Episode 9 Danielle Isaac - SPEAKER, AUTHOR, & BUSINESS STARTUP COACH

In this empowering episode, I sit down with Danielle Isaac, a business startup coach, speaker, and author who has spent the past decade helping women unlock their potential, embrace their purpose, and build businesses aligned with their passions. With a blend of strategic insight, practical skills, and a healthy dose of inspiration, Danielle has guided countless women through the exciting and sometimes challenging early stages of entrepreneurship.

Danielle shares her personal journey from corporate burnout to discovering her true calling at a transformational conference. That pivotal moment sparked her mission: to be the coach who holds your hand as you turn your “big ass ideas” into thriving, purpose-driven businesses.

We dive deep into her advice for new entrepreneurs, starting with the power of vision. Her top tip? Let go of the “how” and give yourself permission to dream without limits. From there, it’s all about taking baby steps, mapping your ideas, talking to people doing what you want to do, and building tangible momentum.

Danielle also gets real about one of the most significant barriers she sees: money. She encourages aspiring founders to invest in their dream before they’re making money, reminding us that sweat equity and bold commitment often come before profit. She even breaks down what coaching looks like with her, whether you’re defining your first offer or working to get visible and land your ideal clients.

When she’s not coaching, Danielle speaks on stages, hosts transformational retreats like EmpowerHER, and writes to inspire women to define success on their own terms. Her ultimate goal? To help you build a business that offers freedom, impact, and deep alignment with who you are.

If you’re ready to take the next bold step, whether you’re just starting or looking to reignite your passion, this episode is packed with insight, encouragement, and permission to go after what you truly love.

Thank you for listening! Connect and collaborate with Realtor Rashelle on any of her social media platform pages > https://linktr.ee/RealtorRashelle

Transcript

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Welcome to the Realtor Who Wine podcast. I'm Rashelle Newmyer, your hostess with the mostest, a student of life, a connector, a passionate wine enthusiast, and your local favorite guide. Join me as we explore the vibrant Pacific Northwest. Savor the finest wines and champion the spirit of entrepreneurship. Each episode I'll sit down with inspiring guests, supporting business ownership and uncovering the stories that make this community unique. So grab a glass of wine, settle in, and let's embark on a journey of discovery and connection together. Cheers! Hi everyone. Welcome back to the realtor who wines. I'm Rashelle Newmyer. the realtor that wines I am joined today with Danielle. I so thank you so much for joining me. I'd like to toast to you cheers. Cheers for being on. Happy to be here. I chose, in case you're wondering, at home, what we're drinking today. I chose a bottle from Bavaro Cellars, which is I have a tasting room here in Newberg and then their winery is actually in Amity, Oregon. But Danielle and I, one of the first times we ever hung out or had a glass of wine was at Beforo. So I actually grabbed one of my Bavaro bottles specifically because I associate it with Barbaro. For that reason, we were both wine club members there and we both love the red wine there. So. But enough about the wine. Please tell us about yourself. Sure. So I'm a business startup coach. I help women launch their businesses with confidence and succeed with supports. I'm really there just to hold people's hands through the process of launching a business. And take their, I call it their big ass ideas and turn them into reality. Yeah, I love that. What made you want to get into the business of coaching or guiding other business owners in their journey? Yeah. Real quick, like I was back in corporate, super burnt out and stress out in that job and just knew I just had this feeling I was supposed to be doing something else. I couldn't figure out what it was. I went to a conference, one of those big rah rah yeah. Conferences. How are yourself? And it helps. Yeah. Helped me gain a lot of. Clarity and perspective. And perspective. And I looked at the person on the stage and I said, I want to do what she's doing. Yeah, sort of. And that started it. Yeah. Like speaking author coaching and guiding and helping people. Yeah. And you've been doing that for quite a while now. Didn't you just celebrate an anniversary ten years? Yes. Yeah. Which is super exciting for a lot of people don't realize like small businesses or startup businesses, if you make it five years, that's like a huge milestone. If you make it ten years, that's even bigger. So congratulations on that. To celebrate at that, talk about how it started and kind of like where you're at today. Yeah. So when I first started, I was in a program I certified as one of her coaches, the lady that I saw, and I certified as a dream builder coach. So really just helping people get clear on what is their big vision for their life. Yeah. And, enjoyed that, but knew that was only a stepping stone to where I really wanted to go. It wasn't until I found out how hard