the bossbabe podcast - 202. I Made $600k By Joining A $29 A Month Membership

Episode Date: January 25, 2022

Are you a solo entrepreneur craving community and connection to hit your business goals?  We get it! WFH + Zoom fatigue can be an isolating combo when you're navigating the stressful world of entrepreneurship alone.  It's precisely what inspired this week's guest, Hollie Clarke, to join The Société in 2018. In this episode, she shares how membership and participation helped her shift from running a side hustle to being a 6-figure queen. From honing in on her unique skill set and meeting her business bestie to making $600,000 in the first year of business, Hollie is proof that you are the sum of who you surround yourself with. The best part is, there is nothing stopping you from doing the same! Are you ready to leap into your greatness and surround yourself with ambitious go-getters who can propel you to new unimaginable new heights? Tune in to hear how The Société is the career + community upgrade you’ve been looking for. Listen now! Highlights: The ONE thing that took Hollie from $0 to $600K (and you can start doing it today) How I figured out what to look for in a co-founder, and where I eventually found her The $29 membership that changed the game for Hollie + what she did to specifically move the needle The main thing Hollie attributes to the change she made in her business (and how she did it) Links: Free Training: Your Ultimate Roadmap to Making Six Figures in 2022: https://bossbabe.com/ultimate-2022  Join The Société: https://bossbabe.com/The-Societe  Follow: BossBabe: @bossbabe.inc Natalie Ellis: @iamnatalie Danielle Canty: @daniellecanty Hollie Clarke: @hollieclarke + @herhq.co

I was unprepared for how cool it was going to be. As soon as I joined, I was like, wow. And I think because I had never joined any community or done anything online before, I think that's why I was so like, just taken aback at how cool it was and how so many people who were the same as me could be in one space.

I felt like I'd found my people. A boss babe is unapologetically ambitious and paves the way for herself and other women to rise, keep going and fighting on. She is on a mission to be her best self in all areas. It's just believing in yourself. Confidently stepping outside her comfort zone to create her own vision of success. Welcome to the Boss Babe podcast, the place where we share with you the real behind the scenes of building successful businesses, achieving peak performance and learning how to bounce it all. I'm Danielle Canty, co-founder and president of Boss Babe and your host for this week's episode. Now you'll hear Natsy and I talk about our no fluff, no BS approach to doing

business. We really pride ourselves in creating trainings that deliver and get right to the point and that you can actually go away and implement and receive the impact of. And we also believe that in all of our programs. So as you guys know, we have the society, our membership, we have Influencer School, we have IIK, we have a ton. And I think it's going to help you move the needle in business. We have it and we want to be the place that you come to. So it's really an honor to actually have one of our long time students on here today, Holly Clark. And I'm really, really excited for you to hear her story because, you know, it's one thing as showcasing the results on testimonials or videos, but it's really another thing from hearing the story from her

and that's exactly what's going to happen in this episode you will hear how she not only decided to start a business for being a member of the society but she went on to grow the business with no spend on marketing whatsoever just from people referring and recommending her within the community, to meeting her business partner, to in their first year doing $600,000 together. Yes, you heard that right. We love our tagline to the society where female entrepreneurs connect, build, and grow. And Holly and her business partner, Chelsea, are really testament to that. So I'm really excited for you, not only to hear Holly's story about how she's utilized the society but also her journey because it really is remarkable

how she's gone from you know wanting to travel, sacking off her nine-to-five and really finding that it wasn't for her and how she's gone on to build a life that she really loves. So without Without further ado, let's dive in. So Holly, welcome to the Boss Babe podcast. Hey, thanks for having me. I'm so excited. heart because you are actually a founding member of the society, which is the first membership that Natty and I created together where female entrepreneurs connect, build, and grow. And for that, for the belief that you had in Natty and I, you'll have a very, very special place in my heart because that was back in 2018. Wow. Time has flown by. It really, really has. And I'm really excited to interview you today because I know that prior

to joining the society, you were very much like me, not a born entrepreneur. And ultimately, that was a path that kind of came upon you later and as you dove into the society. But also, the synergy is that you met your business bestie in the society. So I'm really, really excited to dive into that as well. But before we do, I just want to take you back for a moment and for you to tell us about where you were at in 2018, what your belief system was, where you thought you were heading, and then ultimately how that direction changed. Yeah. So wow, 2018 Holly was like very different to now. So I was not really born entrepreneur. I think I grew up and always, I didn't even realize, like, I guess, you know, that businesses exist obviously, but I never imagined that was like, for me, I just thought I'm gonna get a

good corporate job. I'm gonna climb the corporate ladder. I was ambitious, but in a corporate setting kind of ambitious. I really never envisioned anything else in my life other than that. I took a very traditional path of going to university and then getting jobs. So when I was at university, I then moved to LA for the summer. I'm definitely a bit of a risk taker. I felt like I had kind of nothing to lose when I grew up. Like I thought I don't have much. So all I can do is more and kind of go up from here. So I was definitely a risk taker. I moved to Australia when I was like 19 all by myself to study abroad at university. And I was like, what's the worst that can happen?

