The Story Behind Eryn Gilson Consulting
When I had my first son I looked at my husband and declared that I would not be going back to work. There was really no conversation about it, I just knew in my heart that I could not leave my kids to go back to a job that I was miserable in. To be honest, I had been pretty unhappy in my regular 9-5 for some time but it wasn’t until I was holding this precious newborn while chasing my preschooler that I finally let my heart lead the way…I’m pretty lucky to have a partner who supports me fully and didn’t once question my decision but instead encouraged me to follow my dreams.
I grew up around small family-owned businesses and had always felt an urge to be an entrepreneur in my adult life and this new opportunity of freedom gave me the time to discover what type of entrepreneur I wanted to be. I knew that whatever it was I had to feel really joyful in it, I knew it needed to fill a purpose, and more than anything I knew it needed to be flexible enough to be able to pour my heart into my family.
I tried a few different things before I found my things. I failed a few times. I learned a lot during this phase and I came out on the other side stronger than ever before. I graduated from the school of hard knocks.
In 2015 I launched 614 Mom, a website dedicated to creating real conversations, encouraging community, and loving on the mom community of Columbus. 614 Mom has changed a lot since I launched it in 2015 but in the best ways. We used to talk about the best place to pick strawberries or the newest play cafe but over the years I’ve stopped playing it safe and started getting real about mental health, important topics facing parents, and of course, we still talk about our mutual love for Columbus and favorite places to explore.
I was and wasn’t looking for more when Eryn Gilson Consulting was born because of my work with 614 Mom. There was a part of me that knew I could do more and wanted to do more but also a side of me that was scared and unsure of what the next step looked like. I had some great people in my life who encouraged me to keep growing and pushed me through a phase of uncertainty. It was during this time that I started saying yes when I’d get asked to mentor a new blogger or work on a freelance project.
That’s when I decided to invest in myself. I started working with a business coach, really planning out my business goals, and putting a plan in place for the life and legacy I wanted to create. I launched my first course, I started doing speaking engagements, and I started working with clients one on one to help them level up their online presence. My business was going really well and I was loving the success of it all. I combined my work experience of sales, marketing, and my love for diving deep into analytics and marketing strategies and created Eryn Gilson Consulting.
I hit a lot of bumps in the road though - I worked a lot of late nights, I missed too many meeting because I overbooked myself, and I lost a lot of what I loved because I was too focused on the success and not focused enough on being the mindful business owner I set out to be. The summer of 2019 was a huge lesson for me, I realized how much I was missing out on because I was so busy growing my business. I learned a lot during that season and it made me a better human. Since then I’ve focused so fiercely on time management, systems, and automation, and saying no to things that don’t feel right.
Through it all, I’ve learned that you can have a mindful business that provides for you and your family while also not giving up the things that mean the world to you. I promise it’s possible.
Since Launching Eryn Gilson Consulting
I’ve taught over 100 students in blogging and social media
I’ve mentored 25+ students one on one to grow their online presence
Given countless talks to different groups
Worked with amazing clients to help them handle their marketing efforts so they don’t have to lift a finger
Planned and executed brand photo shoots for local businesses
Grown a business from nothing into something I am so proud of!
I’ve Learned
To delegate and hire out for things I’m not good at instead of trying to do it all
I don’t need push notifications on my phone for all emails. It can wait.
My kids will be okay if I need them to watch a show so I can work for a little bit.
Systems and automation make me so happy
I’m a total nerd when it comes to analytics and digging into data.
As my business grows I have a lot of big dreams and I’m ready to pour my heart into them because I know that what I do and how I do it is special.
