We were lucky to catch up with Koree Ritter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Koree, appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

The story of starting my own business isn’t a glamorous one. I didn’t grow up dreaming of being an entrepreneur or envisioning my life as a CEO. I’ve always been fascinated by the detail and strategy of creating and running a business (I could binge-watch Shark Tank all day), but I never dreamed that it would actually be me doing it. Early in my career journey, I channeled my passions and talents into a traditional career path after college — spending over a decade working a 9-5 job in Strategy and Project Management in creative marketing and advertising agencies. I absolutely loved what I did and the people I had the privilege to work with (and for) along the way. It wasn’t until my husband and I started growing our family that I started feeling this nudge to have a little more flexibility with my time so I could be more present for my kids and get more involved in their daily lives. But like I said, I loved what I was doing, I was ambitious in my career, I was fulfilled professionally (which I truly believe makes me a more well-rounded person, mom, friend, wife, etc), and I’m more of a “don’t fix what’s not broken” kind of person … so I never imagined leaving the corporate life for the entrepreneurship world.

Fast forward to 2019, when the marketing agency I was working for unexpectedly closed. It was an emotional whirlwind, but as I look back, it was the push I needed to breathe life into the idea that had been sitting in the back of my brain for a bit — to take a shot at freelancing. To keep doing what I loved and helping people who needed it, but to have more time flexibility for my family. That pivotal moment brought me to where I am now — running a successful business while also having the flexibility I so desperately craved.

The journey to get here wasn’t full of unicorns as daisies, but I learned some important lessons along the way. So as I look back knowing what I know now, there are certainly a few pieces of advice I would have told my naïve (and scared, and perfectionistic, and self-doubting … you get the drift) entrepreneur self. I wouldn’t necessarily do these things differently because my journey has led me to where I am today, and I’ve learned so many valuable lessons along the way that I’m eternally grateful for. But if I met someone who was in my 2019 shoes — getting ready to take a leap of faith and start their own business — there are a few critical pieces of advice I would certainly share based on my experience.

A few things I wish I knew when I started:
1. Learn to say no — This is one of the most important things I learned a long the way. I was incredibly blessed that my business grew very organically. One conversation led to another, which led to a referral, which led to a client, which led to another client … and so on. But in that process, I fell into the “I should say yes to everything because every opportunity is a good opportunity, right?” trap. And in that process, I ended up taking on clients that weren’t a great fit for me, doing work that wasn’t in my core skillset, and running myself into the ground in the process. And before I knew it, the time flexibility I wanted when I started my business was out the window. I was exceeding every single one of my revenue goals and had a 6-figure business in year 2, but I working around the clock and running myself into the ground in the process. So I wish I could go back and tell myself that saying “no” isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes saying “no” opens up better doors and new opportunities that are more in alignment with your values and your mission. So stop living in a scarcity mindset and be confident saying “no” when something doesn’t align.

2. Be confident in who you are and what you bring to the table — This goes hand in hand with feeling confident in saying “no”. Know your skillset — what you’re good at, AND what makes you happy — and be confident in that. Own what you bring to the table and confidently communicate how that can serve your potential clients. Because when you’re confident, your clients and customers will feel that. And when you’re confident in what you do best, it becomes easier to say “no” to the opportunities that don’t align … which allows you to build a business based on your unique talents.

3. Stop comparing your success to other people — This is another big piece of advice I wish I knew when I started. It took me a while to learn, and I still struggle with imposter syndrome to this day. When I started my business, it seemed like everyone around me was talking about revenue. The only success metric I heard industry leaders talk about was your annual revenue — how quickly can you hit 6 figures, how can you have 5-figure months, how can you scale faster, get bigger, etc. etc. I’m a naturally ambitious person, so a 6-figure business is what I set my sights on. I figured that if I hit 6 figures, that would make me “successful”. It drove my decision-making (hence advice #1 and #2 above), and I spent more time focusing on my revenue than I did on anything else. And when I hit that goal, I realized it wasn’t nearly as fulfilling as I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong, it felt like a wonderful accomplishment that I was incredibly proud of. But I also found myself looking around me at my life, acutely aware of the implications of measuring my success based on other peoples. I was working non-stop, running myself ragged, and taking time away from my kids and family in the process. I distinctly remember hitting my breaking point one evening late in Year 2 of my business when I realized that I couldn’t keep working at this pace and that revenue goals weren’t my only metric for success. So in Year 3 of my business, I learned how to say “no”, and focused on balance over revenue. I scaled back, which was hard for the driven and ambitious part of my personality … but I also realized that having time for the people I love was a much better success metric for me. So instead of focusing on the goals that other people have for their business, I try to hold myself accountable to being constantly mindful that my version of success in this stage of my life, might look different than other people … and that’s okay.

