Cutting Edge Bosses – Amanda Kendle Consulting

We all know that you can’t run a business on your own.

It’s impossible to be a master of all trades, so sometimes you need to find a great team of professionals to help you.

Throughout this series, I’m going to feature some awesome fellow bosses who can help you in your business – from accounting to advertising, marketing to virtual assistants, business coaches to graphic designers, and everything in between.

 

This month, I spoke to Amanda Kendle from Amanda Kendle Consulting.

 

What’s your business and what do you offer your clients?

I run consultancy working with small businesses, sole traders and creatives to promote their work using social media and blogging. As well as workshops at UWA Extension, I work with clients one-to-one and offer small mastermind groups for training, accountability and networking.

 

 

How did you get into your industry/niche?

I started a travel blog way back in 2005 when I lived overseas, and when I returned I combined my experiences in adult education and blogging to start running workshops on how to blog – and it all grew from there.

 

 

What made you start your own business?

I’ve always wanted to work for myself – I grew up with a self-employed mum and appreciated the flexibility that gave her, and wanted to do the same. Now that I’ve been working for myself for a decade I can’t begin to imagine having a boss ever again.

 

 

What’s your most popular service and which one is your favourite?

Over the last few years the number of mastermind groups I run has continued to grow so I’d have to say they’re the most popular, and I love them because I get to work on an ongoing basis with wonderful clients; I love pretty much everything I do, but my very favourite is actually my travel podcast!

 

 

Do you get asked any really common questions in your business?

So many, but the one I’m often asked, especially when I’m giving talks or running training is: if I unfriend someone on Facebook will they get notified?! I’m also often asked about how a business can use blogging effectively (and I’m a big fan of using a blog both for SEO and for content marketing so I can talk about that one for hours).

 

 

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since before I can remember – and along the way I also wanted to be a teacher, so now I kind of do both, just in ways that we couldn’t even imagine when I was growing up.

 

 

How do you stay organised in your business? Any top tips for fellow bosses?

Contrary to appearances, I don’t think I’m the most organised person, but I’m very devoted to lists and my bullet journal and I think that helps me keep a handle on all the many facets of my business at any one time. And makes sure I don’t forget to pick my son up on time!

 

 

Do you have any habits that you think contribute to your success?

A habit I have only learnt in recent years is my need to have lots of sources of external accountability. In some ways I’m actually poorly suited to being self-employed – I’m not great at doing tasks I set myself, but will always do tasks other people expect of me – but now that I’ve grasped that I need external accountability I have a coach, I have challenges I set with my own clients, I tell my son to keep me accountable to finish things – and habitually finding as many sources as possible for external accountability keeps me adding on new successes.

 

 

What’s the one thing you wished people knew about what you do?

Ah! So many. Over the years I have found ways to explain my work to the ordinary person that doesn’t make it sound like I’m just playing computer games all day, but really I just wish that more people understood what business promotion is really all about in these days so I didn’t have to explain it so often. Although then I would have fewer clients I guess so perhaps I shouldn’t complain!

 

 

What’s your favourite thing to do when you aren’t working?

Travelling!! Often I’m travelling AND working but I can live with that. I run a travel blog and a travel podcast, so travelling is kind of part of working but it doesn’t feel like it, I just love being in new places, meeting new people and understanding new cultures. It makes me feel really alive!

 

 

Any upcoming events or things you want to share with us? 

I’ve always got new workshops coming up at UWA Extension – for example along with my blogging course and my social media for business day I now have a podcasting workshop, which I’m excited about. I always add all of these plus any talks I’m giving on my Facebook events page.

 

Find Amanda online at:

Website:  https://amandakendle.com

Social Links:   facebook.com/amandakendleconsulting