Sarah Walton, our NJMOMpreneur of the week, was making an insane amount of money at her high-paying corporate job (and she was darn good at it), but her heart was aching. She couldn’t imagine leaving her kids one more day to go to work while the precious moments of motherhood passed her by. After she mustered up enough courage to quit, the next chapter of her life as an author, speaker and mentor began. Now, Sarah is inspiring thousands of women to do the same—offering her services for the women who want to make their own dreams come true and live life on their own terms.
featured image via Mallika Malhotra, MikiFoto & Co
Author, Speaker, Mentor & NJMOMpreneur Sarah Walton
NJMOM: What do you offer to your clients and how is it different than other professionals in your field?
Sarah: With my business, I teach women how to start their own businesses based on their experiences, talents and skills. I get to watch women go from confused and unsure to focused and successful. Once her business is launched, we grow, automate and sustain the business in a way that works for her: her lifestyle, her financial success and her desired impact. Most women in business get hung up on just a few key things: feeling pressed for time, lack of organization, the ability to focus, fear of marketing and sales and money issues.
I guide her through life’s demands so she can get what she wants—to take the family on vacation with money that her business earned, to surprise her husband with the mortgage payment, to nail that Ted Talk, to write her book, to know that her work is helping other people. I think what makes me different, is how quickly I get results for my clients and how well I know them. I start with the woman behind the business. She is my job. The rest of it is just “stuff”. I can teach all the marketing and pricing expertise in the world, but if the woman on the other end can’t hear it, or isn’t prepared for it, it won’t matter. That’s why I start with her. I do you, so you can do your business.
Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and produce work with integrity, work that’s infused with your experience, your talents and your skills. If you do that, you’ll always be successful.” – NJMOMpreneur Sarah Walton
NJMOM: What inspired you to get into your line of work?
Sarah: My own pain. I left my high-paying corporate job 10 years ago (I can’t believe it’s been 10 years!) to start this company, and I had no idea what I was doing. I was absolutely terrified. But keeping that job just wasn’t an option anymore. I couldn’t imagine leaving my kids at home one more day. I ached to be with them. And the work I was doing wasn’t fulfilling. I knew I was here for more. I just didn’t know how to package myself, how to create a profitable business, how to have sales calls or structure my time. So, I took everything I’d learned running businesses in the corporate world and focused it all on building my own business. Everything I offer now, every product, every course, every speaking engagement, was built for that woman—for the woman who walked out on her high-paying gig so she could make her dreams come true and live life on her terms.
NJMOM: What is your favorite part about your business?
Sarah: When I get a text from a client that says, “OMG! I made $5,000 today!” or “I just got my Ted Talk!” or “Sarah, you were right! Our marketing plan is working and people are actually paying me!”
NJMOM: What is your background in your business expertise?
Sarah: I built and ran four six-figure businesses (for a total of $140 million in revenue, annually) in my corporate job. I loved the thrill of planning out the marketing, the financial forecasting and seeing what was possible. And then when we’d make it happen? That was the best. I coupled that experience and knowledge with a huge passion of mine: personal development. I’ve been a personal development junkie for over 25 years. I used to run monthly group coaching calls for Marianne Williamson. I’ve attended every seminar, leadership conference and course out there. So I’ve brought the two together through my own business. Personal growth is business growth, and business growth is personal growth. It’s like a party. A daily party.
NJMOM: What are you most proud of in your career?
Sarah: That I left my job in the first place. I remember shaking as I hung up the phone. Absolutely terrified. But I knew there was more for me. I knew I was put on this planet to do more than make my boss money. I’m here to change lives and allow moms more time with their kids while they earn more money.
NJMOM: What is something few people know about you?
Sarah: That I was raised Mormon just outside of Salt Lake City. While I’m not Mormon anymore, I think that upbringing contributed to my desire to be home with my kids. I wanted to make sure I was there for the special moments, and I wanted to make sure I was independent enough to make my own money and live life in a way that made me happy.
NJMOM: What can we expect from you next year – personally and professionally?
Sarah: Personally, you’ll see me continue to focus on my health. I made that a kind of quiet personal goal last year and I lost almost 30 pounds. I’ve started to incorporate health into my curriculum for my clients as well. These bodies we have are here to support us as we build our businesses, it’s not something we can take for granted. Professionally, I’m launching a brand new online course, the Heart-Centered Business Bootcamp, and I have my first training conference in Salt Lake City in October! I’m so excited!
