Welcome to the Creative Business Accelerator

For the Storytellers, Magic Makers & Creatives with Big Ideas

Big ideas need big plans! There's a gap between "I've got a dream" and "I'm changing the world." Clarity, confidence and a well-defined plan are necessary for closing that gap so that your big ideas happen.

If you are ready to make your big ideas happen, to tell the stories that matter and to make magic, then welcome! You are in the right place.

I have found my tribe, sign me up!

If you're a Creative Entrepreneur on a mission, who...

has a big, bold vision for your business but you can’t see how to get there from where you are and you know you need a better plan

is committed to taking the daily actions needed to grow your influence and spread your idea

knows that the more money you make, the more good you can do in the world

wants to build a profitable business model around your big idea

feels overwhelmed by the details of building a business and knows there must be an easier way than doing #allthethings

gets easily distracted by new ideas and needs support focusing in on your one big dream

is seeking the right systems and tools that work for your visionary, creative right-brain way of seeing the world

is willing to put in the effort and time to grow your business but you want to make sure you are doing the RIGHT work

Bringing ideas to life takes courage…

and a smart plan to keep you going, even when the going gets rough.

Your dreams and gifts matter. You have been called to this creative journey and it can be challenging.

It's easy to get frustrated and overwhelmed by the seemingly endless list of to-dos. We are here to change that!

Now is your time!

It’s time to unleash your creative genius and share your unique brilliance with the world - and make great money doing it.

To do that, you need a step-by-step plan for getting from where you are to where you want to be. You also need accountability and support from creatives who think big like you do. You can't start a movement or make an impact by yourself.

Now is the time to accelerate your growth, spread the word faster and step into leadership of your creative business.

Yes, I want this now!

Meet your Creative Business Guide

Hey there… I’m Dr. Minette Riordan – serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, artist, life-long learner, wife and mom.
I’ve spent the last 15 years as a creative business owner. But it wasn’t until about 3 years ago that I UNLOCKED the most important piece of my success story: Claiming My Unique Brilliance! You see, I had been trying to compartmentalize my gifts and talents as a business consultant and an artist – it just wasn’t working and no one really understood what I was offering, so no one was buying. Plus, trying to maintain two identities was exhausting.

Everything changed when I was able to fully integrate my creativity with my business systems to create a brand and platform that spoke to other creative entrepreneurs.

Leveraging and building on My Unique Brilliance has helped my platform and my business to explode!

It also allowed my amazing husband of 22 years to become my business partner. Brad Dobson excels at seeing systems and helping creatives like you and me to implement them. With over 25 years of expertise in software and technology, Brad brings his unique brilliance to our creative community, too. He is my co-leader on the journey to accelerating the growth of your creative business.

You don’t have to go it alone, in fact going it alone is what kept me stuck for 10 years in a business that was struggling! Been there, done that. We all need community and we need support. And we need systems, yep systems that work for our creative, visual selves.

YES! I’m talking about YOU, my fellow creative entrepreneur…

YES! You with the bright shiny idea syndrome...

Because I know what it’s like to have been where you are and I knew I wanted to pay it forward.

Creativity is the future of business.

Make no mistake: Creativity and Innovation are driving business today. In an IBM study of thousands of CEOs – the number one trait they look for in new hires is creativity. Well, you’ve got that in spades, right?

The trick? How to stand out in a very crowded marketplace. No matter how innovative or creative your ideas and plans are, it can be challenging to create the visibility you need to spread your ideas and make the impact you want!

Creativity and innovation are only part of the equation when it comes to getting paid for your stories, designs and leadership.

There are two essential parts to building a dynamic creative business:

1) You must have a rock solid plan for growing and scaling your vision.

2) You must have support & accountability. We grow faster when we grow together.

That’s why we built the Creative Business Accelerator.

Get the step-by-step plans, systems and support you need to spread your stories and make your magic happen.

