Last week, my small business turned two. On May 9, 2024, I publicly launched Empower and embarked on the same entrepreneurial adventure journeyed by many of you and Empower’s partners.

I had a spark.

I planned.

I leaped.

I bet on myself.

I’m not always great at taking the moments to pause and celebrate. But these anniversary milestones provide a natural place for reflection and reinforcement. Last year, I took the opportunity to run down the 12 lessons learned over 12 months.

Don’t worry, I’m not about to share 24.

Instead, I’ll use an analogy to draw parallels between the toddler phases of childhood and running a business. As in parenting, running a toddler-aged business feels different from the newborn stage, especially with my first (business) baby.

But, just like a human toddler, a business toddler:

As a “parent” of a business entering its second major life stage:

Between one and two, kids develop a real point of view. They know what they like, dislike and they’re not subtle about it.

Empower in Year 2 felt a bit like that.

I had greater conviction about the work we should pursue and the ideal partners.

I refined how I talk about what we do, who we do it for and the value it delivers.

I became more intentional about where I spent time and energy.

I said no to commitments that no longer fit.

I navigated a challenging tension between my desire to support and elevate truly local small businesses and the reality that many of them aren’t yet at a stage where they can invest in the support Empower is well-positioned to provide. Facing this led to a useful place, and I’ve found a balance through evolving the structure of our offerings.

The Empower Method and Empower Complete are built for founders growing quickly, and ready to invest in hands-on operational support. Empower Hours and Empower Progress exist to serve entrepreneurs earlier in their journey who desire focused, flexible access to operational thinking without the commitment of a long-term engagement.

That’s what shaping means. Not necessarily caving when your original plan doesn’t play out, but instead using the new information to build for what you want to become in the next phase.

A toddler doesn’t have life figured out at two. Neither does Empower. Consistent pipeline, especially with more mature founder-led businesses, remains a work in progress. That will be the work of Year 3.

A parent’s job is to prepare the toddler for its next stage of development. The same is true as a steward of this business. I’m developing enough foundation so the next phase lands on solid footing.

Year 2 taught me what I’m building. Year 3 is about consistency and continued growth.

Creative & Caffeinated works with women-led service-based businesses and lifestyle brands to heal their toxic relationship with social media by taking content creation and strategy off their plate, so they can grow their business online without the stress or pressure to constantly post.

Q: When did you know you were destined to build a business?
A: “I knew I was destined to build a business when I consistently had ‘creative side hustles’ in every corporate job. I'd spend every hour after getting my real job done, brainstorming new ideas, building a website, creating content, etc. I was never ‘satisfied’ with a corporate 9-5 job. The entrepreneurial spirit was always lingering, ready for me to jump.“

Q: What’s the most unexpected thing (+/-) that’s happened along your entrepreneurial journey?
A: “The most unexpected thing that has happened is the genuine friendships and community that have naturally formed from building a business. Some of my very closest friends are people I've met at networking events, who are current or past clients, mentors, etc. I'd say it's the most unexpected and joyful parts about the journey.“

Q: When did you hit your first scaling challenge, and how did you overcome it?
A: “Oof! Building a team. I've always loved to lead, but I learned quickly that I don't exactly love to manage. I learned quickly that I had to grow in this skillset to ever grow a solid and successful team. Growing a team of motivated, talented individuals has been the biggest challenge but also the most rewarding. I wouldn't be where I am or the leader I am today without them.“

Q: If you were starting all over, what’s one piece of advice you would give yourself?
A: “Be thankful for the criticism. The negative feedback and criticism always stings, but it's also what makes you evolve and grow as an individual - professionally and personally. Instead of resisting the critical feedback or allowing it to define me, I've had to shift my mindset to be thankful for it. One of our core values is ‘receptive to feedback’ because it's such a vital part of growth.“

Q: Do you have one ask or offer you would like to share with the Empower community?
A: “I'm an open book and love to give honest feedback on a brand's online presence. Reach out for a complimentary digital marketing audit!”

Q: A fun one, what’s your all-time favorite restaurant and where is it located?
A: “Two Hands in the Gulch (Nashville).“

You can follow Creative & Caffeinated on IG or check out their website for more information about Savannah and her team’s offerings.