Become a Better Leader - B2B Leaders Academy

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal & business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Nils Vinje, Founder of B2B Leaders Academy, located in Phoenix, AZ, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Do you know how most companies don't have the time to build and run a structured leadership development program for their front-line leaders? We solved that problem.

The B2B Leaders Academy brings together content, community, and coaching to create an inclusive worldwide community of leaders. The B2B Leaders Academy members are front-line leaders, typically managers and directors, from B2B businesses. Front-line leaders have the single most significant impact on their company's future success.

Members come from all different types of B2B businesses. Some are from early-stage startups with less than $5M ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue). Some are growth-stage with revenue between $5M - $100M ARR, and some are large publicly traded organizations with more than $100M ARR.

The common thread among the companies that enroll members is the desire to have a structured leadership development plan for their front-line leaders and the recognition that they do not have the time to build and run one.

Tell us about yourself

I have been a leadership coach for over ten years! I spent 9 of those ten years working exclusively with senior leaders and executives in a 1:1 capacity. I realized that even though I loved working with the executives, their impact on the overall organization was limited, given their position in the company.

The reality is that the front-line leaders are the people who have the most significant impact on a company's future success. I wanted to have a bigger impact on the future success of the organizations I worked with, so I created the B2B Leaders Academy.

To serve front-line leaders in a cost-effective and scalable way, I had to take all of my best strategies, content, advice, coaching, etc., and create a package accessible to any front-line leader in a B2B business. Most leaders are never taught how to lead. When someone gets promoted, they are essentially told to "figure it out" or "go find a mentor."

The reality is that when leaders are exposed to a structured program, the development of their leadership skills happens exponentially faster than if they tried to figure everything out on their own. I believe that leaders have a ripple effect through their work. In other words, they can positively or negatively impact the lives of the people who work for them.

It's a choice that every leader must make. Suppose they choose to impact positively and want to follow a structured path to becoming a better leader. In that case, they should join the B2B Leaders Academy.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is the impact my work has had on the clients I've had the opportunity to work with. Members have reported that their relationships with their teams, peers, and bosses have all improved.

They've shared stories of how approaching a coaching conversation with an employee has changed due to what they have learned. As a result, employees are more engaged and creative than they ever have been, and best of all, they take more ownership than ever before. I've seen members take control of their time and save 5 hours a week in as little as two weeks!

I am on a never-ending quest to find new ways to add value to the B2B Leaders Academy members because I want to continue celebrating their incredible successes.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things that come with being a business owner is persevering no matter what.

I've been met with my fair share of rejection.

• Rejection from a new product that I thought was suited for a problem my customers were facing...
• Rejection from companies who preferred to do nothing rather than invest in their front-line leaders...
• Rejection from leaders who prefer to figure it out for themselves rather than taking the fast track to success...

Through all these challenges, I remain committed because I know that the value I deliver and the results are accurate. When you do everything for your customers and are in it for the long haul, perseverance will pay off.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Get clear about your customers. Please get to know their challenges, hopes, dreams, desires, and fears. If you were your customer, you have a great place to start from, but don't stop there. Always talk to them and learn more.
2. Build your perseverance muscles - Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. If you have never done something like running a business before, find an opportunity where you will face a lot of rejection and get a sense of what it feels like. If you have done it before, you know the feeling.
3. You only need your vision and the next step. Don't worry about everything in between, as they will become clear once you need to see them. If you do this, you'll be forced to take things one step at a time. You can always figure out a solution to one problem. It's a lot more challenging to find a solution for 100 issues.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.b2bleadersacademy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nils.vinje
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nils_vinje/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NilsVinje

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilsvinje/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/b2b-leaders-academy/

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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