Ina Coveney
Alright. We have Jennifer.

Jennifer Allwood
Right here with us. Thank you so much for doing this.

Ina Coveney
Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited. This is going to be fun.

Jennifer Allwood
This is going to be so cool. But before we get started, I like to start way back in the beginning. Can you please tell everybody what you do and who you serve right now?

Ina Coveney
Excellent. Right now, I serve mostly women. We're about 99% women in terms of the people that come into my coaching groups. So, I'm a coach for women who are either starting or trying to scale their small businesses in the online space. I serve women who are launching courses, membership groups, masterminds, and one-on-one consulting. I help them figure out how to use social media, email, and other tools in order to do that.

Jennifer Allwood
And what's crazy is that this is not what you did in your career for the better part of your career. That's not where you've been. So, we are going to get there. But from the beginning, can you tell everybody where you were born and what your childhood was like? Take us way back.

Ina Coveney
Alright, way back. So, I am from a tiny town called Moville, Iowa. It had about 1,200 people when I left to go to college. It’s outside of Sioux City, Iowa. It’s a farm community. As for my childhood—well, I was not raised to be an entrepreneur. I know that much. I have never met my biological father, so I was raised in a home that was very volatile and not a real safe or calm place. I couldn’t wait to get out of the house.

Jennifer Allwood
Wow.

Ina Coveney
I was the oldest. I had two half-brothers and four brothers. I ended up graduating from high school at 17—not because I was brilliant, but because I was the youngest in my class. I left for college on an academic scholarship and was just really glad to be away from the volatility of the house, if that makes sense.

Jennifer Allwood
Totally.

Ina Coveney
When I was 19 years old, I moved from that small town in Iowa to Kansas City, Missouri, where I currently live with my husband and children.

Jennifer Allwood
You’ve made faith a big part of your message and your business, which I find so inspiring. Can I ask, where did that passion for your faith come from?

Ina Coveney
Yeah, so when I was a child growing up, my parents were not people of faith. But they insisted that we get baptized in the Catholic Church and attend Wednesday night CCD classes. It’s funny because I didn’t learn a whole lot about God in those classes, but I did learn how to play Truth or Dare and Spin the Bottle.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s hilarious.

Ina Coveney
Right? We did not go to church as a family. I can remember seeing my parents in church maybe twice as a child. But when I was 16, my best friend invited me to her church, which was a non-denominational church in Sioux City. I agreed to go—not because I wanted to go to church, but because I wanted to hang out with my best friend.

Jennifer Allwood
Understandable.

Ina Coveney
That night at youth group, they did an altar call for anyone who didn’t know Jesus as their Lord and Savior or wanted to give their life to Christ. My best friend Rachel looked at me and said, “Do you want to go up front? I’ll go with you.” I’ll never forget her saying, “I’ll go with you.” It was so powerful. I think that’s one of the reasons I love what I do in coaching—I get to go alongside so many women, linking arms and saying, “This is scary, but we’ve got this together.”

Jennifer Allwood
That’s amazing.

Ina Coveney
So, I went up front with her, gave my life to Christ, and the next time I went to church—whether it was the next day or the next week—I got filled with the Holy Spirit. My life has never been the same.

Jennifer Allwood
Wow.

Ina Coveney
What’s interesting is that my parents were very uncomfortable with my newfound love for church. I started going to church with my best friend on Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. My parents were like, “What is happening at this church that you want to spend so much time there?”

Jennifer Allwood
That must’ve been challenging.

Ina Coveney
It was. I had to start lying to my parents. I told them I was going to a teen dance club on Sunday nights, and they were fine with that. But instead, I would sneak off to church. It’s ironic—my parents were okay with me going to a dance club but not to church.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s quite a story.

Ina Coveney
Right? Faith became a huge part of my life, and it’s played such an integral role in my business journey as well.

Jennifer Allwood
We’ll definitely circle back to that, but I want to dive into a really unusual part of your story—you studied computer technology in college. How did that happen?

Ina Coveney
I’ll explain. I went to college right out of high school on an academic scholarship, but I ended up losing it because I was living it up too much. So, I dropped out and moved to Kansas City. I was out of college for several years.
When I met my husband, I was 25, and I had been thinking about finishing my degree. It bugged me that I hadn’t completed it. So, I decided to go back to school. I took evening classes to finish my prerequisites, and when it came time to choose a major, I told my advisor, “I’m torn between computers and interior design.”

Jennifer Allwood
Those are such different paths!

Ina Coveney
Exactly! But I decided on computers because I thought I could make more money. So, I graduated with a degree in computer-based information systems when I was 30. And I hate computers to this day.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s hilarious.

Ina Coveney
I know. But it laid the foundation for where I am now.

Jennifer Allwood
Let’s pause here. Before you even graduated, you took a two-day faux finishing workshop that completely shifted your path. Can you tell us about that?

