From Musical Theater To Scaled Business Mentorship

You can feel it the moment Vanessa Raymond starts talking, she has lived more than one life. She begins as a musical theater performer from South Africa, travels the world, then hits the quiet question that comes after you reach a lifelong dream: now what? From that crossroads, she moves into fitness, wellness, and ultimately entrepreneurship, learning the hard parts most of us avoid: sales, marketing, and how to consistently grow a client base.

We get real about what it takes for a small business to actually scale. Vanessa shares why mentorship matters, how “launch and adjust” beats waiting for the perfect time, and what happens when you finally stop trying to do everything alone. She also pulls back the curtain on Achieve Systems, the global entrepreneur community she now co-runs with her husband, Robert Raymond, and the practical resources that help business owners at every level, from brand-new founders to leaders pushing past seven and eight figures.

You will hear specific growth tools like business plan templates, lead generation that feeds the top of your funnel, and systems for building revenue streams that boost visibility and credibility. We also dig into why in-person conferences still create the strongest trust in a digital and AI-driven era, plus the confidence work behind the strategy, finding your zone of genius, and standing in your power.

If you are building a business, dreaming about starting one, or craving a smarter way to grow, press play and take notes. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs momentum, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Transcript

Welcome And Meet Vanessa

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hey, I'm Coach Mickey. I'm so glad that you're here with us. And if this is your first time listening on Coach Mickey and Friends, we are so glad that you're here. And for those of you that join us on a regular basis, we are so glad that you do. And I always look forward to your comments, your questions, and your suggestions. And today we are going to have so much fun. I have been wanting to collaborate with this woman for a very long time. Our schedules finally worked out, and uh, you are going to enjoy her. Her stories are amazing from where she has come from to what she's doing now and how many people she has helped. I'm excited to have you, Vanessa Raymond. How are you? Thank you, Mickey. I am so well and so honored to be here. Thank you for having me. Well, I'm glad to have you. And now, when you and I spoke earlier, I was really intrigued by your story of what you were doing compared to where you are now. And you had shared with me that you had started out in the performance industry.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Yes. Uh, Mickey, my life's dream was always since I was a little girl. My mom put me in ballet

Touring The World As A Performer

SPEAKER_00 1:05

at age three, always just wanted to dance, sing and act. And I finally was able to realize that dream when I went to musical theater school. Uh, I'm originally from South Africa. We we had an art school there that uh I graduated from in musical theater, and then I was able to uh perform my way around the world. I've traveled all over, performed in Europe, in China, in Africa, as well as here in the United States. And uh so, yes, it it was amazing to be able to live my dream.

SPEAKER_01 1:42

That you know, I love that. I love when people travel the world because especially coming from whatever country you live in or you've grown up in, to see other outside cultures and experience other outside people. And and again, we're gonna get to what you're doing now, but I really do believe that is what's contributed to helping the individuals that you're helping now, because you help people all over the world, correct?

SPEAKER_00 2:05

I do, yes. My husband and I run a company that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners grow and scale their businesses, and so it's very rewarding and very exciting.

SPEAKER_01 2:16

So when you were making that transition, when you decided to go from being a performer, doing what you were doing, whether it was dancing or acting, uh, and then moving into the business world. And a lot of people always say, Well, hey, I'm, you know, I'm a hairdresser. How am I going to create a big business? Or, you know, or I'm doing this, or I've never even looked at business. How would I even start? What was your key takeaway, or what would be your suggestion to those that are feeling or thinking that way based on your own experience?

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Well, Mickey, becoming an entrepreneur was never a thought, even for me. However, what I will

The Organic Leap Into Business

SPEAKER_00 2:55

say is that it happened organically because I was open to opportunity and I said yes when the opportunities came along. I think that is key for anybody. Um, you know, calling myself an entrepreneur was something that I never even imagined I would do. I was lucky though, you know, I followed my heart, I followed my passion. After retiring from stage, the next step for me was um, you know, I was already certified as a Pilates instructor and a yoga instructor. And so opening my own fitness business kind of came to mind. I didn't really think of it as entrepreneurship. I really just thought of it as helping people, right? And so if if you can follow your dream and create a business from that, your passion, really, really because entrepreneurship is not easy. So you want to make sure you step into something that you're really passionate about and that you're willing to endure through. And what really happened for me was um about a year and a half into my fitness business that I started with a friend who was coincidentally also a dancer, uh, we realized that we don't really know what we're doing with regards to growing a client base. And that is when I, you know, before ChatGPT, I went on Google and uh Googled fitness business help. And that is how I found Achieve Systems, um, which, well, I guess my point is don't try to do it alone. Find mentorship, find people that can help you. I was so fortunate to find this organization and surround myself with coaches and leaders and other um prosperity-minded entrepreneurs.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

