Today we’d like to introduce you to Rita Goodroe.
Hi Rita, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
It’s so nice to be talking with you. I’m often asked about my trajectory of lawyer to dating coach to business coach (and it’s anything but a straight path). All my life I was told that I would make a great attorney and, as a result, I blindly followed that career path. (Except for a brief detour when I just knew that I was going to be a dancer on the TV show Solid Gold. Unfortunately, that show was cancelled so it was back on the law path for me.) I attended undergrad at The George Washington University and then Chicago-Kent College of Law after which I embarked on my career as an attorney (which I was good at but didn’t enjoy).
As a busy attorney in the DC metro area, I was struggling to meet people. So, in 2006, I started a Meetup group called Singles in the Suburbs. I met someone almost immediately, and we lived happily ever after. Just kidding. I did meet someone and we ended up running the group together for about 5 years—until he dumped me. The day after the breakup, I went to my best friend’s house with a bottle of wine in hand and started talking about all of my past relationships and how none of them worked out.
And that’s when it occurred to me—maybe those exes and those relationships weren’t the problems. Maybe it was me. Instead of getting scared that something was wrong with me, I actively chose to get good and curious.
About to turn 35, I decided to celebrate my birthday by going on 35 dates in 35 days. But these weren’t just any dates, there were rules involved.
1. I didn’t rule out any “type.” I didn’t state a preference for age, race, or what they did for a living.
2. The date chosen was our activity. The point was to do things I wouldn’t normally do and meet people I wouldn’t normally meet—so I had to consciously and willingly step into unknown situations.
3. I wrote about each and every one. The goal was to create some self-awareness and to help identify the habits that were sabotaging my relationships (and, it turns out, my life!)
I suddenly found people contacting me for date coaching, which was odd given my business law background. I had people tell me I should become a dating coach, to which I replied “You should call my mom and tell her I want to quit law to become a dating coach and tell me what she says.” The seed had been planted, though. It wasn’t long before I found myself ending my 13-year career as a business attorney to do exactly that.
Within one year, I had built a successful date coaching practice and entrepreneurs started contacting me for business coaching, curious how I was able to grow my business relatively quickly and successfully. For the past 8 years, I’ve worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses, helping to generate millions of dollars in revenue.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Hardly! I made a pretty awkward transition from steadily employed to self-employed. And I took the same actions—and made the same mistakes—almost every new entrepreneur makes. I took on every client willing to pay me. I pitched to ANY who would listen. I did all the things in my business—admin, accounting, website, social media, you name it.
I watched EVERY free marketing training and tried any visibility tactic they suggested.
The result? Less than awesome. Sure, I had clients—but there was zero correlation between all the work I was doing and the results (and income) I was getting. I was always on the go, but I wasn’t really going anywhere. Safe to say it wasn’t long before my health and personal life took a nosedive, and I was forced to face the fact that I had fallen into the same pattern with my newfound business as I had with dating before my 35-Date adventure. I was standing in my own way.
The problem wasn’t (just) my commitment to everything (or lack thereof). I had tricked myself into thinking that I was showing up for my business because my calendar was full, my to-do list was long, and people always wanted me to do things with them.
The truth is, I wasn’t showing up for my business at all. Not the business I really wanted, anyway. I failed to connect my offers, my pricing, and my ideal clients with all (ALLLLLL) the actions I was taking. My approach was inconsistent, half-hearted, and stretched thin—and so were my results. Enough was enough.
I made a very scary decision a few days later. I hired my first business coach.
And now… happily ever after?
Without a doubt—but for reasons that may surprise you.
Having a been-there-done-that coach in my circle gave me the insight (and the swift kick in the pants) I needed to recognize the work I was meant to do, the people I was meant to serve, and the time I was willing to invest.
The minute I got clear on where to put my focus, time, and energy, everything changed. I surpassed my attorney salary within three months. I sold out every program and maintained a full practice. I toured on a national panel and was selected as a change-maker by the United States of Women Summit, convened by the Obama White House. I was hired for paid speaking engagements around the world.