Here's what a few of our clients are saying:

Have you ever wanted to try something new but didn’t know where to start? Or wanted to go in a different direction but didn’t know how to take the first step? I was in that situation and I needed someone to hold my hand and lead me into my future. Minette was that person. She helped me by starting where I was, my hopes and hang-ups together with my dreams and desires, and synthesizing them to create a vision of where I want to be, and how to grow my new business. She had the knowledge that I lacked and kept me focused on my goals instead of all the “shiny objects” that would distract me and did not align with my new purpose. She encouraged me, affirmed my efforts and was a great support during the waves of doubt and uncertainty that are natural during new ventures. Her reassurance of staying true to your passion, identifying your ideal client and reminders that “growth takes time” were essential in taking the process one step at a time and concentrating on the now. The main target for me was not putting so much pressure on myself so that the joy in the journey would remain. I would recommend that if you need a fresh start or a new direction, Minette is the one who will help you make that happen! - Elaine Perez, www.Summercrafter.com

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Just a super big THANK YOU to Minette Riordan for being an AMAZING coach and for bringing me back to life. In less then one month she has already helped me turn the tables and start to rock my graphic design business again! She is brilliant with her input, advice, strategies, ideas, support and guidance and really wants to help you succeed. – Brittany Allen, 2nd Story Design

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I had a business model that was difficult to make a profit based on my new business. It just felt hard. I was really starting to stress. You introduced a new business model to me. It was a bit out-of-the box and it took me a minute wrap my mind around it. With your help I was able to make the mindset shift. It was like I had fresh air blown in my face. I got it! I am so excited!! I now have a business model (system) where I can make a profit and easily scale! - Trisha Garrett, coach and founder of BriteLite.TV

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I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the test results. Me, a Maverick? I would have thought I was a Mentor. But as I read the archetypes report, I thought “that explains a lot about my past struggles!” In my previous businesses, I’d been working from business models that were perfect for a Mentor, but definitely not for a Maverick! Now, I can see what I need to do differently to thrive in my business and build the big vision that lives in my heart and soul. - Vasi Huntsalas, www.Ignite Your Sol.com

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Since working with Minette, I have gotten crystal clear on what my business model is. I got my first coaching clients and I hosted a wildly successful live event which helped me to fill a group coaching program. I love how supportive Minette and her team are. I know I wouldn’t be moving this fast without her practical strategies and clear path to profit. - Yolanda Kaye Williams, www.YolandaKaye.com

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Minette Riordan is my amazing business coach. I am one of those highly creative, artistic healers who didn't know how to value my services when I first began my business. But through working closely with Minette, I've steadily transformed my relationship to my own value, what I charge for my services, and now am on my way to running a profitable business that serves queer women. I could not have achieved the success I have in so little time without Minette's skill, love, compassion, integrity, and coaching. She is such a gem! - Sofia Rose Smith www.SofiaRoseSmith.com

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Minette Riordan is a incredible coach and trainer. She helped us focus on what’s important in our business, identify next steps and she provided us with the resources needed to accomplish our goals. She is supportive and celebrated our wins and motivated us when we felt discouraged. Her direct, straight to the point, no frills or fluff coaching really helped our business skyrocket. We walk away inspired, focused and ready to take on the world after each coaching session. - Ellany Cevan

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Minette’s clear insight and feedback reignites my passion for my purpose. In our conversation, Minette brilliantly guided me to the core of what I want to do next in my business. She masterfully asked questions so I uncovered my perfect niche and helped me translate my ideas into a tangible benefit for my ideal client. – Kathy Garland, Kathy Garland International

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Minette is a gifted coach to women entrepreneurs and those experiencing life/work major transitions. Her workshops are spot on for a quick tune up with exercises and discussions that are helpful in exploring your challenges and giving you the tools to refresh and solidify business goals. – Luci Sheehan, Sales and Marketing Leader

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Minette, I can’t thank you enough for the value you brought to me for my company. You helped me achieve the goals I was striving for and in such a short time. With your amazing knowledge and expertise, I have grown as a business owner AND met what I was hoping for. I would recommend anyone wanting to learn more about marketing their business to connect with Minette. She is such fun to work with and has all the skills necessary to assist anyone in business. Thank you! – Heather Quiring, Travel Directions
 

The Creative Business Accelerator is a virtual learning environment which begins with our innovative Visual Business Mapping System™ - a step-by-step process on how to build a thriving, creative business on the unshakable foundation of YOU: Your Brilliance, Your Values and Your WHY. Plus, surround yourself with other creative entrepreneurs that ‘get it’.

We call this the Creative Business Accelerator for a reason.

ac·cel·er·a·tor
əkˈseləˌrādər/
noun
1. a person or thing that causes something to happen or develop more quickly.
2. a device, typically a pedal, that controls the speed of a vehicle's engine.

