Lisa Sicard, creator of Inspire to Thrive, is this month’s Study the Solopreneur guest of honor – and I am stoked about that! Lisa’s going to tell you how she went from being a full-time employee to a successful blogger, social media influencer, and coach.

Inspire to Thrive is a haven to those of us who want (need) to learn more about social media marketing. 

While Lisa and I are well-connected by several successful people in the blogging community, this is the first time we’ve spoken to one another.

This is part of what I love most about this series!

Getting to know people I haven’t “officially” met is one of the many perks of hosting my own show.

I enjoyed getting to know Lisa, hearing about her career transition & just chatting with her in general. She's a wealth of information about social media marketing. #studythesolopreneur #iammyimagination # careerchange @lisapatbClick To Tweet

Lisa was kind enough to jot down the answers to my questions, so you’ll be able to read them in this post. She expands, however, in the video interview, so make sure to check that out as well.

Enjoy Lisa’s message and as always, feel free to share your thoughts in the comment’s section below!

Study The Solopreneur – Inspire to Thrive with Lisa Sicard

1 – What did you do before becoming a solopreneur?

I was a graphic artist from the time I was a teenager and then went into sales in my late 20’s. I had always worked in the newspaper industry for about 35 years. I started a retail website over a decade ago on the side and that’s what got me into social media.

I worked in digital sales a long time at a newspaper that was the first to have a website in the early ’90s so I had myself in everything. I learned SEO, digital marketing, social media, and small businesses.

2 – What inspired you to make the change? What made you decide to go into what you’re doing now?

It was a transition. I had been doing it part-time for about a decade. I would get up at 4 am. and work until 7:30 then get ready for the day job. I’d do my blog stuff on lunch hour and come hour and work after dinner a few hours. Some days I’d put another 8 hours into the retail website. I dropped it once I got divorced and had my own Inspire To Thrive. I always knew I wanted to go full time, but it took years to get the courage and my husband now really helped me with that. He owns his own business and understands it all.

3 – You’re a successful blogger, social media manager, trainer, and consultant – just to name a few of your accomplishments. What obstacles and challenges have you encountered along your journey and how have you handled them?

Many! Working it with a full-time job, lousy marriage that ended in divorce from an alcoholic, taking care of my mom with cancer who passed away within 5 months and taking care of dad after that for several years. After the divorce, I reunited with my childhood sweetheart, got in a serious snowmobile accident and almost died. I couldn’t type or do anything for a while.

4 – What do you love most about what you’re doing?

I love working with people and the freedom to make my own schedule. I love learning new things and in this business, things change rapidly. #inspiretothrive @LisapatbClick To Tweet

5 – I know you do in-person work as well, but you’ve made some impressive connections and developed meaningful relationships with other bloggers throughout the years. How has this impacted your career?

It has helped me develop a little community. I can easily do contributor posts, I don’t think I’ve been denied any over the years.

6 – SEO is a part of your business model. I’ve always found it challenging and I know others have as well, so I, personally, appreciate people like you! What advice would you give to help simplify the process of learning SEO? What services do you offer to teach others how to use it effectively?

I no longer do my own SEO exclusively, I hired someone this year to do a little for me. I ask a lot of questions too and do as much as I can. It is always changing.

7 – What positive changes have you noticed take place in your client’s business models that were the result of your teaching/consulting?

They are getting more exposure out there than ever before. It’s refreshing to have clients say thank you! One said, I was worth every penny and when competitors come in he tells them he is all set with me for his social media. That’s refreshing!

8 – What advice would you give to someone struggling with their lives/career based on your own experience and knowledge?

Go for it! You must take the leap. I heard that all the time but was so afraid with health insurance. I bit the bullet and purchased our own, it wasn’t much more than I was paying in corporate America.
I used to worry about being laid off all the time, now if I lose an account, I know I can find another, and I have excellent follow up.

9 – What projects are you working on now?

Being that I was in sales for many years at the newspaper, I always have a pipeline. I’m trying to grow my teaching and training up locally and more blogging work internationally. I’d love to start doing webinars too in the future.

10 – Lisa, where can people find you?

Almost anywhere 😊 My about page, my contact page, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn. Quickest is Twitter besides a phone call if I know the phone number or it is in my contacts 😊

Over to You

So what did you think about Lisa’s message?

I don’t know about you, but I can relate to what she said about the fear of being laid off and the relief of being able to replace an account.

Being afraid of losing your livelihood (especially when it’s in the hands of someone else, regardless of the reason) is so common.

The truth is, even the most 'secure' jobs out there have strings attached and have often come to an end, many times having nothing to do with the job performance of the employee. #solopreneur #careerchange #inspiretothriveClick To Tweet

That’s just how it works.

So I say, do something NOW! And if you don’t know what that is yet, spend some time going within to see what makes you tick, what you feel you can do naturally and investigate what you can do to elevate your skill levels to become more proficient with it.

I wish you luck on your own journey toward becoming a successful solopreneur – and until next time, take care.