Was anyone else obsessed with the TV show Clean House on the Style Network? It went off the air in 2011, but the premise is that the Clean House crew – headed up by Niecy Nash (and her signature hair flower), her right hand handy-man Matt Iseman, hilarious and moody designer Mark Brunetz and southern belle yard sale queen Trish Suhr – would all show up at your ridiculously dirty, cluttered hoarder house and help you clean it, and they would sell all your shit in a yard sale and use the money to remodel your house.
My favorite part about that show was when the cleanup crew wanted to get rid of something hideous yet sentimental to the homeowner, they would offer the homeowner something shiny and new to replace the sad memory… And it NEVER FAILED that Niecy would catch the homeowner red handed sneaking that monstrosity out to their car to try to secretly keep it. Trust me, you don't want to get caught by Niecy Nash.
What's all this have to do with this month's Woman to Watch, Yolanda Acree? She's like the internet version of Clean House! Except instead of selling all your shit in a yard sale, she's going to teach you how to declutter your life physically and emotionally while avoiding becoming pessimistic and underwhelmed with life.
Yolanda's website is a gorgeous testament to her minimalist lifestyle. You can check it out here. Read on to learn more about Yolanda, her business and her advice for anyone just getting started in online business.
When did you decide to start your business and why?
I started coaching in May 2013. I created my first site and started blogging in April 2014. I didn’t start paid coaching until August 2014. What propelled me to begin was my discontent with my own life and wanting to help others pursue their dreams and create the lives they wanted. Adopting a minimalist lifestyle also helped me to focus on my dream of being an entrepreneur.
Editor's Note – you can check out Yolanda's free declutter workbook here.
What do you feel makes your target audience special?
We are women who serious about simplicity. We don’t want to “have it all”, we just want to have what’s best for us.
Why did you decide to build your WordPress site yourself?
I built my first site using SquareSpace because it was simple to learn and quick to set up. I didn’t understand WordPress and didn’t want to try either. As time went on, my coaching mentor and others recommended WordPress for the SEO plugins that could help me be found online. As my contract was coming to a close, I decided to bite the bullet and diy my WordPress site. I really expected the worse, but fortunately, I happened upon your 5 Day Website Challenge in a Facebook group and it eased my fears.
What was the most difficult thing about creating your WordPress site?
The most difficult part was learning how to use WordPress itself. I came from SquareSpace, which was more intuitive in my opinion, but WordPress has more options for control and customization.
What was the easiest thing about it?
The easiest thing was having your videos to refer to and being able to ask questions if needed. I also used your blog for assistance during the construction. It really wasn’t that hard to create when looking back on it.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about starting their own business?
Start now. You do not need to know everything about everything. You do not need to have a perfect website or offering. You will make mistakes along the way and learn a lot about yourself and your business. The sooner you get started the closer you will be to having the business and life you want.
If you could go back in time and do something differently, what would you do and why?
I would have set my site up when I first started coaching. I admit, I wasn’t confident enough and thought I needed to know more, but I wish I would’ve just went for it and learned along the way because that’s what I ended up doing anyway.
How long did it take you to build your WordPress site?
About two weeks total before I went live.
How do you promote your site?
Social media is my biggest promotion tool.
Do you have an email list, and if so, what is the most effective way you have grown your email list?
I do have an email list. Sharing my opt- in in Facebook groups and making Youtube videos have helped me grow my list the most.
Do you earn money from your site, and if so, how? Affiliate marketing, ads, products, etc.?
Not yet. Building my WordPress site also coincided with a rebrand, so my main focus is continuing to build my list while I'm figuring out what my signature product will be. Trying to take my own advice (from above) and put something out there sooner rather than later.
Who are your favorite bloggers or podcasts?
Rosetta Thurman of Happy Black Woman
Regina Anaejionu of byRegina
Tim Brownson of A Daring Adventure and Coach the Life Coach
You can find Yolanda all over the web here:
URL: http://yolandavacree.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/yolandavacree
Twitter: http://twitter.com/yolandavacree
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/yolandavacree
