In Today’s episode, Ellen Yin will take us through the evolution of her entrepreneurship journey. She took a leap of faith and then became the founder of Cubicle to CEO, an online membership helping coaches & service providers make their first $10K month. Ellen has mentored over 10,000 entrepreneurs and today she shares how we can accomplish our dreams by investing in ourselves. Tune in to amplify your life and business!
Ellen Yin is the founder of Cubicle to CEO, an online membership helping coaches & service providers make their first $10K month. The name reflects her own journey of profitably bootstrapping her business from a $300 project to 7 figures in revenue in just 3 years, as a first generation Asian American entrepreneur.
Through her online marketing programs & services, Ellen has mentored over 10,000 entrepreneurs. She has been featured in Forbes and on the TODAY show with Hoda & Jenna, in addition to publications like Forbes, RealSimple, Yahoo! Finance, MSN, Thrive Global, HerMoney, and BlogHer. Ellen is also the host of the award-winning Cubicle to CEO Podcast, a weekly business show that has been downloaded in over 150 countries worldwide.
Connect with Ellen!
Instagram: https://instagram.com/cubicletoceo
https://instagram.com/missellenyin
Memorable Moments:
5:53 “My first time making that leap of faith, it was out of a desire of, I feel like there's something more for me out there, I don't feel like this is the right fit, I don't find joy and purpose in what I'm doing.”
7:03 “ Sometimes we feel guilty, quitting things that we are actually good at”
10:47 “What's so cool is, so many people out there have the signature method of goldmines, just sitting in their head, they've just never actually been presented in that way. So they don't know how to communicate or translate what's in their brain out into the world.”
14:01 “Your network and the people you surround yourself with truly are the most transformative piece of your life.”
14:39 “Your reality shifts and expands when you're able to be around people who you strive to be more like and so I really truly believe that in business your relationships are your greatest asset. People are your greatest asset and I think people often get that wrong.”
Connect with Allison:
⭐ Connect on Instagram @allisonwalsh
⭐ JOIN THE SOCIETY: www.shebelievedsociety.com (use code 2022 to access the Society for $22/month)
⭐ Check out recommendations from the show here
⭐ Learn how to go from Overcommitted to Unstoppable here
Allison
I cannot wait for you to learn more today from Ellen Yin. She is the founder of cubicle to CEO an online membership helping coaches and service providers make their first $10,000 month. The name reflects her own journey of profitably bootstrapping her business from a $300 project to seven figures in revenue in just three years. As a first generation Asian American entrepreneur. Through her online marketing programs and services, Ellen has mentored over 10,000 entrepreneurs. She's been featured in Forbes and on the Today Show with Hoda and Jenna in addition to publications like Forbes, real simple Yahoo Finance, MSN Thrive global her money and Blog Her. Ellen is also the host of the award winning cubicle the CEO podcast, a weekly business show that has been downloaded in over 150 countries worldwide. Please welcome to the show, Ellen Yin
Allison
Okay, well, Ellen, thank you so much for being on our show today, would you mind introducing yourself to our audience,
Ellen Yin
I would be happy to. Hi, Alison, thank you so much for having me. My name is Ellen Yin, I am the founder of cubicle to CEO. We are a media company elevating the financial footprint of women entrepreneurs through our podcast of the same name. So if you search cubicle to CEO, wherever you're listening to this, our our programs, our live events, and our community of over 50,000 women globally. So our mission really is to make mentorship more accessible to the masses so that all women everywhere can pursue what's possible.
Allison
Well, I love this. So can you give us a little bit of a backstory, because it's definitely evolved? Right? Like, I think we're all giving ourselves permission to evolve and lean in where there's greater opportunities to serve. So can we back up a little bit and hear more about how it got to this point, because 50,000 people in a community is impressive and amazing that you can make that type of an impact. But where did it all begin?
