We recently connected with Anne Watson and have shared our conversation below.

Anne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I have a background in advertising and corporate banking that I left behind to become a stay-at-home mom for over a decade. When my kids were young teens, I went back to work in women’s ministry which led me to become part of the host team with a conference for Christian communicators. For years I got to work with women who had dreams and ambitions but didn’t know where to start to get them off the ground.

It was very natural for me to begin applying my business and marketing knowledge to the world of communication. More than once the women I helped suggested to me that I ought to be getting paid to coach them – an idea that hadn’t crossed my mind previously.

The idea of starting my own business was scary and exciting at the same time. I had never done anything like that before but I decided to give myself a year. I’d give it a shot and if it didn’t work out, so be it. Spoiler alert, I’m now in year four and loving it.

I began by setting up a ‘product’ on my website for a one-hour coaching call. Then, I sent an email to family and friends about how I was starting a business and was now open for coaching calls. Finally, I started posting valuable and inspirational content on Instagram. Within a few days, I got my first couple of paying clients. I would say this isn’t typical for most coaching just starting but my experience with the conference had given me a warm audience and I am very grateful.

I have to just go ahead and admit that my entire beginning was about taking messy action. I wasn’t interested in perfect, I just wanted to get the info out into the world so people knew I was available. My business today is much more streamlined than in that first year and I’ve learned so much from taking courses, paying for mastermind groups, and networking with other coaches.

Even now, four years into my business, I am still editing my vision, my ideal client, and my product offerings. I often tell the women I coach not to get too hung up on making their idea perfect at that start because it will evolve in the most beautiful ways.

I started by just wanting to help answer anyone’s questions about their business and now my goals are more strategic. I love working with each of my clients to help them edit their own ideas, processes, and goals. It’s taken a lot of listening, a lot of tweaking, and a lot of positive thinking to get to this place but that’s what being an entrepreneur is all about really.

Anne, 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 am a business strategy coach who likes to help women with a message think like a business so they can inspire like a boss. There is a gap between communicators and coaches who have passion and hustle but don’t have a background in business. I help them begin applying some simple business techniques that get them extreme clarity about what they are doing, who they are doing it for, and the offer they want to create. This is especially effective for women overwhelmed with all the ideas who need some help prioritizing which ones are most important, editing the idea to get to the heart of it, and overcoming any mindset obstacles that get in their way.

My favorite thing to do is to help women with all the ideas pare them down into what will be useable, profitable, and fun. Then we talk about getting focused and strategic while putting together a signature offer, defining their ideal client, and learning to communicate it all in a way that makes someone say, “It’s like she’s in my head!” For women who have more projects and ideas going than they have time for in a day, I’m the coach that will help them edit it all into something they feel confident about and in control of managing for the long haul.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I have two big strategies for growing my clientele. The first one is good old-fashioned networking. Whether it’s at a conference or through the DM’s, having conversations with real people is by far the best way I have found to build the know-like-trust factor in relationships. I love to ask questions about people’s dreams and goals and then offer any insight I have right on the spot. I highly recommend getting involved in groups where your ideal client may hang out and offering your help and service. This leads to a growing client list and builds you a reputation as an expert in your field.

The second strategy I have for growing clients is something I began about a year ago and it’s crazy simple. Discovery calls. By offering people a free, no-obligation call to talk about whether or not working with you is a good fit, you remove hesitation and increase curiosity. Once you can hear someone’s goals and help them understand how you can help, it makes the decision to work with you easy.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My background is a long list of trying a lot of different things in the hopes of finding “my thing.” I have a degree in Advertising and spent the first part of my career in corporate banking before becoming a stay-at-home mom for over a decade. When the opportunity to go back to work came up, it was in women’s ministry. It opened my eyes to fact that women have incredible ideas and dreams they aren’t pursuing because of mindset issues or lack of experience. I found my passion in using my business background to give practical, easy advice so they could get started achieving their goals. I’ve had to pivot more than once in my life but it has all come full circle. I love being a business strategy coach for women.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.annemwatson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annewatsontx/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annemwatsontx/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annewatsontx/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/AnneWatsonTX/_created/