When intuition speaks, true entrepreneurs listen - and that's exactly what happened with Ellie Hoekman, who transformed a clear passion into a thriving career coaching business. As a dedicated advocate for Industrial and Organizational Psychology professionals, Ellie combines her expertise with personalized guidance to help clients navigate their career journeys. Her transition from corporate professional to entrepreneur showcases how following your instincts, even when the path isn't clear, can lead to creating something truly meaningful.
Hi, Ellie! Thanks for joining us today. Tell us about your business. Who do you serve, how do you serve them, and what's the impact that your business and work makes?
I serve Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology professionals as a career coach. My work with the client is structured around five primary goals: helping my clients achieve career clarity, becoming magnetic to employers, rocking their interviews, securing job offers, and then succeeding in their new roles. I primarily work one-on-one with my clients to provide personalized, actionable guidance. Everything I do is driven by my mission and vision: I believe the world is a better place with more I/O professionals in it, and I’m committed to doing whatever I can to contribute to that.
Tell us about the moment you finally felt like you went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur.
The moment I finally felt like I went from wantrepreneur to entrepreneur wasn’t actually when I quit my job... it was when I DECIDED I was going to quit my job. I remember the exact day. I had taken a vacation day from work to focus entirely on my business. I was at the gym, stretching, and thinking, "This is the best thing ever! Being able to work on my business all day, how freaking cool is this? Wait... can I do this?"
I started asking myself some hard questions, like, "Do I have the finances to go full-time?" The answer was no, but I knew I had to take the leap anyway. That decision, fueled by a mix of excitement, determination, and a little bit of risk, was the turning point. It was the moment I fully committed to building my business and creating the life I envisioned, even if the path ahead wasn’t perfectly clear.
And I'm actually really glad I did because I basically took off my security blanket (my full-time job) which gave me the motivation to really make my business happen!
Describe the moment or period in your life/career that motivated you to make the entrepreneurial leap.
The moment that motivated me to make the entrepreneurial leap came from a series of two pivotal experiences. The first was a conversation with my work best friend. She asked me a simple but profound question: "What would you do if you won the lottery?" Without hesitation, I answered, "I would teach high school and college students how to interview." That clarity hit me hard, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
The second experience was about a month later, waking up in the middle of the night with an almost overwhelming feeling like I was being yelled at by my own intuition: "Follow this idea. Follow this idea. Follow this idea." But, not just becoming a career coach, it was also about becoming a career coach on my own terms. I wanted the freedom, the creativity, and yes, even the challenges that come with building something from the ground up.
Describe a tool, service, or software that has been a game-changer for your business. How does it contribute to your success?
A game-changing tool for my business has been Shapeshifter, which is a comprehensive platform designed specifically for career coaches. It’s essentially a one-stop shop for helping my clients with their job search. Shapeshifter actually FINDS job opportunities for my clients and also provides analysis scores, custom recommendations, and even suggests networking connections for specific roles.
What makes it such a powerful tool is its ability to really streamline the job search process for my clients. It saves them time by identifying high-quality opportunities and improves their chances of success by offering tailored guidance. In a way, it acts as an on-demand, 24/7 career coach!
We know that success is very often a non-linear path. Tell us about a failure, pivot point, or lesson that changed your course or direction and helped to get you where you are today.
One of the most pivotal moments in my journey came during a business coaching office hours session for career coaches. I was sharing the challenges I was facing, how overwhelmed and uncertain I felt, and I started crying in front of this group of accomplished, influential people. I felt like I was failing, like I wasn’t going to make it.
Of course, I was met with an outpouring of support. Everyone in the room encouraged me, reminded me of my strengths, and assured me that I was on the right path- they had full trust in me that I was going to make it. I still think about that moment all of the time.
What unconventional strategy did you employ that significantly impacted your business?
One unconventional strategy I’ve employed is incorporating a lot of personalization into my prospecting process. While I have standard operating procedures for managing leads, I go the extra mile to ensure every interaction feels tailored and personal. For example, I often create Loom videos for prospects, offering specific feedback on their LinkedIn profiles or resumes.
What makes this unconventional is that it’s not necessarily scalable, but it works because nobody likes feeling like "just another lead." By focusing on personalization, I show people that I see them as individuals and that I’m committed to helping them, even before they become clients.
This approach has had a significant impact on my business because it builds immediate trust and differentiates me from others in my field. While it takes extra time, the results, both in client outcomes and the relationships I’ve built, are well worth it.
What’s something you wish you knew sooner that you’d give as advice for aspiring or newer entrepreneurs?
One piece of advice I wish I’d embraced sooner is this: "focus on being interested, not interesting."
Growing up as a gymnast, I loved PERFORMING. This performance mindset lends itself to being someone who is always striving to be "interesting." But when I heard this advice, "focus on being interested, not interesting", it completely shifted my perspective. Instead of trying to impress others by talking about myself, I started focusing on being genuinely curious about them. I began asking questions, listening deeply, and understanding their emotions, thoughts, and needs.
This shift has been invaluable as an entrepreneur. We’re so passionate about our businesses, and it’s easy to want to share everything we’ve built. But what really connects with people is when you show interest in them. Building those authentic connections has not only improved my relationships but has also strengthened my business in ways I couldn’t have imagined.
Want to dive deeper into Ellie's work? Connect with her using the links below!
- Visit Rock and Secure's website rockandsecure.com
- Connect with Ellie on LinkedIn: Ellie Hoekman
