Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Julie Labbe, Founder of Commit2Green, located in Denver, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a green-living educator focused on providing solar solutions for homes and businesses. I also create and distribute content to help consumers commit to green living through recycling and composting.
Tell us about yourself
In my past career, I was a nutritionist and weight-loss coach. I did this for 15 years and loved owning my business. When our boys were getting older and we started planning for college, I realized that how I was running my business wasn't helping us meet our financial goals. So I left my practice and started working for a nationally known matchmaking company. I was in sales, had lots of success, and helped hundreds of people find love and date more successfully.
But I wasn't fulfilled. The sales part was a grind; it took all the fun out of working in what most people would imagine as "such a fun job!" Last May, I realized that, at age 54, I didn't need to settle for the constant feeling of being unsettled. I started looking at other industries. I wanted the work to be inspiring, sustainable, and one that had me following God's plan for my life. The two industries I landed on were behavioral health and sustainable energy.
God kept calling me solar, and I thought how cool it would be to be part of an up-and-coming technology, to help save the planet, and to be out from behind a desk and outdoors, learning a more technical sale. As I dove into the learning process, I realized solar is much more! It's about saving people money, helping them build wealth, providing jobs, and stewarding natural resources. I knew I didn't want to be in an environment with quotas and many meetings. I also knew I wanted to be a business owner again but have someone else own the business. Does that even exist? It does.
I aligned with a company as an independent contractor to utilize a trusted name for the product and installations while having the freedom to build my business at the pace I wanted and with the leadership and sales skills I've honed over the last 30+ years. I also knew that solar was just one area of the business I'd want to build. I am passionate about the green movement and want to be a resource for people like you and me who feel inspired to make a change toward a healthier planet but don't know where to start.
So I meet people where they are and take them where they want to go. If that's with solar, and their house qualifies, I know I can save them money and reduce their carbon footprint. If that's with someone who feels ready to commit to composting and reducing food waste, I have great resources for them too. Suppose someone realizes they throw too much stuff in the trash and know it's damaging when textiles and plastics sit in our landfills. In that case, I help them purge and recycle used or unwanted items and provide outlets for them to give back. I love teaching and empowering people!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Anyone's most significant accomplishment as a business owner is starting the business. It takes courage to step out in faith and create something, knowing you could fail but deciding to do it anyway. However, I wrote a book, which was my biggest accomplishment. I didn't sell more than a few thousand copies, but the process and the people I helped along the way changed the trajectory of my life! Funny story: Before I was into living green, I cleaned our garage and had to make space for a few things.
I had a big box of books I had never sold and decided to get rid of them. I thought I had recycled them, but they must have gone in the trash bin. Fast forward ten years, I was helping a friend with some nutrition advice and gave her a copy of my book. She loved it so much that she told her friend to get one on Amazon. I said I don't think my books are on Amazon anymore. She said yes, they are. My friend has your book in her hand and got it there. I hopped on Amazon, and there it was, copies of my books on sale.
So I look at the distributor (who in the heck is selling my book?), and it's a group in Denver that finds books thrown into landfills! So my book was rescued from a dump, and someone I don't even know was blessed by it. That further inspired me in what I'm doing now to find good homes for things with no purpose sitting in a pile of trash!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, it's a daily discipline to remember that it's not about me. Especially when the ways to market oneself have so much to do with personal branding, I can easily get caught up in how good my post is versus how well I serve people today. That was the biggest lesson I learned in my former business as a nutritionist. I knew I was helping people, but I got too caught up in the brand.
I think God closed that door for a reason. This time, I stayed up and prayed, listening for where I was being led. If I can go into every conversation, every call, every meeting, every post, and every interview like this with the question, "Who can I serve today?" then I believe the other hard things, like stewarding finances and attracting customers, will come with ease.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
First and foremost, source things out. Hire a marketing person, a bookkeeper, or whoever needs to fill the spaces in your business that you either don't like or need to learn how to do.
Second, get clarity around your message. Know what you want to say and who you want to attract. This may shift, and different seasons may bring other messages. Still, suppose your offer aligns with your values and overall mission. In that case, you won't get distracted, and the yeses and no's will become much more manageable. Manage your money. My husband is in finance, so I have help, but getting smart about where and how you allocate financial resources is a must.
Again, if you need to learn how to do this, find someone who does, and always know what's coming in and what's going out.
Where can people find you and your business?
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julie_labbe2/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliealabbe/
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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