Like, it's going to be fine. And then moved to LA for the summers and lived in like a two bedroom apartment with 13 of us. It was so much fun and pushed me like out of my comfort zone to just like go have fun all the time. And yeah, it was, it was really cool. Me then, I was really in pursuit of like having a good career, but I also had like this travel bug inside of me that I knew I wanted to like explore the world, but I was very ambitious and wanted a career. So after I graduated, I traveled with my sister for like six months and then went and started working in corporate, worked at ASOS, as a buyer, worked at McCann and Saatchi and Saatchi in advertising and then sort of realized that although I liked it and I felt like I got one of those jobs that everyone thinks that you

should love and it's like the jobs I went to university for and kind of fits the mold of like a prestigious job from a great brand doing everything that I thought I wanted. But for some reason, I wasn't happy and I didn't enjoy it. And I didn't really understand why. And so me and my boyfriend at the time, now husband, Dominic, we decided, okay, let's go traveling again. So we packed our bags and went for nine months. So we saved up a ton and we didn't work the entire time for nine months and literally traveled all over the world. And it was amazing. But in the back of my head, I was really, I felt like I really felt the pressure of like the timeline thing. I know you and Natalie like did an episode all about this,

where you talk about just like the pressures of like society and timeline and feeling behind and I very much felt that I thought like you're you're gonna fail in life because you're like you're wasting time like how much how old were you at this age like 21 22 I'm asking because I know you were young and it's also crazy and I think there's so much pressure put on young women in their 20s let alone their 30s 40s and 50s and I think it's also crazy. And I think there's so much pressure put on young women in their 20s, let alone their 30s, 40s and 50s. And I think it's just part of like really being open and having that conversation that we all feel that. And that's one thing that I've definitely realized is that it's something that plagues

women in society generally, no matter what age they are. So realizing it, acknowledging it and then letting it go, I think is a lot of the paths that we can then take to free us from this burden of the time. But carry on. So you were feeling like you're traveling with your boyfriend all over, really enjoying that. But there was this nagging piece in the back of your head going, Holly. Yes. Look what all your friends are doing. They just got promotions. They're going to buy a house. You're 23. You're nearly going to be 24. Where's your life gone? What have you even achieved? What have you even accomplished? And at the same time, that was like my internal dialogue. But every time I'd meet someone, they'd say, Oh my God, you're so young. You've achieved so much.

Wow. That's so impressive. And it's so weird because internally, I feel like I just didn't accept that. I was like, no, no, no, you don't, you don't know me. You don't understand. Like I, I'm not living up to my full potential and there's so much more. And I think it's really easy to look at other people and think they have it all and they've got it all figured out and you have no idea what you're doing. What I came to learn later on in life is that everyone's just figuring it out and no one has any idea. But 24-year-old me didn't think that. So I went through that nine months being like, Oh my God, what am I going to do? Like I'm going on this epic nine month trip around the whole world that people would absolutely dream of. Yet in the back of my mind, I feel like I'm behind and wasting time.

And then I would feel guilty for feeling like that. Cause I'm like, but you know, and it was just a lot. So anyway, we then arrived in Australia. And we thought we're going to live here for a year, do the working holiday visa and just see what happens. And at that time, I was like, okay, well, I'm going to go and get one of the jobs at one of the big ad agencies because that's what I should do because I've got time. I need to catch up because I'm now a year behind everyone. But then actually, what ended up happening is... And I'm really grateful because I'm now like a year behind everyone. But then actually what ended up happening is... And I'm really grateful. I ended up finding a bunch of different jobs.

Because basically at this point, I had no money. Zero. Not even a penny. No money at all. So I was like, okay, I don't know that I have... The situation was desperate. Yes, the situation was desperate. So I got a bunch of jobs, like every job.

I worked at a pizza restaurant making pizzas. I worked at a tax office as a receptionist doing tax things. I also worked at a suit shop selling suits, men's suits. I did all the things. And I think I was always that person who had 100 jobs. I have like 2 or 3 part-time jobs all the time. So I think I just had a lot of different skills that were random that made it easy to get a job. We also did grape picking, which was for the visa, which was literally... We got paid $3 an hour to pick 20... It wasn't even an hour. It was $3 for every 20 kilos of grapes that we picked, which was great. That's probably the weirdest job I've ever done.

But through that, I then realized that there was kind of people doing stuff online. And basically, that's then when the society entered my life. So obviously, the society is going to come up in a second. But what was your impression of people working online? Did you think that... Was the variety of the industry known to you? Or did you think it was small niches that were able to monetize being online? I had no idea. The only way I thought you could make money online was if you're a travel blogger. And I was like, I don't really like writing, so I don't want to do that. And I didn't think there was anything else. Okay. I love this because obviously a lot of the people

listen to this podcast know for me, I was very similar as well. Like as a chiropractor, I had no idea of this online world. I'm like, what do you mean you can make money online? Like how, like, what do I have to do to be that? Do I have to just be an influencer and pose my butt? Like, you know, the fitness ones. I was like, is that what I have to do? Cause I was like, I'm not doing that. But then like you say, you enter this world and you realize like, particularly now, I think a lot of people have opened their eyes to it because of COVID, et cetera. And a lot of people are realizing how many more jobs can be done remotely. But at this point in 2018, you're right. It was pretty much unknown. So you saw the society advertised via our Boss Babe channel, Instagram account. And

were you like, oh my goodness, I'm going to join straight away? Or were you like, I'm really curious, actually, what was your motives behind finally signing up? Yeah. So I think like I, prior to then I, because in the ad agency, the weird thing was the ad agency hired freelancers, but I didn't really put it together that freelancers like have their own business and work for themselves and like have this freedom. I also didn't imagine freelance to work from anywhere else other than just like their home or like going into whatever office they were doing freelance work for. I don't know, like when I reflect back, it seems weird that I didn't make that connection, but I just didn't. So yeah. So when I kind of like got into the society, it was so eye opening, like so eye opening.