Well, I think part of the journey is not knowing what to do. I think we all step in and we're like, okay, this is what I want to do, but I have no idea even how to start. But and you're right, you have to surround yourself with people that go, hey, I've been there, I've done this, let me let me walk you through the steps, let me help you get to where you want to go. You know, I think the most important thing that people miss is that when you have, and you said it perfectly, when you've got the passion and the love for it, and you know exactly where you want to go and what you want to do, then the rest of it is pretty, pretty easy when you're surrounding yourself with the right people. It's knowing that that inside you with every fiber of your being, I'm going to do this and this is what I want. Now, how do I get there?

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Yeah, and Mickey, if I may add, one of the things that um my, well, one of my biggest mentors always say is launch and adjust. We cannot wait till everything is perfect to get started. We have to kind of jump in with both feet, do the things, and we learn as we go. Because if you're gonna wait till everything is ready to go and perfect, you're probably never gonna end up doing it. So um, that's a little bit of words of wisdom there for you.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

I love that because you're right. I think everybody tries to wait till it's perfect or it's the right time. And the secret is there is no perfect, there's gonna never gonna be perfection. You're always gonna have something that's gonna be a challenge, um, you know, or an obstacle. It's knowing how to work through it, around it, or uh go over it to be able to get to you where you need. And and I mean, just from the businesses that I've done, you just you're always I guess if I could tell you anything, you're always gonna run into something. So don't use that as a as a roadblock. Don't as a reason not to, because the reward beyond that and past it is going to be so much more than than dealing with a couple things here and there. Uh, but I what I want to get back to so so tell me about you. I know you're talking about the company that you're involved in now and that you're working with other people. So walk us through the transition of how this happened and what transpired and what the company is, actually, I guess that's a better question.

SPEAKER_00 6:56

Yes, yes. So, Mickey, it is Achieve Systems, which is a company that back in 2008, when literally uh this I retired from stage and you know it's not an easy thing

Finding Achieve Systems And A Tribe

SPEAKER_00 7:10

when you have reached your ultimate goal in life, and then you go, okay, now what? Right. Um, I was very fortunate too early on at age 35, I was looking at myself going, okay, everything I ever wanted to do, I now did. Now what do I do? And um, you know, fitness and the beauty industry has always been a passion for me. So I was going through kind of a bit of a uh uh, what's it, an identity crisis at the same time. Because, you know, I I identified as a performer, and now suddenly I was like, okay, so now I'm running a fitness business, I'm now a fitness professional, and I, you know, I was also, as I shared with you, an aesthetician and massage therapist at the time. So that was kind of my side gig. I was doing that for fun because I also am very passionate about that. But in finding Achieve Systems, uh, the first step was to go to a conference. Coincidentally, I lived in Las Vegas at the time, and the conference was in Las Vegas, so it was easy. I made the decision to attend another uh another little bit of a teaching moment. You know what, when these opportunities come along, don't sit on your laurels, go and attend these things, go and surround yourself with people because there I really, really, like I said, found my tribe. I found uh people who I knew could lead me where I was going. I quickly learned there that I knew nothing. Well, and I had huge blocks against sales and marketing, and that um, you know, you don't have to do it alone. You can't be surrounded by community and leaders who can help you grow. So stepping into that was a challenge because at the time, of course, I, you know, I was going through a separation, I was pretty much broke, and uh there was an investment involved. But again, I said to myself, this feels right, this feels good, I'm going to do what it takes. So made the investment, and it's the best investment I ever made. Uh, I have been with the company now for 18, well, what's 2008 till now? What's it? 16 years. Um, 16 plus years, and coincidentally also married the CEO and founder about 12 years ago. But um, so now I uh co-run this company with my husband, Robert Raymond. Um, he is an extraordinary visionary, and uh together we have built and grown this community uh way larger and it's it's evolved. Uh we used to only work with health and wellness entrepreneurs, now we work with everyone, and uh we are global. We've got a beautiful large community in Toronto, Canada. Well, we're expanding all over Canada now, too. Uh, we have some members in Spain, some and and in Britain, and then also a few in Africa. So really spreading our wings. Uh, but the goal here is to create a container for entrepreneurs and business owners where they have we have 50 million, uh $51 million worth of assets, resources, and uh community and partners here in this ecosystem that our members can plug into and learn from and grow from and use.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Well, that sounds pretty amazing. I mean, again, you started out with something small like any other business, and now you've grown. And I can see, just like I said in the beginning of the podcast, that traveling around the world, you have an opportunity to meet different people, different cultures, experience different ways of life, and then to be able to take the information that you have and then apply it to everybody who's doing something different and helping them succeed. I mean, that's a win-win.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

