Today we’d like to introduce you to Robyn Koenig.
Hi Robyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up primarily in the Midwest and went to college at Indiana University before moving to CA at the age of 22 to work as a freelance wardrobe stylist. I spent more than three years working freelance and going from job to job on movie sets, TV shows, music videos and fashion shoots until deciding I wanted what I considered to be a “real job”. The definition of a “real job” for me was something that was stable, salaried, provided benefits and a development track for promotions. At this stage in my life, I had an idea of what I thought success should look like so I shifted gears and jumped into a new career in marketing and communications. I worked on the agency side representing high profile consumer goods companies, and then moved to the brand side working for a global giant corporation until my first layoff in 2010. As a single mom going through a divorce and raising my son while paying a mortgage I was terrified of not having stable employment and was offered an opportunity to transition into the non-profit industry as the COO of a breast cancer organization. I had little to no experience in this field but I was passionate about the mission and I spent more than six years supporting the growth and visibility of the organization from start-up to a multi-million dollar movement.
Until 2017, when I was laid off again. After this second career layoff, my idea of stability in a “real job” was now being questioned and instead of reacting based on fear of the unknown, I stopped looking for a job and began looking at what I really wanted in my life. I decided I no longer wanted to put the fate of my career and ultimate happiness in someone else’s hands so I started over with my own plan, acquired my coaching credentials and launched my own business in 2017. I realized all I really wanted to do was help other people find the same joy, freedom and confidence in their life as a result of having a successful and thriving business and they didn’t need to do it alone.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey has been full of pivots and challenges. I’ve changed careers, jobs and industries more than I ever thought I would at an early age. Each time I changed direction I was faced with so many fears. Was I making the “right” decision? Will I be successful and make enough money? What will other people think if I change careers? What if I lose my job again? I’m an ambitious, driven and optimistic person but each setback and layoff pushed my level of self-confidence further down and I found myself lost in the midst of change. When I started my business, I was hesitant to jump all in so I clung to the safety net of other jobs and juggled my time, focus and attention across so many different things. There was no clarity of purpose and intention, just a lot of stress and wasted energy. Looking back now, I use my experience and the lessons learned along the way to help other small business owners go from start-up to a stable and sustainable business. The biggest aha moment was when I realized I was approaching my business like a hobby and not a real business and this was holding me back on every level. I remind myself of this daily!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love helping small business owners because I’m one too. I help small business owners run their business like they MEAN business! I’m a certified professional coach and small business consultant. Through my unique hybrid approach, I consult with small business owners by providing suggestions, ideas, insights, and resources on how to get them where they want to go with their business, and when they get stuck I can then coach them through the process. This powerful combination of both services (coaching and consulting) is what gives me the opportunity to support each client with a customized approach and co-create a plan with them to create powerful change that lasts. I’m the navigator and they’re the driver. My goal is to help small business owners, who are feeling overwhelmed and confused, become more organized, focused and energized without wasting valuable time, resources and energy. After a plethora of experience in the corporate and nonprofit and freelance sectors, my versatility as a consultant allows me to share a variety of experiences and help clients figure out the gaps that may be getting in the way of the success they desire. What I’ve found is that many small business owners (myself included) start their business in order to help people, not necessarily because they want to run a business, so they may lack some of the key fundamental systems for long term sustainability. I help them connect the dots between their passion to help others while working ON the business so they can see these are not mutually exclusive things and they can continue to help people for the long term.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The biggest takeaway from the past year after working with other small business owners during the COV-19 crisis is that fear is the biggest barrier if we allow it to be. It’s normal for people to fear the unknown and when we don’t have a good sense of how or if the future will provide stability, safety, success, etc. then the easiest thing to do is to stop and wait until its “safe”. And while many small businesses were unfortunately impacted more severely than others, there were amazing successes as well for many business owners that decided to step out of their “safe zone” and approach this fear with curiosity to change and pivot towards a fresh perspective so they could develop or redevelop their business. The lessons learned here as a small business owner myself are that audacity can be a good thing, growth thrives with adversity, decisions are better when made from a conscious versus fear based perspective, and a focused lens on opportunity is way more powerful than one that’s focused on the barriers in the way.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@robynkoenig.com
- Website: https://www.robynkoenig.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robynkoenigcoachconsultant/
