The Soul of Your Business

Why a Customer Avatar is the One Thing You Can't Afford to Get Wrong

Let’s have a proper, honest chat. Have you ever poured your heart, soul, and countless late-night hours into creating a service or a marketing campaign, only to launch it to the sound of… crickets?

You check your emails. Nothing. You refresh your social media. Tumbleweed.

That feeling is a punch to the gut. I’ve been there. In the early days, I made a classic mistake: I was so in love with what I was offering that I forgot to get crystal clear on who I was offering it to. I was basically shouting into a crowded room, hoping someone, anyone, would listen.

The problem wasn’t the value of my offer. The problem was I was speaking to everyone, which meant I was truly connecting with no one. This is the single biggest—and most painful—mistake I see ambitious female entrepreneurs make.

And it leads directly to the frantic, exhausting “sell, sell, sell” cycle. When you don’t know who you’re talking to, your only option is to shout louder. But what if I told you there’s a calmer, smarter, and infinitely more effective way? It all starts with creating your Customer Avatar.

The Big Lie of "Sell, Sell, Sell" & The Power of The Long Game

In our fast-paced digital world, we’re conditioned for the quick win. The immediate sale. The instant conversion. Marketers preach urgency and scarcity, and we’re told to "close" at all costs.

Here’s the problem with that: It completely ignores human nature and the reality of the customer journey.

Think about your own life. Do you buy a car the first time you see an ad? Do you hire a coach after one Instagram post? Of course not. You think, you research, you wait for the right time.

The truth is, only a tiny fraction (around 3%) of your potential market is ready to buy from you right now. The vast majority are in different stages: some are just becoming aware they have a problem, while others are gathering information.

The "sell, sell, sell" approach relentlessly hounds that 3%, while completely ignoring the other 97%. It’s a short-sighted strategy that leads to burnout.

The most successful, sustainable businesses understand this. They play the long game. They focus on building trust and providing immense value to their entire audience, knowing that the woman who isn’t ready to buy today might become their most loyal, high-ticket client in 6, 12, or even 24 months. As marketing expert Sabri Suby teaches, the goal is to "enter the conversation already taking place in the customer's mind." You can't do that if you're only screaming "buy now!"

This is the core of our philosophy at Femmeprenista. We don’t chase. We attract. We serve. We build relationships. And the tool that allows us to do this with focus and integrity is the Customer Avatar.

What IS a Customer Avatar, Really? (It’s Not a Boring Checklist)

Okay, so what is this magical tool?

A Customer Avatar is not just a list of demographics. Age, location, income—that’s the skeleton. It’s a start, but it’s not where the magic lies.

A true, powerful Customer Avatar is a deep, empathetic portrait of a single human being. It’s an exercise in psychological curiosity. It's about understanding her inner world so intimately that your marketing stops feeling like marketing and starts feeling like a deeply helpful, almost psychic, conversation.

As the brilliant Rory Sutherland explains in Alchemy, the most powerful solutions are often not the most logical ones; they are the ones that solve for underlying psychological needs. Your avatar helps you uncover that "real why"—the deep, often unstated, emotional drivers behind a purchase. She might say she wants a new website, but what she really wants is the feeling of legitimacy and the confidence to finally charge what she's worth. That’s what you speak to.

Why We Have Three Avatars: Mapping The Entire Femmeprenista Journey

At Femmeprenista, we don't just have one avatar. We have three.

This isn't to complicate things; it's to honour the entire entrepreneurial journey. A woman just starting her business has fundamentally different fears, needs, and dreams than a woman scaling a 7-figure company. By defining avatars for each key stage, we can provide specific, relevant value to everyone in our ecosystem, building trust long before they ever become a client. It positions us as a long-term partner in their success.

Let's meet them.

1. The Foundation Builder (Our 'Chloe')

This is the determined founder in the early stages, focused on validating her offer, securing consistent clients, and building core business confidence.

Her Business "Now": She's either pre-revenue or making inconsistent income (under £1k/month). She's likely doing everything herself, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks and the "what do I do next?" paralysis.
Her Inner World: Her dominant feelings are a mix of excitement, overwhelming self-doubt, and a deep fear of judgment. Imposter syndrome is her constant companion. She’s thinking, "Is my idea good enough? Who am I to charge for this? How do I even find clients?"
Her Biggest Challenge: Gaining clarity and confidence. She’s drowning in free advice online and can’t synthesize it into a clear, actionable plan. She needs a simple roadmap to get her first consistent wins and prove to herself that this is possible.
How We Serve Her: With high-value free content, our supportive Femme:Connect community, and accessible entry-level programs like Spark and Launch, designed to give her that crucial initial momentum.

2. The Scaling Leader (Our 'Amy') - Our Primary Focus

This is our primary client: the established entrepreneur who has proven her business model and is now ready to scale. She’s tackling complexity, leadership, and optimising for greater impact and freedom.