The Creative Business Accelerator will help you grow faster by knowing exactly what steps to take from crafting the vision, setting goals, creating the action plan and breaking it down into what you need to do every single day to go from where you are to where you want to be.

No more wasting time trying to figure everything out, spinning your wheels and feeling overwhelmed and out of control.

We’ll help you decide how fast to go, when to step on the gas and which road to take to get to your destination faster.

Plus, I love the Fast & Furious movie series – sure there are fast cars, sexy stars and crazy action scenes but there is also a team of passionate, caring people who came together for a specific quest, each player on the team brings their strengths to the mission.

How cool would it be to have a team that really sees you, gets you and is going in the same direction to support you in reaching your business goals?

We will show you the fastest path to go from "I've got a dream" to "I'm changing the world." Are you ready? 

Immediate Access to the Acceleration Library

For those of you who love DIY and self-study, you will get instant access to our library of courses, content and planners. I like to imagine it in my mind like a beautiful library with floor to ceiling shining wooden bookcases filled with tomes old and new with those cool rolling ladders that move around the room to help you reach the highest shelves… but every library needs an organizational system, right? We won’t let you get lost or overwhelmed by the content. In fact, we will help you pinpoint the exact training you need in the moment and design a customized success path just for you.

LIVE Bi-Weekly Coaching & Support

It takes a village... the old saying goes.
We believe that when it comes to starting a movement, growing a business or brainstorming your next big idea, book or project, you need a team in your back pocket. That's why twice a month we host live Zoom calls for training, support and doing the inner mindset work required to be a visionary leader in your business. This is your chance to get coached live by Minette and Brad.

Planning for Every Area of Your Business!

If I have learned anything in my 15 years of business it's that planning is the secret to rapid growth and productivity as well as the best way to eliminate procrastination and overwhelm.

Inside the CBA, we teach you how to design your best year ever by better planning

Visual Business Map (Your Business Vision)
90 Day Project Plans & Focus Guides
Monthly Marketing and Income Goals
Editorial and Promotional Calendars
Daily Task Lists

We also do the inner work

Because we believe that doing your most important work is an inside out job and sometimes the mindset is what is holding you back.

Through our course content and live calls, we combine artful, creative processes with practical actions to move through doubt, fear, or lack of belief.

Over and over again we find the biggest breakthroughs in our community come from being willing to explore the inner game of growing our creative businesses.

And let’s not forget the Accelerated Action Playdates

Join Minette for quarterly Accelerated Action playdates on topics like planning, money mindset, marketing and sales. We gather live on Zoom to get work done together. This is one of our most popular activities in the CBA community. Recent playdates have included clearing the money clutter, completing a project plan, designing an editorial calendar and more.

Or our growing creative community on Facebook

This is where you will:

Connect with the CBA team – get to know Minette & Brad!
Connect with each other
Find accountability buddies
Ask questions
Get support
Share your celebrations, trials and tribulations (because there are always bumps on the creative road!)

Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION: Who is Minette Riordan?
ANSWER: I am serial entrepreneur with a PhD from Stanford who has built two successful businesses. I have won awards, published three books, and fallen flat on my face more times than I care to admit. After 11 years in the publishing industry I realized I was building the wrong business, ugh! And it was hard to get out, hard to start over but now I am living my dream life working with other creatives who want to get paid well for their gifts and talents. Plus my husband got to quit his job to come work with me full time 2 years ago, yeah! We built the Path to Profit Academy to help you turn your creative genius into a profitable business. When I’m not working I make art, write, walk on the beach and watch too much Netflix. And I am a wee bit obsessed with dragons, but that’s not important right now.

