The journey to entrepreneurship is messy. Sometimes it’s so easy to hear someone’s story about how they built their business and see a linear path. You immediately start to think that your journey is less than. That you can’t level up. That you are some how unworthy. Let us be the first to tell you, you are wrong. And Aleya Harris from Flourish Marketing will agree. We had Aleya on the Duo On Air Podcast to tell her story for this exact reason — it’s messy!
Aleya Harris’ Journey to Entrepreneurship
Aleya went to school for fashion and got her first job out of college in the industry. After getting laid off she pursued her passion for cooking. She went to culinary school and became a private chef. Yet something still didn’t feel right. She transitioned into a role at Google leading one of the largest food service companies in North America. Still, something didn’t feel right. After another layoff she finally made a commitment to herself. A commitment to chase her dream of owning her own business taking all those lessons she learned along the way with her.
The Best Advice She Ever Got
Working in the culinary industry a fellow chef said to her, “You’re going to have to work for 10 years for $10 an hour before your ever able to make anything of yourself“
Want to know what she said? “Have you met me!? No way.“
This is the moment Aleya knew that differentiation was key. She couldn’t be just like any other Chef. She needed to be different. So she set out to do just that, by building her own private chef persona that resonated with the right people.
Differentiation is Key in Entrepreneurship
Today, Aleya has found her calling. But only because of that messy journey. She now helps entrepreneurs find “differentiation through radical authenticity“. We just love this. You can’t just be different. You also need to remain true to yourself.
Sometimes by being authentically you, you naturally find your different. It’s time to stop letting expectations of others, society or yourself hold you back from achieving your dreams. Aleya said it best in this episode, “weird is profitable“. It’s so true. So don’t let that be the thing that’s holding you back. Let it be the thing that let’s you shine.
If you haven’t already, go and listen to this episode. It is one of our absolutely favorites. A true conversation about trust, authenticity and bravery. So, are you going to trust yourself enough to take this rollercoaster journey in order to reach the dream deep inside of you? Because we hope you do.
If you liked today’s episode on The Duo On Air Marketing Podcast, don’t forget to leave us a review & subscribe!
Meet Aleya Harris of Flourish Marketing
Aleya Harris believes all business owners should make good money doing what they love. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs are great at uplifting clients, but struggle with articulating their own value and reaching their full potential. As an award-winning marketer with over a decade of experience, Aleya and her team help business owners stand in the power of their unique stories. Together, they develop radically authentic messaging that helps them become a true industry leader. A strategist and educator, Aleya spreads actionable “aha” moments as a professional speaker and podcast guest to help audiences leave an enduring, memorable legacy.
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Abbey Oslin and Courtney Petersen are Minnesota-based marketing experts, educators, and co-founders of boutique marketing agency Duo Collective, which specializes in SEO, social media strategy, and branding for small business owners and creative entrepreneurs. To learn more about Duo Collective, or to inquire about working with our team, head over to www.duocollective.com.
To inquire about being a guest on Duo On Air, please fill out this application form.
And to submit a topic or a question for next week’s episode, send us a DM on Instagram! See you on Monday!
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