Over the past 8 years, I’ve worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs to start, grow, and scale their businesses, helping to generate millions of dollars in revenue. And I did it working fewer hours than ever before. In short: I did everything I set out to do and made more money than I ever thought possible—with LOTS of time to spare.
When I got curious as to why it all worked—and why it keeps working out—I saw that it has everything to do with intentionally discovering the right motivations, nurturing the right relationships, and taking the right actions.
Looking back, those 35 dates taught me everything I needed to know about how to find “my people,” build a profitable business, make an impact, and create a community. And how to grow (and grow and grow) by finding—and not losing—myself in the process. And that’s exactly what I why I’m doing everything I can to inspire as many women as possible to KNOW what they want—and only saying YES to that.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I help business owners and sales teams make more money with less effort by focusing on the meaningful relationships and opportunities that truly drive success.
And I do this all by showing entrepreneurs how to turn to KNOW into NO—so they can go all-in on what matters.
Because here’s the thing, anyone can build a successful business from scratch by working their butt off and constantly sacrificing their sleep, health, and relationships to keep it alive. But why would they want to? A rewarding, sustainable, enjoyable life (and business!) happens because you KNOW what you want—and say NO to everything that gets in the way of that. I show business owners how through my All-in Framework (because the key is to stop going all out and start going ALL IN).
It starts by asking the right questions. Which leads to the right answers. Which empowers them to take the right actions. Which helps them create and fiercely protect lives they love—and the businesses they’re building alongside them.
In fact, that’s the origin of the phrase “Rita made me do it!” – when a client got clear on an action that would drive her business forward (but also happened to make her extremely uncomfortable) she allowed her excitement to win over her fear and, after she executed the action, she declared “Rita made me do it!”
As for how I work with business owners, it depends on their specific situation and goals. For entrepreneurs ready to level up their business in a big way, I have three ways they can invest in their success (a group program, a high-level mastermind, and private coaching.).
I also offer free mindset, brand visibility, and sales training through my free community, “The All-in Entrepreneur” (https://www.ritamademedoit.
For those who may not know what their next step is, or why they haven’t been able to move their business forward in the way they really want, I’ve created the “Know What’s Next Quiz” where, in less than 3 minutes, an entrepreneur can discover how (and where!) to attract great clients, boost sales, reduce stress, and grow your business. (You can find that quiz here: https://www.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
This is such an important question. It’s so easy to be building your business based on today but if you aren’t doing it with an eye to the future it will always feel like you have to hustle for success. I believe community, thought leadership, and soft skills will be crucial for the sustainability, of a business.
Community will be an absolute necessity for businesses moving forward and, as such, needs to be part of a long-term marketing and sales strategy. While there will be fundamental shifts in the corporate space to embrace remote work there will be an influx of desire to connect with people in person, and this will not be a one-off surge. CEOs should think about how their business can strategically create connections for prospective and current clients.
There will also be a return to experts and leaders. People are calling out inaccurate, biased, and inconsistent information (which multiplies daily on the internet). This will cause people to abandon the “just Google it” mindset and, instead, they will turn to leaders who truly claim their space as thought leaders in their industry. As a business owner, this means getting clear on your areas of expertise, what that means for the content you create and services/products you offer, and where and how you get visible to communicate it to the right audience.
Individuals are now realizing that the development of soft skills is crucial for long-term business and career success. Hard skills serve an employer or industry but soft skills create strengths that can be transitioned in a variety of ways. The success of a business is determined by its ability to adapt and pivot and strong soft skills are required to innovate and navigate change and uncertainty. A business plan should provide for the investment of time and money to develop and strengthen soft skills.Contact Info:
- Website: http://RitaMadeMeDOit.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/ritagoodroe
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/ritagoodroe
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/ritagoodroe
- Other: https://ourtv.network/the-rita-goodroe-show