I mean, it just experienced in the last 15 years is incredible. I like I said, if you told me 10 years ago that I would be mentoring people on sales, I'd tell you, you're crazy. You know, I used to say if I wanted to sell, I would have gone to school for that. That was like my line, right? It's not something I ever wanted to do. But uh and the lesson is that we always need to keep our minds open and ready to expand and grow. We we don't know where life is leading us and the opportunities that will open up for us and the things that we can say yes to, you know. And I was fortunate I could take my performance background and bring it back to stage. I'm I'm speaking now around the world. I'm an international public speaker as well. Um, and it's just what are the what are your zones of genius and what are the tools that you have and what can that morph into for you?

SPEAKER_01 12:05

So I I for those that are listening, like I'm now that you have these um these tools and you have these programs that you work through and you help people build their business and and take into a direction for success, uh, give us an idea, like maybe uh three to five bullet points of something where if someone wanted to reach out to you. And by the way, if you want to reach out to Vanessa, uh as you guys know, the links will be embedded in the podcast. Just click on her name and that's gonna drive you right to her website if you find this is something that resonates with you or you'd like to learn a little bit more information. But Vanessa, what would you what would you say? Somebody comes to you and says, and and and let's use let's use what you've done in the past. Okay, they're a yoga instructor, and they're like, okay, I don't even know where to start to build a business. What would be maybe three to five things that you can do to achieve that would help them uh create and grow a successful business?

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Absolutely, Mickey. Thank you for that question. That's wonderful. Well, number one, we help you set up a business plan that works for you. You know, a lot of uh young entrepreneurs, they don't know

Business Plans Funnels And Revenue Streams

SPEAKER_00 13:15

how to set up a business plan. So they don't even do it because it just seems way too daunting. We have a beautiful templated system. I send them the template, all they do is answer all the questions. Once all the questions are answered, the business plan is basically written. So making that really easy to really refine what it is they want, where it is they're going. And of course, you can revise that plenty, uh, and we can help do that. Uh, we also have a beautiful community of entrepreneurs and business owners where they can network, they can connect, they can collaborate. We've built a we've built an ecosystem here and a culture of connection and collaboration. Uh, everybody is here to help each other grow. There's no such thing as competition in this community. We're all about collaboration. So having that, knowing you're not alone in business. And then we also show our um young or our newer entrepreneurs, but also our very successful entrepreneurs, how to keep filling their top of funnel, how to do um effective lead generation that turns into clients and turns into income. Uh, that's really always our prerogative. And then the the other thing, there's so much. But the the last thing I will mention is one of the things we really focus on here at Achieve, aside from going to Achieve University, which is an incredible two-day intensive that all our members get to go to with Rob. And he goes through everything with them. They walk out of there with a full plan on how to move forward in their businesses. But we really have a lot of systems, blueprints, templates, processes in place for entrepreneurs to create revenue streams in their businesses, which are also visibility and credibility tools. And actually, this book that we just authored, uh, my husband and I, the Profit Playbook, there's 28 plus of those revenue stream opportunities in here, how to do it, how to get it rolling, and how we can help you do it, meaning authoring and publishing a book. Maybe you want to become a speaker. We can show you how to do that. We help with licensing and franchising. We have a system for you to be able to create an app for your business, or maybe you want to start a membership program, or maybe you want to start a magazine for your business. So there's like 28 plus of these things that we can help you bring to fruition to be able to gain visibility, credibility, and grow revenue in your business.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

I love the excitement in your voice. Uh it just you can tell you're very passionate about this and that you really thrive on helping other people grow. Uh to date, how many how many people have you brought through that have gone from the very beginning into where they're now into a business that's thriving and successful?

SPEAKER_00 16:04

Oh, Mickey, uh I believe we are around, well, I would say, and again, let me just tell you that we even though we have a lot of online resources, we do a lot of live and in-person events too. So that number is really hard to kind of I would say 20,000 entrepreneurs maybe, uh, that we've but also uh understand that with the it being a membership program, we have people who are with us for three years, we have people who are with us. We've had we have members who've been with us for 18 plus years. There are members that are still with Achieve that joined before I did. And so I think that speaks to the value that is offered here and uh the level at which we help entrepreneurs and we help anyone, no matter whether you're just starting out and you're struggling, or whether you're trying to break that seven or eight-figure ceiling. Um, we are here to support you in any level of your business.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

