How one San Antonio woman is working to help other women launch–and scale up–their small business dreams.
It’s one thing to have a great idea for a new business. It’s another to take that idea and turn it into a thriving company.
Now one Hill Country woman is working to help make that second step a little easier.
Meet Maggie McMahon.
About her own career path
“I’m an ex-corporate executive turned small business owner. My background is in everything strategy related – from business development, to marketing, to brand, to sales. I’ve worked for local companies like CHRISTUS Health and KCI – where I was the Senior Director for Corporate Communications and ran the corporate brand, digital media, and public affairs programs. After that, I found and ran a tutoring company in Alamo Heights for 5 years, with a team of about 20 tutors.”
On the inspiration for her own business
“Most small business owners don’t have access to someone with a strong corporate background in strategy. The more I talked with other small business owners, the more I realized that there are a lot of folks who are building their business on pure passion and hard work. I knew that if they had access to some coaching or guidance to develop a growth strategy, they could really see their business take off. That’s the part of the business that I love the most – empowering women to build the business of their dreams, businesses that provides meaningful financial support for their families. That’s the long explanation behind my company’s name, The Strategy Mentor.”
On helping women take the leap to entrepreneurship
“Over the years, I’ve seen so many of my graduate school friends and co-workers from my corporate life leave their fast-paced corporate jobs – especially the women. I’ve also seen many of my stay-at-home mom friends re-enter the workforce – either through a traditional, full-time job, multi-level marketing, or entrepreneurship. The easy access to information and communication around the world has enabled a new class of knowledge worker, one who can work remotely with clients from anywhere around the world. Helping women learn how to build on their strengths and capitalize on this emerging marketplace is exciting for me and empowering for all of us.”
On managing the work-life balance, Texas Hill Country-style
“My 43rd birthday looms near, and I’m starting to understand what so many of my older female friends have tried to teach me about self-care. There is no one right way to care for yourself and your family, but we make the road by walking it. Over the years, we’ve learned that my teenage boys really benefit from my flexible schedule and even just having access to me while I work from home. The flexibility to finish a client call and then hop up to get dinner started or answer a homework question helps our family life run smoothly. So work-life balance is less about balance and more about the freedom to meet my work and family needs as they arise.
As for my downtime, I always look forward to heading out to our ranch just outside of Johnson City to hike, swim, or horseback ride. I still marvel at the wildlife we see each visit – from porcupines to foxes to antelope to deer to turkeys to the longhorns to jackrabbits to Maggie the Llama who lives down the road, and I get giddy at each sighting. All the stress of the week falls away. Some evenings, we’ll sneak into town for dinner at Pecan Street Brewing or Fat Boy’s Burgers.”
About her upcoming business bootcamp
“The Small Business Bootcamp is designed for the small business owner who has built a stable business, but is ready to fast track their growth. They may be looking to offer new services, build systems to support higher volumes (or more time off), pivot to a new product area, rebrand their business, or reboot their marketing efforts.
Participants can expect an intense focus on idea generation and problem solving. Each week has a new theme with easy-to-digest information about business fundamentals and guidance on practical application for your business.
Small business owners are busy, so we’ve made our online meeting place accessible and respectful of participants’ packed schedules. In the words of a prior participant we’ll, ‘strip away the busy work that doesn’t accomplish your goals and start making real stride in your business.’”
Explore More
The Strategy Mentor’s upcoming Small Business Bootcamp meets from Aug 15 – Nov 15, 2018. Registration opens on July 15. You’ll find registration information here.
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