I couldn't even believe that there were all these people who were like me, who also wanted to like build a business that meant they had a bit more freedom. And it was just so cool to see. I, I don't think I was even like, I just didn't even know. I feel like you don't know what you don't know. I feel like I totally relate to like you struggling even to describe the community because the society is such a unique community of like, like-minded women who are super ambitious. Like they want to do something with their life. I think a lot of us have this also want for more freedom. I know certainly that's what I was looking for as well, location freedom.

And I think you relate to that as well. But you can't really describe the welcoming and the sense of belonging that you really get when you join it. And I can hear that in your voice. I don't even know how to describe this. It's just such a cool place, like seeing other women like me,

whereas perhaps like when you're in your general towns that you grow up in or your cities that you grow up in, it's really hard to like find those people. Like I have so many amazing friends that I went to school with, but I don't relate to them and their ambitions and what they're doing. And they don't relate to me and that's okay. But I was like, hang on, where do I find these people? So hearing you reflect back to me that that was also some of your experience is super, super cool. So you joined the society and let me just ask you this, was that like a no brainer decision or were you a little bit like all nervous to join? Like, is this going to be worth it? Like I think at that time it was like $29 a month.

Yeah. I mean, it wasn't much, I think because I'd had like a sneak peek of what you were building before and kind of knew like a bit about it and I'd like seen the material and worked on you know some like workbooks and design and things so I think for me it was like eye-opening and it was like no brainer like of course I'm going to join but I think even though I had some like behind the scenes knowledge I was unprepared for how cool it was going to be. Like, as soon as I joined, I was like, wow. And I think because I had never joined any community or done anything online before, I think that's why I was so like, just taken aback at how cool it was and how, how like so many people who were the same as me could be in one space. Like I'd never really experienced that before, you know, like going to university and you

willingly opt to put yourself in a position to do something that's quite niche and specific, but prior to doing anything niche specific, you, I don't know, you're kind of like surrounded by the world and the world is really different and has lots of differences in it. I don't know, you're kind of like surrounded by the world and the world is really different and has lots of differences in it. I don't know. Totally. So when you joined and you're seeing all these people that are like you, how did you then decide, okay, this is the business that I'm going to build? So I don't think I joined with the intention of knowing what business I was going to build. I think I just, I feel like I didn't have a goal. I, my goal really was to make some money and not maybe

have to go get a real job again. Cause for me, I'd worked and then quit and traveled and then worked and quit and traveled. And so it felt to me like start, start, stop, start, stop. And I felt like I was always torn between the two ideas. So I didn't know. And I didn't know how to like make a life that combined both where I didn't have to stop and start all the time and constantly choose. So really, to me, that was kind of what it was. And got in society, started meeting a bunch of different people, started really just connecting, networking, making friends. And for me, at first, I was just like a sponge. I just absorbed everything, learned as much as I could. I was just inquisitive all the time about what opportunities there were.

And then I think this is also sometimes underrated about telling other people what you're doing, because it can be scary. But in the suit shop, this is how I got my first, I don't know, kind of more like proper client. And so I was in the suit shop. One of the boys I worked with, his mom was starting a business. And it was like a water bottle business. And we were just chatting and as you do, and I was telling him about... I was doing design. I was doing design work. And that's what I'd done at uni. And I was just starting to figuring it out. And he was like, Oh, I think my mom needs someone like that. I don't know. Come over and chat to her. And I was like, Okay. And this is not how I would say to sell your services now or talk about what

you do. But this is what I did because I didn't know. So I went over and I just said, hi, I can do a bunch of different stuff. I haven't really done this before. No idea how much to charge, but in the suit shop, I get $25 an hour. So I'm happy to do basically whatever you need for that. And she was like, that sounds great. Let's do it. So it was very much like learn as you go. And I think when you're starting or if you're starting a service-based business, maybe you want to be a designer, a website designer, something like that. I think just starting and giving things a go is the best way because you don't know what you don't know. And it can be different to corporate, different to any other experience you've ever had. So with her, I literally did everything. And also, I think this was the cool part is even if I didn't know something, I just YouTubed it.

