Meet Courtney Elko

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Elko a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Courtney , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My purpose is giving women a voice. But I didn’t always know it was my purpose. Before entrepreneurship, I had a career in journalism where I told other people’s stories and was great at it. People easily open up to me and share their stories with me because I’m genuinely curious. I want to know everything! So after I was laid off for the third time in my corporate career, I knew I wanted to start my own business, but was unsure what type of business I could have as a writer and storyteller. I found the coaching industry and after much reflection and insight from my peers, I realized that my skills as a storyteller are unique and I could help others share their own stories. With each coaching client I helped, I realized that what I was helping them with was so much bigger than creating offers, clarifying their messaging and making content. My clients were realizing that their voice mattered. That it was ok to share your opinions. That it was ok to be themselves in their business. They didn’t have to put on this “professional” mask. They could do and say whatever they wanted in their business, and call in the types of clients who resonated with them. It’s beautiful to watch them come into their own and show their truest selves in their business and online.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I help female business owners discover and use their voice in order to build an online presence that calls in the idealest of leads and clients. I help them to figure out what to say in their business, create simple and clear offers and craft messaging that easily sells those offers. I give my clients the permission that they don’t need to share their opinions, values and beliefs and to show up and share as themselves, not a watered down version of themselves. My main offer is my hybrid 1:1 and group Messaging Mastermind, where I’m crafting your messaging WITH you. Together, we are creating or simplifying offers, writing your emails and your social media content, and making sure your messaging speaks for itself so your ideal clients find you and ask how they can work with you.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Storytelling, curiosity and writing are my most impactful skills that I bring into my own business AND my client’s businesses. For many years, I always thought anyone could share stories or write. it’s not hard, anyone can do it. But as I started my business, I realized that no, actually, not everyone is good at this and I can help them to better their own storytelling skills. The biggest part of being a good storyteller or writer is the curiosity part! The more curious you are, the more you genuinely want to know, the better story you’ll have to share. This all connects to sales as well. The more you listen and get curious about the struggles your ideal clients are having, the more you can understand and help them. So my biggest advice to anyone in a service based business (or any business for that matter!) is to say less, and listen more! Your people will tell you what they want and need. All you have to do is listen, and then provide it to them.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

I’ve recently realized there are multiple layers to the fear of being seen. Four years ago when I was first building my own online presence I was hesitant to show my face on camera or show up without makeup etc. But I kept showing up more and more and quickly moved through that. Now, I’m very comfortable showing up on social media, talking to the camera, and getting vulnerable in my email content. I thought because I was so comfortable showing up that I have no issue with being seen, until I realized there can be new levels of it. I want to grow my visibility even more and expand my community much wider and I realized that that’s a new level of feeling uncomfortable that I need to move through. It requires me to get more vulnerable, and be seen by more people who don’t “know” me and might misunderstand me. But it’s also growth! The more I expand myself and gain more exposure and visibility in new places and new ways, the more I’m growing within my business and in who I am as a person. So I’m pushing myself to try new things and share more personally and show up in new ways, just like I ask my clients to do. There’s always a new level of visibility to expand to and I’m currently working through my own.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecourtneyelko/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyelko/
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.com/@thecourtneyelko

Image Credits

Ashley Cambron