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

Laurel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

As a business owner, it’s no secret that some days can feel too much to handle. The responsibility of owning my own company has been an emotional rollercoaster. There have been moments when I’ve considered quitting, but then something in me stops and reminds me why I started this journey. When August 2021 rolled around, although nervous about the future of what was to come for my business, within six months, success found its way into play, with over $70K in revenue flowing through Queenly Consulting.

However, seasons change, and June 2022 brought a significant lifestyle change with my husband’s deployment to Kuwait. Going from two parents and partners caring for the house to single motherhood was rough. Juggling all duties – home life and business ambitions alike- wasn’t easy; staying strong in both aspects has tested me more than ever.

I often find the juggling act of work-life balance pretty tough, but I’m thankful for all the freedom and control that comes with being a business owner. Sure, it’s not always easy to manage everything – there are days when quitting seems like an attractive option! Even though responsibility can be challenging at times, I wouldn’t trade my current situation for anything else; it offers me so much flexibility in terms of both clients and time management.

I was totally thrown for a loop when one of my biggest clients shut its doors in January. They struggled juggling between running their company, working full-time (they had a great role that paid them exceptionally well), and being present for family – something I related to all too well! It got me thinking about how it would be so tempting (not to mention easier) if I could find a job that let me clock in and out without worrying about much else… but quitting wouldn’t get me where I wanted long term.

Quitting certainly seemed like the easy thing to do when facing the enormous challenge of finding a new client and replacing a massive income projection for 2023. Even though it felt daunting, there were moments when my heart raced just thinking about not being able to overcome this hurdle – what if all we had achieved so far was nothing more than luck? Luckily, with determination, courage, and a community of other business owners that continue to encourage me, I’m still here – but let me tell you: those thoughts can be overwhelming, even debilitating at times!

The reality is that I’ve never been the type of person to clock in and clock out. I’m the type of person who will always go above and beyond. I will proactively take on new projects to drive results, improve client experience, and create a space where employees feel seen, heard, and valued – never content with a void since it’s an opportunity for solutions! Most employers would jump at having me as their gold mine team member, someone they can quickly promote or give additional responsibility to. But why do all that work when instead I can build my own empire? I’ve become spoiled. Freedom is a core value of mine. I want every situation approached from a place of I decide–I don’t want to be limited by anyone else’s pre-set parameters.

Laurel, 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?

II’m a business growth strategist passionate about helping people achieve real, sustainable success. I don’t believe in positioning unrealistic expectations or lackadaisical services. After leaving my corporate role as VP of Business Development to prioritize work-life balance for myself and others, I founded Queenly Consulting with the mission of providing healthy movement in businesses – meaning strategies that are not only financially feasible but also within reasonable time constraints.

At Queenly Consulting, we provide quality business development and marketing services to be attainable for small businesses through a mix of done-for-you, done-with-you, and done-by-you strategies that allow us to work with even the smallest budgets.

We offer three services: start-up consulting (strategic marketing plans, offer development, and message distribution strategies) and project-based marketing (event marketing, email marketing, social media management, and paid advertising). We can also step in as your fractional CMO, providing all the above and more.

One thing that is important to know is that we operate under a statement of faith even though we are a for-profit company. Our core values position us to work with businesses that want to integrate faith into their messaging and brand. Not only does this guide us in serving people well, but it also sets a high expectation of what you’re going to get and how you will be treated when working with our company. It’s something we’re authentically passionate about that many marketing agencies aren’t able or willing to do.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

I have one client that has been a considerable part of Queenly Consulting with continued success over the past year.

In October 2021, I took a few days off from growing my newly founded business to attend a Christian business expo in Central Florida with this Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce. In most breakout sessions, you’re sitting in your listening to the speaker; however, this particular speaker, David Prosper, made us interact with one another, ask questions, and we got to know each other. It just so happened that I was connected with the President of a locally-based national nonprofit that worked with troubled teens.

I had no idea they were hiring, but we instantly connected. Most people don’t know this, but I had a rough time growing up, and I often use my testimony and what I walked through as a teenager to encourage other young women to pursue their God-given callings. Their mission instantly struck a chord in my heart.

We exchanged information, and I went to their location for a visit to learn more. When they expressed they were looking for a Marketing Director, I knew that this was my opportunity to be bold. I knew there was going to be a lot of building up. So from a place of boldness, I let them know I didn’t want to be an employee, but I would be able to get everything they needed to be done monthly on a part-time, contract basis. There was some back-and-forth for a few weeks, but the next thing you knew, Queenly Consulting had landed our first $30,000 plus client a year. I absolutely fell in love with what they were doing and knew I could bring a fresh perspective and a new audience into the already great program they had been running for years.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Simple, old fashion, in-person networking.

So many people will tell you to go digital that it will expand your reach. Many people solely invest in digital communities and must remember that incredible things are happening right around the corner from where they live.

There will always be a place for digital, especially from an overarching perspective. However, digital marketing will never replace the value of what is built knee to knee. This is one of the reasons we shifted from just being a digital marketing agency to a business development firm. It takes both to be successful.

Whether I am teaching a marketing class to small business owners or attending a professional networking event, my highest conversion rate is from people who have been allowed to “know, like, and trust” me in real life!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.queenlyconsulting.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queenlyconsulting.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queenlyconsulting.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurelordonez/

Image Credits
Landen Connor, Gladys Garcia, Orange County Mayors Office