I just Googled it. I would have... So I built her Shopify website. I never built a website before. I'd never even heard Shopify before I met her. So I had Shopify up on one half of my screen and YouTube up on the other half. And I just did it. She needed photos. So I took photos. I planned the shoot. We got all the stuff. I edited everything. I used Photoshop, built Shopify, set up her domain, her email address, set up Facebook page, Instagram page, blog, showed how to upload things. And I was like, I'll record tutorials for you to show you all this random stuff and anything she needed. I just did. And I was like, yeah, sure. Yes. And I basically just said yes and then figured it out late. And I think I just learned so much. And she was just like the most wonderful human ever. We're still friends to this late. And I think I just learned so much and she was just like the most wonderful human

ever. Like we're still friends to this day. And yeah, I definitely like really learned so much from just saying yes and giving it a go and like not the price didn't really matter. What I was earning didn't really matter. It was more about the experience. I think you just said something there as well, which I just want to reiterate because obviously I meet so many entrepreneurs. I also meet a lot of people who want to be entrepreneurs, but sometimes don't make it. And I think really one of the biggest things I see with whether you make it or whether you don't make it is fear causing paralysis that stops you taking action. Generally, the entrepreneurs that become the most successful are those who say yes.

Those who like you say, YouTube it, Google it, the society it. That's how Natalie and I started. We used to have this running joke. In the team, don't ask Natalie and I things. Go and Google it because guess what we're going to do when you ask us? We're going to Google it. We were all coming from inexperience and the way was she was like taking imperfect action. The more imperfect action you took, the more chances of you are were like words, like reaching those headers that you're trying to overcome.

So I think hearing that over and over again in so many of these interviews that we do, it's a common theme. And I think, you know, if you want to be going to that next level, if you want to make a change in your career, your business, your general life, understanding on how you take what you do to encourage yourself to take imperfect action is so, so important. So you're in the society, you're watching, you're listening, you're observing, you're saying yes. And how was it that you were like, okay, like you started getting, because I know one, actually, I'm just going to rewind because one thing I noticed about you in society, because I did notice you and you were very, very active. And like you said, you were sharing with people about your

journey. You were sharing with it, obviously in person, this is how you got your other job, but you started sharing it within the society. And that's one of the biggest things that I saw about your growth was you started telling people what you were doing in a way that wasn't salesy. It wasn't, I think you were just kind of outward conversation at this point. Yes. Yes. I very much just, cause like, I felt like I found my people. So I just wanted to chat with my people. I wanted to hang out with my people. And for me, it was just like any opportunity to connect with anyone, learn anything. And I think also along the way, I realized that there, as much as I was moving on, there was then people who were looking at me thinking, Oh my God, but how did she do that?

And so I think everyone always looks to other people and sees, oh, well, if they can do it, I could probably do it. So I think I also wanted to share that too. And I think something else I also did was just always like encourage other people, get to know other people, comment on other people's journeys and just try to be as active as possible in the community. You led with value. That's what you did. Because I remember watching your comments, like if someone was asking something, you would try and give them an answer. Even if it wasn't your expertise, you're like, oh, well, I found this on Google. Or

if someone's like, I'm having a hard day, you'd be like, oh, I've had a hard day too. Or like, I understand I was there before. So I feel like really leading with value. And I think that goes across everything that you do. I really believe that. Like, you know, when you show up for other people, like the universe has this weird way around, like what goes around and comes around. And when you give good energy out,

when you help people and support people, when you need it, it really comes back. And I've seen that time and time again. So you were commenting, et cetera, like where was your, you got this first job with, as a freelancer now at this point with this company, what was the company doing? So they sold like water bottles and things like that. And like active wear. So what was your second?

So then she referred me to someone else who did like hair extension. So I did some like product design for them and like packaging design and things like that. And then in the society, people would... So then workbooks were like really popular, like downloadables, freebies, and things like that. And that was like the thing that then I was like known for. People would always like message me and tag me to design like workbooks, their programs

and freebies and just design beautiful things. And then that escalated into basically just designing anything, period. So what I would do is comment. If anyone needed any help with anything, I would comment. But also, when it was anything to do with design, I would comment, engage, and then other people realized that I was good at design. So then other people would recommend me and tag me. And then it got to a point where actually, people would tag me before I even had the opportunity to raise my hand and say I was available. And then I got a few clients, few clients. And then because I shared my journey in there, also other people shared their journey.

So when other people would work with me, they would then share that journey in the society and say, Oh my God, I'm so excited. I'm working on my new product design with Holly. Look where we're at. Or, Oh, I've just got these back from Holly. I'm so excited. Can you let us know which version you prefer, like A or B? Which color direction do you think we should go in or something like that. So I think as I grew my portfolio and experience, I was also sharing that. And like my clients were also sharing that because my clients were from the society for the

most part. So one of the biggest outlays for a new business and getting off the ground is marketing expenses. Spending money on marketing, whether it's Facebook advertising, on Instagram, posting on social media. What did the society mean to you with regards to marketing? Because I'm under the impression, and correct me if I'm wrong, that basically you don't need to do any marketing or whatsoever in this first year of business. No, because the weird thing is, because I didn't set out to start a business, my mentality wasn't even to market because I really wasn't trying to start a business. That wasn't really my intention. And then it just happened as I was sharing. And then it happened. And I don't think I really knew what I was doing. It was done with intention, but also not. And so it was wonderful. I really just showed up there,

shared. And my first year in business, I mean, yeah, my marketing, I hardly have spent any other money really at all. And the cool thing was that the society is like a protected area. So you'd say you're like at nine to five or you're doing something else or like maybe you feel weird about talking to other people about it. Like you don't have to show up. So like my Instagram at that point was still just like all travel content and like, you know, my normal life. And I would still connect with people on there. And on my stories, I would show like behind the scenes and things. But I would say like that wasn't really a fear of mine at that point because mostly

