This month we are reversing the roles as I was recently interviewed by Jennifer Chandler for her blog Esteem Rising. - Jill

Does the idea of owning your own business, working according to your core values, defining success on your own terms and affecting positive change interest you? Many women have taken steps in their life to do all of that and more but how they accomplish it has changed over the years.

Women entrepreneurs don’t even need a store front to make their professional dreams a reality. This virtual world has expanded rapidly, opening doors for women to develop a business that is unrestricted by international borders. Using the internet and leveraging the power of social media, women around the globe build relationships that strengthen their business and personal aspirations. One of those women is Jill Crossland.

Jill is a life and business coach who started in 2004, what was then, TimeFinders Coaching. Ever the forward thinker, as her company grew so did her recognition of the trend toward self branding. In 2008 she divided her company into Jill Crossland Coaching and TimeFinders Magazine.

She has just launched Create Your Team which brings together a team of professional women with specialized expertise. As one of those team members, I wanted to celebrate with Jill the launch of this site and through the following interview share with readers, one woman’s vision. It is my hope that if you are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur or want to use your expertise in unique way Jill’s story will help you move forward.

From inception to present day Jill gives insight into how a business can evolve, the importance of paying attention to the needs of clients, the wisdom to know you don’t need to do it all on your own and her own struggles with balance. Jill is also looking for women to lend their expertise; maybe through this interview the circle of relationship building will grow.

Take us back to the beginning – At what point did you decide to start what is now Jill B. Crossland Coaching?

It was more of an evolution. Most coaching sites were rather dry and it perturbed me that once you hung up from a client session they possibly didn’t have anything else to fall back on in the way of resources, information and support.  I wanted to provide them with more depth.

When I started the website was for midlife women because I had gone into coaching as a midlife woman and had some difficulty finding the information I needed in order to take that step. So, I thought a lot of women over forty probably felt the same.

How has your vision for the business changed over the years?

As my demographic became clearer I was able to identify my market and it grew from there. Then it emerged that I was dealing with a broarder age group of entrepreneurs either starting their business or mid point in their business development.

You have just launched a fresh site called Create Your Team. What was your goal for the site?

I wanted it be very efficient, it is about creating a support system. When we realize that we can’t do it alone, I want the site to be the place for services, help and support.

Providing a range of services from web designers, social media experts, virtual assistants even the right babysitter;  professional services that leave the entrepreneur more time to concentrate on growing their business.

I thought if I could bring these people together in one area that would be my aim. It’s in its infancy but the goal is that all the resources would be on the Create Your Team site and it would be safe. A safe area to go forth with your team members. This is about women supporting women.

What do feel are the unique needs of women that would drive them to seek out the services offered through Create Your Team?

When I first became a coach everything was about packages, it was sold in big chunks. If you wanted to hire a coach you had to commit to this amount of time and this amount of money, it was the only way you could obtain success.  It was quite overwhelming.

In both my coaching and Create Your Team it is a realization that you don’t have to hire full time help. If a housekeeper comes in once a week that may work just fine; it can give you enough time to accomplish what you need to in those hours. If you talk to your coach every month or every two months that may be what you require. The uniqueness is in the realization that it doesn’t have to be a huge chunk of time or money.

You can control who you hire and when you hire them. You can control what you spend; you don’t have to be intimidated into putting out large amounts of money. Women realize they would love to have a housekeeper, or web designer on call 24/7 but they can’t.  They may work out that they can afford it four times a month or once a month.

Isn’t this about flexibility?

Yes.  I know women who say to their accountant “I can do this part but I need you to do that part or I need you at this time of year for my year end.”  Years ago we weren’t saying the words “This is what I need from you” and “This is what I can afford to pay you.” That is very freeing. It enables women to grow their business; instead of sinking all their money into an accountant they can hire a web designer too, they can balance it out.

What are you looking for in future Create Your Team members?

We are looking for financial advisers. I’d like to see life coaches, relationship coaches and business coaches who specialize in start up. We are not only looking for virtual businesses but those that have a physical store front presence. Housekeepers and dog walkers are also needed. For example: if you have a week where you can’t walk your dog this service is helpful. If a very entrepreneurial dog walking service wants to advertise I think they would do well on our site. For the busy woman who is tied up in meetings, she can give them a call.

We are not doing products, it is all service based. Create Your Team wants people who specialize in transitions, elder care, divorce, professional organizers, and time management experts.

Every woman’s needs are different. Create Your Team is the one place she can come to find both the life coach and social media expert she needs.

You have your coaching business, TimeFinders Magazine, the Life Deco Blog & the newly launched Create Your Team website…How do you balance your time?

Even though like most of you I work from a home office; I keep a very tight schedule as if I’m walking into a corporation every morning.  I’m in the process of learning that when I don’t balance everything, something has to change. Like all women I have those weeks when it just doesn’t pull together and I just let go without guilt or stress.

I have my priorities – it is clients, websites, my writing. Clients always come first. At the beginning of the day I start with their needs, and then I make sure the websites are where they should be and then last is my writing. We must always give the priority to our clients.

What have you learned about yourself in the process of building up the business?

I’ve learnt what I’m good at and I’m no longer hesitant in saying “I’m very good at this” or “I’m not very good that and I need someone else to do it.” I have stopped trying to do it all. I’m very happy to turn areas of my business over to the experts in their field.

The hardest thing I’ve learned is sometimes I have to let go of something I’ve enjoyed because there is just not enough time in my day. I’ve had to cut back on a lot my writing. I don’t put articles out as much as I’d like to because I can’t find the time, I miss that.

How are you going to define success?

My success falls in three different criteria; it is not a one stop success. In my coaching practice, to be honest, it comes from a certain number of clients and an income that is steady.  For the magazine, success will come when it is more self- sufficient.  I need to start selling advertising and recruiting more writers. I’m still on the cusp, I’m not offering as much as I would like to my readers.

Create Your Team success will be when we have that full range of services to offer. When I feel we have a good selection across the board and emails coming in that say, “Thanks, this helped.” It is nice to know you made a difference. Women have to give feedback really it’s the only way to grow our business.  It is the only way to know, “Is this working” What went wrong or what went really right. Constructive criticism is a wonderful thing.

Is there anything else you would want readers to know?

You asked me earlier what I learnt and I think I would like readers to know they need to embrace their uniqueness. I am unique, you are unique, and the readers of your piece are all unique. You are sitting comfortably in that uniqueness when you recognize your own needs.

It is all very well that we go to workshops, listen to our friends and read self help books. At 3 o’clock in the morning, it is you that’s lying there worried or wanting to make the right decision, facing uncertainty and that is the unique position. Every woman needs to recognize what their needs are. They are not the same needs as that speaker they just went to see, as remarkable as she may have been, take from her what you need but then make it your own.

Life is not one size fits all. Listen to advice but take it and make it your own.

While Jill is the person behind the inception of your Create Your Team and will remain behind the scenes as it grows; it took a team to Create a Team. Alanna Morley designed both the website and Mean Business blog. She will also be the CYT manager. IT consultant Terri Pepin keeps the site running efficiently.   Women helping women is ever apparent as Jill Crossland Coaching and Create Your Team grows.

Many thanks to Jill for taking the time for this interview and for inspiring me in so many ways to grow as a business woman.