September 15, 2022 Update: We are thrilled to share that due to the success and growth of the Peer Advisory Group, we decided to split it away from D&Co. Dalziel & Company will remain a resource for premium consultation and growth. Looking for more Peer Advisory Group content? Check it out over here.

We have all been there. At one point or another, we are moving down a path that we truly believe is intended for us only to wake up one day and realize that we actually are going the wrong direction. We aren’t truly happy. We aren’t passionate about our work. We struggle to attract the right clients. On this very special day (Dortha’s birthday!), we want to share her story with you. She is an inspiration to so many in the Peer Advisory Group and we feel her message will resonate with you too! Have you been in this position before? Comment below and let us know what you think, or join us in wishing Dortha a happy birthday! :)

Okay, so let’s kick this off with some fun questions! What would be your last meal?

Probably healthy, homemade mac and cheese.

Tea or coffee?

It depends on the time of day... I'm a "both" kind of girl. Coffee to start the morning and herbal teas throughout the day.

Early bird or night owl?

Cursed a bit with being both.

Would you play your Spotify playlist over the office speakers?

Ummm sure why not?

Now into the good stuff! Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me and share your personal experience with my readers! So for all of my readers -- Dortha has been a Peer Advisory Group member since late 2018. Throughout that time she owned and operated a thriving business and is now undergoing a shift in her business. Dortha, can you share a little about your professional background? Can you share a little about your first business?

After college (and 2 degrees) My first "career" path was in the legal field. I was a paralegal and thought my intended path was law school. After struggling to get in for 3 years, I finally prayed for guidance and got that I needed to "let go" of the idea of the legal field... and when I did, boy did life get easier. I started a work-from-home business that introduced me to who would become the first client in my VA business. She hired me to be a research assistant, which was right in my wheelhouse with my legal background. It grew and morphed from research to creating websites, reading and writing code, helping coordinate telesummits and so much more. I'm a lifelong learner and I really enjoy the process of learning. I recently completed a Certificate of Achievement in Graphic Design for two reasons: 1) I wanted to round out my offerings for clients and 2) I really wanted to know how to use Photoshop beyond color picking and cropping photos.

And since then, it seems like your business has been going through a massive shift and pivot. What prompted you to start thinking that you wanted to move away from your former VA business to this new direction? Did you have any not-so-great experiences with your older business that made you think you didn't want to do this anymore?

Well, I think it kind of came in a two-fold manner. First, I had a really tough year with clients last year. I was just attracting many of the wrong types of clients. That, coupled with the day I woke up feeling like "gosh, I just really don't deep-down-inside LOVE my business anymore," it was kind of an eye-opening and, if I'm honest, a bit of a heartbreaking realization. As I mentioned, I'm a lifelong learner, and this also goes to my personal development... and that's something I feel I'm always working on - being a better version of myself. And some of that work led to me putting better, stronger boundaries and some clients have not liked that so much.

“...it was kind of an eye-opening and, if I’m honest, a bit of a heartbreaking realization.”

I love that your new focus is on your mind, body and overall well-being. You literally live out your new brand values. Sometimes when you are passionate about something, it's difficult to figure out how to monetize it. How have you started to approach this?

Yes, I have. I think it's about blending the things I'm already good at with those that I'm passionate about. So, I've started running some free challenges in my Facebook Group and from there, I'll offer people to do some small group coaching where I'll provide once a week calls in a small group and 2x a month one-on-one calls for 3 or 6 months. I've also been asking people what they would want to learn from me if I were "teaching" on the subject in my new business... that's been helpful to learn what others are willing to pay for, in terms of this new path.

I think we both can say with confidence that this is a process. Have you noticed any shifts in your mindset or challenges that you've been facing with this transition?

Oh absolutely. I'd say two of the big ones are questioning my ability to do this new thing at all. Like "who am I?" and a little bit of "imposter syndrome" and both have been a struggle. I remind myself that I have been given Divine guidance that this is the intended path for me... so I trust and take the leap of faith knowing that sure, I could fall on my face... but what if I soar? :-)

What have you done to overcome that?

I have accountability partners I reach out regularly for support. I think the biggest thing when making a transition or a pivot when it seems like a 180-degree different direction, having people who can help see and hold the vision for and with you, is really important. Also, being very tapped into my "why" I'm doing this.

Any other tips for our readers?

I would definitely say having a support network of some kind is critical. I would also recommend being 100% transparent and authentic with your spouse/ partner. Having them on board with your goals and vision is incredibly powerful and can help when we forget why we're doing what we're doing.