Ep. 329: Find Your Solopreneur Support System with Chrissy + Danielle from One Woman Shop

Shannon Mattern: Chrissy and Danielle. Thank you guys so much for being here on pep talks for side hustlers. We'll start with you Chrissy. Can you tell us a little bit more about you and what you do and how you came to be a co-owner of a One Woman Shop?

Chrissy: Yeah, so I started my career mostly in nonprofits actually, and had connected with some online entrepreneurs that I knew from previous jobs and other experiences and that kind of thing. And started doing some Google ad work, primarily and Facebook ads focus that really small shops that had a social mission or non-profits because I think there's a lot of nonprofits who need help with Google ad grants and all of those things. And so I was doing that on the side while I was working for a long time. And then I found One Woman Shop and became a member and then started doing some work for them. And so that was kind of how I got connected to One Woman Shop originally. And so it was doing that as kind of one of my side hustles, and then I was also kind of working and then doing some freelance work as well.

Shannon Mattern: Awesome. Danielle, how about you?

Danielle: Yeah, so similar trajectory, which kind of bleeds into how we got connected, but in terms of me working like a corporate career and then decided that that life is not for me partially because of my husband's job in the military. So moving around every couple of years makes normal jobs hard. And just realize that working as a freelancer and as a solopreneur was going to be a lot, just a better fit long-term, being able to have more time and flexibility, location independence, and through that journey of kind of becoming a freelancer discovered One Woman Shop and became their social media manager when Christina and Sarah owned it. And, although Chrissy and I never worked together in One Woman Shop, but we both like were on the team at one point or another. And, so it was doing social media, marketing, blog, writing, freelance writing, and still today have, you know, my business as a content marketer, but I work primarily within the aesthetic and spa industry. And that's my main thing. And then One Woman Shop is that nice, like, now kind of like the new side hustle in a way. It's like that side passion project that goes along with that.

Shannon Mattern: I love that. And I found One Woman Shop back in 2015 when I first started my side hustle. It was really one of the first resources that I found where it's like, Oh wait, there are other people out there like me. Like, I didn't just make up this whole, like, I'm gonna quit my day job and like go work for myself. There's like this whole community of supportive people out there. And I actually interviewed Sarah and Christina, the creators of One Woman Shop in a previous podcast episode about, you know, why they built it and why they started it and then why they ultimately decided to sell it. And I could not wait to talk to you two about, you know, when you saw that email come through that they were selling it, you know, what was the first thought that went through your mind and why did you ultimately decide that you wanted to like pick up the torch and keep it going?

Chrissy: I think that the big thing for me personally, was that when I was a One Woman Shop member, that kind of community aspect that you mentioned is so big. And what I really got out of it was, I love my day job and I still do. And so for me, I wanted to build those a side hustle or a side passion project that wasn't my whole life, you know, and I think a lot of online communities and spaces focus a lot on, you know, become a seven figure earner or, you know, you have to build this huge business with this huge team. And I think what one moment shop really speaks to is people who just want to be in business for themselves, whether it's their full-time business or a side business, or a part of a bigger thing that they're working on. And we certainly do have members who have teams that have grown their businesses quite large. But we also recognize that that's not everyone's goal. And so to build the community around having these smaller businesses and these passion projects and everything was really exciting. And so when Christina and Sarah decided to take a break, it definitely felt like there was something missing in that online space. And so when they decided to sell, I'd done some work for them, as had, Danielle. And so we kind of both knew a little bit about the behind the scenes of the business and how it worked. And some of the things that, that we could really do to make it even a little different and a little bit better and more suited to our interests. And so I think that was kind of what appealed to me with knowing the history, but then also having lots of ideas to move forward.

Shannon Mattern: What about you Danielle?

Danielle: Yeah, very much along the same lines where it's like, it just kind of, I had a unique moment of like, I stepped away from One Woman Shop working with Christina and Sarah because I got pregnant with my son. So I was like, I really need to step back from work a little bit, not have as much on my plate. And it was right when they sent that email about selling that I was, I kid you not, it was on my to-do list that week where I was like, reach back out to Christina and Sarah and like, see what's going on because I went on to their social profiles and was just like, what's, you know, they had taken a little bit of a hiatus. So I was like, let me just check in and see like where things are. I wanted to kind of dive back into the community because like Chrissy mentioned, it just felt like there was that little bit of a hole missing where it was just like, Oh, I want to come back here. But they were on, you know, taking their break and kind of figuring out what, what they wanted to do with the business. And when I saw that email come through, it kind of just felt like one of those moments where it's like, here's your sign. So I was like, I need to just pursue this and see what could be on the other side. And just having known, like Chrissy mentioned, that back end side of the business. I don't know if I would have been as inclined to jump on an opportunity for a business that I didn't have more of an inner working knowledge or a history with a little bit.