I was showing up in the society. So I would say that's something that's like really cool about it. Let's take a quick pause to talk about my new favorite all-in-one platform, Kajabi. You know, I've been singing their praises lately because they have helped our business run so much smoother and with way less complexity which I love. Not to mention our team couldn't be happier because now everything is in one place so it makes collecting data, creating pages, collecting payment, all the things so much simpler. One of our mottos at Boss Babe is simplify to amplify and Kajabi has really helped us do that this year. So of course I needed to share it here with you. It's the perfect time of

year to do a bit of spring cleaning in your business, you know, get rid of the complexity and instead really focus on getting organized and making things as smooth as possible. I definitely recommend Kajabi to all of my clients and students so if you're listening and haven't checked out Kajabi yet now is the perfect time to do so because they are offering Boss Babe listeners a 30-day free trial go to kajabi.com slash boss babe to claim your 30-day free trial that's kajabi.com slash boss babe I love that like you say you could kind of like have a job when a lot of people have side hustles, be your authentic self on social media, but then be your new authentic self within

that community as well. And I think as well, what you're saying too, actually, I'm curious, what did your first year revenue do? I don't know. I remember... So the first thing I ever bought for my business... So this was in, I think, 2018. But I had a MacBook Pro from 2010. So when I went to university. And I remember doing design work. And honestly, I turn it on and I am not even doing it. I could go make up tea before it would be ready. But it was fine. And then with the first lot of money I made, I bought a new MacBook Pro. And I remember I was so excited, but also so nervous because making any investment in your business, that was the first time I felt like I told myself that I'm going to do this. And it was really scary. And I only invested the minimal amount I bought. I didn't buy the Air, so I bought the Pro, but it was like the lowest RAM and memory version of the Pro. So I felt like it was like a medium

decision. As soon as I did it, it was a game changer. I was so much more productive. I felt so much more legit. I felt like this is my business and I'm going to do it. But honestly, I don't even know if I made more than like 10 grand in my very first year because I also was like working full time. I was figuring it out. I didn't really even know what I was doing. And I would say my intention wasn't really money. My intention was to gain experience doing a bunch of random stuff to see then what I might do the next year. So tell us about that next year. So the next year, then I kind of decided that... So in, I guess it must have been 2018, October, we left Australia. And it's crazy because up until that point, obviously, I'd worked and this was extra money, fun money. But then I left Australia, quit my job.

And then basically, since then, I've money myself my job. And then basically since then I have money myself, which to me like kind of blows my mind that I've like managed to sustain myself and like feed myself with a roof over my head since then. But obviously right then and then I like kind of had no idea. And me and Don were going to go to New Zealand and live in like a camper van and travel around. So the decision that I made was, well, I'm going to give it a go with this business. And for me, it was win-win. So either it goes well, I get a bunch of clients. Awesome. Or it doesn't go well. And I don't get any clients. And that's fine too, because then I'm going to be traveling. So I have more time. So to me, it felt like there was no real leap of faith because in my head,

I was like, it's win-win either way. And it obviously turned out that I then did get a bunch of clients and the referrals kept coming in and it was amazing. And so that next year, it was a lot of travel. And so then what happened, our camper van broke down. That was not ideal. So we flew back to the UK and then we decided to do a lot of Europe traveling. So what I did was work for... I'd work for a month in the UK and we'd travel for a month around Europe where I wouldn't work. So I wouldn't even bring my laptop. And then during that month, I'd just take bookings and things and then slot stuff in for the next month when I'd be at home. And we did that a few times. And then what happened was I realized that I had to make a

decision. Because I hadn't necessarily been super intentional about this business, it just snowballed. And it got to a point where that felt like an unsustainable way to do it, to work for a month, not work for a month, work for a month and not be taking my laptop and things like that. So then like, you know, me and Dom sat down and we were like, okay, right. What do we want to do? I was like, I want to just like give it a go and like actually put effort in, like really put effort in. So then we decided to kind of get a place in the UK. And yeah, so then I think that second... So you're like, right, this has been a side hustle alongside the traveling. Now I'm ready to make this my full-time hustle. The concept is proven. I know I'm already getting clients with

no advertising, just showing up in the society. And I'm going to put my roots down in the UK and start growing this business. So this was 2019, right? Yeah. So I think 2018 was like, didn't really make much money. Like that was like not the intention. 2019, when I kind of like made this decision, this was like the end kind of of 2019. So again, 2019 was probably maybe even like less than 50 grand. Cause I was like kind of working. Not 50k from a side hustle and UK pounds. So that's like what? $80,000. Not bad. Not bad. So yeah, not bad, but like... Having a little expensive. I think you're doing well at this point.

I know that you're playing down these numbers because what comes is so epic. Oh my God. I can't. Yeah. I mean, it's crazy. So, so then 2020 was like really the year. I was like, this is going to be my year. Like I'm doing it. I'm going all in. And that's when I really like, that was the intention. So like 2020, I was like, I want to make a hundred thousand. Like that is the goal. And it felt scary.

