Inspiring Entrepreneurs Episode 5: Mercy Connections

Inspiring Entrepreneurs: The Podcast

In this episode of "Inspiring Entrepreneurs: The Live Show," we welcome Claire Wheeler, Director of Inclusive Entrepreneurship at Mercy Connections. While we learn about programs at Mercy Connections, we spend most the show talking about time, energy, and wellness for entrepreneurs, aiming to help business owners manage their workloads and find balance.

Mercy Connections offers a variety of adult education programs, including personal growth classes, mentoring for women transitioning out of incarceration, English language learning, and U.S. citizenship test preparation. Claire's primary responsibility is running small business classes and providing one-on-one technical support and coaching for aspiring entrepreneurs. The Inclusive Entrepreneurship creates supportive environments for traditionally marginalized groups, such as women, New Americans, and the LGBTQIA2S+ community.

Claire shares insights on managing time effectively, including the concept of:
· Time blocking and scheduling appointments with oneself to ensure tasks are completed and entrepreneurs make time for themselves
· Maintaining professional boundaries to avoid “people pleasing” traps and treating yourself as a business owner as well as you treat your clients
· Ensuring self-care is prioritized alongside business responsibilities.

Resources Mentioned
· Mercy Connections’ Inclusive Entrepreneurship Program: mercyconnections.org/inclusive-entrepreneurship
· Business Owner Wellness Series - A series of virtual workshops by Mercy Connections focusing on different aspects of business wellness: mercyconnections.org/inclusive-entrepreneurship

Find Claire and the Inclusive Entrepreneurship program on the Mercy Connections website: mercyconnections.org.

To find more resources and additional Inspiring Entrepreneurs episodes, please visit the Vermont Small Business Development Center’s website: vtbdc.org.

This show is made possible by the Community Navigator Pilot Program funded in past through a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the SBA.