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From Corporate Layoff to $226K: How LaShall Built a Thriving Service Business After 50
Episode Description
What happens when you lose your six-figure corporate job at 50 and decide to build a business from scratch instead of updating your resume?
In this student spotlight, I'm sitting down with LaShall Dodson, who launched Dedicated Virtual Professional Services in March 2024 after a merger acquisition eliminated her Fortune 500 position. In her first year, she made $34,000. By the end of year two? $226,000.
LaShall breaks a LOT of the Brandi rules (she doesn't niche down, she runs a full agency with a team of six, and she manages her clients with manila folders), but she's proof that there's more than one way to build a wildly successful service business.
In this episode, we're talking about:
- Going from corporate director to service provider and the mindset shifts that come with it
- Why her first year was slow and the mistake that held her back from landing clients sooner
- Hitting a $23K month, then dropping back down, and what she did about it
- How joining Strategist Society helped her close out the year at $226K
- The real talk on taxes, retirement, and getting your financial house in order as you scale
- Why she manages 17+ retainer clients with physical folders (and why that's actually okay for now)
- The simple daily habits that moved the needle more than any fancy strategy
- Why women sharing their numbers matters more than you think
Whether you're transitioning from corporate, in your first year of business, or trying to break through to consistent $20K+ months, LaShall's story is going to fire you up.
Resources & Links:
- DM me "STRATEGIST" on Instagram: https://instagram.com/brandimowles
- Ready to scale past $10K months? Learn about Strategist Society: https://thestrategistsociety.com
- Just getting started as a service provider? https://conversionsforclients.com
Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/serve-scale-soar/id1477998650
Follow Brandi on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandimowles
Follow Brandi on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brandiandcompany