We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Belzer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so one thing we think people don’t talk about nearly enough is investments – either time or money. What’s one of the best or worst investments you’ve made and what did you learned from the experience?

I started my first business in 2002. I thought I was in a good position to be able to run it. I had my undergraduate in finance. I had my MBA with an emphasis on finance. I had worked in Corporate America in multiple areas including, banking, investments, financial budgeting, and more.

I did know that I needed some work on my marketing. I was not completely oblivious to the fact I did not know everything. I began the process of learning about marketing and was quickly catching on.

Fast forward 13 years and started a new business. But I’m still struggling with my marketing and my business is not bringing in the revenue I want it to. I am a finance person after all, so my brain thinks in numbers not in marketing language!

I had taken just about every course you could think of at that time. I have taken courses on everything from webinars to Facebook and even body language for sales. I mean you name it I have probably taken a course on it. Or at least paid for a class on it! But I was struggling to put the final marketing steps into place, and because of this was getting desperate. I was looking for a knight in shining armor to come save me.

Along comes these two guys. Who have this “amazing” program for me that will turn everything around. It is one-part class and part individualized help, plus a group component for hot seats and other Q&A’s.

So, I signed up for this course after a sales call. It was the most I had ever spent on a class or a business coach by a lot. To say it ended up as a disaster is being nice about it. The short version is they did not deliver what they said they would. I ended the program with a half-finished marketing plan. That did not even match my service or where my customers were. I end up even more frustrated than before. The worst part was one of the other members of the program reached out to me and confirmed my suspicions. The owners had no idea what I did and did not understand how to market my services.

I ended up completely starting from scratch again. This time trusting that I actually knew more than I gave myself credit for. I decided to use my natural gifts with numbers to pick a marketing path that relied on data. Which for me ended up being Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

I learned to take my time making decisions. Which I normally do, but I was too emotionally attached to the problem. Which lead to another lesson: don’t make big financial decisions while emotional and without a second opinion. Business can be hard. You are on your own. It is an emotional roller-coaster. One of the best things you can do is slow down and get many options to choose from.

The final lesson for me was to know that I actually knew more than I gave myself credit for. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand marketing. It was that I was doing the wrong type of marketing for me.

Andrea, 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?

I have always loved business and finance. I have also always enjoyed helping other, especially around learning to speak up for themselves. After years of trying to use just one passion, I decided to blend everything that I do into one. This is how I put together my business as a spiritual business coach. In order to be successful in your business you have to grow personally and have the right skills to run your business.

This can often be conflicting. So I help business owners work through their own personal growth journey while at the same time learning the skills they need to be successful. They are intertwined to the point that often after we uncover a personal limiting belief a block in business clears up. You may think you are being overly sensitive, but when you stop and listen to what your emotions are telling you, you make better business decisions.

I am proud to be able to offer business owners a way to not have to keep their personal and business lives separated. But at the same time, learning the right skills to manage the business so the business doesn’t dominate. It is about balance, but the balance comes from integrating your strengths. Facing your personal blocks and creating a system that works for you.

How exactly is this done? Business and finance education. Plus I am a meditation teacher, Reiki master and hypnotherapist. Allowing me to fully integrate your life with balance.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

My guided meditations have been the biggest driver of clients. Which really surprised me! I started meditating years ago and it was very beneficial to me. I decided to get trained as a teacher so that I could understand it better. It ended up being one of my favorite things to create for my business. And secretly because I wanted the meditations I was creating!

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

Absolutely, I think diversifying income is one of the most important things a small business can do. And it does not have to be into a completely different direction. It can be how you present you information , or where it is distributed. For example, I offer one on one coaching, but the same materials I offer as courses for sale. Plus as a presentation I can be hired to do. Additionally I added in alternative revenue by selling my one on one services not just through myself, but with contracts with other companies. Where they send the clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andreabelzer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrealbelzer
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/andreabelzer
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/andreachats
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AndreaBelzer

Image Credits
Professional photos by Kat Calaway