Ellen Yin
Sure, thank you so much. Well, it's definitely been an evolution as you as you observed. So my journey into entrepreneurship began in 2018, very early 2018. And for some of you listening, you may be able to relate to this, it was a little bit by accident, I had quit my corporate job, the previous month, in December of 2017, just a couple of days before Christmas, I hadn't planned to start a business when I left that role, I really just knew that the specific position and the industry I was working in wasn't the right fit for me. As far as you know, I was working as a marketing coordinator for a health care company. And I wanted to get out of that space. But I loved marketing. And I just thought I would find a different role at another business somewhere. But you know, fate intercepted, and I ended up reconnecting with a co worker of mine that I had met through that job. And him and his wife owned these local coffee stands. And they heard that I knew a thing or two about Instagram marketing. And so they said, Hey, we don't have much of a presence on social would you be willing to help us, you know, launch, launch our business and be more active there. So they became my very first freelance client, it was a $300 project that changed my life, mostly because it opened my eyes to the possibility that I could actually monetize a skill set I already had, which was marketing, and be able to go out and acquire more clients rather than having to depend on finding another full time marketing position at an existing company. So in that first 12 months, we scaled pretty quickly, and that agency grew to six figures in revenue. And then right around, I would say, mid to late 2019, is when we made a pretty large pivot into basically, most of our revenue previous to that point was coming from client services. So one on one done for you marketing services. And then we basically let go of all of our clients except for one. And we decided to go all in on online education through our courses in our programs. And that has been a wild adventure, let me tell you that, I will say that we have had the honor and privilege of serving over 10,000 students through our programs. And now, what year are we in 2022. We have just now recently again, made what I call like, It's our third evolution now, where we're really stepping into our vision of being the number one media company for women entrepreneurs that are centered in financial transparency. So that's where we're at now. But that's kind of the the two minute story.
Allison
I love it. And I love how you are allowing yourself to evolve, you see opportunities to serve a greater scale. And you know, also I think one of the really important pieces of your story is that you were brave enough to let go of something that was comfortable and familiar multiple times, right from the corporate job, to also shifting the agency and everything and that can be really scary. I remember there was a time in my consulting and coaching career where that had to happen. Like I was just I was done right. And I loved the clients that I had before, but it was I felt like I was stuck in a past version of myself. Right and I needed to grow in order to continue to, you know, to serve but in a new way. So talk to us about that too. Can we just pause there for a second because that takes a level of confidence. And, you know, it's a leap of faith to so how did you do that?
Ellen Yin
It is your right. It's absolutely a leap of faith. And you know, what's interesting is, when I left my corporate job without a backup plan, when I quit that, you know, quit my quit my work at that company, everyone around me like society was a lot more. What is it like? questioning my choices, right? Like, why would you why would you leave a salaried position with really no, no plan for what's next. And oddly enough, I felt way less fear, making that pivot, then the second pivot, where I let go of all of my paying clients to move into the role of educator full time. And I think it's because, you know, there's the first time my first time making that leap of faith, it was out of a desire of, I feel like there's something more for me out there, I don't feel like this is the right fit, I don't find joy and purpose in what I'm doing. And so it was clear to me that no matter how long I stayed in my corporate job, it wouldn't change that fact, for me. So it wasn't like, Oh, if I just give it another two years, something all of a sudden is going to feel differently, right. So I felt like there was really no point in wasting my time or the company's time and prolonging the inevitable decision. However, the second evolution was much harder, because at that point, we were working with, you know, an incredible roster of clients. And this time, it was different, because it wasn't like, I felt no joy or purpose in my work I did. And furthermore, I feel like we were we were doing really well, right, like many of our clients stayed on for over six months with us, even though we had no long term contracts, just because they were, they were just happy with the work that we did for them. And so I think it brings up this interesting point, and maybe some of you listeners can relate that sometimes we feel guilty, quitting things that we are actually good at, right? It's easy to quit things that maybe we're not good at or that we don't enjoy. But when you're actually doing really well at something, it seems to make absolutely no sense why you might change direction. And I think that's the the hurdle that I really came up against is saying, Okay, I know I could take this even further, I know I could scale this part of my business, probably faster and larger than if I made a change and basically started from scratch again, in a different business model. But I just feel as calling and I can't explain why. But I know I have to do I have to give myself that chance in that space to focus fully on on skill and courses and programs. And in order to do that I have to let go of this other container, even though it's working out well. So I don't know if that really answers your question. But I just find that it was an interesting dichotomy between the first time and the second time that I took that leap of faith. And then now again, transitioning into again, a very different business model with media.
