For over 15 years, Allison Walsh has carved her own path as a seasoned executive, speaker, professional consultant, and CEO of two national coaching firms. She has spoken to over 100,000 people across the U.S. as well as been featured in FOX News, Lifetime, PBS, and NBC.
She sits on the board of several nonprofit and government organizations as well as founding her own mental health nonprofit. As Allison’s personal and career growth skyrocketed, she knew it was time to branch out and create her own brand guided to promote female empowerment.
Her podcast, She Believed She Could, thrives off the mission of strengthening the professional developments and career advancements for women who are ready to achieve their dreams. Allison specializes in working with motivated, driven women who strive for opportunities in business, community outreach, and passion projects, allowing for the feeling of fulfillment to come full circle.
What is Allison Walsh Consulting all about?
I specialize in working with highly motivated women who want more for themselves – whether that’s opportunities in business, visibility in their communities, or pursuing a passion project. The one core theme is that they are tired of playing small, not fully showing up and they no longer want opportunities to pass them by. Allison Walsh Consulting is all about helping women take it to the next level.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- Hustle & a strong work ethic have to be at your core. First and foremost, you cannot be afraid to do the work and you have to not only continue to do the work but know when it is time to switch things up and work in a different way.
- You have to be able to control your emotions and utilize any fear or anxiety in the best way. While imposter syndrome and some self doubt is normal, especially in the beginning, if you let it get in the way of your progress, it will hinder your success.
- Lastly, you have to be disciplined to succeed, and you have to understand that your results are the outcome of your efforts. Ultimately, as the founder, you either have to get it done yourself, or have a solid team in place that can execute.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
One of my goals is to enhance the digital products that I have available. The self education industry is incredible and affords you the opportunity to expand your reach and impact while also providing excellent tools and training to those taking your courses. I have two new programs launching in 2021, Your Incredible Impact which is designed for new coaches who want to create a business and brand they love and Package My Brilliance which is helping established coaches expand their reach via self-publishing.
My second goal is to train additional coaches utilizing the training I’ve developed so we can help more amazing clients one-on-one as well. The results have been exceptional and I would love nothing more than to be able to provide more women with the tools they need to level up.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
I am constantly evolving, growing, and learning. Everything I’ve ever done or experienced that’s moved the needle is incorporated in my training and work. I’ve seen a lot of coaches pull back and not share, at the risk of over-sharing and not having anything new to sell. I’m the opposite and a complete open book. I also know how to drive results, and always give 110% to my clients. If I can’t provide what someone needs, I will refer them out. To me, results are what matter and if I am not the woman for the job, I’ll connect you with someone who is and cheer you on as you chase your next goal.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
- #1 – I wasn’t prepared to scale
- #2 – Overthinking everything
- #3 – Took on too much myself
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
My network and word-of-mouth has been huge. It didn’t take long, once I got visible and was sharing the services I was providing, to attract amazing clients. Then it was up to me to deliver the results they were looking for. Their results attracted others and the business scaled quickly.
The second, most recent form that’s enhanced my business is my podcast. I love this format as it allows me to share what I’m working on and the services I have to offer while filling up my listener’s mind with valuable information that my guests are sharing. It’s been an awesome journey thus far and one that I am really looking forward to continuing.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
One of my biggest learning curves during this pandemic was how important it is to have multiple streams of income and the benefits of being able to monetize your skill sets. Naturally, coaching and consulting lends themselves to flexibility and unlimited earning potential. I have always known this but never really had a chance to fully explore just how far I could push things and increase my earnings.
During the pandemic, there was a new sense of survival thinking that surfaced for many. Often I thought about the “what ifs” for myself and for my clients. These thoughts gave me the idea to refresh several of my programs. I also reached further and created new programs and services, ones that I had been inspired to create previously but had not done until that point. I leveraged the ability to scale online. Had it not been for the pandemic, I would probably not have explored many of those opportunities and income streams, but I am so glad I did because now I have the ability not only to help my clients in more ways but also to coach other coaches on how to do it successfully. Not everything was smooth sailing, especially when there was so much uncertainty happening around us, but I learned quickly how fast I could bounce back.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
Stop overthinking and just go for it. I learned so much when things didn’t go right and one of the biggest lessons is that procrastination, especially around launching something new, will never result in sales (it only delays progress). I got in my own way, more ways than I care to share but now I’ve adopted the mentality that it’s better to put things out there than to talk myself out of doing what I know I need to do.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
A ring light, a good mic, a virtual assistant to take care of the things I don’t need to spend time on, and setting up my online platform to teach the courses I want to teach to thousands of students around the world.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I celebrate ALL of the wins, no matter how big or small. It’s really easy to just keep pushing and chasing the next big goal, but eventually, you run out of steam. Pausing and celebrating progress fuels the fire and helps us go farther, faster. Plus, you’ve got to enjoy the journey — otherwise, what’s the point?
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
We all have ideas, skill sets, passions, and talents that can be monetized if we’re willing to give it a try. Once you lay out a plan for what you want to do, the most important and critical step is HOW. I see way too many people with brilliant ideas fail at execution – not because they weren’t capable – but because they allowed their excuses to be way louder than their WHY.
The majority of my clients work with me because they want and need accountability and guidance from someone who was once in their shoes. Many have tried to do it alone before and their results weren’t what they had hoped. When I dig in further, the only thing standing in their way is themselves. That can show up as reasons like “not enough time,” “not enough money,” or “not enough support” but in reality, we are in control much more than we give ourselves credit for. Is building a business easy? No. Is it worth it? 1000% yes. You grow stronger, more resilient and more capable each and every day as an entrepreneur, and I promise you will be so impressed with your results if you commit to your “why” and stay crystal clear on your vision.
How can readers get in touch with you?
You can find me at AllisonWalshConsulting.com or on Instagram with the handle @AllisonWalshConsulting. You can find my social media on the website as well as links to my podcast, She Believed She Could, which shares personal experiences, resources and features special guests. The podcast equips up-and-coming leading ladies with the skills needed to set their own bars high, while consistently reaping the rewards of hard work.
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