Ellen Yin // Founder & CEO of Ellen Yin Media
Ellen Yin //
Founder & CEO of Ellen Yin Media
Meet Ellen Yin! Social media expert teaching you how to attract consistent clients and Host of Cubicle to CEO, an award-winning podcast. She’s also the Founder and CEO of Ellen Yin Media
Special thanks to Ellen for sharing with us!
Tell us in a few sentences how your brand helps others?
We help service-based business owners (anyone who works with clients one-on-one or in a group setting, whether online or in person) make their first $10K month inside our membership, Cubicle to CEO. The Consistent Clients Cashflow System we teach inside our membership gives entrepreneurs a step by step blueprint for achieving this goal WITHOUT needing a large audience, posting every day, or complicated tech. We're on a mission to empower business owners to ditch shiny object syndrome and adopt a minimalist marketing strategy so they can refocus on what they actually love doing and serving their clients well.
I also host an weekly podcast of the same name (Cubicle to CEO) where we interview inspiring entrepreneurs and top business leaders on how they built their success.
What was the inspiration to start this business?
I'm actually an accidental entrepreneur. My 30 second story is that I only lasted 10 months in a cubicle and decided to take a big leap of faith at the end of 2017 when I quit my corporate job without a backup plan. That next month, I signed my very first freelance marketing client while I was applying for jobs and thought, hey, if I can get one client, I can get another one, and another one, and another one. It grew organically from there, and within my first 12 months, we had scaled to six figures in revenue without a website or paying a single dollar in customer acquisition (at the time). Now I teach that same system to my members!
When you started your business, did you ever envision that you would be where you are now?
Definitely not! My vision for this business is always evolving as I constantly learn new things and stretch myself outside of my comfort zone to see what is possible. I've had to learn to pivot so many times in these early years. Just last November, I made another drastic move of faith when I phased out most of our clients and cut our revenue by almost 70% overnight in order to shift my focus to building our Cubicle to CEO community + digital products. The decision paid off though - we've been able to double our team size (that's my proudest achievement), we now have over 1500 students (and growing daily), and our business continues to grow each quarter.
Was there ever a time that things didn't fall into place, struggles or challenges? What were they and how did you get past it and grow from the experience?
Oh, so many times. I remember when we first launched the membership (this was before I made that drastic pivot in November to prioritize our digital products + online community), the growth was stagnant. We made maybe $4,000 from that product the entire first 9 months. Rather than scrap everything and start over with a new product, I just continued improving on the product and sales process because I knew the system we had worked and could really make a positive impact on service-based businesses. It was a slow process, but now the membership alone is a six figure product.
The problem is that most people fall victim to the Dunning Kruger effect (Google it, it's life-changing once you understand how to avoid it), so when things don't work out right away, they try to chase after the next shiny object. You have to get through the suck and the hard parts to actually become good at something.
What was the biggest lesson you learned while starting and growing this business?
That your business will only ever grow to the level that you do - your own limitations create your business's ceiling. To create different results and achieve something you never have, you have to think, act, and become someone you've never been.
What would you tell a FEM that is struggling in her business and feeling like it's too difficult?
Business is mostly a mental game, and you have to outlast the roadblocks, failures, and imposter syndrome that stand in your way. One of my favorite quotes, and I can't remember who said it, is "you don't lose, you learn." Failure is a gift because it adds wisdom to your life. The faster you fail, the faster you learn.
Also remember that business is supposed to be FUN. Not all tasks you have to do are going to be fun, but the purpose for which your business exists? The bigger picture? That should be fun. If you feel miserable in your day to day, take a minute to pause and evaluate why. You are in control of building your business by design, so if you don't like something, change it!
What continues to inspire you to keep on growing your business?
The messages we get from our community. Every time someone tells us how something we've created or shared has impacted their life in a positive way, I save that in a special celebrations folder so that on the days when I question my why, I can go back and be reminded.
Final advice for those thinking of starting a business or looking to grow their current business?
You are an entrepreneur because you are a problem solver! When things get hard, stop saying "I can't" and shift your mindset to: "how can I...?" Show up as a leader in your business and direct your energy to the things you can control, instead of playing victim and obsessing about the things you can't. Hint: 99% of the time, the only thing you can control is yourself. Your thoughts, feelings, and actions. You are the creator of your best solutions or your worst problems.
How can FEMS follow you?
@missellenyin on Instagram is the best place, I love chatting with new friends so send me a DM!
I'd love for you to tune in to our weekly podcast episodes on Monday by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Play. Just search "Cubicle to CEO" :)