As part of my series about the “5 Things You Need To Know To Create a Successful Service Business,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Hurubaru.
Laura Hurubaru is the founder of the From Scratch to Cash FAST University, a unique system that helps women who’ve found success in the corporate world launch outrageously profitable online businesses.
Her clients are spread all across Europe, and each of them raves about their experiences working with Laura, calling her everything from “gifted” to “inspiring” to “transformational.”
Laura herself remains remarkably humble, though she does acknowledge that the fearless fighter within her will always be there when needed.
“People say I’m determined and that I get what I want. I say that I live my life aligned with the beliefs and values I hold most dear. When faced with every hurdle in front of me, I found a way to clear the path.”
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I always felt like I am meant for something more. In the corporate world I felt I am being stifled and that I am selling my soul. I would only use 10% of my true potential and I felt like I was doing a disservice to God and myself by not honouring my skills and talents.
What was the “Aha Moment” that led you to think of the idea for your current company? Can you share that story with us?
I actually struggled with it for 7 years. I initially wanted to have my online coaching business in 2012, at the same time with becoming a mum for the first time. But I couldn’t seem to be able to figure out how specifically I bring value to other people, what makes me stand out and also what I can see myself doing for years to come and not get bored by it.
And at that time, as I was reading about marketing and trying to come up with the ideal client persona, one word came to mind: healer. And I did not know anything about healing. The only healer I knew was a masseuse which was using jade stones in her practice. So I kind of ‘resigned’ for the time being and promised I will come back to my dream of having a business later, once I figured out a better approach.
Time has passed, and the AHA moment came as a result of a conversation I had with my partner, about 7 year later. I could see myself procrastinating and I asked him as an observer what my main excuses were. And the number one was that I was too afraid to choose something that will define me for my entire life and it may not be it .
So, the next day, on 13th of February 2018, I will never forget this day, I stood with myself and a piece of paper and put down the cons and pros for why I have so many ideas but not pursue any.
And in less than half an hour I came up with another coaching program which I could run as an individual to consumer or to other businesses.
It was the second one I came up with in the span of a few months.
And then it hit me: what if, this is my thing?! What if I am not meant to run with any coaching program for life but actually help other coaches create theirs. A lot of people are happy to run with just one their whole life. And I can generate so many .. I can’t see how I can get bored by doing this.
So I have decided to put it to a test. And I asked, on the same day for volunteers on Facebook, for something I never did before. And I got more than 20 people interested in less than 2 hours. I realised I was onto something.
And on 13th of March I said I am open for business and sold 2 tickets worth £3250, in the next week. Never done as much as fast and as easy before in my life. I’ve got my first £10k month next year in July.
And from there, everything is history as they say 😁
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
I don;t have funny mistakes to share as I don’t see mistakes as being funny. I have a tendency to be very hard on myself.
But what I have learned from building a six figures business from the ground up fast is:
- Most strong ladies who achieve in the corporate world underestimate massively the role the mindset plays in having success as an entrepreneur
- Being a people pleaser, wanting people to like you it’s a huge block to attracting clients easily and effortlessly
- The ‘impostor syndrome’ is real and wanting to do it on your own is one way it shows up
- And a lot more… too little space to get in all of that.
Thank you for that. Let’s now pivot to the main focus of our interview. Extensive research suggests that “purpose driven business” are more successful in many areas. When you started your company what was your vision, your purpose?
When I had the AHA moment with generating signature offers and seeing what they are good at, in that moment it was like the whole puzzle of my life had been solved right in front of me. I finally understood why I had to go through a deep healing journey for 7 years: to see its value.
Because initially I dismissed these people by looking at their mindset. I said to myself: ‘these people struggle with money, I don’t want to serve them because I want people to pay me’.
Of course that was my mentality then.
When this business idea came I realized that, if I don’t figure it out, if I, who I am so strong and smart, can’t find a way to make it work, they won’t stand a chance. And I finally understood where ‘leadership’ came into play (as this too was something to look into as a coach, as I was brilliant leading teams in my job). It was not to teach and/or coach people in it. It was to model it and show how it’s done. So people can follow in my footsteps.
So I felt that right there and then I ‘figured out’ my purpose. Which was to help other women figure theirs and then make money out of it. Not treating it as a hobby or a passion which you do in your spare time. But actually something that helps the whole planet, has a huge impact and gives them the freedom to keep growing those skills.
I could see myself, at that point, on stage inspiring a lot of people to take charge of their life, to own who they are, to go beyond traditional jobs which puts people into boxes, and carve their own paths!
And in itself it gave me the courage and the confidence to go all in into my business. Because I now knew it was what I was meant to do. It all made sense.
What do you do to articulate or demonstrate your company’s values to your employees and to your customers?
Well I show up as being me as much as I possibly can. I showed up on camera with no makeup, no nice backdrop, no photoshoot, serving them and showing them that you don’t need to be extremely successful to start serving your audience. You just need to be one or two steps ahead of them. And I needed them to understand that even Tony Robbins started somewhere. He did not start with a nice photoshoot in front of the Eiffel Tower. He just put himself out there helping people.
I used to say to myself: if I help only one person, if only one person sees my video and takes something from it, if only one person finds value in what I share today, then this is good enough for me. So I would show up every day for that one person who needed my help that day.
The content that I create, the emails that I share come from deeply understanding my journey and knowing that at some level, it is similar to theirs. And sharing what worked for me and didn’t. BBecause there is a reason why God made me the way I am. And that’s the reason people manifested me in their lives.
