“Embrace the Seasons” with OBM, April Holzapfel of Grace by April

Today we are excited to feature SOWBO Member, April Holzapfel! April is the founder of Grace by April, an OBM service focused on Dubsado builds and business operations solutions.

April helps women transform the way they do business so they can concentrate on the areas where they excel and fill in the gaps where they don’t. She specializes in Dubsado (a CRM tool). In addition, she helps manage her client’s entire back end from organizing internal assets, creating/maintaining project management systems, to hiring and managing their teams.

Let’s get to know April Holzapfel and her work. (Keep an eye out for her gift to you at the end of the post!) 

As an OBM – What is your “why” for doing what you do?

I want to support my clients’ businesses with Grace, Gratitude, and Purpose so they can gain time and their freedom back to have the energy to focus on what they love doing! As an OBM, I draw from my corporate experience, intuition, and skills. This enables me to simplify all the non-revenue, time-sucking, back-end of my clients’ businesses.

Who is your ideal client?

At Grace by April, I mainly work with women, ages 25-45, who are service professionals or creative entrepreneurs. They are:

• Solopreneurs or small business owners who love what they do and care about their clients and customers.
• Serious about helping others but don’t take themselves too seriously and know how to have a good time.
• Passionate, kind, and genuine.

What makes you different from other OBM services?

I don’t like to take on any project just because I’ll get paid. Taking the time to truly listen, I discover the full scope of the client’s needs. And, I like to make sure we can collaborate well and form a real business friendship. This enables me to best serve my clients/projects I do take on!

Now, tell us something fun, quirky, or weird that you’d like our readers to know about you?

A boy mama based out of the Hudson Valley in upstate NY, I’m a nature enthusiast, dessert addict, and minimalist in the making. Some call me an old soul and others call me a carefree-hippie type. I just like to think of myself as striving to live each day with grace, gratitude, and purpose, as no one is promised tomorrow.

Some fun facts:

#1 I can’t resist a good period drama – The Tudors, Outlander, The Crown, etc.

#2 I spend my free time with my family & friends, cooking, reading, hiking, and enjoying all things nature.

#3 I’m a big fan of personality types, and I think knowing yours is absolutely vital to success in the entrepreneurship world. Mine are 16 Personalities: INFP-T, KOLBE A™ INDEX: 6735, and Enneagram: 2!

Who inspires you?

Brené Brown, Jenna Kutcher, Natalie Portman, and of course Amanda and all the lovely ladies at SOWBO!

What is your big scary dream?

To be able to retire my husband and travel with my family across the US and Canada to see all of the beautiful places and have amazing experiences!

Is there one person or thing that you attribute your success to?

I would say my drive and passion to succeed as a business owner while being able to to help others achieve their goals at the same time. After my husband and I learned we were expecting our first child in January of 2020, I dreaded the thought of putting a newborn into daycare in midst of COVID.

Even though I was thankful for my growing corporate role, I was determined to create a better life for my family and have the FREEDOM to be fully present in my son’s life. I discovered the online entrepreneurship world and virtual OMB services—and fell in love with this opportunity! Now, I work full-time with other like-minded passionate “fempreneurs” to bring their big DREAMS into reality… just like I did!

What advice do you have for those on their OBM services or entrepreneur journey?

Always stay positive and go with the flow. Just like with everything in life, there are seasons. EMBRACE THE SEASONS! There are ups and downs, but everything makes you grow, learn, and helps you adapt. Don’t compare your success to others. You don’t know their story, and everyone’s definition of “success” is very different. Look at every win, big or small, and celebrate it!

Thanks to April Holzapfel for sharing her story, her passion, and her insight! We love April’s commitment to developing a “business friendship” and collaborative relationship with her clients!

April has graciously shared her Building a Powerful Team Guided Workbook to help you through the process of beginning to outsource with ease so you can develop your dream team! You can get to know April, what OBM series and Dubsado building entails, and her work in general even better by visiting Grace by April. 

Would you like to be featured next?

We love showcasing amazing women in business and right now is the perfect time to get your name on our line-up! To do so, you’ll want to join our SOWBO Membership program! Click here to learn more about SOWBO Membership.