Workday Playdate 2. SkillPop’s Pandemic Pivot with Haley Bohon
“It felt like I am just completely back to the beginning in both a terrifying and exhilarating way.” - Haley Bohon, Founder and CEO of Skillpop
Welcome to the failed it! Podcast.
Each week, your host and improve it! founder Erin Diehl, will take you on a comedic journey that flips the “highlight reel” of Instagram on its head and shows you the grit, creativity and determination it takes to overcome your disappointments, embrace the suck, and design the career you’ve only dreamed about.
On this episode, host Erin Diehl brings on a fellow female founder, Haley Bohon, to hear her journey on starting Skillpop, a company that hosts expert-led classes and workshops on topics such as photography, gardening, social media and more. Haley talks all about the lessons she’s learned in becoming an entrepreneur and founder, and how the pandemic has forced her to quickly pivot her in-person learning company to become an online space.
Check out the highlights from their conversation below.
● [4:25] Erin has retaken the Enneagram test and she is a Type 3, like Haley! What’s your personality type?
● [6:05] Inspiration for this podcast
● [6:55] Haley’s career journey and lessons learned
● [11:52] What led Haley to create her 4 ½ year old business
● [13:29] Importance of finding community in a new city
● [18:45] Current situation within the pandemic
● [22:01] Disaster planning
● [25:05] Join improve it!’s WFH (workshop from home) membership
● [27:41] Skillpop Anywhere was launched in 3 days
● [31:14] Haley’s 3 biggest lessons: Problems/Solutions, Ask for Help, Build in Normalcy
● [34:32] Great book shout out - Traction
● [37:30] Haley’s awesome advice
● [41:54] Skillpop Anywhere Pitch
● [43:08] Screenshot you listening and tag us using #faileditpodcast! Instagram: @learntoimproveit Facebook: @learntoimproveit
Haley Bohon graduated from NC State University with her B.S in Mechanical Engineering and since has worked both in Product Development for a Fortune 500 company and in project management for a local tech company. Currently, Haley is the founder and CEO of SkillPop, a company that hosts expert-led classes and workshops on topics such as photography, gardening, social media and more. Since launching in 2015, the company has held over 4,000 in-person classes and has facilitated learning for over 40,000 students. Recently, SkillPop has introduced an online platform called "SkillPop Anywhere." You can find her on Instagram @SkillPop or on Facebook and Twitter @SkillpopHQ.
Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief “Yes, And” officer of improve it! and host of the failed it! Podcast. She’s a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.” Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.
This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.
You can follow the failed it! Podcast @learntoimproveit on Instagram and facebook, and you can follow Erin @keepinitrealdiehl on instagram.