Online Business Transformation Blueprint by Sam Vander Wielen: A Guide for Digital Startup Owners
Busting Myths About Happiness Through Business: An Unfiltered, Truthful Guide to Online Entrepreneurship Success sits one week old as I chat with Sam Vander Wielen, its author. Her voice is a mix of excitement and reflection, fresh from an invigorating walk with her beloved Bernadoodle, Hudson, in the crisp NYC morning air.
Her eyes light up when Hudson is mentioned, "He's been my rock through all of this," she says affectionately.
Sam's journey from corporate attorney to online entrepreneur was anything but traditional. The monotony of her career as an attorney hit a boiling point, leading her to redouble her efforts on her health coaching side hustle. A surprising twist came when she was at a wellness festival promoting her health coaching services, only to find herself surrounded by entrepreneurs seeking legal advice for their businesses. This chance encounter ignited her entrepreneurial spirit.
"Sometimes your failures teach you more than your successes," she ponders. "I was passionate about health coaching, but it wasn't a great business idea. My legal templates business, on the other hand, offered a fantastic product opportunity. There was a large market demand and limited supply. I also knew how to differentiate it."
Sam's entrepreneurial advice shatters the narratives peddled by marketing gurus, promising passion and overnight success. Instead, her philosophy, encapsulated in the book's title, suggests that happiness doesn't stem from business success, but rather from learning to embrace life, regardless of external circumstances.
Her honesty resonates with readers, as she openly discusses the tragic loss of both of her parents within a short span. Hudson, her beloved companion, became her emotional anchor through those difficult times.
Sam's parents served as influential role models, embodying the spirit of entrepreneurship. Her mother, a professional figure skater turned physician, demonstrates the feasibility of an unconventional career path through hard work. Her father's experience managing racetracks and marketing background offered her exposure to the business world.
Instead of expanding her offerings to boost revenue, Sam has intentionally kept her business focused on a collection of legal templates she calls the Ultimate Bundle, which has generated over $8 million in revenue.
Sam's weekly newsletter, "Sam's Sidebar," boasts an impressive 47,000 subscribers - a remarkable feat for a topic many might consider dry. Her secret? The "broccoli and mac and cheese strategy."
"I see myself as the broccoli because a contract or an attorney is something you need. However, everyone just wants mac and cheese. So I use that approach with my audience once they have the legal templates."
I ask about her marketing funnel in layman's terms, and she explains, "I provide something to the potential customer to welcome them to my world, like a free webinar. After the webinar, they receive a series of emails inviting them to purchase the Ultimate Bundle."
When asked about the relationship between money and happiness, Sam draws from her personal experience. "Money doesn't bring happiness. It definitely makes your life easier. I can afford someone to do my chores, which makes me happy because I don't have to do them myself. But did it solve all my problems? Absolutely not."
In contrast, financial success has allowed her to align her spending with her values, such as purchasing an electric car, supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through fundraising webinars in honor of her father, and caring for her ailing father whenever needed.
When asked for advice for ambitious individuals starting their careers, she emphasizes the importance of keeping an open mind. Just as this philosophy led her to discover her successful business, it has the potential to reveal unexpected opportunities for others.
As our chat ends, I admire the quiet confidence that stems from someone who has built her success on her own terms. Sam Vander Wielen reminds us that true success in online entrepreneurship lies in transparency, consistent engagement, and practical, experience-based guidance, rather than relying on hype or instant results.
She offers a powerful reminder that true happiness doesn't come from the business, but from embracing the journey, no matter where the path takes us.
Click here to listen to the full interview with Sam Vander Wielen
Fun Fact:
Sam's love of high heels originated from her days as a professional ballroom dancer, where she developed a knack for pairing the perfect pair of heels with every dress she wore. Her collection now stands at over 100 unique pairs!
Entrepreneurship and finance are integrally connected in Sam's career, as her legal templates business, known as the Ultimate Bundle, has garnered over $8 million in revenue. Her philosophies about happiness emphasize personal growth rather than business success, illustrating that embracing life and aligning spending with values can lead to contentment.
In the realm of careers, Sam advises ambitious individuals to maintain an open mind, as unexpected opportunities may present themselves, much like her own journey from corporate attorney to successful online entrepreneur.
