007: "Entrepreneurship is growing and for good reason. It's time to be a part of it!" Talking business with Gems Collins

Jen Amos 0:00

There's no need to wait on your service member to share secondhand information anymore. Welcome to holding down the fort, a podcast show where we put military spouses and children's needs front and center so that they can make informed decisions together as a family. Because let's face it, we know who's really holding down the fort. Let's get started

all right. Hi, everyone. Jen amo is here, your host for holding down the fort podcast. And I am super excited. today. I have an amazing woman with me today. She is a business strategist for military spouses. She's on a mission to help as many military spouses as possible, create their own success and build their dream purpose led businesses. She is also a military spouse herself, which is why she advocates for military spouses. James Collins, welcome to the show. Hi, thank

Unknown Speaker 1:06

you so much for having me. It's great to be here.

Jen Amos 1:08

Yeah, we're very happy to have you. Why don't we start off with you sharing how you heard about the show, and more importantly, why you chose to be on the show today.

Speaker 1 1:16

Yeah, so I think a couple of things kind of happened at the same time. And for me, I'm all about, you know, signs from the universe telling you something's supposed to happen. So it just kept coming up, you know, in front of my face, which was amazing. So I think I saw a post on LinkedIn, which was through a second connection of mine. So I saw somebody talking about this new podcast that was going to be launched holding down the fort. And I just loved the name, because it's, it's absolutely what military spouses do when husbands are gone, and what their husbands or spouses are doing, you know, when they're out do what they do. So I love the name. And then I think literally at the same time, in parallel on Instagram, you guys had been, we've connected on Instagram. And I think you'd wanted to use one of my quotes for something. So we just kind of instantly connected and then chatting to you guys over LinkedIn, we just wanted to hop on the phone. And because we have very similar missions and interests, just wanted to get the conversation started about sort of collaborations and how we can help one another. And then through that started discussing the podcast. And I was I was absolutely thrilled when you guys said that you would want me to be on there. Because I just think that the what you're talking about is so prevalent, and it's so like of the moment, but it's delivered in such a great way like I can listen to your voice for ages. Jamie have such a fabulous,

Jen Amos 2:27

thank you. I love your accent. Thank you. Awesome. Well, I'm glad to have you on. And so far people that we've had on the show are they're not necessarily people that were provided by the military to be a resource to the military community, they've actually been military spouses themselves, or people who are going through the experience or going through this tough lifestyle of constantly being uprooted every two to three years, or being left home alone while the service member is away. And part of why we created this podcast is because one thing I had also started to find is that although the military and military bases provide a lot of resources and education for people, I think sometimes we need to hear it from our peers to seek out those resources. Because a lot of times, maybe there's like a fear or stigma, let's say to get financial help or to get help in terms of mental illness or mental health and stuff. But when you hear it from a fellow person who is going through it themselves, I think it encourages them and inspires them to be like, You know what, if they did it, I did it too. And so we love to welcome people onto the show, who are really practitioners who just want to share their passion for the community. And and I know for you specifically, you focus on military spouses and helping them build their own businesses. And so I'm excited to dive into that in the show today with you.

Speaker 1 4:01

Yeah, thank you. I think it's great that you say it's so easy for people to think they're going through something on their own. So until you put it in front of them that you know, you're not the only person that's experiencing this other people have been through it. They've dealt with it, you know, you can do the same, they can help you etc. It's just making those resources really obviously available to people because asking for help is something that people don't really like to do.

Jen Amos 4:22

Yeah, yeah, at least for me, it was an upbringing kind of thing. My family was very much figured out on your own or just do what I say. And so I think, you know, for me, I had to learn later in life, especially after my husband and I got married to depend on him and ask him for help and be okay, being vulnerable. And it's a tough thing. Like it's a really vulnerable raw thing to ask for help. And so, you know, hopefully with resources such as this podcast and what you're doing, people won't feel as intimidated to seek out help, whatever that whatever that is for them.

Unknown Speaker 4:59

Yeah. Exactly, I think it's amazing what you guys are doing.

Jen Amos 5:02

Oh, thank you. Well, gems for people who are just getting to know you, this is the first time they're hearing about you. Why don't you let our listeners know what a typical day or a snapshot of your life looks like? And more, most importantly, what keeps you busy and most excited about life nowadays?

