPs as early as possible. As a solo founder, I had done almost everything myself, which meant that before we could close, I needed to document how every part of the business operated. That was, by far, the most challenging part of the process.

Emotionally, I was deeply tied to the business, but I also knew it was the right decision for me, my family, and the growth of whatever would come next.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

In every business I’ve worked in, run, or owned, word of mouth and networking have been my strongest sources of clients and revenue. You build trust, and trust leads to referrals, which keeps the cycle going.

I meet a lot of people and genuinely enjoy networking, it feels natural to me. But I firmly believe anyone can build a business through referrals if they choose to make it part of their strategy. That means following up, staying in touch, thanking past clients, and asking for referrals. They don’t just happen, you have to nurture them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ellenhockley.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenhockley/
• Other: https://www.ellenhockley.com/podcast

Image Credits

Jen Chanyi