Shannon Mattern: Yeah. when I saw the email come through, I was just like, Oh, like, that would be amazing to like, carry the torch for this. And then I was like, no, no, no, no, no. Like it's that entrepreneur in me. That's like, Oh, that would be so awesome. Because I think one of the things that I am so passionate about that, Chrissy you touched on is, you know, a lot of people focus on the six and seven figure business owner. And I literally just had this conversation with some people in my website marketing lab course this week, I always talk about making a full-time income, making a living, you know, whatever that means to you. And I think when, you know, I feel like those are vanity metrics, unless that really does mean something to you that it is meaningful to make X number of dollars because that's what's going to help you reach whatever dreams and goals that you have. But there aren't a whole lot of people speaking to the, you know, the person that just wants to have the location independence, like Danielle has, the ability to still have a job doing something that, you know, you're passionate and you love like Chrissy does, and have this other thing that's fulfilling that you feel like you're having an impact, having a, you know, just doing something that you're really passionate about. And it's not necessarily like, Oh, I have to grow my empire. And I love that that exists within One Woman Shop. And you're really just all about like elevating that for entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. So it's just, it resonates with me so much. And I was just like, somebody has to buy this because it can't go away. You know? And I just, I think that, I was so excited when the email came out, introducing you guys, and I'm like, I need to talk to them. I need to get them on the podcast because you fill a gap in the marketplace for support and education for solopreneurs that's just very unique to what you guys do. So I'm just really glad that you guys came to co-own it. Can you tell me a little bit more about like the process? Did you guys decide like, Hey, Chrissy, like let's do this together, or, you know, how did that go about, did you guys make that decision together or what was that like?

Chrissy: Yeah, so Danielle and I actually have never met in real life. And so it was actually just kind of luck a little bit that we got kind of connected. So, Sarah and Christina had put out sort of a, like call for people who are interested and in that cal, they mentioned if you would be interested in getting a list of people who would be interested in co-owning, let us know. And knowing kind of the amount of work that One Woman Shop could be, I immediately jumped on the offer to look at the list of people who are potentially interested in co-owning. And the only other name on the list at the time was Danielle's. And so I was like, well, we'll just reach out and see kind of what happens and go from there. And so Danielle and I connected, and the first time we talked, it was really clear to me that like our values really aligned. Our goals aligned. And I think our vision for the future of One Woman Shop was really aligned. And we talked the first day for like over an hour and it was about logistics and the future and all of those things. And I think I walked away from that conversation feeling really comfortable with knowing kind of like, just kind of knowing that we were on the same path and that we had the same values. And because we had both worked for them before, we were also coming in with pretty similar background information on that program. And, I think in the end, it's really worked out really well, that Danielle and I have this sort of relationship where, you know, we chat and we talk about our kids and everything, but also at the same time, like our focus when we're together is on One Woman Shop. And so that has worked out really well to have that like business relationship. You know, I think there were definitely moments where being new to someone and also like buying a business together had its own interesting dynamics. But I think Danielle and I have gotten along so well and it's really just worked out even better than I think we could have imagined.

Danielle: Yeah. I mean, I agree. So I'm glad we agree on that. Our skills are very complimentary to each other. I find that the things that I tend to not be as natural at Chrissy gets really easily. And then stuff that she's like, Oh, I'm not super interested in doing that, I'm like, Oh, well, that's the area I really like to spend my time in. So that was something we kind of fleshed out right from the get-go. And it just was that natural thing of like, okay, the things that we're both kind of interested in bringing to the table in this business are very aligned with each other and have a little bit of overlap, but we are bringing our own unique strengths to the table along with just unique experiences as solopreneurs. I think that was also a big piece too, of we've both had different journeys as One Woman Shops and being able to look through that lens to be able to decide how are we going to move forward together in One Woman Shop and have that different experience coming to the table.