A hundred thousand pounds you're talking about as well. So everyone knows from a lot of international listeners yes and I was like this is the goal this is the goal this is the goal like you can do it and so what ended up happening was so the first like two first couple of months because and then it was like lockdown and then I was like oh my. And actually I think lockdown kind of made me hustle really hard. So I think the first few weeks were a bit like unknown, but then it just made me like, just really get into it. And I was like, okay, no, like I'm going to do this. This is going to be my year. And I think it removed like any distractions, which I think was... I mean,

obviously, it was a hard year. But I think if I'm going to take a blessing from it, it would be that. Yeah. So tell us what you did in 2020. Yeah. So 2020 was the year of experimenting, getting a bit more niche. So that's when I really decided to do branding and website design. kind of all I was going to offer not like all this random stuff anymore so that's when I like really got specialized refined my process built a team really like and where did you found some of that in the society which is really cool at this point you've got clients in society you've got team members in the society you've got team members in the society you've got friends in the society okay I'm hearing you and 2020 was just like it was an epic year like an absolutely epic year but as I built a team

I think I started to lose some of the things that I loved about my business because it was just me. It was fun. It was easy. And there was no pressure. Then suddenly there was a team. And then I felt like it took me out of my fun role. And I don't enjoy to project manage. That's my literally favorite thing to do ever. But I felt like I was suddenly doing that role and I was like missing like my creativity and I was also getting more lonely. So even though I had all these friends, I feel like when you have a team, sometimes when you're by yourself, it's just different. Like obviously your team is there and it's amazing. And obviously you have your friends and that's amazing. But I think I'd always thought,

wouldn't it be cool to have a business partner? I'm, I don't know. I just, it was something that I wanted, but I couldn't really imagine like when or how or who that person would even be. So then in the society, I met this girl called Chelsea and we just started chatting and because she was also someone who would kind of like post a bit and share in there and I feel like yes I feel like we knew of each other but we didn't like know each other and she is basically my opposite in every single way you could possibly imagine every single way um all of the things that I'm really amazing at are like not her zone of genius and all the things that are not my zone are completely her zone um and so we just kind of connected and you know because it was like it

was locked down so this is like the end of kind of towards the end of 2020 maybe like September 2020 and so we were just like chatting and we'd spend time on Zoom together. And I don't know, we just got on so well. And I remember like sending her a message and being like, oh my God, is she going to think I'm super weird or forward? But anyway, she was kind of just as excited. And yeah, so then we kind of like had some more zoom chats and what I think we did which I think set us up for success is basically we like dated you know like business partner friends dated and like we just got on zoom we didn't talk about business and we just talked about like so what was the message that you sent to her you were just like hey I would love to like hang out more like

where was she living as well like you're in the UK at this point. So I live in the UK and Chelsea lives in North Carolina. So in Wilmington in the US on the East coast. So we have never met in person ever at this point, we've literally just chatted on Zoom, like, you know, a good handful of times and I'm like hey I think like I think the message I sent was like I think we could like do some really cool work together or something like something that was like low-key but also like not yeah and so yeah so she was like yeah I really think we could too so then we were like okay right we're not gonna rush into anything so then we decided this is what month and what year so this is september 2020 so september 2020 like i put it out there and i'm like hey i'm interested and she's like hey i'm kind of interested too so i feel like then we like

you know business part i'm dated for like the whole of september and like the whole of october just talking about like our visions in life and like what we're of September and like the whole of October just talking about like our visions in life and like what we're passionate about and like our values and what we want out of life what we enjoy doing it was I don't know I think it was like a really unique way to like to start because also we couldn't go to lunch together we couldn't like hang out because obviously this is like mid-pandemic where like flight is the US had like closed its borders to the UK like I'm very familiar with that you're like yeah I know it's been a struggle so it was one of those things that like even if I had wanted to and even if she had wanted to, and even if she had wanted to, we physically couldn't meet in person. So yeah, we basically just had to figure it out over Zoom. And then... So I then separately

had decided that I wanted a way to serve more people who couldn't necessarily afford to work with me doing branding and websites. So I then created some Instagram templates and started to sell those. And then I thought... So then Chelsea and I thought, Oh, okay. What if we launch those together for Black Friday as a very easy test to see how we work well together. But on the front end, it looks like it's just me launching it, but then the back end, she's involved. So we weren't then telling the whole world what our plan was in case we didn't like it.

So we kind of, I feel like why this has worked is we like baby stepped into everything. So we did that launch. She did all the back end of it. I did like all the front end marketing so just tell me like for people listening if you're listening i mean like you said earlier you guys are very very different so your skill sets like creative brand design like setting up websites doing those aspects what are chelsea's skills skill sets yeah so chelsea was like an officer

in the military she then worked in in project management. So she's really good at tech, really good at project management, really good at team management, really good at the details, really good at adding all the back end in. I think what she did was really add in another layer that, and like she could see my blind spots and, and I could see her. So I think that was probably like the power of both of us. And I'm, um, the kind of person who would probably think a little too much before I take action. And she probably takes action maybe a little too quickly. So we always talk about like, I'm the hair when it comes, I'm the tortoise when it comes to making decisions and she's the hair.