I hope this answers your question.
Do you have a “number one principle” that guides you through the ups and downs of running a business?
Yes, life has ups and downs, our heart rhythm is up and down.. Flat line means you’re dead. Nature has seasons and so do businesses. Sometimes you need to go inwards to advance, sometimes it’s time to reap the rewards.
No matter what, though, take just one small step, no matter how small, every day.
Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up? Where did you get the drive to continue even though things were so hard?
I think every journey is different. That being said, I also believe that every time you need to step up to the next level you will face the same challenges: feeling like a fraud, wanting to give up, wondering if you’re not better off doing something else… It’s just part of our humanity. No matter how much you achieve, to some degree these things will always be there with you.
I believe that we are spiritual beings having a human experience and as such I always use spiritual tools to help me find the answers that I seek. That and always being in a coaching relationship to guide me and keep me to account.
So, how are things going today? How did your values lead to your eventual success?
I believe that everything is an ecosystem: the bees could not exist without the plants and vice versa.
Similarly, if in your heart there is a desire to help other people, the people who need your support are already there. So you need to show up as you are and not disguised as someone else, for them to be able to recognise you.
When you honor who you are deep down inside, the quality of your prospects increases, the speed and easiness to which you get the same level of results increases, the fulfilment too.
Now I am in the process of putting “From Scratch to Cash FAST” in a self-study course, anyone can do it in their own time. And such, create more leverage and more freedom in my life.
And I’ve just published my book: Life: The Furnace Of Your Soul (https://laurahurubaru.com/thefurnaceofyoursoul/) something I never dreamed would be possible for me, yet I’ve done it. In less than 6 month from making the decision to write a book.
That’s what is possible when you are aligned and in tune with your higher self and take action consistent with the guidance and your purpose.
Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a founder or CEO should know in order to create a very successful service based business? Please share a story or an example for each.
- Never go at it alone: running a business requires many skill sets for which you need many lifetimes to master. So as you would not think of taking the car and learning how to drive on your own, or read books and watch free webinars, similarly you should not start your business on your own. You just don’t know what you don’t know, and can’t troubleshoot why it isn’t working, no matter how smart you are.
- Sort out your money mindset. When you run a business it is no longer about a fixed income, putting money aside for your holidays, waiting for the next paycheck. You need to learn how to leverage your capital and invest it. Otherwise your business will either grow too slow (10 years) or not at all. It’s more like a snowball: it requires a lot of resources in the beginning until it kind of supports itself. So waiting to make some money in a business you don’t know how to build, to be able to pay for the coaching and mentoring that will help you with that, is not a smart strategy.
- Strategy is just 20%. 80% of your success or lack of comes from your mindset. So stop working on your website, logos, colours, slides, nice images… and start working on you. The world is a mirror to what’s inside. If you’re not making money yet from your business, chances are you’rIt happened so many times in my business, with my website, with my ads… Everytime I would hit a ‘visibility’ ceiling, suddenly the site went down, or ads were disapproved. Because I knew it was a mere reflection of my sabotaging patterns I didn’t sweat trying to get the approval. I worked on myself and suddenly everything was back on track again. I know how it sounds. But that’s the truth.
- Be willing to start small and standardise till the point it can work without you, before you scale to 6–7 figures.
- Be patient with yourself. It takes 7 months to deliver a baby and then around 7 years to start seeing them as little adults. Pretty much the same with your business… You won’t see results in the first months, and at times even years. But know that everything adds up until one point all of the things come together and it’s like the flood. It looks like overnight everything has changed. And it has… but only because of the choices and actions you consistently took over the months and years.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
Well, the most important person is my partner. We have been together for more than 20 years. I was at an event preparing me to have the shifts to start my own business again! I think this was in 2017. During that event I had the realisation that if I want to become rich I need to quit my job. And once that insight came I was already into problem solving mode thinking of the transition plan and how I will break the news to Gabi, as in the past we agreed not quitting the job without having anything else lined up.
When I got home from the event he was waiting for me with a letter in his hand. Saying it is a gift. I’ve opened it. And guess what was the letter about? It was my resignation letter. He figured (probably at the same time I made my choice to quit) that he can support us both financially so I can start working on my dream.
I tell you this was divine providence supporting me to make the decision and actually take the action to start doing what I was supposed to do.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
Change the education system to reflect the same values as my business: we are not the same. And our value doesn’t come from learning equations. It’s from the combination of all of our attributes, characteristics, talents, weaknesses, etc..
We are more than just our skills and knowledge. And it’s usually what can’t be quantified or qualified that makes the most difference in other people’s lives. So I would like to be able to change their focus on helping children become who they were meant to be and not training robots to perform jobs at very high standard. I hope it makes sense.
As I took a night to think about it: I’d like us to have a “Superman” day where everyone in the world (schools, banks, police, everyone) wears a Tshirt with superman to remind us of the immense power we have inside and tap into our ‘superpower’ and remind us that we are more than our uniforms, labels, names and age.. We are powerful beyond measure and we should have a dedicated day to that and nurture this.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Just search for my name: Laura Hurubaru: it’s the only one. Plus it’s hard to miss the red hair.
My FB group:Business Women on Fire: Your Signature Business Quest https://www.facebook.com/groups/649922172060910
My personal profile on FB: https://www.facebook.com/laura.hurubaru/
My business page on FB: https://www.facebook.com/getyournameoutthere/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurahurubaru/