Shannon Mattern: I love it. And I love that it's One Woman Shop and it's run by like two women who are supporting each other. I mean, I love that even before, but I think that, you know, for people listening, like it can be a lonely hard road to build a business by yourself. And there's no rule that says that you can't have a partner. Like you absolutely can find that person who has different strengths than you. And I've partnered with a couple of people on different like ventures and products in my journey. And it is just like, it's so much fun when you find the right person. And I think that, you know, you can't both be like the not strong-willed, but like wanting the same thing done different ways. And if you do, knowing how to navigate those conversations, I think it takes just a lot of passion for the broader mission, you know? Cause a lot of times we start businesses because we're, well I'm speaking for myself, I'm a control freak who wants to do things a certain way. And so to take on a partner, you have to let some of that stuff go. But it's so worth it. It's so, so worth it. I think.

Danielle: Absolutely. I think it's been a good exercise too, in just like being a solopreneur. I am that way too, where I'm like, I w I don't like managing people. That's why I like working for myself. And at the same time, it is nice to have, it's been a really awesome experience, just getting to know Chrissy and work together with Chrissy to come up with things together and have that true collaborative effort. It's kind of, I feel like it's just helped me grow as a business owner, aside from One Woman Shop as well. So I wanted to throw that in there.

Shannon Mattern: So you guys buy the business pre-pandemic. Tell me like what your vision was, you know, when you decided to buy the business and relaunch and, you know, what's the evolution been throughout this really interesting, interesting year. You know, I don't, well, we'll talk about my opinion on 2020 later. I want to hear from you on, you know, how this looked for you guys.

Chrissy: Yeah, I think, for us, when we bought the business, obviously no one knew what was coming in 2020. And so we started kind of just really outlining the vision of what we wanted One Woman Shop to be. And I think the one thing that's remained constant is that goal of this is what we're here for. These are the type of people that we want to reach. We want to help people who are just launching their businesses or want to keep their businesses intentionally small, and that has never changed. And I think that, you know, even through the toughest times of 2020 for us, I think that has remained our primary focus and our primary goal. I think some of the harder things for us have really been just the amount of time it's taken to kind of build that audience and kind of get things back up and going. So, as you mentioned, One Woman Shop did take kind of a longer hiatus before Danielle and I purchased it. And so then coming into 2020, we were also kind of facing like rebuilding the audience and just kind of reminding people we were out there and sort of changing a little bit of the trajectory of what had been happening with One Woman Shop. And so I think when the pandemic hit, we just kind of kept plugging along at working at those goals, but I think they came in a much slower pace. I have kids that are home now doing remote school, and have been since March. And so managing a full-time career with now full-time schooling and this on the side has been definitely more than I bargained for. Danielle also had an international move this year and she also had months and months without childcare. And so I think that experience though has really helped both of us just be super passionate about what we're doing and helping other people who are in a similar situation. And I think, you know, we've talked definitely about messages that resonated with us in 2020 and things that didn't resonate with us. And, you know, anytime I hear phrases like hustle harder or things like that, I'm like, there is nothing about that that appeals to me right now. And so we have definitely taken the slow and steady approach to this. And, you know, I think we have a really good plan going into 2021. And I think it's just really reinforced our vision and who we're really targeting as are our audience and who we want to be in our community.

Danielle: Yeah, 2020. I just, it's hard to even put the experience into words, but yeah, it was funny because, well, not funny, but, it felt like throughout this year, a lot of times too, it would ebb and flow between Chrissy would have a little bit more help for a couple months. And then I'd be like, I have no help. This is horrible. And my husband works in a hospital and it's like, he's gone. And then it would kind of switch where it was like, Oh, I got some childcare back. And then Chrissy's like, well, my kids are back at home. Like, you know, they're doing homeschool now. So it's been an ebb and flow throughout the whole year, which has been tough to navigate just from a time management perspective. But I think it's given us a lot of time to really get clear on plans based on the vision that has not changed. And really think through this rebuilding process of how are we going to do it in a way that's really intentional and make sure that we're, you know, getting that right message out there because it is kind of that different message that, maybe not the "sexy message" of like the build your empire, you know, talking about the six or seven figures, but it's still really speaks to our person. So just kind of digging into the research, digging into our brand and really repositioning that and taking some intentional time to do that has been good this year. So I guess that's kind of the silver lining out of that, having to take it a little slower than we intended.