it is to start up a business and struggled through that process myself, for so long that I realized, like, it takes a higher level of support for many people to be able to launch businesses. And I had a coach who came in and really rescued me at a time when I was ready to give up. Yeah. And I was like, I want to be that coach that's holding somebody else's hand so they don't give up, right? Help push them through push ups. So they actually because it's not easy. But if you if you push through, right, if you have the right support, you can really get a lot further than you would on your own. Yeah. Well, sometimes you also just need that outside perspective to like looking someone else, looking at your business outside in to help you see the holes, or where you have great structure, where you don't have structure. Well, an area of focus that you might not realize, like, oh, I should be going this direction of my business versus this way, because sometimes we won't pivot because then it's like, no, I said I was going to do this. And then when somebody meets with a coach like you and you're like, are you sure? Like this has a little bit more clarity. And actually, I think you would enjoy this version more and other. And sometimes I feel like there's pushback, like, no, I said I was going to do this and that was what I'm going to do. And so that's why it's nice to have a coach or someone to guide you to be like, yeah, but I'm telling you, when you talk about this topic, you're way more into it than when you're talking about this. Like, this might be important to you, but you're actually passionate about the. Exactly. And you can always tie this in, you know? Yeah. So, if someone was starting a business was the first piece of advice that you would get them? I think I always tell people the first thing is just to write out your vision of what you can see from a level, that you can see it. And that comes with a caveat. If you have to let go of the how. Yeah. Because if you're trying to figure out how while you're trying to figure out the way, it'll hold you back from actually seeing the big picture. So like, put the how on hold or whether you think it's possible or not, put all that on hold and just say, what would I absolutely love. If there's no boundaries? Money wasn't an object. What would I love to do? Yeah, yeah, that's a great. And then once they have that down on paper, is that when they should start focusing on the how. You probably not. The piece that I tell people is first of all, when you have a big, big dream like that, that feels impossible. That's a big ass dream is when it feels impossible. Yeah. Most of the your mind is going to tell you you can't do it. You can't have it. It's going to try to interrupt and stop you from going in that direction. So what I tell people is just take little baby steps towards it. So just what's the next step I can take? And just it can be anything. It could be like, I'm going to draw out my dream home, or I'm going to start writing out a mini business plan or something to start creating tangibility around the idea. But baby steps towards that. Or even meaning people who are doing the kind of work that you want to do and interview them. Yeah, like, how's it going? What's worked for you? What hasn't? When you meet with someone that's just getting started, how often is it about why I'd love to do this business, but I don't have this kind of money. Like, do you have a lot of those conversations, like people that are worried about the financial piece of it? I mean, I think that's very, realistic for a lot of people. A lot of people, for example, see the value in hiring a coach. But it's hard to justify hiring a coach when you're not making any money yet. Sure. Right. Then I'm like, but you have to reverse your thinking. You have to invest in that dream ahead of time before you're making money. So, yeah, I think people let money hold them back from doing anything that they would love. Yeah, that's so true. I was talking about that, on a different podcast with one of the winemakers about, like, how many people don't get into wine because like, when I'm, I'm in a startup cash. And sometimes startup is just starting up some sweat equity into it, like you said, like getting the stuff down on paper and then maybe aim for like, that one deal. And once you have that one deal and then hire your coach. So at least you have a paycheck that you can be like, okay, I'm not going to keep this. I'm going to give it to my coach so I can get multiple paychecks. What does coaching look like? Like if I was starting a business today and I gave you a phone call, like, what would our setup look like? Or how often would we meet that kind of stuff? Yeah, it really just depends on what type of client I'm working with. But, basics. So I'm somebody who's good to hire before you get your one deal, because I'm going to help you get your one deal done. It. Because for me, I'm working with people who are inventing a business where we need to really structure it and say, what exactly is it that you're selling? So really starting to take that concept and creating a service and or product out of that and then figuring out how to monetize that? Who's going to want to buy this? Who's your ideal client? How do you get out in front of them? How much are you going to