Welcome back to the Micro Empires Podcast! I’m your host, Jennifer Ives Grimson. Is 50 too late to start your path to FI? No! Becky Heptig, owner of startedat50.com, and her husband found themselves in debt and with no savings at the age of 50. When they realized they couldn’t live this way anymore, they turned it around and retired EARLY!

If you’re tired of the typical culture of money and want to turn it all around to achieve Financial Independence no matter where you are in life, this is their story!

 

Note: Today’s episode was previously recorded last November of 2019

[00:01 – 04:55] Opening Segment

• I share the importance of today’s topic
• • The culture of money and Financial Independence 
• I introduce Becky to the show

[04:56 – 13:18] Becky’s Wake Up Call

• Becky shares a bit about her journey
• • Drifted through life financially 
  • Engaging in typical American Consumerism
  • Becky realized she didn’t have enough to save after having to cut her salary
• Becky talks about how her family hit rock bottom
• • Moved to Boston for her husband’s job
  • Returned to Texas in worse shape after her husband was laid off his job
  • Sold off their liabilities 
  • No safety net 
• Becky realized this couldn’t continue 

[13:19 – 24:59] Shifting the Culture of Money

• Becky shares about the steps they took 
• • Becky’s husband closes his business 
• I share my thoughts on the culture of money 
• Becky talks about the change of mindset they had 
• • Realizing the things you think you need to do are not that important
  • She started listening to Dave Ramsey
  • Changing the mindset of consumption 
  • Based on financial principles on biblical principles 
• How the situation turned around
• • Becky’s husband got a job paid in bonuses 
  • Using her new financial knowledge to manage the new income

 

[25:00 – 38:20] From Digging Out to Growing

• I talk about how Becky’s story can relate to everyone
• • It doesn’t take a lot of money to make a difference
• How Becky dug out
• • First learned frugality and saving 
  • Changed spending habits completely 
  • Took their money to an Edward Jones advisor 
  • Began investing  
• How Becky began to grow
• • Becky realized they can use their knowledge and add to it
  • Moved their money to Vanguard where they learned more financial tips 
  • Listening to ChooseFI Podcast
  • The pain was useful and profitable
• I share my final thoughts on this topic

[38:21 – 49:03] Closing Segment

• Favorite resource?
• • Simple Path to Wealth
  • The Retirement Manifesto 
  • Paula Pant
• What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?
• • To be sure to live life while you’re on your path to FI (Financial Independence)
• Becky’s advice to those in debt
• • Spend some time to figure out where you are
  • Forgive yourself 
  • Get a mentor and accountability
  • Formulate a plan and move forward 
• We briefly talk about the value of budgeting 
• Final words from me and Becky

 

Tweetable Quotes:

“It doesn’t take a large income to make a difference, anything you do today can make a difference.” – Becky Heptig

“I’m encouraging  people to just start as soon as they can, because every little bit that you do will make your future more comfortable and less stressful.” – Becky Heptig

“I don’t ever want to go back and live through what we did… but it took that extreme pain to turn us around.” – Becky Heptig

Resources Mentioned:

• Dave Ramsey
• Simple Path to Wealth – J.L. Collins
• The Retirement Manifesto 
• Paula Pant
• ChooseFI Podcast

If you’d like to connect with Becky you can find her on Facebook and email her at bheptig@gmail.com .  Learn more about Becky by visiting her website startedat50.com.  

You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I’m excited to know more about you. Also, feel free to shoot me an email at jennifer@micro-empire.com

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

This podcast is about YOU.  We all have a story; whether your story is a lot like mine or totally different. Maybe you have a good job, but you know in your heart that you want more. 

What’s your Micro Empire?

To know more, visit our website https://micro-empires.com/ and I’ll see you there!

Today’s episode of Micro Empires Podcast is with Gigi Butler. This episode was originally recorded last February, 2020 and happened during a live event at the entrepreneur center in Nashville. Gigi became an entrepreneur for the first time at the age of 7, when she started selling eggs door to door. So, when she opened  Gigi’s Cupcakes in 2008 only having $33 to her name, she never flinched.  Instead, she thought, “Why not me?”. Within 5 years, that $33 turned to $33million.

Alright, Let’s jump into this episode and hear from Gigi about how sometimes your recipe for success is just simply let go to grow. This is her story and the announcement of her new venture!

[00:01 – 07:46] Opening Segment

• I introduce guest Gigi Butler into the show
• • Quick plug to Gigi’s book “The Secret Ingredient”
• Gigi talks about her background before Nashville
• • She was born in Oklahoma but raised in California
  • God always has your back so keep going
  • She wanted to be a singer and moved to Nashville
  • Opened her own business, “Gigi’s Cleaning Company”
  • Her biggest lesson in life, “being able to transition”

[07:47 – 12:59] Gigi’s Cleaning Business

• Gigi shares a story about Taylor Swift
• • She was cleaning for Taylor Swift at one point of her life
• You have to let your dream die sometimes
• • What am I gonna do for the rest of my life?
• Gigi talks about rebuilding herself
• • Read a lot of books on how to become better
• Gigi pivots to the cupcake business 
• • “Why Not?”, “Why Not Me?”

