Hey, Hello, Hi,

When I connect with someone that has such a similar story as me and has such a spark in every area of their life, I want to share with the world. That’s why I created my blog years ago. I cannot wait to dive into our interview so you can see exactly what I’m talking about.

Meet Ursula Mentjes – Founder of Ursula Inc. + Author + Inspirational Speaker + Certified Sales Coach

Thank you so much Ursula for being apart of my community, my various platforms and sharing your spectacular journey.

Please help me welcome my next guest✍🏽✨

Ursula Mentjes

CEO & Founder of Ursula Inc. + Author + Inspirational Speaker + Certified Sales Coach

Featured Entrepreneur: Meet Ursula Mentjes – CEO & Founder of Ursula Inc. + Author + Inspirational Speaker + Certified Sales Coach
Interviewed by: Anna Svetlik De La Rosa
Episode: #98
Date: 07/10/2022

MY INTERVIEW WITH URSULA MENTJIES

Q1. What did you want to be growing up?

When I was 7 years old, I wanted to be a teacher or a veterinarian. Even though I didn’t get a teaching credential, I was right about the teaching part. Today I am in teaching mode (and learning mode!) almost every single day! I still love animals, but I realized at some point that I didn’t love the sight of blood or animals in pain, so I quickly ruled out veterinarian. 😊

Q2. Tell us about you –

Hi! I’m Ursula Mentjes, founder of Ursula, Inc., Sales Expert, Motivational Speaker, Author, Business Strategist and Certified Coach.. I specialize in Neuro Linguistic Programming to help our clients double and triple their sales, no matter the economy or industry.

I grew up in the heart of Minnesota’s farm country where I learned the value of hard work and entrepreneurship from an early age. Though I loved my beautiful state of Minnesota, I headed west after college with plans to attend law school in Boulder, Colorado. While working in retail and saving for law school, a fortunate twist of fate landed me in a sales position with an International Computer Training and Consulting company. It was there that I learned the skill – and art – of sales.
It was never my intention to make a career from this position. In fact, initially I didn’t even like working in sales! However, I quickly learned that there is an easier, more effective way to sell. I discovered the value of working smarter rather than harder.
I started implementing these new sales strategies, and my sales began to skyrocket! In only eight months I was offered the opportunity to open an entirely new branch in the company. I decided to take on that challenge and was promoted to Sales Manager. Soon thereafter, I was promoted again to Branch Manager as I grew an office from $0 in sales to an annual run rate of $1,000,000.00!
The company quickly recognized my growing sales, and I was again promoted to take on a much larger territory in Santa Ana, California. Within three years, my team and I grew the Santa Ana branch from losing $60,000.00 per month with revenues hovering around $100,000.00, to growing the monthly revenues to over $3,000,000.00 per month!

At the age of only 27, just five years after I was hired, I was honored to be promoted to the position of President. As President, the company’s annual run rate was approximately $20,000,000.00. In just one year, I helped increase the company’s sales by 90%. I think it was as big of shock to the owners as it was to me!
I truly loved the challenge of working at the helm of a corporation. But I had a passion for teaching others how to be successful using these proven strategies.

So, in 2004, I founded Sales Coach Now which was rebranded as Ursula, Inc. in 2020.

Since launching my first company and my professional speaking career, I have been honored to share the stage with bestselling authors like Les Brown, Loral Langemeier, Tom Antion, Lisa Nichols, Giuliana Rancic, and many others. Some of my corporate clients have included Aflac, Ebenezer, Fairview Hospitals, New York Life, Paychex and more. I hold a B.A. in Psychology and Communication from St. Olaf College and a M.S. in Counseling Psychology from California Baptist University. I have been humbled to receive a number of awards including the SBA’s 2014 Women in Business Champion, Willow Tree’s Extraordinary Example and Extraordinary Entrepreneur, NAWBO-IE’s ANITA Award, Polka Dot Powerhouse’s Extraordinary Speaker and Businesswoman of the Year Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteerism from both President Obama and President Trump.

I have written five non-fiction books
and co-authored another. My latest book, UpLevel NOW

became a USA Today bestseller. I’m grateful for my business and the opportunities I have had because of it.

Finally, I would not be where I am today without the love and support from my husband, son, Mom, family, and friends as well as my faith in God.

Q3. What is one of your most treasured accomplishments?

One of my most treasured accomplishments was writing my first book back in 2005 because I was afraid of putting my work out in the world and being seen—but I did it anyway! I didn’t know any authors at the time, and it felt like such a daunting task. But I made the decision to do it, took classes and started writing. Eventually I met my now book coach, Amanda Johnson, and she had just launched her copyrighting business, so she edited my book. She’s been a huge supporter of my work ever since and has ensured that my books are publishing worthy.

Q4. Tell how you process work load stress or personal stress or just too much coming at you at one time? Ex: Exercise, Meditation, Journal, EFT Tapping, Running, Writing, Art or all the above.