Shannon Mattern: Yeah. And I don't have kids, so I cannot speak to, you know, the life-changing where day to day you don't know what you... You might have this plan, but this plan is not going to work out because now this thing just changed on a dime. So I recognize how fortunate I am to not be affected by those things. So just to preface what I'm about to say by that is, you know, I feel like what you guys are doing is to help people create a business that is going to allow them to adapt to a situation like 2020, or, you know, anything as far as we don't know what any tomorrow is going to bring. I think if 2020 has illustrated anything, it's like, we didn't have the control or the, you know, "power" over our schedule or things like that that maybe we thought we had. And I think what I love about creating a business for ourselves, creating our own income, creating that flexibility is that it does make it so that you do have a little bit more control over your future than if you're dealing with an employer, who's telling you, sorry, don't care if you don't have childcare, you need to be on this zoom meeting at whatever time. Like, you know, so there's so much, I just think that with what you guys are doing, especially that, you know, you are living it, you're living the business that you're trying to help your community build. There's, there's just so much to be said there because you're not like, Oh, hustle harder. Oh, you should... You know, you're in the trenches with them. And so you can help your community from a very authentic place versus someone that's like, you know, so far beyond that world that it's just not even on their radar. And they're not even acknowledging that there are these challenges out there. So I think One Woman Shop is more important than ever is basically, that was my long way of saying that.

Danielle: We agree, but also I think people are discovering the importance of having virtual and flexible work options. I mean it's like finally the light bulbs are coming on where people are like, I use freelance, but like a lot of times that independent contractor, freelancer type of role, I think 2020 in a way was almost like the spark that finally got people to wake up to this economy that's really been there for quite a while, but now people are going, Oh, I can do this instead. And I mean, having done this, you know, in my other business for, I think I'm coming up on seven years of doing that independent contract, being on other teams and working just on my own throughout 2020. I mean, yes, it was hard fitting into the margins, but it was that thing of, I can wake up and I can do two hours of work in the morning. I can do two hours of work during nap time. And then I can do two hours of work in the evening if I still have the energy to do it and still get in a moderate work day. And no one's checking in on me. Yes, I still got deadlines I need to meet. And those are other conversations that you have with clients and things like that, but that would not have happened with a normal non flex job. And even though like Chrissy has more of a regular job, she still has a lot of flex in her job as well due to just the nature of her organization and things like that. So, yeah, it was an interesting to navigate together just our own flexible work situations and how those things we talk about like freedom and having the freedom to do these things, like actually seeing it in the most high pressure situation that you could be in.

Chrissy: Yeah. Yeah. And I think for people in situations like mine, where they have a job and even they really like their job and they want to keep it, I think that 2020 has really illuminated that, you know, having multiple income streams and having somethings that you can control on your own are really important for everyone. So, you know, if your company was doing layoffs or was doing temporary, even if they were temporary lay offs, like you had this opportunity to really look at 2020 as an opportunity to say, like, I want to diversify my income streams. I want to do something on the side. So even when my other job things change, I have this other thing that I can control. So, we've also seen a lot of people kind of discover, I think, One Woman Shop for those reasons. And so I think it's been good for both Danielle and I to bring our perspectives to the table because we do have such different kind of paths that brought us here and it's different perspectives that we can still bring to the table.

Shannon Mattern: I love it. So I want to dive into One Woman Shop specifically, and, you know, what are some of the ways that you guys support your community to really have this extra stream of income, you know, this flexible lifestyle where ultimately they do get to decide how big, or how small do I want this thing to be? How do you support your members?

Chrissy: Yeah, so we really look at our, our site and our community as a resource hub. So our major goal is to provide resources to solopreneurs. So a lot of what we do is connection with other people in the kind of online business space. So when we are talking about a specific topic in our membership, we have a guest expert that's coming in to talk about that, to run a master class, to provide that advice, so that our members really hear from the best expert on whatever we're talking about, whether it's finance or SEO or anything like that. And so that's a big piece of what we do is really connecting new entrepreneurs to kind of the greater online marketplace to kind of know what's out there. And then I think the other thing that we do really well is kind of sharing resources with the community at large. So even our non-members, we provide a lot of content to them on social media, and we do a weekly Roundup of the best things on the internet that we find that are really helpful in our solopreneur journey. And so I think just looking at kind of both our broader audience and then our smaller community, our goal is really the same. And that's really that resource hub.

