Joi Lesan Consultancy - Candice Washington
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in consultancy but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Candice Washington, CEO of Joi Lesan Consultancy, located in Houston, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At Joi Lesan Consultancy, we combine proficiency in operations and logistics with a background in client experience and retention that spans over 15 years to provide our clients with the knowledge and support needed to deliver top-tier experiences that lead to recurring business.
Tell us about yourself
My personal and professional background has had a profound impact on who I am and how I do business. My evolution as a person and businesswoman stems from an intersection of being raised in a highly professional and entrepreneurial household, collegiate athletics, quality education, and countless professional achievements - a multi-layered foundation that afforded me the ability to develop a dynamic skillset rooted in service, communication, and experience. I leverage my unique strategic agility and expertise in experience with a command of operations, logistics, and strategic development to create data-driven strategies for effortlessly identifying, engaging, and fostering relationships that create an unrivaled client experience, significant impact, and position brands for profitable growth.
After earning a Bachelor's in Psychology from Butler University, I spent 2.5 years in the sports and entertainment industry working for a professional NBA/WNBA team, transitioning from there into the field of education for 14 years, with a focus on Corporate Work Study, Career Counseling, Business Development, and Program Management. Present-day, I'm fortunate that my robust background affords me the opportunity to serve others and create impact through curating experiences.
What motivates me to do what I do? A passion for the experience! Everything we do in our lives points back to an experience where we go, where we shop, what and where we eat…everything! For those things that we haven't yet experienced, our decisions are driven by a positive perceived experience. Experience often impacts our decisions in subconscious ways; that's why it's easy to undervalue their impact. But not only can experiences shape our perspective, but they shape who we become. This is why when we're dealing with others, whether in a relationship or business, it's incumbent upon us to be mindful of how people are experiencing us.
In a world where right and just treatment is hard to come by and where a majority of people (and companies) are most focused on self-fulfilling interests, my ability to influence change through shaping experiences is the most fulfilling work I could do.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I was able to find over $300K in additional revenue from a client's existing client base and developed a strategy for actualizing that revenue. I consider this an accomplishment because in a time where so many small businesses are focused on client acquisition while overlooking the client experience that leads not only to recurring revenue but an increase in revenue earned from existing clients (what I call client maximization), being able to shift the perspective of this company and enlighten them on how they could increase their revenue without relying on new clients was something that will aid in their sustainability.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, the most challenging thing has been hiring. I'm a very detailed, proactive, dependable person, and I operate from a space of integrity and excellence. I've seen how rare that is in business. People seem to want to hurry through tasks/projects just to say that the job has been completed, and that doesn't serve the company or its clients well. Skills can be taught, but character and initiative can't.
Finding people who are as committed to your mission and expectations of excellence can be challenging. But it becomes all the more challenging, the longer you hang on to people who aren't the right fit for your company.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Hire a Coach (or coaches). Coaches reduce your learning curve and allow you to tap into their expertise so you can learn from their experiences and mistakes so that you can avoid them in your business. Hire people who have the expertise you don't. Just because you "can" do something doesn't mean that you should. This includes accounting, legal, taxes, etc.
Just as you want to be hired for your expertise so that you can operate in your zone of genius, you need to hire people to do the same. Make sure that your business has a solid foundation and that all paperwork is in order and stays in order. Solopreneurship is not a badge of honor.
Track and analyze your data. Data is what enables you to make strategic decisions for your business, on everything from productivity, marketing, and client acquisition to retention. Business owners make decisions based on data, not what they think or how they feel, but what the data tells them to do.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.iamcandicewashington.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamcandicewashington
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamcandicewashington/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clientcurator
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theclientcurator/
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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