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Conversations with the Inspiring Teri Crenshaw

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Teri Crenshaw.

Teri, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was an Entrepreneur in the Health and Fitness industry for 20 years. After completing my degrees in Nutrition and Exercise Science, I worked at a hospital-owned fitness center as a Nutritionist and Personal Trainer for two years before stepping out on my own.

OG Entrepreneur
I was an entrepreneur before it was cool. As a hashtag, #femaleentrepreneur is quite popular today, but in 1996, there was no Instagram… there was barely an internet. Bricks and mortar was the fitness studio game for most of my career: I’ve owned and operated two fitness studios and one full-service health club. My businesses were built by word of mouth, through event sponsorship and by networking.

Everything changed on November 11, 2015.

My husband, a 17-year veteran Scottsdale motorcycle Officer, was hit by a car while on duty. He suffered severe injuries to both of his legs and his back. As a result, he was wheelchair-bound for several months. As his caregiver, I was quickly forced to take my entire fitness business completely online.

The Birth of Brainy Click Digital:
I had a website for my business and an app that I used for training my clients but I had no experience in online marketing.

None.

A friend suggested that I sell an ebook and start an email list. At the time, this was like telling a kindergartner to write a research paper on the origins of legos. I knew these things existed, but had no idea where or how to begin.

But, I knew how to build a business and I had Google. As my husband’s surgeries, medical appointments, and rehab visits continued, I used the time to learn everything I could about marketing my business on the web.

I continued to work with clients via my training app and, in addition, I learned front-end development for WordPress, became certified in Adwords and Hubspot inbound marketing, took classes from Northwestern University in Social Media Marketing and learned email marketing, Facebook Advertising and SEO from Digital Marketer.

I soon realized that I had tools and knowledge but no plan for how to put it all into play to build and grow my online business.

Enter StoryBrand
StoryBrand Marketing is a business owned by author Donald Miller. The Building a StoryBrand podcast came to my attention through a Facebook Ad. As I listened to the podcasts I realized that I had found the throughline for all of my digital marketing pieces. I knew what to focus on, how to create a message that would attract my ideal audience and cut through the noise in the online world. Putting the pieces in place with my StoryBranded message as the throughline had an incredible impact on my business.

I had such success through StoryBrand that I decided to become a Certified Guide so that I could help other business owners to find the essential throughline of Story for their businesses, too.

Brainy Click Digital is my marketing agency. We handle branding, copywriting and funnel creation. Teri Crenshaw Consulting is the mentorship and coaching arm of my business that is primarily focused on helping female entrepreneurs.

Reinvention is Required
As I continue to build my branding and marketing business, it is clear to me that every event and change that we encounter in our lives leads to a reinvention of ourselves. Even the most difficult challenges push us to the next level of how we are to serve with our businesses.

BrainyClickDigital.com focuses on helping health and lifestyle entrepreneurs to win in business by creating the Story and then implementing the strategy and systems needed to grow and scale.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Anything worth creating takes time and hard work. There are always challenges along the way.

Always.

When I was building my fitness businesses, I was also raising a son. The stress of hours and hours at the studio, while he was a toddler, was tough, but taught me how to manage my time.

In 1999, we moved from Wyoming to Arizona. I had to sell my health club and start over in a new place where I didn’t know anyone. I learned that people are people and they all have similar concerns. Business is about relationships above all else.

In 2008, I was diagnosed with colon cancer. I had to work around my doctor appointments to keep my business running. This event actually bolstered my belief that we need to be fully aware of doing everything in this life that we set our minds to do. If you are waiting for the perfect time to start your business, stop waiting. Go. Do it.

“Life happens” events occur in some form or another in any entrepreneur’s journey. They will inevitably have an effect on any business owner. Expect that there will be challenges. Look for them. Work through them. Learn and grow.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I specialize in helping Lifestyle entrepreneurs find their Genius and create a brand story that connects with their ideal clients. As a StoryBrand Certified guide (one of only 8 in the Phoenix metro area and the only female Guide in Phoenix), I am particularly proud of helping other female entrepreneurs discover their own Genius business niche and brand story.

For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
I am obsessed with helping females over 40 to realize that it is their “turn” to do that thing that they have always wanted to do. Women in this age group have the skills and expertise that can only be accessed through their years of work and life experiences. There is such an amazing opportunity for these women to create and build amazing businesses!

In marketing today, to quote the author of Marketing Rebellion, Mark Schaefer, “The most human company wins.” Women have the innate need to seek an emotional connection with their clients… a “human” connection. It matters and it will help women win in the marketplace. There is no better time for women to build and market their heart-centered businesses online.

Pricing:

  • Story & Strategy for She.E.Os Mentorship $300 per month for 6 months
  • Create Your BrandStory $1500
  • Create Your BrandStory + Website Wireframe $4000

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Shannon Gilpin

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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