EP 202: From Corporate to Freedom: Teagan Hintze’s Journey to Empowering Moms

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This is the align your true north podcast, and I'm your host, Brooke Elder.

Hello, everyone.

Welcome back.

I am so excited to introduce you to my new friend, Tekin Hinseye.

I said it right?

You did.

Yes.

Awesome.

We were talking about that beforehand.

And with the name, like, Tegan, like, you got to have an awesome last name, too, right?

Gotta have them both be difficult.

That's right.

That's right.

Well, I'm so excited to introduce you all to her.

She has an amazing business and has been helping women be able to create businesses of their own.

And so when we first connected, I'm like, I have to have her on this podcast because she's one, just amazing.

And I'm super excited for her to share her story with all of you.

So, Tegan, welcome.

Thank you.

I'm excited to be here and friends.

So, yes, yes.

Well, why don't you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your story and how you got into doing what it is that you do.

Yeah.

So, hello, everyone out there.

I am Tegan Hencey.

I'm a mom to one nine year old.

I'm like, all of a sudden, I had a brain fart of how old he was, a nine year old son.

And then I have a cute little frenchie bulldog, and we live out in the middle of the desert in Las Vegas.

So nice and toasty out here.

And how I got started, it was actually kind of one of those moments where things just aligned and life just kind of shoved me into it, if that makes sense.

It was never.

It was never in the cards.

It was never a life plan of mine to be like, this is what I'm going to do with my life.

It just kind of happened, but a happy happenstance.

So I had finished college.

I was working in corporate like you do.

You know, we grew up in the nineties, early two thousands.

That was like the thing, right?

You had to go to college to get a job and whatnot.

And I had moved up the ladder multiple times.

And at the current time, I was a director of marketing for a small entrepreneur.

School was hosting lots of events.

I was bringing in warm leads for this company had grown.

Their team was growing their revenue.

We were doing amazing.

I've been there for about a year, and I found out I was pregnant.

Like, I had had a really hard time getting pregnant, and it was, like, a total shock for me, but something I was super excited about and, you know, had warned them all, like, hey, like, I'm gonna have a kid.

My due date's in March.

We got time.

Like, let's just keep going.

And they were open to me staying on and doing my position still, despite the fact that I was going to have a kid.

And fast forward to march.

And he decided to make his debut a little bit early and went into labor, like, early.

Gave my maternity leave while I was delivering.

That was a fun, exciting adventure.

And took my two week maternity leave very short and then popped right back into work and about two months into coming back.

So I'm a sleep deprived mom with a little newborn trying to hold down this team, as I'm sure all the moms out there understand.

Like, that's a lot in and of itself.

I got called into the CEO's office for a meeting, and I didn't really think much of it because she was my direct report.

Like, she was the person I ran everything by.

We planned everything with her, and we got in and started talking about, like, an update on, like, the current numbers.

And then all of a sudden, like, the atmosphere changed in the meaning.

Like, you know how you get those, like, weird, like, elephant in the room moments where you're like, okay, something awkward needs to come out, but they just don't want to say it yet.

So that happened.

And I was like, oh, great.

Well, what.

What's next?

And what came next was they demoted me from my leadership position because I was not a leader in their eye.

That was their reasoning.

And I was like, that doesn't make sense because I've been here for multiple years.

I've done all this stuff.

Make that make sense.

It just doesn't.

So at the time, I was the breadwinner for the family and couldn't not have a job.

They were not going to dock my pay.

I just was moving into a different position.

So I moved into the different position, and I decided after being angry for, like, a week at them, I was like, okay, well, what can I do to make this different?

The corporate world is never going to be as loyal to me as I am to it.

So what can I do to make my situation different?

And I was like, well, I can create a business where I can be loyal to myself and make sure that I always have what I need and then, you know, provide doors for women to have that opportunity down the road.

And so I took the leap and I started my business with a.

Then at the time he was six months old.

I would work for them during the day.

And I have not looked back.

And it's been, I'm going into my 10th year, so it's been a while.

That is amazing.

Well, and I love what you said, that corporate is never going to be as loyal to you as you are today.

And that is so true.

And a lot of the times we get stuck in, like, having the security of a job.

Yeah.

But the job doesn't actually bring you, like, it's security for the moment.

