Episode #424: Courage, Resilience & Growth with Natasha Skolny

What does it really take to build a business that feels aligned with who you are — even when the journey involves uncertainty, setbacks, and moments when you're tempted to give up?

In this episode of The Business of Thinking Big, Lianne Kim reconnects with former client Natasha Skolny, founder and CEO of The Leadership Cabin, to reflect on Natasha's entrepreneurial journey over the past three years. From leaving the corporate world with a desire for more flexibility to building a six-figure business and developing a leadership transformation program, Natasha shares the lessons, mindset shifts, and challenges that shaped her growth.

Natasha opens up about the realities of launching a group program, including overcoming overthinking, refining her ideal audience, learning from a first cohort, and having honest conversations with potential clients to better understand their needs. She also shares how supporting her nervous system through uncertainty, finding a community of like-minded women, and staying connected to her values helped her keep moving forward — even when her revenue dropped and the path ahead felt unclear.

Together, Lianne and Natasha explore why entrepreneurship isn't about getting everything right the first time. It's about experimenting, gathering data, learning from experience, and continuing to build a business that reflects your strengths, purpose, and vision.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How Natasha transitioned from the corporate world to building her own leadership coaching business
• Why following the work you naturally enjoy can help you discover your unique strengths as an entrepreneur
• How coaching athletes and leaders revealed the importance of resilience, teamwork, communication, and learning to handle failure
• Why recognizing the needs of your audience can help you create meaningful offers
• How Natasha identified an opportunity to support women in HR through a leadership transformation group program
• Why building the curriculum can be easier than putting yourself out there and selling your offer
• How workshops and smaller events can serve as testing grounds for a bigger business idea
• Why overthinking your ideal client can delay progress — and why sometimes you simply need to launch and learn
• How waitlists, webinars, and conversations with potential clients can help validate your offer and refine your messaging
• Why listening for patterns and recurring challenges can reveal what your audience really needs
• How to approach your first group program as a beta experience and use participant feedback to improve it
• Why program structure, meeting frequency, audience selection, and pricing all matter when designing an effective offer
• How to use introductory pricing strategically to build confidence, gather feedback, and get your first offer off the ground
• Why supporting your nervous system can help you navigate fear, overwhelm, and money-related decisions
• How psychological safety and peer support can help entrepreneurs move through challenges without judgment
• Why business growth isn't always linear — and how to stay focused on your long-term vision when revenue fluctuates
• The importance of exploring multiple revenue streams rather than relying too heavily on one major client
• How to keep building a business around your values, purpose, and the life you actually want
• Why you don't have to do everything yourself, rush your progress, or have every answer figured out before you begin

Whether you're starting a business, developing a new offer, navigating a challenging season, or wondering whether you're on the right path, this episode is a reminder that growth rarely happens in a straight line.

You don't have to get everything right the first time. Keep learning, trust what feels aligned, surround yourself with people who understand your journey, and give yourself permission to keep going.

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:00 – Meet Natasha Skolny, founder and CEO of The Leadership Cabin

01:00 – What leadership coaching looks like during times of transition

02:00 – Looking back at the beginning of Natasha's entrepreneurial journey

03:00 – Leaving the corporate world in search of more flexibility

04:00 – Finding the right community, coach, and support system

05:00 – How figure skating and coaching shaped Natasha's career

06:00 – Discovering a passion for helping people grow and reach their potential

07:00 – Why client wins are some of the greatest rewards of coaching

08:00 – Coaching high performers and the importance of resilience

09:00 – How sports can build resilience, teamwork, and communication skills

10:00 – Recognizing audience needs and creating the right offers

11:00 – Discovering the idea for a leadership transformation group program

12:00 – Aligning leadership, personal values, and purpose

13:00 – Creating a program for women in HR and overcoming the challenges of launching

14:00 – Using workshops and small events to test business ideas

15:00 – Turning successful workshops into a bigger offer

16:00 – Recognizing the potential of group programs and shared learning

17:00 – The power of community and psychological safety in group coaching

18:00 – Why overnight success is a myth

19:00 – Overthinking your ideal client and delaying your launch

20:00 – Narrowing your audience without limiting your impact

21:00 – Handling a false start and rethinking the launch strategy

22:00 – Building a waitlist and creating interest through webinars and conversations

23:00 – Why conversations with potential clients are essential for validating your offer

24:00 – Finding the gold in client conversations and refining your marketing message

25:00 – Keeping potential clients engaged while preparing for a launch

26:00 – Learning from your first program instead of expecting perfection

27:00 – Lessons from a six-month group coaching program

28:00 – Refining the ideal audience based on participant feedback

29:00 – Using beta pricing to build confidence and gather feedback

30:00 – Why strategic introductory pricing can help you launch with confidence

31:00 – Building your program as you learn from your clients

32:00 – Expanding the program to support women navigating career and life transitions

33:00 – Recognizing mindset roadblocks and supporting your nervous system

34:00 – Understanding the freeze response during moments of overwhelm

35:00 – Navigating money-related fear and learning to feel safe making business decisions

36:00 – Building a mindset that supports your vision and long-term growth

37:00 – How mastermind communities provide psychological safety and support

38:00 – Finding people who understand the realities of entrepreneurship

39:00 – Why entrepreneurs need honest support from people who have been there

40:00 – Balancing entrepreneurship, motherhood, and family responsibilities

41:00 – Navigating revenue changes while staying aligned with your vision

42:00 – How Natasha built a six-figure business through workshops and client partnerships

43:00 – Managing a revenue drop while gaining clarity about future offers

44:00 – Why multiple revenue streams matter in business

45:00 – Following your strengths, purpose, and what you love doing

46:00 – The courage to keep moving forward through uncertainty

47:00 – What Natasha is most proud of in her entrepreneurial journey

48:00 – Advice for entrepreneurs who are just starting out

49:00 – Why you don't have to do it all yourself or rush your progress

50:00 – Finding your community and continuing to grow through every chapter

51:00 – Where to connect with Natasha and The Leadership Cabin

Links mentioned:

Connect with me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liannekimcoach
Instagram: @liannekimcoach

Join the Mamas & Co. community to get access to valuable resources and the support of likeminded mompreneurs and mentors: https://www.mamasandco.com
Instagram: @mamasandco

Connect with Natasha Skolny:

Website: https://www.theleadershipcabin.com 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/natashaskolny