Ina Coveney
Sure! So, I was in my late twenties when HGTV was really starting to take off. Around that time, people were getting into home improvement and decor. My husband and I would go to the Home Show every year—it’s an event where vendors showcase home improvement products and services.
One year, we stumbled upon a booth that had painted cabinet doors, furniture, and big boards painted to look like marble or stone. It was all faux finishes, and I was completely fascinated. It was like a physical reaction—my heart was racing, and I was giddy. I told my husband, “I want to learn how to do this for our house.”

Jennifer Allwood
I love that!

Ina Coveney
So, I signed up for a weekend workshop and took my sister-in-law with me because she loved home decor as much as I did. We had a blast, and it completely changed everything for me.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s incredible. But I feel like there’s a gap in your story between ages 21 and 30. What was going on in your life during that time?

Ina Coveney
That’s fair. So, after I dropped out of college, I moved to Kansas City and worked odd jobs to make ends meet. I bought my first house at 21 because I thought it was irresponsible to pay rent, so I was working two jobs to save enough money for a down payment. I was super responsible for my age.
By the time I was 25, I started thinking about finishing my degree, which led to me going back to college, meeting my husband, and getting married at 26.

Jennifer Allwood
And you mentioned earlier that your marriage wasn’t smooth sailing at first?

Ina Coveney
Not at all. We both came from broken homes, so about a year into our marriage, we hit a breaking point. People around us even suggested we call it quits, but we were madly in love and willing to work on it. I told him, “We need therapy and church,” and he agreed. That decision saved our marriage.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s so powerful. Let’s jump ahead to when you were working in tech in 2000. You were at a major company, making good money, but then you got laid off. Can you share what that experience was like?

Ina Coveney
Oh, it was tough, but also a blessing in disguise. I hated that job, even though it paid well. When I got laid off, I thought, “I’ll just find another job.” But I had started doing small painting projects for people on the side after that faux finishing workshop, and someone suggested I make it my side hustle.

Jennifer Allwood
How did that transition happen?

Ina Coveney
I spent months trying to come up with a business name. I finally settled on “The Magic Brush,” even though I didn’t love it. I got some business cards and started taking on small projects. Right after getting laid off, I got a job offer from another tech company but turned it down because I felt like I was supposed to pursue painting full-time.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s a bold move.

Ina Coveney
It was, but my husband supported me, and within a year, my painting business took off. I got connected with incredible designers, worked on high-profile projects, and even ended up doing three episodes with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Jennifer Allwood
Wow! How did you go from small jobs to national TV?

Ina Coveney
It was all about showing up and being willing to put myself out there. When Extreme Makeover came to Kansas City, they held an open call for local businesses. I brought my samples, applied, and they loved my work. It was such an amazing experience.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s so inspiring. And by the end of your painting career, you weren’t even doing the painting yourself, right?

Ina Coveney
Right. After I had my first child, I hired my sister-in-law to do the painting while I managed the business. Eventually, I had a team of eight women painting full-time. My real talent turned out to be in marketing and growing the business.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s a huge insight. For creatives who struggle with scaling their businesses, what advice would you give?

Ina Coveney
If you’re not good at the business side, find someone who is. You need to either learn those skills or surround yourself with people who can help. You can’t just focus on the creative work if you want to scale—you have to embrace the business side too.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s so true. Speaking of business, you’ve been in the online space for a while. What’s working now for audience growth, and what’s not?

Ina Coveney
Content is still king, but it has to be engaging and human. Gone are the days when you could post a simple “Happy Thursday” graphic and get tons of engagement. People connect with stories, personal insights, and authenticity.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s a great reminder. As a multi-seven-figure entrepreneur, what advice do you have for someone who can’t even imagine hitting four figures?

Ina Coveney
Start with what you have. Build a social media following and an email list, because those are your biggest assets. If you don’t have an audience, start with one-on-one consulting—it’s more personal and you can charge more. If you have an audience, consider launching a course. Just take small steps to build momentum.

Jennifer Allwood
Amazing advice. Lastly, let’s talk about faith. Some people are afraid to incorporate their spirituality into their business. What would you say to them?

Ina Coveney
If your faith is an integral part of who you are, it will naturally show up in your business. Yes, you might repel some people, but you’ll also attract the right ones. I started incorporating prayer into my coaching after feeling a nudge from God, and it’s been a blessing for both me and my clients.

Jennifer Allwood
That’s beautiful. Thank you for being so open and inspiring. Before we wrap up, can you tell everyone where they can find you?

Ina Coveney
Absolutely! My podcast is The Jennifer Allwood Show. We recently hit 5 million downloads, and I’d love for you to check it out. On social media, I’m most active on Instagram—I always answer my DMs there.

Jennifer Allwood
Perfect. Thank you so much, Jennifer. This has been incredible.

Ina Coveney
Thank you for having me! This was so fun.