"How I Got Started..." with Angie Trueblood, Founder of Angie Trueblood
Angie Trueblood is the founder and creator of Angie Trueblood, a podcast business based out of Richmond, Virginia. Angie effectively operates a successful business, while also being a full-time mom.
We had the pleasure of interviewing Angie in which we discussed her transition from being a Biology major to becoming an owner of a podcasting business and how she balances her work and spending time with her family.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I grew up outside of Richmond in Colonial Heights and Prince George.
Q: What are you passionate about in your personal life?
A: I’m very passionate about empowering women and helping them show up in the world in a bigger way.
Q: What did you study in school?
A: I attended Longwood University for my undergraduate degree where I majored in Biology with a concentration in Secondary Education. I then went on to earn my masters in Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University, and completed two years of a PhD program in biology at the University of Miami before moving home to teach high school.
Q: Tell me about your career before becoming an entrepreneur / business owner.
A: I taught high school for a few years before my 10-year career in pharmaceutical sales. When my kids were 2 and 4, I quit work so that I could work from home around my family’s schedule. Initially, I worked for a direct sales company and ended up transitioning to my own business where I now help entrepreneurs leverage the power of podcast interviews to grow their own business.
Q: What is your company?
Q: Tell me about the transition from your career to entrepreneurship / why you started your business?
A: I was looking for more flexibility and autonomy, which led me to starting my own business. The transition wasn’t like turning a light switch on/off, though. There was a time when I worked my traditional job while growing my business and then eventually when I pivoted my first business, there was also a period of overlap. Being able to ebb and flow as my needs and my family’s needs evolve has been a great benefit of owning my own business.
Q: How long have you been in business?
A: I have been in business for two years now.
Q: What was the biggest surprise as a business owner from working as an employee?
A: I realized very quickly just how much work went into being a new business owner. I went from a job where I was able to stay in my zone of genius throughout a good portion of the day, to running a business where, at first, that was definitely not the case. The finances and all the backend things that have to be done was suddenly something I was responsible for. Figuring out what needed to be prioritized, and just the enormity of everything that comes with owning a business, was quite an eye-opener.
Q: What have been the biggest challenges in growing the business? What have you done differently as a result?
A: Beginning to scale and outsourcing has provided the most challenge in my business, but one that’s necessary for me to grow outside of my current comfort zone. Embracing more of a visionary role takes an entirely different skillset, so I’m developing that as I aim for some bigger goals. I’ve started to spend time setting high-level goals for the business and I’ve begun documenting #allthethings and processes that were previously in my head so that I can continue to grow my team and lighten my load.
Q: As a successful business owner, do you have work / life balance? How have you managed to improve the joy and fulfillment in your life?
A: I have definitely called in some help for support at home in order to get my work done, and I also have a virtual assistant that helps me with client work. Outsourcing at both work and home helps me balance the workload of both and has brought more joy back to both areas.
Q: What can we and others in the community do to help your business grow and be more successful?
A: I love connecting with podcasters and building relationships with folks in that space, whether they podcast themselves or work with hosts. Those connections help make my job far easier when I have a client who I’m looking to position in particular niches. And, obviously, if anyone is interested in being featured as a podcast guest, I’d love to chat.
Q: What advice would you give other entrepreneurs / small business owners?
A: Seeking out a solid support network of business friends and family is something that I have found to be very helpful in my career. Finding a good mentor to guide you through the hardships and successes is also important. Give yourself grace in what your business will become, and go into it with clear goals.
“How I Got Started...” is a blog series that spotlights the entrepreneurial and life journeys of various small business owners and professionals. The content of this blog was curated by members of the CreativeMktGroup team.