Speaker 1 5:19

Yeah. So I have two main passions in my life, not including my husband. He's obviously number one. Yeah, so I'm running my business. And I'm also a competitive weightlifter. So my day is pretty much centered around those two things. So I get up super early, to kind of get in my morning routines, take my little bulldog for a walk, because we're in lower Alabama, and it is ridiculously hot. So I get up to get that stuff done early. And then that means I have a decent chunk of time to actually sit and work on the business, which is, you know, I network with people, I have meetings with my clients and creating logs for the website. So constantly working on keeping the business growing, and then providing the best service that I can to my clients. And then from about 3pm until 530, I can be found at my local weightlifting gym, where I'm usually training for one competition or another. So because so much of my afternoon is taken up with training, it means that the earliest part of my day is focusing on the business. And then you know, in the evenings, it's Germany catching up with messages and questions and comments and any kind of final planning that needs to be done for the next day or the next week. So that's fair. It's me fairly consistently, probably six out of seven days a week. And then Sunday is just family time, husband time, chill time, doing very little trying to explore as much as we can of Alabama, but it's it is what it is.

Jen Amos 6:40

Yeah, I've never been to Alabama, are there any if I were to ever visit any places you recommend.

Speaker 1 6:47

So I will wait quite fortunate in that where we are. We're only about an hour and a half from Panama City Beach. So you can easily get down to some really nice beaches down there. There's some great history. So Montgomery and Birmingham actually have some really good history to them. Lots of fun stuff to do. I was actually at a competition this weekend near Birmingham. And we ended up going it's nothing to do with history. But we went and played Top Golf, which was the most fun just really cool, like hitting golf balls and drinking beer and eating good food. It was yeah, it was really cool. But where we are is fairly remote. So we make the most of the weekends and getting away and exploring a bit further afield.

Jen Amos 7:22

Yeah, definitely. When I first moved to Virginia, we lived in Richmond, and I realized it was the first time in my life that I was inland. Most of my life like I was as a military child in Japan, so it was always near the water. And then I lived in San Diego, California for about 20 years, and I was near the water. And so for the seven months that my husband I moved to Virginia, being in Richmond, it was a very interesting experience for me. But fortunately, fortunately for us, we live on the beach again. So we live we live in Virginia Beach now and I can't imagine like living in Lynn. And so I have to give it to you for like living in Atlanta, at least the drive for you is not too far, if you will. But I have learned that I am not like an inland person at all. Like I we literally go to the beach, like every day to walk our dog and stuff here. And I don't want it to be any other.

Speaker 1 8:21

I love it anything. You know, sea sand water, there's something so calming and peaceful about it. So I know what you mean being brought up around that. And then suddenly finding yourself completely land landlocked, you're like, Yeah, this didn't sit right with me.

Jen Amos 8:34

Yeah, well, it sounds like you live such a balanced life like you. It sounds like you have so many things together, and you really keep yourself occupied. And I think that's really impressive. Like I know, with a lot of military spouses, a lot of times they're typically not typically, but a lot of times they are, let's say mothers and a lot of their lives revolve around their children, that sometimes it may be difficult to juggle other things. But it's really cool how at least in your position, you are keeping yourself preoccupied. Now is your does your husband get deployed once at a time? Or what's the dynamic between you two?

Speaker 1 9:14

He does usually. So it's quite nice. Actually, whilst we're down here, he's actually going through flight school. So he's non deployable for the time that we're here. But where we came from, he was gone really frequently, like short periods of time, but really often so pretty much every month, he was gone for two or three weeks at a time. And then depending on where we go next, it will likely be you know, the kind of nine months to 12 month deployment. So we've had the best of both worlds. And it's it's really nice having him home. I mean, I say home, he's home physically, but mentally he's elsewhere because school is just crazy. But yeah, it's definitely for me. I think that's part of the reason I keep so occupied is because I know that the times when he's gone, I don't just suddenly want to be like, Oh my gosh, what am I going to do with myself? When I first came to the States, I couldn't work because of immigration reasons. I didn't know anybody he was at work a lot. And I was just like, this isn't, this isn't fun, this isn't fulfilling for me. So I think it's really important that whatever situation you're in, that you have something that is completely yours, so that, you know, times when they're gone, you still have something to not get up for everyday because that sounds really patronizing that certain people only get up for their spouses. But I mean, it's, it's something that is, is yours that you can pull yourself into, so that when you do find yourself alone, or holding down the fort whilst they're gone, you still have that one thing that you're kind of really focusing on and it keeps you going every day.