But I bet you feel way more secure in your business now than you did working for somebody else.

Oh, 100%.

Like, in the hard thing about corporate, right?

Like, yeah, you feel secure because you have the same paycheck coming in every two weeks.

Right.

And that's always nice to know, like, where your next meal is coming from, but at the same time, like, you don't know if you're going to get laid off next week or fired or whatever.

In owning my own business, like, that's never going to happen.

Like, the only way that I'm going to not have a job next week is if I decide to close my business.

So definitely.

Yeah.

So in that transition and going from working for somebody else and then working for yourself, I'm sure that there was a lot of fear there and a lot of the what ifs that come up in our minds.

So talk to us a little bit about that.

And then I also want to address this, like, second question, follow up question of when you're getting clients, because a lot of people, they're like, well, but if all my clients go away, then I don't have a business.

So it's actually not secure, you know?

So talk about those two things.

Okay, so fear, for sure was, like, legitimate as it is in any, like, big risk that you take.

But I think it was.

I don't know, it was one of those fears that it was like, I believe in myself enough that it's more scary to not try than it is to stay where I'm so unhappy.

And I know that it's just going to kill me.

I'm just going to get more miserable, and my life is just going to be horrible.

There's definitely that fear.

I remember being like, well, what happens if fast forward two months and I don't have enough clients in my business to pay for all the things.

What am I going to do at that point?

Because I had savings, but it wasn't hugely massive that I could tap into for multiple months.

And so I'm like, okay, well, you got to figure this.

You're in charge now.

You have to figure out the pieces to make these things work.

So it was one of those things that I did first was creating a system or a way for me to constantly have, like, a feed of stuff coming in my door, whether that was referrals from people, whether that was constantly, like, engaging with audiences or purposely putting myself in places where my ideal client would be.

So that as I'm commenting or posting or interacting at conferences, like, I became known as, like, the person to go to for that.

Like, it made it really easy for things to just flow.

Um, and I never really had, like, that number was really, really an issue, surprisingly.

Like, I never was like, oh, crap, I can't pay my bills this month because I don't have enough clients.

Like, it was always there was always there.

It was always, never been an issue.

So I guess that kind of addresses a fear again, your second question was, what do you do, like, about clients and, like, getting them in the door?

So one of my biggest tips or tricks, like, whenever I work with a student or a client one on one, is, do you have a lead system?

Even if it's like, the most simplistic little thing on the planet?

Like, you have to have something out there and you have to be able to nurture it a little bit every day because that little bit is going to go a long way because you never know.

A client might, their financial situation might change, maybe their business pivots and your position isn't necessarily guaranteed.

I mean, you can make yourself incredibly valuable to that company, and that's amazing and helpful, but, like, that's not guaranteed, right?

Like, it could change and you could be stuck.

So having a constant pipeline of stuff that's warm or they've interacted with you enough that you could pitch is, like, key to making sure it stays running.

Yeah, I love that.

And I love your outlook of, like, there's just another one.

It's okay that, like, and I think that is the most important part.

It's the mindset, because everything that you're saying are things that, like, people are like, well, okay, yeah, I can do that.

But your positive outlook on every single thing that you've been talking about, like, that's the thing that is pulling you through.

And so I think that one is super important.

So, since you were talking about leads, what are some of your favorite lead generation sources that you're using right now to get leads in your business?

Yeah, um, so one of my favorites, um, that I kind of, like, direct most clients to, if they come to me and they're like, I don't know what to do, I'm like, okay, there's an option staring you right in front of the face, and it's free, so why aren't you using it?

Is Facebook groups, like, ironically, like, even the ones that you're like, nothing is going to come out of that.

There's no way there's a lead in there.

They're in there.

They're hiding in there.

So I highly suggest going and finding Facebook groups where your ideal client would live.

So depending on what kind of services you offer or if you have a particular type of client that you like working with.

I know I'm in the camp of I don't care what genre of business they're in, but this is what I offer.

So I would rather stay in my offer than I work with all sorts of businesses.

So it kind of depends on what you're in.

But go put yourself in a Facebook group where they would be, whether that's from their personal life or whether that's from their business life.

Put yourself in that space.

And if the group allows promotion, talk about your services.

If they don't, which is okay, you can go and comment on other people.