I love that because I think what happens is a lot of times people get in their business, it grows, they're doing really well. And and I've done podcasts on this in the past, is that your comfort zone is uh not the place you want to be. It's it's you you're not gonna grow when you stay in your comfort zone or you get it gets easy. And and again, you have to keep pushing to to grow. Now, not always because it's going to backslide or fail, but it's just a matter of that you always want to keep growing and offering something where people can keep benefiting from what you have to offer. And it sounds like what you have based on the people that are within your program, that there are so many different avenues and different ways that they could look at to be able to create their business in a different direction. You know, and I'm just gonna say, for example, let's say they sell makeup or you're uh you're an accountant or what it would or a speaker, whatever you're doing. There is so many different avenues that I think that we don't realize. And having another set of eyes or a different suggestion of something that you didn't think of is always gonna be beneficial for your business. And and I've seen that time and time again, where you think two people couldn't connect and then they do, and you're like, oh my gosh, that was successful, that was amazing. And if not, it was just fun.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

Right. Yes, right. We always have to have fun, Mickey. I'm so glad you said that. It is so important. You know, my mom always used to say, turn it into a game, make it fun.

Making Business Fun With Community

SPEAKER_00 18:40

You know, if I had something I had to do that I really didn't want to do, she'd be like, How can you make it fun? Right. And business should be that way too. It should be fun. Sure, there's always going to be obstacles, and there's always going to be days where you're like pulling your hair out of your head, going, What? Why am I doing this? But in the end, look at look at the rewards and also look at how you can turn those obstacles, gamify them. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 19:10

I do, I love it, and you're right. If you make it a game, it's always fun. Well, not only that, but people like to be part of that too. Exactly. Yes. And that's what it has to be because when you're doing something and putting that much time and energy into something that you love that becomes yours, and and you know you have this vision to do it. If if you're constantly stressed about it, it's draining. Whereas I think you have to learn how to let things roll off your back and go, okay, you know what, that didn't work. Okay, the heck with that. Let me let me find somebody who can tell me how I can fix this and how I can make it better, and then reach out to those individuals, which it sounds like your company does, you've got a plethora of them, to say, hey, somebody out there must be doing what I'm doing and ran into the same obstacles that I ran into. How do I get over this? How do I deal with this? What do I do next? You know, and there's something very comforting of having even someone who doesn't even know that says, you know what, I don't know, but you know what, let's see if we can figure this out. And knowing you've got someone who's got your back, I really think that is so important. And you said that in the beginning. You have to surround yourself with like-minded people that will help you achieve the goal. And I'm playing words on here for you to get you to where you need to be and to help you uh achieve that dream. And I love that, I really do. Uh it sounds pretty amazing, especially because you have live events and we are now such a culture of being on the internet or Zoom or whatever virtual platform we're gonna connect on compared to being in person. But when you're in person with someone and you sit down and you make that physical contact, there is just it's just more powerful. It's got a different vibe to it. It really does.

SPEAKER_00 21:02

Absolutely, Mickey. And the thing is, I believe that now in this digital era and the AI era, and us talking to AI consultants on the phone

Why In Person Events Matter

SPEAKER_00 21:15

that answer the phone, all the things, people are hungry for human connection, for personal connection. And a fact, matter of fact, is you know, when it comes to sales and marketing and generating revenue, which is a big part of running a business, right? We all uh we have our goals, and it's not always about the money, but it's still the best way to engage people is to people being with people, right? Is still is still the best way. And that's why you know, even back when uh the hybrid conferences became a thing, Rob just said no. He's like, if people wanna. Who connect with our community, they gotta show up, right? They gotta be there, they gotta show up in person because that is where the magic happens. Doesn't mean that it can't happen virtually because they can, but it's just so much better in person.

SPEAKER_01 22:17

I agree. I and I've made some great friends just going to different events that I've connected with personally. And you it's nice to do business stuff where you can do it through the you know a platform. However, when you really sit down and get to know somebody, there's that downtime where you're kind of mingling and talking and you get to know people and you can ask other questions. It's kind of awkward when you've got 20 people on a screen. I'm not just gonna reach out, or you're typing to them individually, and it's just not the same. As you know, I I do a lot of networking groups also, and they're always virtual and maybe one or two, but then and I've had the opposite happen where I've met them online and they're like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then all of a sudden you meet and you're like, Well, we just don't collaborate at all. We don't connect, you know, it's and it's not that it's it's anything, but it's uh there's never a downside because I think meeting everybody uh is always a good thing, and everybody has something to offer, always, always, always. However, it gives you an opportunity right off the bat in person to say, okay, this is a strong connection, we can collaborate, and and it's it's good. I and I I truly believe that. Not only that, seeing somebody's smiling face is so much better.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