Jen Amos: 10:38

Yeah, absolutely. And I feel like the number one way to really put yourself first and take care of yourself is your health. So I think that's so awesome how a lot of your time is, you know, spent at the gym and competing. And all of that, I wish I wish I could do that I am actually going to run a Tough Mudder in two months, but I definitely don't like weightlifting, the amount that I should do lightning.

: 11:05

Yeah, I mainly do like home workouts, and I'll run on the beach or something. But my kind of perspective on these competitions. I mean, when I'm not competing, I'm really just showing up and seeing if I could do it. And partly why is just to just maintain my health. Like, for me, that's enough. I hope that at least for us here in Virginia Beach, when we feel more stable, which I feel like we're starting to get to that, I definitely want to look into possibly hiring a personal trainer to to really compete in these in these races. So we'll see that maybe that'll probably be like a 2020 goal thing. But I

: 11:42

think that's awesome. You know, even having that to work towards and that you say for now it's just about being healthy. But even if that's the one reason that you do it for being healthy is the one thing that's going to keep you going every day. So if that's your goal, and then next year, it's you know, being competitive, and then it's the next thing you know, there's always something to work towards. And that's what keeps you doing it. And I think that's so important. I love that you're doing that. All right,

Jen Amos: 12:02

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: 14:14

I feel that it's definitely growing. I know when I started out, I struggled to find anything. And it's only subsequently that I've found more and more resources. And I don't know if that's just because I've been looking in the right places or because these organizations have been growing. But I know you know, the Rosen network is doing some great stuff. paradigm shift is doing some really good stuff. So I know that there are resources out there. It's knowing how to find them and knowing how to connect with them, but also it's not a one size fits all. So depending on what your requirements are. You kind of have to know where to look or who to speak to or the questions to ask him. This you know, the military community is absolutely massive and trying to reach everybody is impossible and the Rosi network, opening more chapters and stuff around the states She's amazing. But there's so many people that need the help that just don't know. And also don't know what they don't know. So like, how do you know what help you need? If you're not really sure what you're doing? So it's, it's overcoming that gap as well. And kind of how do you know where to look if you're not really sure what help it is that you're looking for. So I think my goal is trying to inspire people to look at entrepreneurship as a route when it's maybe not even something that they're considering right now, because they don't think they have it in them for

Jen Amos: 15:27

whatever reason. And you did mention that when you immigrated here to the US, you really couldn't find work. And you really had to figure it out either way. And so how was that journey for you? Like, how did you end up finding entrepreneurship?

: 15:44

I think in the back of my mind, I think I always wanted to be an entrepreneur to have my own business. I did a master's when I was living, I lived in the UAE before I came here, and I did a Masters out there with the intent of becoming a consultant one day with only my own business, but I kind of never really knew where to start. And I didn't again, I have a lot of self doubt that I was even able to do it. So when I came to America, I was like, okay, normal thing to do is get a job. And that's kind of the normal route that I was, had taken all my life. So I was like, that's just what's gonna carry on here. And then the naivety of me to think that that will be possible as a military spouse kicked in when I think I eventually got a job. And then three months later, we moved. So I was like, Okay, this is how it's gonna go. But you know, it kind of gave me the kick up the bat that I needed to be like, alright, well, then how do I make this entrepreneurship thing work, like, it's something I've always wanted to do, it's something I know I can be good at. Now I have an opportunity to kind of use my struggle to help other people to do the same thing. So I think blessing in disguise, kind of coming over here struggling to find work, it just gave me the nudge that I needed in the right direction to be like, Alright, it's time for me that just set up on my own, and then use what I know, to help other people who are going through the same kind of struggle.

Jen Amos: 16:54

Yeah, what I've come to find is that, when you're deprived of something, or you're really, you really, really want something, and it's not accessible for you, for whatever reason, like sometimes you just have to create it for yourself. And that's what you did.

: 17:09

I think that's exactly it. And if the resource isn't there, make it yourself. If it's not there, just build it, you know, make it and you're then the person that people go to for that thing. So I think there's always a way around it. And if that way around is creating it, then go for it.

Jen Amos: 17:25

And no one can take that away from you either. I mean, it's something that you can take with you, no matter where you end up moving to. And it's not like a job that once you leave it, you leave all that behind. It's it's your it's yours. And I think there's it's really a blessing in disguise when you're put in a position to create something for yourself.

