Alisha Wielfaert is a creativity coach who lives by the motto “We rise by lifting others” She’s the creator of the Yoke and Abundance Wise Women Podcast. Her debut book, Little Failures: Learning to Build Our Resilience Through Our Everyday Setbacks, Challenges, and Obstacles will be published by New Degree Press in May of 2022. Alisha is an avid traveler, writer, and speaker who enjoys working with anyone who has a propensity to take action towards their dreams.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I grew up in Toledo, OH, and after high school headed down to Greensboro, NC to attend Guilford College. Greensboro really got its hooks in me because 20 years later, I’m still here. For me, Greensboro is the type of place where you can be a big fish in a little pond. You can find your place as a person and it’s easy to see where you can make a difference, which is what I love the most.

What inspired you to start your business?

Yoke and Abundance isn’t my first business, actually. In 2012 I opened a yoga studio. I was still working a full-time job, so I’d run payroll and the newsletter on my lunch break, teaching classes before work, after work, and on the weekends. I really burnt myself out. I was bootstrapping everything, and it was exhausting. After five years my business partner, who had come on a few years earlier, and I decided to sell the studio. I gave myself time to mourn the loss of the studio and then started thinking about what was next. What had influenced me the most during those five years was the coaches I’d worked with. I realized that I wanted to help others be able to find their way, too, and that’s how Yoke and Abundance was conceived.

Where is your business based?

I run my coaching business, Yoke and Abundance, out of my home in Greensboro. But since I’m virtually based, I’ve got clients from coast to coast and sometimes internationally and that’s pretty exciting.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I began by thinking about the types of people I wanted to coach—who they were, how old they were, what problems they were encountering—and how I could help them get to where they wanted to go. I thought about what a coaching package with me might look like and what the pricing range might be. I also took Mario Forleo’s B-School, a phenomenal program for any entrepreneur. She coaches you to interview 25 people or more about the type of product you want to sell. So, I did just that. I made a list of as many women I could think of who might be in the market for coaching and interviewed 25 of them, asking questions like “Have you ever worked with a coach before? If you were to work with a coach, what would you want them to help you with?” and “What would your goals be for working with a coach?” and of course, “What would you expect to pay for this?”

I had already loosely built out a 3-session coaching package and priced them. After each interview I let the interviewee know that I was starting a coaching business and, to thank them for their time, offered them 10 percent off my 3-session coaching package. I booked 75 percent of those interviews as clients and that’s when I knew I had a solid business idea. From there, I took all of the information they had shared with me and used it to write the copy for my website and shape my product development. If there is anything I could go back and do again, I would interview 50 women and ask each of them to recommend one other person for me to interview.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

My business is now five years old and different things have worked at different times. It’s constantly growing, evolving, and changing. My coaching is built on the principle that everyone has their own wisdom within. I don’t give advice or answers but guide my clients to access their own inner wisdom. In the beginning, one major component of my work was blogging. Each week I did a “Wise Women Wednesday” interview, highlighting different women who were doing something creative and living from a place of abundance. Early on, I decided to host Wise Women Panels where I’d facilitate a discussion of women I’d already interviewed on the blog.

It was great because we would start with 30 minutes of what I called “Friendraising” or facilitated networking (I made these exercises as fun and friendly as possible), before moving into the panel discussion. These events helped me build community, raise awareness about my work, and build my email list. Eventually, they also generated a small amount of revenue as well.  

As my work expanded, I started a podcast around this same idea to continue to raise awareness about my work and reach women who weren’t local. I also participated in and hosted online summits. Most recently, I’ve been writing a book, Little Failures. The pre-sale campaign helped me raise awareness, land more speaking gigs, and further build my email list. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what a great strategy writing a book has been for awareness building of my work.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

I’ve learned that so much of building a business is about having faith, taking consistent action, and staying the course.  I underestimated how long it takes to build a thriving business, and how long it takes to land on the products to help me bring in consistent cash flow.

There are no quick fixes. In the beginning, when I was having cash flow problems, I was forced to get creative to supplement my income. At one point I took on a part-time job with a non-profit building a community for local female entrepreneurs. It felt like a win-win for everyone involved because I could earn money while also networking in a way that helped me build my business.