charge? So I'm really helping them with those basics first. Sure. For the ones who either we've already done that work or they come to me after they've done that legwork, then it's really like, how do we start getting you out there so people know you. Exist, right? How do you actually get clients? You got to get in front of them, and they got to be clear on what you're offering so that they are saying, yes, you're the person I've been looking for. Where have you been my whole life? You know, right here. Yeah. So you need to get out in front of people so they actually know you exist. And that's how you start to land those clients and build that confidence. How do you find clients to coach? Like, are they coming to you or are you out also meeting people? Like, how does that work? I mostly get clients through networking and then speaking. Yeah. And so you, for anyone that's listening, you are available for speaking gigs. Like, if somebody wanted you to come in, like, what kind of, like, I don't want to say gigs again, but, like, what kind of events? Workshops. Conferences. What kind of things do you speak at? Yeah. So I love working with, women. So women, audiences and women who are like, looking for inspiration. Yes. And so one of my talks is how to turn your big ass dreams into reality. And so it's super motivational. Definitely. People walk away just feeling inspired and motivated, and we just high level here are the roadblocks are going to have to come in with, or you're going to hit. And then the mindset that you're going to have to come in with, if you really want to make this dream a reality, right? Yeah, definitely. So that's a good broad topic. And so for audiences that are looking to just really uplift their audience through that, motivational speaking, that seems to do really well. And then the other, topic that I've been speaking on this year is, how to tap into your deep seated soul stirring. Why? Because you really got to be anchored in that, to really be able to push through the uncomfortable parts of watching a business or growing a business even. Yeah. What are some ways that you see that people, like put out there? Besides, I mean, in real estate, we always have that conversation too. Like, what's your why for being in real estate? Most people are like to feed my family, but it's always deeper than that. Like, how do you want to feed your family? How often do you want to feed your family? Like what kind of why you see outside of the basics like paying your bills? Yeah. You know, it's it is a multifaceted because part of it is like, this job is killing me. And if I stay in it another year or two, I'm going to like for me, I'm going to lose my mind if I have to stay here another year or two. So reality is I can't stay where I'm at. So that's usually a big driver. But also like, like my daughter, being able to be home with her so she could do online school or homeschool or whatever, that was a big catalyst or drive for me. Yeah. But then there's the the deep seated soul stirring. Why is also specific to why is it that you want to do exactly what you're doing? Yeah. And that is always so cool to get into because it's their story, of like, well, I had this thing happen and it was a hard moment in my life usually. And that hard moments, it's haunt me. Boy, it sure would have been nice to have some support during this whole process. Or if I'd known what I'd known, I would have done it differently. I want to be that person that comes in and helps somebody else have a better experience with that. So it usually comes out of some hardship in their life, and they want to make it easier on other people by showing them what they learned. Yeah, for sure. When someone is just getting started, what is something you think is anticipate that they didn't suspect would be part of starting a business, or like becoming an entrepreneur? Like what is something that you find people are like, oh, I have to do that. Yeah. Like, what do you mean? You know, and it sounds funny, but a lot of people don't really connect, especially like people who are doing it because they want to help people, which is what I did was that service based. So like, wait, I have to get good at sales and marketing. My I think, oh, I just want to help people. Yeah, we talk about that too, all the time in real estate, because a lot of people say they're in real estate because I like helping people. Yeah, they don't want to be in sales, but ultimately you are selling a house. So like you have to be in sales. And yeah, it's the same thing. You're selling a service or if they're selling an actual item or whatever. Yeah, that's always a hard one to overcome because nobody wants to be pushy. Like it's transactional. So like those people that you're talking about that are like providing a service and stuff to like, they're in it because they want the relationship and to help somebody. They don't want to be like overbearing. So how do you help them get over that mindset? Yeah, I think, first of all, the process that I show them, I said, I'll show you a way to do it very organically. So it doesn't feel salesy. And so I break it down into a really simple process for them to follow, which really is about just really getting really good at listening and asking great questions. Because if you can really assess what somebody