Who is #BackingYou? What would you do if you could take fear off the table and fully commit to yourself? Would it give you the courage to put yourself in the driver’s seat and become an entrepreneur? To reach out and ask for peer support? To go after backing for your business through non-traditional models? Kimmie Greene is a finance expert and business mentor at Intuit and the spokeswoman for QuickBooks Self-Employed, a division of Intuit that provides freelancers and independent contractors with an easy and affordable way to manage their finances and save money during tax season. Prior to QuickBooks, Greene spent two years running her own PR firm, building a business that generated $250K in annual revenue. Today, Greene shares the inspiration behind her decision to become an entrepreneur and how that experience allows her to connect in an authentic way with clients at QuickBooks Self-Employed. She discusses her top takeaways from the recent Create & Cultivate conference celebrating female entrepreneurship, explaining the value of committing to yourself and learning from other women. Greene speaks to the fear of money, offering advice on how to discuss your fees with confidence. Listen in for Greene’s insight around non-traditional funding models and tools to support your financial well-being. Key Interview Takeaways Entrepreneurship puts you in the driver’s seat. Greene’s had been cast as the ‘tech person’ in corporate PR, but her decision to freelance gave her the chance to spread her wings and take on projects in other areas. Take fear off the table and commit to yourself. You cannot expect others to back you until you have moved past the fear and made the decision to back yourself—100%. Take advantage of peer learning. Reach out to other women entrepreneurs with questions and learn from their experiences. Overcome the fear of money by putting it in writing. Greene suggests that asking other freelancers in your market what they’re charging and publishing your fees in the form of a contract will afford you confidence. Be sure you are on solid ground with your personal finances before you start a business. Financial well-being allows you to say ‘yes’ to the right clients, projects and opportunities. Look into non-traditional funding models. Venture capital and bank loans are not the only choices. Consider self-funding and crowdfunding campaigns to finance your business. Connect with Kimmie Greene QuickBooks QuickBooks on Facebook QuickBooks on Twitter QuickBooks on YouTube Resources Mint TurboTax Create & Cultivate Indiegogo GoFundMe Kickstarter