I have chased the epic vision of a life in NYC since I was a little girl...
and my online business was how I brought my vision to life.
I'm Leah Gervais
I work with ambitious, visionary online entrepreneurs to bring their vision to life. I partner with my clients to co-create their vision, and become a voice for their biggest goals, in a world where women’s desires aren’t prioritized.
I didn’t always do this work. When I started my business, I could barely manage setting up my website, let alone teach someone how to build a multiple six figure online business. But I had a vision for my life on which I was not willing to settle.
This is my story, and the story of how my online business changed my life, helped me discovery who I truly am, and why I’m so passionate about helping my clients get life-changing results in their life.
My
Entrepreneurship
Story
Beginning My Journey
In the Spring of 2016, I started a “for fun” blog and side hustle called Urban 20 Something. At the time, I was working as a paralegal in midtown Manhattan full on board the well-paved path to law school. I had taken the LSATs, been accepted into schools, and was just weeks away from having to decide which school I’d attend that fall.
From a gut feeling, I declined all acceptances. I did not know what else to do, but I did not have faith that law school would get me to the epic vision of my NYC life. I started Urban 20 Something to document my road to find that fulfilling, abundant, impactful, and exciting life.
Once I realized that I didn’t want to go to law school, I no longer saw the point in working as a paralegal. So, I quit my job and travel alone. I booked a one-way ticket to Cambodia. For months that followed, I totally immersed myself in the world of online entrepreneurship while exploring beautiful Southeast Asia.
After living in Southeast Asia, I decided to come back to NYC and work at a nonprofit. I kept my side hustle up for about a year. I didn’t realize at the time, but that was a pretty damaging year. Since I didn’t go “all in” with my side hustle, and dabbled instead, I didn’t get great results. I took this personally and suffered from low self esteem.
Traveled to Barcelona
I finally realized that dabbling was going to stop me from my success. On a trip to Barcelona over Thanksgiving of 2017, I held a Black Friday sale on my website. That trip changed everything for me because it was the first time I felt the ability to work while traveling, from my laptop. It was a dream come true!
After that, I promised myself to step it up and see if I could do this. I stuck to my promise and joined a six-month entrepreneurship program for a whopping $5,000. This was the first time in my life I was in credit card debt and I was terrified. But I stuck with my promise to myself.
My Side Hustle Takes Off
The combination of my decision to go “all in”, plus the new responsibility I felt to honor my father’s legacy, propelled me. Within weeks, my side hustle went from being an inconsistent and expensive hobby, to generating more income than I had ever earned at my 9-5 job.
This blew my mind. I was working at a nonprofit in an assistant role with an entry-level salary. Then all of a sudden, my side hustle, between the hours of 4:30 AM- 8 AM, was my main source of income. I will never forget this time.
(How did I do it? I teach all of this in my program Scale Your Side Hustle™. Get on the waitlist here >>>)
Finding Purpose in Tragedy
I had so much momentum and determination after that trip to Spain. I had $5k of credit card debt and enrollment in a program. I’m ALL IN. Let’s do this, right?
But then, everything changed. On March 3, 2018, just two months into my year-long effort, I got a phone call sharing that suddenly and completely unexpectedly, my beloved father passed away.
The shock was indescribable and it started the darkest time of my life.
As I tried to process my dad’s passing, as I tried to understand life without him, I took to heart that I was one of his greatest legacies. Myself and my two sisters- his three daughters. This lit a fire within me that I had never known and gave me purpose to make the absolute most of myself.
Traveled to Europe
My now-husband and I went to Europe and celebrated my business growth, and we got engaged!. Though we had traveled together before, this trip honestly felt different than any previous vacation. On this trip, I realized I saw Paris differently. I saw it there for me to experience. It made me realize how much I used to dismiss things as impossible for me in my 20s (staying in a penthouse in Paris, shopping at Louis Vuitton.
Quitting My 9-5 Job
Six months after my dad passed away, and over three months of making more from my side hustle than my day job, I gave my notice, and never looked back. This will forever be one of the best decisions of my life.