: 17:46

Exactly. And like you say, it's something that you know, it's a legacy that you leave behind, and it's something that you've created for you. And every decision you make impacts the business in the way that you want it to you're not accountable to anybody. And it's your you know, it's your baby. It's this thing that you grow, and you love and you nurture, and it's a reflection of you. And it's like the footprint that you leave on the world because it's this this thing that you've created to help other people.

Jen Amos: 18:07

Yeah. So I am curious a little bit more about how you help military spouses with entrepreneurship. Do you typically work with those who have already started a business or are about to start when what do you feel like is your specialty when it comes to working with military spouses.

: 18:25

So my specialty is really helping people who want to start a business but don't really know either what their business idea is, or they have an idea, but they don't really know how to get started. Subsequently, I've worked with a few people who have already started a business and they're looking to scale and grow it. But I would say that my zone of genius is really helping people to understand and establish their business idea, their purpose, and then how they can package that how they market it, how they grow it, how they can really invest their time, efficiently to grow and get this business out into the world. So I kind of get them from business idea, or lack thereof to launching business into the world in about a six month period.

Jen Amos: 19:07

Awesome. I like how you added the six month part because we've had our experiences with business coaches in the past where there wasn't necessarily a deadline, it was kind of like you hired me so there's kind of this assumption that you're kind of always going to use me and so it's kind of nice to hear that you want to have something tangible to the best that it can be within a certain timeframe.

: 19:30

Right and I think it also adds a little bit of determination like if you know that you've only got me for six months and you're gonna make the most out of me was you've got me and also having deadlines is what keeps you accountable to everything. So if you know what time period you've got, you can plan productively and make sure that you use that time as wisely as possible. Now if if it came to the end of the six months and someone was like, Look, I'm not ready, I still need your help. I'm obviously not going to be like well, you know to have it later. But the idea is that within that six months they get every think they need from me and then they can go out and do it on their own. So it's not like a not going to hold their hand and tell them exactly what they need, but more giving them the tools that they need to be able to deliver what they want to do when they go out on their own.

Jen Amos: 20:12

Yeah, and I just have to add that to have someone on your side like that like such as yourself. For anyone who is considering starting a business, it's great to have a coach because you know, anyone can say that. They want to start a business. But if if they don't put deadlines on themselves, or they kind of they tend to put other people's needs first. Sometimes their goals and deadlines tend to be put in the backburner. And so even for myself, not that I have hired a business coach a lot, I have worked with one with my husband, what is it, I recently had gone through physical therapy, and back then I would just kind of let my hip pain, I just kind of lived with it. But when I had I had someone hold me accountable to get better. It's like I want it to get better. You know. And I think that's the best part of having a coach as as a resource when you're building a business because you're you have someone to report to you have a cheerleader on your side. And you don't really fall into self sabotage. Because if you try to do it all yourself, which, you know, any smart business owner will not run a business by themselves. It's very easy to blame yourself if you don't see things all the way through. But if you have someone, it's like, oh, it's not just me that I am trying to do. I'm trying to make myself successful, someone else is watching me and cheering me on. And I don't want to let them down. You know. So I think that, like having a coach is just a great accountability. Really.

: 21:39

Yeah. And I think sometimes, you know, the, the difficult part of coaching is when I have to not be the friend. So I have to kind of tell people the like the ugly truth. So the stuff that they don't want to hear, but that they need to hear. So something that's holding them back for whatever reason, like trying to find the real reason for it, and then work it through with them. But sometimes just it's like the harsh reality of if you continue down this way, it's not going to work for you. So it's getting that balance right of I'm here for you to be a cheerleader to hold you accountable. But I'm also going to have those difficult discussions with you. But if you don't have anyone to do that with, you never worked through those issues. And so they're always present throughout your business, because you never actually deal with them. So it was trying to nip that stuff in the bud from stage one and making people face up to what their struggles are going to be down the line and how they can identify them early, and kind of squash them so they can just be as efficient and effective as possible.

Jen Amos: 22:29

Yes, absolutely. So the last thing I really want to focus on and talk about is a lot of our conversation today we had mentioned don't like the words don't know a lot like military spouses don't know about this, they don't know what they don't know, or they're not aware. And so for, let's say for the military spouse that's listening, that is unaware, like they don't know that they need this type of help. What would you say to them? Or what are some what are some maybe symptoms or signs that they can look out for me to be like, Okay, I need help, I need to hire someone, I need to have some kind of accountability partner to to grow my business.

