Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:
My name is Lauren Najar and I am the owner and head consultant at Lauren Najar Coaching LLC. We have two different sides to our business where we offer coaching/consulting services as well as done-for-you services such as social media management and lead generation. I am multi-passionate and believe in supporting my community in any way that I can to see them succeed.
What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?
I absolutely love learning from so many different people as well as networking and getting to know others.
What made you take the leap to start your own business?
I never felt like I was made to listen to other people, and do it their way. Initially, it was because I wanted my own hours and to make a lot of money, but as time went on I feel that I can truly be myself and be successful and happy in my career when I can create everything on my own.
What was your background prior to starting your own business?
I have a degree in Finance and spent ten years in the banking industry.
Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
Since college, I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur.
Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out, and did it go as planned?
It was to simply post every day to a bunch of Facebook groups and to book a bunch of sales calls and while yes, it did work, it shouldn't be the only strategy for a business.
What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way and what did you learn from it?
My biggest challenge has been getting out of my own way. Sometimes I make things a lot more complicated than it needs to be, so I learned always to go back and reset myself and start again. Going back doesn't mean you have failed, you are just resetting and starting again.
What is the accomplishment you are the proudest of to date?
I have been featured in Forbes and in a prominent Chicago podcast! Super exciting.
Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?
Yes! I built my business while working a 9-5 for three years, so I know a thing or two about boundaries. Boundaries are key and batching your tasks and assigning days to those tasks are key.
What's a piece of advice you can share that you wish you'd known when you first started your Entreprenista journey?
You always know better. Just because you hired a coach and want to learn from them does not mean they can hold your hand and take you with them. Put everything you learn through your own filter and do that. Having a coach or mentor is very important but you have to listen to yourself at the end of the day.
What have you achieved recently that you'd like to celebrate with our community?
I was featured in Forbes for the third time!
What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?
Growing both sides of my business and possibly operating those as two separate entities. Also, I plan on writing a book (non-business related) and maybe starting a podcast for my business.
Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!
About the Author
Entreprenista Team