Allison
Well, I'm just so glad that we got to spend some time on this. And I think the statement that you made about how hard it can be to let go of something that you're good at, I am sure that is resonating with so many that are listening right now, it's certainly resonating with me, because it's so much easier and safer to stay comfortable than it is to grow. Right. But we know that like the whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person we were intended to be, there is no way we're gonna get there if we stay stuck in the comfortable side of things. Right. And, and I think the other important piece, is listening to that calling, right? Like if it's, if there's a calling, it's been placed in your heart for a reason, right? And you have, you have to at least do it for you and try it for you to know otherwise, you're gonna have regrets, right, like and regrets are the worst, we try to avoid those at all costs. So just leaning into it. But I'm so glad we got to have that conversation today. Because I think there's so many people that are probably like, teetering on the edge going, oh, I want to do this. But it's scary and unfamiliar. And this is your sign from the universe. And from Alan and Allison, that you should do it. So anyways, I am so glad that we got to talk about that. But I want to talk about courses because you know, you've been able to really do that too, and creating this opportunity. So can we talk more about really creating income through courses to
Ellen Yin
absolutely so my journey into course creation started in early 2019. This was before I made that big pivot into going all in on this but my very first program is still my signature program to this day. It's the same name as my brand cubicle to CEO and it's a 12 month mentorship program where we help specifically service providers, coaches and freelancers who sell a one to one service scale their business to their first $10,000 revenue month. So that's a big program transformation is making your first $10,000 month as you know someone selling In a service, and it has evolved so much over the last three years that we've run this program. But that program is really what made me realize, okay, you can impact people on a much larger scale right than just done for you services. Because what's beautiful about clients and working with clients is, inevitably, as you work with more clients, you start to notice patterns, right, you start to notice similar questions coming up, or a similar process being implemented or similar results being created. And over time, as you refine that process, it really becomes what what we call a signature method, meaning it is your unique way of approaching a problem and creating a solution or a result. And what's so cool is, so many people out there have the signature method goldmines, just sitting in their head, they've just never actually, you know, been presented it in that way. So they don't know how to how to communicate or translate what's in their brain out into the world. And so that's what we really help. First time course creators do inside our live course creation challenge paid to create, which we run bimonthly. So our our upcoming one is, you know, in June 2022, but we'll have one again in August, and so on and so forth. And it's so cool, because I think what a lot of people, the biggest hurdle they have in creating courses or programs is that they have this false belief that it's a Herculean task, right? It's something you have to set aside six months for, buy a bunch of equipment, map out all of your lessons, sit in front of the camera, and film and edit and film and edit. And the approach that we take inside paid to create as we believe that you should actually get paid to create your first online course. And how we do that is we actually help you create a high converting course outline, that you can pre sell to your founding students or your beta students, as we call it in the industry. So that your first founding students, they give you cash injection, for a course that hasn't even been created yet. And then you get to live teach it to your first group of founding students so that you can receive their real time feedback. And then those recordings become your actual finished course that you then re launched to the public. And so this is such a great way to not only, again, like destroy procrastination, because you have to show up for the people who paid you, right. But also for you to truly test your course concept in the marketplace and ensure that there are actual real paying buyers out there for your idea and validate it before you invest tons of money and energy upfront.
Allison
And I love this strategy, because I think you hit the nail on the head. So many times people think like I have to do all this work. But they haven't tested it right. Like nothing is worse. I made this mistake, oh gosh, it must have been like six or seven years ago. And I was so like, on fire for this concept for this program. And I like put all this energy and effort into it. And it didn't sell and I was like, Oh, my gosh, like I can't get that time back. I'm already upset that it didn't work, right. But I'm learning, right? I'm taking the lessons I'm applying them for next time. But inside I'm like, Why did I do this? First away, but it's just natural, because you just naturally think like, if you're gonna bring something to market, it has to be done, we're really got to validate the concept first. And I love your method and your strategy. And it does build confidence too. And then you know, like, you know, what you're teaching is going to be that much more effective the second time around, because you've already had a test group, which is great. I love all of that. So and then Elon, I know you also talk a lot and preach a lot about how your network is your net worth. And I really want the audience to hang on to every word that you're going to share about this because it is so true. Right? I think we all can acknowledge that does matter who you know, right? And taking care of relationships. But can you share a little bit more about why this is so important to you?