Danielle: Yeah. I think being the place where, especially when you're just starting as a solopreneur, it's like you don't know what you don't know. I feel like everyone that I've ever talked to in the online business world has that same experience where they're like, I didn't know this was here. And then it's like, the veil gets lifted and you see this entire other world that exists. And I think with One Woman Shop being the resource hub, we do want to focus on helping to lift that veil a little bit. But do it in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming and like, Oh my gosh, there's so much stuff to dive into. What do I do? And it feels scattered and there's so many different directions you can go in the online business world. Really keeping it focused, keeping things organized in a way where if someone goes, I really want to focus on like creating a great service offering, what are the resources we can point them toward or give them from our own experiences and that we can teach them on how to do those things. How to create marketing strategies that work as a service provider and not all the millions of other marketing strategies you hear about that maybe don't apply to you as a independent service provider. So all of those things, just being able to point people in the right direction and kind of be like that connector bridge for people in the online world, as well as being the community so that if you do need someone to bounce creative ideas off of, or even just say, Hey, I I'm working on a project and this piece isn't my strength. Is someone else here like great at that, that I can work with on this project. Like having those connections that you can start building is an important piece for us.

Shannon Mattern: Yeah. So that kind of leads me to my next question is what are some of the things that you see, you know, your new community members struggling with the most when they find you guys?

Chrissy: I think the biggest thing that we hear is people just not knowing where to start. And so we have really developed our membership to really focus on like kind of these three pillars of your business and sort of like these three things that we really want you to look at. And so I think what we hear when we see new people starting is like, there's so many courses out there. There are so many memberships out there. There's so many places where I can spend money before I'm even making money. And what our goal is really to really help people find those great resources and invest their dollars wisely, but also that you don't need a million courses to get started. And so what we really look at is, you know, we offer like a free course on our website that's, you know, here are four systems that you need to set up to start your business. And really just starting with the very basics of like, these are the very basic things you need to do to your business. And then when you're ready to level up, here's what you do. And so our membership is kind of designed for people who are starting out their business, but then when you're ready for the next level, this is kind of what you can do based on this foundational material that you've already worked for. Here's the next level. And this is kind of how you take those same pillars and you level up, and then you keep kind of doing. And so we have all these members in our community that are in various stages of their businesses, but they're all sort of following the same framework essentially. So that's kind of the way that we look at things and kind of our focus for members.

Danielle: Yeah. The three pieces that kind of encompass that that framework is really services, because we focus a lot on the service based solopreneur, so finding a service offering that really nails in your strengths and your previous experience, or just dialing in on a niche, like anything that is going to give you a leg up in the service industry, so that you're not the kind of Jill or Jack of all trades that is doing everything at way too low of a price. I mean, we all kind of have to start there to a degree to go, Oh, wait, this isn't what I'm supposed to do. But yeah, really helping people in that realm and then moving into the marketing strategy, like I mentioned before, and then how Chrissy mentioned, like systems as a solopreneur. Systems are not just for big businesses or for people with teams. As a solopreneur, you have systems whether you know, it or not, they're just all living inside of your head. And it really helps to get them out and documented. But also integrate tools. Which now there's so many, and there are so many great ones out on the market and we have our favorites that we like to recommend. But, how you can tie those tools in almost to be like pseudo team members that are working for you in the background. So those are things we really like to focus in on for the starting solopreneur, because those are the things that are going to help them move to those next levels more quickly and not take so long with building out whatever level of income they want to make, whether that is replacing a full-time salary or, you know, whatever other goal you deem as solopreneur success for yourself?