4. Strategy first, execution second — Throughout my career, I’ve always led brand strategy and marketing strategy for my agency clients. But for some reason, when I started my own business, I dove straight into execution. I didn’t take the time to flesh out my own brand strategy, business strategy, marketing strategy, etc. I just instantly jumped into “how can I help you” mode for all of the client leads that came my way. As I look back, I realize that it was difficult for me to say “no” because I didn’t have my own brand strategy or business strategy to fall back on. I was reactive based on client needs because I didn’t have a firm grasp for who I was, what I stood for, and what I brought to the table. And now that I’m a few years into my entrepreneurship journey, I realize this is something a lot of service providers struggle with. Because our brand is largely based on us as people, it’s hard to articulate our strategy — especially our brand strategy. But brand strategy was what I did my whole career … so why didn’t I take the time to do it for myself when I started? It would have made my journey so much clearer. Honestly, I think I needed to learn the hard way, so I could then channel that experience into how I serve my clients how. So if I could go back and have a pep talk with my early entrepreneur self, I’d say to take the time upfront to reflect on my own brand strategy. To define the core elements of how I want to serve people — my mission, my values, my differentiator, my audience — and then use that to guide everything I do. To focus on the core strategic elements of my business first before jumping headfirst into execution.

5. Progress over perfection — This might not apply to all business owners, but certainly for me — a Type A perfectionist — I wish I could go back and encourage my early entrepreneur self to not be afraid to take messy action. That you don’t have to have it all figured out from the start. That sometimes perfection is the enemy of the good, and often times, the lessons you learn along the way through messy action are invaluable in getting you to where you want to be. So often, especially when we compare ourselves to others, we feel like we have to “have it all figured out” in order to be a respected business owner. But throughout my experience, I’ve realized that the most vulnerable business owners are really the most successful. The ones who are willing to move forward and course correct along the way are the ones who are learning the most and growing the most in the process. And the ones who pretend to have it all together all the time — the ones who have a perfect social media presence and make it all look easy — that’s not always real life. So stop expecting the journey to be perfect, and be okay with progress and growth over perfection.

6. Think of yourself as a business owner — This might sound trite, but it’s a powerful mindset thing I’ve learned through my journey. When I started, I often referred to my business as “just some freelancing … nothing big”. And I learned along the way that that mindset was holding me back. Not stepping into my role as a business owner was keeping me from leaning into this new journey with confidence. So even if you’re a brand new entrepreneur who is “just freelancing” … shifting that mindset to “I’m starting my own business serving X people doing Y thing” can be a powerful move to help you share your business with confidence, build new relationships, and take an active leadership role in the growth of your business.

There are probably a ton more things I’ve learned along the way that I wish I could go back and share with myself early in my journey. But overall, I’m grateful I didn’t have it all figured out when I started. I’ve learned so much along the way that has shaped who I am today, but these are certainly a few of the top pieces of advice I’ve learned that I would share with any new entrepreneur.

Koree, 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?

Hi y’all, I’m Koree — a Brand Strategy + Marketing Planning Consultant.

I help purpose-driven business owners take action on their marketing ideas and grow their business with confidence and clarity.

By working with business owners as their strategic marketing consultant, I provide the collaboration and planning support they need to define their brand and optimize their marketing efforts. Through a unique integration of in-depth strategy, creative problem-solving, and detailed marketing planning, we work together to bring their ideas to life and create the impact they’ve always dreamed of. Together, we take their business to the next level, without all the overwhelm.

I do what I do so I can help other business owners create more good in the world.
I know there are so many business owners out there with purpose, passion, and untapped potential. They’re good people doing great work to make a meaningful impact on those around them. They have amazing ideas and a vision for their business that they know they’re capable of, but they’re not sure how to get there without stalling out — or burning out — in the process. If they just had someone in their corner who could help them put the pieces together and take action on their ideas, they know they’d be unstoppable. They’d finally be able to live out their dream and serve more people. That’s where I come in. I bring my agency background and professional expertise to serve these business owners in a unique way. My integration of in-depth brand strategy and detailed marketing planning means they can finally exhale, knowing they’re fully supported. They can take action with confidence and clarity, and together we can bring their dream vision to life.

I started my business in 2019 when the marketing agency I had been working at for quite some time unexpectedly closed. It was sudden, shocking, and heart wrenching. But now that I look back, I realize that it was also an incredible blessing in disguise.