Like, even if you're not promoting, there's people asking questions like, hey, what do you do about XYZ?

How do you solve qrs?

Awesome.

Go comment and give advice on, well, if I were you, I would do this.

Or here's six platforms that I recommend for doing this.

This is how I would automate that.

You're not telling them necessarily how to do it, but you're saying, look, I know what I'm talking about.

I've actually landed three clients just off of comments that I've made in a Facebook group that were, like, over a year old.

That's amazing.

And then if you need one, like, holy crap, I need one, like, ASAP.

Like, I need a client in my door before I pay bills this month because I'm strapped or whatever.

In those same Facebook groups, you can do a search inside of that search bar, do a search for the service that you offer, or just search for virtual assistant.

Look at all the posts that come up.

Make sure you sort them by, like, date.

Right?

Because we don't want to go back, like, two years, that's not gonna be helpful.

Um, and if there's anything, like, up close or relevant, like, just reach out.

Hey, are you still looking for somebody in this?

Like, I saw your post in such and such group.

Like, if you are, like, I would love to have a conversation.

You never know.

Like, they could jump on you.

So that's one of my favorite places to go.

And it's free.

Anybody can join any Facebook group.

Like, doesn't cost you anything to be in there.

Um, and then I think my other favorite one is LinkedIn jobs, which I know everyone's like, but that's for corporate.

Yes.

I think the whole mentality of working from home has shifted, too.

So.

So bigger corporations, bigger companies are more open to and are willing to have contractors or remote employees in their business because it's cost effective for them and it works for you.

So it's like a win win situation across the board.

So I always go find jobs on the LinkedIn job board that fit my skills and what I know I can do.

And then I apply for it, even though I don't have, like, I live in Las Vegas, I might apply for a job in, like, New York.

I don't live anywhere near that, but.

And then I'll reach out and just be like, hey, I just applied for your job.

I know that I don't live in New York, but I've have experience in X, Y and Z.

Happy to be a contractor for this role.

So you're, like, saving yourself costs.

You don't have to pay for my insurance, you have to pay for.

You have to pay for my desk or computer.

I have all those stuff.

Like, you just have to hire me and it makes it way easier for them to bring you on.

That's awesome.

I love those.

And, like, I had never actually thought about LinkedIn job boards, so Facebook, I mean, I've.

That's what I've been using myself, too, for a really long time, finding, like, because that's kind of the low hanging fruit, especially doing a search, too.

That's really good.

I also do a search.

I'll go into group and just search for, like, I need help.

Oh, you can even just search the word help because then that's going to bring up a bunch of people who are asking questions and some you can answer some.

You can't, but that's a good way to kind of sort through that, too.

Right?

Right.

I've been using that for a long time.

But LinkedIn jobs, that.

That's a great place to.

To go to find clients.

Yeah, it's a great.

It's a great method to do it.

I mean, there's.

There's no wrong way to get a client, so whatever way feels best to you, I say double down and do it.

Like, just make it work.

So.

Yeah, that's awesome.

Yeah.

Well, tell us a little bit more about your business and what you do, because you are a va and you help people in their businesses, but you also have another side of your business where you're helping moms be able to get into this field.

Yeah.

I started to go through, like, a really not so great divorce, and I suddenly found myself as a single mom to a then three year old.

So, whole new experience, whole new ballgame.

And luckily enough, I had my business during that time, so I was able to financially support myself through all this stuff.

I didn't ever have to worry about coming out on the other end and not knowing what I was going to do.

I was able to provide, but I had a really big aha.

During that period of time where I started going to, like, these single mom support groups, and I started networking with these other moms not with the intention of getting business or, like, pitching them or anything like that, just more so, like, can I have a circle of friends that also understand how hard it is to chase a three year old around while you're trying to, like, hold your whole entire house down?

It's.

It's madness being the mom and the dad at the same time.

And what ended up happening is I kept going.

I went to a couple of these networking groups with these moms.

We would meet at a mall playground and block the door with our bodies, and they would just go mad in there.

It was great.

But we all started talking about things that were happening in our personal life, whether you were still going through a divorce, in your battles at the courts, or, you know, co parenting wasn't going great, or your child was acting up or whatever it might be.

