TBM #027: Building a Business You Can Be Proud of with Julie Bogart

What does it take to build a business that you can look back upon with pride? Sure, there will be challenges and growing pains - but how do you move past those to create something worthwhile? Good news - we’ve got a special guest who has done just that - she’s created an amazing business that helps people and brings in an impressive profit. I can’t wait for you to learn from my friend, Julie Bogart.

Julie is the creator and owner of Brave Writer, the online writing and language arts program. Brave Writer's mission is to empower homeschooling parents to be writing coaches for their kids. Julie’s work in Brave Writer was recognized as an "outstanding contribution to society" in 2017 when she was awarded the Anne E. and William F. Madges Alumni Award from Xavier University.

In our conversation, you’ll hear from Julie as she opens up about how her business started, what it was like building her team from the ground up, the best pricing advice she ever received, and much more. You’ll want to come back to this one - Julie has so many great insights to share!

In this episode, listen for

• [1:30] I introduce my guest, Julie Bogart.
• [3:00] How did the Brave Writer start?
• [11:35] What does Julie’s business look like today?
• [13:15] Julie opens up about how her business got off of the ground.
• [16:10] Start listening to your inner mentor!
• [23:30] How did Julie begin building her team?
• [28:00] The best advice about pricing that Julie ever received.
• [31:45] Why The American Girl Doll is such a successful product.
• [34:20] Don’t try to be Walmart!
• [38:40] How the hiring process has changed for Julie over the years.
• [42:00] Julie shares one of the most challenging aspects of running a business.
• [45:00] What is your exit strategy?
• [47:10] Business is less about what you achieve - it's about who you become.
• [49:10] Julie enters the Lightning Round - rapid-fire questions.
• [59:50] Closing thoughts.

 

Liked the show? Help me out!

Click here to leave a review on iTunes!

Listen to your inner mentor!

One of the biggest challenges associated with building your business from the ground up is taking the time to listen to your “Inner mentor.” Most women are more familiar with their “Inner critic” than their inner mentor and that need to change! Julie Bogart was experiencing a season of massive growth with her business while at the same time going through a period of personal pain with the dissolution of her marriage.

In the middle of this successful but challenging time - Julie needed to make a decision - would she listen to her inner critic or her inner mentor? She needed to be bold with her business and move confidently into the next phase by taking on a small loan - would she be able to? Thankfully, Julie was able to move past her doubts and instead chose to bank on herself. Guess what? It was a good choice! Learn more about Julie’s fascinating story by tuning into this episode!

 

Know your worth

Does your business have the right pricing plan in place? Are you on the lower end of the scale in your industry, the high end, or somewhere between the two? How did you land on the price you’ve placed on your product or service? The truth is - most women are terrible at setting the right price for their business. Do you want to know the secret to pricing your business appropriately?

It all comes down to public perception. If you believe that your business offers a great market solution - price it near the top of your industry alongside your competitors! When you price aggressively like that - you send a message to your customers that your business deserves to be in the same conversation as your top competitors. Learn more about knowing your worth and setting the right price from Julie’s expert perspective by listening to this episode - you don’t want to miss it!

Prepare for your exit

If you’ve laid the best foundation for growth and your business has succeeded against all the odds - the next phase is preparing to exit. It sounds crazy, but part of building a business you can be proud of is preparing for your exit. Some of you might want to stay on in some capacity after you are ready to hand off day-to-day operations, but you’ve got to start planning now. Don’t leave it for the last minute - start planning for a future where you are watching your business thrive without you!

Imagine that future - you can travel or move on to the next thing you’ve been dying to do. The businesses that go the distance are the ones where smart decisions are made early and often - let that be the story of your business! Julie says that you only know what you are growing if you know how you are leaving. Hear Julie unpack what a well-thought-out exit looks like by listening to this helpful episode!

 

Notes + Links from Today’s Show

• The Playing Big Book - TARA MOHR
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things
• The Mercy House - Kristen Welch
• Slack
• Figuring
• Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts
• Brene Brown
• Chalene Johnson's 131 Method | Be Healthy, Happy, + Confident‎
• Rebecca Spooner from Homeschool On

Connect with Julie Bogart

• The Brave Writer
• The Brave Learner
• Brave Writer - YouTube
• Julie on Twitter

Connect With Jeni

Subscribe to The Biz Mavens on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play