WAGS Work: Brie Beeks
The WAGS Work Series aims to show our readers that we are more than the stereotypes you might be familiar with--we're creative, hard-working, driven, and willing to do whatever it takes to make this lifestyle work. We also hope to inspire women in all walks of life to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to working and creating the lives of their dreams. Please reach out to the women featured in this series if you have questions or want to learn more about what they do.
Tell us who you are, how you got into the baseball world, and a little bit about you and your boyfriend/fiancé/husband
Hi! I’m Brie Beeks and I was adopted into the baseball world in 2014 when my sweet husband, Jalen Beeks, was drafted by the Red Sox out of our junior year of college. We both went to the University of Arkansas, Woo Pig Sooie! College isn’t where we began though. I moved to small town Prairie Grove in 2005, 8th grade, where J had gone to school all his life. We became really close friends our senior year of high school as we worked long shifts together at the convenience store in the middle of town. I remember going with him to shop for Christmas gifts for girlfriends and the women in his family. He’s all boy and not the best shopper haha.
After high school, we went our separate ways for a year until he signed to play baseball at the UofA sophomore year for the 2013 season. We both changed drastically during our time apart and the Lord really had his hand on our story and kept us from falling for each other before this time. We both decided to follow Jesus during that time apart and when we started hanging out again as friends, he was even more good looking. In lack of creativity for friend dates, I found myself asking him if he wanted to come over and watch the bachelorette…he secretly loved the show I think haha.
It was mid-season 2013 and I went to watch him play for the first time. (Not sure if I’ve ever told anyone this.) I sat in the outfield by the bullpen and while he was warming up, he got set and exhaled the way he does before every pitch and right before he threw the ball he looked up in the outfield stands, made eye contact with me, and winked. I melted and practically fell over dead. I’m getting the same butterflies just typing it out! We said, "I love you" two weeks later and decided we were getting married right after college ball was over.
This is his fifth season with the Red Sox and my fourth season to travel with him. We now have a 22-month-old baby girl, Breckly, who was born during the season in Salem, Virginia, and a 4-month-old baby boy, Jack, who was (praise God) an off season baby. #Beekspartyof4
Tell us about your business, what do you do, and how long you’ve been werkin’ it.
I’m a serial entrepreneur and currently run 3 businesses virtually. I started creating my first health and wellness online business the minute I left for Spring Training with my new husband in 2015. I would drop him off at JetBlue stadium in Ft. Myers at 6am, start working at Starbucks by 6:30, and would look up at 2pm to see that it was now daylight and go right back at it.
That morphed into me teaching others about how I ran my blog and coaching practice which turned into Blissful Bosses LLC where I still coach women on creating online companies. We start from the ground up. Most come to me with just an idea and we form a business strategy that quickly gets a product, website, and online presence up and thriving. I’m also passionate about strategies that helps them automate most of their work. I’m all about time freedom and working less to gain the same result.
I have a small shop, oliviacanfly.com, where I sell comfy t-shirts and a portion of proceeds go to Peace at Home Women’s Shelter. I have also been an Arbonne Consultant for 6 years now and want to shout their vegan, Swedish background from the rooftops! J is an avid user of their stuff too.
What inspired you/how did you get started?
I became a health nut after I gained the freshman 15 in college. I did extensive research on ingredients and fell in love with the purity, convenience and taste of Arbonne’s vegan protein powder and their detox tea. Bring it to any dietitian and they’ll rave about the ingredients.
The time I invested in research and the results I obtained in two short months had me on fire for health and wellness and I wanted to pursue a career in the industry. When I started traveling with J I realized I had to find a way to make it work virtually. We travel a lot and being seperated wasn’t an option for either of us. So I started blogging about health and wellness, created a website for macronutrient coaching, and made a detox eBook! That business is still so close to my heart and some of my clients are still my friends on instagram!
That’s where my love for online business began but that was just the beginning. I love the products I use and love living a healthy lifestyle, but I don’t like to teach it. I LOVE the strategy behind marketing and the whole creation process of online businesses and sales funnels. But most of all I love seeing women make more than they were in the corporate world, virtually and passionately.
I think my practice is different than other business coaches in my corner of the world because I strategize for time freedom. There are endless amounts of money but we all have the exact same amount of time and it’s ever fleeting. My mom has always talked about how she had to leave me at daycare until 5:30pm every single day and how she just wanted to hold me the rest of the evening because she missed out on the whole day. She didn’t give me a bedtime because if we both had energy then we were hanging out! This has always stuck with me and I want to help women with ideas and a desire for entrepreneurship experience time freedom where they’re free from the 8am-5pm lifestyle. I want them to be able to provide financially if they need to/want to, be their own boss, create their own hours, work from their couch with their toddler running around or in the next room with their part-time nanny.
