We were lucky to catch up with Karen Yankovich recently and have shared our conversation below.

Karen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

During my career, I often found myself the only woman at the table was me and I learned fast that if I was going to have a say, I needed to come across as confident, even when I wasn’t. When I began my current business, I realized that many women did not get the same sort of work environment. Because of that, the typical advice for building a business, usually aimed at men, didn’t fit us.

The hustle, cold call 100 people a day culture turns most women off. It works because it’s a numbers game. You hit that many people, you’ll eventually find some that fit. But why? Why focus only on quantity? Why not make it a quality game?

Women tend to be connectors, having a large network of friends, colleagues and classmates along the way. Why not focus on them? Why not take the time to research and build genuine connections with people you want to work with, without having to weed out those that don’t fit? That is the core of the She’s LinkedUp program.

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.

I began my working life in tech, in the hustle, ‘move fast and break things’ world. As a minority in that world, I found my voice and my confidence. I used it to leave that world behind to start two businesses, both focused on marketing.

I’ve spent a great portion of my business life focusing on men and their businesses, but in my own companies and in my work for others, but as I’ve moved forward, I’ve seen a real need to help women.

LinkedIn is a tool, that’s all, but it’s one that I believe in, particularly for women. One that can help you build your business into the seven figure realm. Overlaying the PR strategies accelerates the timeline. I want there to be wealthy women of influence in the world, fast. I want them to use their money to make a difference in the world.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve actually gone from side hustle to my own business, back to working a full-time gig, and then back to a side hustle. It seems that I’m often pulled to do something on the side.

Back in 2000, I closed a social media company I owned and went to work for one of my clients. It was a great job with lots of vacation time, wonderful benefits and an impressive salary. In many ways it was ideal, except for the hour commute each way in New York traffic and the fact that, at heart, it wasn’t where I wanted to be. And I looked around for someplace else to focus my talents.

Like many with a side hustle, my current one started out helping a friend with her marketing. She referred me to other authors who needed help launching their books. I kept coming back, again and again, to LinkedIn, getting a reputation as an expert. When my vacation days got used up by June due to my speaking engagements, I knew it was time to make a leap.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I focus on building relationships, and that includes with journalists and PR professionals. I call it magnetic marketing. Instead of chasing them, I engage them honestly and build relationships.

I read their articles and listen to podcasts and work to make a real connection with them. It sounds simple, paying a compliment for good work, but it happens rarely and is always appreciated. Luckily, many journalists and PR people are on LinkedIn. A post with their name in the tag is a simple way to introduce yourself.

I know that is sounds too good to be true, but it’s in line with my focus on simple heart-based marketing that has got me and my students results.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://KarenYankovich.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/karenyankovich
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/karenyankovich
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/karenyankovich
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenyankovich
• Youtube: https://Yyoutube.com/karenyankovich1
• Other: https://GoodGirlsGetRich.com