So this is like me and Natalie too. Natalie's like motion go. I'm like, no, let's think through it logically. Yes. Yes. So I feel like even like with the templates, I probably would have perfected it a little more and waited a little longer, but probably too long. And she probably would have just done it immediately. So I think that's what works so well. So we did that

as a first go and that worked really well. And we were like, this is pretty cool. So then after that, we decided, okay, why don't we do a masterclass for people and help them figure out their pricing and packages ready for the new year? And let's see how we do that together. And what we thought was unique about us is Chelsea, basically, she was an OBM, an online business manager, project manager for big businesses online that did lots of launches and things like that. What we decided to do, she ran mostly a retainer-based business, and then I ran a project-based business.

So because I had lots of experience in the creative area, and she had lots of experience in more of the tech area, we decided that we could put our knowledge together and do a masterclass for other service providers, really telling them everything that we'd known to build our businesses. Because Chelsea's business at that point, she was making consistent 40, 50k a month, which is wild. And I was probably selling projects for 10 to $15,000. Easy, a couple of months. And I also had my... We also have them templates. So yeah. So we decided to do the masterclass and that was cool too, because I guess we had to like

plan this masterclass and we hadn't necessarily like done stuff together that was other people could see and also like teaching and doing a live webinar together when you actually don't know other people and you have to, there's like a lot of like synchronicity that kind of has to happen that you can't necessarily like plan. So I think I didn't really know all of that going in, but it was actually quite a test to see what we could do. And yeah, that went really well. And so many people got so much value out of it. And then we decided to run like a bootcamp version of it. So it was like 4 weeks to go into the new year. And then it just kept going.

And I think it's funny because we always intended to do an announcement of like, we're business partners and everything we do is together. But it happened quite slowly. And then suddenly, everything just was together. And we basically both decided that if we were going to do this, we had to be all in. It was like all or nothing. So we both stopped doing our separate businesses, stopped serving clients individually. And we said, we are all in. So we did still do done- for you work. We did still do like branding websites, set up marketing automations and support online businesses launches, but we did it as a service

together. So only worked with clients together. And then we also ran like masterclasses and boot camps. And then we also launched something called the accelerator to also help. So you went on to do more and more. 2019 when you enter the society where and repeat correct me if i'm wrong you had no idea what business you want to do even that you wanted to be an entrepreneur you joined there started like posting communicating finding your feet you were working full-time but you built a side hustle and kind of around 2019 you did 80 000 essentially in but you built a side hustle. And around 2019, you did $80,000 essentially in that year as a side hustle compared to your full-time job. Then you went on to meet your business bestie. You formed a business together. And from there, how much did you do in your first

year together? I mean, I can't even... $600,000. Absolutely insane. I think this is just such a... When you find someone with that chemistry, when you find someone who's a complementary skill set and you both put effort into communicating, the world really is an oyster. I'm such a believer in partnerships. I really do think that building a business on your own is great for a lot of people. Can be super lonely. And lots of people do experience that. And when you do it that, you know, building a business on your own is great for a lot of people can be, you know, super lonely. And a lot of people do experience that. And when you do it together, Natalie and I always say like our partnership is one of the things that brings us both most joy. Like we get to have fun together. We get to laugh together. And we also get to cry together when things are challenging because that's what it is in entrepreneurship. But I love the way you put

yourself out there. You're like, do you know what? I'm going to take a leap of faith. Like you've done this throughout your whole career and you did it with Chelsea too You were like, do you know what? I'm going to take a leap of faith. Like you've done this throughout your whole career and you did it with Chelsea too, being like, do you know what? I'm just going to get to know this girl. And I'm going to try something. You did it very sensibly with the Black Friday because you met in September. So November, you decided to launch the Black Friday, did it very much so you could undo it, which I think is super, super smart. So it's kind of like, you know, you're the dating phase where we're going to try a few times. It's like, maybe we're going to move in together, but I'm still at my place. I might be able to move back out again.

And then like you say, the marriage ensues. But I think what you and Chelsea have created is absolutely phenomenal. I'm curious at the time, like lots of people are super wary about their friends and family going into businesses. Other people, they're kind of like, oh, you don't really know this person. I know I experienced that for sure. It was kind of like, you never met them. Because Natalie and I I experienced that for sure was kind of like you never met them because Natalie and I would say like we'd met once before we went into business together you guys have not met at all what were some of the negative

things that maybe people said to you and how did you overcome them yeah I mean it is super weird like we literally had never met ever we live in different countries she lives in the US I live in the UK due to lockdown we also had no current plans to meet anytime soon because it was really dependent on like government restrictions so when we made that decision we also made it knowing we have no idea when we're going to meet so it definitely definitely was scary. But I think the weird thing is, I feel like I never doubted it. I just knew. I knew that it would be fine. I knew that it would be great. I mean, it is scary. I mean, we legally set up a business together, you know, like in the US, like full on, like legally owned a business together and had never met. And I think luckily, like my parents are like pretty supportive.

