The Grit Series with Meg Church, Relationship Development Coach

About The Grit Series

The Grit Series is a series of collaborations focused on small business owners putting in the grit to build something great. Each interview spotlights a business savvy member of The Initiative Mastermind and there's a ton to learn from each one about running a small business!

WHAT IS THE INITIATIVE MASTERMIND?

The Initiative Mastermind is a community of small business owners who rally around getting better at business together. Daily, we share insight on what works, what doesn't work, and strategy for adapting and pivoting in the ever-changing business ecosystem. Click to join The Initiative Mastermind.

Watch the live interview with Meg and her life and business partner, Derrick Smithson

Meg's Bio + Street Cred

I’m Meg Church and I remember vividly the heartache, distress, and agony that self sabotaging behaviors caused me. Between eating disorders, anxiety, major self doubt, and constant imbalance, I couldn’t seem to live the fulfilling life I imagined.

If you are currently dealing with this, I get it & know exactly how you feel.

I spent a decade of heartache striving to fit the elusive mold of what mainstream considered “perfect” all while trying to figure out why I was put on this earth. To state that I was a hot mess, is putting it lightly. My mental and physical health suffered as I tangoed with eating disorders and yo-yo’d between sizes, poor relationships, and jobs that didn’t feed my passion.

After finally seeing the insanity that I was in, I eventually decided that I needed a drastic transformative inner makeover to birth the Meg I knew I could be.

Of course in my early years, I did what I was supposed to do: graduate from college, get engaged, find a career and get married.

Errrr, wrong.

I graduated from college, got engaged, and then called off a fully paid wedding!!! I ditched my career plans and set out on a journey to figure out what I wanted to do, not what others wanted me to. My life would be completely different and unfulfilling had I not made that bold move to listen to my gut. I didn’t have all of the answers, I simply started making decisions that lit me up that also challenged my current beliefs and habits.

Later, I moved as far as I could away from reality to New York City, where I trained to become a health-based chef, studied Holistic Nutrition, and fell in love with yoga (so of course I became a yoga instructor). New York dazzled and delighted me and and it was there that I finally realized…I didn’t need to escape my own life… I just needed to make positive, sustainable lifestyle changes.

By addressing my own challenges, I’ve developed techniques and strategies for teaching others like you to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin and to reach the type of success that they yearn. Today that is what I do for a living.

Relationship coaches

Quick Q&A with Meg Church, Relationship Development Coach

In 2 minutes, tell us how you became an entrepreneur.

Thanksgiving night, my parents sat down and talked to me about becoming an entrepreneur! It was such an amazing night. I was a trainer at the time and they essentially gave me advice and how to go about it.

They said to take 2 years to become certified in things I needed and to and learn as much as I could. Shortly after, I moved to NY to start that journey!

What do you do and who do you do it for?

This has changed more times than I care to admit, but I work on relationships. Relationships to self sabotage, to yourself, and with your romantic relationships.

I do it for people who struggle to get out of their own way and just need someone who’s been there to show them the ropes, and make the journey a lot less scary and isolated. It’s starts with YOU, so this is definitely a relationship development style of learning, growing, and evolving methodology that is FUN!

Have you found work that sets your soul on fire?

Absolutely! I’ve always been drawn to relationships, partly because I struggled with my own relationship to myself, and as a result it impacted all of my other relationships. When I started navigating my own and how to stop self sabotaging, and work on growth and development, major shifts occurred.

Now I share tips and tricks with others to “Slay Self Sabotage & Rock Your Relationships!” After a decade of dating bootcamp, I reconnected with my soulmate and together we do this work now!

What's the best business advice you've received?

This took waaaayyyyyy too long to “get” but it’s in regards to niche. Niche down. “The riches are in the niches.” When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.

What has been your hardest entrepreneurial lesson learned?

This is twofold...how vital a niche is that you’re extremely passionate about. I would work on too many projects with too many niches and wasted a lot of time going nowhere fast.

Then I would find out it wasn’t my passion. Another is how much your entire life is integrated. When one area of your life is suffering, it can dramatically impact your creativity and business.

Ever gotten any bad business advice?

Yes, in some ways it’s simply been being told you need to have some degree behind your name to be great at what you do or else people won’t believe you. Or that I needed some sort of proof ( married, etc) to work with relationships.

That’s what held me back in the relational world, but in all reality I needed to be specific with the niche & standing behind what I knew I could help people with and teach them how to get out of their own way. My holistic approach fills in the large gaps I see when it comes to marriage/counseling traditional work.

What's your scariest/wildest/most exhilarating moment in your journey so far?

Reconnecting with my soulmate & starting businesses together! I always wanted that but didn’t think it would happen.

When it comes to getting work done, early riser or night owl?

Early riser!

What responsibility do you like the least in running your business?

Content & connection trumps all. So as crazy as this sounds, things that interfere with that I would add to that list! All the mundane details that take me away from those two things.

What's the secret to your success?

I’m no where near where I want to be, but, to keep figuring out ways to create what i love & dream about, and hiring people who are geniuses in areas I’m not to help propel my work forward!

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs just getting started?

Get clear! Niche down! And join or create a mastermind to bounce ideas off of! I grew tremendously being around other entrepreneurs trying to figure it all out too!

Where can people connect with you?

Website: http://megchurch.com/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/therelationshiprevolution/

MEET SIMPLY INTEGRATED'S OWNER, FRANCIE HINRICHSEN

Hi and welcome! I'm Francie. I started my business, Simply Integrated, in 2015 and have fallen madly in love with teaching small business owners how to start, grow, and market the successful and profitable business they dream about.

My knowledge and experience comes from earning an MBA and from coaching small business entrepreneurs while managing and marketing their projects.

I focus solely on business strategy and marketing and created this blog to help others run more successful businesses. If you’re interested, you can read more about me on the About page of Simply Integrated’s website.

WE WANT TO DESIGN YOUR COMPANY'S MARKETING STRATEGY

If it turns out we’re a good fit to work together, I’d love to help drive customers to your business and positively impact your bottom line. Get in touch for a free consultation. To get in touch, use this contact form, email us at hello@SimplyIntegratedLLC.com, or call/text us at 309-431-2266.

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The Grit Series with Meg Church, Relationship Development Coach