Emma McQueen
Extraordinary Entrepreneur
(who loves to talk)
On her report card it said “Emma would get more work done if she stopped talking” but now it’s her job.
What do you do Emma?
I’m a business coach, which means I work with women and help them to build their confidence. I mainly work with women who have their own business and want to grow it, or maybe they need someone to be their cheerleader and cheer them on. Every day I do lots of emails, lots of sales calls and I speak to a lot of cool women. I also do coaching via zoom. Some of my clients want to get new business or grow their confidence, so my conversations are all different. I love the variety.
Launching my own business was my proudest moment. I wanted to be my own boss. It was scary at first because I have three children and a hubby. And I am the main breadwinner! I started my own business with no money, so I had to make money really quickly, which meant that my sales, my talking helped with sales. Now five years later I have a thriving business, I employ people and I’m my own boss. I love that no one tells me what to do.
What other types of work have you done?
At school I wanted to be a mechanic, I didn’t love school but I did like woodwork and photography. My dad said no, I wasn’t strong enough to be one, but when I look back on it now, I think if I had followed my instinct, I could have owned a chain of mechanic stores by now!
I’ve always been entrepreneurial. When I was nine, for instance, I sold icy poles in our driveway. I walked dogs, I liked to be busy. When I left school, I just wanted to earn some money, so I did various jobs – recruitment, secretary, not for profit marketer, before becoming a business coach. I LOVE my work now. I’ve loved every job that I’ve had, but every job has led me to this.
What if you don’t know what you want to do for work?
If you don’t know what you want to do, it doesn’t matter. Just get started and as you go along, more and more opportunities will come up. If you work hard, it will lead you in the direction that you want to go.
I feel good when I play to my strengths, you know, when you’re just naturally good at something. As a kid I was naturally good at picking things apart and putting them back together. I really like talking to people – on my report card it said “Emma would get more work done if she stopped talking” but now it’s my job. Even if someone sees it as a weakness, it’s sometimes not.”
If you want to feel more confident, try asking yourself what are you naturally good at, what do you get lost in? If you don’t know you can ask your parents or your friends.
Did you make many mistakes on your journey?
Of course! I’ve had a lot of things have gone wrong along the way, When I was 15 and dad said I couldn’t be a mechanic, I should have fought a bit harder. I think that if you feel in your heart that there’s something you really want to do, research it, have a solid plan. Then if people ask you can tell them the reasons why and explain how you’ve also thought about the reasons why not. Failing is really just falling and then getting back up. Fail fast and then just get back up and keep on going. You don’t need to be afraid, because when you fail, you learn.
Is it important to have role models?
I think it’s really important at any age to find role models. I have a few in my support network. I think you need to connect with people who are really positive and want to see you do well and grow. People that can answer questions or can point you to the answers. Hang out with the right people, because when you hang out with the right people, amazing things can happen.
Any final thoughts on women and work?
I want to see more women in the coaching industry, because currently there are more successful male coaches than female. The industry is growing a lot especially in the US and I think things will change. Also, you have to do what you love! I never thought I would be able to do work that I love, with people I like and be paid what I’m worth. That’s what I want for every woman.
#seewhoyoucanbe
#howdidshegetthere
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#empowergirl
#girlinspiration
#inspiringgirls
