Leslie Randolph, Founder Leslie Randolph Coaching
Name: Leslie Randolph
Company: Leslie Randolph Coaching
In less than three sentences tell us about your company and what you do.
I am a confidence coach for teenage girls and the teenage girl that still exists in all of us. Through coaching, I help women and teens cultivate self-confidence so they can go after goals and overcome obstacles in the way of what they want.
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
I quit my corporate job on July 8 and started school on July 13 to attain my certification in coaching. From that moment, I was all in. I was committed to making it my full-time profession from day one. I knew the beginning wouldn't be financially lucrative but I didn't want the "mental monkey bars" of holding on to my old job for financial security until the new business was financially sound. I knew that could be come a crutch and fuel an "as soon as" mentality.
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
Every role in my life has prepared me for the this. My theatre background taught me about the human condition - what motivates people, what makes them tick, what makes them hide, how to notice if their actions don't align with their words. My waitressing taught me everything about patience and customer service. Marketing and PR taught me about the art and importance of storytelling, as well as the importance of sharing that story in as many ways as possible.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company (you, an internal team member, an outsourced solution?) and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
Me, myself and I! I often joke that my 9 year-old son is my corporate photographer because I always make him take my pictures. I believe the secret to success with social is consistency. I have told myself that I want to post at least three times a week and have been able to do so since launching. I often find the biggest challenge is deciding what to post, but planning in advance is a way to overcome that.
How did you land your first client?
Word of mouth! The greatest source of clientele has been word of mouth and I think of social as a complement to that.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
I joke that I am the Lisa Rinna of life coaching, I do a bit of everything. The coaching industry would suggest you have a niche and one offer and stick with that niche/offer for at least $100K before making changes. I am allowing growth to be needs-based and organic - if I see a need I can fill with my skills then I do. If an opportunity arises or a passion comes to mind then I thoughtfully find a way to incorporate it into my work.
What is the story behind your mission?
I learned late in life that confidence was available to me based on simply knowing, loving and believing in me. I learned late in life that what I believe about me is a choice I get to make. I want teenage girls to know this sooner than I did because when you love and believe in you, the possibilities for your life are endless. And you can always choose to love and believe in you.
What are three factors that contributed to your growth? Please detail your growth pattern—either in revenue numbers or percentage year over year.
Just marked one year and my strategy has been spaghetti on the wall fueled by belief in my mission, message and ME. Like you, I send the email that scares me, I make the call that terrifies me, I show up. I take those actions fueled by confidence from beliefs like, "I trust that I am on my way," or "There are wrong turns," or "Every failure is a lesson learned." I do the hard thing.
What are three things you did to scale your business? How did you know when it was time to scale?
Not there yet! My next step will be to take the group coaching model to an online format and then to an evergreen course.
What are three traits you need to be successful as a female founder and why?
Confidence: That awesome alchemy of knowing, loving and believing in you and your ability to do this Commitment: Entrepreneurship is not a short game. You have to be committed because the road is long (the days can be too). Passion: Love what you do and even the long days will be good ones.
What are three pieces of advice you would give to a female founder starting out?
Let doubt and fear be part of the journey - not a sign that you should stop. Get very clear on your why - it will be your port in the storm on hard days (and there will be hard days). Mindset is your most powerful tool in building a business. Practice beliefs that have you feeling confident and take actions fueled by those beliefs. Believe it will work out and it will - you will find a way. Believe it won't work out and it won't - you probably won't even try.
Who was your first hire and why did you hire for this position and this person?
I hired a VA to build a landing page for my first group. The time it would've taken me was more valuable then what I paid.
Who is someone you look up in business and why?
In the coaching community - Brooke Castillo, Kara Lowentheil, Corinne Crabtree, Judith Gaton, Brig Johnson, Paula Friedman Business boss babes - YOU, Mel Robbins, Jenna Kutcher, Amy Porterfield, Jasmine Star All-around badasses - Tunde Oyeneyin, Lizzo, Conne Sobczak and Elizabeth Scott (founders of The Body Positive)
What would you do differently if you were starting your business today?
Make plans and set financial goals as benchmarks - not barometers of success. I am still working on this. I am also still working on long-term planning and what scaling looks like on paper.
What are three strategies you use to market your business, grow brand awareness and generate bottom line growth?
Traditional PR beyond just social, launched a podcast to be my own brand ambassador, and old-school in-person networking to build community. I also treat everyone like they are a potential client - as in I provide value and service to everyone I meet.
What was an obstacle you overcame to get your business where it is today? Please share the story behind it.
I am not for everybody and coaching is not for everybody. I have said things that have turned people off and in those moments I had to learn to have my own back rather than beat myself up. As a former people pleaser who wants everyone to like her, this is work that I have to continue to do. The goal can't be for everyone to like me. The goal is to make choices that ensure liking myself is always an easy option.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
I am a cheerleader for female founders and a champion of women-owned businesses. I network, I make connections, I listen and advise. I choose where I spend my money and where I give my time in terms of social. The ethos of my business is that women have unlimited potential and I believe this with every breath in my body.
Is there anything else that you would like for us to know about you and your business to share with our community?
Spend a lot of timing thinking about what life looks like when you've "made it." Whatever that looks like for you. Try to envision your future self doing/being right where you want to be. What does she think every day? How does she feel? What does she do with her time? What doesn't she do with her time? The more time you spend envisioning her the easier it is to become her.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
Being a FoundHer means I am forever my first client and a product of what I preach. I can't just talk the talk - I have to be out there betting on and believing in ME so others can bet on and believe in themselves. The greatest tool in my toolbelt (and the toolbelt of every FoundHer) is mindset. I do the work every day of cultivating a confident mind to go after what I want in my business and in my life. Now, that doesn't mean doubt, fear and all those other emotions aren't part of the journey. They are, but they are never a reason to stop. Being a FoundHer means expecting those emotions but not making decisions fueled by them. Being a FoundHer means getting it wrong and trying again (but never losing belief in me). Being a FoundHer means challenging the idea that there is a "right" way to do something.