QUESTION: What is a “Creative Entrepreneur”? Isn’t everyone creative?
ANSWER: We define a creative entrepreneur as someone who sees her creativity as the core of the work she does in the world. You could be a designer, freelancer, artist, coach or consultant. And if you answer YES! to at least three of the following statements, you are a creative entrepreneur:
• I am a visual or kinesthetic learner.
• I consider myself to be right-brained.
• I am always so full of ideas I feel like I can barely contain them.
• I can see connections between people or ideas that other people don’t see.
• I consider myself to be highly creative in my work and in my life.
• I am passionate about what I do.
• I am not a linear thinker. I struggle with structure and systems.
• I love to go with the flow and not follow a rigid schedule.
• I find certain aspects of building a business—like creating a budget or selling my services—to be frustrating.
• I am easily overwhelmed by too many details

QUESTION: Is the Creative Business Accelerator right for me?
ANSWER: This question is super-important, both for you and for us. We want you to succeed! This program is not for everyone. The Creative Business Accelerator is an online learning platform where you will be doing much of the work on your own through short videos and worksheets. You will have access to us through monthly office hours and a private Facebook group for asking questions and connecting to our community but no 1-1 coaching with Minette or her team is included. The CBA Startup Level is ideal for people who are comfortable with technology, online learning and are self-starters comfortable working on their own.

QUESTION: Does Minette Riordan offer 1-on-1 business coaching?
ANSWER: Yes. If your business is ready for some laser-focus, we can help with that too. Send us an email at clientcare@pathtoprofitacademy.com and we will get back to you promptly to schedule a consultation with Minette.

QUESTION: Do you have a guarantee?
ANSWER: Yes! It's our 30 Day Money-Back Happiness Guarantee. Start the program. Experience the Creative Business Accelerator's rich course content. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, notify us in writing before 30 days is up. I will gladly refund your money – every penny! No hassles and we can part as friends.

QUESTION: Which membership level is right for me?
ANSWER: Well, that depends! Our CBA Startup Monthly membership offers you all of the accelerator content with low monthly payments. Plus access to live training and support every month. There are monthly office hours and a Facebook group for getting your questions answered and for building community, because we know you will have questions, building business is challenging. We will be here with you every step of the way.

The CBA Startup level does not include any 1-1 coaching with Minette or her team. Whether you are new to business or trying to take an existing business to the next level, this program offers practical business building skills in finances, marketing and sales at an affordable price. If you do not have a website yet, this level is the best place to start.

When you pay in full for the Startup Annual Membership you get all of this plus some great bonuses plus you save over $100.

Our Next Level membership is truly a whole different level of support including live events: this is for you if you are ready to get on the fast track to taking your business to the next level.

The CBA Next Level program is right for you if you have been in business for a while, already have a website and some marketing in place. You are getting consistent clients and sales but you want more of them and want to grow faster. This level includes live in-person training as well as 1-1 coaching from Minette and her team. You are ready for the Next Level program if you are committed to investing time and money in your business and are looking for a more personalized and customized approach to rapid growth.

If you are not sure which program might be right for you, email us at clientcare@pathtoprofitacademy.com and we’d be happy to help you figure out which level is for you.

Question: What do I need to access the Creative Business Accelerator content?
ANSWER:
• You will need a high speed internet connection to be able to watch the videos, listen to the audios, and participate fully in video calls.
• It will be helpful to have a basic understanding of IT, like reading emails, navigating sites like Facebook and logging in to online platforms, etc. If you’re having trouble with some IT related stuff some help can be given, but in depth IT guidance cannot be given.
• You will need to download Zoom (zoom.us) to participate in the live training calls. This is a free application and is easy to use. You can access Zoom on a computer, smart phone or tablet.

QUESTION: I have another question ... is there a way to get it answered?
ANSWER: Definitely. Send us an email at clientcare@pathtoprofitacademy.com and we will get back to you promptly.

Join for the Education, Stay for the Community!

Here's what you get for just $1 in the 14-day trial of the Creative Business Accelerator:

(Online Membership billed at $49/mo after the trial ends if you decide to continue)

✅ Full access to our signature Creative Freedom Formula and Creative Money Mastery courses - multi-module video courses designed specifically for Creative Entrepreneurs

✅ Full access to our epic project planners for everything from time management to budgets and blogs

✅ New Live Training every month on the skills you need to grow your business

✅ Monthly LIVE office hours – ask us anything and get 1-1 laser coaching

✅ An easy to use online calendar so you never miss a live event!

✅ New courses, planners and resources added monthly

✅ A library of e-books, checklists and templates of done for you systems for your business – stop guessing and start growing!

✅ A library of all trainings and Q&A calls – got questions? We’ve got answers!

✅ Full access to our CBA Facebook community (and to Minette & Brad – we love FB!)

✅ Discounts on our private retreats in Santa Barbara or 1-1 coaching.

I want to join now for just $1!