Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barbara Elizabeth . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Barbara, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

I try to make my Entrepreneurship Coaching Services and eBooks affordable, straight-to-the-point and easy to implement. The industry standard is to charge astronomical prices that are out of reach for the ones who need it most. Personalized business coaching is a lot of work and very time consuming. Prices can be in the thousands which is usually not in the budget for owners of new businesses. I offer a growing collection of relevant, Coaching Sessions on various topics. Each session comes with a digital workbook that is printable and the option for phone or chat-based communication (except for one service, it’s 100% digital and comes with a video of steps to help them improve/action plan). For those who only want information, eBook Guides are also available.

I want to encourage, educate and inspire aspiring Women Entrepreneurs who don’t know where to begin. That was me several years ago. When I started my first business, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. Over the years, I have learned a lot from research, courses and my failures, but I believe coaching was the most effective. Coaching services were less expensive then, but still unaffordable for me, a struggling single mother. Then, I was blessed to find a business coach who provided some services at discounted prices and occasionally free. Through her coaching, problems were addressed that I didn’t know I had like my mindset. I want to be a blessing to others in a similar way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My name is Barbara Elizabeth. I’m a Certified Entrepreneurship Coach and Founder of Pinnacle Digital Academy. We offer entrepreneurship coaching services and digital resources that empower women to own and run successful businesses with confidence.

As far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I tried to start a couple of businesses before moving to Metro Atlanta, but neither got off the ground because I didn’t know what I was doing. I then adopted a learning mindset. I took courses, read books and received some business coaching. I was even determined to learn from my mistakes and failures.

Pinnacle Digital Academy is a catalyst for changing mindsets from that of an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial mindset. Our digital eBook guides are not only relevant but easy to understand and implement. We also offer a growing collection of digital business coaching sessions that are very affordable according to industry standards and offer the flexibility to accommodate any schedule. I want to help Women Entrepreneurs make our female ancestors proud by attaining financial freedom instead of being enslaved to jobs that only make other people rich. Maybe I can lead by example.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was an oddball, the one person in my extended family who didn’t conform to the “norm”. We were required to graduate high school, go to college, get a degree, get a good job with benefits, and work until retirement or death—whichever came first. Although that was what I saw everyday living in the Midwest, I always wanted more. I knew early on that the traditional career path my family was pushing me towards was not going to give me the life I desired, so I took a different path.

I dropped-out of college in 2009 after a professor said I was wasting my time. I didn’t like school anyway and felt my major was something I could learn on my own which I eventually did. In the meantime, I took a shorter, easier route and got a business certification in 2010. In the following years, I worked several different jobs in various industries. I didn’t know it at the time, but I didn’t have an employee mindset, so it was very difficult for me to keep a job.

Due to health reasons, I was unemployed during pregnancy and after the birth of my son. Bedridden and unable to work, I decided to start my first business. It was an epic fail, but that didn’t stop me, I tried another business and an MLM business also to no avail. Eventually, I got better. When my son was two years old, we relocated to Atlanta with my mom.

New to Metro Atlanta, we moved to the southside, but I got a job on the northside. That meant a two hour commute each way. I had never seen that much traffic in my life, but I stuck it out a few years. I used the time wisely to listen to my favorite Business Coach. Needless to say, I didn’t see my son much. Once he started complaining about it, I had to make some changes, so I quit my job and drove rideshare. It was one of my riders who encouraged me to start a business in Atlanta and told me how to go about it.  Riders also told me about courses I could take and other beneficial information. I took lots of notes and acted on their advice at the first opportunity.

 I was finally ready to start my business in Atlanta, but this time was different than my previous business fails. I was more informed and had a plan. Just when I was about to launch, the pandemic hit. My niche market was literally shut down. I had to start all over a few times trying to find a business direction that could thrive in a post-pandemic economy. There were times I felt like giving up, but I didn’t. I have always been resilient. When I’m knocked down, I bounce back.

My current business found me. It has been said that whatever you love doing for free is probably what you should be doing. For years, I had been giving business advice for free. Then, it dawned on me that I should become a Certified Entrepreneurship Coach. Now I am convinced that all of the roadblocks and failures along my path led me to here. I’m so glad I didn’t give up. This is where I belong.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When I started watching Shanel Cooper-Sykes and attended her classes, I learned how important your mindset is when it comes to business and everyday life. It made me assess my own mindset, unlearn some ideas that were passed down in my family and learn concepts that will take me where I want to go in business.

I was once a “Negative Nancy.” For years, I internalized just about every negative thing said or done to me in my life to the point where I started believing it myself. I walked around with negative thoughts hovering over me like a dark cloud. I complained a lot and spoke negatively almost daily. It became such a habit that I developed a negative mindset. Bad stuff kept manifesting and I wondered why. At the time, I didn’t know anything about the law of attraction. I was in my own way; my negative mindset and attitude were blocking my blessings.

That’s when I started reprogramming my mind by speaking positive affirmations over myself. I would look in the mirror and say to my inner child things I wish were told to me when I was younger. Gradually, my mindset began to change. This is still an ongoing process. In addition to positive affirmations, I am selective about everything I allow into my mind like what I watch, listen to or read. I also stay away from people who are like spiritual parasites that suck the life out of me.

At Pinnacle Digital Academy, we believe a positive mindset is the solid foundation your business should be built upon. All of the business savvy in the world is no substitute. If you believe in yourself and your business, others will do the same. That’s why we started our “No More” affirmation movement. “No More” represents a turning point where you make a commitment to stop doing something or do things differently. Instead of a bunch of sticky notes with affirmations written on them, you can have attention-getting affirmation products that are designed for you to affirm yourself and inspire others without saying a word.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pinnacleatl.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinnacle_atl

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