Teach, Counsel, Inspire - Cockerell Consulting Group

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dan Cockerell, Founder of Cockerell Consulting Group, located in Superior, CO, USA.

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

Our content applies to all industries. Addresses the importance of business results, creating excellent products/experiences, and building a culture where employees can thrive.

Tell us about yourself

After working 26 years in a large corporation, I realized it was time to move on to a new experience. I had 19 jobs while working at Disney, and it was time to get a much more diverse experience. Also, my wife and I discussed two guiding principles that we wanted to follow: number one, freedom, and number two, simplicity. This was great timing since all three of our kids were either working or in college. We now had no other responsibilities to take care of as parents, etc., so this window was perfect for us to take a risk.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment to building a business with my co-partner of Cockerell Consulting and my life partner of 28 years, Valerie Cockerell. She is the perfect teammate to help us navigate the world together professionally and personally.

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

When you work for a large corporation for so many decades, you take for granted the knowledge you have. That is why we wrote the book, “How’s the Culture in Your Kingdom?” in order to tease out all the knowledge and methodology that we had learned from Disney. The other big challenge was learning how to become an entrepreneur. Disney was a fantastic experience; however, it certainly did not prepare us for entrepreneurship. When you lose so many resources from working in a large corporation, if you would like to be successful, you must become very resourceful. My learning curve went up very steeply, just like at the beginning of my corporate career. I realized that I really had let go of my ego and become a learner again to be successful in navigating while building a new business. After 3 1/2 years, we have learned to hone the tools and practices into stories to help organizations learn “The Method to the Magic.”

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

1. Plan for the worst and hope for the best (take risks, but make sure they are calculated).
2. Stay persistent and positive. There will be plenty of moments you are ready to give up or try something else. Give your goals a chance to develop.
3. You don’t have to go “all in.” Keep your reliable day job, and start to learn how to be an entrepreneur on the side until you are ready to make the leap.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://dancockerell.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dancockerellspeaker
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancockerell/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanCockerell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dancockerell/

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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