We had the good fortune of connecting with Baylee Stewart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Baylee, what matters most to you?
Integrity and consistency are the most important principals to me and my business. I say this because if you are consistently showing up with integrity, the rest will come. The money will come, the clients, the advancements, etc. will all follow when you are doing things for the right reason and truly wanting to serve others. When you run a business or are serving people in any form, they come to you because of what you offer in character, not what you offer materialistically.

When you have integrity, the people you are serving not only know that they can trust you and your word behind whatever it is that you are sharing/selling but the people who want to do business alongside you can also feel confident partnering with you. When the integrity is consistent, that trust factor just continues to grow in all aspects. There will never be a question of whether or not you are doing things for the right reason, in the right way, etc.

There are alot of ways that consistency is necessary when owning your own business but what I mean when I say consistency is one of the principals that matters most to me, I mean consistency of character. Be authentic and show up the same way every single day, regardless of where you are or who you are talking to or what platform you are posting on, what kind of day you are having, etc. Consistency of character again, builds that trust factor but it also allows the right people to gravitate towards you and your business. If you are showing up one way today and a different way tomorrow, nobody is going to know which one is the ‘real’ you. You have to create a solid ground for people to trust and rely on for your business or brand to be successful.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Gosh I dont even know where to start. This journey is just barely beginning.

To be honest, I never thought I’d be an entrepreneur. I grew up in a family full of them and I knew I had what it took but I was never super passionate about something I thought I could turn into a tangible business. I went to college, did the whole four year degree thing and followed all the steps I thought I was ‘supposed’ to do. It was an amazing experience and I wouldn’t trade it for the world but once I graduated, I spent less than 2 weeks in my field before realizing that I was not meant to be in the industry I chose and I felt like a failure. I then, switched careers 3 different times, jumped from job to job, spent money on certifications, the whole 9 yards…. just to find out that it wasn’t the job (or jobs, in my case) that was the issue. It was the fact that I was just NOT born to be an employee. For awhile, I thought so negatively about this and was almost upset with myself for not being able to just enjoy one of the jobs I had been lucky enough to have. However, after a lot of growth, becoming a business owner and being on the other side of that, I realize that it was just a lesson that had to be learned to get me to where I was supposed to be.

This has been a theme of my entire journey here, as an entrepreneur. I’m a huge believer that you are not given the things you are not ready for. When I was given the opportunity to launch this global franchise, I jumped two feet in with the ‘nothing left to lose’ mentality. I had quick success at first, but then it stalled. It took me TWO YEARS to the exact day, to break through the plateau I had hit. If you are in business, you know that nothing is linear, right? There are ups and downs and growth feels very uncomfortable. For those two years it felt like two steps forward and three back. Sometimes it felt like I was dragging myself two steps forward and was bulldozed 20 steps back. I lost huge clients, huge partners in business, I went months without seeing any growth within my organization, I could go on and on. There were days I wanted to quit so badly but I knew that, that would be the quickest route to failure. I mean, how are you supposed to ever get out of the plateau or break through the hardships if you just stop? You would never see the other side of that hardship and you’d never know what could’ve been and I wasn’t ok with that. Those two years were so trying but again, when I came out on the other side of that, I was like “okay, this is why”. It was very clear to me the lessons that were learned in those two years, were all for good reason and were preparing me for my next level.

Something I want the world to know about not only my story, but success in general is this — The people who you see that seem ahead of you or more successful than you, have just struggled more times. Those two years, I needed to face the issues I faced to be better prepared for what was coming. There are going to be seasons like that ahead as well. As entrepreneurs, we are never finished growing and if you are someone who owns a business or is thinking of becoming an entrepreneur, I challenge you to look at all hardships this way. I wish I could’ve seen this as I was in the trenches, and from here on out, it will be the way I look at all struggle. So if you are reading this, hopefully it will save you a couple years or months asking why and you’ll know that it’s building you for your next level and for something greater.

I’m very proud of myself and my organization for taking those lessons and growing from them instead of allowing them to be the reason we stopped. There are always going to be struggles, whether its in your own business, working for someone else, growing to new levels, or whatever it may be but I truly believe on the other side you will be better off because of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First stop for all of my friends that visit is Rush Bowls in Denver! Its my absolute fav spot and is a non-negotiable!

In terms of food I also always take people to Otra Vez Cantina on 16th St. for dinner! Its my favorite Mexican food place so far or if you are open to coming up North, La Estrellita in Brighton is also amazing! Then I always do Postino Wine Cafe for fun daytime drinks & a bruschetta board — those are my go-to’s. I also love Avanti, Happy Camper, My Neighbor Felix, Occidental and Recess for drinks /a night out.

Another fav place of mine is the manitou incline! Its a perfect way for them to experience the amazing outdoor life we have here and get in a good workout!

Other activities I would recommend are Rockies, Broncos & Avalanche games, OF COURSE (we are big sports people so we love to go to as many as possible), downtown Golden is so fun and cute for an afternoon, Wash park is a fun place to hang out, picnic, play games, etc. and if you’re looking for a cute girls day activity, we love to go to the Dry Bar in Cherry Creek for blowouts!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My husband Kole Stewart who has supported me throughout this entire journey and picked up the slack in other areas as I build.

My parents & family for instilling the entrepreneurial spirit in me and teaching me an insane work ethic.

My mentors Sara Kolloff & Samantha Sagot, I would not be anywhere without their help, mentorship and friendship.

Instagram: bayleestewart_

Facebook: Baylee Stewart

Image Credits
@chelseareynoldsphotography @virginiaruthphoto

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