Hidden Gems: Meet Mandy Hougas of Girl Sweat | Messaging Experts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Hougas.

Hi Mandy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My grandfather used to say, “If you want to improve your community, you’ve got to invest in it.” A lot of what I do can be tied back to that quote. I grew up in a small town with a shop teacher dad and a math teacher mom. My parents served their community by building homes, leading fundraisers, and running events that brought the town together. They were the ultimate solution seekers.

If there was a need in the community, they wanted to provide a way to solve it. They did not call themselves entrepreneurs, but at heart they were. My entrepreneurial bug hit me at about 17. I found that I loved building businesses, like my own little popup shop bakery, quirky t-shirt company, hand-drawn portrait business, or someone else’s multi-billion dollar technology corporation.

I got into Sales, Marketing, and Branding because I could design and draw and had the gift of gab. I’d talk to everyone without hesitation. I’m also very mission-driven to help people succeed. For 15+ years, I cut my teeth and attempted to climb the ladder in the fast-paced, corporate world of high-tech sales.

I knew it wasn’t my calling and I burnt out a few times along the way, but I made some money and I used that world as my training ground to learn the bits and pieces required to make a business work: strategy, sales, marketing, human resources, technology, equipment, operations, finance, and so on. I wanted to learn everything I could to one day run my own company, so I interviewed C-suite executives to get to know their personalities and how they made decisions. They became a sort of advisor board for me.

Over the years, I worked with thousands of customers and partners, all business owners. From those conversations, I noticed a huge problem. Most business owners had a hard time talking about their business and the problems they solved for customers. Stellar businesses struggled to profit because they simply did not know how to talk about their business in a way that would attract the right buyers and turn them into customers.

It caused owners a lot of stress and anxiety instead of the fun freedom they anticipated. Most wanted to build a profitable business so they could breathe and potentially pass down generational wealth. That was it. Pretty simple. I thought, “There’s got to be a way.” I prayed on it and heard the call, “Invest in your community.”

When I started, I networked like mad. I talked to entrepreneurs across Tennessee having the same problems as my former customers. I jumped at the chance and developed Girl Sweat, a boutique firm dedicated to serving the entrepreneurial community in Tennessee with messaging expertise in branding, sales, and marketing. Through 1:1 coaching and programs, I offer a fun and easy way for female entrepreneurs to tap into their CEO mindset and master their messaging so their business starts growing.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Heck no, not always. Some days are better than others. But I think that’s what makes the entrepreneurial journey so intriguing. Every day is an opportunity to level up my habits on the path to becoming consistent and masterful in my craft. I want to be the best version of myself for my family as well as for the people I serve and the employees I recruit. I try to work smarter rather than harder, but it’s not always possible.

Sometimes I just have to grind it out. I haven’t yet mastered the phrase, “I am better than I was yesterday.” Honestly, I’m not always better. Some days, I feel less than others, and some days I feel like I’m crushing life. Maybe that’s the reason entrepreneurship is a road less traveled by most people. It truly takes doing things when I don’t “feel” like doing them, saying no to social events because I have a deadline, and learning to eat healthily, work out, and get a good sleep so my mind and body are fueled up to do it again the next day. It’s like sports training for business. Hence the name Girl Sweat.

The thing I battled most was my internal fear. I feared that I would fail as most entrepreneurs do, but I also feared success early on. It had been so long since I had followed the path God intended for me that I forgot what living my purpose felt like.

I would run towards my fear of rejection and judgment by taking baby steps and leaning on my faith. I have a prayer I say daily. “Please guide my feet on the path you intend for me to follow. Please only open the doors you intend for me to walk through.” At the end of the day, a tool I use is writing down my accomplishments. Even if it’s “sent three follow-up emails,” or “found a new spot for my next workshop.”

I’ve even listed, “took out the garbage, folded the laundry, and mopped the dirt and water from our dogs off the kitchen floor.” It builds a sense of accomplishment and gives me momentum. It’s a life hack you could say.

As you know, we’re big fans of Girl Sweat | Messaging Experts. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Oooh, an opportunity to pitch. I love this part: A lot of entrepreneurs struggle to profit because they haven’t figured out how to talk about their business in a way that attracts customers so their business can grow.

I’m the CEO of Girl Sweat business messaging experts. My team and I offer coaching programs and outsourced services to help female entrepreneurs master their brand, sales, and marketing messaging so they can spend less time worrying about where their next client is coming from and more time enjoying the growth.

If you ever want to try it, the process is really simple. First, we have a quick, 30-minute call where I find out what your 3-6 month goals are, what challenges you’re facing in growing the business to the next level, what you’ve tried, and so on. And if we’re a fit, we move to the last step where we pick your program and find a repeatable time each week to meet 1:1 where I walk you through the method and handhold you and your team to execute. Some folks want a more comprehensive add-on where my team does the heavy lifting for you. Once we get the messaging in the zone, my team steps in and performs outreach for you so that you can spend your time working on the business and not in it.

There are only so many hours in a day to reach target customers. My clients attract the customers their business deserves. Day after day, they get to control the flow of sales. And all because of a service that makes growing their business fun!

I have time during the week to set up new client calls. All people have to do is find me on social media @mandyhougas or book time on the website www.girlsweatofficial.com.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
During covid, everyone seemed to go internal. They couldn’t fulfill certain needs of connection or significance because a lot of their “identity-giving” activities weren’t available. Many people struggled with mental health issues.

Fortunately, I’d already done a lot of work before the age of 25 and had the tools I needed to thrive. But I’ll admit it wasn’t easy and I slipped into sadness every once in a while. The difference is I’m hyper-aware and when it creeps in, I’m able to nip it in the bud pretty quickly by listening to motivational or inspirational podcasts, taking online courses to find any new science-backed ways to manage stress, and so on.

For others, I think they learned real quick that isolation and lack of human connection can rob us of joy.

Honestly, I kicked it into high gear during Covid. I couldn’t sit around and watch my community go down the tubes when I had a voice, personal experience, and helpful tools to offer. So, I connected with board members of the OCD Institute, the IOCDF, and the state OCD board which led me to meet the doctors, therapists, and neuroscientists out of McLean Hospital in Massachusetts who was doing research into areas like substance abuse, body dysmorphia, anxiety, and depression. All of which were issues people deal with across the globe, not just in my community. We worked quickly to spin up panel discussions, keynotes, and outreach. Sadly, the events we prepped for were all canceled.

The first to get canceled was the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association Conference. I was asked to do the opening keynote and share resiliency strategies and tools for their athletes, coaches, counselors, and athletic directors. I couldn’t imagine a better time to discuss the topic with youth athletes who would be headed into Covid without sports as one of their outlets. They were about to miss out on team bonding, character building, and the support of teammates, coaches, and faculty.

The same situation happened at the IOCDF conference in Seattle. We were accepted to host a panel discussion for families struggling with mental health challenges. The live conference had 2000+ people and they couldn’t change it to digital in a short period.

I think that frustrated me the most.

I felt we missed a huge opportunity to equip the community of youth and young adults with the tools they needed to manage impending mental health issues. It was a bummer. But I think it was a hard call for those organizations to make. Now they have digital conference options, which I think is the silver lining that came from the covid experience. People can now access valuable information and support from anywhere in the world!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.girlsweatofficial.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandyhougas/

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyhougas/