What does it take to transform a community while simultaneously transforming yourself? Megan Gerber's journey from classroom teacher to downtown entrepreneur to leadership coach unveils the profound connection between personal growth and entrepreneurial success.

When Megan noticed her high school students in Chillicothe, Ohio lacked consistent adult support outside school hours, she took a remarkable leap of faith. With no business experience but boundless determination, she founded both Paper City Mentoring Project (a nonprofit supporting teenagers) and

(a full-service café that helped fund the mission). "I knew it was crazy. I knew I didn't know how to do it," she admits. Yet that commitment before complete readiness became her first entrepreneurial superpower.

Throughout eight years of business ownership, Megan encountered what she calls "full walls" – seemingly insurmountable obstacles that threatened her dream. Her approach to these challenges reveals a crucial mindset: "I allowed myself the time and space to just step back for a second and recalibrate and say, this is how I thought I was going to build this business. That didn't work, so I'm going to figure out another way." This resilience and adaptability sustained her through financing hurdles, pandemic pivots, and countless leadership tests.

Beyond business mechanics, Megan discovered the profound personal growth inherent in entrepreneurship. "If you want to do a lifetime of personal inner work, just become an entrepreneur," she reflects. This realization eventually led her to pursue a master's degree focused on the human dimensions of organizations, and ultimately to her current role coaching leaders through their own growth journeys.

Today, Megan helps executives, small business owners, and leaders navigate the intersection between effective leadership and authentic humanity. Her core message resonates with startling clarity: "If you want to be a better leader, be a better human." Through one-on-one coaching and workshops tackling issues like anxiety, she guides clients to the self-awareness that transforms their leadership presence.

Guest Links:

https://web.facebook.com/papercitymentoringproject

https://web.facebook.com/papercitycoffee

Main Street Reimagined:

Facebook: facebook.com/MainStreetReimagined

The Main Street Reimagined Podcast, Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqfkmF5bRH0od1d3iiYKs3oEn_gvMYk7N



Henry Development Group:

Facebook: facebook.com/henrydevelopmentgroup

Website: www.henrydevelopmentgroup.com

Developing News Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/33110524eb5c/developing-news


Luke Henry:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/luhenry

Facebook: facebook.com/luke.henry.148

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