Cheryl Lau: From Law School Dropout to Six-Figure Coach

Cheryl Lau is a dynamic business coach and content creator with a profound narrative that stretches from the daunting halls of law school to the invigorating world of entrepreneurship. With a fierce commitment to empowering individuals in charting their unique paths, Cheryl offers her clients the tools to craft not just a business but a lifestyle aligned with their deepest values and ambitions.

In this eye-opening episode, you’ll be inspired by Cheryl Lau’s courageous leap into the unknown, abandoning law school for a more fulfilling pursuit. Discover how Cheryl transformed her struggles with parental expectations, career transitions, and personal doubts into a series of life-changing victories. Join us as we delve into her riveting journey from offering free coaching sessions to hitting the illustrious six-figure milestone in her coaching business.

Who do you serve and why?

I primarily coach coaches all around the world who are building their business on top of a 9-5 job. I myself was a side hustler for 3 years and took my business to 6 figures, before quitting my PhD to move to Singapore to marry my husband and to become a full time entrepreneur. Side hustling and building a business on top of my career allowed to have options when I needed it the most (My partner and I were separated for nearly two years because of the strict pandemic rules in Hong Kong, and it was my business that let me change career paths, do what I love, and ultimately be with my loved ones).

How long have you been in business?

I started in March 2019.

What were you doing before you started this business?

I was a law school drop out in 2018. I worked a 9-5 from 2019 to 2020, and started my PhD in fall of 2020.

How & why did you start this business?

I started my coaching business out of sheer curiosity. I started out coaching on confidence, content, and personal branding, which was what I was doing myself in 2018 and 2019. But soon, I saw that my skills and coaching was helping clients to sign their own clients in their service-based businesses. So, overtime, my coaching evolved into business/side hustle coaching. Over the years, my mission and “why” as a business coach deepened, after seeing how entrepreneurship created options for me and my clients. It ultimately allowed us to create our dream life and career, not the one our parents wanted for us or what we *think* we should pursue just because all of our college friends are doing it.

The most pivotal moment in my business was…

Quitting my PhD in 2022 to move to Singapore and becoming a full time entrepreneur. I knew it was possible one day, but I didn’t think it’d happen so soon. However, because I was separated from my partner for almost two years because of covid, this OPTION to quit my PhD and become a full-time business owner was one that was LIFE CHANGING. I am now truly living my dream life and building my dream career. I’m forever grateful to the 2019-2021 Cheryl who decided to side hustle and didn’t quit.

The second most pivotal moment in my business is realizing that you CAN have both a thriving career and a thriving business, at the same time. You CAN do it all and have it all. You CAN build your business and still be able to make time for the other parts of your life that matter to you (ex: Career, family, travel, rest, health, etc) – To do this, I learned (and now teach) to “do the bare minimum in my business really, really well”

If there’s anything you could change in your story, what would it be and why?

If I can go back in time, I’d spend less time creeping on what other coaches were doing and stop trying to do twenty different things in my business… because this led to my burnout in 2019 (and I ended up quitting my business for 7 months) and it slowed me down in terms of honing my own thought leadership. No problem, lessons learned and these are experiences that shape the way I now coach my clients 🙂

What has been the most fulfilling part of your entrepreneurial journey?

Building a life and career that I’m genuine proud of and enjoy, not one that I’m building out of ego or comparisons.

What has been the most challenging part of your entrepreneurial journey?

Fear of judgment and comparisons, which stemmed from my high achiever identity during school, was something that I had to work through.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you say?

1. Sometimes, creating a life that is truly aligned to you and what you want is NOT what others expect of you. This means you have to stand firm when pursuing what you truly believe in and always take full responsibility for your decisions and actions.

2. It is okay if people don’t support you in the beginning. Stay committed to your vision and goals.

3. Ultimately, creating an aligned life, career, and business is a choice you have to make. There’s no right or wrong. Just make a decision and move forward!

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

1. I believe in creating your own dream business and career, not the one your parents expect of you. When I first quit law school in 2018, my Asian parents were furious and disappointed. And I get it. But since then, they’ve seen me put in the work to pave my own path and have now created a career entirely on my own. All that to say: Take responsibility for your own decisions and have your own back. Always.

2. I believe in building a business by doing the bare minimum number of things in your business (but do each thing really, really well) so you can ultimately make time for the other parts of your life that matter to you 🙂 Business gets to be light and fun!

3. I believe that side hustling is a SKILL all of us should have. Building a profitable and impactful side hustle has changed my own life and allowed me to be there for my loved ones (There was a time during the pandemic when I was separated from my husband and family for 2+ years). This is why I care so much about the work we do here. This matters. Your business matters.

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How to find Cheryl Lau and support her brand:

Website: https://cheryltheory.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cheryllau/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryltheory/
How to Work with Cheryl Lau: https://cheryltheory.com/program

Tune into the From Passion to Profit™️ Podcast: https://passion-to-profit.captivate.fm/