"Don’t wait until you are almost out of money" with Kelly O’Connor

Photo Credit: soona denver

Kelly O’Connor is a TEDx speaker and an award-winning elder rights advocate, dedicated to improving life for those in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and 100s. Her interview-style podcast Goldenista Social Club features amazing older adults from across the country who share their wisdom with her audience. Her company, Calhoun Legacy, provides a Legacy Life Coaching program helping older adults find new meaning and purpose in their lives and consulting services helping organizations align their mission with their messaging.

Can you tell our readers about your background? I started my career in the fashion business in Paris and Tokyo in the 80s. I was a small-town girl in a big city and loved every minute of it. In the 90s, I began focusing my career on public relations and corporate communications which is when things really began to take off for me. In my last gig, I was part of a team that helped build a billion-dollar company – it was a dream come true. We had an office in Los Angeles and a showroom in New York, I was jet-setting between fashion week at Bryant Park and movie premieres in Hollywood. Then, I decided I wanted to slow down a bit and give back to the world in a more meaningful way, so I went back to grad school and received a master’s degree in spiritual psychology. I also started volunteering for a local hospice, which is when I fell in love with working with older adults in their last years of life. It literally changed the course of my life forever.

What inspired you to start your business? Senior care is historically a low-paying industry, so frankly, I started my own business to make more money. What I didn’t know at the time was how hard entrepreneurship would be and that it would take time to actually make enough money to pay myself a salary. Those first few years were rough, and I cried myself to sleep many a night, thinking that starting a business was the worst mistake of my life. After the first five years, however, I built the business into something that I was was able to sell, which freed me up to design another business that would ultimately be more fulfilling.

Where is your business based? I live in Denver, Colorado, but my coaching and consulting services are delivered throughout the country. I’ve even had a few clients in Europe. We were already using Zoom before the pandemic, so it was easy for us to pivot during those early months.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took? For my first business, I bought a franchise which was a plug-and-play solution that allowed me the confidence to leave my salary. I tried to work within their system for five years, but I found that I am more of a renegade entrepreneur which doesn’t work as well within the confines of the franchise model. I color outside the lines and all over the page, so it was a blessing that someone bought the franchise from me. In starting my second business, I took some time to really get clear on the clients I wanted to work with and how I wanted to help them before launching into marketing.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business? With both of my businesses, I started with referral partners – people who already had existing relationships with my ideal clients. Their referrals were stronger than any direct-to-consumer leads I could have generated. By finding the right referral partners, my business grew faster than I could have imagined. I kept the referral partners engaged through email marketing, social media, and of course, the obligatory goodie bags for their staff. I even threw an annual Thank You party for my partners and a client appreciation picnic in the summer, so we created a community of people supporting each other and the business.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? My biggest challenges were my lack of business operation knowledge and my own mindset. I overcame them by immersing myself in a women’s entrepreneurship program which helped me design my business processes and redesign my thinking about myself and what was possible for my business.

How do you stay focused? I’m a squirrel girl, so I get unfocused many times per day. What keeps me focused is a simple two-page strategic plan. I review it every Monday and then ask myself if I am working on the priorities or not during each day. It is difficult sometimes when I want to do the “fun” things in business and avoid the more mundane, but I have learned to trust my strategic plan and make it achievable IF and ONLY IF, I do the necessary work.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition? I am carving out a new niche in the marketplace so I don’t have much competition at this time. The hardest part is that older adults think that Medicare (the government) should pay for everything, and my Legacy Coaching Program is paid out-of-pocket. It’s been so fun to blend my background in public relations and my senior care experience to help other businesses align their mission and their message. I never could have imagined my life coming together like this.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business? The most effective marketing strategy is referral marketing – marketing to those who already have the trust of my prospective clients. When those in a position of trust recommend me, the sales process goes so much smoother. This also applies to former client marketing as well. When a client has a great experience and tells their friends, my client list has grown quickly

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? The best advice is to get support early on in your entrepreneurial journey; don’t wait until you are almost out of money. I spent so many unnecessary funds trying to reinvent the wheel. Find a peer mastermind group or coaching group to support you in your start-up phase, so you can build your business right from the beginning and not have to untangle bad processes when the business is in full swing.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why? I’m a TikTok lover. It’s quick, easy, fun, light. When they went to the three-minute videos I got a bit bored, but I’m still a fan. Facebook will always be my anchor in social media though. It’s where my customers are.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why? I love Canva….as in L-O-V-E Canva. I have saved hundreds of dollars by using their services. I change my mind a lot, so I can print small quantities and then re-design anything I need without graphic design change fees of printing minimums. Plus, I’m a meme queen and love creating my own messaging.

Who is your business role model? Why? My business role model is Cynthia James Enterprises and Women Creating Our Futures. Both organizations have values I believe in, and they have tremendous integrity in how their missions are carried out. Cynthia James as a speaker, teacher and leader is someone I greatly admire. If I could have half the impact on my audience as she’s had, I could die a happy woman.

How do you balance work and life? Work/life balance is a myth and dangerous for women to believe. There is only a small chance that work and life can actually be balanced perfectly in any week. How I found more balance in my life was by color-coding my calendar. It was a quick, visual method of seeing where I spent my time for the week. As an entrepreneur I found myself filling my every day with work and my weekend with admin catch-up so I was out of balance. I needed “me time,” so I assigned a color to PERSONAL and started proactively scheduling time for myself. It made a huge difference. The other thing that was a game-changer was when I assigned a color to INCOME-PRODUCING activities. I found myself “hiding” in my business with busy work so I could avoid sales calls – that nearly killed my business. I now look to see if there is a balance between ME and SALES each week to make sure I am on track.

What’s your favorite way to decompress? I have a gorgeous backyard living area overlooking the sunset and it is the perfect way to end a day. It even has light strings along the roofline so I can TikTok into the later evening. My dog Buddy joins me there after our evening walks – just me, him, and the stars, there is nothing better.

What do you have planned for the next six months? These next six months will be packed, as I have eight work trips already planned and numerous speaking engagements. I’m trying to work in as much play and dating as possible to make sure that I have fun too.

How can our readers connect with you?

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellygraceoconnor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Goldenista

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenistasocialclub

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goldenistasocialclub/

Spotify: Goldenista Social Club Podcast

iTunes: Goldenista Social Club Podcast

Website: www.kellyoconnor.com and www.goldenistasocialclub.com