Was your success immediate or did it take time?
It took so much time. It wasn’t even profitable until I hired a mentor 6 months in who was 10 steps ahead of me. She showed me that I was spending too much time trying to do it all and how to focus only on what was working. I’m thankful for that time of growth now because I’m able to teach my clients how to do things that didn’t attract my ideal clients but do attract theirs.
What is the biggest obstacle you have faced and how did you persevere?
My obstacles and miracles alike have been my babies. Grateful for my business when I found out I was pregnant with my first is such an understatement. I spent my entire pregnancy figuring out how to automate as much of my business as possible and developing sales funnels that sold my digital products while I was momming. I remember rocking brand new Breckly and crying because I saw a notification on my phone that said “you just received $50.” I know that doesn’t sound like a lot but that wasn’t the only notification!
How do you balance running a business and living the baseball life?
I don’t. I’m a mess haha! My son is pretty brand new (almost 4 months old) and I am just now jumping back into business with both feet. I have someone come play with the babes 8 hours a week where I try to get as much done as possible, but with every move it’s about a 2-3 week process to find that someone. During each move and transition period, I rely on previously built sales funnels and just take a break! I love working but I also love these breaks that make me crave what I do.
How did starting your own business impact your life personally, and for the two of you?
Personally, I feel more fulfilled and like I’m a somebody too with my own work ethic and passion. And my mom is glad that I’m using what I learned in college, so that’s a plus. I feel like most people think the wives and girlfriends are just rando girls who travel around for their boo’s dreams, but having my businesses remind me that I’m still me and I’m still pursuing my own dreams.
For the two of us, my businesses have paid the bills. The last couple of years before J was put on the 40 man roster, we have relied on my income to pay the bills and travel.
What’s a typical workday like for you in the season? In the off season?
There’s no typical workday around here. In season and in off season, I take private coaching calls one day a week for 2 or 3 hours a week. The time of day varies depending on my clients’ schedule and either my babysitter or husband’s schedule. Other than those set appointments, I work on emails and training material during nap times, while I have help if there is help wherever we are, or after the babes have gone to bed! Routine isn’t in our vocabulary.
What’s been the HARDEST part so far? What’s been the BEST?
Being self disciplined is always hard. I love being my own boss but with that comes hitting deadlines all on your own willpower. It’s honestly just an emotional rollercoaster! One day you’re so on fire for what you do and so disciplined with the timeline, and then the next you want to nap or do laundry all day.
The BEST part is traveling with my family and still making it work. My business is a very high priority of mine, but traveling with my husband and keeping my family together is higher.
What are you currently working on and what’s next for your business?
AH! So glad you asked. I am currently working on a program where clients will bring their idea to me, I will give them a business strategy and help them execute it by offering them my entire team. They will receive me as their strategist and business coach, my Graphic Designer who will create their marketing graphics, presentation materials, PDFs and eBooks, my Social Media Marketing Specialist to help them take their genius out into the world, and my Project Manager who will keep them on task and help them crush their to-do list. It’s a 6 month program and I’ve never been this excited!
What advice do you have for other WAGs who hope to start a service-based business?
You don’t have to do it all! You may test it all in the beginning but there’s not enough time in the day to do absolutely everything and it’s also a waste of your brain space. Figure out what works for YOUR audience and stick to only that. Doing this will help you enjoy the time freedom that comes with owning your own business and you won’t work the days away!
What’s one thing you wish EVERYONE knew about being a WAG/baseball life?
We aren’t crazy women out here all alone following our men around. We have made a commitment to someone who has a unique lifestyle. That lifestyle has molded us into extremely adaptable people, put grit in our spirit and strengthened our faith.
And we, WAGs, are a family. When one is sick, another is bedside like a best friend of 20 years or a blood sister. When we have babies a million miles from home, there is still family there when you deliver. We get out of the house and explore our, always changing, new surroundings together. We sit together for 3-4 hours every single night and by the end of the first game of season, we know more than we probably want to know about each other!
Where can we find you online / how can we keep up with you?
You can find my business at briebeeks.com and keep up with me at instagram.com/briebeeks!
Interested in being featured in our WAGS Work series? Email us at hello@ourbaseballlife.com.