And the thing that I started to notice in these networking events were that over and over and over again, these moms, these single moms were working two, three, four jobs, trying to pay all the bills and make sure that everybody was cared for, that they had enough food, like, all the things.

But what cost was that?

They missed out on all their things with their kids.

Like, you know, they're telling me, like, oh, I get home and I get, like, a half an hour with them before they have to go to bed, and then I get up and do it all over again.

I'm like, that's not long enough to, like, even play, like, a solid game of, like, hide and seek in your house with your little one.

It's like nothing.

And I realized at that moment, like, I.

I have something that I can give back, and I need to teach other people how to do it, because I guarantee you, even if you're like, there's no way I could be a virtual assistant.

Like, I don't have skills.

You 100% do.

Did you go to elementary school then?

Yes.

You can be virtual assistant in here.

Somehow.

Some of the tasks are not super hard.

Like, they're answering people's emails or cleaning their emails, calendaring.

Yeah, there's more intricate, difficult ones, but you can literally start and then start to learn as you go.

So I told myself while I was going through that nice period of time, I was single mom for about three and a half years, that when I got to a point in my business where I could turn around and help other moms behind me, that I was going to give back as much as I could.

I had really good strategies and systems down on how to get people in my door, how to manage all the tasks, keep all the clients happy.

To that, I was like, okay, I feel good.

I can turn around and give back.

So I opened a whole nother, like, arm or umbrella of my business where, yeah, I have a membership where you can come in and learn how to.

I don't teach the system side.

I know, like, that's what you do.

I teach more of the, like, how to find where your passion and your love intersect with what you can monetize and sell, and how to take that and go make money off of it, because you gotta enjoy what you're doing.

Um, talk about how to get clients in your door, how to, like, set yourself up and prepare yourself for success.

Like, you know, simple stuff like making a contract, making sure it's, like, super duper clear.

Don't go into a relationship with a client without having these things.

You know, it's.

It's super important to make sure that you do all those things to cover not only yourself, but their business, too.

Um, and then from there, you know, I have, like, a high touch mastermind where you can come in and work with me and we can, like, I'll help you get clients into your business, like, connect you with people that I find along the way because oftentimes my client load is so big that I can't take on anymore.

And so I'm like, here, like, take this.

Take this person.

Like, so I would rather give it to somebody who is in that mastermind group with me or in a one on one container that I can be like, this person's awesome.

I've worked with them.

You should hire this person, and I can facilitate that connection really quickly and, you know, help them grow their business just as fast, because that's the goal, is to get as many moms or women as possible to a point where they can provide themselves and not have to worry about, oh, my gosh, I lost my job or how I'm gonna pay for my kids or.

No one should be in that position ever.

It's hard.

Yeah.

Yeah, I love that.

Well, I just love your heart and how you want to just help others and.

And pay it forward, really?

So that's so awesome.

Well, if people want to know more about you, where is the best place for them to find you?

The place that I hang out and live the most is probably Instagram.

Like, let's be honest, my phone is always glued to me or within arm's reach.

I mean, if you work in this industry, is it not like, Instagram is kind of where I find myself hiding out?

That in Facebook.

So on Instagram, I am Misstegan Charlotte.

So.

Ms.

And then Tegan Charlotte.

And then on Facebook, I'm just Tegan Hensey.

If you just do a search, like, I have a fun picture of me holding a sucker over my eye and kind of hard to miss.

So, yeah, well, your branding is darling.

Like, really, that's the thing that brought me to you was all your fun colors and everything.

I was like, this girl is fun.

We need to be friends.

Yes.

Well, that was one of the things that I started to notice, too.

They all kind of have the same feel.

It's like this, like, light pinks, like, brown, like, very, like, it's almost really to the point that it was like, cookie cutter, and I was like, ah, I love that for people.

Like, I think that's so great, but that's just not me.

Like, I am all about, like, let's go ride crazy amusement parks.

I dance in front of my kid's school at pickup because I like to embarrass the crap out of him because it's just more fun.

Like, business should be just as fun as your life is, so make it reflect you.

So that's what it is.

I love that.

I love that.

Well, everyone listening, go check out Tegan.

Make sure you check out her branding because it is darling.

And thank you so much for pouring into our audience today.

I really appreciate that.

And we'll see you guys all on the next one.

Awesome.

Thank you.