is needing and looking for and even the things they aren't saying, yeah, right. But just getting really good at listening and asking questions, then you can start to create a service that is an answer to that prayer. I say, you know, a lot of times people are like dying for they like struggling in a really big way around something, and they're looking for answers. And maybe they've been even praying on that for a while. And then you come along and you're the person has an answer for them. Right? But you've got to be able to convey that in a way that they get that. And that's what the sales process is, is you just get really good at listening to and finding out how they're languaging it, and then reflect that back that you heard them and you craft and your offer or service around what they told you they need to the extent that you can. Yeah, absolutely. Right. Throughout this whole process. So you've been in business ten years. What are some major shifts that you've had to make in your own personal business? Or like, once you like, have pivoted or changed your journey a little bit, like, what are some of those milestones for you? Milestones, I would say have been mostly reprioritizing, like on, une. How do I say it's like, I think so many of us are so achievement driven. Yeah. And, most of us come from, organizations where it's all about results, results, results. So shifting the mindset around, first of all, I believe that a lot of that is a catalyst to burnout because it's like never good enough. Right? And so you get trapped in that loop of not being good enough. And I actually it drops your self esteem down faster than anything. Well, when you get into entrepreneurship, if you have a not good enough mentality, that's going to backfire on you. Yeah. So you have to learn to shift your own mindset, not just there, but also in belief about yourself that you do have something valuable to offer that it is worth charging for. So I feel like the milestones that come from entrepreneurship, whether it was for me or with my clients, is really the shift in seeing your own value that you bring to other people, and also really connecting to your worth, not as a human being. You're you're you have worth just because you're born. You you're surviving, but you're the worst really comes to how it what's the difference you're making in other people's lives? Right. Yeah. That to me is when you can make those kind of shifts. Those are milestones in your business, because that's when you can charge more money or charge what you're worth or right, and you become marketable. And I think that's what a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with is what is my value? How much should I charge? Because back to what you just said about people getting into whatever field they're getting into out of the heart of service and providing they're then are like, well, I want to charge that and like just helping them see like, well, but you also still have to eat like and you are providing a service like, this is your job, this is your career, your business. How do you help guide them on like choosing the right, pricing for their business and their service? Yeah. It's it's it's like multi again faceted approach to kind of figure out what's going to work for my different clients. And one of them of course, is really just about helping ground them in the difference that they're making, the benefits that they're delivering, delivering to somebody else. So we actually do some exercises around that. And then the other thing is just, once they really tune into the difference that they're making, getting into a price point that they can live with, that is a stretch, right? Because they always want to go low. So really encouraging them to go higher and understand the value of going higher, because I actually like, for example, coaching. Yeah, people are more committed when you charge more. And he doesn't mean you have to charge like 30 grand or some of these coaches charge a lot, right? Yeah. You don't have to break the bank. Yeah. In real estate, like, the average coach is like 1500 to 2000 a month. Yeah. And I mean, sometimes it can be worse to have a coach like I've had some really amazing coaches like I had one that I paid a lot of money for that was so hands on it was totally worth it. And he really shifted things for me. Yeah. But I've also invested in other coaches where I learned a ton, but I didn't get the results as much. And so you kind of have to, like, try out on a few different coaches to figure out who's going to really make the biggest difference in your life. But as for you, as far as what you're going to charge, you what I do, I do a few different activities. I have one client, Demet, you know. Right? Yes. So she's hilarious because I'm like, I have them actually tuned in and feel I'm like, how does that feel in your body? Right? When I say those prices and I turn them into how is that connecting inside? Right. Because they might mentally tell me this price is good, but they might be feeling some resistance against it. And so we have to work through what is that resistance. And and maybe let go like acknowledge. Oh I have some resistance around that. But then also help them look at it from a different perspective. Yeah. Well and she's a great example because she exudes