We were lucky to catch up with Sheri Colaluca recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sheri, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I think most business owners have this thought regularly. Owning your own business comes with no guarantees, set paycheck, or paid vacation. There is a constant need for new business/ clients, keeping the existing ones happy, and planning to add/edit the current business level. What is not enough? What is too much? But when I sit down and look at the options, I’d work for myself any day before working for someone else. I have complete control of my destiny, and though it can be stressful at times, it’s an absolutely fantastic feeling.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

At 49, I found myself in a new place, recently separated from a 20-plus year marriage with empty nesting right around the corner. Like many women in my generation, I gave up a career to stay home and raise two exceptional children. I lived what most perceived as the perfect life; a successful husband, a lovely home, children in private schools, and a large social group of friends. Something was always missing; I wanted to be more than a mom and wife; I yearned to do and be more. I temporarily filled this void with various part-time ventures, including designing, manufacturing, and selling a unique line of children’s clothing, JustAlike. Though these ventures were a good distraction, I never felt stretched out of my comfort zone. As my children aged out of the clothing line, I moved on to represent a women’s direct sell line called Etcetera, where I dressed a select group of women, including women executives, council women, professional athlete’s wives, and women lawyers. I created solid relationships and trust among these women for over ten years.

So, I made a leap of faith, left my very comfortable life, and moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Addison. It was exhilarating and frightening at the same time. As the days turned into weeks, I contemplated what now? I am 49 years old; how do I re-invent myself and start a career now? Who would hire me? I took this as a challenge! I hired two career coaches to help me take my 25 years of life experiences and part-time careers and turn them into work experiences. I started networking and talking to friends about my ideas and skill set, and in a short time, I convinced a friend to bring me on as their Marketing director.
The one hiccup was that it was in the medical industry. I knew absolutely nothing about the medical industry! So I followed the old saying, “Fake it until you make it.” I did what I learned. I believed in myself! I looked at the medical field in terms of marketing as not different than any other field; there are needs to be met and choices on who or what meets those needs. What I had always done well in my past careers and volunteer venture was to figure out what/whom I was representing and what was the best strategy for my audience’s needs, and I was passionate and relentless about meeting those needs. This approach worked; the clients serviced listened to my input, trusted my judgment, and we succeeded. It shocked me how these brilliant, well-educated clients had little knowledge or experience in marketing, sales, and business development. I was the expert in their eyes. It was terrific; the sense of accomplishment had been missing for over 20 years.

Two years into this venture, I found myself in a dilemma. I was basically a one-woman show: acquiring clients, working the contract, and maintaining the relationships. There was no growth opportunity. I wanted to grow but was not able to without bringing on more people, but I couldn’t afford it. In the fall of 2021, an opportunity presented itself to take on a start-up that would be the most significant account I had ever contracted. A close friend had just made a career change and was looking for a new opportunity, so I hired her, and we began working to build Colaluca Marketing. So in In January of 2022, I left my current position and officially launched Colaluca Marketing Services. Fortunately, my existing clients stayed with me, and we added new clients quickly. We added staff, juggled clients adding and losing, and gradually began to grow.

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

When I entered the medical marketing scene, I had no reputation in the industry, but I had connections in other sectors. So I leveraged those connections to fill gaps where I lacked industry-specific experience. I worked hard to find ways to enhance relationships and to look for a benefit for everyone involved, and I delivered what I promised, which does not sound like something unique, but as I learned very quickly, there’s much dishonesty in the medical community. Being honest, transparent, and hard-working made me unique, and my reputation grew.

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

Two years after joining a medical consulting group, I faced a dilemma. I was basically a one-woman show: acquiring clients, working the contract, and maintaining the relationships. There was no growth opportunity. I wanted to grow but was not able to without bringing on more people, but I couldn’t afford it. In the fall of 2021, an opportunity presented itself to take on a start-up that would be the most significant account I had ever contracted. A close friend had just made a career change and was looking for a new opportunity, so I hired her, and we began working to build Colaluca Marketing. So in In January 2022, I left my current position and officially launched Colaluca Marketing Services. Fortunately, my existing clients stayed with me, and we added new clients quickly. We added staff, juggled clients adding and losing, and gradually began to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.colalucamarketing.com
• Instagram: colalucamarketing
• Facebook: Colalucamktg
• Linkedin: sheri-colaluca

Image Credits
Wext Marketing