Meet Sharon Lee, Online Business Growth & Mindset Specialist
Her Company, Fearless Pursuits, LLC
Tell us about your business
Fearless Pursuits is a self empowerment and online business growth company for women entrepreneurs who are tired of feeling frustrated by their stagnant life and business. Women entrepreneurs aren’t interested in hustle or overwhelm. They’re interested in creating an impact, money and feeling a sense of pride of accomplishment and finding balance to
live their dreams, work their passion and sometimes be the best mom and partner they can be. Fearless Pursuits offers both consulting and coaching to provide new tools for reprogramming or rewiring the mind as well as teach tangible strategies that grow businesses online without the hustle. These strategies include, branding, messaging, marketing and sales. Creating a strong, unstoppable mind will always be a major factor of business growth which is why it’s included in my 5 step formula that I call the, “Simplicity System”. I believe that smart business growth strategies are a must but creating a strong mind is crucial for sustainability and scalability as well as an overall stance on joy and passion for life.
Please tell us what being a business owner means to you and why you became an entrepreneur in the first place?
When my 20 year marriage failed, I was crushed. I felt lost and unsure of my future but one thing I knew was, I had to go out in the world and make my own money so that I could support my kids. That was my first objective but as time went on, I grew as a new woman. After the divorce I soon realized that women need to be not just financially independent but also, they should have the confidence and courage to pursue their best version and to commit to never accepting mediocrity as a way of life. Owning a business is one way to take control of our financial future for sure but it’s a personal growth opportunity too. Being a business owner means freedom to me. It also means, being a business woman is a responsibility instead of just a means to support myself and my children.
What or who has been your greatest influence in business and why?
I once heard the story about how Arianna Huffington worked herself to exhaustion and ended up hitting her head on her desk breaking her cheekbone. It impacted me so much when I started my first business as a single mom back in 2013. While I’ve always admired her work ethic and mission for her business, I could see what was missing just like she did. It’s one thing to go tooth and nail to make our dreams come true as women in business, but quite another when we live our lives out of balance without a personal mission or understanding about what our core values are. What I know from working with women all over the world is, we work so hard on our goals and somehow forget that we’re human first.
I believe we need to integrate the two lives (business & personal) for a more holistic outcome.
What would you say is your greatest professional accomplishment to date?
Back in 1993 my ex husband and I bought a computer business for $500. We were both really excited at the possibilities for our financial future. I used it as my opportunity to prove myself to him and make him proud.. He was a computer programmer and my education is in business and marketing so it seemed like the perfect match for success. I was able to
grow this little business to $500K in the very first year with my marketing skills while he slaved away banging on computers day and night. This was the proving ground for me that set the stage for what I now do every day with helping women grow their businesses online.
What’s the best advice you have received in business that you wish to pass on to our readers?
Many years ago I heard John Assaraf, a very wealthy businessman and star of The Secret, telling a story about how when he was just 19 years old, his mentor asked him if he was interested in achieving his life’s dreams or was he committed. I listened to the concept as he dissected the differences. I made a decision right then and since adopted it to my own life. In fact, I use this concept in my coaching all of the time. I’m known as the coach who keeps it real and when I see a client getting stuck in the stories of their mind, I always remember this impactful lesson.
What has been the most effective marketing initiatives or programs you have used to promote your business?
Starting and growing a business in the digital age is serious business. There’s a lot of competition. No one likes to hear that and at the same time it validates something they already knew. We really only have two choices for marketing our businesses. We can integrate ads with Mr. Google, Mr. Facebook, etc. etc. OR we can use organic methods. Having already succeeded in several business way back when Mr. Google was just a baby search engine, it was really easy to make money online. The algorithms changed and it became more difficult. This is when most serious businesses implemented a paid marketing campaign. Unfortunately, many small businesses don’t have the budget and don’t fully understand
targeting on the backend to make their ads cheaper and reach their dream clients. This makes for a very, VERY expensive lesson that “ads don’t work”. That’s what they tell themselves but it’s more about the know-how than anything. I’ve mastered organic marketing on social media platforms. It’s what I teach my clients to do which helps them grow
their businesses. I don’t suggest to any business owner to pay for ads until they’ve reached their first $100K year.
What one thing have you learned as a small business owner that has served you well over the years?