confidence. She is a charisma coach or what would you. Yeah. Like but that's a new business for her. And so that just comes naturally to her. And so and so she's trying to like share that skill set. So I could totally see your conversation with her. Like, okay, now how do you put a price point to that so that you're making money with your time teaching that? And I could totally see her struggling with that a little bit because yeah, has come so naturally for her. Yeah. And everybody and you know her, she's a little bit she was a little bit easier in that she's used to. She was already an actress right. Was already self-employed in a lot of ways and used to commanding higher price points. Yeah. So she just had to be able to take that and bring it over to this new line of work. Yeah. Versus somebody who's working for corporate as an employee. Definitely a little. Bit tougher transition. Yeah for sure. Especially when you do work for a larger corporation. And you're not the one writing checks for training. And stuff. You might not even know how much your company's paying when you attend a training or a conference. And then when you're solopreneur and you go to your first conference and you're like, a conference is $1,200. But my what, you know, trying to figure that out and stuff. Yeah, sticker shock can definitely be a thing. I want to talk about your book. Will you tell everybody a little bit about it? I know that you're rebranding. So it's about the was out before, but now you're rebranding it, adding to it during a few things with that. So talk. About that. Yeah. Yeah. So my book is called energized. And so I've got a copy already on Amazon. That's the version one. But version two that I'm currently working on is really going deeper into, that first part was really like, you don't know what you want to do. It's about helping you gain clarity. Right? What I want to add to it is, okay, now you've gained clarity. How do you take that? How do you turn that into a business? How do you monetize that? So bringing that whole aspect in. And so yeah, I'm working with, I'll be working with a writing coach to just kind of get that finished up because I read the book and as I read it, I was like, this is not done. And it just started stream of conscious writing out 4 or 5 more chapters. But I've been stuck because there's a part of me that wants to bring more of, spiritual aspect in, and I haven't quite figured out how to bring that in. Because I do want it to be tangible, like business practices. But I also really and mindset. Right. But I also wanted people. For me, it's also been spiritual growth, really connecting into what is my soul's purpose. Right. So bring that piece in, I think will help people who are kind of looking for all of those elements. Yeah. When are you anticipating phase two of your book to be ready? Boy, I sure hope in the next six months is kind of my target. I've actually got the cover done and everything. Yeah. So beautiful. Yeah. So I'm I'm hoping I can get this done in the next six months. It was interesting because I was looking at doing two books, and one was very much the spiritual and one was more of the business side. And then I met with my coach and she's like, why are you doing those as two separate books? I think we can braid those two together. Yeah. You know, I love that you have a coach and that you just said like you met with your coach. You're also going to have a writing coach. And I just think that's so important to talk about. Like, there's always ways to elevate your business and elevate yourself and practicing what you preach. Like you're a coach who also has coaches. And I just think that's really cool. And I want to commend you for that, because I think a lot of people are like, no, I am a coach. I don't I don't need a coach. I am the coach, you know, and I love that you also get outside input and you're still working on yourself and growing yourself in your business, as well as helping others along the way, but it just gives you more credibility because you've already walked the walk and now you're also talking the talk while you're doing it. Let's other so. I've learned actually, that's the secret sauce. Like I have a, strength trainer coach now, right. And I wouldn't have wouldn't be where I am without her guiding me on what specific exercises to do with my particular body type. You know what I mean? So giving that specific guidance I have found is like the secret sauce actually achieving what I say I want to achieve. Because I don't know what I don't know. I don't know anything about strength training. So having her expertise has been invaluable to me and breaking it down into small, bite sized chunks so I can drink. People that specialize. So strength training specifically, like as we age, we need different training for our bodies. Right? So it's just the same with your business as your business areas. You need different coaching, things like that. So you specialize specifically in like getting the idea, getting your business off the ground, like the 0 to 5 years, would you say is your average client? Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. And I was even, just meeting like, with a, investment group that you're a, that works with women who are investing and just we talked about how to monetize their idea. So they've got this beautiful community. But how do we start to monetize that and make money on it? So because a lot of people are doing that because they want that to be their job. So how do we do that? How do we turn that into actually paying you so you can make a living off of that? Yeah, that was actually super fun and a surprise. I, belong to this group. It's women who invest in real estate, and it's full of investors, flippers, money people, realtors, all the things. And I walked, I went to this conference when I got there, Danielle was talking. I was like, hey, I know you. And I was like, so excited. And I was excited for everybody else to receive your message, too. And since then, I've been to a couple other events and they have brought you up multiple times about like, remember what Danielle said? Danielle said, any time somebody starts to be like, oh, I don't know if I can do that. Someone's like, remember what Danielle said at the conference? So very cool. Yeah, that was super cool. How does someone get in touch with you if they are like, hey, I actually, I think I need some coaching or some guidance, like, how would someone get in touch with you? Yeah, easiest way is just to go to my website. So it's energized businesses.com or also Danielle isaac.com. Yeah. We'll also tag that in YouTube and on the podcast website as well too, so people can find you that way. If someone was interviewing coaches or trying to figure out like who? How do I choose the right coach for me? What are like some good questions that you think they should ask? Or what are some things that they should consider when looking at different coaches and mood or working with? That's actually a challenging question for. Me to sort of ascend the spot. Oh, it's all right. You know, I guess I could go to, like, what do I look for in a coach just based off of my experience? You know, I think first of all, I think they all have value, but I, I'd say if you find that you're resistant to a lot of what they're saying, if what they say doesn't align with you, that's a red flag. And it doesn't mean that they're a bad coach. It's just they may not be the coach for you. Right? So just paying attention to your own signals inside that, say, like this person I resonate with, I feel good, I'm comfortable around them. For me, my clients have to be comfortable about telling me about both the good and the bad. Because if they're struggling, I need to know about that so I can help them. So they need to be comfortable enough. Or it's almost like a therapist's relationship, right, where they can be a. Business focus. With a business focus where they can be candid with me. Right? Absolutely. And then we can work through whatever they're struggling with, personal or professional. So, yeah. So you kind of have to figure out what are the but, you know, I've had coaches that, where they stretched me, you know, they were a little bit tougher for me to work with, but they also really stretched me in ways that I wouldn't. So, you kind of have to figure out what's going to work for you. I do think for most startups, not all, because everybody's different, but most startups need a pretty high level of handholding. Oh, sure. So if you don't have a coach that's really willing to just hold your hand and walk you through the process, and you're somebody who knows that you strive with that, you got to pay attention to it. Don't think that you have to sell yourself short with this coach if they're not willing to do that. There are coaches who are right. So just finding the right one for you. Yeah. Well, I would say my experience with coaching is and I believe that you offer this. So correct me if I'm wrong. You do in-person coaching, but you also will work with people outside of Oregon via zoom. Right. And so that's something else to ask too, is like, hey, do you meet via zoom as I always in person, how often do we meet? Because I know some coaches meet once a week for an hour every week. Some coaches meet once a week for only half an hour. Some it's every other week. What kind of programs do you typically see or offer? And so I meet with my clients biweekly. Most of them are working while they're starting up their business, right? So love their day job. Well they're. Yeah. They're like, I don't know how I'm going to fit this in. I'm like, we're just going. To like insurance as I think they're. Going to bite it off. Yeah, one chunk at a time. You'll be surprised how much you can get done just in one meeting every two weeks with me. We'll get a lot done. So that's typically what I do. And there are 90 minute sessions. And then I've had a few clients where it's like, we're on Accelerated Path and we're meeting like at least once a week and. Maybe somebody with a different background. Launch. We're in launch mode, like we're full blown launch mode. Yeah. So I do have a handful of those, but most of my clients are not like, rushing into anything. They're just. There in the beginning. Stepping in it slowly. Yeah, yeah. Well I super appreciate you being on today. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. You will have to come back from the book as well, so we can talk about the book and share that. Thank you for listening and tuning in. I'd like to share with you one more time before you leave today. All right. We'll see you next week.