Shannon Mattern: I just love that because I think the biggest struggle, I see a lot of people that find their way to this podcast or my community, they've started like two or three rungs higher than where they really need to start. So they're making it so much more complicated because they don't know what they don't know. Not like they're trying to make it harder on themselves, but it's like, you're trying to start where someone who's, you know, two to three years in start with those marketing strategies, start with those offers, start with that website when you haven't even, you know, gotten your first client yet. And I will raise my hand. I'm totally guilty of that. Like looking at like, Oh, here's what my mentors are doing. I should start there and I should have a course and I should do this. You know, I'll write blogs and be on YouTube and, you know, doing all the things. Then when I found One Woman Shop I got some focus and some guidance and some traction. And I think that that's one of the biggest struggles that I see people have. And especially now, because this was six years ago when I started and like the options of tools and courses and trainings and frameworks, it's exploded in the past few years. And I think what you guys do, you know, really first, like here's what you don't know that you don't know. And then we've also vetted for you, you know, based on our experience, helping thousands of solopreneurs create successful businesses, you know, here's really what's going to get you further faster and help you grow to the level that you want to grow to. You don't have to start off running Facebook ads if you're not trying to scale a huge business. So, I love that you provide that kind of like really specific step-by-step support for the person that's like, Hey, I want to have a side hustle or start my own business. And I literally don't know where to begin. I know I'm good at this thing, but how do I get clients? How do I charge for it? How do I offer it, all of that stuff. Obviously throughout this whole episode, I'm like, I cannot say enough how important what you guys do is to the new solopreneur. Or even the, you know, not even new, you know, sometimes it's coming back to, like you go off the path. Like I did a couple years ago and you go into shiny object world and you find yourself spending a whole bunch of money and not making any. You could come back to your roots.

Chrissy: Yeah. We see a lot of that too, where people are maybe spinning their wheels a little bit, whether it's on their whole business or just an aspect of their business. And so they can come back to One Woman Shop. Like it's kind of like this return to like, let's figure out what the core of your business really. Let's identify that. And let's focus on what we can really do to make that part of your business grow and shine. And, you know, I think the other thing that I'll add is we also see a lot of people who, you know, setting up your systems and setting up your website. Those are like the fun and easy part. And getting the clients can be that the hard part. And so people like leave that. They're like, I'll find clients once I know everything there is to know about my business, or I have this great website or I have the perfect funnel or the perfect trip wire offer or whatever that is. And what we also really encourage people to do is focus on that. Like, you need to find people who want to buy your services and if you're good at what you do, they're not going to care if your website has two pages or a hundred pages on it. You know, it's really about finding your market and finding that audience and really going after them. And then you can add in all of those things that are really important, but like you said, might be strategies for two years down the line, three years down the line. And so, when people are either stuck or spinning their wheels or just starting out, like those are the type of people that we're really there for. And then we also love to celebrate people's successes too. So we have people who are, you know, like you, Shannon, having really successful businesses, and we love when people pop into the community and say like, you know, I found One Woman Shop two years ago or three years ago, and now look at my business and, you know, then they provide those lessons and that experience to other community members. And that's so valuable too. So we love hearing from everyone.

Danielle: Yeah. It's been fun to see some of the women that were in the group when I was more of a member, several years ago, maybe five, six years ago. And seeing them have brands now where it's like, and it's again, not about that, you know, status symbol type of thing, but it's that thing of, wow, they're really visible. Like you can tell that they've built this authority in their industry and their niche, and really carved out a space for themselves to be the go-to person. And that comes with, just like what Chrissy mentioned, like when you're first starting and you're spinning your wheels, or you're kind of stuck. It's like, you just have to move. Like you can always change your service offering, or you can always choose to look at what you're offering in a different way and go, Oh, can I actually kind of turn this into a productized service or something like that. Like moving along those, those steps in the pathway so that you then get to a point where you go, okay, because I did all the iteration and because I just dove right in and started working with people and really figured out what they need and what I'm best at offering and what people keep coming back to me for, now I really know what I can grow on. And yeah, I mean, that's the thing, you kind of just have to start somewhere. And I think that's where Chrissy and I really, I think that's where our mutual strengths really lie is just getting the kind of courage to just go for the idea and start taking action on it.

