( ENSPIRE She Did That ) Woodley’s Business Consultation and Virtual Retreats Help Women Build Their Brands
ENSPIRE Contributor: Abby Ladner
The number of women in business is on the rise, and it’s not slowing down. Women entrepreneurship increased more than that of men as more and more women seek to turn their passions into a career and establish financial independence. However, women business owners still face many challenges, including receiving less funding, paying higher interest rates, and being asked more biased questions from investors compared to their male counterparts. In short, it’s still difficult to be a woman in business. Audrey Woodley is looking to change that.
Brand Therapist Audrey Woodley is an entrepreneur and business coach dedicated to helping women in business succeed. With her consultation services, Woodley guides women in refining their business ideas, developing their brands, and becoming successful entrepreneurs. Now, Woodley is hosting virtual retreats where women in business can connect and learn from each other’s experiences. In ENSPIRE’s interview below, Audrey Woodley discusses her career journey, the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, and tips on creating a thriving business.
First, I’d love to hear how you got your start. What did you do before building your career, and how did that take you to where you are today?
Awesome question. I got started with wanting to start my own coaching practice and business consulting because I didn’t want to be stuck inside teaching for the rest of my life. I wanted something more than being cooped up inside of the four walls of the classroom. Both my mother and grandmother were career women who had side hustles, from selling Avon to running a restaurant and owning a resale shop.
Throughout your career, you’ve taken on many projects—owning a business, starting a nonprofit, writing books, coaching—how do you juggle these different projects and career interests?
Many entrepreneurs are multi-talented, and, I tell you, I had so much to give and so many ways to serve my community. It was definitely trial and error—I started with setting up my nonprofit because teaching is my background, and I wanted to create a fail-proof business. From losing my mother to breast cancer and partnering with a beauty brand, I created a personal brand for myself, and The Brand Therapist was created. Lastly, I was always looking for graphic designers and ways to launch my books. After two successful books, I just took a leap and launched Better Destination Media, to position myself with city and government contracts and hiring people who can handle my multiple brands. Trust me, there have been times when I want to just quit because I didn’t have the systems, team, or support from my own peers. Since the pandemic, God has shown me that there is room for me.
Could you tell me more about your title of “Brand Therapist”? How did you get that name, and what does it mean to you?
My name hit me at the Nordstrom shoe rack. Now, as we’re building these brands and trying to figure out life, you know you need a coach. I mean someone that will give you what you need with sound advice. Coaches are the best part of knowing how to build your brand. At that time, my first coach was charging me $250. Today, coaches charge that for a masterclass. I didn’t think it would be so hard to think about whether I should purchase that $250 pair of designer shoes or get my life together. I got my life together and built several brands, and, still today, I hire coaches to get to the next level.
More recently, you’ve shifted to hosting virtual retreats—What inspired you to start hosting these retreats, and what can people expect from them?
When the pandemic hit, I was already online and created courses and digital downloads and for the most part, you really can’t move around the way you want. Business must go on, and I was ready to take the challenge and create that experience for career women, coaches, and authors to help them pivot their new business model and position with the ebook model for digital downloads.
What seems to be one of the biggest concerns for entrepreneurs right now is adjusting to the pandemic. How do you think people can be better prepared to respond to challenges like this, and do you think there are any business lessons that can be taken away from the experiences of COVID?
The biggest concerns are team building, business credibility, and advancing to the next stage. The hybrid model is here to stay. Most programs are offering affiliate programs where you can make money with your audience sharing and influencing products or services.
From your perspective, what are some of the biggest challenges faced by women in business, and how can they overcome these?
The biggest challenge is trust and having a system in place to serve at your highest level. Like really getting into knowing what you are really serving your audience. People are looking for answers from influencers, not all these beauty shots. They are looking for help, and it so happens Clubhouse has given us a window of hope, but you still have to do your due diligence and research and check people out because you will get scammed, and that’s not a good feeling at all.
Lastly, what advice do you have for women just starting out or looking for a boost in their business careers?
Just have patience. Look at how you can serve or be an affiliate or ambassador. Find something that you love to do, or join me at audreywoodley.com. I coach authors, teachers, and coaches looking to build their personal and business brands, from marketing, building a Signature offer, and self-publishing eBooks, to writing your own pitches to land media.
Woodley is helping other business women define their brands and build careers that thrive even in difficult times. To connect with her or learn more, visit her website here. Keep up with her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