Sometimes, though, when the amount of work on my plate felt overwhelming, I’d have to stop and ask myself, “Is what I’m doing income producing? Is it a long game or a short game income-producing strategy?” Then I’d re-evaluate from there.

Through all of the ups and downs, taking consistent action while having faith that I’m on the right path has been what keeps me going. I love what I do and know I make a difference in the lives of my clients. Year after year, I’ve had continued growth. At the end of the day, knowing all of that fills me up, so I stay the course.  

How do you stay focused?

I’m a professional, and I hold myself to professional standards. I believe that if you’re going to be in business for yourself, you need to take yourself seriously and hold yourself accountable. I’m also a single woman supporting myself completely off of my business income. There is so much power that comes from having no other choice but to do the work. There’s no net, there’s no backup plan, there’s no one else that is going to bail me out if things get tough. Not being focused isn’t even an option; each week, each day, each month, I have to be focused on what will build my community and therefore my revenue. I know what needs to be done to get me to where I want to be in my business and make the mark on the world I need to make.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

What makes me different as a coach is that I’ve married creativity and positive psychology for my clients. When I decided to become a coach, I knew I wanted to provide research-based interventions with my clients so I became a certified positive psychology practitioner. I encourage my clients to cultivate their creative side, exploring it through writing, painting, fashion—whatever makes them feel creative—but I also share strategies backed up with science, like gratitude practices, core values work, meditation, and yoga.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Different strategies have worked at different times but recently I’m having a lot of success hosting free masterclasses. They position me as an expert and serve my current email list with something that will be useful to them, while also attracting new folks. At the end of each class, I offer an opportunity to purchase tailored coaching for those who need 1:1 help.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Be consistent, stay the course, and have faith. Surround yourself with people who are pushing to get better, and who have been where you want to go.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

Well, I’m a runner so right now my Garmin Running app that connects to my watch is my favorite. I love seeing how fast (or slow) I’ve gone and watched my miles for the month accumulate.

As for my favorite blog, I’m always on the lookout for good ones. The blog I always read when it lands in my inbox is The Art of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau. I’ve been reading his work for over a decade and there’s always a concept that sticks and makes me ponder what he’s said for days to come.

A book I come back to over and over again is The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. One of its main themes is reflected in this quote: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is inviable to the eye.” I believe this is often true, especially in business, even though it flies in the face of conventional wisdom. This book is my reminder to keep my heart in what I do.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite business tool is my journal and my pen. Every single day I get up and write morning pages, created by Julia Cameron. Morning pages are three pages of writing stream of consciousness, whatever comes out. My best business ideas, blog posts, and writing starts in my morning pages. If I didn’t give myself time to think away from screens, away from alerts and apps, I’d never get anything done. I think we forget that often our best resources are within ourselves.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Bonnie Christine is one of my role models because she has built a flourishing business over the last decade. I met her in a yoga teacher training in Asheville about eleven years ago and I’ve watched her diligently build a successful surface pattern design business and teach others how to do it too. She is the epitome of professional, strategic, and wise when it comes to a creative business.

How do you balance work and life?

I believe the idea of work-life balance is a complete and utter myth. It’s elusive and paints a picture that we can someday get there, wherever “there” is. If someone looked at my life, they’d see an entrepreneur who often works 60 hours a week but also has weeks that are as low as 20. I don’t strive for balance; I strive for alignment and I teach this to my clients.

The most important question I ask myself is “What are your Core Values?” I’ve identified my core values and made sure I’m in alignment with them. When I’m out of sorts and frustrated, overwhelmed, and overcommitted with my schedule, I change my choices to be in alignment with my values. If my values aren’t reflected in my calendar and appointments and the workload I have in front of me, something’s wrong.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Taking time to prepare a nourishing healthy meal is always a great way to lower my stress levels; pulling out my watercolor paints is another.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

My book Little Failures has a publishing date of May 2022 and so for the next six months, I’m finishing rewrites and marketing the book.

How can our readers connect with you?

They can find me at my website www.yokeandabundance.com

Or on Instagram @yokeandabundance