Her Business "Now": She’s generating consistent revenue (typically £3k-£10k+/month) but has hit a plateau. She’s the bottleneck in her own business, working long hours and feeling like she’s on the verge of burnout. She may have a small team or VA, but struggles to delegate effectively.
Her Inner World: She feels ambitious and proud, but also chronically overwhelmed and isolated. She’s wrestling with a new level of imposter syndrome, feeling the pressure to maintain her success. She’s thinking, "How do I grow without working more hours? What systems do I need? How can I attract premium clients consistently and step into my role as a true CEO?"
Her Biggest Challenge: Moving from "doer" to visionary leader. She needs to implement robust systems, refine her marketing to attract higher-level clients, and build a team, but feels trapped in the day-to-day operations.
How We Serve Her: This is the woman our Business Flourish Accelerator and Momentum 1:1 Coaching are built for. We provide the integrated strategy—fusing mindset, marketing, and AI-powered systems—to help her break through her growth ceiling sustainably.

3. The Visionary Leader (Our 'Sofia')

This is the highly successful, seasoned CEO focused on executive leadership, legacy building, and navigating high-stakes strategy.

Her Business "Now": She’s leading a thriving 7-figure+ business with an established team. Her challenges are no longer about getting clients, but about long-term vision, market leadership, and personal mastery.
Her Inner World: She is confident and accomplished, but can feel isolated at the top. She lacks a confidential space with true peers to discuss high-level strategic challenges. She’s thinking, "What is my legacy? How do I continue to innovate and lead my team effectively? How do I manage my energy for the long haul?"
Her Biggest Challenge: Sustaining peak performance and finding high-level strategic sparring partners. She needs sophisticated guidance on leadership, wealth management, and ensuring the long-term health and impact of her company.
How We Serve Her: Through our most premium, bespoke 1:1 coaching (Ascend), where she gets a confidential, high-level strategic partner to help her navigate the unique complexities of her stage.

Your Turn: A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Primary Avatar

Ready to get this clarity for your own business? Grab a notebook. We’re going to build your primary avatar right now. Don’t overthink it; let the answers flow.

Step 1: The Skeleton (Demographics)

Let’s get the basics down. Give her a name.

Age? Marital Status? Children?
Occupation/Industry? Job Title?
Where does she live? What’s her approximate income level?

Step 2: The Inner World (The Soul)

This is the most important part. Go deep.

Values: What are her 3-5 core values in life and business? (e.g., Freedom, Integrity, Community, Growth).
Fears: What keeps her up at 3 AM? Be specific. It’s not just "failing." It’s "the fear of letting my family down," or "the fear that I'll have to go back to my corporate job." What is the fear underneath the fear?
Dreams: What does she secretly, desperately want? It’s not just "more money." It’s "the freedom to book a spontaneous trip with my kids without checking my bank account," or "the respect of my peers and the feeling that I’ve built something that truly matters."

Step 3: A Day in Her Life (The Reality)

Walk through a typical day in her shoes.

What’s the first thing she does in the morning? What does she listen to in the car?
Where does she hang out online? (Specific Facebook groups, blogs, influencers she follows).
What are her biggest daily frustrations? (e.g., "Juggling client calls with a toddler who won’t nap," "Staring at a blank screen trying to write a marketing email").

Step 4: Enter the Conversation in Her Mind

This is the master step. Based on everything above, what are the exact phrases running through her head?

Write down 3-5 sentences she says to herself about her business challenges.
- (e.g., "I'm working so hard, but my income is still so inconsistent.")
- (e.g., "I know I need to be more visible, but I'm terrified of what people will think.")
- (e.g., "There are so many people doing what I do. How can I possibly stand out?")

When you can articulate her problem better than she can, she will automatically and unconsciously credit you with knowing the solution. That is the moment you move from a seller to a trusted advisor.

Your Smallest Viable Step: Bring Her to Life

You’ve done the work. You’ve gone beyond a simple checklist and looked into the soul of the person you are here to serve. This avatar is now your North Star. Before you write another email, create another offer, or post on social media, ask one simple question:

"What would [Your Avatar's Name] need to hear today?"

This is how you build a business that lasts. This is how you create a brand that people love. It starts, and ends, with a deep, unwavering focus on the human you are here to help.

So, what’s one insight you gained about your ideal client from this exercise? Share her name and one thing you learned in the comments below!

Carlene Nisbett

Founder & CEO, Femmeprenista (Coach, Mentor, Speaker)

Wife, Mother of four, Business Owner, PhD Researcher, Pet mom, Plant mom, 5'0" tall Passionate Multitasker & Wine Lover, You get the drift…

www.femmeprenista.com

P.S. This work is so much more powerful when you do it in community. If you're ready to share your avatar and get feedback from ambitious women who get it, come and join us.

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