Envisioning a world where every woman who is committed to change has the opportunity and tools to achieve her full potential, Colleen Biggs founded The Leap Community. Colleen understands that personal growth and change are possible and seeks to empower women through transformative experiences and advocacy. Believing that every person deserves a second chance, Colleen is working tirelessly to restore dignity and build a more equitable society.
Join us as we delve into the inspiring story behind The Leap Community.
The Initial Roots
In 1987, Colleen’s professional journey began in Corporate America. From the start, she always sought a path to advancement and growth in her career. To achieve this, she sought out mentors and took on roles in different departments where she could receive on-the-job training and continue to develop her skills. She was a lifelong learner driven to succeed, always eager to make more money and advance quickly.
Colleen approached her work with a focus on people. She loved getting to know people, nurturing relationships, and serving as a guide to those who were lost. This approach helped her well throughout her professional journey. When given a choice, Colleen preferred to work with new business owners rather than for a division of a large corporation, as she believed that entrepreneurs had the potential to make a more significant impact on their communities and the lives of others.
Throughout her career, Colleen never wanted just a job. She was always searching for a promising career that would fuel her passion for empowering others. In 2019, Colleen retired from Corporate America and pursued her dream of becoming an entrepreneur, intending to support and empower female entrepreneurs who wanted to build successful businesses that provided financial independence and a sense of pride.
Facing the Thorns
Colleen faced numerous challenges throughout her career in Corporate America and as a newly established entrepreneur. She was known to have a strong voice but often found herself being asked to mute her opinions or tone down her emotions in the corporate setting. She was even told not to show emotions as it was considered unprofessional.
To fit in, Colleen adopted a heavy masculine energy and portrayed the part perfectly, but to her detriment. At some point, she believed she had lost her voice and felt unsure of what she thought and wanted from her career or life and ultimately became unhappy with her executive-level position, the money, and her colleagues. Despite feeling trapped, Colleen had faith in her decades-long career of knowledge and skill sets, as well as her experience in launching over 300 businesses, and leaped to leave corporate and pursue entrepreneurship on her own.
Paving the Path
Colleen believes that her largest area of impact in the world of executive coaching has been her ability to teach others how to turn their thoughts into action and ignite the belief necessary to accelerate their leadership and reach their full potential. She believes that life will happen regardless of participation.
Many women strive for financial independence and pride in their businesses but are often held back by fear and self-doubt. Colleen encourages women to overcome these fears and embrace their strength as leaders in their families, communities, faith, and business. She believes that when every woman steps into her full potential, there will be a significant impact on leadership globally.
Restoring Hope & Dignity
The B you B Strong brand has a simple foundation. Its mission is to empower female entrepreneurs ready to take action and reach their full potential. The brand aims to help these women expand their influence, attain financial independence, and build businesses they can be proud of in a safe and supportive environment that discourages judgment. Visibility is a crucial factor in success, so Colleen and the B you B Strong team have created the Leap Community platform for women to collaborate, network, and build their businesses. The Leap community provides multiple avenues for members to gain exposure, including opportunities for podcast interviews, live online interviews, and hosting masterclasses to educate other members.
Work-Life Balance
Colleen is known for her strict discipline in managing her time. She began implementing a time management schedule in 2006, which has proven effective. Colleen schedules every aspect of her life, including meal breaks and dinner. She prioritizes the people, places, things, and events important to her and believes that this allows everything else to fall into place. Sundays are reserved for family time, and Colleen never compromises on this. Mornings are dedicated to self-care, and Colleen starts her day with meditation, journaling, writing gratitude’s, praying, reading, and exercising. This time is considered sacred, as it allows her to recharge to pour into others throughout the day.
Upscaling with Technology
Colleen leverages two significant areas in her business, relationships, and technology. She believes it is not only about what you know or whom you know but who knows you. Colleen invests in maximizing her SEO through Google and utilizing other communities for exposure to increase her advantage. She is interviewed on hundreds of podcasts annually, speaks on stages globally, and has a strong presence on social media. LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram are her go-to platforms for social media. With the advancement of technology, Colleen recognizes the importance of leveraging it for visibility and connecting and nurturing relationships with others. She believes successful business owners must embrace technology and make it their best friend.
Preparing for Changes
Colleen has observed that coaching has undergone significant changes in recent years. She notes that what was once a structured consulting relationship between a coach and a client has become a more personal approach that encompasses the client’s entire relationship with their work. Entrepreneurs, Colleen believes, rarely separate their personal life from their businesses. To them, their business, the passion that drives it, and their personal goals, hobbies, and family are all integral parts of who they are and where they are headed. Colleen predicts that business coaching will continue to evolve and reach more women around the world who are currently out of reach. She foresees a future in which women will reach out to mentor and sponsor each other, increasing the number of female leaders in Fortune 500 companies, on Wall Street, and in the medical field.
Future Ready
Colleen sets goals and creates an annual vision board to help her stay on track. This year, her main objective is to deepen connections with people. She believes that in a world saturated with content, people are craving genuine connections. With this in mind, she plans to put “CONNECTION” at the center of all her endeavors, from building a family cabin to coordinating Masterminds and working with female entrepreneurs. Ensuring that her actions and projects result in stronger connections is of utmost importance to Colleen.
For the Aspiring
Colleen congratulates the aspiring entrepreneurs for embracing the leadership of themselves. She says, “Leadership is much more than a title or a wage. Leadership is leading the way, being an example of true honesty, having values, leading with integrity, and being mindful of those following you. We need more leaders who are ready to speak up.”