They were just like, cool, like go for it. Um, I definitely had some friends who were like, but you don't know her. And like, what if it goes wrong and those kinds of things. But I think what I did was I just, I didn't really even entertain any negative thoughts because I just thought like, you don't know her, you don't, you don't know. And yes, it could all go horribly wrong, but what if it didn't? What if it went amazingly right? Yes. What if this was exactly what I was meant to do with my life what if this was always how it was meant to be and what if this is the best thing I ever do

so to me the the balance like the risk there was pretty much no risk also because we baby stepped into it so I feel like yeah I also think sometimes you don't always have to share everything with everyone. Like if you're worried about people's reactions and how they might take it, maybe you, unless you're in a headspace where you're ready to like hear that someone doesn't support your decision or they're going to say negative things, you don't always have to mention things that you're doing. Now, building a business obviously has its trials and tribulations along the way. And I'm curious to how the society has helped you overcome some of your struggles of being an entrepreneur. And what are some things that have stood in your way that then

either support system or the content within the society have helped you overcome it yeah I would say the community really like I feel like when you don't know and like YouTube and Google are awesome however sometimes they kind of lack that personal element to because you can Google things but sometimes with google and youtube you have to know what to type in to get the right answer so whereas when you're in a community when you're talking to like real people i feel like you can be more open-ended with your questions and really like find help that way when maybe things are maybe you you're looking for recommendations or things like that. So yeah, I would say that's probably when I've leaned most on the society. It's when I'm...

Yeah, I think you're right. Because everyone has been in the same boat. And quite often when you're building a business, you're all running into a lot of similar challenges. I also love it when people share like the softwares, there's always new softwares coming out, making our lives easier. And like people sharing those pieces, I think is super, super powerful as well. So let's say someone is, um, wanting to like join the society. They're a little bit nervous. What would you say to them?

Like, you know, reasons to go for it? it I would say like you probably don't have anything to lose so when I make any decision in life I always like to think like what the pros what the cons but also what is the best case scenario that could happen and then what's the worst so like joining the society the worst case scenario is you don't like it and you lose like whatever it is like 30 something dollars so that's really the worst case scenario is you don't like it and you lose whatever it is, like $30 something. So that's really the worst case. Less than a latte a day. Yes, exactly. And that's the absolute worst. But the best is you could meet your future business partner. You can meet your best friends. You could get clients. You could learn. You could

learn stuff that you don't even know. So I would say it's not, there's no real risk because even if you don't take all of those things out on like day two, you'll probably take some of them out. And also I think you kind of get, get out what you put in. So probably if you don't join the community and you never log in probably not worth it um but if you actually take action i don't think yeah i don't think anything i think there's no reason one thing i think is important to say about you is like you know right from the beginning like you've been dedicated to this journey of building your own business and finding that freedom and just like me you know before i started boss babe like it was a journey. And I tried so many other

different online businesses until I sat on Boss Babe. And I think that's also important for people to recognize. It doesn't just happen like that. You joined in 2018 and really, really started scaling in 2020. So that's two years. But actually, that two years goes so fast. You learn so much in that experience, but you stuck with it. And I think that's really powerful. So what would you say to new members who are just joining? What are the first things that they should do in there? Or first things that ways that they should approach stuff? Because it can be a little bit daunting. Yeah. I would say go to the calls, make friends. So interact on some of the posts. And I would log in. So like log into the portal and really try and like find something to, to learn, like don't let it overwhelm you. But I would say just get in there

and start making friends. I love that. It's so true. And I even remember when I was living in the UK, I literally met up with a bunch of you. There were so many society members that were living in the UK that had come together. And it's so incredible to see you all meeting, but also the friendships and the bonds that everyone has created in there. And I've met some extraordinary women in there as well. I think that's so super special. And the society is not about Natalie and I, it's about the women within it. And I'm just so thankful that women like you, and I can name so

many, so many other women in there who show up and they give value and they support each other. And I think that's what really makes it is like the women that come in there and they put their best foot forward, they show up for others and it's really, really special. So honestly, Holly, I'm so proud of everything you've done and achieved. You deserve it all. And what's so exciting is I can see this is just the beginning for you and Chelsea. So you are well on your way to building a multimillion dollar business. I can see it now. And it just like, honestly, it's just such an inspiring journey. And I know that so many people watching this will have learned something as well. So I would love for you to share some of your handles where people can find you, any resources that you have, because I really want members listening today and non-members

as well to be able to reach out to you and utilize your services and ask you questions, whatever they need. Yeah. So obviously I'm on Instagram. I'm just at Holly Clark, H-O-L-L-I-E, C-L-A-R-K-E. And then the business that Chelsea and I run is called Her HQ. So our Instagram handle is just herhq.co. And that's also our website URL. We basically help done-for-you service providers and scale their businesses. So yeah, we've got a couple of different programs to help really from the the start right through to like helping people make consistent 50k months so yeah I mean I love everyone who's a fan of boss babe is I'm yeah I feel like we can be friends so definitely if you listen to this yeah reach out to me I would love to chat yeah we would love to hear your favorite takeaways as well everyone so make

sure you tag and share with us on social but thank you so much Holly I can't wait have you and Chelsea on. We'll have to organize it when you guys get to America. That'll be so fun to do an in-person one because it's such my first virtual one for a little while, but it's been such an honor to have you on here. So thank you. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. If you enjoyed this episode, we would love it if you subscribed and left us a review let us know what you enjoyed what your main takeaways were and who you'd like to see appear on the show as a special thanks we'll send you a copy of our boss babe 25 now this is an awesome resource it's the 25 essential things that you need for personal and professional

growth. We've included everything from must-have products to books to rituals. This guide literally covers it all and I know you're going to love it. So if you want your copy, simply leave us a review and then send a screenshot of your review to podcast at bossbabe.com.