Three days a week I work out with one of my besties! We work out early in the morning and then have coffee after. We are both business owners and moms, so we talk during out entire workout. I feel like I get a 3 for 1—a workout, great + therapeutic conversation AND a coffee date! I also love listening to podcasts, reading, writing my next book, and going out on our lake with my husband and son (I’m a water girl!).

Q5. What is one thing you can advise someone to do if they want to up-level their business?

Get clear on their numbers, first! This might sound super boring, and it’s the thing entrepreneurs want to spend the least amount of time on.

It’s not sexy, but it is the place to begin if you really want to up-level your business because you need to have a monthly stretch goal to focus on.

Then, you can work backwards from that number and figure out how to get there. Most entrepreneurs begin where they are (revenue wise) and try to push forward 10% or 20% but it’s a slow process.

When you create a monthly stretch goal to 2x your sales, and you have no idea how to get there, you will begin to see the steps forward if you just write it down!

Q6. Do you have any secrets or strategies that have worked when building your coaching business?

My #1 strategy to building my coaching business has been to allow myself to really care about my clients, colleagues and team.

In Corporate America I was taught that everything was professional—nothing personal. And then I started my coaching business and I realized that so much of a successful coaching business was about the relationship—about my client knowing how much I/we care about them and believe in them. It took me awhile to really allow myself to do this, but it was what my business was “asking” for. And it’s naturally who I am. I really do love my clients, my team and my colleagues. Because of that, we live the value of love, and we send them gifts and cards reminding them how much we really do care about and believe. I truly believe this heals so much for them and allows them to blossom and up-level their business and their lives.

Q7. If you could speak to one woman from history, who would it be? 

Mother Teresa. I’ve heard that she had millions of dollars and private planes at her disposal (funded by others) whenever she needed them. I’m guessing she had some pretty cool beliefs about money that most of us don’t know about and how she used it as a tool to truly help others.

She once said, “The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.

Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” Such a great reminder of how to live while we are here on earth for such a short time.

Q8. What lights you up on the inside?

Seeing our 8-year-old son find his own unique path in the world.

Q9. Favorite quote?

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” Eleanor Roosevelt.

I’ve lived by this quote for as long as I can remember. It is what inspired me to start my speaking career in spite of being petrified of speaking in front of people. In the 9th grade I could barely read a paragraph in front of the room. But I pushed myself to join Speech Theater and I began competing. Most of the time I received red ribbons as I watched my friends receive blue and purple champion ribbons. While it saddened me, it also inspired me because there was a spark inside me that said, “You can do this, too!!!” I’m so glad I didn’t stop! I went to a small Liberal Arts College, St. Olaf, and majored in Psychology and Communication. My communication degree helped me push through even more and I went from struggling to speak in front of a room to getting A’s. The worst part was I still had a terrible fear of public speaking, but I created coping mechanisms that allowed me to speak even while my heart was racing and my knees were shaking (later I would find out I actually had Glossophophia

Fast forward to my first job as a sales professional and sure enough, I was called on pretty quickly to sell in front of groups—it never ended! Years later when I started my own company, I joined the Riverside, California Chamber of Commerce and when they heard I owned a sales training and coaching business, they immediately asked if I would deliver a free workshop. While my fear wanted me to say no, I said yes because I needed to grow my business.

As I looked back, I started to realize something. Being on a stage, leading and teaching others, was part of my calling whether I liked it or not, whether I had panic attacks or not. It felt like a soul assignment. Around the time I launched my first business in 2004, I also discovered the world of Neuro Linguistic Programming and healing. I quickly got certified as an NLP coach and began to work on my owns fears and limiting beliefs around speaking. Over the years, while continuing to work with other practitioners, I began to heal my fear of speaking on a stage. Now I actually have fun doing it!

Q10. What are you currently working on that you would like to share more about?

I’m working on my next book. It’s all about money and what it takes to grow 6 + 7 figure businesses and beyond. I’m really excited about the project because I intend to dispel a lot of the myths that we have about money, especially as female business owners. We tend to believe that if we scale our businesses, we will lose ourselves or not have enough time to do the things we love. But the exact opposite can be true. When you scale your business correctly, you will actually have more time freedom. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t hustling in the beginning. But it does mean you hire and begin to delegate as quickly as you can. I remember hearing a coach say, “When men start businesses, they hire a team (or person) to support them and their business growth immediately. When women start a business, they are the team.” That has really stuck with me over the years because there is so much truth to it and I see so many women business owners stuck in business that has become a job they hate, rather than a ticket to freedom.

Q11. Where can we find you?

Website: HERE

Instagram: @ursulaincorporated

Facebook: @UrsulaSalesCoach

Twitter: @UrsulaMentjes

Pinterest: @ursula2422

Linktree: @Ursulainc

LinkedIn: @ursulamentjessalescoach

Youtube: @MySalesCoachNow

Photographer: Laine Torres, @lainetorres

PR: Garis Media Group: HERE

xo,