122: From Layoff to Landing Contracts: How Uchechi Kalu Already Hit 50% of Her 2026 Revenue Goal

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From Layoff to Landing Contracts: How Uchechi Kalu Already Hit 50% of Her 2026 Revenue Goal

How do you even start a business in 2025!? I sat down with my client (and friend) Uchechi Kalu, CFP®, 2024 Olympic Poet to talk about what it really looks like to go from being laid off… to working with over 700 clients, landing contracts with 5 major literary arts organizations, and already hitting 50% of her 2026 revenue goal.

  • Uchechi’s layoff story and what it was like to start from zero
  • Why starting a business isn’t for everyone (and why you probably shouldn’t work with me)
  • How integrating your passions makes you stand out, in Uchechi’s case, poetry + financial planning
  • Why she chose to double down on building relationships IRL vs. URL to get her first contracts

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