We were lucky to catch up with Heather Russell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Heather, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.
Feeling grateful for the five year break I had bought myself after a decade long career in the cellular industry, I knew it was time for my next business endeavor. I was still co-owner in a dance studio and taking on various passion projects, while my main focus was taking care of my special needs daughter and getting to know myself. After five years, my finances were running low and I was feeling restless and bored intellectually. I had grown enough in myself care routine to know that I wasn’t interested in going back to a 24/7 situation. I was adamant about keeping the ability to work from home and be in charge of my schedule. Being emotionally available to be present for my special needs daughter was my number one priority and I had learned that to do that meant having the time and energy to take care of myself. No more sacrificing a movement routine or eating well. No more allowing work to consume my thoughts. I knew I was looking to create a six-figure income working twenty hours a week or less.
After meditating on this and becoming clear about what my boundaries were, I wrote out what I considered to be my strengths. I was very specific about gaining clarity around what skills I had that I thought provided the most value. I didn’t worry or even think about what my title had been, or work experience and I didn’t put together a resume. I focused on where I had found enjoyment and satisfaction in my work. Where had I made a real tangible difference?
It was at this time that I thought about how others perceive me and how the marketplace is really what decides the value of something. With those thoughts in mind, I decided to create a survey about myself. I sent it to previous employees, current employees and to people in the community who I had worked on local projects with. I told them all that I was really looking for their most honest and direct feedback about myself and would they please be willing to write exactly what they thought about their experiences with me and any impact I had on them.
Looking back I can see how unique this idea was and yet at the time, it seemed logical and I didn’t even think twice about sending them out. My plan was to gather the results and look for patterns in the information. I assumed that there would be groupings of similar information that I would then take and compare to what I knew about the people completing the survey. My goal was to be able to identify the traits about myself that others found to be valuable. I was hoping for clues about services that I could provide that would positively impact others. I figured I could take these ideas and then start building business ideas around my non-negotiables and these concepts.
To my surprise, I didn’t have to look for a pattern. Everyone of the surveys came back with the same answer. I was taken aback and beyond grateful for the clarity. Every survey, regardless of the relationship or length of time spent working with them, shared that I had created in them self-awareness. I had helped them understand the connection between their own behaviors and their frustrations, helping them understand what changes to make in order to achieve the results they wanted. After that, many of the surveys talked about how I helped them become more confident in having their own ideas and to be clear about their goals.
After reading the responses, I realized that this was really me. Regardless of the role that I had in interacting with any of these individuals, my conversations always led to the same place because that was the place of my core identity and curiosities. I truly believe that we are all capable of living whatever kind of life we want to live and that with awareness of where we are at and awareness of where we want to be, we can create a strategic path between those points.
And thus, Onward Endeavors was born. A business dedicated to strategic development for individuals and business owners so they can live the life they desire.
I knew this was worthwhile because of how heartfelt the survey responses were. I knew I could do it because it’s exactly what I had been doing under the guise of community networker or boss or mentor. This meant I could simply cut out the other titles and be the person that others came to for development.
What got me most excited was realizing that I provided value to others simply by being myself. This meant that I absolutely could build a business while taking care of myself and my daughter.
Heather, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am Heather Russell. Owner of Onward Endeavors and I take people from where they are to where they want to be. My business provides self-directed programs for individuals looking to gain clarity and confidence around their life goals and direction. We also provide group and individual consulting and coaching services for self-employed people looking to become business owners. For select clients, we provide “Drop-In CEO” services where we provide hands on leadership for companies while training their leaders to get the results they are looking for.
Some common problems we solve for individuals – the feeling that they aren’t living up to their potential, lack of motivation, constant frustration from not achieving goals, feeling like they are stuck and obsessing over what they need to do differently without actually taking action. Real client results include; Promotions, career changes, starting a business, selling a business, improved relationships with family, happiness with self, receiving raises, enjoying life and feeling excited about the future
Some common problems we solve for business owners – We help business owners make more money in less time so they stop overworking and underpaying themselves. We help business owners become leaders so they can build engaged teams and stop wasting time and money on turn over. We help business owners embrace automation and technology so they can cut costs and save time. We help business owners create an operational structure that emulates their personal values while making the most of their teams and resources.
I am most proud of how our work impacts the lives of those we work with. All our clients report improved relationships with their spouses, children and families. They are able to pay off their debt, pay off their mortgages, travel, lose weight, take up hobbies and like themselves when they look in the mirror. Our clients are happy to get out of bed and contribute to the world. When we work with someone, everyone in their life benefits and that is an impact that we feel great about.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson that I had to learn is that what creates your initial success will not be what sustains your success. Every new level of life and business requires new skills and new ways of thinking. Learning to grow quickly and sustainably means recognizing when you have to change or grow again. I had gotten to a certain level of success in my previous work because I was a hard worker. I showed up and did what needed to be done. This will help anyone stand out and make progress because most people just don’t show up. It isn’t sustainable and you can only achieve so much through your own efforts. Learning that my true value was in my ability to think, I had to learn to give myself time to think. I had to stop thinking that staying busy was the same as getting things done. I had to let go of my identity as a hard worker so I could embrace being a leader.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I am congruent. Everything I share or coach on, I live by. My clients very quickly get to know me and they see that I live what I teach. They see that I prioritize my family and my health WHILE, having a business and reaching my goals. They get to see me regulate my emotions and utilize emotional intelligence and awareness in real time leadership. I am not perfect so when I forget something or when something doesn’t turn out the way I expected it to, my clients watch me handle these moments the same way that I tell them to. This builds trust and means that the reputation I build is consistent.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.onward-endeavors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onward.endeavors/ https://www.instagram.com/itsheatherrussell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsHeatherRussell
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-russell-01502581/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2rENK1P0KtaWxUP4nFWtw
Image Credits
Dan Cappellazzo Jered Duda