I loved what I was doing — blending strategy, project management, and client support — for a variety of clients from big pharma, to higher education, to non-profits and small start-ups. And I still had a lot of ambition and a passion for helping others. But I also had this gut feeling that my career path forward might be a bit different than I expected. So, I listened to the tiny voice in my head saying “What if you tried something different and gave it a shot on your own?” and I took a giant leap of faith. It was exhilarating and terrifying (after all, I’m a 2 on the Kolbe Quickstart scale) … and Koree Ritter Consulting was born.

Supporting others through my own business has allowed me to fulfill my mission of building relationships with amazing, kind, and purpose-driven people while using my skills in creative, unique ways.

Now, I’m able to bring an integrated agency-style approach to business owners in a holistic way that blends creative collaboration, marketing planning, brand strategy, and project management. So, you get the agency-style support, without the big-ticket agency price tags.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

If I could sum up my business growth into one word, it would be “relationships”. I’ve been blessed that my business has grown organically — one conversation led to the next, one referral led to another, and so on. But from the start, the relationships I have with my clients has been one of my highest priorities. It’s important for me to work with people who share similar values — honesty, grace, relationships, collaboration. So when I have a conversation with a potential new client, I’m not only looking to make sure my skillset matches their needs, but I’m also looking to make sure the softer side of our personalities align too. Because I’ve found that the best business relationships (which lead to the best long-term clients and also the best referrals) tend to come from people I’m highly in alignment with. When I started my business, I fell into the trap of thinking I had to market myself like everyone else — heavy social media presence, paid efforts, spammy emails. But that didn’t feel in alignment with me or the type of clients I wanted to attract. So I finally allowed myself to let go of some of those perceptions of success and I focused on building my business in a way that supports how I want to grow and the vision I have — and that’s all centered on great relationships with great people who are out there doing great work. And when I finally gave myself permission to market and grow my business in a different way, it unlocked a level of fulfillment and success I never thought possible.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Starting my business was the biggest pivot I’ve made thus far in my career. I never imagined being a business owner, but it’s been the biggest unexpected blessing (and the biggest pivot) of my life.

I was over a decade into my career working for advertising agencies when suddenly and very unexpectedly—the agency I was with (where I had been the majority of my career and loved like family) announced that it would be closing its doors. Not in a month. Or in a week. But in a day.

Coming into work ready to hit the ground running on a Monday morning, to then be packing everything up and losing a job you love the very next day what a brutal shock to the system. Especially since the reason the agency was closing was a devastatingly emotional one, so it rocked my world both personally and professionally.

It took a little while for the emotional dust to settle after the closing, and I honestly wasn’t sure what I wanted my next step to be. I had 3 little kids at home, and was feeling this tug in my heart for more flexibility in whatever I did next. I let myself have a little time to process and figure things out before I stepped back into another job. And during that time, I started noticing this unmistakable feeling in my gut. This little voice saying “what if your next step looks different than you thought? … what if there’s something different that can give you the balance you’re looking for?” I prayed. I researched. I prayed some more.

I thrive on planning and clarity and am basically the opposite of a risk-taker, so I’d gotten pretty good at just ignoring those tiny tugs. But something was telling me this situation was my big push to pivot and step out into something completely different.

So, one evening I was sitting on the couch with my husband after we put the kids to bed, & I just blurted out “I don’t think I want to go back to another full-time agency job. Something in my gut is saying I should try something else. That maybe I should try freelancing.”

Breathing life into that idea was mildly terrifying for me — especially since I had absolutely no plan and no idea what to do next. It felt scary, overwhelming, and unknown.

But my husband looked me straight in the ideas, and without even hesitating, he said “Let’s do it.”

Long story short … I took a leap of faith & started Koree Ritter Consulting.
One opportunity led to another. One referral led to the next.
I kept challenging myself to follow my faith and trust my gut every step of the way.
I also kept reminding myself to not take this journey for granted.

As I look back now, I realize that while this might not look like a monumental pivot to most people, it was a huge shift for me and my family. It’s been an incredible journey — one with new challenges, new adventures, new learning curves, and new blessings. But I now realize this is exactly the path I was supposed to be on.

That pivot gave me the opportunity to do what I love, but on my own terms. I’m helping people, channeling my passion, continuing to learn & grow, while also getting to make space & time for precious moments with my family.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.koreeritter.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koreeritterconsulting/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/koreeritterconsulting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/koree-ritter-consulting

Image Credits
Photography by Melinda Winkler, Does.co