My First Five-Figure Month
With my newfound time of not having a day job, I was able to start generating five figure months consistently. This felt like an entire new world to me. All of the sudden, I was the case study of business growth I had spent years listening to on podcasts on the subway, reading in books, and drooling over on Instagram. Talk about full circle!
(Wanting five figure months? Take our free quiz to see what’s stopping you >>>)
Traveled to Israel
Traveled to Tel Aviv to support one of my best friends as she lost her father and his memorial service was in Israel. Soaked in the reality that I wouldn’t have been able to do that, time-wise or financially, if still at my 9-5 job just months before. This reminded me that entrepreneurship isn’t just about the glamorous #laptoplifestyle, it’s about making decisions based on who you want to be (a good, supportive friend) versus what a corporation wants from you and your PTO.
My First Six-Figure Year!
Celebrated my first six figure year while 26 years old at the Plaza hotel in New York City!
It was a huge moment realizing that this NEVER would’ve been possible if I hadn’t: started my business with a credit card, gone into debt, quit my 9-5 job, left my health insurance plan… done all the things people said were irresponsible. These ended up being the most responsible things I could’ve done!
Reminder: do things YOUR way!
Acceleration Phase:
Summer of Growth
Spent the summer celebrating my mastermind (the graduating cohort and the new cohort), preparing for my wedding, and starting to generate $30k+ months! One of the more fun times in my life!
Traveled to Italy
Jetset to the Amalfi Coast to celebrate my best friend’s 30th birthday. Was able to do this three weeks before my wedding thanks to owning my own business. Once again, being an entrepreneur reminded me that I can make decisions based on the type of friend I want to be and life I want to live, not HR’s policies. I worked on the creative parts of my business from our balcony, when I was inspired to do so, in between afternoon Limoncello and sunset boat rides.
Got Married!
We were beyond blessed with our dream New York City wedding in a penthouse in the heart of Soho. We got married in front of 100 of our closest friends and family. I walked myself down the aisle as my dad was in Heaven. I remember realizing how grateful I was to walk down the aisle as my full self, my courageous self. I would not have felt that way if I hadn’t bet on myself with my career and stayed at a 9-5 job out of fear.
Shared My Message
On Stage
Spoke on panels on small business success for Dreamforce and Quickbooks Connect. Shared my content creation strategy that I teach in my content class.
Traveled on Our Honeymoon
A few months after we tied the knot, we were blessed to travel to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Thailand for our honeymoon. Talk about a dream come true! It was the longest I had ever taken off from my business, and felt amazing to be able to do so, thanks to my growing team.
Hired my sister
Became Pregnant...
Hit Seven Figures!
While six months pregnant, my husband and I got to travel to Paris to celebrate my business crossing the million-dollar mark for the first time ever. Talk about a full circle moment. I knew that if I hadn’t started this business just a few years prior, I wouldn’t be able to prepare to stay home with my son whenever I want, while still running a seven-figure business. Not to mention, we took these photos at the same spot Adam proposed just a few years earlier!
Became a mother
Kept my seven-figure business going while stepping into my new and most important role, mom. I now work only three days a week so I can be present and breastfeed my son whenever he needs.
My online business transformed my life
and I can help yours transform your life, too!
From overworked and underpaid in a cubicle
<---
To working from my computer in places like this --->
Will you allow your life to transform?
Book a Power Hour Call with Leah
This is your opportunity to work with Leah directly on mapping out your transformation. If you’re excited about what’s possible for your life with an online business, but feel:
- Stuck in your current business and wanting your life to actually get good?
- Tired of trying all the things but nothing quite clicking into flow?
- Overwhelmed with where to start and what the best next step is?
- Difficulty believing that this is actually possible for YOU?
- Unsure about what type of support you need to get to where you want to be?
I’m here to help. Plus, the investment in yourself with this Power Hour can then be applied to our other programs for even more results.
It’s time to invest in yourself. It’s time to ignite your transformation.
