Today we’d like to introduce you to Alanna Hawley.
Hi Alanna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Absolutely! My name is Alanna, and I’m roughly 4 years into starting two businesses: an online saxophone lessons platform and a business offering SEO (search engine optimization) packages to small businesses (AKA helping them rank on Google!). As many will tell you, one of the secrets of entrepreneurship is to keep trying – to keep at it – even when you feel like you’ll never get there. And that is my story too.
With my business plan in hand and a prototype of an online saxophone lessons platform built, I quit my corporate job and went all in on building this business. I had ALL the data and market research to say it was going to work, and be a profitable (or at least self-sustaining) business within the next 12 months. And I believed all the Instagram influencers who had a “step-by-step plan to make six figures your first year.” I believed with all my heart it was possible. I believed my first self-administered paycheck was right around the corner; I’d get my foothold any day now.
A year and a half later, living on meager and undernourishing weekly grocery runs, leaving my car sitting in the lot with an empty gas tank, and just trying to scrape by, I had to break my apartment lease, effectively evicting myself. And at age 33, I went to live with my parents. I had to take a demoralizing job that hardly paid the few bills I had. I was thousands of dollars in debt. Defeated, embarrassed, heartbroken. Those are only a few of the adjectives I would use for this time.
But, this is where we must remember one of the secrets of entrepreneurship – that it takes time, and you CANNOT give up.
I never had a sexy “breakthrough” or big moment that changed it all to get me where I am now. It was just a relentless process of learning, adjusting, and moving forward one step at a time. Day by day, month by month, year by year.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve had many gifts and support along the way that have made the journey possible, but it has certainly not been smooth. I’m not sure if any entrepreneur would describe their road as smooth.
I think some of the biggest challenges I’ve faced personally stem from financial struggles, as well as deep exhaustion while hustling to bring it all together. On the financial side, that includes the immense financial challenge of bringing in enough revenue as a new business to pay yourself. It truly takes time (years!) to establish a stable business, and you must be able to support yourself throughout that time. That’s certainly been one of my greatest hurdles.
On that same note, as I’ve worked other jobs (and continue to work other jobs) to support myself while I build my businesses, it’s been an incredibly difficult balance to keep myself well (enough sleep, exercise, etc.) and work the amount that’s required to keep a “regular” job and build a business on the side (in my case, two businesses on the side). I’ve definitely experienced exhaustion, and am constantly learning how far I can push myself without pushing myself too far.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am lucky to have two passions with extensive backgrounds in both.
I built an online saxophone lessons platform specifically for beginners, which brings professional saxophone instruction to brand new saxophone players all around the world! We focus entirely on beginners, giving tailored instruction on this difficult but awesome instrument. I went to college for music and graduated with a degree in Saxophone Performance.
Although I started in music and have been lucky to return to it, I also had a 10+ year career in digital marketing doing search engine optimization (AKA getting businesses to show up on Google), which has always been a fun blend of technical work and creativity for me. While I was working on my music business, I started chatting with other small business owners about SEO (search engine optimization) because ranking well on Google means free website traffic! But so many small business owners had no idea how to harness this. I now have a quickly growing business providing impactful, budget-friendly SEO packages for small businesses. And I absolutely love getting to blend my expertise in this area with my love for entrepreneurship. Getting to work with small businesses also means that I get to work with authentic, hard-working, and like-minded entrepreneurs who are all experts in their own areas. I love it!
What I believe sets me apart from others in both of my businesses is my ability to break complex concepts down into understandable pieces. And also just being a genuine, authentic human, and letting others be their genuine human selves as well.
What am I most proud of? I’m honestly just most proud of not throwing in the towel 🙂
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Not to sound cliché, but the weather here is definitely one of the best parts about living in San Diego. I know that seems like such a basic answer, but it’s the truth! After growing up in North Carolina and spending a good portion of every year traveling around the country, our weather truly is a blessing.
I am also really enjoying Chula Vista. I lived in the central neighborhoods of San Diego for almost ten years, and recently started spending a large part of my year in Chula Vista. I had never spent much time down here, but I absolutely love it! I love the diversity that Chula Vista offers.
If I had to pick my least favorite part about San Diego, at least recently, it would be how crowded it is. It seems we’re always waiting in lines to do everything! There’s a lot to like about San Diego, so I don’t have too many dislikes to share 🙂
Pricing:
- Free Saxophone Fundamentals Class for anyone just getting started!
- $1,995 SEO Launchpad for Small Businesses
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.playsaxophone.net/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanna-hawley/
- Other: https://www.organicfoundations.marketing/
Image Credits
Emily Green