Shannon Mattern: Yeah. I feel like when you mentioned, you know, it's fun to dig into the website and it's fun to dig into the processes. And that's where I see a lot of people just like spin, not spin out, but like we have limited amounts of time. Danielle, you were talking like I've got two hours before my kids get up two hours at nap time and two hours in the evening. And I see so many people spend that time in what I call, create mode, which is build the website, do the systems, write the blog posts, like just create, create, create. And it's like, I create, I publish, but nothing happens. And what I like to encourage people to do is stop create mode, get into do mode. Like, take actions that are going to actually result in something other than like, well, I hope somebody stumbles upon this thing that I created. And I feel like the environment that you guys create and the education you provide in the community that you've really curated over the years from when Sarah and Christina and you guys were kind of in the background helping with that. And now that you've taken, taken that over is, you know, almost like an incubator for people to try those ideas and figure out in a really, not necessarily methodical way, but a very supportive way, like here is the framework. We know this works, and then we're going to like prepare you to either keep doing this because you really like it, or go off to, you know, create some of those bigger brands. Like what I've seen with some of my, I guess the cohort that I would have joined with where I'm looking at, like Monica Froese, for instance, where I'm just like, Oh my gosh, we were in One Woman Shop together and like, look at her now. That's crazy. Like we talked about it, I had her on the podcast and I'm like, we met in One Woman Shopped didn't we? And she's like, yep. I'm like, see, it really just creates this alchemy for growing your business that you just don't get anywhere else. So I just, yeah. I'm so glad that you guys picked it back up. Tell me more. So like 2020 really was kind of like a, I don't know, like a reset year for One Woman Shop. Would you, would you agree?

Chrissy: Yeah, I think that, you know, we definitely had some things that Christina and Sarah were doing when they owned the business that we wanted to continue doing. Like you said, there's so many great alumni and so much great content and so much great material that already existed. But, you know, 2020 definitely taught us that there's a changing landscape in the online business world too. You know, and I think you look at six years ago, what One Woman Shop was doing and it was really unique in the marketplace at the time. And there wasn't a lot of other even membership communities out there. And now almost every course you buy, you know, they also have a membership component. And so some of what we're looking at in 2020 and beyond is how do we really look at our unique value proposition and say like, this is who One Woman Shop is for. And this is like the community we're trying to create and really helping people understand, like, why they would choose One Woman Shop maybe over another organization or community, or that kind of thing. And I think our history is a big piece of that. And like you said, you know, when we look at the list of people who have been part of One Woman Shop, it's like very clear that this is a proven community that continues to help people grow and create their businesses. So I think, you know, that's been a big piece of what we're looking at in 2020. You know, I think one of our biggest kind of public facing offerings that we always do with our Solopreneurs Success Bundle and we did offer that in 2020, and it was really fun to bring that back and see people's excitement around the creators that are in that, and that is a highly curated bundle. So I think there's some bundles that are out there that are, again, becoming a more popular model is that bundle model, and so you'll see bundles that have, you know, hundreds of products in them, or, you know, more courses than you could ever work through in your lifetime, or, you know, the variety of courses that they offer is also so vast, you know. You could get every sort of thing from, you know, like fitness to coffee, you know, like all in this one bundle. And our bundle, what we really love about it is that it's super curated. So it's really focused on the same things that we're teaching in membership, that we're talking about on our website, that we're talking about on social media. And the curation also comes in the type that creators we're looking for. So really diverse, women owned shops. And I think that's one thing that we continue to be really proud of, is the diverse set of voices that we bring to whether it's our bundle, or we put out the list of a hundred best sites for solopreneurs every year. And that list, you know, this year we specifically took the time to like highlight some of the diverse voices in that list. And I think that's both one thing that we're proud of, and one thing that Danielle and I keep trying to work on is diversifying the voices that we bring to things like the bundle and to a Hundred Best Sites for Solopreneurs and some of the things that we're working on in 2021 as well. But, you know, I think that that definitely is where we continue to focus and really what makes us unique too.

Danielle: Yeah. I think 2021 is going to be our year to finally get a lot of the things we've planned, and even though we did, and thankfully Solopreneur Success Bundle happened before Corona hit. When did we do that? First week of February I think? And our timing was very lucky there because honestly I think if it was any later, I just don't even know. I can't imagine. But, yeah, I think 2021 will be a nice continuation of continuing to foster and refine those things that people really do love, like the Solopreneur Success Bundle and kind of tweaking it to make it our own a little bit while also inviting in, just making sure we get a nice new mix of people every year. That way it's always something kind of different and fresh and new. But basically like sticking with the old stuff that works and trying the new stuff that I think needs to happen with, like how Chrissy mentioned, like just the way that the online world has changed in the last several years. And it's changed so much over 2020 that we've just kind of been really taking note of all those shifts. And now it's just about really putting it out into the world for 2021 moving forward.

