You Have To Be Willing To Try New Things And Face New Challenges Daily - Jennifer Kolbuc (Founder)

Jennifer Kolbuc



You have to be willing to try new things and face new challenges daily. It can be easy to get frustrated or get off track. You really need the grit to get up every day and stay with it. 


1. Tell us more about your company and your journey.

I have worked in social media for almost 10 years now at all different levels of organizations from big brands to start-ups, non-profit and even government agencies. I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to work for myself one day. 


Since becoming a mom, I knew that flexibility for our lifestyle was going to more important than ever. Four years ago I signed my first client, and I have been growing slowly ever since. I officially started Mountain Top Consulting just before my second son was born. 


During my time on maternity leave with him, I worked hard to grow and expand the business, and I am now doing it full time. Today I offer strategy and coaching services to small and medium-sized businesses across North America.


 

2. How did you come up with this idea and go about executing it?

Social Media has always been my passion. I love how it can be used by any business, at any level. It’s an industry that continues to grow and change and you really have to be prepared to keep learning all the time. 

I have worked in many areas of social media, but I finally landed on coaching as my main business, so that I can help small business owners work through the challenges and execution of setting up their social media plans. 

Workshops are great (and I still do those as well), but having someone check in with you every week to make sure you are on track with your plan is what really makes the difference.

 


3. What has been your biggest challenge that you faced and how did you overcome that?

Narrowing in on exactly what I want to offer. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you start out and want to offer everything to everyone. 

I realized along the way, that by trying to do too many things, I wasn’t able to really focus on what I wanted to do most – which is coaching and online courses. 

I had to be prepared to say no to requests that came in that didn’t align with that vision, even if it meant turning down money in the short term so that I could grow in the long term.

 


4. What do you think are the most important qualities of a successful entrepreneur?


You have to be willing to try new things and face new challenges daily. It can be easy to get frustrated or get off track. You really need the grit to get up every day and stay with it. 

For the first few years of my business, this meant working every night after the kids were in bed. Sitting in front of the TV would have been easier, but it wouldn’t have helped me achieve my goals.

 


5. What are some of the most important factors for running a successful business?

 

Make sure you have a plan and a system in place. Know what your area(s) of speciality area and outsource the rest. 


Often when you are starting out you want to do it all yourself, but to really grow, you will likely need to hire some help along the way. Hiring help early will often help you grow faster and let you focus on the parts of your business that really matter.



6. What are your tips for the first time and aspiring entrepreneurs?

 

Make connections with other entrepreneurs. 


When I first started out, I started a writing series on Medium called, Mompreneurs. It was a way for me to develop both my portfolio of writing, but also to network with other women entrepreneurs to learn from them. 


Some of these women have become amazing mentors to me and I have learned so much from working with them. When you start out, you don’t know, what you don’t know, so having a network you can tap into for resources and ideas is really important.

 


7. How can one overcome a hurdle of lack of funds when starting up?  

 

If possible, start working on your dream as a side hustle to your full-time job. This allows you to test out different ideas in the market place without impacting your income. 

While it might be hard to stick it out at work some days, if you think of your day job as an investment in your side hustle it will help. 

Make sure you have enough saved up before you take the leap to do it full time, or keep a part-time job if needed to ensure you still have a paycheck coming in while getting your product or service into the marketplace.