: 23:08

I think when you get into those feelings of I can't do this, you know, when everything seems like it's too much of a struggle, but you're kind of wading through mud and then when like when your mood starts to dip. So when you start to not become yourself because you're so frustrated with other things. And it will show up in other areas. Like it's the typical, you know, you're frustrated with something not going right in one area of your life. So you get annoyed at your husband or whatever. And it's when things like that start to show up when you stop behaving like your normal self, that that's when you need to just reach out and ask for help. And when you start to kind of question things that you wouldn't normally question when you start becoming indecisive about things. Like for me, that was a really big one, like, I'm normally so gonna make a decision so that it taking control. So when I start to question my own decisions, that's when I'm like, I need to start bouncing these ideas off somebody because this isn't like me. So when if you feel like you're not behaving in the way that you normally do, or you're not showing up in the way that you normally do to people who know you, I think that's a really good opportunity for you to sit back and reflect and be like, Okay, there's something that's holding me back. I don't know what it is, and that's fine, but I just need to reach out and ask somebody who can help me through this.

Jen Amos: 24:20

Hmm, that's, that's really good advice. So for any listener, for our listeners that feel like that, you know, that feel like most importantly, you're not yourself, you know, maybe maybe it's a sign to seek out help, and getting possibly professional help or in, you know, start to seek out those resources to to help you professionally and, you know, personally, you know, we're not

Unknown Speaker: 24:42

exactly exact. It's all about personal development.

Jen Amos: 24:45

Yeah, well, gems, I think that was a lot of awesome information that we shared today. I really appreciate you sharing a little bit about your story and how you were able to create an amazing opportunity for you yourself and how you live a very balanced life and also do competitive weightlifting. I still think that's really awesome. And and also just the tips for anyone that is feeling stuck, hopefully what you shared kind of what I'm calling the symptoms, if you have those symptoms, hopefully, you were able to receive enough education from the show to take action, whether it's contacting gems or whoever else that you've been thinking of to reach out to for help. Gems, do you have any closing thoughts about everything we talked about today?

: 25:32

Yes, I would just think, you know, the, the key thing that I tell everybody and anyone, whether I work with them or not, is if and when you're starting a business, you need to really identify and have a strong like your why behind it, why you wanting to do it, because if your why is strong enough for how we'll follow. But also when you have those moments of doubt and questioning yourself, that strong y is going to help you keep going. So if you're able to revisit the reasons why you're doing everything, then when you come to those times of struggle or wanting to quit, if you go back to that, that's just going to be what pushes you through every time. So if nothing else, and if I don't work with anybody that listens to this, just make sure that you have a really, really strong y as to the foundation of your business. And that's going to keep you going no matter what.

Jen Amos: 26:18

Yeah, and I want to add to that, because when I started in business years ago, I remember that we were being trained to they would say you know, have a y that makes you cry. But one thing I want to add to what you're saying is like have a y that like that gets you moving as well, because you could have a y that you feel really strongly about. But if that's as far as it goes, then maybe you need to redefine that why, you know if it's enough to be like, Oh, I have to do this, I want to do this, but you don't do anything with it. Then possibly craft your y in a way or redefine it so that you're like, Okay, I have to get out of bed because this is my y

Unknown Speaker: 26:54

100% Yeah, I love that.

Jen Amos: 26:57

Yeah, well, James, if people do want to get a hold of you, how can they do that?

: 27:01

I am all over the social media realm. But I would probably say main cases Facebook, you can just search for me gems Collins income, the only one on there can drop me an email. So gems at gems collins.com, which my name is also my website. And then I'm on LinkedIn, and Instagram as well all under the name gems column. So if you just put my name into the search bars of any of those social medias, then you will find me and I would love to connect with you.

Jen Amos: 27:25

And if you did miss that the first time, don't worry, we'll have all of our contact information in the show notes. listeners. If this episode resonated with you in any way, you can check out our show notes as well to potentially leave a voice message which we can play in a future episode. But who knows if we get enough feedback from you, maybe we could bring gems back on to the show. I would love to. Yeah, well, gems. Thank you so much for your time. I really, really, really appreciate it. I know it's it's valuable. And I look forward to continuing our conversation and staying connected on social media.

: 27:59

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. I've loved it. It's been great, Jim. Thanks.

Jen Amos: 28:03

Awesome. Thank you so much for listening to the holding down the fort podcast show. To leave us a message. Please visit our show notes to learn how or you can email us at holding down the fort podcast@gmail.com Until next time,

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