Shannon Mattern: Yeah. I feel like what 2020 did was kind of strip away everything that's not important and really reveal, you know, all of the things where we're like, what are our values, you know. And when you talked about diversity in the bundle and in the Hundred Best Sites and in your communities, and really helping people create businesses that support their lifestyle and not the grind and the hustle and, you know, just really focusing on the life we want to build for ourselves and not necessarily create a course and have no support with it and have just kind of the like, Oh, make money, fast run some ads. Like that type of model. I think, people are kind of over it. So I feel like what you guys have created, you know, your membership, it's a membership model, but it's so much more than a membership. It's really a solid community of supportive people. It's not just like, Oh, here's all this education and you get a Facebook group. It's so different than that. And I think even with the changing landscape, there is "competition", but there's really nothing like One Woman Shop and your community out there. So I just want to wrap up with a question that I ask everyone that comes on the podcast and Chrissy, I'll start with you. What is the number one belief that you had to change about yourself to get where you are today?

Chrissy: I think that the number one belief that I had to change was the idea that I could do things alone and that I could, you know, kind of create this whole, like lifestyle that I really wanted on my own. And so, you know, whether it's working with Danielle or finding a community like One Woman Shop, all of those things, when I look at them have really helped me kind of form a better relationship with relying on other people. Whether it's saying like, I don't know how to do this, or I want to run this idea past someone, or like the way that Danielle and I work now, like I have this idea and then seeing her take it and elevate it has really helped me become a person who just doesn't believe that I can do everything myself. And I think that's such an important lesson, even if you are an online business owner and you do work for yourself. So that's been big for me.

Shannon Mattern: I can so resonate with that so much. Like I can accomplish a lot on my own. I can like turn into a robot machine and I can get stuff done. But it's never as good as when I get mentorship, help, collaboration, feedback. It's just never as good. And once I learned that lesson, my whole business changed. So I can so resonate with that one. I'm like, yep. I see you there. Danielle, how about you?

Danielle: I think that's a big question. I think for me, I still sometimes catch myself, like in moments around the flexibility that this kind of lifestyle brings. Like my mom's a nurse, my dad was a fireman. My husband's a doctor. Like everyone in my family and in my close circle has these very like clear cut careers where it's like, we all know what those careers do and what they are. And I think sometimes it still kind of just catches me or it's like, Oh wow, you can truly create something different. And then that has extended into so many other elements of business and like with what Chrissy and I are doing, where it's like we get to choose what we create. And we get to try it and we get to talk to different people and see if it's something that they want and if we can serve them with. And it can be something that, honestly was born out of a need for things that we needed when we were starting. And it's just that kind of mentality of not everything has to fit into these boxes that we've always kind of been brought up to believe. And I think that's shifting a lot now in our current generation. Like sometimes I think of my child and I'm like, what job will you have? I can't even imagine. But you know, just that mindset of like, we can always create our own reality. Like if we can think it, we can do it kind of a thing.

Shannon Mattern: Yeah. I I'm totally with you there where, you know, I grew up just a certain way, like you go to college, you get the job, you work for someone else, you put money in your 401k, you get the mortgage, you buy the house, you hopefully live long enough to retire and enjoy it. And like, I can't even imagine like what your kids or my nieces and nephews, like you said, will do for a job. Like, I don't even think they'll think of it as jobs. Like, I think they'll just be like, you know, doing their thing and making a living doing it. I hope so, At least. I cannot thank you both enough for being here on Pep Talks for Side Hustlers. I'm definitely like a One Woman Shop evangelist. And I talk about you guys all the time and everyone who's listening, definitely go check them out. They have such good resources for you to truly support you in building the life that you want to build. So Chrissy, where can everyone go to find out more about One Woman Shop and connect with you and all of the resources that you offer?

Chrissy: Yeah. So we're One Woman Shop in all the places. So onewomanshop.com is our website. And then also Instagram and Facebook are kind of the two main places. And so we definitely would love to have you guys come check us out and see, you know, what kind of resources we provide. If they check out our website, joining our Weekly Finds newsletter is a great place to start and just learn kind of what we're sharing and what we're finding, and kind of the best of the best.

Shannon Mattern: Awesome. Well, thank you both so much for being here. I really, really appreciate it. I'll link up everything, One Woman Shop in the show notes.