Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. April Willis, Founder of April Willis Consulting, LLC., located in Hutto, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
From individuals to organizations, April Willis Consulting, LLC is a full-service consulting firm based in Central Texas but serving clients nationwide. Our mission is to empower every client to maximize their potential and actualize their professional goals. With a team of experts, we provide the support necessary to action-plan, implement, and evaluate strategies that take big ideas and turn them into big accomplishments. Our core values allow us to serve our clients and maintain the high expectations we have set for ourselves.
We help launch your new business, plan the future with your non-profit, develop outstanding educational institutions, and coach the brightest leaders in every industry. We take your amazing ideas and brilliant visions and turn them into reality. We fill in gaps, prepare you for unforeseen obstacles, and support your ambition as you create your next big adventure.
We support businesses and organizations with consulting services that range from grant writing to HR to social media management to website redesigns and so much more! Each client has specific needs and areas of opportunity that April Willis Consulting addresses on a case-by-case basis. Since every client is unique, the level and type of services offered are individualized. This means we will learn where you are and where you want to be before offering a game plan for success.
Tell us about yourself
I am a first-generation college graduate who grew up with the most loving and supportive family. My mom was an immigrant from the Middle East, and my dad was from the military, so their greatest priority for me was to gain a good education to create a life bigger than I could imagine. I went on to not only graduate college but to earn a doctorate and three master’s degrees. I worked at the campus, district, and state levels of education and was certified to be a superintendent, a principal, and in about six different areas of teaching.
Regarding my business, April Willis Consulting, LLC, a HUB-certified organization based in Central Texas, supports small businesses, start-ups, and non-profits across the country with back-office operations, strategic planning, and board development. We also support individuals in achieving professional excellence through resume writing, LinkedIn optimization, and executive & leadership coaching. We believe in “Empowering individuals to maximize their impact.” Our core values are Integrity, Excellence, Service, and Joy.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
What I am most proud of is seeing individuals and businesses thrive while working with us. Based on our success rates, we have been accepted to the Forbes Coaches Council for 2022 and previously earned the title of One of the Top 50 Business Coaches in the US. From growing an all-star team to serving clients on a national scale and even sitting on an international corporate board, I am absolutely living the dream. I have since published two books, have a scholarship fund in its 6th year, have been a prolific professional speaker, and serve in leadership roles for the City.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest parts about owning a company is scaling it. Knowing when it has become bigger than you can handle individually and then trusting to bring others in to increase the capacity of your business. There’s an element of trust that can be very difficult to navigate as you post your first job and interview strangers who will never love your company the way you do, but you still have to trust that they are a professional and will help you grow your empire. This gets easier every time you do it, but it takes time, patience, and some HR know-how to build a positive culture within your team to ensure all new hires are aligned with your company's objectives and mission.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
My greatest advice is to annihilate your excuses and make greatness happen. We all have a list of reasons why success can’t be ours- whether it is upbringing, societal biases, access to resources, lack of experience, or any other number of hurdles we will have to navigate. However, those obstacles do not define us. They exist, and we acknowledge them, then we decide how to conquer them. We overcome challenges. We persevere, and we demonstrate resiliency as we relentlessly pursue our personal goals.
Are you standing in your own way because you believe you can’t make it? Recognize your own limiting beliefs, then change them.
My next tip would be to avoid "analysis paralysis." We can stall success by overanalyzing every idea and attempting perfection but never quite reaching it. Rather than waiting for the perfect time, the best message, or the most innovative approach- just do it. Launch something and revise it later.
Finally, my third tip is to know when you've made it and then set a new goal. What challenging yet achievable result can you set for yourself and measure whether or not you've reached it? Is it a certain revenue by a certain date? Perhaps it's a number of retainer clients by a specific quarter? Whatever your metrics for success are- know them, measure them, and hold yourself accountable. Once you reach that goal, set a new goal, so you always have something you're striving for. You deserve success. You can earn it. It was meant for you.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://aprilwillisconsulting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAprilWillis/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.aprilwillis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AprilCWillis
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/draprilwillis/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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