The Leaders Institute - Doug Staneart

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Doug Staneart, CEO of The Leaders Institute Team Building Activities, located in Arlington, TX, USA.

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

The Leaders Institute is a group of professional speakers and trainers who help companies make their meetings more fun and interactive. One of the major ways that we do this is through charity team-building activities. Teams work together to solve team challenges. As they accomplish each task, they earn pieces of an item that will be donated to a charity. (For instance, they may receive bicycle parts.) Once the last part is acquired, the teams assemble the item as a group. The end of the event is often quite magical and emotional. The teams get a chance to meet a young kid from a very rough neighborhood who is receiving their first bicycle ever. Or, an officer from the local Special Victims Unit arrives to accept dozens of stuffed animals that will be given to kids who suffer trauma and have to be separated from a parent. There is often not a dry in the place.

Tell us about yourself

When I was a teenager, my niece Ashley, who was four years old, got cancer. The Make-A-Wish Foundation flew my parents (her Grandparents) across 20 states so they could be with her. Memories like this are so positive that they stick with you for a lifetime. My goal is to create those same positive memories at every corporate meeting in America.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

We've donated over $4 million worth of bicycles to underprivileged kids all over the world.

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

Everyone sees the rewards of being a business owner but forgets about the sacrifice and risk involved. As the business owner, I'm always the last to get paid. So, when business is good, the rewards are plentiful.

However, when times get tough (like during a pandemic), the hardships tend to fall on the shoulders of the owner. Most people who start their own businesses don't take this into account. So, they can be rudely awakened within a short period of time.

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

1. Hone Your Craft - Before starting your company, spend time making your product, service, and/or idea exceptional. Give your customers a reason to do business with you versus your competitors.
2. Invest in Sales Education - No matter what you do in your company, you will have to sell your product or service to someone else. If you can't do this, you are out of business before you start.
3. Spend the first 30 minutes to Hour of Each Day Learning - Listen to a podcast, read a trade journal, read a book, or search the news for information about your industry. Successful businesspeople are lifetime learners.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.leadersinstitute.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leadersinstitute
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadersinstitute/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/leaderinstitute
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3QNhkXs

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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