Inspiring Conversations with Katelyn Annemarie Brush of Soul Aligned Business Academy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katelyn Annemarie Brush.  

Hi Katelyn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was a kid, I wanted to write. I didn’t want to be an astronaut or a model or whatever… I wanted to write books about beautiful places, fairies, elves, adventure, and love. 🧚‍♀️ ✨ 

When I went to college, I wanted to study the greats. I went to Oxford and studied Shakespeare. I rode my bike to the Eagle and Child, the pub where the Inklings would meet before they went on to publish legendary novels like Alice in Wonderland or Lord of the Rings. I came back home from that semester and set my sights on being an Editor in Manhattan. 

*Spoiler alert* that dream never came to life. 

Instead, I wrote a kid’s book teaching American Sign Language with the mission to help families and people with cognitive disabilities. 

That book, ‘Signing Together’ was sold in bookstores and read in classrooms and households around the country. 

The book took on a life of its own, I thought I made it but really it made me. 

That book made me into an entrepreneur, an author, a speaker, a saleswoman, an advocate, a marketer, and so much more. 

In September of 2014, I published the book. At an event in Saratoga, NY where I was promoting the book, a local entrepreneur approached me and asked if he could hire me for marketing services. He saw something in me that I hadn’t yet seen in myself and thanks to him, I took the leap and priced out offers to support small business owners with social media, email, and other forms of organic marketing. 

Over the span of the next four years, I helped startups, financial advisors, coffee roasters, yoga studios, and others market their work. I also began a private yoga practice where I worked 1:1 with children and adults with cognitive and physical disabilities. 

I had so much love for each of these businesses but felt something was missing. 

In May 2018, I opened up my leadership and business coaching practice for service-based entrepreneurs. Six months later, I opened my online school, Soul Aligned Business Academy which has now helped dozens of entrepreneurs launch and scale their businesses through developing their skills as leaders and business owners. 

My team and I still support businesses with their marketing and we are also in the process of publishing a multi-author book that is projected to reach the bestseller list. Our services are designed to help business owners at all stages — coaching for the beginner who is learning how to run their business, private support for those who are leading their business and know they need intimate guidance, and marketing services for those who crave done-for-you content strategies. 

Alright, 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?
Any entrepreneur is likely to tell you, that it’s not a smooth road to success, but that’s the power in the journey, right? We don’t just focus on business development; we also practice self-development along the way. Growth is cyclical, in my opinion, and we experience seasons of expansion and contraction. The most challenging season of my entrepreneurial journey came in August of 2019. I had just hit all of my goals for my business. I was preparing to host a retreat for clients in Costa Rica, my school the Soul Aligned Business Academy was booked out, and I had tons of invitations to be featured on various podcasts and publications. 

Then, the rug got ripped out from underneath me. 

I told my dermatologist that I was experiencing migraines and because I had a history of melanoma carcinoma, he became concerned that this was a symptom of melanoma. If you’re unfamiliar with it, melanoma is a fast-acting skin cancer that moves from the skin into the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. 

I went through months of testing and learned that I was cancer-free, which was great! 

However, in the meantime, I had this fear looming over my shoulders while holding a 5-day retreat, a group coaching program, and having troubles with an employee that broke our contract. 

This experience taught me so much about setting boundaries, trusting my intuition, and navigating challenges while holding responsibilities. It also taught me the power of authentically sharing my story. For a long time, I thought I was special in the sense that no one would understand my fear of cancer coming back and taking my life at a young age. When I started opening up about this, I learned how healing it could be not just for me but for all of the people around me. Death is a natural human fear. I’m grateful for the wisdom that came through this experience and has supported me in living more fully and empathetically. 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Soul Aligned Business Academy?
I’m a leadership and business coach who supports entrepreneurs who want to scale their businesses to 6-figures and beyond. Soul Aligned Business Academy is a school for business owners who are putting together their offerings, building a product suite, branding their businesses, and marketing to potential clients. We believe in community and value spaces that uplift soul-inspired leaders. Inside the academy, we teach the necessary skills for running a business. Outside of the academy, we provide 1:1 coaching and done-for-you marketing services. 

How do you define success?
Success, simply put, is waking up every day feeling fulfilled. I think success looks different for everyone and it’s important that we embrace what feels fulfilling to us. For some, that means living in a cabin in the woods. For others that means traveling the world and living out the 5-hour workweek. Regardless, I believe success is a combination of living with purpose, safety (financial security and security in relationships for example), spiritual liberation, and pleasure (living out your desires). 

Pricing:

• Self-study courses start at $44
• 1:1 coaching begins at a 4-figure investment depending on-time duration of support
• Soul Aligned Business Academy is a 4-figure investment
• DFY marketing services begin at $1,000

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@katelynannemarie.com
• Website: katelynannemarie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katelynannemarie_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/asoulpreneursisterhood
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soul-purpose-driven/id1522519739 

Image Credits
Mara Elaine