[13:00 – 21:36] Gigi’s Recipe For Success

• Gigi talks about her transition to the cupcake business
• • The importance of not giving up
  • She took $100 thousand cash advance on her credit card
• Believing in yourself
• • If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. You will be okay.
• How Gigi realized that her cupcake business was a success
• • A lady yelled at her because she ordered cupcakes that were not in the menu
  • Her customer wanted consistency from her
• Gigi’s franchise business during the 2008 recession
• • Providing people a little bit of happiness through cupcakes

[21:37 – 30:28] Let Go To Grow

• Gigi talks about what these cupcakes meant to people back then
• • People love that the cupcakes were homemade
  • The smell takes people back
• Gigi talks about her episode with Undercover Boss
• Gigi sold her company in 2016
• • If you want to grow, you have to let go
• The process of launching something brand new

 

[30:29 – 40:30] Closing Segment

 

• “Get a good lawyer. Don’t lean on someone just because you are afraid”

 

 

• “There’s value in starting small because you can learn what makes you special”

 

 

• “It is a balance. 2 Cupcakes a week and I work out 6 days a week for an hour and a half. I drink a lot of water.”

 

• Final words from me and Gigi

 

Tweetable Quotes:

“Don’t lean on someone just because you’re afraid.” – Gigi Butler

“If you want to grow, you have to let go.” – Gigi Butler

“The women who really take off are the ones who took it in their own hands.” – Jennifer Ives Grimson

 

Resources Mentioned:

• The Power of Broke by Daymond John
• The Secret Ingredient by Gigi Butler
• Gigi on Undercover Boss (Gigi’s Journal)

 

If you’d like to connect with Gigi you can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Learn more about Gigi and her new business venture at https://gigibutler.com/

You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I’m excited to know more about you. Also, feel free to shoot me an email at jennifer@micro-empire.com

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

This podcast is about YOU.  We all have a story; whether your story is a lot like mine or totally different. Maybe you have a good job, but you know in your heart that you want more. 

What’s your Micro Empire?

To know more, visit our website https://micro-empires.com/ and I’ll see you there!

Welcome back to the Micro Empires Podcast! I’m your host, Jennifer Ives Grimson. Today I had the pleasure of speaking with the incredible Sherry Deutschmann founder of Letter Logic, a company she sold at $40,000, and Brain Trust, a project dedicated to helping women in business. Sherry attributes all this prior success to creating a unique culture of putting the employee first before the customer or the shareholder.  

Alright, Let’s jump into this episode and hear from Sherry about how to create this culture in order to empower others and ourselves. 

 

[00:01 – 7:55] Opening Segment

• I introduce Sherry and how we met
• I share some of Sherry’s amazing accomplishments
• • Lunch With Lucy – Sherry’s book
• Sherry tells us a bit of her story and how it started her on her path
• • From cleaning houses to owning houses

[07:55 – 25:20] The Employee First Culture 

• Sherry talks about the start of her venture into Letter Logic
• • Realized the customer service in her job was lacking so began her own business in her basement
  • Sherry had to sell all her belongings to build the company
• The success of a company begins with the employees
• • Take care of the employees and they can focus on taking care of the customer
  • Sherry talks about employee benefits including a profit-sharing plan
  • Creating an “employee-first culture”

• Sherry talks about the short-sightedness of not investing in listening and transparency 
• • Listening to people is free
  • How Sherry started “Lunch with Lucy”
  • Publishing meeting minutes
• Developing empathy for your employees and co-workers
• • Let your people know their value to the company and to themselves
• Briefly talking empathy in Sales 

[28:53 – 39:45] Empowering Women in Business 

• My “What would a man do” question
• • Sherry talks about valuing diversity and asking for the right things
  • Women Don’t Ask – Linda Babcock
  • Sherry tells a story of her experience with sexism in sales

• Sherry talks about her start with Brain Trust
• • Creating small-group sisterhood to get to the million-dollar mark in their business and their net worth 
• I break down some statistics about women in business 
• Sherry challenges women about thinking bigger and differently 
• • Create something investable 

• Don’t be afraid of investing in yourself
• Sherry talks about having “Imposter Syndrome”

[39:45 – 51:15] Closing Segment

• My questions for Sherry
• • Biggest financial mistake
  • The biggest impact on your financial independence 
  • Favorite book 
  • • Essentialism – Greg Mckeown
  • Common myths for women in business
• Sherry takes questions from the audience 
• • Messages for the readers of “Lunch with Lucy”
  • Sherry’s mentor and husband
  • Game-changing habits
  • Where you should focus your energy in the first year of business
  • The moment Sherry realized she pulled the business trigger
• Trivia for the audience and book give away
• Final words

 

Tweetable Quotes:

“I just thought if I take really good care of the people and if I focus on them, then they can focus on taking care of the customer. And the customer will be more dedicated and loyal to us because we are providing extraordinary service. They’ll be willing to pay more for that and that will satisfy me – the shareholder.” – Sherry Deutschmann

“There’s nothing that will give you a better R.O.I.(Rate of Investment)  than investing in your people.” – Sherry Deutschmann

If you’d like to connect with Sherry you can find her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Learn more about Sherry and her book at https://sherrydeutschmann.com/.  

You can connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. I’m excited to know more about you. Also, feel free to shoot me an email at jennifer@micro-empire.com

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode or click here to listen to our previous episodes.

This podcast is about YOU.  We all have a story; whether your story is a lot like mine or totally different. Maybe you have a good job, but you know in your heart that you want more. 

What’s your Micro Empire?

To know more, visit our website https://micro-empires.com/ and I’ll see you there!