Episode 2: Skillpop’s Pandemic Pivot with Haley Bohon
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
[7:26] Haley’s short stint as an engineer
[11:23] “This isn’t my forever thing.”
[11:52] What led Haley to create her 4 ½ year old business
[13:12] “I was craving something more.”
[13:29] Importance of finding community in a new city
[18:45] Current situation within the pandemic
[20:10] “Online learning just didn’t work for me...in-person learning is really special.”
[22:01] Disaster planning
[24:24] Class cancellation
[25:05] Join improve it!’s WFH (workshop from home) membership
[27:41] Skillpop Anywhere was launched in 3 days
[28:24] “It felt like I am just completely back to the beginning in both a terrifying and exhilarating way.”
[31:14] Haley’s 3 biggest lessons: Problems/Solutions, Ask for Help, Build in Normalcy
[34:32] Great book shout out - Traction
[36:32] Shoutout to Asana
[37:30] Haley’s awesome advice
[40:22] Fail Yeah!
[41:54] Skillpop Anywhere Pitch
Instagram: @skillpop
Twitter & Facebook: SkillPopHQ
[43:08] Screenshot you listening and tag us using #faileditpodcast!
Instagram: @learntoimproveit
Facebook: @improveit
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."
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.
When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running by the lake and patio dinners with her husband and son, and their eight pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.
You can follow the failed it! Podcast @learntoimproveit on Instagram and facebook, and you can follow Erin here on Instagram. We can’t wait to connect with you online!