Ellen Yin
Absolutely. Well, as you said, you know, your network and the people you surround yourself with truly are the most transformative piece of your life. Because not only is it about who you may be connected to that can introduce you to new opportunities, or open doors for you. But it's also about the fact that your reality is, you know, you can't be what you can't see. So when you surround yourself with people who are doing things differently than you who are who are accomplishing dreams that you felt maybe were impossible, or maybe you hadn't even conceptualized such a concept because it you had never seen it happen before. Your reality shifts and expands when you're able to be around people who you strive to be more like and so I really truly believe that in business. Your relationships are your greatest asset. People are your greatest asset and I think people often get that wrong. When they're first starting in business. They place such a high priority on learning strategy and tactics and you know, skills. And while all of those things, yes, of course are important to your success as a business owner, nothing and I truly mean nothing will be more, more valuable and and have more amplifying effects in your life, then the people that you connect with. So the biggest mindset shift I would give to people listening here today is the next time you're thinking about investing in something, whether it's a coach, or perhaps a program or a tool or an event, or whatever it is that you need to invest in, in your business. Think outside the box of not just for example, like let's say you join an online program, you're thinking about buying a course, don't just think about, is it worth it for me to buy this course to learn XYZ? Instead, I want you to also layer in the question of if I invest in this program, who will I meet inside this program? Who are my peers that are going to be in this cohort with me? What kind of relationship will I develop with my mentor, having, you know, showed up for them? How might they also then now reciprocate? How can I develop the relationships with my peers? And how will those relationships build my business and so thinking about things differently, and in investments being you know, people first, rather than, you know, strategy first, I think is going to absolutely be a game changer.
Allison
I love this perspective. And thank you for sharing it with everybody listening, because it's so critically important. And I can think of just so many wonderful examples from my life and others that lives where it really is the company you keep. And you know, when you get yourself in certain rooms with certain people, when you have the certain mentors that open up their Rolodex and can't wait to help you. And when you're also giving to it's not just about taking too it's also about being that steward and, and looking at it and saying, How can I help you? Who can I connect you with? Like, how can I make your life easier, too. So approaching it from that mentality, it makes all the difference. And I'm just so grateful for my network. I'm grateful to know you now to Elon, and you're so highly regarded. You've built such a beautiful business and brand. And I'm sure everybody was just soaking up all of your wisdom today. And I always love to ask as we wrap up today, we ask everybody that comes on this show the same question about who else should we be following listening to or reading that you suggest? give our listeners a little bit of a inspo? Over there to who you're following?
Ellen Yin
Absolutely. Well, there's so Oh, my goodness, there's literally so many people that I absolutely adore. And it every time I get this question, I'm like, Well, how long do we have? Right? But I will tell you what I'm what I'm currently what I'm currently listening to. And binging on as far as podcasts is Alex Lieberman's founders journal. This is his personal audio diary of his journey building a massive media empire. So he's the co founder and Executive Chairman of morning brew, which is a daily newsletter for, you know, millennial, entrepreneurs, business people. And wow, so many great insights in that podcast, highly, highly recommend, if you want to transparent look into what it really looks like to build and scale, a business as a founder. And then as far as reading, there's been so many great books that I have read over the years. One book that I really love is winging it, and the new hustle. Those are both books by Emma Isaac's, who is the founder of Business chicks. And just love her adore her. She's so much fun. And what else is another book I read recently? Oh, what this isn't a recent book, but a book that I really profoundly changed how I looked at time, is procrastinate on purpose by Rory Vaden, an excellent book about the importance of bringing in significance into how you manage your time. And so those are my recommendations, I'll leave with you all.
Allison
I love it. And I will link all of that in the show notes. And I will also include information in the show notes too, if you're interested in taking advantage of what Ellen was talking about with, you know, her bi monthly opportunities to learn and grow and package and all of those wonderful things. So I am just so glad that you were on the show today, Ellen, would you mind sharing how people can follow you or connect with you?
Ellen Yin
Thank you for that opportunity. So I would love to connect with you all over on Instagram. That is where we are most active so you can find us at cubicle to CEO. Also, if you're a podcast listener, that is the best way for you to continue growing with us. We share free resources on the podcast and what makes us different from a lot of business shows is that every single episode if you're going to listen in and you'll be able to walk away with one new actually truly tested revenue growth strategy that a founder comes on and shares that they've implemented in their own business. So just search cubicle to CEO wherever you're listening to this.
Allison
I love that. Well. Excellent. Well, thank you so much, Ellen, for coming on the show today. We really appreciate you
Ellen Yin
thank you Alison I really appreciate the time