Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lawrese Brown, founder of C-Track  LLC., located in East Orange, NJ, USA.

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

C-Track creates books and training programs that teach individuals and teams how to speak with confidence, speak up for themselves, self-manage, and manage others so that they can perform better in their jobs. We teach the skills for work that aren't taught in schools.

Tell us about yourself

I was a high-achieving, straight-A student who graduated college believing I could translate my success from school into success at work. But that didn't work. Because my academic success was based on the ability to recall subject-focused knowledge, workplace success is based on the ability to execute skills and leverage knowledge specific to the problem that needs to be solved. I didn't want other students and professionals to experience the frustration and disappointment I did when transitioning into the workplace. C-Track translates the language organizations and employers use into the skills employees need to have. I'm motivated each time a client shares that they landed a job, got a promotion, resolved a conflict, or simply felt more confident because of our work.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Achieving a reputation for high-quality services. Most training fails because the skills being taught don't translate to the organizational context - so professionals have no idea how to apply what they learn. That's why we customize our training programs to the needs of the teams and work with managers and leaders to reinforce the teams learning.

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

Prioritizing. There's always a to-do list that's longer than what can be done in a day. It helps me to know how the task I'm completing connects to organizational bottom lines, which are increasing revenue from new customers, decreasing company spending, increasing new business and market share through partnerships, and increasing revenue from existing customers. Our businesses are our 'babies,' but they can't grow if we do everything. Knowing what bottom lines I'm accountable for helps me delegate.

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

  1. Be willing to test a new idea more than once. You have to test because you need evidence (outside of your own thoughts) about whether it's good or not. Test it once. Test it again with a variation. It's all information.
  2. Look for partners. Yes, you have competitors, but you are not in competition with everyone. Finding partners that complement but don't compete with you will help clarify your messaging so that you can identify what your customers come to you for.
  3. Write, share, speak, teach. Keep putting yourself in front of others you can help. Business is service, don't be quiet about the results you achieve. The right people will appreciate you, and the wrong people will ignore you. Both are wins.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

My vision for transforming education is BIG, and I always happen to connect with others in the space both K-12, policy, higher ed, and workforce development. As a teacher and educator, I am also a dedicated learner. Please connect!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ctracktraining.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ctracktraining
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ctracktraining/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CtrackTraining
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-track/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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