August 14, 2021
Entrepreneurs, Female Founder Spotlight, Latest Articles

Female Founder Spotlight: Amy Crumpton

3 March 2021|Latest Posts, Meet the Successful Founder

IWD Inspirational Female Founders Spotlight: Amy Crumpton

Amy Crumpton is the founder of Social Cactus. She has just had a £330k year, doesn’t have a university degree, didn’t really enjoy school (aside from travel & tourism and languages), didn’t come from a privileged background (she says her nickname used to be ‘thrifty Crumps’ because she was so careful with money, being used to not having much of it at all).

Amy quit her job in a marketing agency to go travelling back in 2017, heading off with very little and intending to try and find work on the road. While she was in Peru, she did a San Pedro healing ceremony, which she credits with giving her the realisation she never wanted to work for anyone else again and wanted to set up her own business. She also had a near-death experience there too when her bike crashed on one of the most dangerous roads in the world; this gave her another push to follow her dreams.

She started Social Cactus (name inspired by the cacti used in the San Pedro healing ceremony) by managing other people’s social media, massively undercharging but fully booked within months and therefore burning out, it was only when she switched up her niche and started coaching other social media managers, and then female entrepreneurs that things started to change. Amy is passionate about supporting and empowering other women to see they can have it all, earn lots of money and achieve everything they want to without needing a big financial pot to begin with, without a degree and all the qualifications and without having to ‘hustle hard’. Her ethos is about working smarter, not harder, making money with ease and teaching other women to do the same.

What would you love to share to encourage other women to start their own business?

“I never believed I could be a business owner, I didn’t think it was possible for someone like me (who never went to uni) to be start my own company and it sort of happened by accident. Since starting my own business I’ve been able to live life on my terms, making na huge impact by supporting other women to grow thinner own business and I’ve been able to make more money than I ever thought possible and feel happier than I’ve ever felt in my life.

There’s opportunities everywhere and you are 100% good enough to start your own business, get paid amazingly well for what you do and feel fulfilled that you’re doing something you love and you’re able to work on your terms.

We’re conditioned to believe that starting a business is only for the lucky few but I’m here to tell you that you absolutely CAN be the owner of your own business if you have the drive and desire to give it a go.”

What are your top 5 tips for entrepreneurial success?

1. Mindset work is the first thing to master when it comes to running a business, if you have the belief that you can make it, you will take the action to make it happen. Success is 80% mindset and only 20% strategy

2. Having a coach or mentor to support you is so valuable, you will save so much time and see results so much faster with support and accountability from someone who has been there or can see where you may be holding back.

3. Don’t be afraid to take risks and step out of your comfort zone – there’s no such thing as failing in business only learning so if you try something and it doesn’t work, no worries! You just know how not to do it next time.

4. Boundaries are mega important. Make sure you plan in days off / holidays and plenty of breaks. You are not your business ands you do not have to burn yourself into the ground building your empire.

5. Have fun! This gets to be fun, you’re the boss remember. Make sure you treat yourself when you hit your goals and celebrate every success…. Even the little things!