Her principle teachings focus on reducing stress, strengthening your mindset to become unstoppable, and creating winning habits to launch a successful business even if you have other obligations such as a 9 to 5 job or being a mom. Erika believes every female should have a voice and you don’t have to choose between your job, motherhood, and your business, you can have it all!
Erika created the Gratitude 1st Membership (gratitude1stgarden.com) site, which is an online learning center, to help you finally bring your dreams into reality! The Gratitude 1st Membership will walk you through how to launch your online business with the least amount of stress while maximizing productivity, how awesome is that?
Aren’t you ready to experience the amazing feeling of launching a thriving business that allows you to live in your purpose and create a life better than anything you could have ever imagined?
If you’d like to secretly stalk Erika, you can find her on a variety of platforms. Erika is the host of the acclaimed Gratitude1st podcast which dives deep into the topics of business, spirituality, and mindset. She is also the author of the beloved novel, The Creators which you can find on Amazon here.
If you love binge-watching YouTube just as much as Erika does, you can find her delivering even more business gems and powerful advice on her Gratitude1st YouTube channel.
Don’t be surprised if you bump into Erika at Disney World, she’s obsessed with Disney and did an internship at Walt Disney World while she attended Georgia State University.
Her 3-year old son is the love of her life and she resides in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
You’re a big fan of a strong mindset. How do you use this in your business, and what do you do?
My mission is to help female boss chicks launch wildly successful online businesses! I’m a Business and Mindset Strategist and absolutely love what I do. I help passionate entrepreneurs launch thriving online businesses while focusing on improving their mindset to become unstoppable.
My core teachings center around mindset training, creating long-lasting and winning habits, and launching a rewarding brand while reducing stress and increasing productivity.
My specialty is helping females who are entrepreneurs at heart, incorporate their authentic voice into their brand, and launch businesses even if they have other obligations such as a 9 to 5 job or being a mom. I also love working with spiritual entrepreneurs who believe spirituality and business should go hand-in-hand, and I’m a strong believer that your spirituality can massively improve your business results.
Let’s change the narrative of boring, cookie-cutter online businesses! I want to help you create a unique business that’s authentic to you, and a brand so creative and bold that people can’t wait to work with you!
Why did you create this brand? What does it mean to you? Did something particular inspire you?
I created this brand because as I looked around the online business landscape, I noticed a few things were missing.
- People weren’t being authentic. I saw so many people with cookie-cutter businesses who sounded like parrots of other influencers and business owners. People were just copying each other! This made me so sad because one of my core values is to always be your truest and most authentic self. I genuinely believe the fastest way to attract customers and clients to your business is to be yourself without being afraid to stand out. In other words, it’s great to stand out and shine!
- I noticed people were stressed out, overworked, and had completely given up on their dreams to own their own online business. I know firsthand how much time working a 9 to 5 and being a mom takes up and I completely understand you’re exhausted at the end of the day. It broke my heart to know people had given up on their dreams and their purpose. I created the Gratitude 1st brand and the Gratitude 1st Membership site to give people hope, and show them it’s completely possible to work a 9 to 5, be a mom, and build a wildly successful business. My membership site teaches you to set up your business to generate income while reducing stress and maximizing productivity.
- People didn’t understand how important mindset and their spiritual practice was for the success of their business. I’m a strong believer that having a positive mindset, building confidence, overcoming negative childhood programming, and releasing limiting beliefs will take you further in your business in the shortest amount of time than any strategy ever could.
Your mind is the most powerful tool you have and your spiritual practice (no matter what you believe in) will propel you so much further in your business. My company helps you train your mind to become limitless and incorporate spirituality into your business to achieve the best results possible.
What is different about your brand? How can it help Clients solve their issues?
The Gratitude 1st brand is something, unlike anything you’ve ever seen. We focus on being an authentic, mindset, and we’ll marry spirituality and business.
I do so much more than train you on how to build a website, grow your social media following, attract sales, or create newsletters people love to read (I’ll do that as well, plus more) but we also dive deep into mindset and spirituality work.
For example, I do a daily gratitude practice of writing in my gratitude journal and saying what I’m grateful for.
One thing we always do at Gratitude 1st makes it a priority to show gratitude. I believe showing gratitude is the cornerstone for attracting more things into your life to be grateful for. My gratitude ritual and other spiritual practices have greatly helped to improve my business results.
We respect all spiritual practices at Gratitude 1st. One thing that makes us different is we’ll focus on building a spiritually centered business.
Furthermore, instead of just giving you the tactical steps of how to start an online business (yes, you’ll get those too), we dive very deep into how to develop your mindset so you’re able to triumph over any obstacles or setbacks that come with starting a business.
- We’ll dive into your past to uncover the buried beliefs that are holding you back.
- We’ll look at your present to observe what is working well and what tweaks need to be made to push you further in your business.
- We’ll visualize your future to see if you’re on track to meeting your business goals and come up with a game plan if you’re not.
Finally, we’ve built a community of people who really care about you. We truly are a big family and we want to see each other succeed.
We’ll laugh together, we’ll overcome obstacles together, and we’ll lift each other up when we’re not having the best day. Oh, and did I mention the dance breaks? We love having fun and bringing playfulness into our day in the Gratitude 1st brand, so there will be virtual dance breaks! We work hard and play hard.
Photo Credit: Studio Primetime, Atlanta GA
If you could tell our readers one thing, what should they take away from this interview? What can help them the most?
The road to becoming an entrepreneur isn’t always easy but it is very rewarding if you stick with it.
I completely understand where your mind is and the obstacles you’re facing because I was you.
I started Gratitude 1st because I was overworked, stressed, and fed up with building someone else’s dreams while neglecting my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I could start my dream business and in return help, others build their dream businesses too.
To get your business from the dream phase to the reality phase you must work on your mindset. If you don’t have a strong mindset, if you’re too stressed or overwhelmed, if your mind is cluttered with too much information if you constantly tell yourself you can’t be an entrepreneur and you’re not smart enough or good enough, it will be ten times more difficult to build the business you dream about and you’re more likely to give up.
Start off by developing a strong spiritual practice, again it doesn’t matter what you believe in, just follow a spiritual practice that feels right for you. This will help you stay grounded, strengthen your mind, and set you up for success in your business.
Start small and build your way up to create a lasting habit.
Here are some ideas of spiritual practices you can incorporate into your daily routine.
- Say three things you’re grateful for
- Reading one Bible verse
- Five minutes of meditation
- A 10-minute walk in nature
- Scripting or journaling for three minutes
- A short prayer
- Pulling a daily oracle or tarot card for guidance
These practices can go a long way in helping you to create a successful business. Don’t overwhelm yourself and try to be a hero, forming a new habit takes time and it’s always best to start small then build yourself up.
Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?
I think of “challenges” as learning lessons. The biggest learning lesson I’ve had so far is understanding if my mindset didn’t change, my business wouldn’t survive.
This journey has taught me my mindset is more important than incorporating any strategy in my business.
I had a lot of doubts when I first started Gratitude 1st. I thought I didn’t have enough time because my job took up too much of my time and sometimes left me stressed and overwhelmed. On top of that, I’m a mom to a toddler and I wanted to spend as much time with my son as possible versus letting a daycare or iPad raise him. It was hard to fathom how in the world I was going to start a business on top of everything else I was responsible for.
However, I had a major wake up call one day and I asked myself if this was all there was to my life as I sobbed into my pillow feeling hopeless.
I was unfulfilled and just going through the same boring motions every day. I knew I wanted more out of life. My soul was calling me to do more, I knew my purpose was to start my own company and build my own brand, but I didn’t know-how. Furthermore, I thought it was nearly impossible considering everything else I had to do daily.
That’s when I rolled up my sleeves and decided I was going to figure it out. I refused to spend one more day crying into my pillow because I was unfulfilled, too stressed out, or plagued with anxiety as I thought about my dull and bleak future.
I started doing major mindset work and read as many books as I could, binge-watched YouTube mindset and spirituality videos, hired coaches, took courses, and joined mastermind groups. I started implementing what I learned and began to see major results. Not only did I start my business, but I was also being consistent, and I was able to work my 9 to 5, be a great mom without my son is in daycare 5 days and week, and build a wildly successful business! I got to spend quality time with my son, I got to teach my son, I got to take back my power and life, and I got to build a successful business and live in my purpose, there’s no better feeling in the world!
I decided I was going to teach people my secret strategy because I was tired of seeing other awesome, smart, and talented boss chicks suffer from overwhelming and unfulfilled lives as I had suffered. I was heartbroken after meeting so many people who were absolutely miserable and felt hopeless at the thought of never being able to fulfill their dreams.
This Is how Gratitude 1st was born and it has been the best decision for my career and professional development that I’ve ever made.
Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?
My dream is to make Gratitude 1st your one-stop-shop to build an amazing online business with a focus on mindset and spirituality.
My dream is to give all women a voice and help them take back their power to create a more fulfilled life and the business of their dreams.
The Gratitude 1st Garden Membership site will serve as a stepping stone for women to know they no longer have to put their dreams on hold, and they no longer have to suffer in silence or feel guilty about wanting to build a thriving business for themselves.
The ladies of the membership site will not have to choose between their life’s purpose and raising a family and/or working a job, they can and will have it all!
Gratitude 1st is a community of women who genuinely care about each other and motivate each other to reach their business goals.
This community is made by a woman for women and our team will work to make sure it remains a place of great impact as we provide value and support to our Gratitude 1st community members throughout the different stages of their business. We will also evaluate the needs of our members and make the necessary changes and adjustments as the needs of our community members change and grow.
The main focus right now is supporting my tribe whether on social media @Gratitude1st, my Gratitude1st YouTube channel, via my Gratitude1st podcast or via my newsletters. I’ll also ensure the members of the Gratitude 1st Garden membership site have the support and tools they need to launch a thriving business, but who knows a retreat and speaking engagements may also surface in the future, you’ll just have to stay tuned!
What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?
The road isn’t always easy but you’re worth more than a mediocre life that’s stressful and unfulfilling.
If your heart is calling you to start a business and live your dreams, then it’s up to you to take a leap of faith and answer the call.
With the right mindset, action, consistency, and guidance you can and will launch that business you’ve been dreaming about.
Now isn’t the time to throw in the towel on your dreams, now is the time to push forward and live in your purpose.
If you’re feeling called to work with me, I’m here to help and support you every step of the way.
If you’re interested in joining the Gratitude 1st Membership site here’s just a few things you’ll learn in the online learning center. Visit gratitude1stgarden.com
How to create a beautiful website that converts.
- Growing your email list with loyal fans.
- Instagram growth strategies for long term success.
- Calculating your sales goals and coming up with a game plan to meet those goals.
- Clearing the clutter of your mind for business success.
- Letting go of limiting beliefs
- Shifting your mindset for maximum results
- Juggling work and family while building an empire
- Gratitude and I AM affirmations
- Plus much, much more!
Company name: Gratitude 1st
Email Address: [email protected]
Website URL: http://gratitude1st.com/
Instagram URL: @Gratitude1st
YouTube URL: Gratitude1st
Facebook URL: gratitude1st
Podcast: Gratitude1st
Book on Amazon: The Creators by Erika Talia McCarthy