Yes. I mean, you know, we have Zoom and all the things, and everything has a place. Uh, but building real true rapport and true connection and true relationship. At some point you have to end up face-to-face, right? It's it's really uh just how life works and how business works too. So we are really, we love our live events. We do a lot of conferences. Uh, if you don't mind me mentioning, we have one coming up uh on June 11th and 12th here in Denver. And we're super excited. We have some amazing speakers and we always do speed networking and we do mastermind roundtables, and it's always like such an amazing event. People love it because it is all about connection and ultimately connection is one of our human needs. We all need that, not just for business, but just as a human being, we need connection with other people.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

I love it. And yes, I'm glad that you did mention June. However, uh a lot of times with my podcast, because I've been six years in this uh syndicate, I have people that come back year that have just started and they'll find people that were three years ago. So, with that being said, if someone logs on and realizes we're now in September and they couldn't attend in June, where can they find you if they want to do a future event?

SPEAKER_00 24:59

Absolutely, Mickey. Thanks for asking. Yes, we do a lot of these events, but also actually now licensing out our conferences. So they're all over, they're happening everywhere. Um, but uh the

How To Connect And Final Takeaways

SPEAKER_00 25:10

the website for our company is achievesystemspro.com and achievebizb-izconferences.com is where all our live events are. Uh, but if people want to connect with me, I love Facebook friends, I love Instagram friends. You can look up Vanessa Raymond. I am uh on there uh from Colorado. And um, I know you will have my links in your podcast, but anyone can always email me at Vanessa at victoryinbiz.com, victoryinbiz.com.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

I love it. And I highly recommend that you connect with Vanessa. I if you are starting a business or you have one that is already currently running, or even if something you want to think of something different, I I truly, highly recommend this. I have had an opportunity to to work with Vanessa and see what's happening and and meet many, many people that have been through this. And I really truly believe in it. And I I know you're gonna get something out of it, even if it's just to make that initial connection and and see what it's all about. Um, Vanessa, we got about two minutes left. So I'm gonna let you wrap it up with whatever you want to share. And then uh, and again, if you would like to connect with her, I'm gonna have all the links that'll be embedded in the podcast from all the links that she mentioned, along with the book. And uh you guys will be able to reach out to there also. So I'm gonna let you wrap it up with the last two minutes.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

Oh, Mickey, you're such a gracious hostess. Thank you so much again for having me here today. I love sharing and you know, I love helping people. I particularly love empowering women also. I'm also an image and self-confidence coach. So, aside from all the business things, you know, in order to build a successful business, being able to stand in your power with women and men, um, but to stand in your power, be confident about who you are and what you have to offer others. And sometimes we're not so sure what that is. If you even just need to brainstorm on what is your zone of genius, um, how can I excel? Am I even entrepreneurial material? You know, these are all things that um I'd love to have a conversation with you about. And achieve is here for anyone who wants to explore. We have an amazing um AI uh what's it, replicator. So you can ask me and Rob some questions as well uh through AI. It's all our voice, all our answers, all our uh wisdom. But you know, in the end, again, I love to connect with you in person. So please find me on Facebook, find me on Instagram, find me on LinkedIn, Vanessa Raymond and Mickey again. Thank you so much for making uh this platform available for your listeners and for anybody who wants to learn and grow. I really appreciate having this time here with you today.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

Oh, thank you so much. I'm glad that we had a chance to finally connect and get you here so uh my worldwide listeners can have an opportunity to connect with you. I, you know, I I've got some incredible listeners. I have people that join us all the time, and I'm still growing with new people. So it's always fun to have a lot of them reach out to me and say, you know, I'd really like to hear someone who does this or someone who does that. That's why you always hear me say, you know, I always welcome your suggestions, your comments, your questions, and your suggestions, because a lot of times someone will say, Hey, I I'm looking for somebody who does this. And I've had some pretty great um guests on here, which I'm I'm very grateful for. So thank you for being with us, Vanessa. Again, if you guys would like to reach out to her, all that information will be embedded in the podcast. Uh, you guys are pretty amazing. And for many of you that are following me, also on all my social media, please uh reach out to me if you have got any questions or something you'd like to share, or even if you want to make a comment about something you got out of this. I love hearing when you've listened to my podcast and said, I really liked this, or I would have liked to have known more about that, because that is what helps me grow as a podcast host, but also gives you guys what you're looking for when you're listening. So until then, remember the most courageous thing you can do is be yourself. And I will see you on the next podcast. See ya.