As business owners, we go through a rollercoaster ride sometimes of feast or famine, doubt and excitement. Our businesses, if we allow them, can control our lives. I’ve personally seen this with my own ex husband. He lost control of his time… his life. He became just skin and bones with no heart, and no passion for very much in life. A part of him died.
He missed important birthdays and family events. He stopped being human and resembled what seemed to me to be a robot. Life as an entrepreneur is not just about the business, it’s about the whole of the human experience. Back in the year 2000, I went on a journey to learn what a passionate life looked like but with a business. To me, businesses are
akin to a special needs child sometimes, or maybe like an infant who has constant needs. To be successful in business and what has served me well is to go deep. The trick is to learn why we’re here. It’s about learning what our legacy is and most of all, if we’re truly doing activities (including business activities) that are in alignment with that deep awareness. If you’ve ever done “The Eulogy Exercise”, it’ll change your life and get you on a more centered path. The one thing I’ve learned is balance doesn’t exist and it’s our responsibility to ourselves and our loved ones to get in touch with our humanness and integrate the mind and heart into every task and every goal for our business. Never, ever, ever lose sight of your values and your purpose for your life.
Are there any resources or tools you’d like to share with other small business owners that have helped you run your business?
I’d say that marketing is roughly 50% of what we do as business owners. This means our branding and our messaging MUST be on point. A resource that I’d like to offer is MySimpleShow.com. What we know today and speculated to increase in the years to come is video marketing. Video is a way to showcase yourself as an industry expert. Video has become a consumable at a high percentage and as much as 80% at this point and only expecting to increase. I love this tool because it grabs specific keywords in your video and can go out and find appropriate graphics to help you tell your story in a way that helps to capture attention… and isn’t that what we need to do to stand out? Also, you’re only as good as
your team. You can use FreelanceMyWay.com to help you delegate some of the time consuming work so that you can get to doing what you really love to do.
Do you have any new projects coming up (or have you just completed a big project ~ reached a milestone, etc.)? If so, please tell us about it.
It’s said that everyone has a book in them. Having been homeless at one point, abandoned and abused as a child and creating a multi 6-figure business gives way to my own story yet to be told. My book is nearly finished and it’s my great honor to share stories, strategies and deep inner work on the mind with the entrepreneurs of the world in the next few months. The writing process was sort of cathartic but also a passion-project as I share real, time-tested business and mindset strategies to stop the overwhelm and create a magical life and business. As the book is in editing now, I’ve already started book number two. I couldn’t be more excited!
What do you do for fun/relaxation?
My fiance and I love to travel, hike and go to music and sporting events. When we’re not out enjoying the town, you can find us gym rats pumping iron or just relaxing with a board game with my 11 year old daughter.
What is the Number One Business Goal you plan to accomplish over the next year?
I’ve just recently launched my 6 month Mastermind program. I plan on making most of it into a digital program which will include Live group coaching once a week. The current mastermind program is Live where I’m teaching my 5 step “Simplicity System” along with Live Q&A Coaching Sessions. The goal with any business is to scale and to simplify. My
goal of turning the “trainings” into a digital course will alleviate my workload, maximize my ability to help women grow their business and still do what I love to do which is coach them through the real life business and mindset issues that pop up in the week.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
So many people who come to me want me to just give them the strategy. I did that in the early years of my online business and I discovered something. I discovered that a person very rarely can just apply the strategies and run with them with a predictable amount of success. Most don’t even apply the strategies. The other half swims and even drowns in self doubt and confidence issues. Don’t let that be you. If you’ve got a business and there’s a lot at risk, meaning you need this business to “work”, then do yourself a favor and implement some sort of daily mindset and identity (embodyment) work alongside the strategies. Today in my business, I won’t even work with someone if they just want the strategies. They need to commit boldly, dare I say fearlessly to doing the work pursuing a life and business that makes them feel alive. Never forget that the mind is running the whole show and talking to the heart which ultimately help you to take action or not. Make no mistake, the strategies alone are only as good as the growth mentality of the business person.
What’s the best way for the readers of WE Magazine for Women to connect with you?
Anyone can connect further with me to get all sorts of free tips, strategies and support below:
Fearless Pursuits on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Fearl
Fearless Pursuits on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/fear
Fearless EMPOWERtube: https://bit.ly/30xLTsE
Listen to the podcast:
https://anchor.fm/fearless-pur
Join the brand new Facebook group for entrepreneurs:
https://www.facebook.com/group