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

Julia, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I began my journey as a Business Coach while still working full-time in the marketing industry. Before I ever sold a service, I focused on establishing my personal brand and positioning myself as an authority in the marketing and business space.

My career was thriving then —I had the privilege of working with award-winning companies, served as the Director of Marketing at a major web development agency, and held a position as a Marketing Growth Manager for a tech company catering to Fortune 500 brands. I spoke at events and actively built a reputation – which helped to establish me as a thought leader before ever selling anything.

My first paid offer was an in-person workshop held before the pandemic. The ticket price was modest, about $30 for a full-day workshop, just enough to cover my expenses. After delivering substantial value during the event, I launched my first high-ticket coaching program—a Mastermind for women in business. The following week I had a number of discovery calls, and within just five days, I had sold out the entire group!

So establishing my authority was the first step, then having a free/ low ticket offer with a lot of value, to finally launch a high-ticket/ high value program was my path to selling my first coaching program. Of course this is not a formula for all, there can be different paths for different businesses, but it’s how it worked out for me.

Julia, 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’m a Holistic Business Coach, Marketing Strategist, speaker, and wellness practitioner dedicated to helping purpose-driven folks to build the career, business, and life of their dreams without sacrificing their well-being.

During my 12+ year corporate career as a digital marketer, I had the opportunity to work with award-winning B2B, B2C, agency, and technology companies. On paper, my career was impressive, but I began to feel a lack of deeper meaning. That’s when I started contemplating a reinvention.

I realized that while my career provided me with invaluable knowledge and experience in marketing and business, my heart was no longer in the execution. I still loved the strategy side, but I was no longer inspired by helping established corporations grow their millions. I found myself drawn to supporting small businesses on their journeys. That’s when the shift began.

When I first attempted to start my own business in 2017, I was deeply entrenched in hustle culture, working all hours with a “work while they sleep” mentality. I built enough momentum to quit my job, and while I was proud of that achievement, I eventually burned out and suffered from severe anxiety.

My health declined to the point where I decided to step away from the business I had built and return to corporate life. During this time, I focused on my health and well-being until I felt ready to relaunch my business. In late 2019, I did just that—but this time, I was determined to build something from a place of alignment.

That’s how I started my coaching practice to support women in launching and growing profitable businesses while taking care of themselves, so they didn’t have to go through the burnout/ stress/ anxiety that I experienced (and that many business owners do). I made self-care and mental health a core part of my routine, embedding these practices into the foundation of how I manage my business.

Even in a culture that glorifies hustle, I learned that it’s possible to build a satisfying career or business with mindfulness, intuition, and intention at the center.

As my coaching practice evolved, I sought out new techniques and approaches to support my clients beyond marketing and strategy. This journey led me to explore neuroscience and spirituality, which inspired me to add “Holistic” to my title as a Business Coach. The holistic aspect of my practice emphasizes unique modalities that address the emotional side of the equation alongside the strategic side of running a business or building a career.

I am a Certified Mindset Coach and use brain-based techniques to support deep, subconscious-level mindset work. I’m also a practitioner of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT/Tapping), Reiki, and I’m a Certified Trauma of Money™ Coach. I’m passionate about continuing my education to bring the best tools and techniques to support my clients.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

One thing I’ve learned in business is that to build a predictable cash flow, you need to diversify your client sources. Relying on just one main source of clients, as many do when starting out, can be risky. Whether it’s referrals, networking events, or social media, the key is to create an engine that’s constantly attracting, nurturing, and converting clients from various channels.

Every business is different, and your approach will depend on your target audience. As a Holistic Business Coach, I’ve found that a combination of the following strategies has been particularly effective for me:

– Speaking engagements, hosting workshops, webinars, and similar events
– Social media (mostly Instagram)
– Email marketing
– SEO
– Referrals

This mix ensures a steady flow of clients, each coming from different sources, which is crucial for sustained growth.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

In my first year of running my business full-time, I faced a major challenge. After leaving my corporate job on July 31, 2021, I encountered my first business scare in December. I had zero clients that month and no clear prospects for the new year. The thought crossed my mind that I might not make it and would need to return to a traditional job. But I quickly pushed that thought aside and focused on changing my reality.

Even though I was filled with fear and discouragement, I did two things that helped me turn things around:

First, I worked on my mindset. Despite feeling helpless, I intensified my meditation practices and listened to positive affirmations multiple times a day, including before bed. I listened to them even while doing dishes, drying my hair, literally all the time…

Second, I kept showing up and doing the work every single day, even when my confidence was low. I focused my energy on maintaining a positive mindset and getting the work done, one step at a time.

When January arrived, I closed more business in one week than I used to earn in a whole month at my corporate job. This experience repeated itself years later when another dip in business ended up fueling one of my most successful months. I used this same approach, and it worked!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.juliafalci.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliafalci/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliasousa/