We dove into our very own BossBabe community to share the stories of women who are chasing their dreams, taking our courses and killing the game — all with total transparency, and real talk behind the highlight reel. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be spotlighting real-life BossBabes to learn how they get it all done and what they’ve learned along the way…

Meet Heather Monahan from Florida. She's a best-selling author, podcast host, speaker and a total badass at teaching confidence. No surprise here that's she's a Leo. But her backstory is not all TED Talks and book signings. In fact, this single mom was fired from her corporate role. It wasn't easy, but this brilliant BossBabe went from wondering how to pay the bills to speaking on stages around the world.

Heather started working with BossBabe because she had a decent following on her Instagram but no one was really engaging on her social media. With a TEDx Talk coming out, and a book to sell, Heather needed more eyeballs on her website and a boost in engagement on her IG. Here's how this single mom went from being fired to totally smashing her goals making her a fierce BossBabe Success Story.

What do you do + why do you do it?

I’m a keynote speaker, author, podcast host and single mom. I thought I was at the top of my game in corporate America as a CRO when I suddenly was fired. I was devastated. I had lost everything and I had no idea how I was going to pay my bills. What I didn’t realize is the only thing they could take from me was my paycheque. I kept my experience, reputation, contacts, network, goodwill, positivity, talents and abilities and that is priceless. I spent 2018 and 2019 reinventing myself as an entrepreneur and it hasn't been easy. My son is my ‘why.' He is the love of my life and literally my whole heart. 

 Why did you enroll in IGA? What did you hope to gain?

I enrolled in IGA because I wanted to boost engagement. I had a decent following but my engagement was weak. So after I had Natalie on my podcast and learned about her incredible success on IG, I took her free webinar and enrolled immediately. 

What was your business or life like before you took IGA? How has it changed?  

I was averaging 1,000 profile visits each week and now I am averaging more than 2,000 weekly. My impressions are more than 66,000 weekly. Profile visits, website clicks and emails have all increased.   

What are you most proud of since starting the program? Share your wins or real data results. (Audience size, revenue, personal growth… we are looking for all kinds of progress!) 

BossBabe has helped me increase my engagement on Insta which has driven sales for my book, course and speaking engagements. My book took #1 on Amazon's Business Biography list and my new podcast is #17 on Apple Podcast's Entrepreneur list.

You’ve rocked your results, what’s the #1 result or outcome you’re most excited about? 

My book taking #1 Business Biographies on Amazon My podcast taking #17 Entrepreneur list on Apple Podcast.

What was a major moment of transformation for you in your life or business since starting the program?

My engagement has skyrocketed and the timing is perfect. My new TEDx Talk has garnered over 20K views with the help of BossBabe's strategies to improve audience engagement. 

What’s your superpower?

Creating confidence! I can see things differently than other people. I don’t know if that is a vision or an ability to connect the dots but my entire life I can look at something and see an opportunity others might not be able to spot and I am so grateful I am now confident enough to own and rock this skill.

What are some practical things you do to manage your time effectively?

I really manage my to-do list and update it daily so I never lose sight of priorities. What is a priority to you, you will find time for. When something isn’t a priority it will fall by the wayside. Right now growing my business is #1 so on my work trips I don’t go to the gym.  When I was in corporate America I went to the gym each morning. Not any longer; I make that short term sacrifice for a long term payoff. You make time for what you want, period.

What are your top 3 ways to deal with stress and/or practice self-care?

I work out, spend time with my son and meditate. Self-care is extremely important but there are many different ways to do it. You can meditate on the plane on your way to your meeting.  You can listen to the playlist of your life that fires you up. You can take a spin class or call a friend. There are many ways to take care of yourself and you are worth it. 

Real talk. What’s one thing every BossBabe should remember when she feels defeated or ready to give up? 

97% of people will end up working for the 3% that never gave up. No one is an overnight success. Just keep going. I wanted to give up 1 million times!!! My back up plan was always to go back to Corporate America. I shared that openly one time with a friend and he called me out for sabotaging. He described me standing on the side of a river and getting one foot over but stopping and saying I will wait here to see what happens. Doing that keeps you stuck and doesn't move you forward. He said, “Jump NOW before the current picks up.  Jump all in and just go bigger.”

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever followed through with?

Take the first step even when you don't see the staircase just take the step and the stairs will appear.

What’s one limiting belief that you’ve overcome + how?

That I am meant to stay in one lane. Most of my life I thought I was good at sales and leadership and that was all I could do. I have since blown up the lanes and reinvented myself as an author something I never knew I had the potential to do.

Where do you find motivation/ inspiration?

I love Brene Brown, Mel Robbins and Amy Morin.  

What’s your personal mantra / motto?

Waiting for others' approval is not something that I’m interested in any longer.

What’s next for you and your business?

Taking my TEdx Talk viral!

Want more from Heather? Grab this BossBabe's ebook here!