Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ken Gosnell, Founder of CEO Experience, located in Tampa, FL, USA.

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

CEO Experience (CXP) serves CEOs and business owners who want to grow their businesses using biblical business principles for kingdom impact. CXP serves startups to well-established companies but focuses on leaders who understand that they can succeed by learning from others. CEO Experience helps leaders learn faster to lead further.

Tell us about yourself

My passion is partnering with leaders of leaders. I was consulting for large corporations, and I wanted to bring corporate thinking and executive coaching to small and mid-size businesses that had the desire to serve others and make decisions from their values. Everyone talks about business as essential, yet very few organizations serve small businesses and help them grow and make a difference in their communities and employees. I formed CEO Experience to help business owners use their experience and the experiences of others to grow their business and impact. I knew that the organization was essential because a leader for many years, I tried to lead alone. Only after I discovered the power of others was I able to achieve business and personal breakthroughs.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

At CEO Experience, we challenge the CEOs and business owners we work with monthly to celebrate their "wins" to build momentum and success. I have had many wins, such as developing a distribution model to help coaches across the country serve CEOs (www.cxpleader.com), writing a book (https://a.co/gJcQCs3), and growing the organization. But our most significant accomplishment is helping the CEOs and business owners we work with hear the words Well Done in their business and life.

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

The hardest part of being a business owner is making consistent right decisions at the right time. One bad decision can cost a company a lot of money or a good employee. Many bad decisions can cost the company and the CEO everything they have. Having a team around the CEO and a place where the CEO can gather their thoughts and have their thoughts challenged will often lead to more success and more confidence in their decisions. The market and business are always changing, so business owners need to find a place to study the timely and the timeless. The CEO Retreat day (www.ceoretreatday.com) is a day for the business owner to continue self-improvement, solve problems, and seek the wisdom of others.

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

Starting a business can be one of the hardest things anyone ever tries to do, but it can also be one of the most rewarding. I teach new business owners that they need to know three things.

  1. Know Yourself. To succeed, they must believe that they have been created for the purpose of starting and succeeding in this business. Only when you believe you can are you able to do it. Many businesses fail because the owner doesn't really believe in themselves and their business.
  2. Know your customer. Businesses are only as good as their customers. Knowing the customer and where to find the customer is one of the most important parts of any new business. You can only reach and win a customer that you know exists and will benefit from your product.
  3. Know Your Profit. The leader who endeavors to start a business should know the industry and understand how their products can help the industry to be better. Better products produce at a better rate to help customers be better will lead to profitability. Entrepreneurs who are starting their businesses should focus on when and how to become a profitable business.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Life is too short, and business is too hard to live a life that is less than Well Done. Well Done means leading your company and structuring your life on the things that matter most and that will make a difference. Every business owner can learn the business principles that will help them grow their business and find success in their personal life. The first step might be to attend a free CXP Virtual CEO Retreat - (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ceo-experience-virtual-ceo-retreat-tickets-320343334537)

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.ceoexperience.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ken.gosnell.1/photos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kengosnell1/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ken_gosnell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kengosnell/

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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