NJMOM: What charitable cause are you most passionate about?
Sarah: Right now there are so many causes that need our attention. Women’s issues are at the forefront for me at this moment. Not just our right to be safe physically, but emotionally and financially as well. When we put $10 in the hands of a woman, $8 goes back into the community, supporting small businesses, causes and other families. That’s huge. I want to see more of us out there speaking our minds, standing up for what’s right and earning at the levels we deserve.
NJMOM: Who is your role model? Why?
Sarah: Oprah. And not for the “usual” reasons. She had no “right” to make it. Every obstacle we could think of, she had—the sexual abuse, the teen pregnancy, the abusive family, being black in America and a woman. Any time I feel like giving up, or I hear myself think, It’s not fair! about anything, I think of her. She’s blown through every stereotype, every challenge, every setback and has consistently shown up with grace, courage and dignity. If she can do it, the rest of us have zero excuses. Absolutely zero.
NJMOM: What is the best piece of advice your mom (or parent/role model) ever gave to you?
Sarah: You’re not special. You’re incredibly valuable, but not special. No one gets to break the rules. Some people might get lucky here and there, but that luck looks an awful lot like hard work, focus and play, all rolled together. You can have absolutely anything you want. Anything. You just have to be willing to work for it.
NJMOM: Do you have a favorite quote you live by? Why is this quote so important to you?
Sarah:
In between the stimulus and the response, there is a space. In that space lies your power.” – Deepak Chopra
It reminds me that I always have power. I may never be able to control what life throws at me, but I’ll always be in control of how I respond.
NJMOM: What are your favorite things to do in New Jersey with your family?
Sarah: I love how we have access to everything here. Like, seriously, everything. We can see a Broadway show, have some of the best food on the planet, go to the beach and still be home in time for dinner. There are so few places where that’s possible. I love it. If you haven’t been to The Inn at The Shore in Belmar, I highly recommend it. I love that place. So sweet.
NJMOM: What is the best part about being a mom for you?
Sarah: Sharing life with my kids. From the sheer joy we shared when they danced and laughed with Tigger, Piglet and Pooh at Disney World, to seeing the effort they put in as they struggle over math problems or drawing a map for social studies. There’s so much to discover and learn and they’re up for the task. And then, I have moments where I look at them and think, Oh my goodness…I grew people.
NJMOM: What are your favorite businesses in New Jersey?
Sarah: I love Chez Cheese in our little town, they have the best sandwiches and homemade meals. It’s like this little treasure right on our main street. I also love The Inn at The Shore in Belmar, The Brownstone Pancake Factory in Edgewater and I have to tell you, we love going to the iPic in Fort Lee to watch movies as a family. Best spicy tuna rolls, ever.
NJMOM: Where do you reside and vacation in New Jersey?
Sarah: I live in Tenafly, in Bergen County. My favorite thing about living here is how easy it is to get into the city on the weekends. Being able to take the kids to see a show or to a museum and then riding their bikes in the neighborhood that same day is a ridiculous luxury. For vacationing, we always go down the shore! A beautiful beach and great food? Yes, please.
NJMOM: What advice might you have for a fellow NJMOMpreneur who is just starting out?
Sarah: Everyone starts small. Be proud that you’ve started at all. I see so many women who are embarrassed to be seen starting small. They worry about what friends, ex-colleagues and their husbands will think. My first newsletter went out to 15 people. That’s the way it is. There are now tens of thousands of people on my list, but it takes time. Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and produce work with integrity, work that’s infused with your experience, your talents and your skills. If you do that, you’ll always be successful.
NJMOM: Anything else you’d like to tell moms in New Jersey?
Sarah: We live in the most densely populated state in the country, and everything you need is right here. The most important resource a business needs is people: and we’ve got that in spades. Not to mention, we have pretty cool people, at that! If there’s anything you need, chances are, we have it, right here. And I hope we get to meet soon. I love that we can travel our entire state in one day…everything is within our reach.
For more information about Sarah Walton, follow along on her website, Facebook, and Instagram.
