Riding the Roller Coaster of Entrepreneurship

BY CIARA STOCKELAND

Tell us who you are?

My name is Ciara, I am a 43 year old mom of two, wife to my best friend and dog walker to our Great Pyrenees, Bentley. I am currently training for my first Ironman race and have enjoyed the new focus this has brought me in my own coaching career. I am a third generation entrepreneur, born and raised in North Dakota. 

What gave you the courage to make your leap?

You know, as far back as I can remember I have been selling things. Creating opportunities, finding value in things with little or no value and building opportunity. Unlike many entrepreneurs, I never found myself “working up the courage to take the leap”, I have been jumping at it since a young age! I don’t know if it is a blessing or a curse, but everywhere I look I see opportunity. Processes that can be refined. Ideas that can be brought to life. Problems that can be solved. So for me, the idea of finishing high school and going to college where I would get “boxed in” to a specific role is what terrified me! Owning my freedom and creating my destiny was what made me more excited than anything else. 

How have your early career experiences influenced you?

I have had a few jobs here and there (all while building a business of my own). However, I would say that most of the experience that have influenced me have actually come from either trying something in my own leadership and failing miserably or from observing strong leaders in my pursuit of mentors. The former has taught me to look at each perceived “failure” as a learning experience and the latter has shown me that the best leaders are amazing teachers. 

Tell us about your business?

Well this is a story in and of itself, but I will give you the short version. Starting with he last year…. my coaching business has grown from the need I saw in the retail industry for someone to step up and teach the basics, the foundational parts of business ownership. No one wants to tackle the parts of business ownership that aren’t sexy, fun or instantly gratifying. You can find classes, courses and coaches everywhere that will talk to you about social media scheduling, taking pretty pictures or setting up your store. What I was seeing was a lack of basic help when it comes to understanding how to budget, how to build profit and how to manage your inventory. This was the problem I saw and being a solution driven entrepreneur I knew there had to be a way to teach these concepts in a simple and non-intimidating way! And so that is what I began to do. One client at a time. Backing up further we can begin to talk about the obstacles I faced. These mainly came from my own mind. I built and grew a seven-figure retail brand and that growth didn’t come without massive bumps and bruises along the way. When I first saw the need to coach the fundamentals in the retail space, I fought tooth and nail to stay as far away from retail as possible. However, God has an amazing way of bringing along the right people at the right time and as I being to visit with retailers around the country, my heart softened to the idea of teaching and training and coaching in this field. 

How do you find and live your joy?

Understand your superpower. A couple years back when I was going through the lowest of lows in by business life I was on the phone with a good friend and fellow entrepreneur She asked my what my superpower was. This really made me stop and think! I now know that what I am best at is simplifying information and delivering it in a way that brings comprehension and ultimately change. I wish I would have known this fifteen years ago! When you know that one thing that you are really good at. Not just good at, but really good at. That one thing that jazzes you up and gets you moving each day. The one thing that you can build a career on your will truly find a way to live a joyful entrepreneur life. 

ABOUT CIARA STOCKELAND

Ciara Stockeland, has owned and operated businesses since her early teens.  As a serial entrepreneur, her business mindset and tenacity led her to opening her first store, Mama Mia, a high-end maternity store located in Fargo, ND in 2006.  Shortly after, she developed and opened MODE a designer outlet store located next to Mama Mia. In 2008, Ciara chose to merge her two concepts into MODE and developed the concept into a franchise. Her vast experience in both retail and wholesale industries led her to launch the first to market wholesale subscription box for boutique retailers, which she built and sold within 18 months. Most recently Ciara has launched the Boutique Workshop, a coaching program for retailers.

Ciara has been recognized as a Small Business Champion through SCORE and most recently was awarded the Outstanding Franchise Small Business Award.  She is active with SCORE, an organization that is the largest network of expert business mentors across the nation. 

Additionally, Ciara has been an active member of the International Franchise Association and an advocate for small businesses with her seat on the United States Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council.  

She has twice had the opportunity to testify before two U.S. Senate Committees regarding the “joint employer” standard for businesses and its effect on small businesses and franchises.  Additionally, in 2015 she represented small businesses at a White House Summit on Worker Voice and again in 2018 for a Summit on Economics.

Through her coaching program, the Boutique Workshop, Ciara strives to motivate boutique owners to dream big and build simply. She was recognized by Prairie Business Magazine in 2015 as a recipient of the 40 under 40 for her leadership in business and its 2016 40 Under 40 Women in Business.

She currently resides in Grand Forks, ND with her husband Jim, their two amazing children Harrison and Isabella and her Great Pyrenees Bentley.   

As a Profit First Certified coach, I work specifically with inventory based businesses to create strategies to build a profitable business. My unique ability to simplify information gives my clients the confidence to build a strong foundation. Breaking a concept down into bite sized, actionable steps, enables my clients to take a complicated task and immediately  implement it to create forward momentum in their business.