We were lucky to catch up with Christina McElwee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My company, Teal Couch Consulting LLC, is the answer to many of my prayers. For over 18 years, I have worked in both K-12 and higher education. I’ve had the privilege of building a foundation for lifelong learning in the early grades and working with college students to help them achieve their academic and career goals. In 2014, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease, an inherited, incurable, genetic disease that causes enlarged kidneys, decreased kidney function, and eventually begins to impact other systems within the body.

This is when my life changed. I was forced to examine my life goals and make self-care a priority, which was not something I had done much of in the past. I took the time to really value each day as a gift and an opportunity to make a difference in the world. I was determined to not let my chronic illness keep me from fulfilling my purpose.

After this long process of self-discovery, navigating a global pandemic, and becoming frustrated with some of the issues present in the education system, I realized that my ultimate purpose, and what gives me the most joy, is helping others be successful and live their best lives. It is with this in mind that Teal Couch Consulting was formed.

Becoming a small business owner was not something I ever anticipated, especially with my chronic illness. But as I began thinking about my life journey and what I wanted my business to represent, I realized that I wanted other people to feel just as empowered as I felt. I wanted to spread the idea that no matter what circumstances may come into your life, you can still achieve your goals. My company is designed to help people do this.

Teal Couch Consulting provides a wide variety of services to people in the community and worldwide. These services include professional and technical writing assistance for resumes, cover letters, author bios, newsletters, blog posts, and more. We also offer a host of graphic design services, website development, and personalized workshops for individuals, businesses, and academic institutions.

I see Teal Couch Consulting as an opportunity to use my talents and gifts to help other people. I’ve always been an educator at heart. Teaching, of any kind, is more than just a profession; it’s a calling. And now, I’m blessed to be in a position to teach and work with people in a different setting, as a consultant. I want people to live their best lives; I want to provide a wealth of services to help other people realize their dreams and instill the message that you are able, you are capable, and you can be successful regardless of what life throws at you.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

While I do a lot of posting on social media to promote and advertise my business, my reputation within the market has been built by satisfied clients. I take a lot of care to ensure that my clients are treated with respect, dignity, and the utmost care. I make sure to build relationships so that I have a clear idea of how my services can help people reach their goals. I also strive to ensure that clients walk away satisfied and equipped with whatever they need to progress on their journey. Because of the relationships and connections that I make, clients feel comfortable recommending my services to others. They know that I will treat every single person with the same attention, thoughtfulness, and kindness they’ve received. In my opinion, there is nothing better than word-of-mouth advertising to help boost your reputation and productivity.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson that I’ve had to unlearn and probably am still unlearning is that I can’t do everything by myself. I am very much your typical type-A, perfectionist, highly driven individual. I thrive in highly competitive environments where I have to multitask and remain focused on a project from beginning to completion. Over the years, I’ve learned that being that person one hundred percent of the time is not physically or mentally healthy. As I dealt with some health concerns over the summer, I was almost forced to allow other folks to assist with some of the daily responsibilities of being a business owner. And it felt great! I was reminded that we are not built to do this thing called life alone. It is important to have help and support along the way; you definitely can’t pour from an empty cup. I think that is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned and the advice I would give to other business owners just starting out.

Contact Info:

• Website: tealcouchllc.com
• Instagram: @tealcouchllc
• Facebook: Teal Couch Consulting LLC
• Linkedin: Teal Couch Consulting LLC
• Twitter: @thetealcouch
• Youtube: Teal Couch Consulting